adaptation potential for film, television, and streaming on behalf of our global media clients. Taking Time: ... A Tale of Physics, Lust and Greed (as well as the Physics, Lust and Greed series) came to our attention, and we would like to confirm the current status of its dramatic rights before proceeding further.

     Could you please let us know whether the film, television, and streaming rights to Taking Time are currently available? If these rights are managed or represented by a literary agency, publisher, or entertainment attorney, we would appreciate it if you could direct this inquiry to the appropriate representative.

     If the rights are currently unencumbered, we would be pleased to include the title in our evaluation and provide further information regarding potential next steps.

Thank you for your time, and I look forward to hearing from you.

Kind regards,

Maggie Thompson

Director, U.S. Scouting

Maria B. Campbell Associates

 

              You must understand how badly someone in my situation wants to believe.

            I have written one work of non-fiction and my eighth novel will be published in January. All my books have won awards and been well received by reviewers. However, in the vast sea of books that roll off Amazon’s presses each day, month and year, being noticed is difficult, to say the least.

            The only path through this jungle that might make writing something more than an expensive hobby is film.  I’ve done my best to partner with screenwriters and learn screenwriting myself.  I’ve worked with a legitimate company—Voyage Media—to produce a pilot and a pitch package to sell Taking Time, the first book in my Tales of Physic, Lust and Greed series. As a part of that effort Voyage produced an eight-episode broadcast of Taking Time which I co-wrote with Melanie Hooks. In the first couple of months of its release, the series had more than 70,000 downloads.

            Also understand that writers in my situation get dozens of emails and from people and companies wanting to market their books in some fashion. Undoubtedly, a few of these are legitimate. Many are not. My standard reply is “I’m not interested if at any point in this process you are going to ask me for money.”

            So here was my response to ‘Maggie Thompson.’

​

Ms. Thompson,

              The first question I have is, are you indeed, who you say you are? I get many inquiries from people pretending to be someone else. I checked the Maria B. Campbell Associates website and found a photo of Maggie Thompson, Director U.S. Scouting. If this is real, as to your inquiry regarding Taking Time, I have signed a shopping agreement with a company called Voyage Media regarding an eight episode streaming series. We have a pilot and a pitch package completed. My agreement with Voyage requires me to direct all inquiries about Taking Time to Voyage.

              Independent of Voyage or anyone else, I have a pilot, one sheet and series bible based on another of my books, Section Roads, a coming-of-age/mystery/humor story. Four lifelong friends reunite at their 40th high school reunion in a small eastern New Mexico town, where a new murder forces them to confront the truth about a decades-old killing that tore them apart, and to finally discover that the wrong person confessed to the childhood crime. This is written as an eight-episode streaming series.

            If you are who you say you are, I would urge you to talk to Voyage concerning Taking Time, which is the first of a six-book, soon-to-be seven book series. I would be happy to talk to you concerning Section Roads.

            If you are not who you say you are, may you burn in hell.

            Have a nice day.                      

                        Mike Murphey

​

              I would have liked to communicate with Maggie Thompson through the Maria B. Campbell & Associates website, but the site provided no contact information for anyone in the company.

The response to my email was quick.

​

Dear Mike,

Thank you for your candid response. I completely understand your caution in today’s digital environment, skepticism is not only understandable, it is essential. You are entirely right to protect your work and verify credentials.

            To address your query regarding my email address: our primary corporate domain (mbcbook.com) operates under strict internal firewalls that restrict outgoing initial queries and incoming file attachments from unverified external servers. I utilize this dedicated scouting outreach account specifically to initiate contact with independent creators without triggering corporate filter blocks.

            Regarding Taking Time, we fully respect your active shopping agreement with Voyage Media. We will archive that title on our end and direct any client inquiries regarding that IP as requested.

           However, your synopsis of Section Roads immediately caught the attention of our domestic scouting team.

           A character-driven murder mystery set against the backdrop of a 40-year high school reunion combined with a wrongful confession angle aligns perfectly with current mandate requests we have received from several of our primary streaming clients (specifically platform buyers seeking limited-series drama projects similar to Broadchurch or Mare of Easttown).

We would welcome the opportunity to review the materials you mentioned. Could you please forward:

1. The Pilot Script

2. The One-Sheet

3. The Series Bible

              Once received, I will place Section Roads into our immediate review cycle. If the materials meet our internal evaluation criteria, we will discuss adding the property to our upcoming Q3/Q4 Studio Pitch Roster.

I look forward to reviewing your work

.

Kind regards,

Maggie Thompson

 

Later the same day:

​

Dear Mike,

           Thank you for your patience while our team reviewed the materials for Section Roads with Amazon Studios.

           I have some great news: we’ve completed our review of your files, and the Amazon Studios team has gone through them as well. They’ve expressed direct interest in your book!

         Have I sent you Mike Hopkins' email before in our previous conversation, or would you like me to send it over to you now so you can connect with him directly to discuss the next steps? (Just as a reminder, he is the Head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios.)

          Let me know!

         Best,

        Maggie

​

            First alarm goes off. Would the head of Prime Video and MGM Studios get involved at this level?

Next day:

​

Hi Mike,

         Just to let you know that Amazon Studios contacted us to collaborate on reaching out to select authors regarding adaptation opportunities, and you have been assigned to handle this outreach.

           The primary contact for this is Mike Hopkins. Please send your email directly to his personal inbox here:mikehopkinsamazonmgmstudioz@gmail.com

           He also has an official corporate address (mikehopkins@amazonmgmstudio.org), but that inbox is currently full and over capacity, so reaching out via the Gmail address will ensure your message actually gets through to him.

         Once you’ve sent the email, please let me know and keep me updated on any responses or next steps.

         Best,

      Maggie 

​

            I checked the second email address and sure enough, the email failed to go through with the following message: Disabled recipient address: retry timeout exceeded. I did an internet search and Mike Hopkins is, indeed, head of Amazon Prime and MGM Studios. There is no direct way for someone like me to reach Mike Hopkins through Amazon Prime or MGM.

 

Mr. Hopkins,

              My name is Mike Murphey and Maggie Thompson of Maria B. Campbell Associates asked me to contact you regarding my book and screenplay Section Roads. I sent her a One Sheet, series bible and streaming series pilot. I would be happy to answer any questions you might have. My website is www.mikemurpheybooks.com.

​

From: Mike Hopkins <mikehopkinsamazonmgmstudioz@gmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, August 27, 2026 6:49 AM
To: mike@dhbabaseball.com
Subject: Re: Section Roads

 Dear Mike,

        Thank you for following up, and please accept my sincere apologies for the delayed reply! Your email was automatically routed to my Spam folder, and I luckily just spotted it and pulled it out today.

       I wanted to connect with you directly regarding what Maggie Thompson shared with our team. We are currently reviewing Section Roads for a potential screen adaptation targeting Prime Video, and our studio group is prepared to option the project and pay you for the media adaptation rights.

1. Did Maggie fully brief you on our interest in bringing Section Roads to Prime Video?

2. Can you confirm that you hold 100% of the full, unencumbered copyright and worldwide film/TV rights to the book and script?

3. Are there any existing options, publisher restrictions, or co-authors tied to the property?

        Once you confirm that you hold full rights, we will move forward with sending the preliminary buyout terms and contract details.

Best regards,

Mike Hopkins

SVP, Corporate Acquisitions Desk

Amazon MGM Studios | Culver City, CA

 

            I answered his questions. His response:

​

Dear Mike,

         Thank you for confirming the unencumbered status of the IP. Having clean worldwide film and TV rights allows us to keep this moving efficiently.

         Our production board operates under strict agency liaison protocols. Before we draft the formal Option Term Sheet for Prime Video, our executive team requires answers to a few mandatory vetting questions to complete your file:

1. Agency Liaison Status: What is your exact working relationship and agreement history with Maggie Thompson at Maria B. Campbell Associates? To prevent jurisdictional conflicts during contract execution, Maggie will be managing all contractual routing, disclosures, and filing coordination directly with our legal desk on your behalf.

2. Screenplay Adaptation Flexibility: The pilot script provides a solid base, but network streaming formats require structural pacing adjustments. How open are you to collaborating directly with an assigned showrunner and writing room for Season 1 revisions?

3. Production Availability & Timeline: Should our board greenlight the pilot development window for Q1/Q2, are you available to act as an executive consultant during pre-production, or do you prefer a hands-off buyout arrangement?

       Please send your confirmation on these three points at your earliest convenience. Once logged, we will generate the preliminary term sheet detailing your initial option payout, purchase milestones, and backend streaming royalties.

 

Best regards,

Mike Hopkins

Senior Vice President, Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios

​

            Another alarm. He had demoted himself from head honcho to a senior Vice President. Okay. What was in it for them? They hadn’t asked me for money. I decided to play out the string. I asked him about including a screenwriter who consulted with me as I wrote the seven Section Roads episodes being included on the writing team for the project. He responded.

​

 Dear Mike,

         Thank you for bringing XXXXXX to our attention. Because our studio board operates under strict industry standards, we cannot simply add staff writers without proper due diligence.

        To evaluate XXXXXX  for a paid Story Consultant / Staff Writer role for Season 1, could you please provide us with a few more details regarding his background:

1. IMDb / Credit Verification: Does XXXXXX  have an active IMDb profile or official guild credit for his work on Hightown?

2. Contact & Representation: Does XXXXXX  have direct representation (agent or manager), or would his consultancy agreement be negotiated directly through your office alongside Section Roads?

3. Editorial Scope: What specific episodes or story arcs of Section Roads did XXXXXX consult on during your drafting phase?

Acquisition Terms & Payment Structure

         On the acquisition front, we have fantastic news. Our review committee and network partners have officially cleared the initial budget framework for the streaming adaptation on Prime Video.

          We are prepared to offer a total media rights buyout and option package of $550,000 USD for Section Roads.

           Before our legal desk generates the final Option Purchase Agreement and term sheet for your signature, please let us know your preferred payment method for the initial disbursement:

• Direct Wire / Bank Transfer

• Certified Corporate Cashier’s Check

           Once you confirm your preferred payout method and provide XXXXXX's details, we will initiate the formal signing of the necessary closing documents.

          Warm regards,

          Mike Hopkins

​

          And there it was. Direct wire/bank transfer or certified corporate cashier’s check. Either option would provide a pathway to my bank account. And besides that, I thought $550,000 was a lowball offer. I pointed out his corporate demotion and added, “Whoever you are, fuck you and the horse you rode in on.”

His response:

​

Mike,

          Whoever the fuck you think you are talking to? let me make something crystal clear to you right now.

           You are laying false accusations against a senior executive and an established studio platform! Did anybody ask you for a dime? Did they tell you to send money? Did I ask you to send a single dollar? NO.

          We pulled your email out of our spam folder which WE were supposed to question and flag from the beginning and instead we treated you with absolute respect and brought you a $550,000 USD deal! Did the person who brought your book to us, Maggie, not brief you on who we are first of all?

          Are you even aware of how long Amazon MGM Studios has been operating, or who you are speaking to? Even if you are older than me, you will have respect for my position and my title as Senior Vice President!

           Do you know I can lay formal defamation and harassment charges against you for what you just wrote in that email?

            I thought a simple phone call would solve this whole misunderstanding, but this is completely uncalled for. In fact, we are calling this entire deal off right now until I receive a formal written apology from you.

           Furthermore, I will personally ensure that Andy Jassy, President and CEO of Amazon, hears about how you treat senior corporate staff. I will also be notifying Russ Grandinetti, Head of KDP Publishing, about your conduct regarding Amazon author relations.

Mike Hopkins

Senior Vice President, Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios

​

          I could not resist. I responded telling him I would apologize and agree to the deal if he would pay me the $550,000 in cash. He remained in character.

​

Mike,

          Cash? This is a major corporate media acquisition through Amazon MGM Studios and Prime Video, not a back-alley transaction. We operate under strict corporate accounting standards, FINRA regulations, and IRS reporting guidelines. No major studio issues $550,000 in physical currency. Payouts are issued strictly via Certified Corporate Cashier’s Check or Direct Bank Wire Transfer through our legal escrow desk.

         Furthermore, your sarcastic tone proves you still do not grasp the gravity of this opportunity.

        There are thousands of talented independent authors and properties currently sitting on our desk waiting for a streaming acquisition deal of this magnitude. We do not chase down uncooperative authors who treat senior executives with disrespect.

       If you want this $550,000 deal to move forward, here is what needs to happen immediately:

1. You will submit a formal written apology for your accusations and unprofessional conduct.

2. You will select a valid corporate payout method (Wire Transfer or Cashier's Check).

3. We will route your file to our legal desk to begin the contract execution and clearance process.

      If we do not have your formal apology and confirmed payout method in writing by the end of the business day, we will formally close your file and award this production slot and budget to the next property in line.

      This is your final notice.

 Mike Hopkins

Senior Vice President, Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios

​

At this point, fake Maggie Thompson reappeared.

 

Hi Mike,

      I completely understand why you are angry, and you have every right to be furious about how this played out.

      I want to be 100% transparent with you: I was not in on any scam, but looking back… it is clear this was a setup by a fraudster impersonating Mike Hopkins.

     You were entirely right to call it out and protect yourself. The "angry executive revoking the deal" email is the classic final move scammers use when their bluff gets called.

      I am truly sorry that this situation wasted your time and turned what should have been an exciting prospect into a headache. You made the right call standing your ground.

Best,

Maggie 

​

            My response:

​

As I said in my first email: Rot in Hell! Have a nice day.

​

            I posted this because one thing con artists count on is that their victims will be too embarrassed to admit they had fallen for a scam. These clowns follow the Trump gambit. When challenged about a lie, respond with outrage and a bigger lie.

            I suspect Fake Mike Hopkins and Fake Maggie Thompson are one and the same. Whoever he, she or they are, they are scum preying on hard-working, dedicated writers who invest a lot in their dreams and ambitions, hoping one day to break even. We write because we love the process of creating something, whether there’s a big payoff out there somewhere or not. And it’s criminal that some people prey on that hope.

I look forward to hearing from Andy and Russ.