Trapape,
PLEASE go back and read my original posting. That was NOT my statement; it was the authors in an interview he did on 12Gems, which I will repost below.
--------------------
you can post my answers.
mike
1. How can we get him to tour our 'neck o' the woods'? (Alabama)
send us an email through atreasurestrove.com and it will be forwarded to my publicist.
generally, there has to be some big venue associated with me going
somewhere, like a museum.
we then schedule school readings, book store readings, media and the museum over several days.
i do not chage a fee to read at the schools. and i will read from 3rd grade up.
2. I noticed somewhere that this is his "first" treasure hunt. Does he
have more planned?
im working on a second Zac, Ana and Pook story and hope it is ready in about 18 months. there is demand to have a world wide treasure hunt and this book may include it. it will depend on 1. if this hunt is still going and people are still having fun and 2. how people feel about the end of the first treasure hunt. were they happy with the way it ended. was it too easy? too hard?
3. I noticed that in the illustrations there are Dragons but, through out
the whole book it doesn't mention anything about dragons!
no the book doesnt mention dragons.
What do the dragons mean?Are they clues?Are they just a thing to throw
you off? or Are they just something you drew just to add+
something to the illustrations?
sorry, but these are the type of questions i cant answer.
4. Will the 2nd book involve a treasure hunt also?
as i said before, we will have to see.
5. One more, does he read our post for entertainment, or to see how close we are coming
?
ive given up trying to read the posts for the most part. there are now just too many messages for me to wade through.
6. After so many years of thought, planning, and meticulous work, how does MS feel now that the book is published and the hunt is on? What I mean is, does he feel a sense of completion and is he ready to start a new project, or will it only feel 'complete' if and when someone finally
finds a token? Is sitting on the key to the solution and watching us
plod through the puzzles a bit like being 13 month's pregnant (when
will someone hurry up and find one!)?
im very happy that people are having fun with the hunt. but, its more rewarding for me to see how people like the story and families are reading it together.
7. The sub-poem that's been circulating the net. The poster gave no
verification. Is it another hoax? Or is there really a sub-poem?
again, i cant deny anything since that itself releases additional
information.
8. From the date you published the book-in a much smaller printing, how long did you think it would take before the first person redeemed a token. Now that there are many more books than the original printing, are you
surprised one has not been redeemed yet?
i had and have no expectations on how fast something will be found. but i hope they are found and i personally would like it more if lots of different people found them rather than just one person showing up with all of them.
9. Are you planning on visiting Michigan for a book signing and display of the jewels?
there have been several requests for Michigan but i dont think anything is scheduled.
10. What's your favorite food?
favorites are chinese & indian.
Oh yeah, and will u touring around LA at all?
we had tentatively scheduled the LA natural history museum but something fell through. feel free to call them and tell them about the jewels and see if you can get it rescheduled.
11. Would you please elaborate on, "The simple clues don't need any special knowledge to find or decipher"? Many are claiming things like Morse code could be considered special knowledge!?
i dont consider a one time look up as 'special' knowledge anymore than
looking into a dictionary for the spelling of a word.
the intent of the statement was to say you dont need any unusual knowledge.
12. Are all the editions the exact same size?
i believe all of the editions are the same size.
13. Is everything inside the covers, and the covers, considered parts that
may include clues., e.g., Official Rules and Appendix
i believe that i said 'the clues are within the pages of the story'.
14. "Do you read the forums, and if so, do you find them entertaining?"
yes, i read the forums but they are so big now i cant really stay current.
15. Without giving away any hints, do you believe anyone has gotten close to any of the clues, other than 'The Poem' ?
again, i cant really say if i think anyone is close since it could give them additional information.
16. How important are the 5x5 boxes as clues, and do we have the right
idea on their appearance (square, five rows and five columns.)
Is the constant misspelling of Twelve important? (misspelled in possibly
two lines of the poem, and in the Table of Contents)
the errata page on atreasurestrove.com contains the errors in the book.
17. Are all of the puzzles in the companion book used in ATT?
Are there any other puzzles in ATT that are not in the companion book?
for both of these questions, i believe that i said the puzzle book relate in some way. i also said that the puzzle book was to get you thinking. so, thinking is related.
18. I am a teacher and have been telling my students about the book and hunt anything to get them reading and away from TV/video games. One student is visually impaired and wants to know if there are enough clues in the text that he would have a chance. Having trouble seeing puts him at a disadvantage scouring the pictures for clues.
again, this is the type of question that im sorry but i cant answer specifically. its a printed book and it has clues it.
19. I would like to know if things like leaf litter, or several inches
of snow could be a hinderance in the actual (onsite) locating of the coin,
or if that should not be a problem.
cant say.
20. How often is the integrity of the coin location checked?
all i said is if i discover one missing for more than 30 days, i may void it.
21. What does "accessible to everyone" mean;
i believe the book says easily accessible.
22. My 12 yr old son is hooked on this book and the hunt. He is a very good artist and writer and would like to do a similar book when he is older.
What kind of advice would you give him?
keep thinking about it. he should follow his dreams.
i wish him the best of luck.
23. What type of mediums does Mike like to work with, and where did he get his training in illustrating?
ink and watercolor. the darklings are pencil and the
cover is an electronic montage.
i took art at Tulane university but i have a BS in mathematics.
24. How do you pronounce your name?
i presume you mean 'Stadther'? i say every letter. Stad ther (staadthur)
25. I would like to know what part of the Mr. Stadther enjoyed writing the most...
i liked it all and wrote it in about 8-10 weeks and tweeked slightly over the next five years. i came out quickly and didnt nead much fussing over. the part about Pook getting crystalized is still touching for me when i read it to kids.
26. Are there any real stories behind the book's characters and story that Mr. Stadther would like to share?
well, one comes to mind...
i had drafted an outline of the story and i liked the name Pook for Pook.
simply because it shot out of your mouth quickly and sounded a little funny.
later, i had a local audition for some young kids and wanted to select a
few as fairy models. i told them the story and afterward one little girl
raised her hand and asked me if i knew that Pook was Russian for fart. i
said i didnt, but it gave me the idea of using that as the basis for how
Pook got his name.
