There are some big things happening in the next few months in MTP World, so I thought I’d do a blog roundup of all the announcements. Probably the most exciting development is that I’ll soon be making my television debut! The Donna Drake Show is an inspirational, CBS nationally broadcasted talk show that airs in 10 markets, including New York, Boston, Dallas, Seattle, Pittsburgh, Detroit, and Atlanta. According to Donna herself, she’s interviewed over 17,000 people, and now I’m one of them! I honestly don’t see how she could’ve interviewed that many people in her life—unless she was 125 years old. But no, she hasn’t discovered the Fountain of Youth; she’s just a really good interviewer! Case in point, over the years, she has interviewed Robert De Niro, Mike Tyson, Diane Warren, Kenny Loggins, Tony Bennett, Kelsey Grammer, Steve Buscemi, Jane Fonda, Mel Brooks, Howie Mandel, and John Leguizamo. And now you can add lil’ ol’ me to that list. Here’s a sizzle reel of some of her interviews:
Yes, I’ll be interviewed on T.V. about my book that bashes T.V.! Will the audience be able to handle the irony? The only way to find out is to tune in! I’ll be sure to post a link to the interview on this blog as soon as it’s available.
The same week that I will record my interview with Donna, I’ll be heading to West Middle School in Brentwood, NY, to attend their annual Book Fest event. I already signed 50 of my books that will be given away with raffles throughout the day. (For pics of the books, follow my social media at the bottom of my Contact page.) Besides the book giveaways, I’ll also be doing a literary activity with the kids that I designed (putting the steps of how to write a book in order) and also answering questions about what it’s like to be an indie author. Short answer: Pretty hard and time-consuming! But it’s also rewarding, such as getting to attend events like these. Keep reading and dreaming, kids!
In other MTP news, I recorded an interview with P. English Literature, a podcast based all the way in Africa! I chatted with host Peter Okonkwo about my writing process, such as which beta feedback to use and which to ignore. I also talk about how I feel about readers having their own (sometimes weird) interpretations of my books and give a special surprise announcement at the end! Unfortunately, there were some technical hiccups (that happens when you’re taking a Zoom call literally from the other side of the world), so hopefully, Peter and his team can iron them out during the editing process. The podcast should be available next week, and again, I’ll make sure to update this blog when that happens.
In other, other MTP news, there will be another delay of the release of the Danger Peak audiobook this month, but thankfully, it’ll only be a few weeks, so instead of “dropping” (as the kids say) in early February, it will be either later in the month or early next month. Thanks to everyone for their patience and understanding. I’ve already heard from a few people who said they were kinda/sorta interested in reading Danger Peak but will definitely listen to the audiobook version. I guess audiobooks are the future. Who knew? (besides everyone who’s been paying attention in the past decade) Anyway, you can hear an exciting, exclusive sample of the audiobook on the video tab of my Instagram page.
The final news I’d like to share is that I will be attending MastiCon at the Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Public Library on Long Island on Saturday, May 3rd! I’ll be selling discount copies of Danger Peak, Déjà View, and The Electric God and Other Shorts. Come stop by to enjoy the event’s other vendors, have a chat, and get your book(s) signed! I realize this event is a ways off, so I’ll give more details as we get closer to the date.
Whew! That’s a lot of things happening—and it’s only February! Looks like I’m going to have to step out of my comfort zone this year.
MTP
P.S.: Next week’s blog: My Interview With P. English Literature
P.P.S.: The Electric God and Other Shorts is now available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble:
Michael Thomas Perone 