The Overlords

For those of you reading this for the first time, The Overlords is a trilogy written by Mike Squatrito.  The story is set in the fantasy genre, and has been an ongoing project of mine for the past eleven years.  I either found your email address, or got it from you, or from a friend of yours!  Please continue to read this newsletter, and visit my website!

What’s New

The Overlords project is taking another turn.  After receiving more than one remark about needing a professional editor from prospective agents, I have gone out and hired one.  I would like to welcome Laura Vadney to the Overlords family, who comes highly recommended from people that I have dealt with in the past year.  She has already received my manuscript and is busy redlining it as we speak!  I asked her to give me a little bio on herself and this is what she has to say:

“Laura Vadney now lends her expertise to the Overlords family.  A life long reader of science fiction and fantasy, I have worked with
authors from California to Connecticut and on books with subjects ranging from romance to Romulan rock stars while under the umbrella of Gardenia Press, a small publishing firm that specialized in undiscovered authors.  For the same firm, I was an instructor for an on-line writing course.

With master's degrees in English and Counseling, I have worked in fields as diverse as running a crisis line in Key West to public
relations for a humane society in Maine.  I have edited and published a local marketing magazine with a circulation of 10,000, as well as written weekly newspaper columns and worked in local cable access television.”

Let’s hope that a little more time and hard work will get Legend of the Treasure to the point where it can become a publishable piece of work.  I know my fans will be waiting, as you have been for the past year or so.

About The Project

While I wait for the mark-ups to Book One, I have completed the first seventeen chapters of Book Two.  When I say “completed” I’m talking a first pass that is not worthy for anyone to read in its current form!  What I like to do is get the story out of my head and onto the computer.  After that is done, then I can print out each chapter and really tear it apart.  I must go through each chapter four to five times before I feel it is good enough to show to an editor.  I know Diane had a field day with her red pen when she first received my work and I’m sure Book Two will be no different.  If you haven’t figured it out yet, it takes a lot of time and effort to churn out something decent.

Miscellaneous Events

I am replacing the “Excerpt of the Month” section for a bit since the book will not be ready for a while, and I might modify the text.  I wouldn’t want to give you and excerpt only to have it changed when the real thing comes out.  So, in the meantime, you’ll have to hear a little about what is going on with me.

If you haven’t already heard, I will be getting married in April 2005.  Lea and I are planning a beach wedding in Sarasota, Florida and we will be heading down there this weekend to meet our wedding planner and visit bakers, photographers, etc.  I will keep you posted on how that is going too.

Contact Information

Send all correspondences to the-overlords@cox.net.  I have accumulated many email addresses over the years, and have used them to create my mailing list.  Please pass this newsletter along to anyone you feel might be interested in my project.  The more contacts I make, the better the chances of having all my hard work pay off!

If you wish me to use a different address or to be removed from my mailing list, please send me an email and I will handle your request.  Please feel free to visit my website at www.the-overlords.com.  There you will find character biographies, more details on my books, and links to other sites.  Be sure to visit them too!