I’m currently developing a series of short stories in the Weird Western genre. The tales will take place around 1780, during the California Mission period, and involve cryptozoological (creature of the week) storylines.
My hero is Otto Eisenschaf, a Hessian mercenary who lost his left hand and part of his arm in the first battle of the American Revolutionary War. Rescued from a colonial POW camp by a Jesuit priest, Otto is spirited away to Alta California, and fitted with an iron prosthetic that is full of gears and gadgets and accessories.
Otto serves under Father President Junípero Serra in various capacities, especially investigating strange occurrences in the New World.
My current project, Chupacabron, involves a wily shapeshifting creature that sucks the blood from goats during the full moon at St. Anthony Padua mission.
The stories will have gobs of action and humor. As soon as one is fit for print, I’ll make it available for free on this website, in exchange for subscribing to my newsletter. Or, if you subscribe beforehand, I’ll send you a copy when it’s ready.
The idea for a German mercenary with an iron hand came from a real life character, Gottfried “Götz” von Berlichingen, who fought in the 1500s, nearly 300 years before my stories begin. His prosthetic is pictured here.
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