ARGO Sequel?

Several stars have cameo roles in the novel. Lady Gaga. George Clooney. Logline: A lottery winner engineers his own disappearance with the intent to reemerge a hero for financing a coup attempt against a corrupt Caribbean island dictator, extending his 15 minutes of fame into a lifetime. What’s the similarity to Argo? The main character, Jude Johnstone, must get into the good graces of Union Island governor Frolonzo by pretending to be a producer scouting locations for a movie and game show. And like Argo, there is a hostage situation. Interested? The novel is FAME ISLAND, an audiobook narrated by Emmy winning actor Kris Tabori, and directed by Grammy winner Yuri Rasovsky. In ebook format the title is THE INSTANT CELEBRITY. Jimmy Buffett also has a cameo in the offbeat adventure, which has satire and romance as part of the mix. Plus it’s based on a true story. The late John Caldwell once sailed around the world, bought Palm Island for a song on a 99 year lease from the government of St. Vincent (at $1 a year, plus 12%), and spent 20 years developing it into a paradise. Once he had to fight for it, too, when renegades came over from Union to take it…John and his boys fought them off with Enfield rifles. Then, during the Grenada invasion, he aided the Marines with a place to park their helicopters. I met John on Palm and wrote articles on him for Cruising World, Adventure Travel, and Real People magazines. He planted thousands of non-native palm trees all over the Grenadines, earning himself the nickname “Coconut Johnny,” and his tale inspired my novel. (Before he arrived the place was called “Prune Island,” a hellish place infested with mosquitoes. Later, he turned down millions for it. “Where could I go that’s better than this?” he asked me.) A former Disney producer said of the novel, “Very enjoyable, lots of twists and turns…would make a great film.” So I’m writing a script version to be called “The Fame Game.” Enjoy.

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