Sonora Author To Publish Two Books

Sonora, CA — Sonora´s Ben Esch will be the first to tell you that he always wanted to be a writer and now he is one … on a professional basis.

The 25 year old Sonora High School and U.C.-Berkeley English Literature graduate has signed a two book deal with Hyperion Publishing, a company owned by the Disney Corporation.

After his U.C. graduation Esch headed off to Shanghi, China to teach English. He quickly learned that was not a route he wanted to follow in life. He returned home and continued working on several projects he had started while at Berkeley.

He also acquired an agent who had an interest in young adult stories. The two worked on editing Esch´s first effort, Dixie Nguyen – Ace Reporter, for seven months and then negotiated a contract with Hyperion. The story deals with a socially outcast high school newspaper reporter that becomes involves with a drug scandal within the school´s football program.

Esch expects his initial work to be published in either January or February of 2009. As for income, Esch says he is receiving an advance on the royalties from his book.

Written by Bill Johnson