Monday, November 19, 2007

Book Launch Party

I will be holding a Book Launch Party for my new novel, The Talisman of Unification, on Saturday, December 8, 2007 at the Backroad Grille, 549 Metacom Avenue, Bristol, RI. The event will run from 2:00 to 5:00 and there will be plenty of food and drink available. I want to thank my brother Steve and his wife Lynn, the owners of the Backroad Grille, for holding this event for me. For more information on the restaurant, visit www.backroadgrille.com. Hope to see you there!

It's Here!!!!

The Talisman of Unification is finally commercially available! After months of editing and tweaking the novel, you can finally purchase the book through my website, www.the-overlords.com, on iUniverse.com, Amazon.com, BooksAMillion.com, and BarnesandNoble.com. If you would like a personally autographed copy of your own, simply send $25 to me, Mike Squatrito, at 39 Banner Lane, Tiverton, RI 02878. Please include your address, how many books you want, and who I should make the dedication to. The cost includes shipping and handling. Thanks to everyone is advance -- I hope you enjoy the sequel to Legend of the Treasure!

Tuesday, October 2, 2007

The Taste of Rhode Island

This past weekend I had a table at the Taste of Rhode Island, a culinary event that showcases the unique flavors of the tiniest state in the union. The food was great, the oyster shucking and slurping competitions were fun, and the Sam Adams beers flowed freely! I was fortunate enough to sell 17 more copies of Legend of the Treasure (bringing my total to 431), as well as to showcase for the first time in public the cover to The Talisman of Unification along with the encrypted code found on my website. Thanks to everyone who stopped by my table and I welcome all the new members to the Overlord family!

Monday, September 24, 2007

Crack the Code!

In the book the Talisman of Unification, Harrison and his friends must decode a sacred manuscript that they have found. On my website, www.the-overlords.com, there is a link to crack the code, including the riddle you must use. Navigate through the Talisman of Unification links to find the web page. Good luck!

The Talisman of Unification Update

The manuscript is at the publisher! After a long summer of edits and rewrites, I've finally finished off the story with the help of my editor, Laura Vadney. The book ended up being 648 double-spaced, single-sided pages, which should translate to another 300+ page book when completed. I'm hoping to have the novel in my hands by December 1st, just ahead of the Christmas season. Check back for updates ....

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Writer's Group Visit

Next week I'll be visiting a Writer's Club in Swansea, Massachusetts. I met Miriam Santiago at one of my book signings and we got to talking about writing. She said that I could provide some inspiration to her writer's club and asked if I would come to their next session. This the first small group visit to a writer's club that I will be making, and I hope I leave to group with a lot of energy and inspire them to continue with their works.

Talisman of Unification Update

I've just finished my third round of edits with my editor and I'll be re-reading chapters 19-26 to make sure all of the suggestions have been implemented. I have chapters 27-34 yet to complete, so there's still work to do. I'm trying to finish this book within the next couple of weeks so that I can get it to the publisher, iUniverse. My hope is to have a published book for mid-to-late October, just in time for the Christmas rush. Check back for more updates in the next few days.

Monday, July 23, 2007

NECON 27

Over this past weekend I attended the Northeast Writer's Conference, better known as NECON. This year marked the 27th year that NECON campers have attended the conference at Roger Williams University in Bristol, Rhode Island. Though this was a horror convention, I was able to attend panel discussion hosted by some of the top names in horror, including F. Paul Wilson, Jack Ketchum, Tom Monteleone, Tim Lebbons, as well as many others. Topics included how to sell your first novel, what has Hollywood done to my book, what's new with young adult horror, etc. Even though The Overlords is a fantasy story, I gained valuable insight by talking to authors about how to approach editors, publishers, etc. and networked with some of the best in the business. I'm hoping that these experiences will get me closer to that real book deal. As one camper who has been published and has a second book due out in the spring said, after I told him that I've sold almost 400 books even though I'm self-published, he didn't come close to selling that many books, nor do many small presses. I guess I'm doing all right for myself!

Tuesday, July 3, 2007

Overlords Revelation

Yesterday I held a book signing in beautiful downtown Bristol, RI. Though it was a fantastic day to be outside taking in the sights of the country's most patriotic town, book sales were low. The past couple of months I have noticed that the local area is pretty much saturated with Legend of the Treasure. With the Talisman of Unification being worked on and ready for print for the fall, I think it's time to look at the bigger picture. I am going to actively seek representation to help me take The Overlords nation or international if need be. Unfortunately, real life is preventing me from doing this on my own, with a wife, kids, job, mortgage, etc. I think you can see what I mean.

I also need to expand Overlord Enterprises to cover school events, presentations, and the like. This will begin with an expanded website -- one to handle the book covers and the other to handle business activities. these websites will be linked very closely together to give you seamless access to both the Overlords story lines and business activities. Any suggestions will be welcome. So, keep checking my blog for updates and events. Until then, stay happy, healthy, and safe. Peace.

Thursday, June 28, 2007

Talisman of Unification Cover Design

Last night (6/27/2007) I visited my artist, Colby Cook, and he showed me the cover design for The Talisman of Unification. It looks fantastic! I can't wait until he has it in a digital print so that I can start letting it leak out to my fan base. He's also re-doing the map, which looks equally as impressive.

As for the edits to the next book, I've received and incorporated 144 pages of red lines from my editor, Laura Vadney. I'll be sending her the new text for review tomorrow. Things are moving along ... until next time.

Monday, June 4, 2007

Barrington Book Signing

I want to thank the people who stopped by the Barrington Books bookstore on Sunday (6/3/2007). I sold another 7 copies of Legend of the Treasure, bringing my total to 368 with almost 100 copies sold since January 1st. With the summer starting to kick in, I'll be doing some larger events in Newport, Rhode Island, namely the Taste of Rhode Island, Summerfest (in Providence, RI), and a few others that I'm in the process of firming dates with. I hope to see you there. Let's keep the Overlords bandwagon rolling!

Friday, June 1, 2007

Talisman of Unification Update

The Talisman of Unification has been sent to Memphis, Tennessee! I'm eagerly awaiting word from my editor, Laura, that she has received the 657 pages I sent to her. I'm hoping that we can finish our edits by mid-July and then I can get the book to my iUniverse publisher. After that, if all goes as planned, my book will be released sometime in October.

Also, this book will feature artwork from Colby Cook, a wonderful graphic design artist whose mother I work with. I'm sure everyone will be satisfied.

Friday, May 25, 2007

St. Philomena's Update

Today, 5/25/2007, I went to St. Philomena's to give the 6th graders a talk on marketing their book. The kids worked very hard to get their stories to the point where they were ready to be published. The artwork is also terrific. I'm very proud of these students and I know they learned a lot during the time I spent with them. Next year, I'll be helping the kids all year, which will give us more time to create better storylines and give the kids a chance to sell their books to the public. Next month their books will be delivered and I'll come in to help distribute them. I'll post some of their work on my website (www.the-overlords.com) after I revamp it.

Done at Last!

I've finally finished The Talisman of Unification! After several years of hard work, I sent 657 pages of my manuscript to my editor, Laura Vadney, in Memphis, Tennessee. If all goes well, we should be done with the editing process some time in July, then it's off to the publisher. I'm targeting mid-October for the book's release, but again I stress, it will only be released after I feel it's ready for the public. Keep checking in for more updates.

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Overlords in Phoenix

I just wanted to clarify something in my previous post. I misunderstood the whole kids play production in regards to The Overlords. The students will create a play of their own and then put on a production, which of course I will help out with. Mary pointed this out to me in an email and I wanted to be sure to pass that info along.

I think things are coming together in regards to a visit to their school in August -- I'm awaiting recommendation letters from schools that I've visited here in RI. Hopefully, we can wrap all the details up in a week or so and then plan my first visit to The Valley of the Sun! Check back for updates ...

Monday, May 7, 2007

Phoenix and the Overlords

I've been in touch with Mary Sarwark of Westwood High School in Phoenix, AZ and it appears that it's a go for The Overlords! Mary has suggested that she might want to make it a school-wide participation by having the drama club perform a play based on Legend of the Treasure, which will enable all the students to participate. We're looking at kids to write screenplay, costume design, musical scores, etc. Nothing is set yet, but it looks good. I'm hoping to visit the school in August. I'll keep you posted ....

Wednesday, May 2, 2007

The Overlords in Phoenix?

I recently did a book signing at T. F. Green Airport in Warwick, RI (4/27) where I met a school teacher, Mary Sarwark, from Phoenix, Arizona. She bought a copy for the Westwood High School library and also gave me a couple of names of independent bookstores in the Phoenix area. One of them, The Changing Hands Bookstore, has asked for a copy of Legend of the Treasure for review, and if they like it, they will buy a some copies for their store! I'll be sending out the book later this week and will post again when I hear back from them.

Been Away for a Bit

It's been a while since I posted something, but I'm back! I'll pick up with The Talisman of Unification. I've finished my final pass -- all 653 double-spaced, 12-pitch font pages worth! Harrison and the gang really traverse the countryside and meet a lot of surprising people and beasts. The next step for me is to re-read the story and make any necessary corrections, and then send it off to my editor, Laura Vadney of Memphis, Tennessee. If all goes well, I'm shooting to get the story to iUniverse for a release date of 10/1/2007. I will let everyone know where I'm at via this blog and my Overlords Newsletter distribution.

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

First St. Philomena's Workshop

Last Friday, 1/19/2007, I went to Karin Lord's writing class and helped kickoff her 6th graders project. We broke down the two classes of 25 students each into groups of five, where kids brainstormed about a fantasy setting, protagonists, antagonists, weapons and armor, and magical items. The kids had a ball! Their assignment for the next two weeks is to flesh out their ideas and them come up with three solid plot lines, which we'll go over at my next visit on 2/2/2007. Karin has also inquired about creating a hardcover book for the kids and we're hoping to get that information real soon.

March Into Reading Update

Salve Regina University, in conjunction with the local schools on Aquidneck Island, is sponsoring their March Into Reading celebration. I will be running a Creative Writing Workshop on Saturday, February 10th from 9:30 to 10:15, followed by a book signing from 11:15 to 12:00. There will also be other artists giving lectures and workshops as well -- a real treat for the kids in the community. The events will be taking place at the O'Hare Center on the Salve Regina University campus, and all events are free to the public. Hope to see you there!!!!

Holy Trinity School Book Fair

I've added another book signing event to my schedule, this one being at the Holy Trinity School in Fall River, Massachusetts. Holy Trinity is sponsoring a book fair in conjunction with Parent's Night. I'll be there from 6:30 to 8:00 on Thursday, February 1st. Stop by if you're in the area.

Tuesday, January 16, 2007

Talisman of Unification Update

I've just completed final edits to chapter 12 of The Talisman of Unification. As I finish a chapter, I append it to the final document of the story. As of today, the twelve chapters turn out to be 299 pages of double-spaced, 12-pitch font text. In comparison, Legend of the Treasure ended up being 680 pages before going to the publisher. On to chapter 13!

Custom House Coffee Book Signing

I've just set up a book signing event for Saturday, January 27th from 11:00 - 2:00 at Custom House Coffee, a new, trendy coffeehouse located at 600 Clock Tower Plaza, West Main Road, Portsmouth, Rhode Island. The place is really cool -- it has a wi-fi area with a fireplace and couches, and a variety of coffees from around the world. Stop by, buy a book, and say hello!

Friday, January 12, 2007

St. Philomena's Consultations

It's official -- I'll be a consultant to Karin Lord's 6th grade writing classes at St. Philomena's School in Portsmouth, RI. What I'll be doing is helping the students create a story from scratch, then help the kids put together their own novel, piece by piece. The first day will be a brainstorming session where the kids will create their worlds, good and evil characters, weapons, armor, magic, vehicles, etc. This should be a fun time for all, and I really hope that the kids understand that writing can be a whole lot of fun. My first session is January 19th, 2007. I'll keep you posted!

Talisman of Unification Update

I'm up to chapter 11 in my third pass of edits for the second book in The Overlords series, The Talisman of Unification. As of today, I have 35 chapters, so I'm a little less than a third of the way done. I'll be putting more effort into this since my self-imposed deadline is April 1st of this year to be finished with this task. I'm hoping to get the "final" version of the story to my editor in April, and be ready to start the self-publishing effort over the summer. Stay tuned ...

Sunday, January 7, 2007

Upcoming Event -- March Into Reading

I just heard word this weekend that I'll be holding a Creative Writing Workshop at Salve Regina University in Newport, RI on Saturday, February 10th from 9:30 to 10:15. I'll also be holding a book signing event after the workshop from 11:15 to 12:00. This is a big event for me because it coincides with my profile appearing in the February issue of QuadAngles, the University of Rhode Island alumni magazine. Those of you on my newsletter list will get more details, as well as local advertising.