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For more information, contact: Lynn Price /lynn@behlerpublications.com Fear of Spiders A Novel by John E. Cother Behler Publications is proud to announce the release of John E. Cother’s moving novel, Fear of Spiders. In the tradition of Girl Named Zippy, by Haven Kimmel, and Where the Heart Is, by Billie Letts, Fear of Spiders is a pull at the heartstrings story of a brother and sister whose poignant summer vacation is filled with loss, abandonment and love. What if it was the summer of 1965, you were fourteen, and your father abandoned your family and your mother drank herself to death? What if during this one crazy summer you fell wildly in love with a girl? From their tiny Mississippi hometown to the mountains of North Carolina, JT and his sister, Lesi begin a series of adventures, sometimes hilarious and other times frightening—and JT falls in love, but not before their lives take a dangerous and harrowing turn when brother and sister are attacked and seriously injured by an intruder when their aunt leaves them alone for a night to return to her job as a nurse. On the journey to understanding their deceased mother and to finding the father who abandoned them, JT and Lesi discover much more—they find themselves and a new life in the process—and celebrate the miracle called the human spirit. John E. Cother earned a Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral degrees in Education and spent the next 33 years as an elementary and junior high school principal. His comprehensive experience working with children offered Mr. Cother rare insight into the resiliency of teens, and served as the backdrop for his novel. November 2005 * Fiction* 5-1/2 x 8-1/2 Trade Paperback 286 pages * $16.95 ISBN 1-933016-27-2 * LOC 2005903488 Behler Publications, 22365 El Toro Rd., #135, Lake Forest, CA 92630 A Brief Storyline Tease for Fear of Spiders by John E. Cother, ISBN 1-933016-27-2 = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = “JT,” she screamed, “help me please. There’s someone looking in my bedroom window. I saw his face. I saw him.” Lesi was sweating like she had been running. “Les, are you sure?” I asked. “You could’ve been dreaming.” “No, no, no, I haven’t even been to sleep. He looked right at me through my window. Come in here with me.” Lesi was grabbing my arm. “Okay, don’t worry, I’ll help you. Everything’s going to be okay. I don’t see anyone out there,” I said, peering out her window scared like I’d never been before. I couldn’t figure out how someone could look into Lesi’s window with her bedroom being upstairs, but she was convinced she had seen someone there. If so, they must have been up in the oak tree. “JT, will you go outside and make sure? I’ve been dreaming most every night that some man was after me, always chasing me and this could be him. JT, will you?” “What?” I was sweating every bit as much as Lesi by then. “Look, I saw one of those spiders—a Brown Recluse—the kind Mema’s friend Margie told me always spins a web in the house of someone who’s going to die and the one I saw spun a big old web right on the corner of the porch.” “What did you do?” Lesi had been acting funny for sometime around spiders of any kind, and now I knew why. “I knocked the web down with the broom and now I reckon I shouldn’t have because there’s some man after me. But Miss Margie said you’ve got to get rid of—” “How do you know what Miss Margie said was true?” Miss Margie was a big talker Aunt Lily always said. “Spiders are evil, JT…pure evil…a Brown Recluse hanging around can’t be anything but bad luck. They trap poor helpless bugs in their webs and do all sorts of hideous things to the bugs once they catch them. And they’re poisonous. POISONOUS.” “Don’t they eat flies and mosquitoes?” I asked. “Randle told me spiders eat insects that cause problems, but nobody ever told me spiders—” I had no idea what I was talking about, but I sure didn’t want to go outside alone. I knew that much. “Not just any spider,” Lesi said, rolling her eyes… = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = For more information, contact: Lynn Price /lynn@behlerpublications.com Questions and Answers A Short Interview with John E. Cother, author of Fear of Spiders, ISBN 1-933016-27-2 What inspired you to write FEAR OF SPIDERS? I spent over thirty years as a public school principal, and I became as familiar with youngsters and teens as one could possibly be. My love, affection and admiration for children and teens grew immeasurably during my years as a principal, and formed the basis of my love affair with JT and Lesi, the incomparable and irresistible siblings who are the novel’s main characters. As a father myself, I think parents may well see their own teens in JT and Lesi, and although they are wonderfully unique, in many ways they represent ‘everyteen.’ Looking back at my career in public education, the resiliency and tenacity of teens stands out above everything else. JT and Lesi personify those admirable traits as they face more challenges in one unbelievable summer than most do in a lifetime. Having seen teens up close and personal at their absolute best and their rock bottom worst, I attempted to realistically capture both edges in JT and Lesi. If you had to “pigeonhole” your novel, into which “box” would it be placed? Best described as a coming-of-age story, FEAR OF SPIDERS takes 14-year old JT and his 15-year old sister, Lesi, into the most challenging summer of their young lives. In this one incredible summer they face life-anddeath struggles all the while grappling with their own identities and budding sexuality. While this novel takes place during the summer of 1965, today’s teens will no doubt identify with the angst of growing up and facing the responsibilities, challenges and joys associated with their newly evolving maturity. Parents, while recalling their teen years, may view their own children with more empathy because of JT and Lesi’s struggles. Do you feel the novel appeals primarily to people who, like you, grew up in the 1960’s? Absolutely not. This is a timeless story of good vs. evil, bad things happening to good people and family love, loyalty and cohesiveness. It’s all about the trials, tribulations and celebrations that accompany the coming-ofage. However, folks who are children of the 1960s should especially enjoy the music, events and culture of that era as they relive them through J. T. and Lesi. At its core, FEAR OF SPIDERS illustrates the sheer power and energy of family bonds. Specifically, it is the unbreakable and indestructible sibling bond between J. T. and Lesi that breathes the life and meaning into this story. What will cause readers to connect to your story? As I wrote, I fell in love with J.T. and Lesi. I think that readers may well do the same. Today’s teens will be able to identify with and respect them for their toughness, creativeness and humor in dealing with serious issues. Parents may be able to deepen their appreciation for and understanding of their own teens within the characters of JT and Lesi. I believe the story will also resonate with readers because we live in a time when many children are raised by grandparents, aunts, uncles, and others. As a school principal, I discovered early in my career that students who did not live with their parents or lived in single parent homes, and there were many, faced unique challenges which differed from students living in the so called traditional households. One truth that became readily obvious was that regardless of the issues faced, we all desperately need reason to hope. The FEAR OF SPIDERS’ ending is hopeful and uplifting, giving the reader encouragement and a reason for optimism, even in the face of life-and-death issues. Your book is a Young Adult novel. What aspects of this story do you think will appeal to this age group? The pathways toward the coming-of-age are thorny and awkward. For young adults, the journey took place not that long ago. JT and Lesi confronting issues, both small and large, will ring familiar and true to the YA audience. Each individual tries to make sense of their lives especially as they strive for maturity. Experiencing the coming-of-age challenges along with JT and Lesi may allow the reader to come to terms with their own experiences as well as provide insight into the experiences of others. The brother-sister duo allows FEAR OF SPIDERS to be equally meaningful and insightful for readers of both sexes. Do you think the more than 30 years you spent as a school principal uniquely qualifies you to have written Fear of Spiders? With no equivocation, the answer is a resounding yes. I spent 33 years as a public school principal, both elementary and intermediate levels. Day in and day out I found myself surrounded by students from all walks of life. Facing every issue of teens and children from the benign to the complex to the life-and-death issues, I immersed myself into developing rapport with and understanding of students. The principal’s position represented a mission for me and not merely a job. Always a writer in my heart, it was a natural for me to write about teens facing the often overwhelming coming-of-age challenges. It’s no secret the teen years are the toughest in terms of identity and independence. Do you see readers identifying with J.T. and Lesi’s troubled summer? Everyone from today’s teens through adults should be able to identify with JT and Lesi as they live their lives from day-to-day, trying not only to survive, but to prevail. JT’s triumphant entry into manhood, despite seemingly insurmountable obstacles, may serve as an inspiration for young boys in their midteens. Lesi’s ‘young ladylike’ and gracious approach to her sometimes ‘bratty brother’ and all the summer’s unique challenges offer teen girls a role model. Parents, teachers and others may gain insights from both of them while dealing with their own teens. Life is not always pretty and their summer of 1965 is no exception, but JT and Lesi demonstrate class, toughness, creativeness and open-mindedness in all of their endeavors. Even though Fear of Spiders is listed as being Young Adult, do you think parents would find J.T. and Lesi a window into their own children’s minds? During my public education career, I found parents begging for ways to engage their children and teens in meaningful ways. Teachers found themselves in that same boat. Parents, I believe, would find JT and Lesi fascinating teens to ‘watch’ as they grow and develop throughout their ‘summer from hell’ and their subsequent success in dealing with everything that life throws their way. As mentioned earlier, JT and Lesi at times become ‘everyteen’ and through them parents can gain much insight into their own teens. Fear of Spiders would be a great book for discussion groups because of the unique way in which you’ve woven heartaches and hilarity into J.T. and Lesi. If you were to lead the discussion group, what would your topics be? FEAR OF SPIDERS opens the discussion doors for a multitude of topics for parents, teachers, other professionals and volunteers working with teens and teens themselves. Among the titles I’d explore would be: ‘Teens: Are they human after all?’ ‘Parents: Are they human after all?’ ‘Communicating with teens’ ‘Communicating with parents’ ‘Living with an alcoholic parent’ ‘Coping with Diabetes’ (teens and parents) ‘Dealing with grief and loss for teens’ ‘Am I normal?’ (For teens) ‘Runaway parents’ (for teens) ‘Never, never, never, never give up’ (teens and parents, etc.) Discussion topics are virtually limitless with the crucial avenue being open and honest dialogue between significant adults and teens. Effective communication, as it always seems to be, is the human creature’s most difficult area to master. For More Information, please contact: Lynn Price, Behler Publications 800-830-2913 (TOLL FREE) /lynn@behlerpublications.com _________________________________________________________________________________________________ REVIEW "Fear Of Spiders" Read to be entertained, read to be moved, and read to thrill to the uniquely captivating story of a young boy’s move to manhood over the course of one very difficult and yet triumphant summer. Mr. Cother has so artfully portrayed young, endearing, J.T. that I have to agree “he is a heartbreaker” and mine is gone to him. The scene is gritty southern, Elvis’s Tupelo, in the summer of new Rock n’ Roll, the Beatles, Beach Boys and short shorts, perfect for those who will remember and required reading for those who don’t. Highly Recommended***** Reviewer: CJ Morace Author of: "Cocodrie" and "Appalachia" Behler Publications Visit Our Site: www.behlerpublications.com 888-265-5923 Fear of Spiders, a novel by John E. Cother, Behler Publications Uploaded: Sep 9, 2005 |
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