Good, bad, or ugly, I've always tried to keep you in the loop as best as I can in regards to progress on my books and movies. July's GOOD news is in regards to THE SHELL GAME and MEG: HELL'S AQUARIUM. The BAD news deals with New Line Cinema. The UGLY the way New Line treated MEG. The key execs never embraced the big shark but there were other problems as well that handcuffed them.

Your update follows:

MEG MOVIE: Extinct at New Line Cinema
Yes, this is bad news mostly in the wasted two years. The key execs at New Line always treated MEG like an unwanted stepchild, and now, with my option set to expire in October, the decided NOT to proceed.

In a way this is actually GOOD news. The MEG movie WILL HAPPEN and it is better to wait and do it right with the right team than accept mediocrity. From now until October 30th (the day I officially get MEG back) we'll be hard at work! Until then, I am restricted from offering details publicly because (technically) New Line still owns the rights to MEG. There are many people at New Line that really did work very hard on MEG and I appreciate their efforts. No bad feelings let's just move on and work with the right studio that ACTUALLY WANTS TO MAKE A GREAT MOVIE AND OWN A BILLION DOLLAR FRANCHISE.

MEG: Hell's Aquarium Character Contest
I have to tell you I have had MORE FUN writing this novel than any of my prior eight books. And many of you have helped by sending some incredible character descriptions.

Here's the UPDATED character list, from pages 1 thru 265:

Marcus Slabine, Jeffrey Hoch, David Shiffman, Rick Magers, Debbie Umel, Peter Grier, Dr. Antonio Gotto, Michael Selby, Joseph Park, Lana, Evan, and Max Wood, Ed Hendricks, Daniel Pernini, Adam Wooten, Miguel Franco,Michael Eason, Steve Akehurst, Karim Jivani, Earl Fischl, Brian Suits, Barbara Becker, Lillie Burris, Maxine Davis, Don Ruetenik, Jesse David Brown, Ted Badaut, Rafael Herrera, Dr. Brent Nichols, Christopher Baird, Carree Crossman, Magued Wadie Ramsis Haroun, Vicky Loehr, Patrick Duncan, Lain Edwards, Steven, Mary & Annie Moretti, Hugo Boutin, Kaylie Szeifert, Sean Dustman, Jason Montgomery, Jerry Bobo, Sara Toms, Frank Youngblood, Keith Auton, Kelli McCloud, Kayla Cicala, Virgil Carmen, Christopher Eckardt, Jessica Tompson, Ricardo, Sandra & Alekzandra Rosalez, Jonathan Stelzer, Fran Rizzuto, Jason Francis, Andy Murch.

What did these winners have that attracted me?

1) In-depth, interesting descriptions.
2) Interesting ways in which they will help me market the novel and spread the word.
3) Something "special"

CONTEST RULES:

a. Send an e-mail to me at Meg82159@aol.com SUBJECT: Hell's Aquarium Contest
b. Include your FULL NAME and a brief description, plus anything of interest. (I have a pirate tattoo, I speak fluent Arabic, I am one of 14 children, I work at NASA, etc.)
c. Tell me how, if selected, how YOU will help PROMOTE the book.

Next Alten book to hit stores: THE SHELL GAME!
Pub date: January 22, 2008 (the day of the first Presidential Primary)
Publisher: Sweetwater Press, a new division of Cedarfort Books
Hardback: $26.95

It's been two and a half years since The LOCH debuted, but the wait will be worth it. In the coming months I will be calling on those readers who won character spots in The SHELL GAME to begin creating a buzz. This is an important book with a very important message. The following readers made it into the novel:

Rebecca St. Croix, Larry and Sean Kelly, Scott Swan, Jim Miller, Lynn McDonald, Rudi Anger, Marc McDuff, Kevin Graham, Caleb Kennedy Smith, Tony Ordonez, Ben Serviss, Mike Tristano, Brandon Herbert, Cynthia Zizzi, Scott Fisher, Ian Primosch, John Rogers, Bill West, Teri Smith, Holy Owen, Sharon Harris-Hill, P.J. Walther, Robert Slack, Theron Turman, Dexter & Brenda Khan, Cleve Wilson, Armond "Dale" Proctor, JC Rodriguez,, Ryan Gessaman, Kelly Brewer, Steve Murphy, Colin Bradley, Betti Fortier, Charles Wallace, Mitchell Wagner, Kris Hamilton, Brian Dean Westly, Patrick Blanchard, Dick Lawrence, Frank Nasuti, Silas Whitener, Cesar Diaz, Susie Perlman, Aaron Combs, Vanessa Shannen-Anderson, Denice (Daisy) Webb, Ken Keene, Keith Allan, Mike (the TURK) Turzman, Suzie Perlman, Cesar Diaz, Silas T. Whitener, Aaron Coombs, Roxanne Dunlap, Christina Jordan, Mario Childress, Jerry Bobo, Beth Newman, Gary Groves, Shane Torrance, Marco Fatiga, Shawn Eastburn, Jeff Anders, Ramzi Karim, Howard Steven Lowe, D.L. Garst, Jim Leary, Scott Santa, Susan Campbell, Jessica Turner, Garret Matsuura, Kira Nicole Gillean, Gary Lee Schafer, Eric Bi, Mark Tetreault, Elliot Green, Joseph Kendle, Patricia Moreau, Richard Cacciato, Benjamin Simon, Dave Schall, Richard Weldon Small, Michael Bach-Marklund, Adrian Paul Neary, Steven Alan Klemz, Dawn Darconte, Ray Henry, Doug Dvorak, Geordie McGillivray, Brian Doyle, Kelli Doyle (and Grandpa, too), Joseph Poschner, David Ashton, Jennifer Wienner, Christian Felter, Laura Whisenant, Stephen Patrick Murphy, Danelle Henk, Christopher Santoro, Bob Prichard, Robert Thornton, Rodney Lemeni, Ellen Wulf, David Keller, Ace Futrell, Garry Archer.

Living Tips
This was sent to me by a reader who helps our soldiers.

Steve
I am a member of a non-profit organization called Soldiers Angels, we adopt troops that do not have anyone to write to them or that are having a hard time emotionally or financially. We send them letters, cards and care packages. I am also the Community Team Leader for the El Paso VA, which is in El Paso, TX, where we are stationed at the present. They not only help wounded or disabled veterans, but they also help homeless veterans get back on their feet. If your readers want to help our efforts, please have them go to link below.

Click Here...

Need More Money?
Does this sound familiar:

·You're applying for yet another credit card to transfer your growing debt to a zero percent interest rate.
·You're refinancing the home for a fifth time.
·You're paying interest-only on your mortgage while the balance grows on the back-end.

Welcome to MY household, where my goal in life has shifted from being a best-selling author to earning more money than my wife can spend (but honey we NEEDED that). I will give my wife credit for one thing -- she's now working for a company that distributes a new health product that is legitimately helping people. The product is called MONA VIE. It's a juice made from a unique blend of rare fruits, dominated by the Acai Berry, the most powerful antioxidant (cancer prevention) ever found. It also reduces inflammation, arthritis, fibromylacia, and has shown remarkable benefits to patients with MS and cystic fibrosis (which my nine year old niece has). I take the juice twice a day because my knees are shot from playing basketball and it helps the arthritis in my back.

There is NO selling, and the product is NOT sold in stores. You simply tell people about Mona Vie, they try it and you make money. Every time they reorder (and most do because they swear by it) you make more money. It's not a pyramid, it's not a scheme, it is an establishedcompany with an amazing product that has no competitors and it's like nothing else on the market.

My wife is working with a team of distributors who are averaging $15,000 a week. None are sales pros. They have asked her to select eight individuals that they will work with to earn similar incomes. Not friends. Not relatives. Eight motivated people who are willing to follow an established program and earn a serious first (or second) income.

I am NOT a distributor, I just swear by the product, but I am not interested in re-mortgaging my home for a sixth time (thank you New Line Cinema). If you have the desire to get out from under YOUR debt and you consider yourself a highly-motivated people-person, contact Kim at Alten10@aol.com (Subject Line: MONA VIE 8) and she will provide you with the basic details. If you are interested then her team will send you a package of materials and interview you by phone. (If you just want to try Mona Vie, she can help you get the juice at wholesale as well).

Tell her that her poor destitute husband sent you.

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That's all for now. Stay well, please help me spread the word about my work, but most of all know this author appreciates you.

Sincerely,

Steve Alten, Ed.D.
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Email: meg82159@aol.com
Web: http://www.stevealten.com