MAN INSPIRED BY PIG WRITES FIRST NOVEL. Youd figure in LA, anythings possible, but heres a pig tale to make you squeal...

Psychologist-turned-author Mike Yachnik found the inspiration for his funny and quirky forthcoming novel, FIVE MIL, from the great many trials, smiles, and tribulations of life with his beloved roommate of some 14 years, Clayton the Pig."

Few people mean what Mike Yachnik means when he says his roommate is a real pig. The psychologist-turned-author shares his Los Angeles condo with Clayton, a Vietnamese Pot-bellied Pig, who joined him there in 1989.

Life with his porcine pal has had its ups and downs. Before pigs were legal, Mike had to hide then baby Clayton under his jacket to sneak him to the park, whistling non-stop to mask the pig's snorts. Then there was the incident when Mike tried to bathe Clayton and one of his pig feet got stuck on the edge of the tub. Well, he let out quite a squeal which led Mikes neighbor to wink at him the next day in the hallway and comment, Your new girlfriend is a real screamer." Fortunately some years -- and tens of pounds later -- pot-bellied pigs are legal pets. No hiding the now 14 year old Clayton, who weighs in at a whopping 185lbs.

Mike, who has had several professional articles published, also writes humorous fiction. His short stories, "Not Folks From Scranton" and "The Nina, the Puto and the Santa Maria" have appeared in literary reviews. In 2000, he was a finalist in the Berkeley Fiction Reviews 4th Annual Sudden Fiction Contest. His pig-inspired comedic romp, Five Mil," is his first full length novel.

As the funny, quirky Five Mil" opens, readers find Darrel, a movie studio gofer and guardian of cantankerous Clayton the Pig," stunned to learn that he, alone, is the beneficiary of a mysterious $5 million inheritance. Of course, theres a catch -- to get the cash, he must pass several tests, each based on a classic virtue. Undertones of social and psychological issues of today abound as the wild comedy unfolds.

Mikes laugh-out-loud novel slated for release in October, 2003 features elements of the great many trials, smiles, and tribulations of life with his beloved Clayton. Most of the situations and characters in Five Mil" spring from real life experiences," Mike explains. Theyre loosely based on things I've done and people Ive met. Ive traveled to all the places in the book and, with some artistic license, the scenes are set in accurate locales."

Readers also get a glimpse of the psychologist side of the author, whose insights on using humor to promote personal change are reflected on the pages -- making Dr. Mike the Pigmund Freud of our time! Mike has practiced psychology for 19 years, focusing on critical incident resolution and values clarification. After working so long with difficult situations and weighty issues, he found that he needed to embrace more humor in his life -- and that his clients were hungry for it too. Teaching, consultation, therapy, all became more effective, more powerful when I added humor. And humor that involved pets was the winning combination!"

Mike wanted to write a book that made people laugh, but perhaps got them to look at something important, like their personal values -- what those values are, how they define them, how vulnerable they are to having others redefine them. So much of what stresses us, so many of our problems, come from conflicts between what we believe and what we do," says Mike. If people laugh at the storys characters and maybe identify with some of what theyre doing, then reflect on it in a way that has an impact on their lives, Id be happy." Mike adds, But if they just laugh at the antics of a guy with a pig trying to get his hands on a fortune by performing bizarre tasks with some strange characters, well, I guess Id be okay with that too."

Mike has performed a number of jobs in his life including tour guide at Stanford University, singing telegram guy, US postal carrier, and Washington DC intern. He plans to continue his practice of psychology but is already drafting up some new fiction. He will appear at the West Hollywood Book Fair on September 21st, where he is one of four authors featured in a panel discussion titled, Quintessentially Quirky: Authors mining mirth, madness and misadventure.

For interviews with the author about life with his porcine pal or a review copy of the book, contact Carol Brooks Itzkowitz at 212-682-6819.

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FIVE MIL
by Mike Yachnik
Published by: Xlibris Co.
Publication Date: October, 2003
Format: 5-1/2" x 8-1/2" - 270 pages
Price: $21.99 Trade Paperback
ISBN: 1-4134-0867-2
Available at bookstores or Amazon.com
Web site: www.fivemil.com