Much to my embarrassment, I have become One of Those Bloggers. By this I mean I have become a blogger who does not post often enough to earn the title of “Blogger.” At best, I am a Posting Poseur.
I do have a good reason for my blog delinquency, however.
I wasn’t allowed to talk about it until an official announcement was made. Last week it was officially announced. So I’m officially talking about it!
Via Publisher’s Weekly:
Rhoda Belleza and John Morgan at Macmillan/Imprint have bought, in a four-book deal, world rights to a new chapter book series called Prince Not-So Charming by Mike Allegra, writing as Roy L. Hinuss (l.). The series introduces a reluctant Prince Charming, who’d much rather grow up to be a court jester, not a prince, to every kid who worries it’s hard to live up to the fairy tale. Matt Hunt will illustrate; the first two books, Once Upon a Prank and Her Royal Slyness, will publish in spring 2018. Natalie Lakosil at Bradford Literary represented the author, and Arabella Stein at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator.
This book series (beardless creatives need not apply, apparently) has been keeping me busy for the past several months. The first two books have just gone through copyediting. Books three and four are due by the end of August.
Yes, the deadlines are tighter than I’d like, but, hey, who cares? This series has been one of the most creatively exhilirating experiences of my life and I’m gonna miss it something fierce come September. The editors, John and Rhoda, are fantastic, and my agent, Natalie, is on fire (last year she sold my PB manuscript, Everybody’s Favorite Book, to Macmillan, too).
As for the pseudonym, I suggested a few names before the editors settled on Roy L. Hinuss. Personally, I would’ve gone with Lord Brock Lee Vapors. I also hope to author something someday with my Indian Guides name, Red Squirrel. But I’ll cross that particular drawbridge when I get to it.
In the meantime, I gotta write my butt off. I haven’t even started book four yet and the end of August is a lot closer than it looks.
Thanks for your patience! I’ll blog as often as I possibly can!
Hey, Look! A Writer Fellow! 
Hey, look, it’s a writer fellow writing books ! Awesome. Congratulations 🙂
Thanks! I do like being a book-writing writer fellow.
🙂
Congratulations! How exciting! I wish I had such a good reason for not blogging. 😉
>
Oh, you will.
If not blogging brings forth the fourth … let the fourth be with you … so to speak. Good luck word master.
Will do. There is no try.
Congratulations.
T’anks, Lauren!
How exciting!! I’m so happy for you. Now get off your blog and get writing. 😉
Hey, you’re not the boss of me! Macmillan is.
So, yeah, I better get off the blog now.
Lol – big brother is watching!
Congrats on the books Mike! That is awesome! If YOU can’t be considered a “blogger” because of your infrequency of posts, what does that make me?
Have you become a Posting Poseur?
Apparently… lol
Congratulations! That is wonderful. What a writing coup. Best of luck with everything!
Thanks, Carrie! And I see your Eating Bull promo blitz is still going strong.
Actually, I pretty much let it peter out, but a blogger who reviewed it and then asked to interview me helped give it a little spark again. 😬
Well, keep sparking!
Are you at work on another novel? (Do forgive me for peppering you with questions. I haven’t talked to you in a while!)
My third novel is all finished and polished. Am now starting the second draft of my fourth one. 😊
Let me know when No. 3 hits shelves. Methinks you’d be a good addition to my Waffles With Writers series.
Thank you, I will. Sounds like an interesting series. Tasty too!
Yep. I take waffling very seriously.
It doesn’t really count as being a poseur when you are actually writing stuff for a book deal! As one of the biggest blogger poseurs you have ever not met, trust me on this. Congratulations!
You’re hardly a poseur. You just wrote a four-million word post on your blog.
BTW: “I Don’t Want To Play In Your Yard” still stinks.
Four million!? You should have seen it before I cut out the other five million words. I’m not sure volume of words on one post makes up for infrequency of posting.
Are you still singing that song?
No, I am not singing that song, thank goodness. I consider it a black mark in Canadian history.
Heheheheh…
Whoa, congratulations!! That’s so very exciting! We can certainly excuse blogging silence for that. 🙂
Thank you for your kind understanding.
Beams proudly like a MOM!!
Stoooooooop, Ma! Yer embarrassing me!
*smoochies him on the cheek and then spit washes off the lipstick*
Starts pulling out grade school photos where your hair stands up like Alfalfa’s……..Beams some more.
*sighs, groans, rolls eyes*
*wraps my arm around your shoulder and smiles for the camera*
Love the titles of the first two in the series. Can’t wait to read them all! Congrats Roy L.
Thanks my friend. My next alias may be Duff R. Nutter.
Woot! Woot! Go, Roy, go! 😃
Oh, you!
Wow, Mike. Congratulations! I’ll stop pestering you now about your lack of blog appearances. Your excuse is tops on my list of A-Okay excuses. I’m so excited for you. 😀 And would you believe my grandson is finally getting old enough for your books. That wasn’t the case a couple years ago. We are ready for this series! Well done, my friend.
Groovy! A new reader! How old is the little guy?
He turns 4 tomorrow and still likes picture books, but we’ve started chapter books too. And I’m very dramatic in my reading. 😀
Wish the little one a happy birthday for me. I’ll send him a belated (and signed) birthday gift next spring.
Wow, I am so excited for you Mike! Such a thrilling new adventure series. Deadline pressure is great — sure gets the creative juices flowing. Can’t wait to read and review your upcoming series! Have a great summer writing and editing! 🙂
I think it will be a great summer. A busy summer, but a great one. Thanks, Patricia!
My daughter would love to read those. Congratulations! What tight deadlines yikes! Good luck
Yah. Deadline-wise, it doesn’t give me much time to ponder and pontificate. But, dang, it sure makes me prolific.
I truly cannot think of anyone I know who deserves this great publishing news more than you. I am so PLEASED, and PROUD. I’m proud because I ‘knew you when,’ and look how far you’ve come, heylookawriterfellow. xo
I feel like I say this to you all the time but it’s true: You’re so sweet! Thanks, my friend. We’ll need to set up a joint author appearance sometime soon!
LOVE the idea
Congratulations! That’s a perfectly good reason to be MIA from the blogosphere! 😀
Considering that you have a typing Snoopy as your avatar, I figured you’d understand.
Yaaaaaay!!! … ** waves arms like Kermit** … Congratulations! 😀
*Adjusts Fozie Bear hat* Wocka wocka wocka!
Heh, heh, heh 😀
This is sooo cool! Its heartening to all writers. Wow!
Thanks, Mary Jane!
Congratulations!
T’anks! And welcome to the blog!
Congratulations, Mike! This is wonderful news. I know what we’ll be getting my husband’s grandkids next year! 😉 xoxoM
You are a wise shopper, Margarita.
😉 xoxoM
Congratulations book writer fellow dude!
When are they due to be released?
My offer to host a book party stands. 🤔😬
Thanks, Ella! The first two books will be out next spring. The next two the following year, I think.
That’s super exciting. Congrats. The books sound fun, too. 🙂
Thanks! And, oh, yes, I’m funin’ ’em up.
Odd that you didn’t get to illustrate it though, right? Or is that too much for one person on a deadline?
Oh, I am not an illustrator. I am merely a blog doodler.
I had no idea, though I guess I should’ve. You’re a writer fellow, not a writer/illustrator fellow. 🙂
Wow! That is great, Mike! I love the pseudonym, and the story line. You are a clever guy, and I wish you the best of luck with your new books!
I have had a long, dry spell of not writing, but unfortunately, no good excuses.
Super happy for you, you deserve it. :-))
Thanks, Jude. And, fear not, sometimes writers need to go through a dry spell before a wave of writerishness hits.
Just found this. Thanks!
Keeping with the royalty theme, I would call you a Dabbling Duke…congrats again, dahlink! You’re rockin’ it!
Dabbing, you say? I never dabble. I would consider myself more of an Exhausting Earl.
WOOT!!!
No one deserves this more than you, my hardwriting friend. And we all must have done something pretty special to deserve reading four whole books from your excellent imagination!
Thank you, my good bloggy friend.
And the only something special you need to do to deserve four books is to buy ’em!
Woo Hoo…said one poseur to another!
While you have been madly typing away, I have been accumulating mega frequent flyer miles. As you saw, I was on the west coast last week. 😁😁😁 And this week I’m headed off to Europe, continuing my non-bloggerness posing and not feeling at all remorseful – nor should you, my friend. 😉
Your new titles are a must to add to my grandson’s collection…from one jester to another, so to speak. It could easily be his biography. ☺️ Consider this an advance order!
Thanks for the kind word, fellow Posting Poseur!
Dang! You are quite the jetsetter. I consider myself worldly when I drive to Pennsylvania.
I’m thinking a lot of it had to do with having my plans from last year thwarted and now I am determined to respond my rewards. After this trip I think I’ll settle down into a more mundane lifestyle.
Congrats, friend! Love the pen name!
Thanks Rebekah. And coming up with that pen name took much more time than I care to admit.
Absolute congrats! A four book deal is stupendous. I look forward to reading about this prince of a fellow. Yah–clever pseudo, BtW.
Thank you, kind Cricket. You may soon need to come up with a pseudonym for your cow omnibus.
Bo Vine? Kowa Bungee? How’s your agent feel about cows? She must have a sense of humor with the illustrious Allegra on her roll call.
Howabout a throwback to Happy Days: Leather Tuscadero?
Or the western: Rawl Hyde
Hey look!!! You’re a writer fella! 🙂 Congratulations, Mike! No one could deserve it more! I can’t wait to read them!!!
And I can’t wait to look in the health section of my local bookstore to read your scholarly work re: elephant sniffles!
That’s great! Well done! Inspiring me to keep plugging away and will hopefully get there one day too!
Thanks, Kate. And, yes, it is all about endlessly plugging away. Before I got my first book contract, I was rejected 114 times! So keep going!
Oh – I am such a social media slacker. But I did just launch a radio show! Talking seems easier than posting right now. Major kudos to you – whatever your name is!
Thanks! And my name is Mike. Nice ta meetcha, Teresa!
And, hey, if you ever need a guest for that radio show of yours, you know who to call!
Absolutely, Mike, Need to figure out tech so I can interview you and then play it later on my show. Or figure out how to do live via phone interviews, etc. Wish you lived in Maine so you could just come to the studio! Let’s stay in touch. Teresa
We’ll make it work somehow!
And, yes, indeedy, we shall remain in touch.
That’s awesome! If you need a reviewer, let me know! 🙂 Congrats, and see you whenever! 😀
I would be honored if you reviewed my books, my good fellow!
Congratulations on the book contracts! When we get closer to publication, I’d be happy to promote them on my blog. Anything kid friendly is up my alley!
I would looooove that, Darlene! Thank you kindly!
Great news about the book series! I always considered you a rebel 😉
Can rebels eat cookies and milk? If so, then, yes. I’m a rebel.
Congrats! And good luck! Do it well!
I shall do it as well as I can!
Almost done with book 4!
Congrats!!!
Although, sadly, I realise I must be a Posting Poseur too
Aw. That’s OK. We all gotta give our blogs a break once in a while or we’d never get anything else done.