"The universe is made of stories, not of atoms."
—Muriel Rukeyser
____________________________

James Pierre Talks About the Success of his Novel Gambino: The Rise ⁠ ⁠

 

Having my book optioned by a major production company is a dream come true. As a writer, you write for yourself, because you can’t help yourself. The characters chatter endlessly in your mind, begging you to bring their stories to life on the page. So you do, but almost entirely as a means of quieting the voices. You hope—but never really think—that others will find your characters as intriguing and engaging as you did. So, when in fact others do, it’s a validating feeling. 

Available on Amazon 
Ken Atchity was the first person to believe in me and in Carlo Gambino, the main character in my book, Gambino: The Rise. Before Ken, I felt like I was the only person that was interested in crime boss Carlo Gambino and his organization, the Gambino Family. Ken opened my eyes to the fact that the general public might be just as interested in the Gambinos as I was. And he was right. Years after publishing the book with Story Merchant, renown Hollywood producer Julius Nasso expressed interest in the novel, and here we are today. On the precipice of a great achievement—and what is every writer’s dream—to see their book turned into a movie. I cannot thank Ken and Julius enough for this opportunity. It validates  the many years of research—and long hours in front of my keyboard—that went into bringing Gambino and his world to life. I pray that we see this film project all the way through, so that the world will get to meet and fall in love with Carlo Gambino, just as I did. 

And to all of the aspiring writers out there: never give up on your characters. Listen to them. Then breathe life into them, on the page. And then find a literary agent who believes in them as much as you do, and chances are, at some point, if you remain patient and committed to the process, your characters and their stories will be introduced to the rest of the world, for everyone to enjoy.

 

James E. Pierre

Your Partner in Success with Denise Griffitts Interviews Matt Atchity

Your Partner In Success Radio Talks with Matt Atchity: Entertainment Industry Powerhouse

Listen Now


 

 

Matt Atchity, a multimedia powerhouse with over 20 years of experience shaping the entertainment industry, is celebrated for his transformative role as Editor-in-Chief of Rotten Tomatoes. During his tenure, he established the #Tomatometer rating system as the definitive metric for movie criticism. Beyond Rotten Tomatoes, Atchity has produced acclaimed content across platforms such as Moviefone and TYT Network. His deep understanding of audience dynamics and innovative drive has cemented his status as a leading authority in engaging viewers in the digital age, making his insights invaluable for creators, studios, and fans alike.

At #RottenTomatoes, Matt led a decade-long charge that elevated the site to household name status, pioneering TV reviews and expanding its industry influence. Additionally, he co-founded and co-hosted "What the Flick!?" with Ben Mankiewicz and Cenk Uygur, marking it as the inaugural spinoff show on the TYT network.

Now, Matt Atchity has transitioned to a new chapter in his career, joining forces with his uncle Ken Atchity at Story Merchant - a company that represents and assists storytellers (writers, authors) in getting their stories published or adapted for film and television. Drawing on his extensive background and industry expertise, Matt brings a wealth of knowledge to the company's ventures in Hollywood. His strategic insights, honed from years at Rotten Tomatoes and other prominent platforms, promise to enrich Story Merchant's creative endeavors and expand its footprint in the entertainment landscape. Matt's shift to collaborate with Ken Atchity reflects his ongoing commitment to innovation and storytelling, ensuring his contributions continue to resonate across the industry.

Download and listen wherever you consume your favorite podcasts.

Story Merchant E-Book Deal FREE June 24 - June 28 Gambino: The Rise by James Pierre

 


AVAILABLE ON AMAZON


Fleeing a murder charge in his native homeland of Palermo, Sicily, in Italy, young Carlo Gambino finds refuge in the United States of America. It is the Roaring Twenties, and New York is a melting pot of decadence and excess. As well as unprecedented violence. The
Volstead Act creates a new and booming black market for booze, one which gangsters of all denominations seek to control.

The Rise will hook readers from the first page to the very last, and its violent, colorful cast of characters will continue to enthrall the imagination of readers long after the book has been put down. Strap in for this bumpy and brutal ride through America’s Age of
Prohibition, where gangsters roamed free and lived by their own code of honor—and blood.

All in the pursuit of the American Dream!


Veteran Hollywood multi-hyphenate George Gallo (“Bad Boys,” “The Comeback Trail”) is attached to direct “Gambino,” a high-end biopic about organized crime boss Carlo Gambino that Gallo is co-writing with two-time Oscar winner Nick Vallelonga (“Green Book”). Julius Nasso producing with Ken Atchity (EP).



Creativity and Dreams by Dennis Palumbo


 IS A DREAM BUT JUST A DREAM? 


Ideologies separate us.

Dreams and anguish bring us together.


---Eugene Ionesco

There are many anecdotes throughout history about writers, painters, musicians, and scientists from all fields whose ground-breaking artistic achievements or innovative ideas came to them in dreams.

As a therapist, I’m less interested in the idea of dreams as creative inspiration as I am in what the artifacts in the dream mean to the creative patient. What are the recurring themes, the images that keep showing up (often in different contexts), the emotional triggers that these dreams provide? Do your dreams inspire terror or offer solace? Are there similar psychological undercurrents that seem to be present in the dreams?

Rather than specific ideas or characters emerging from a writer’s dreaming mind, what I believe matters is how the emotional threads his/her unconscious is tugging at might lay bare the issues the writer is truly grappling with. Is he or she struggling with their work? Its importance or relevance? Grappling with feelings of lack of entitlement, fears of failure, painful fantasies of rejection or humiliation?

Bringing these kinds of themes into the light of consciousness can help guide a writer (for the sake of convenience, I’m just using writing as the example) to finally take ownership of the things he/she really wants to explore in their work. For example, for Faulkner, it was “the sin of slavery” that underlay his fiction. For Mary Oliver, it was her affinity for the natural world. For Camus, his writing was his way to exist authentically in a world he instinctively found absurd.

In other words, what are your dreams telling you about what’s at the core of your feelings? What enlivens or deadens your subjective experience? How do your dreams help illustrate your unique, personal mythology of how the world works?

Of course, this is just my (admittedly clinical) view on the subject. The therapist in me has always been more interested in how my patient interprets his/her dream than my own thoughts about it.

Then there’s the writer in me---particularly the one that writes thrillers--- who’s less interested in any clinical position on dreams. In fact, I find expounding on the subject to be about as valuable as someone asking, “Hey, where do you get your ideas?” The truth is, whether dreams are the source of creativity, its undefinable muse, or merely the psyche’s discharge of that day’s anxiety, these “movies in our sleep” resist our attempts to entrap them intellectually.

Or, in the words of St. John of the Cross, “I came into the Unknown, beyond all science.”

Hell, in my personal and professional experience, good writers do that all the time!

via DJ Adamson

Dennis is the author of the Daniel Rinaldi Mysteries. Check out his latest book in the series Panic Attack!  On amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1464213453



Your Partner In Success with Denise Griffitts Interviews Story Merchant Author Kevin Sparks

Your Partner In Success Radio, Talks with Kevin Spark, the author behind the acclaimed psychological thriller "id: A Novel."

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Kevin's path to becoming a published novelist is an inspiring one. After graduating from university, Kevin embarked on a career as a graphic designer. He honed his creative skills by developing ad campaigns and contributing to the art department of various TV shows across the UK, where he crafted props and brought stories to life visually. However, Kevin harbored a deep passion for writing that never waned. When the Covid-19 pandemic struck, he seized the opportunity to finally pursue his literary dreams. Amidst the lockdowns and uncertainty, Kevin dedicated himself to penning his first novel - the gripping psychological horror "id: A Novel." This debut work has garnered widespread praise for its rich character development, vivid storytelling, and thought-provoking exploration of the human psyche.

As the owner and creative director of Onion Creative, a strategic
branding consultancy based in Brisbane, Kevin has over 15 years of experience crafting innovative brand strategies & campaigns. His firm specializes in brand development, design, advertising, and digital marketing. 


Join Denise as she uncovers the inspiration behind "id: A Novel," the challenges Kevin faced as a first-time author, and his insights into the writing process. Kevin's story is a testament to the power of pursuing one's passions, even in the face of adversity.

Download and listen wherever you consume your favorite podcasts.

Story Merchant E-Book Deal FREE June 17 - June 21 id by Kevin Spark




Dr. Shelly, a brilliant psychologist, forever haunted by her father and his murderous past, is driven by the need to find out why we do the things we do? Is the concept of free will just a concept and nothing more, a construct that blinds us to a less palatable truth, that who we are is predetermined and encoded at birth? Does anyone really choose to do the bad things we do or are we just doing what comes naturally?

Shelly constructs an experiment using a sensory deprivation tank and virtual reality, allowing the darkest part of ourselves, the id, to run free. Unencumbered by morality or remorse, Shelly finds the perfect subject in Adam. A borderline psychotic born into a world of neglect and crime. Delving into the deepest pits of his subconscious, Shelly surfaces with far more than she bargained for.

Detective Hopper, responsible for Adam’s capture, remains a broken man. After suffering a breakdown due to the escalation of his own violent behavior, he is placed under the care of Dr Shelly. Encouraging him to go looking for his own redemption, Hopper becomes a pawn in her web of deception until the lines of reality are redrawn as Hopper and Adam come full circle to an explosive end.

Ken's Weekly Book Recommendation Milton Lyles The Cruelest Lie

 LAST DAY TO GET YOUR FREE COPY!







The CRUELEST LIE is a gritty telling of treachery, greed, love, betrayal, and courage set against the lush background of the Louisiana bayou country. ⁠
The story centers around the deaths of three young men and the small town corruption and avarice that threatens to destroy an innocent boy setting in motion a deadly struggle between integrity and iniquity, truth and deceit.⁠

Donis Casey Tell Me Your Story: Dennis Palumbo



Nobody can write psychological thrillers like Dennis Palumbo. Of course it helps that Dennis is a licensed psychotherapist whose work with creative people has been featured on CNN, NPR, THE NEW YORK TIMES, THE LOS ANGELES TIMES and elsewhere.

 Neither does it hurt that he is formerly a Hollywood screenwriter (“My Favorite Year”; “Welcome Back, Kotter”, etc.) He’s also the author of the popular nonfiction book, WRITING FROM THE INSIDE OUT. 

His mystery fiction has appeared in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, The Strand and elsewhere, and is collected in From Crime to Crime. His series of award-winning mystery thrillers (the latest of which is Panic Attack) feature Daniel Rinaldi, a psychologist and trauma expert who consults with the Pittsburgh Police. 

Recently, Dennis served as Consulting Producer on the Hulu TV series THE PATIENT. I love love love his work, especially when I’m in the mood to read something that makes my hair stand on end! Check out Dennis’ work at www.dennispalumbo.com

My Story 

by Dennis Palumbo

Years ago, I wrote an essay called “Therapist By Day, Crime Writer By Night.” And there’s no denying that I’ve had an interesting career journey. For many years I was a Hollywood screenwriter, after which I became a licensed psychotherapist specializing in treating creative types in the entertainment community. Now, in addition to my private practice, some years back I fulfilled a life-long dream and published a series of crime novels.

I owe my love for mysteries to two things: my father and the mumps. You hardly hear about

the latter nowadays, but when I was a kid back in the late 1950’s it was all the rage. You had your sore throat, fever and, if you were like me, pretty intense self-pity. I hated being confined to bed, even if it meant getting to skip a week at St. Joseph’s Catholic School. Who were the nuns supposed to express their disappointment with if I weren’t there?

Then my father, a huge fan of Basil Rathbone’s screen depiction of the Great Detective, got me a hardcover, illustrated version of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. I don’t think I’ve ever devoured a book so quickly. I became an instant fan of Holmes and Watson, and to this day the phrase “The game’s afoot!” gets my heart beating.

That was the beginning of a life-long love of mystery novels and short stories, as well as an adult fascination with film noir. Especially the rare great adaptations. I love both the book and film versions of THE MALTESE FALCON, DOUBLE INDEMNITY and (the original) THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE.

When it came time to go to college and declare a major, there were four careers acceptable to my Italian-American family: doctor, lawyer, engineer or—as a fall-back position—priest. Though by then I’d had dreams of becoming a writer, I was such a “good boy” that I dutifully entered the University of Pittsburgh as an engineering major. Unfortunately, I soon learned that there was math involved in that particular occupation, so—at the cost of much familial conflict—I switched majors to English.


After graduating, and a three-year stint in advertising, I convinced my first wife to move to Los Angeles so I could break into TV and film writing. I won’t recount that initial struggle, since it’s a pretty familiar story: odd jobs, unread spec scripts, money worries. But after teaming up with a much funnier writer named Mark Evanier, I ended up as a sitcom writer, initially on the ABC series WELCOME BACK, KOTTER. My marriage and my partnership with Mark both ended, amicably, at about the same time. After which I did some more TV work and then eventually got lucky enough to have my first feature, MY FAVORITE YEAR, produced. (Based on my original story, I share screenplay credit with the late Norman Steinberg.)

Now here’s where things get a bit weird. I’d been hired to write a screenplay for Robert Redford’s company, in which the actor would play a famous mountain climber. As part of the research, I lived in Nepal for many months, much of which I spent trekking in the Himalayas with a guide and two Sherpas. I must admit—and corny as it sounds—it was kind of a “Razor’s Edge” experience. Weary and depressed about the ups and downs of my show business career, constitutionally unsuited for the amount of hustling required, and disheartened by the overall bullshit, this research trip inspired me to contemplate making a change in my life.

Not that it was an easy decision. For one thing, on paper my Hollywood career was humming along nicely. There was no lack of writing assignments. Plus, to the few friends who knew I was considering a career change, I seemed to have lost my mind. Especially when they learned what I intended to do: become a licensed psychotherapist.

My own experience as a patient in therapy had prompted this decision, coupled with an interest in psychology and philosophy as life-long as my love of crime fiction. (A love that gave back. I’ll never forget the week I learned that Mark and I had been hired to write on staff for WELCOME BACK, KOTTER. It was the same week that I found out I’d sold my first short story to ELLERY QUEEN’S MYSTERY MAGAZINE.)

Anyway, things somewhat barreled along after that: graduate studies, years-long internships at therapy clinics and psych hospitals, a second marriage and fatherhood. I’ve been in private practice over thirty years now. But throughout all this, I continued writing and publishing mystery short stories, as well as a nonfiction book about the psychological issues that authors routinely contend with, called WRITING FROM THE INSIDE OUT.



Which brings me to my series of mystery thrillers featuring psychologist and police consultant Daniel Rinaldi. In my heart, I’ve remained that kid who fell in love with Sherlock Holmes and dreamed of creating a series character of my own. With the Rinaldi series, I got to write about the things that continue to engage me: the evolving city of Pittsburgh, where the series is set; the state of the mental health industry in modern times; the extent and types of psychological trauma that crime victims experience; and the opportunity to create mysteries with unexpected twists and turns. (For those taking notes, the first book in the series is MIRROR IMAGE; the most recent is called PANIC ATTACK.)

Anyway, if you’ve read this far, I thank you for your patience and indulgence. I consider myself to be extremely lucky in terms of my career journey. I’m so grateful to my former colleagues in Hollywood as well as my clinical colleagues today. And, most of all, I’m thankful for the hundreds of therapy patients, past and present, with whom I’m privileged to work every day.


Via Donis Casey - Write Errant

Story Merchant E-Book Deal Milt Lyles The Cruelest Lie

 Free June 10 - June 14!





The CRUELEST LIE is a gritty telling of treachery, greed, love, betrayal, and courage set against the lush background of the Louisiana bayou country. ⁠
The story centers around the deaths of three young men and the small town corruption and avarice that threatens to destroy an innocent boy setting in motion a deadly struggle between integrity and iniquity, truth and deceit.⁠

Matt Atchity Joins Story Merchant As Associate Manager


 

In addition to representing current Story Merchant intellectual properties, Matt will in his new role introduce stories he discovers to the Story Merchant family of companies, which include Atchity Entertainment International (The Meg), Atchity Productions (Mr. Irrelevant), Story Merchant Management, and Story Merchant Books. He will be working closely with Senior Associate Manager Tobe Roberts, who is based out of New York.

“Sam Skelton and the whole gang and I are delighted to welcome Matt to our family of companies,” said Ken Atchity in a statement to Deadline. “His vast knowledge of the commercial story market and cheerful gregariousness and sense of humor will contribute greatly to our expanding presence in the Hollywood marketplace.”

Shared Sam Skelton, Creative Executive and Producer at Atchity Productions and the Story Merchant companies, “Ken and I have eagerly anticipated expanding our team, and Matt’s arrival marks a thrilling new chapter. With Matt’s passion for compelling narratives and his dedication to curating exceptional content for our film and television projects, I am confident that his presence will propel us to unprecedented heights of creativity and success.”

Added Matt Atchity, “I’m excited to be on the other side of the entertainment business. I’m looking forward to both discovering and shepherding great stories, and ones that will make exciting movies and TV series.”

Formerly, the younger Atchity spent ten years as the Editor in Chief of Rotten Tomatoes, leading the team that made the site a household name, as well as introducing TV reviews and expanding the site’s influence on the entertainment industry. A frequent reviewer and commentator for CNN, he also co-founded and co-hosted What the Flick!? alongside Ben Mankiewicz and Cenk Uygur, the first spin-off show on the TYT network.

Across its assortment of companies, Story Merchant comprises a publisher, a production company, and a rep of both writers and rights to stories for film and TV. As we were recently first to report, subsidiary Atchity Productions recently tapped veteran martial arts filmmaker Andy Cheng to direct Shadow Ghost, a feature adaptation of the comic book written and illustrated by Sifu Kurtis Fujita.


via Matt Grobar Deadline Hollywood

The Picture Kills Review and Meet and Greet with Author Ian Bull

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Since the war, Steven Quintana has been running from his past. He decides to fill the hole in his heart by using his talent for photography to take pictures of celebrities. This backfires when a photo he has taken is used to cover up a kidnapping. He is then compelled to rescue the victim. Does he succeed or does he die trying? You will just have to read this compelling thriller novel to find out.

I found this book to be a wonderful suspense novel filled with action, drama, loyalty, and humor. The plot is fast paced and flows well. I especially like when he starts naming the bad guys I was chuckling the whole time. I would recommend this to anyone who likes thrillers, dramas, or a dangerous rescue of a damsel in distress.



Who are you and what do you do?

My name is Donald Ian Bull, and my pen name is Ian Bull. I am a husband and a father, I live in Los Angeles, and I grew up in San Francisco. I have been a TV writer, director and producer. Now I edit TV shows and write novels, screenplays and my blog, CaliforniaBull.

What genre do you like to write?


I like to write thrillers, but with strong female characters. Some people have said I write romantic thrillers, or thrillers with romance, if there is such a thing. I’ve only published one book so far, so it may change.

If you were to branch out from your current genre which one(s) would you like to explore?


I’d write historical fiction, or historical recreations/examinations. I love reading about the past.

How long have you been writing? What prompted you to start writing?


I have been writing since I was ten. I’ve always wanted to write novels, but the truth is, I didn’t have the courage to pursue it. I chose a “sensible” path that led to writing news for TV, that led to documentaries, that led to TV writing, and screenplays. Perhaps I also have enough life experience now to tackle a novel.

What inspires you to write?


I have imaginary conversations in my head all the time (in a good way), always arguing two sides of a conflict. I am also inspired by my own mortality, the problems in the world. Those drive me to act. My family also inspires me, in a positive way..

When a story idea pops into your head, how long does it typically take to write it (from start to finish)?


Years. That’s because I am writing two hours a day (three on weekends) while also earning money as a TV editor working eight to ten hours a day, and also being a husband and father. I wish I could flop it and edit two hours a day and write for eight!

What did you find to be the most difficult part of the writing process?  Easiest?


The hardest part of writing for me is when I paint myself into a corner with a plot point or a character’s behavior and I realize I must back track and fix it. The easiest part for me is to rewrite and edit my first draft. I don’t find that difficult, because I do it all day with my TV footage.

Of all your characters whom do you most relate to?


The main character Steven. He’s great at what he does, yet he knows he could be doing more, yet is plagued by doubt. That’s me…and plenty of other people! I’d like to be like Carl Webb, but I’m not.

Is there one of your characters that you did not like when you started writing about them, but found yourself liking by the end of the story?


Trishelle. I first made her ditzy, and then my wife pointed out that women have friends for a reason — they compliment each other and support each other, even if they’re very different, and Julia wouldn’t have a one-sided friendship. She’d have a friend as strong and smart as her, but in a different way. I went back and made Trishelle strong and capable in her own way, with her own vision of the world that is different than Julia’s. She’s much more street smart and savvy about the ways of the world than Julia is, especially when it comes to politics and men.

What is your least favorite part about writing? The Most?


My least favorite part of writing is fighting to find the time to write. My favorite part of writing is finishing a chapter and then telling my wife.

When you are not writing or editing what do you do for relaxation?


I read, I swim, I play with my daughter, hike with my wife and cook.

What genre of books do you like to read?


I like thrillers, histories, dramatic histories, and contemporary fiction.

What author(s) do you enjoy reading?  Why?


I go on kicks. Right now I am reading Karen Russell, who wrote Swamplandia, Vampires in the Lemon Grove and Sleep Donation. I am also reading This Changes Everything, by Naomi Klein about Climate Change. I also love anything by T.C. Boyle and Steinbeck, my favorite California writers. For thrillers, I like John D. MacDonald — old school.

Tell us about your books where can people find them?


THE PICTURE KILLS, is available on Amazon, in print and digital formats.  Check out the sequel, SIX PASSENGERS, FIVE PARACHUTES.

Ian Bull is the pen name of Donald Ian Bull, a TV producer and director turned thriller novelist. His TV credits include The Real World, The Osbournes, and Dr.90210.  He grew up in San Francisco, attended UC Berkeley and then UCLA, and now lives in Los Angeles with his wife and daughter.

Reposted from Sally Wolf Reads


Ian Bull's The Picture Kills

This week "The Picture Kills" (The Quintana Adventures) by Ian Bull 

⁠ A fun, fresh, sexy, snappy, fast-paced thriller that starts in celebrity-obsessed Hollywood and climaxes in the exotic and remote cays of the Bahamas.⁠ ⁠ 

#FREE this week on  Amazon!⁠ ⁠ 


Since the war, Steven Quintana has been running from his past. He decides to fill the hole in his heart by using his talent for photography to take pictures of celebrities. This backfires when a photo he has taken is used to cover up a kidnapping. He is then compelled to rescue the victim. Does he succeed or does he die trying? You will just have to read this compelling thriller novel to find out.