From: Steve Alten <meg82159@aol.com>
Subject: News from Steve Alten
Reply: meg82159@aol.com
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Steve Alten Newsletter
January 2007
In This Issue
MEG movie update:
Need help writing that great American novel?
Another Alten novel of “faction” comes true
Steve Alten on myspace.com
The SHELL GAME Update
LIVING TIPS
Motivating teenagers to read
Join our list
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Dear Readers
HAPPY NEW YEAR. From my family to yours, I hope it is a safe, healthy, and prosperous one. Some real news-breakers in this issue, along with info many of you can use. For those of you who desire to be published writers in 2007 but need some help check out item #2.
Sadly, 2007 began with the passing of a reader and friend. Chuck Jones began e-mailing me about four years ago. He was a disabled police officer who suffered from several debilitating spinal injuries injuries that affected his heart and kept him from working though he desperately wanted to. I never met Chuck but we spoke on the phone many times after I offered him some publicity work calling newspapers, etc., and his overall good nature and Appalachian mountain drawl won over a lot of people. Later, I learned that Chuck had served our country honorably in the Armed Forces, he was a ballistic missile technician who performed hazardous duties in bunkers that housed Titan II nuclear missiles. With his expertise in nuclear weapons, Chuck quickly became one of my key experts when I wrote The SHELL GAME. He offered me amazing details and one very frightening story (which I used in the novel) of an actual incident that (if not for cool heads and sheer luck) very nearly led to the radioactive contamination of a massive part of central Arkansas! (Thankfully Titan IIs have been phased out) Chuck was so excited about contributing to The SHELL GAME that he decided to write his own book. Sadly, he never got the chance, suffering a fatal heart attack just a few days ago. He was only 45 reminding us (and me) that time is our most precious commodity. I miss him already and yes, The SHELL GAME will include a dedication to Chuck. Thanks, pal.
When January 1st comes around, I usually set goals for the new year, something I always preach when I speak to high school students. There is a book I recommend everyone read and no, it’s not mine. It’s THINK & GROW RICH by Napolean Hill. It is literally a bible about achieving success. If you desire to change your life for the better in 2007 read the book!
With that, here’s your update:
MEG movie update:
An amazing new draft of MEG should be handed in to the Execs at New Line Cinema
in the next few weeks. Fingers crossed we’ll get a greenlight. When I know,
you will know. (If you hear a grown man screaming for joy somewhere in the distance,
we probably got the green.)
Need help writing that great American novel?
We all need help to achieve success, the trick is knowing where to go or who
to turn to. Dino Garner is a fantastic editor, he assisted me as a technical
editor on GOLIATH, DOMAIN, and THE SHELL GAME and was fantastic to work with.
He is offering his services to my readers and his fees are beyond reasonable.
Here’s Dino’s bio:
Dino Garner is a ghostwriter, editor and military consultant. He has edited and ghostwritten many books in the past, including Your Veterinary Practice: Buying, Selling & Merging, and Fine-Art Printing for Photographers, both for new publishing houses in California. Over a four-year period, Dino edited and helped write Gauntlet by Barbara Masin, a recent bestseller in Europe, and just released in the US. In the past, Dino edited, or contributed military special- operations expertise to, several NY Times bestsellers: Deception Point, Angels & Demons and The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown; Two Wheels Through Terror by Glen Heggstad; and Domain, Goliath and The Shell Game by Steve Alten, just to name a few. What’s more, he’s a former US Army Airborne Ranger and scientist who’s done cutting-edge research, published in first-rate refereed journals, and written popular articles for the lay public. In 1992, he wrote and shot the popular coffee-table book TOPGUN Miramar, featuring the US Navy’s famed Fighter Weapons School, TOPGUN. He can be reached here:
Ranger Danger Films, Ltd.
1187 Coast Village Rd., #1-351
Santa Barbara, CA 93108
toll free 888.848.3271 or 888.868.5054
email: dino.garner@rangerdangerfilms.com
As for my WRITING COACH program (see www.SteveAlten.com) I may be adding one
or two clients in January. But Dino does this full-time, he can help get you
where you want to go! So no more excuses! Write that novel in 2007!
Another Alten novel of “faction” comes true
If you read THE LOCH, you know the opening chapter involves our hero, Zachary
Wallace, who leads a scientific expedition to capture, for the first time on
video, a live Giant Squid.
Looks like it just came true. Up next a MEGALODON sighting?
Its mass of reddish tentacles flailing, a giant squid fought a losing battle
to evade capture in a video unveiled by Japanese scientists on Friday. Images
of the squid a relatively small female about 12 feet long and weighing 110 pounds
were the ultimate prize for zoologists at the National Science Museum, who have
been pursuing one of the ocean's most mysterious creatures for years. "Nobody
has ever seen a live giant squid except fishermen," team leader Tsunemi
Kubodera of the museum's zoology department said in an interview on Friday.
"We believe these are the first ever moving pictures of a giant squid."
Little was known until recently about the creature thought to have inspired
the myth of the "kraken," a tentacled monster that was blamed by sailors
for sinking ships off Norway in the 18th century. Confirmed reports say giant
squid can grow up to 60 feet long, but according to scientists they are unlikely
to pose a threat to ships because they spend their lives hundreds of meters
under the sea. The Japanese research team tracked giant squid by following their
biggest predators sperm whales -- as they gathered to feed near the Ogasawara
islands, 620 miles south of Tokyo between September and December. They succeeded
in taking the first still photographs of a living giant squid in 2005, observing
that it moved around in the water more actively than previously thought, and
captured food by entangling prey in its powerful tentacles.
Steve Alten on myspace.com
Yes, two months ago I officially drank the kool-aid and joined myspace and yes
it’s fun but I can quit anytime, I swear!!!!! We added the RESURRECTION
X-Mas video where Santa meets Lilith the succubus and Saint Nick has gets his
jingle bells rung. All in good fun sort of.
If you want to visit or be added as a friend go to the below link.
Go to Steve's MySpace...
The SHELL GAME Update
The manuscript went out to several publishers just before the holidays, part
of a 4-5 book deal (The LOCH mass market paperback, the MEG paperback, MEG-4,
Shell Game and another “special project”). I hope to have news in
January.
LIVING TIPS
Sometimes the best LIVING TIP is simply a good laugh. I think all of us who
get those annoying telemarketing calls will appreciate this, click the link
below.
If you have a Living Tip you’d like to share with others, e-mail it to me at Meg82159@aol.com
Click Here To Read Living Tip (Turn up your volume)...
Motivating teenagers to read
Adopt-An-Author is a non-profit program I started 8 years ago to motivate students
to read. The program was actually initiated by teachers who discovered (low
and behold) that students enjoyed reading about giant 70 foot great white sharks!
Since then more than 8,000 teachers have registered for the program. Why? Read
the letter at the bottom of the newsletter. If you know a secondary school teacher
(8th – 12th grade), have them go to adoptanauthor.com.
Go to Adopt-An-Author Website...
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That’s all for now. I hope 2007 is a safe and happy year for all of you.
Adopt-An-Author letter:
My Marine Science II students have finished reading MEG and TRENCH respectively.
The demand for the book was so great that I had to order extra copies for Marine
Science I who had the books for extra credit assignments. Everybody wanted the
books! They were fairly leaping out of my room. Students asked for copies for
their parents. The US Navy military recruiter saw a copy of MEG on my desk and
asked for copy. I sent an e-mail to my fellow faculty members (and my principal)
advising them of the “Adopt-An-Author” program, and how to log on,
and they have been investigating the books for use in the science department.
I’ve had several of my students blast thru all three books in less than
a week, and beg my copy of the LOCH from my desk. My copy of DOMAIN is also
loaned out as well, and the other teachers are catching the “Steve Alten
fever !” I have literally made our school reading coach, Denise Smith,
cry when I told her that I had kids who had never read a book read MEG, TRENCH
and MEG : PRIMAL WATERS. She is touched beyond belief! The Zoology teacher came
to me this week and borrowed several copies of MEG and TRENCH for her students
as well. She brought in a young lad on Tuesday to tell me that he had never,
ever read a book before, yet he finished MEG and politely asked to borrow TRENCH.
I am just thrilled that the book (indeed, all the books) is going over so well.
Oddly, I had MEG in class last year as a loaner book, but there was little interest
except for a few students. This year, I had the school order a classroom set
of each of the three books, gave them to the students as an assignment in Marine
Science II, put your poster, photos from the website and e-mails up on my board,
and the kids lost their minds ! Soon MEG MANIA was gripping my classes. The
word spread MEG was COOL !! Here are some quotes from some of the more recent
book reports: From Kim C. “The book Meg was a very satisfying book. It
was everything I enjoy in a book. Meg was suspenseful, romantic, scary , and
a pleasing book to read.” From Tyler J. “Anyone who can sit through
an action movie will love this book.” From Brittany S. (Trench) “The
book is thrilling and you can’t stop reading it once you’re started.”
I believe the word ““addicting”” has been used as well !
At least half a dozen students told me they had never read/finished a book before,
and they couldn’t wait to read the second and third in the series. One
young lady was distraught at finishing her third book, so I gave her my copy
of the LOCH, and she happily went home to devour it in two days. I have students
going out and buying their own copies of all the shark books and the LOCH and
then donating them to me after they read them ! ( I got my second copy of the
LOCH that way !)I also picked up all three and read them over again just to
make sure I had plot lines and characters straight in my head. During the school
day we have a twenty minute reading period. Imagine looking on a room and seeing
an entire class, including the instructor happily devouring MEG!! (No pun intended
) I love watching my students’’ faces as they read, and next semester
when we do ““shark week,”” we will discuss the good scientific
data used in all three of the books. (Another reason I use them.) We will also
speculate as to the existence of Megs ! I have several Meg teeth, and copies
of some of the bigger ones. I cannot begin to image the joy you must receive
from knowing that your books are inspiring new readers. Being the daughter of
an English teacher, I am also delighted to see them so moved, and particularly
hunger to continue reading the stories. I’ll keep you posted on our MEGMANIA
here at Orange Park High. I can’t wait for the fourth book to come out,
and neither can the students.
Sincerely,
Vicky Loehr OPHS Marine Science Instructor
Sincerely,
Steve Alten, Ed.D.
SteveAlten.com
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Email: meg82159@aol.com
Web: http://www.stevealten.com