Introduce Yourself

[Jessica]

Reply to this message to introduce yourself to the group, and let us know why you are interested in discussing Soul Catcher.

[Fozzie]

Hi! My name is Laura and I live on the south coast of Maine.

Michael, I read your previous book, The Garden of Martyrs, and attended a reading you did from it at the York Public Library a couple of years ago. I have been awaiting your next novel and was thrilled to see that it would be discussed here on B&N.

I am just beginning Soul Catcher and am looking forward to discussing it with you and my fellow readers.

[IBIS]

Hello, I'm IBIS in Boston. The brief synopsis for SOUL CATCHER engaged me the second I read it. It's a story that I find intriguing.

Even though it takes place during the Civil War, it resonates today in the 21st century. I just finished reading a newspaper article about modern-day slavery in third world countries, and it amazed me that this evil still persists today.

I'm looking forward to joining the discussion.

[MichaelCWhite]

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Fozzie wrote:
Hi! My name is Laura and I live on the south coast of Maine.

Michael, I read your previous book, The Garden of Martyrs, and attended a reading you did from it at the York Public Library a couple of years ago. I have been awaiting your next novel and was thrilled to see that it would be discussed here on B&N.

I am just beginning Soul Catcher and am looking forward to discussing it with you and my fellow readers.

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Hi Laura. I remember the York reading very well. I'm looking forward to talking about SOUL CATCHER with you.

Michael White

[MichaelCWhite]

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IBIS wrote:
Hello, I'm IBIS in Boston. The brief synopsis for SOUL CATCHER engaged me the second I read it. It's a story that I find intriguing.

Even though it takes place during the Civil War, it resonates today in the 21st century. I just finished reading a newspaper article about modern-day slavery in third world countries, and it amazed me that this evil still persists today.

I'm looking forward to joining the discussion.

---

Hello. Like my previous novel, THE GARDEN OF MARTYRS, SOUL CATCHER is a historical novel. However,I believe, as you do, that a historical novel should raise important issues not just for the period in which it is set but for today as well. And as you point out, slavery, unfortunately, is not a past evil but a present one as well. So I hope that SOUL CATCHER resonates with relevancy to our present lives.


Michael White

[ENG267]

Michael:

I'm ENG267. I read Soul Catcher and was moved by it. I'm new to online book discussions, but I'm looking forward to discussing this novel, and the writing process, with you and my fellow readers.

I have a warm-up question that's bothered me since early in the novel: Preacher is well described as a character, but on which side of his face did you imagine his birthmark to be? The ambiguity of its location sometimes makes it difficult to "picture" him.

Thanks!

[MichaelCWhite]

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ENG267 wrote:
Michael:

I'm ENG267. I read Soul Catcher and was moved by it. I'm new to online book discussions, but I'm looking forward to discussing this novel, and the writing process, with you and my fellow readers.

I have a warm-up question that's bothered me since early in the novel: Preacher is well described as a character, but on which side of his face did you imagine his birthmark to be? The ambiguity of its location sometimes makes it difficult to "picture" him.

Thanks!

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Hi En267. I can see you're going to start with the tough questions right off the bat. I wanted to leave Preacher's birthmark vague, in the imaginative and vague way that Poe might describe one of his characters. Of all the characters, I wanted him to be more of a demonic presence, something that represented the totality of evil that slavery represented. But in my own mind, I guess I pictured the birthmark on the left side of his face, because that's the way I saw Preacher in my mind.

Michael White

[DiGear]

Hi. My name is Diane and I live in So Illinois but raised in Memphis Tn. I am always pulled into books written around the Civil War times. I find it very interesting to learn more about ALL apsects of life for everyone during that time. I am looking forward to reading this book.

[MichaelCWhite]

Hi Diane,

I am pleased to hear from someone who's also interested in the Civil War and its fiction.

Michael

[ENG267]

Michael:

I saw it on the left in my mind, as well, though I see the wisdom in your decision to leave it ambiguous. Thanks for answering my question so quickly.

ENG267

[kiakar]

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Jessica wrote:
Reply to this message to introduce yourself to the group, and let us know why you are interested in discussing Soul Catcher.

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Hi Michael
Some friends suggested this book for this month and I became fasinated by the title. And when I begun reading, I became fasinated by the story. This is the first book I have read of yours but it want be my last. This is whey up there on my favorite list.
I know this discussion is got to be good. Oh! sorry! I get quite excited and forget who I am. I am Linda from central Va., retired and love to read and have been partipating on Barnes and Noble for years. And also hi to all my fellow readers!

[Wrighty]

Hi, I'm Debbie from NY state. I have three teenagers that keep me busy but I love to read. I also enjoy the book clubs here and like to try new books. I don't often read historical fiction but I have read some from this time period and find them very interesting. I've only read a few chapters of this story so far but it's bringing up some strong feelings already. I really look forward to our discussion and asking Michael lots of questions!

[MichaelCWhite]

Hi Debbie,

Glad to have you with us. I look forward to talking with you about Soul Catcher and the issues that led to the Civil War.

Michael

[MichaelCWhite]

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kiakar wrote:

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Jessica wrote:
Reply to this message to introduce yourself to the group, and let us know why you are interested in discussing Soul Catcher.

---

Hi Michael
Some friends suggested this book for this month and I became fasinated by the title. And when I begun reading, I became fasinated by the story. This is the first book I have read of yours but it want be my last. This is whey up there on my favorite list.
I know this discussion is got to be good. Oh! sorry! I get quite excited and forget who I am. I am Linda from central Va., retired and love to read and have been partipating on Barnes and Noble for years. And also hi to all my fellow readers!

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Hi Linda,

I'm glad to meet you and look forward to discussing Soul Catcher.

Michael

[MichaelCWhite]

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kiakar wrote:

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Jessica wrote:
Reply to this message to introduce yourself to the group, and let us know why you are interested in discussing Soul Catcher.

---

Hi Michael
Some friends suggested this book for this month and I became fasinated by the title. And when I begun reading, I became fasinated by the story. This is the first book I have read of yours but it want be my last. This is whey up there on my favorite list.
I know this discussion is got to be good. Oh! sorry! I get quite excited and forget who I am. I am Linda from central Va., retired and love to read and have been partipating on Barnes and Noble for years. And also hi to all my fellow readers!

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Hi Linda,

I'm not sure if I said hello before, but let me do it now. I'm looking forward to hearing from someone from VA, where the novel begins and where Cain grew up.

Michael

[BryVal]

Hi everyone,

My name is Bryan. I plan to purchase Soul Catcher tomorrow and get into it right away. I can't wait to join the discussion.

By the way, Mr. White, I saw that you live in Connecticut. If I may ask, what part do you live in. I lived in Monroe, Connecticut for 13 years.

Will there be a book tour and signing for this book? If so, will it bring you through the Las Vegas area?

Thank you for your time,

Bryan

[MichaelCWhite]

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BryVal wrote:
Hi everyone,

My name is Bryan. I plan to purchase Soul Catcher tomorrow and get into it right away. I can't wait to join the discussion.

By the way, Mr. White, I saw that you live in Connecticut. If I may ask, what part do you live in. I lived in Monroe, Connecticut for 13 years.

Will there be a book tour and signing for this book? If so, will it bring you through the Las Vegas area?

Thank you for your time,

Bryan

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Hello Bryan,

Glad to have you in the book club. As of right now, I won't be coming through Las Vegas.
I live in Guilford, though a good friend of mine lives in Monroe.

Best,
Michael White

[vivico1]

Hi, I am Vivian from Oklahoma. I have been in the book clubs for some time now. I haven't finished the book yet, as I see some are just starting too, and not sure if the question threads posted so far are safe to read as they might be spoilers on parts I havent read yet. Some are general questions about ideas but as we use the book to discuss them, there again, I am afraid of having some of the novel spoiled for me and I am enjoying it way too much to want to know how it turns out, even to discuss it in conjunction with our thoughts today. I think one thread already has told me something I didnt know . Anyway, so I may not be posting or reading till I am done, but sure want in on the discussions. I am just used to some early, mid and end of book questions too, to get in on some as we go through the month. Anyway, I find it interesting too that this book comes along right now. I am new to your books Michael, but as I said, I really am enjoying this, and what is ironic for me right now is that just two months ago, a woman got in touch with me about transcribing some old letters and documents she has from her family from the late 1700's to 1910, a LOT of them and she cant read their handwriting well. I have worked with a geneological society for over ten years as a volunteer reading census, birth, death and other types of records from the 1800s a lot so I jumped at the chance. I tell her, these may be letters from one side of the family and we dont know what the other side said but its like unraveling a great story with something new around each bend, they would make a great book.

The records I am working on for her are from her part of the family who lived in New Orleans, they owned plantations. I am getting stuff from the civil war and after right now and about some of the slaves they owned, how they thought of them, things that were happening at the time and how families talked to each other through letters then. Its quite exciting, so to get to do this book now, with the author is just great fun. Looking forward to it and hoping to finish before anyone does write spoilers. Thanks Michael for joining us for this month.

[MichaelCWhite]

Vivian,

Glad to have you with us. I would think such letters as those you mentioned would be fascinating. Look forward to talking with you about the book (and I'll try not to divulge anything that would spoil the book for you!).

Michael

[MaTere]

My name is MaTere (Maria Teresa). I am just starting the book, Soul Catcher, now. I have read the first chapter. I was very impressed by the way the book pulls us immediately into the action: Cain is a real "character" with a difficulty... We want to know right away how he is going to deal with it. Also the details of his room, clothes, etc. make the atmosphere very real.
I wondered when I read the description on the back if it has some relation to Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, a book I just re-read and like very much, although the whole thing at the end about freeing Jim when he is already free gets a bit long, and made me not like Tom Sawyer anymore; he was a cute little boy in his own book but seemed very bad in HF. Which made me question where is the line between cute and bad.
What captured me about HF is that Huck and Jim are forced through circumstances to stop and really "see" each other, the way two people have to put pressure on each other's hands when they are dancing. Even though I would not say precisely that Huck and Jim become friends, as some people say. When Jim is not with Huck, Huck seems to forget about him and get caught up in adventures with white people. And I don't see how he could let Tom do all those crazy things when planning Jim's escape.
Anyway, I read somewhere that every writer likes to take some inspiration from a classic and update it for our times, and I was asking myself if SoulCatcher has this bit of inspiration from Huck Finn, except updated for our time where understanding is more central than ever to survival of society.