Cato Has Published A BOOK! But The Author Is Unknown!

[owlice]

I had a copy of this, but before I could read it, it disappeared! I think my kid nicked it when he went back to college. Maybe he's planning on wrapping it and giving it to me for Christmas...

[Cato]

I had a copy of this, but before I could read it, it disappeared! I think my kid nicked it when he went back to college. Maybe he's planning on wrapping it and giving it to me for Christmas...

The chances of theft!   

Also a good reason to buy multiple copies!   0:)

[Cato]

One of my brightest 7th Grade boys just finished Why Begins With W.

So I asked him: "Well, what do you think of it?"
He: "It was pretty good."
I: (with mock astonishment)  "Just 'pretty good'!?  Not 'great'?"
He: (slightly smiling) "No, but it was pretty good."

He admitted that he does not prefer contemporary mysteries: usually he is reading one of these large fantasy books (the Redwall series, or "Eldest" which has a dragon on the cover).

On the other hand, his mother is reading it, and she gave me a 5-star rave!   0:)

[Cato]

Interesting how things percolate: an assistant principal in Memphis, Tennessee contacted me about using the book for his  English classes.

That could turn out to be a good sale!

[karlhenning]

Excellent!  Onward & upward!

[Cato]

Yesterday the mother of a student who has read the book cornered me at a Christmas party sponsored by the pastor.

She told me that she also read the book, and "thought it was wonderfully written" and continued to praise it highly, except... 

"It really doesn't have a strong moral message, does it?  I mean, I think if it had a really good moral message, it could be a best seller!"

I: (very diplomatically) "Well, there is a certain moralism in the attitude of the narrator, and the actions of the characters lead to certain consequences.  So an implicit morality is certainly present."

She: "But that's just the problem.  Maybe I should read it again, but I just didn't pick up that strong moral message that good books usually have."

I: "I agree.  You should read it again.  Moral problems are present and dealt with in the story.  And they become more involved in the next two volumes."

She: "I don't mean to criticize, but there's another problem I thought needed to be fixed.  That part about the school janitor stalking the girl, that's not very moral, is it?"

I: "No, which is why the janitor's family disputes the claim, which becomes the heart of the story!  It is a murder mystery after all, so some 'not very moral' things will be happening in it."

Fortunately the pastor interrupted us!   0:)   I later discovered she is part of a "We Are More Catholic Than The Pope" conventicle.

And I thought: "Write your own book, lady!"   

[Cato]

Another review and a comment on the previous posting above:

"I am laughing as I read your email concerning the conversation with the mother!  I loved the book ( I finished it just the other day) and felt that there were plenty of subtle moral messages.  Maybe she should read some of the other young adult books out there!  Or as you say, write her own book!

I felt as if I was listening to a real person talk as I read the book.  A genuine personality really comes through in the narrator.... I can't wait for the second murder mystery to be published.  I have to tell you that when my son opened your book, which was a Christmas present, he was thrilled.  We opened gifts Christmas Eve and when he went to bed he said he would be up for a while reading your book!  He came down to breakfast this morning and said it was his favorite present.  I am not kidding you. "

[karlhenning]

Bravo!

[Cato]

Bravo!

Many thanks!

About 9,999 more like that and I might get that retirement account fleshed out a little more!   

As it is, my retirement account has been flushed out...several times!   0:)

[Cato]

My (very limited) readership - the ones who know that I am the author of Why Begins With W - is demanding the next two books in the series.       A good number of them received the book for Christmas, read it, and now want to know more about the story.

For those here who have read the book, the next two titles are Dial Emma For Murder and Hex High School.

My literary agent (aka my millionaire brother) plans a promotional blitz later this month for the book: so if sales increase to a certain level, then we will see what the publisher says.

www.TimeCapsuleMurders.com

[karlhenning]

Huzzah for ze promotional blitz! Jawohl!

[Cato]

From Amazon by a Dr. J (not the basketball player, I would assume!)

"Who Begins With W

"Who would have thought a novel of high school angst would appeal to someone of my baby boomer age? But, indeed, this is a fun story. The ample and arcane references to 1960's TV shows and cinema noir slang ages the author/s as well beyond high school too. Half the fun was identifying the allusions to American pop culture. But, it is a murder mystery, after all, and done quite well, with unexpected plot twists and an expanding list of victims worthy of Agatha Cristie (sic) herself. But why is the narrator so aggressively androgynous? Why so much homage to the original TV series, The Prisoner? Do we find out at the end of the book? That would be telling!"

[karlhenning]

Wooot!

[mahler10th]

I am waiting on the book.   

[KevinP]

Any chance of a Kindle edition?

[Cato]

Any chance of a Kindle edition?

Greetings!  I have been sidelined for the last two weeks by the sudden illness and death of my father-in-law.  So  I have not been around here much, plus first semester grades were due, and parent conferences, etc etc etc.

My agent and the publisher have been wondering about Kindle: it seems the book needs to hit a certain number of regular sales before it will be considered.

[Cato]

Greetings Literature Lovers!

Why Begins With W now has a promotional spot on YouTube!   

See:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wzb9W7E0v_U&fmt=18

[karlhenning]

What fun!

http://www.youtube.com/v/Wzb9W7E0v_U

[Cato]

What fun!

http://www.youtube.com/v/Wzb9W7E0v_U

Thanks Karl!


We are not quite at the "viral stage" yet, but over 40 people today have viewed it!

[Sergeant Rock]

Thanks Karl!


We are not quite at the "viral stage" yet, but over 40 people today have viewed it!

I watched it yesterday. Mrs. Rock was in the next room and wanted to know what music I was playing. She loved it. Very impressive vid. By the way, my copy did arrive before Christmas but I haven't cracked it yet. Shame on me.

Sarge