I won't bother going into
all the aspects of RSS, since everything you need
to know is at that page twice mentioned above.
Not a lot to report. In May I
received e-mail from an acquaintance through whom
I previously expected to make contact with a
movie producer out of California. I had not heard
back after our original discussions of about a
year ago (and which I did not mention in this
site's updates). Anyway, my acquaintance
mentioned that his producer friend had actually
come through town. To make a long story short, my
acquaintance has now forwarded Stopgap
info to the Producer. I'm not holding my breath
this time. The silence has already been longer
than would be anticipated if good news were
coming. I've followed-up with an e-mail inquiry,
but since we're in the middle of the July 4th
weekend, I don't expect a reply for a few days
yet.
Since I'm not independently
wealthy, I'm casting around for additional income
and only now--after several months--stating to
again think about The Canard Solution.
It's a difficult plot to get back into (from a
writing perspective, that is). Having a few other
non-Karns Gray ideas swirling around in my head
hasn't help matters, either.
Stay tuned. I'm sure the roller
coaster hasn't come to a complete stop!
April 2005: First
the obvious thing: Yes, the website has underwent
yet another change--the last I hope. Hope you
like it. Drop a line to the Mirabella e-mail
address and let us know what you think.
In loosely associated news, the
Publisher's website now offers a Conference Room
Chat service that is freely open to the public.
It doesn't require you to divulge information,
and is also a promotional tool for Lighthouse
authors meeting the Publisher's web site image
policy. At any rate, yours truly is one of only
two or three authors that are thus far being
marketed by the Conference Room Chat service. To
check out this cool service,
CLICK HERE. (Update:
As of 2008 TheLighthousePress.com website no
longer offers the Conference Room Chat service.)
I've nothing really to report. My
publisher has been soliciting investors for the
film adaptation of another Lighthouse Press title
called, The Wayfarers and out of those
efforts I've heard of tentative discussions
regarding the optioning of The Gray Stopgap
film rights to Lighthouse Entertainment, L.L.C.
It's all very speculative. The publisher has also
just mentioned having received a request for a Gray
Stopgap film treatment.
The sequel… Don't ask. It's
been tough trying to get back into it after the
rewrite fiasco (see the January 2005 entry
below).
January 2005: I
know I'm going to catch questions about the most
recent update to the site and the related
disappearance of an expected
"co-authored" novel. So I'll avoid the
questions with a preemptory strike of an
explanation.
If you're unfamiliar with the work
I am discussing, don't look for it by name on the
site. It's not here.
I spent considerable time and
resources "co-authoring" a novel that
will now not be published. It was to be the first
in a series. The manuscript's creator anticipated
not having time to actually write the sequels,
had wanted a "co-author" for subsequent
novels and pitched the idea to my publisher, The
Lighthouse Press, Inc. Lighthouse, in turn,
contacted me. I was interested but first had to
read the initial novel.
After a review I thought that only
the concept and basic plot outline were good. The
plot, ideology and the suspension of disbelief
were so critically handicapped that I suspected
reviewers and espionage readers would maul the
book like savage wolves. I should point out that
the original writer steadfastly felt that these
were non-issues.
At any rate, I offered the
publisher a counter proposal: I would address the
issues by re-writing the manuscript and thus
co-authoring a new novel. I also suggested that
the publisher should regularly update the
original writer so that he could see the work as
it was being done and review my on-going analyses
as I rewrote the plot. I also mentioned we would
need a contract before I was finished.
This went on for a few weeks. I
finally heard back from the Publisher that I was
to "go ahead." But somewhere between
that point and the end, details became lost,
miss-communicated or ignored. By the time I was
more than halfway through I had neither a
contract nor input from the original writer. In
spite of this, the re-write went amazingly
smooth. I was very pleased with the work.
By the time work was nearly
completed the response from the original writer
had passed through at least two phases: One of
rejection--because his understanding of my
efforts wasn't the understanding I had
communicated (I kept the e-mail just case), and;
One of tentative acceptance.
A contract was finally drawn-up and
along with the final revision, given to the
original writer.
He turned it down.
So, that's why, after more than
four months and 2000 hours of effort, the
co-authored novel will not be published by The
Lighthouse Press. Yes, the novel is still
allegedly going to be available directly from the
original writer and his website, but it will be
his original version.
The rewrite was actually amazing to
write. It was so elegant in some of its details
that I literally found myself--at times--out on
the porch…singing. And considering my lack
of singing talent that's a pretty frightful
experience for listeners.
But alas, I suppose the novel
wasn't meant to be. I wish I could report that
everything had worked out. Along with everything
else, the entire ordeal has been physically,
emotionally and mentally exhausting. To any of
those out there awaiting the next Karns Gray
novel, I again apologize and hope that this more
thoroughly explains the delay--and the complete
disappearance of an expected novel.
In other news… Except for the
big gaping hole in my expenses as caused by the
cost of my time as referenced above, there's
nothing new to report. You might say that
disappointment runs rampant.
November 2004:
First, I must apologize for having made no
further headway on the Karns Gray sequel, The
Canard Solution. As indicated in the September
2004 entry I am still roughly about 93% into the
novel. The delay is the result of my meeting the
Publisher's deadline for a
"co-authored" novel on which I've spent
nearly 2000 hours of the last four or five months
working from sunrise until the wee hours of the
morning. Don't get me wrong-it was blast! It was
a heck of a concept on which I thoroughly enjoyed
working. The resulting story isn't the typical
"Tolleson" character study, but it is
bang-up plot boiler.
I actually took time away from the
keyboard today and stopped in my old high school
(R.L. Paschal) to look at the wall mural I
painted during the year of (and year following)
my graduation. Okay, so it wasn't exactly a
vacation, but it was the first time I've been
more than two miles from my house in awhile!
Everything else is pretty much the
same. I'll finish up The Canard Solution shortly,
and then turn my attention back to efforts
regarding The Gray Stopgap movie. In
related news, the publisher has incorporated a
film rights company called Lighthouse
Entertainment, L.C.C., and perhaps that will
cross paths with The Gray Stopgap. Stay
tuned for more.
September 2004:
Where to begin? Since the January B&N
"Staff Recommendation" (you can find it
on the News page) there's hasn't been a lot
"officially" happening with The
Gray Stopgap. As far as I can tell, most--if
not all--of the movie rights negotiations
mentioned in the January 2004 update (see the
"Old Hat" Section below) have not
yielded results. However, we (the Publisher, PR
Rep and me) have begun an unusual process of
soliciting the interest of the movie industry by
approaching specific actors, directors and
producers. One of my personal choices was an
actor named Steve Jasgur (The "30-seconds
Listerine guy") who responded that he found
the
(Update 2005: The
Cussler novel involved with all this was Sahara.
After a long pre-production effort, the producers
and Cussler settled upon Mathew McConnaughey for
the lead--which wasn't Cussler's fist choice. And
after all these years of waiting to be in
control, the authority for which Cussler had so
long held out was wrest from him (I'm not sure
how). Still, somehow or another, the producers
managed to complete the project and have released
the film--even though Cussler brought legal
action for their having violated the contract. If
the movie is successful Cussler said he would,
"puke all the way to the bank.")
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