Self-Published Kindle Novel Optioned for Film!

Yesterday I went out to check the mail as the truck pulled up. The mail carrier told me he was just about to come up to my house. "I have something for you," he said. "Certified letter."

"I was waiting for this, " I said, taking the pen and clipboard from him.

As I was signing and printing my name on two different forms he made small talk. "It's from West Hollywood. Looks like you're going to be in the movies."

"Actually," I told him, "you're not too far off. It's a contract. One of my books is being optioned for film."

"Really?" he said. "That's great! Well now I know someone famous." He sounded really delighted for me.

And that is how my mail carrier heard the big news before nearly everyone else I know.

I have been sitting on this for several weeks, waiting until it was official to spill the beans, and now that I've cashed the check and have the signed contract in hand I don't have to hold back anymore.

At the end of last month, I got an email from the head of a production company inquiring about film rights for my self-published Kindle novel, A Scattered Life. I had oddly mixed feelings about this email. I wanted to believe it, but I was skeptical. I knew that even books published by Random House, Simon & Schuster etc. are rarely optioned for film, and if they are it's only because the author's agent sent the book to a film agent and THAT film agent shopped it around. I'd never heard of a self-published novel being optioned and I was fairly certain that a self-published Kindle novel had never been optioned.

So it seemed unlikely, but I investigated and found it was indeed a legitimate production company and a real offer. Then, in a weird twist of fate, I met someone whose son had co-written one of my favorite movies of 2008 and that kind lady connected us via email. Even though this man is a major player in the business, he was extremely generous with his time, explaining how movie options work and giving me his take on the terms offered.

I talked to the head of the production company by phone and we emailed back and forth several times and came to an agreement. At one point I asked how he came to find A Scattered Life, and he said that his job was finding stories that would translate well to film. In my case, he was searching Amazon and came across some posts on a message board talking up the book. I am endlessly grateful to those posters. He thought my story would adapt well as a quirky character-driven movie like Sunshine Cleaning and Little Miss Sunshine.

My son Jack, not wanting me to get too full of myself, made a point to tell me that statistically the film is unlikely to get made. I know this. Less than 1% of options result in movies, but you know what? I don't care. Right now, I am, to borrow my friend Linda's expression, "wallowing in happiness."

It's a good place to be.

Today I posted the information on Publishers Marketplace, under "Film rights."

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Karen McQuestion's A SCATTERED LIFE, the first self-published Kindle novel to be optioned to film, to Hiding In Bed, with Eric Lake producing.

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Happy Thanksgiving everyone! May all your dreams come true.

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Later,

Karen

Hey Mom, I'm on NPR!

Hello Everybody,

Yesterday my essay about becoming a Kindle author was featured on WUWM's Lake Effect show. I had posted this same piece earlier on my blog, but took it down when it was accepted for radio. At that time, I had titled it "Jeff Bezos Is My Hero." He's still my hero, but Lake Effect chose to call it How We Read Now.

It also was shortened somewhat, because apparently it sounded too much like an ad for Amazon's Kindle. What can I say? I'm grateful.

In other news, mystery author Deb Baker, gave my novel A Scattered Life, a mention on her blog. She likes it--she really, really likes it! Thanks Deb.

And since one good turn deserves another, I'd like to give Deb's book, Murder Passes the Buck, a shout-out. It's a cozy mystery set in the UP (that's the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, ya know) with quirky characters and lots of humor. If you have a Kindle you can't go wrong for $1.99 and if you prefer to read off dead trees, it also comes in paperback.

Have a great weekend,

Karen

No Kindle Required

Yesterday Amazon made available a free Kindle application for the PC. What does this mean, you ask? Well, it means that if you have a PC with Windows, and an Amazon account, you now have the means to download any Kindle book to read on your computer.

So many Kindle books are free and I'm talking about books you've heard of and have been thinking you should read, but never have because you've been busy watching CSI reruns. Classics like Frankenstein, and The Count of Monte Cristo and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and a whole bunch by some guy named Shakespeare. Sure, you've seen the movies, but now you can experience them in their original state, just as the author intended. And for free! Just like the library, except you don't need to take them back.

And when you get sick of reading that old fashioned schlock, you could pay just a little bit of money and read my novels. If you want, I mean. No pressure here...





That's all I've got. Have a great day.

Later,

Karen

NPR and my Amazon Kindle piece

On Friday I visited the local NPR affiliate, WUWM, to record a piece I wrote about becoming a Kindle author. WUWM is located in downtown Milwaukee in a place originally christened "The Shops of Grand Avenue," although I have never heard it called anything but The Grand Avenue Mall. Funny how some things just refuse to stick.

At one time the mall was bustling with business, but the day I went it was pretty quiet, and I noticed a number of vacant stores. A sad reminder of our lackluster economy. On the plus side, I got an awesome parking space.

The mall was built in 1982, but was constructed around the former Plankinton Arcade (1916) with many of its features intact, according to Wikipedia.

Inside the mall, I approached a rotunda centered by a statue of John Plankinton, the founding father of the meat industry in Wisconsin. Again, I got this info from Wikipedia, because I had no idea who John Plankinton was. Apparently he was a very big deal in the 1800s, but last time I looked it was NOT the 1800s. Still his statue lives on.

JOHN PLANKINTON, non-vegetarian

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I was about twenty minutes early for my appointment with Mitch Teich, the executive producer of Lake Effect, WUWM's locally-produced magazine program. To kill time, I approached the staircase slowly....





And went down, down, down, into the lower depths of the Grand Avenue Mall (not its real name) to the business area of the building. I did stop to admire the wrought iron railing, presumably the same since 1916.

COOL STAIRCASE

At the bottom of the staircase was a fountain filled with pennies. I opted not to make a wish. Like I said, I already got the good parking space, and was chosen to be on NPR, so I figured I was doing okay, and would leave the good luck for people who really needed it.

FOUNTAIN AT BOTTOM OF STAIRS

Below the stairs and through an archway, I found the offices of WUWM, shown below. A mall crew was putting up garland during my visit, which explains the box and green foliage in the photo. Despite appearances to the contrary, they were not decorating the floor, but laying it out before using it to decorate the staircase.

EXTERIOR OF WUWM, with floor greenery

I was early. Being early is my family curse. We hate being late, so we always factor in extra time for emergencies like train delays, getting lost, and natural disasters of Biblical proportions. This time I was annoyingly early, so I hung around trying not to look so suspicious I'd arouse mall security.

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When it was about five minutes before the hour, I decided I was no longer freakishly early and went to my appointment. Mitch Teich led me into the only studio where they can see actual daylight. I loved talking to Mitch. He's so well read and has interviewed a bazillion fascinating people from all walks of life. You can see where someone who spends a lot of time in their basement would find this especially impressive.

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I recorded my piece with only a dozen or so flubs, all of which radio magic will fix, and then we were done. I had taken a photo of the studio and Mitch generously offered to take one of me. When I told him I hated getting my picture taken he came up with this solution:

Clever, no?

I had no idea I looked like this from behind. The flash made my hair look glossy, which is good, but I think my back is going on a diet and soon.

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All in all, a good experience and since the offices of WUWM are moving in January, I'm very glad I brought my camera to capture their current location.

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My piece will air on Friday, November 13th. The same show will feature the author of a book explaining how web technology is revolutionizing education. I love how they pair similar things together, like little audio puzzle pieces.

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I'll post a link when I have one.

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In the meantime, someone had suggested I post links to my Kindle books on Amazon. So I'll put them below. Have a good day!

Karen


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FAVORITE
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EASILY AMUSED
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A SCATTERED LIFE
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LIES I TOLD MY CHILDREN

My Favorite Book

Yes, I have a new book on Amazon Kindle, just released this week. This makes three novels and one collection of humorous essays in three months, if anyone is keeping track. If you didn't know I had a backlog, you might think I write very, very quickly a la Stephen King.

The new novel is titled Favorite and priced at a very affordable $1.99. I hope readers like it. And if they don't like it, I really hope they don't send me mean emails calling me a poser and a hack. But mostly, I really hope they like it. It's only been out a few days and I've already gotten a review--five stars from a lovely lady named Alice. Alice loved the book. Alice is a very smart and kind woman, and also quite beautiful, I'm sure.

Description: On Angie Favorite’s eleventh birthday, her mother disappeared without a trace. Every night afterward, Angie prayed for her mother’s safe arrival home. And sometimes, she thought she felt her mother praying the same thing back. When Angie is attacked by a complete stranger the crime seems random until she meets her attacker's wealthy mother, Lillian Bittner, and discovers connections between the Bittners and the mother no one has heard from in five years.

Intriguing, don't you think?

Today I drove down to radio station WUWM, and taped a commentary describing my journey from down-and-out writer, to successful (?) Kindle author. When it airs next week Friday I will post a link.

Later,

Karen

Jeff Bezos Is My Hero

Jeff Bezos is still my hero, but this blog entry was removed because there's interest in having it featured as a commentary on NPR.

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When the details are in place, I'll let you know. I expect I'll put this blog post up again at some point in the future, and you can read all about the advent of ebook technology (and Amazon's Kindle in particular) and how it's benefitted me personally.

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Thank you for your time. Stop in again soon.

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All best,

Karen

Chuck Norris counted to infinity--twice

My older son introduced me to the concept of "Chuck Norris facts," an Internet listing of sentences which make the actor sound out-of-this-world tough and heroic.

A few examples, purported to be among Chuck's favorites from this site:

• When the Boogeyman goes to sleep every night, he checks his closet for Chuck Norris.
• There is no theory of evolution. Just a list of creatures Chuck Norris allowed to live.
• Outer space exists because it's afraid to be on the same planet with Chuck Norris.
• Chuck Norris does not sleep. He waits.

You get the idea.

Today on Twitter someone suggested Googling "Where is Chuck Norris" and then clicking on "I Feel Lucky." So I did, and this is what popped up:

Google won't search for Chuck Norris because it knows you don't find Chuck Norris, he finds you.

And, if that wasn't enough, I got some suggestions.

Suggestions:

• Run, before he finds you
• Try a different person