P. W. Catanese Replied!

Today, I went on P. W. Catanese's website, obtained his email, and sent him one. Here is what I wrote:

Dear Mr. Catanese,
This email is mainly concerning The Mirror’s Tale.
See, I was browsing the kids section in my local library, and the title and cover design of The Mirror’s Tale caught my eye. Pulling it out, I read the back, and my interest was immediately piqued. Throwing it into my bag, I hurried to the check out, jumped into the car, and, as my mom drove out of the library parking lot, I pulled it out and began reading.
Oh. My. Word. This book is probably the best book I have ever read. And this is coming from a complete bookaholic. I have read the works J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, J. K. Rowling, Shannon Hale, Lois Lowry, Charles Dickens, Louisa May Alcott, Oscar Wilde, Jane Austen, Shakespeare, Christopher Paolini, Madeleine L’engle, Frank Peretti, Ted Dekker, Mark Twain, Frances Hodgson Burnett, L. M. Montgomery, Alison Croggon, Martha Finley, and so many more. And you know what? Your book, this single solitary book, beat them all. It beat out Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, Pride and Prejudice, The Inheritance Cycle, A Wrinkle In Time, A Midsummer Night’s Eve, The Great Divorce, Little Women, The Tale of Two Cities, The Giver, Princess Academy, Emily of New Moon, The Little Princess, The Naming...all of them.
I was reading it over Halloween, and I cut short my trick-or-treating time to come back and read The Mirror’s Tale. After I finished it, I flipped back to the beginning and promptly read it over again.
This book is the only book out of all the hundreds and hundreds of books I’ve read that’s ever made me feel sincerely scared. When Bert’s uncle stumbled down and found Bert and the mirror, my stomach hurtled into my throat, and refused to leave. I am not even kidding. I was scared. My heart was pounding, and I was even sweating. I was that scared.
You showed excellent use of foreshadowing in this book. You mixed the perfect amount of tension, conflict, and downright scariness together to create this masterpiece.
I applaud you.
And also, I thank you for writing this utterly phenomenal book. The next time I go to a bookstore, I am planning on buying The Mirror’s Tale so I can read it over and over again.
Sincerely,
Rebekah ________[I had my last name there, but I don't really want to have my last name floating around the internet. ^^]
PS If you would like to hear me rant on and on about your book, visit this link: http://bekahsbubblyblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/oh-my-word.html (my blog post concerning your book ^^)

And you won't believe it...well, you will. I gave it away in my title. But anyways...HE REPLIED!!! *grins*
Here's what he said...

Hello Rebekah. What a great message to receive. I'm really happy that you enjoyed The Mirror's Tale so much. Those are some impressive books to beat out as your favorite, and I can't believe you cut into your trick-or-treating time to read it! I read your blog entry too, and liked it a lot. It's nice to know that at least some readers are picking up on the foreshadowing. If you get a chance, I hope you'll read some of my other stories. And since you liked The Mirror's Tale, you should know that two of the characters from that story will appear in my new book, Dragon Games (The Books of Umber 2). They are minor characters, and a reader doesn't need to know anything about The Mirror's Tale to enjoy Dragon Games, but it's a special treat for anyone who knows the story of Bert and Will. Dragon Games is the second book in The Books of Umber series. So maybe you'd want to see if your library has the first book, Happenstance Found (The Books of Umber 1). Thanks for the note. Keep reading, and keep writing -- I think you're a very good writer as well. Keep up the good work. Best, P.W. Catanese
The novels of PW Catanese: Visit www.pwcatanese.com to learn more and become a Facebook or MySpace fan. Read Happenstance Found (The Books of Umber) in hardcover now, paperback Dec 09.

I think it's so awesome of him to reply. I mean, seriously, this guy must have a lot on his plate, what with being an author and having a regular job. And yet he took the time to reply to my email. *sighs with happiness then starts laughing* Sorry, couldn't help sharing my little "claim to fame" with y'all. :D

Namarie,

PS and I DID like his book that much. This wasn't all put on to flatter him or anything. ^^