J. Kent Messum

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About J. Kent Messum
J. Kent Messum was born in Toronto in 1979, the product of a merger between a Cockney Lad and a Geordie Lass that resulted in a typical Aries, who came out of the delivery room with a chip on his shoulder and an overactive imagination.
During his early years his mother read fantastical stories to him every night, and his father frequently invented tales of witches and ghosts that both intrigued and terrified him. He was a frightened child growing up, convinced of a boogeyman in every closet and a monster under most beds. His stories are rooted in that same childhood fear, now evolved and molded by a mix of life experiences and a good deal of thinking outside the box.
Jamie graduated from York University's Fine Arts Program and has worked as a session musician, freelance writer, producer, internet radio station disc jockey, bartender, office gopher, music teacher, movie grip, laborer, contractor, and a few other things he'd rather not admit. A glutton for punishment, Jamie has been involved heavily in both the music business and film business for well over a decade. He writes incessantly, putting on paper as many stories and ideas as his time will allow. The literary business is a welcome change, since he writes as if his life depended on it anyway.
Jamie's debut novel, Bait, a dark psychological thriller about a group of strangers who find themselves stranded on a deserted island, was published in the US and Canada August 27 2013, and by Penguin UK September 13 2013. Publishing rights have also been acquired in Brazil, Czech Republic, Greece, and Bulgaria. His follow up novel, Husk, a serial killer thriller, was published by Penguin UK on July 30 2015. Publishing rights were also acquired by Greece and the China Complex. Warp Films has optioned the TV rights for 'Husk', with the intention of turning it into an international returnable series.
You can find updates on his website at :http://jkentmessum.com
During his early years his mother read fantastical stories to him every night, and his father frequently invented tales of witches and ghosts that both intrigued and terrified him. He was a frightened child growing up, convinced of a boogeyman in every closet and a monster under most beds. His stories are rooted in that same childhood fear, now evolved and molded by a mix of life experiences and a good deal of thinking outside the box.
Jamie graduated from York University's Fine Arts Program and has worked as a session musician, freelance writer, producer, internet radio station disc jockey, bartender, office gopher, music teacher, movie grip, laborer, contractor, and a few other things he'd rather not admit. A glutton for punishment, Jamie has been involved heavily in both the music business and film business for well over a decade. He writes incessantly, putting on paper as many stories and ideas as his time will allow. The literary business is a welcome change, since he writes as if his life depended on it anyway.
Jamie's debut novel, Bait, a dark psychological thriller about a group of strangers who find themselves stranded on a deserted island, was published in the US and Canada August 27 2013, and by Penguin UK September 13 2013. Publishing rights have also been acquired in Brazil, Czech Republic, Greece, and Bulgaria. His follow up novel, Husk, a serial killer thriller, was published by Penguin UK on July 30 2015. Publishing rights were also acquired by Greece and the China Complex. Warp Films has optioned the TV rights for 'Husk', with the intention of turning it into an international returnable series.
You can find updates on his website at :http://jkentmessum.com
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Titles By J. Kent Messum
HUSK
May 1, 2018
$2.99
It’s the all too near future, and eternal life is a commodity only available to the ultra-rich. Billionaires pay top dollar to exist in a virtual world once their bodies have failed them. However, this foray into immortality is not all it’s cracked up to be. Anyone who cheats death only wants to live again, itching to interact with the real world.
Young and handsome Rhodes is a Husk renting himself out to the wealthy who pay to inhabit his body while his consciousness sleeps. During these sessions some clients indulge in hard drugs, promiscuous encounters, and dare-devil behavior, all to feel the rush and pleasures of being alive again. Husking is a highly illegal and guarded secret, relegated to the black market. The penalties are severe, but the money and perks are extremely lucrative.
After repeatedly Husking for one particularly demanding client, Rhodes begins to suffer the mental toll for losing himself in his work. When strange schizophrenic visions and panic attacks start, he tries to get out of his cast-iron contract, but his employers won’t relinquish their asset. As the body counts rise, disturbing questions emerge, leading to grisly clues about his whereabouts while on the job. Finding himself pursued by the police and shadowy operatives, Rhodes begins to search for answers. It isn’t long before he learns the true cost of Husking…
Praise for HUSK
"Raw, visceral, powerful... may just make you question what it is to be human." - Nick Cutter, author of 'The Troop'
"Pacy and surprising, Husk is a showcase for a wild and frightening imagination." - Andrew Pyper, author of 'The Demonologist'
"Addictive and thrilling yet laced with such terrifying menace, J. Kent Messum’s HUSK is an absolute must-read! (5-Stars)" - HorrorCultFilms
Young and handsome Rhodes is a Husk renting himself out to the wealthy who pay to inhabit his body while his consciousness sleeps. During these sessions some clients indulge in hard drugs, promiscuous encounters, and dare-devil behavior, all to feel the rush and pleasures of being alive again. Husking is a highly illegal and guarded secret, relegated to the black market. The penalties are severe, but the money and perks are extremely lucrative.
After repeatedly Husking for one particularly demanding client, Rhodes begins to suffer the mental toll for losing himself in his work. When strange schizophrenic visions and panic attacks start, he tries to get out of his cast-iron contract, but his employers won’t relinquish their asset. As the body counts rise, disturbing questions emerge, leading to grisly clues about his whereabouts while on the job. Finding himself pursued by the police and shadowy operatives, Rhodes begins to search for answers. It isn’t long before he learns the true cost of Husking…
Praise for HUSK
"Raw, visceral, powerful... may just make you question what it is to be human." - Nick Cutter, author of 'The Troop'
"Pacy and surprising, Husk is a showcase for a wild and frightening imagination." - Andrew Pyper, author of 'The Demonologist'
"Addictive and thrilling yet laced with such terrifying menace, J. Kent Messum’s HUSK is an absolute must-read! (5-Stars)" - HorrorCultFilms
Other Formats:
Paperback
Bait: A Novel
Aug 27, 2013
$4.99
No one is coming to your aid. We have ensured this.
Six strangers wake up on a remote island in the Florida Keys with no memory of their arrival. They soon discover their common bond: all of them are heroin addicts. As the first excruciating pangs of withdrawal make themselves felt, the six notice a yacht anchored across open water. On it lurk four shadowy figures, protected by the hungry sharks that patrol the waves. So begins a dangerous game. The six must undertake the impossible—swim to the next island where a cache of heroin awaits, or die trying. When alliances form, betrayal is inevitable. As the fight to survive intensifies, the stakes reach terrifying heights—and their captors’ motives finally begin to emerge.
Six strangers wake up on a remote island in the Florida Keys with no memory of their arrival. They soon discover their common bond: all of them are heroin addicts. As the first excruciating pangs of withdrawal make themselves felt, the six notice a yacht anchored across open water. On it lurk four shadowy figures, protected by the hungry sharks that patrol the waves. So begins a dangerous game. The six must undertake the impossible—swim to the next island where a cache of heroin awaits, or die trying. When alliances form, betrayal is inevitable. As the fight to survive intensifies, the stakes reach terrifying heights—and their captors’ motives finally begin to emerge.
Other Formats:
Paperback
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