Thanks and Appreciation

Minna Sama, konnichiwa and welcome once again to the official Blackpassenger blog.

It is unbelievable how time has flown. It’s already two years and four months since I left Japan for the States to publish Black Passenger, which has been published a year and 8 months. I’d like to thank all my readers for their support and for the forty two 4 and 5 star reviews on Amazon. Thanks to you my average is 4 ½ stars. Special thanks – with every cell of my being – to mi sistren Ms. Malaika Adero, Vice President and Senior Editor of Atria Books, who has been championing Black Passenger as passionately as the writer. And though she was unable to get it republished at Atria, just her validation was enough.

You may have known that I am now in Los Angeles, which is where I will spend my remainding 6 months before returning to Japan. Since my arrival here back in June, Black Passenger has been optioned for a film and vook format. Maybe you haven’t heard of the vook, (http://vook.com/) a new medium in reading which blends a book with videos. Me thinks it’s the wave of the future.  Special thanks to Giuseppe Asaro, the director of the future film Black Passenger and the future videos for the vook, for that intriguing book trailer, which is directly responsible for my new literary agent.

Couldn’t wait to be released from my contract with Irene Webb, whom I had hired, and whom was eager to represent me when we both thought there was going to be a contract with Atria. Upon discovering that there would be no deal with Atria, Ms. Webb suddenly became extremely “busy” informing me that she, a renowned Hollywood literary agent, had no clue to which publisher she would introduce my book. When I expressed my desire to dissolve our contract, she had the affrontry to suggest delaying until after my attendance at Book Expo America, in case I found a publisher, she would negotiate the deal.

And speaking of agents, Black Passenger now has German, Italian and French agents working on selling publishing rights in the aforementioned territories. In the meantime, until there’s a break through, I’m still doing it guerrilla style at the LA County Fair, flea markets, Trader Joe’s, gas stations, the laundromat…anywhere there are people. In fact, I’m in the process of getting a Blackpassenger banner for my car. So if you see me on the streets of LA, give a shout so I can sign your book.