We Are Experiencing Technical Difficulties...

After some investigating, I've learned that there is a problem with the link to Amazon for the most recent books from Write Words Inc. Amazon changed their Kindle-loading software, and the newest releases must now be reloaded by the publisher. Hopefully, it will be fixed soon. In the meantime, the other links here remain functional.

If My Book Became a Movie, Part II...Casting

When I'm writing a novel, I usually have a vague idea of what my characters look like in the early stages. Somewhere in the process, I may see an actor in a movie and I'll think "There's (fill in the blank)!" From then on, that actor will be the image I see in my head for the character. Sometimes, as the book nears completion, I'll try to hunt up other actors to fill in the rest of the cast. I don't always succeed in finding an actor for every role, but if all my choices were cast in a movie, the budget would be gi-normous!

So for "The Dreamer Gambit," here are my ideas about who should play whom and why. Click on an actor's name to go to http://www.imdb.com/ for more about him or her.

Anne Hathaway as Tabitha Solo. Saw her in "The Devil Wears Prada" and she became Tabitha.

Eric Mabius as Jack Watson. Yeah, he's most often associated with "Ugly Betty" on TV, but his role in "Resident Evil" showed me he could be Jack.

Kate Winslet as Carren Bixby. During an earlier version of the novel, Carren was "on stage" more. Ms. Winslet's role in "Titanic" epitomized Carren.

George Clooney as F.B.I. Agent Tom Quentin. Mr. Clooney is always so cool and in complete command of the situation. He'd be perfect.

Kathy Bates as Becca Ferry. Another perfect fit for Jack's wise and kind assistant, although not a huge role for someone so famous.

I'm going to cut it off there. To cast some of the bad guys might spoil things for anyone who has not read the book.

Finally, another plug for the IMDB. This is a fantastic site for anyone who loves movies or TV. It's informative, easy to maneuver in, and has a wealth of information.

The Dreamer Gambit - Now On Amazon!

They don't have a picture yet, but it's there! Available in the U.K. too.

The Dreamer Gambit - Kindle Edition from Amazon

News Story in Naperville Sun

Pulse: Lysacek, Flatt, Spatz, Jungels

Mar 11, 2011 02:24AM

You’re not dreaming

Former city employee turns author

Former city of Naperville employee Kathryn Flatt can add author to her resume. The ex-programmer/analyst’s most recent novel, “The Dreamer Gambit,” was just released by Write Words Inc.

“I’m absolutely thrilled to have this published,” said Flatt, 56. “I have loved writing stories for as long as I can remember, but doing so has taken a back seat to a career in information technology for many years. Now to have my work recognized and published is a dream come true.”

Writing has always been Flatt’s passion, but she didn’t “seriously pursue it” until 2002. “The Dreamer Gambit” is her third novel, but her first to be published.

The contemporary mystery surrounds a pop star who lands in the “middle of a dangerous conspiracy” when she casually explains the inspiration for her first hit song. Flatt said readers will get a taste of Chicago throughout “The Dreamer Gambit.”

“Millennium Park, the Magnificent Mile, Macy’s, White Castle, Chicago’s Gold Coast and North Avenue Beach are some of the local references,” she said.

Flatt didn’t comment on whether any people in Naperville served as inspiration for the novel — that will remain a mystery — unless you buy the book, of course.

It is available at www.mobipocket.com or ebookonthe.net.

Read An Ebook Week

March 6-12 is Read An Ebook Week. Check out the links on the left side of this page.

More ebook websites can be found at the following link:

http://ebookweek.com/partners.html

About That Title ...

Several people have asked me about the title and cover for "The Dreamer Gambit". Webster's Dictionary defines the word "gambit" as follows:

"A chess opening in which a player risks one or more pawns or a minor piece to gain an advantage in position."

My main character is the "dreamer," and the chess game refers to the plots and maneuverings of several powerful players.

Incidentally, the cover was my own design. The folks at Write Words asked me for ideas. I wanted the chess theme with dream-like overtones, and I fiddled around with some clip art I found on the web. Shelley, my editor, added the lettering.

If My Book Became a Movie . . . The Soundtrack

Since "The Dreamer Gambit" is about a singer, naturally there are a lot of musical references in the story, and here they are:

• "Fly Me to the Moon (In Other Words)" - Frank Sinatra made it famous
• "You've Got a Friend"
• "The Man I Love" - a Billie Holiday song
• "Tearing Us Apart" - the Eric Clapton/Tina Turner duet
• "Cover Me" - a Bruce Springsteen offering; has significant meaning to the story

As for the song "Dreamer" written by the main character, I never even had any idea of what the tune or the lyrics are. Somebody would have to write that one for a movie soundtrack.

In a future post, I'll talk about casting.

The Road to Publishing

Getting to this point -- having an e-book published -- has been a long road. Here are some facts and statistics:

• The Dreamer Gambit was started in 2005.
• It has been rewritten three times, and that doesn't count numerous goings-over to edit it in between.
• In its various forms, it was rejected (which includes agents/publishers who never responded at all) by 25 agents, and 4 publishers contacted without an agent.
• Three agents were pitched face-to-face at a writers' convention in 2009. (I had to pay for attendance.)
• Waiting times for rejections could be anywhere from a week to several months.
• Prior to agents/publishers getting hip to on-line submissions, a paper submission consisting of cover letter, synopsis, first three chapters, and an SASE could cost $3 to $4 each.

I found Write Words, Inc. on a website called "Preditors and Editors" (see Favorite links, left). P&E has a TON of information about agents, publishers, contests, etc. They often provide recommendations--both for and against--to indicate where problems might arise. I strongly suggest this site for anyone looking to publish a novel.

Working with Write Words has been great. The process moved along pretty fast by my experience, and everyone on the staff has been professional, helpful, and friendly.