Ballsy?

FAKE was reviewed in last week's issue of PLAY, a weekly entertainment newspaper in Philadelphia. The critic called called the book a "true-crime page-turner" and described it as "irresistable and cautionary."

The review also characterizes me as "ballsy." I believe this is the only time a critic has used this adjective to describe my behavior. "Reckless" or "moronic" might have been more accurate, but I'm not going to complain.

FAKE, the motion picture?

A lot of people who've read FAKE have suggested that it would make a good movie, and in the past year I've received at least six inquiries from American and British producers who've wanted to turn the story into some sort of documentary project or dramatic feature. I've actually been surprised at the amount of interest in the book among filmmakers, considering that it hasn't appeared on any best-seller lists or achieved any widespread noteriety.

Recently, after months of negotiation, I jumped the first hurdle on the path to turning FAKE into a film when I closed a deal to sell the film rights to an L.A.-based producer/director.

Of course, selling the film rights doesn't mean a film will be made. Most books that are optioned never turn into movies.

Then again, most books never get optioned at all, so it's exciting, and very flattering, to know that FAKE is among those that have a chance of being taken to the next level.

The best part is that the filmmaker who purchased the option is someone whose work I admire, and who works with a team of producers who've made some of my favorite films. If he's able to turn the book into a film, it's very likely to be a good film. I couldn't have asked for much more than this.