Books - MartyEssen.com

From multi-award-winning author Marty Essen comes . . . An unconventional, satirical, controversial, time travel comedy! What if you could reach back in time to deport the world’s worst environmental villains to a depository planet before their greed condemns Earth to an ecological apocalypse? What if each time you did so, an alien instantly extracted a body part and replaced it with a refurbished one? Would you still do it?

With little choice but to cooperate, Dr. Stefan Westin (aka Doctor Refurb) and vet tech Tara Kramer endure multiple body part extractions for the sake of Earth. Then, with the help of Rodney, a full-time planetary consultant from another galaxy, they must finish the job by traveling back in time to capture Ralph, a rebellious alien who has been jumping from person to person doing evil in the name of Christianity since biblical times. But Ralph could be anywhere—from leading the Spanish Inquisition, to instigating the Salem witch hangings, to abusing indigenous children at residential schools in Canada, to occupying an abusive missionary in Brazil. Only by capturing Ralph can Stefan and Tara annul the unholy marriage between conservative Christianity and the worst environmental villains. Adding to the difficulty of their task is that they must succeed before expending their time travel budget. Should they fail, Rodney’s supervisor won’t wait for the ecological apocalypse to happen—she’ll order Earth recycled immediately!

Heartrending yet hilarious, Doctor Refurb is influenced by actual historical events and confronts the serious subjects of climate change, far-right politics, and child abuse committed by Christian authorities. Read it before it becomes the most frequently banned book of 2033! (We’re time travelers; we checked.)

Everyone has dreams of what they want to accomplish in life. Marty Essen’s childhood dream of becoming a herpetologist gave way to his dream of becoming a popular DJ, which led to his dream of becoming a big-time talent manager, which morphed into the dream of becoming an in-demand author and college speaker. While he achieved most of his dreams at various levels, he also realized that he didn’t necessarily have to reach the top to find success or happiness. Sometimes “almost” is close enough.

Hits, Heathens, and Hippos: Stories from an Agent, Activist, and Adventurer is a humorous and inspirational memoir that explores relationships and careers and how seemingly minor events can lead to life-changing results. Compelling stories have filled Marty’s life, and he tells those stories in a conversational style that combines his talents as an award-winning author with his talents as the creator of a one-man stage show that he has performed at hundreds of colleges across the United States.

His stories include:

◆ Growing up with an over-the-top, born-again Christian father, who prayed aloud in restaurants, thought Satan possessed his Masonic lodge watch, and attempted to faith-heal his old Toyota.

◆ Becoming the youngest disc jockey in Minnesota history, where he survived an on-air attack from a jealous DJ and learned that rock ’n’ roll and country radio stations have vastly different groupies.

◆ Running multiple music talent agencies and becoming one of the top young talent managers in America.

◆ Telling the best lie ever to reel in and marry an amazing woman that the media would later dub as his “intrepid wife.”

◆ Moving to Montana, where he founded one of the state’s fastest growing independent telephone companies and an unusual baseball league with pro-prospects and out-of-control players.

◆ Surviving as an outspoken liberal in the most conservative region of Montana and dealing with the death threats and dirty tricks that came with it.

◆ Heartwarming and humorous stories from his relationships with musicians, governors, senators, and a very special Democratic nominee for President of the United States.

◆ Traveling to all seven continents in search of rare and interesting wildlife, backpacking with a tribe known for headhunting, and surviving a vicious hippo attack.

Be prepared to be inspired, educated, and entertained!

◆ "Hits, Heathens, and Hippos proves life is mostly luck and a little timing with many laughs along the way. Marty Essen has demonstrated that life is what you do while you decide what you are going to be when you grow up. This is a great book about a life of ventures, friends and a few lessons about winning and losing." —Governor Brian Schweitzer (Democrat, Montana 2005-2013)

◆ "A thoroughly absorbing and inherently fascinating account of a most unusual life lived out in a series of equally unusual circumstances."

—Midwest Book Review

◆ "Marty Essen's latest book, Hits, Heathens, and Hippos—which includes a funny story from my days working with his talent agency— really drew me in. His descriptions of our old Minneapolis stomping grounds, and our mutual hometown of Duluth, brought back a lot of forgotten memories, and it was a pleasure to delve into his recollections through his colorful storytelling. Even if you're not in the music business, Marty's stories will fascinate you!"—Phil Solem, The Rembrandts

◆ "These days it's imperative to be reminded that one's dreams can still be made manifest through a combination of fortitude, aptitude, and a good-humored willingness to fail miserably. Marty Essen's aptly titled new book, Hits, Heathens, and Hippos is a glorious romp through the pathos, triumph, and sheer absurdity of a small scale rock and roll universe, one that nonetheless, has all the trimmings of the big one."

—Peter Himmelman, musician

◆ "Marty Essen's book, Hits, Heathens and Hippos, takes you on a comedy journey that never ends. It's a wicked funny ride. And I know funny."

—Karen Pickering, comedian

◆ "What I like about this book is the personal style Essen writes with. You really get a sense of his personality, sense of humor, and the way he thinks. It's a fun, clever way of discussing the world of work and relationships, more memoir than self-help, yet the advice is there, dramatized. His talent for storytelling gives you the feeling you're in an audience, listening to him. You'll find yourself amused, shocked, and touched. One of the best stories is about the hippo attack, but you'll have to read the book to get the details. For an entertaining read that would make a great movie or documentary, pick up your copy of Hits, Heathens, and Hippos: Stories from an Agent, Activist, and Adventurer by Marty Essen."

—Tammy Ruggles for Readers' Favorite Book Reviews

◆ "With thought-provoking explorations into making peace with family members who adhere to differing religious values, tales of his time as a talent agent, and escapades with gigantic rainforest monitor lizards--there is much to enjoy in Marty Essen's memoir Hits, Heathens, and Hippos: Stories from an Agent, Activist, and Adventurer."

—a 4/5 starred IndieReader-Approved title, reviewed by C.S. Holmes

AN IRREVERENT, LIBERAL, TWISTY, TIME TRAVEL COMEDY!

What if you could make a change to history that would eliminate the Spanish Inquisition, American slavery, World War II, global warming, and an egomaniacal US president who thought he was smart enough to drop nuclear bombs here and there without negative consequences? What if that change also made the United States and 5 billion people poof from existence? Would you do it?

When alien time travel specialists, the Krichards, learn of President Handley's game of dodge the mushroom cloud, they race to Earth to investigate. For them, the question of whether it's worth it to change history is easy to answer, but they will only proceed if the human they deem best qualified to represent Earth agrees to make the change. Erasing Handley's nuclear annihilation will require a quick jump to AD 31 to correct an error in history. If the Krichards select a brilliant scientist or an elite athlete for the task, Earth may be in good hands. Instead they select Marty Mann, a mildly successful travel writer whose only superpower is not taking life too seriously. What could possibly go wrong?

Spanning from the Cretaceous period to 2056, Time Is Irreverent is a hilarious, thought-provoking satire, with unpredictable twists, colorful aliens, huge dinosaurs, a smokin' hot lesbian from the future, and a cameo from Jesus Christ himself!

◆ "Highly recommend. It's fun, clever, cool, witty, surprising, political, sexy, everything a sci-fi book should be. And as someone who's also written a sci-fi-time-travel-humor novel, I love that Marty Essen doesn't break the time rules he sets up from the start - so many sci-fi authors do, and as far as I'm concerned, that's just lazy writing. Not the case here! Yes, his characters learn and adapt and grow, but the foundation of his rules remain intact always. To repeat: fun, witty, surprising, sexy. Highly recommend."

—Jeff Abugov, writer, producer, director, and Golden Globe Award, Peabody Award, and People's Choice Award-winner

◆ "Time Is Irreverent is a delightful romp that scores solid satirical points about religion, human nature, sex, the Trump administration, and a great deal more."

—Tom Flynn, Free Inquiry magazine

◆ "Ironic, original, hysterically funny, deftly crafted, and an impressively entertaining read from first page to last."

—Midwest Book Review

◆ "Time Is Irreverent is a well-written, well-paced novel peopled with solid, likeable characters. Marty Essen is a talented author who has managed to wrap several complex threads into a light, enjoyable narrative. I hope he will continue writing in the sci-fi genre and I look forward eagerly to his future works."

—Charles Remington, Readers' Favorite Book Reviews

Endangered Edens is the long-awaited follow-up to Marty Essen's six-time award-winning book, Cool Creatures, Hot Planet: Exploring the Seven Continents.

Whether traveling with Marty and his wife, Deb, in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Costa Rica, and Puerto Rico, or going solo with Marty in the Everglades, readers will experience nature's Endangered Edens in a way few others have all while laughing and learning along the way.

In addition to Marty's entertaining stories, Endangered Edens also features more than 180 stunning color pictures merging the genres of wildlife photography, adventure travelogues, and environmental education into one unforgettable book.

◆ "A magical, fun journey through some of the world's hidden and not so hidden Edens, as seen through the eyes of a true wildlife aficionado and author whose writing makes the pages come alive and vibrate with the sound and pulse of nature. A book that once started is impossible to put down."
—Dr. M. Sanjayan, Senior Scientist at Conservation International and host of the PBS Television series EARTH: A New Wild

◆ "Impressively informative and a lot of fun."
—Midwest Book Review

◆ "Endangered Edens primary strength is its many glossy, high-quality photos of wildlife. From alligators to caribou, the visuals in the book are both stunning and informative, bolstered by the author's deep knowledge of butterfly and bird species. In giving factual details about each animal, the book allows the captured image to take on extra life. The book's four long essays, each focusing on a different journey, make the book easy to set aside and pick up again, and the writing style enhances the book's readability."

—Foreword Reviews

◆ "I highly recommend that everyone join author Marty Essen and his wife, Deb, as they explore our planets Endangered Edens. After reading about these last great wild places, you will surely be tempted to visit them and more importantly protect them for future generations to enjoy."
—Cindy Shogan, Executive Director, Alaska Wilderness League

◆ "Marty Essen's explorations of exotic and remote places gave me the feeling of traveling with him, sensing his measure of the wondrous natural world. His strident call for the preservation of Alaska's wilderness is timely, deserving the response of the American people."
—Stewart Brandborg, retired Executive Director of The Wilderness Society, and a prominent voice behind the creation of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in 1960.

Cool Creatures, Hot Planet: Exploring the Seven Continents follows Marty and Deb Essen on an eight trip, three-and-a-half-year-long adventure to some of the wildest places on all seven continents.

The American couple began crisscrossing the globe with the simple intention of searching for rare and interesting wildlife. When their travels coincided with the U.S. invasion of Iraq, the added element made them unwitting ambassadors for peace. Their experiences—from amusing to life threatening—changed their lives forever.

This is not your average travelogue. Marty Essen has written a book that entertains, informs, and poignantly reminds us that we all share a small planet.

Locations visited include: Belize, Peru (the Amazon Rainforest), Argentina, Australia (Queensland), Canada (Alberta, British Columbia, Yukon Territory, and Northwest Territories), Antarctica, Europe (Spain, France, Switzerland, and Andorra), Malaysia (Borneo), and Africa (Zimbabwe).

◆ "This is a wonderful book a labor of love that describes in soul-stirring language what it is like to live with the people, the animals, the birds, the snakes, the insects, the jungles, the treacherous rivers, the gorgeous scenery of seven continents. It is the best travel and exploratory work I have yet encountered. Marty Essen and his wife, Deb, are two highly intelligent, imaginative, and brave people."
—Senator George McGovern, 1972 Democratic nominee for president

◆ "An exciting and adventurous read. Cool Creatures, Hot Planet by Marty Essen is a roller coaster ride through the natural world that will both entertain and enlighten readers."
—Jeff Corwin, The Jeff Corwin Experience

All book(s) purchased by mail, with a check or money order, will be signed by the author. If you have a special signing request, please send it with your check. We will do our best to accommodate you.

Buy Cool Creatures, Hot Planet today, and we will ship your order for FREE!
Free shipping applies to United States destinations only.

To order Cool Creatures, Hot Planet, mail $25.00 per book to:

Encante Press, LLC.
1572 Blue Lupine Lane
Victor, MT 59875

If you don't care about a signed copy, you can order Cool Creatures, Hot Planet from your local bookstore or from almost every on-line bookstore in the world.

All book(s) purchased by mail, with a check or money order, will be signed by the author. If you have a special signing request, please send it with your check. We will do our best to accommodate you.

Buy Endangered Edens today, and we will ship your order for FREE!
Free shipping applies to United States destinations only.

To order Endangered Edens, mail $20.00 per book to:

Encante Press, LLC.
1572 Blue Lupine Lane
Victor, MT 59875

If you don't care about a signed copy, you can order Endangered Edens from your local bookstore or from almost every on-line bookstore in the world.

To be published on September 18, 2022, just in time for Banned Books Week!

From multi-award-winning author Marty Essen comes . . .
An unconventional, satirical, controversial, time travel comedy!

Hits, Heathens, and Hippos: Stories from an Agent, Activist, and Adventurer

Time Is Irreverent

Endangered Edens

Watch the Endangered Edens Official Book Trailer! Be sure turn up the volume on your speakers to hear Callie MaRae's beautiful vocals:

Cool Creatures, Hot Planet

Buy Cool Creatures, Hot Planet today,
and we will ship your order for FREE!

Marty's second book, Endangered Edens: Exploring the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Costa Rica, the Everglades, and Puerto Rico, was published on January 8, 2016, and it immediately became an Amazon #1 Hot New Release in five categories:

Copyright © 2023 Encante Entertainment

To be published on September 18, 2022, just in time for Banned Books Week! From multi-award-winning author Marty Essen comes . . .An unconventional, satirical, controversial, time travel comedy!