2021 GOLD MEDAL WINNER, Florida Authors & Publishers Association President’s Award 2021 FINALIST, Readers’ Favorite Book Award 2020 FINALIST, Eric Hoffer Book Award “I’m their product. They tore me apart and rebuilt me.” Reporter Quinn Kellerman’s brutal assessment of his life is only partially accurate. The truth is, Quinn rebuilt himself in spite of eState, the corporation set on managing every aspect of American life. eState’s reach never matters to Quinn until he becomes the victim of a heinous act. He should have died. Instead, the tragedy drives him. With the help of two friends, he works to expose eState and Bruce Haskell, the company’s cultish leader. Quinn and his friends—and perhaps an adversary or two—draw the curtain on Haskell’s twisted personal life and the man’s use of violent, ghoulish, technological means to manipulate the public. By looking beyond the social, economic, and political machine in which he lives, Quinn discovers his true self—as a black market journalist. About the author Roman S. Koenig is a journalist, screenwriter and filmmaker, publisher, and educator based in San Diego, California. Koenig’s debut novel, Black Market News, is built upon his observations and concerns about the direction of society and media in a world increasingly reliant on technology and its masters. "Reminiscent of the classic dystopian novel, 1984, by George Orwell, Koenig has created a futuristic America that comes across as hauntingly relevant. Being a reporter, Koenig uses his experience to explore what would happen to journalism in an authoritarian state, which gives it a unique insight that isn't often explored in dystopian fiction." -- US Review of Books "This is a novel that will make you question and think deeper about the world around you, and one that will stay with you long after you put the book down. Author Roman S. Koenig has a keen sense of atmosphere, which he builds through tension and clues that he delivers in the clever use of both dialogue and scenic descriptions." -- Readers' Favorite Roman S. Koenig is an award-winning journalist, screenwriter, filmmaker, publisher and media professor based in San Diego, California. Two of Koenig's film-related projects are part of the basis for his debut novel, Black Market News. His feature-length screenplay of the same name earned a Best Screenplay nomination at the San Diego Film Awards in 2014. The 2001 film production Human Resource won honorable mention for feature-length film in the Zoie Films International festival. Koenig's educational background consists of a Master of Arts degree in Television, Film and New Media Production from San Diego State University; a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science with a Literature/Writing Studies minor from Cal State San Marcos; and an Associate degree in Journalism from Palomar College. He as won nearly 50 awards for his work in San Diego journalism. In his film work, Koenig's 2017 short film The Frequenters won Awards of Recognition from the international Accolade Global Film Competition and Best Shorts Competition. His 2015 short film Thirst was screened at the Borrego Springs Film Festival. In September 2015, the film won an Award of Merit from the international Best Shorts competition. In November 2015, his short film Smiler was listed among the top 25 best films in the international Four Points Film Project out of more than 100 entries. In 2014, his production for the San Diego 48 Hour Film Project, Bunny, won the event's first Spirit Award and received award nominations for Best Director, Best Cinematographer and Best Actress. His 48HFP productions in 2009 and 2010 went on to place in the best-of-show screenings, and were shown at the Temecula Valley International Film Festival.