Hmmm… I should preface this by pointing out that I have not read Heat Wave…
As I have written before, I am a fan of the ABC show Castle. I found out about the work of actor Nathan Fillion when he was on Firefly, and have enjoyed watching him ever since. I think that his comedic timing is to be commended. He is able to be the funny character or the straight, dead-pan character with what appears to be the same ease. And, he is usually very self-deprecating… I don't know why I find that so charming.
Several people have written to tell me that they got the book Heat Wave, which is "authored" by Richard Castle. Don't get me wrong… but isn't Richard Castle a fictitious character on a show called Castle?!? Yes, being a fan of the show, I can tell you that he is just that! A fictitious character on a show.
So, why is it that the book doesn't list a ghost writer?
Personally, I would rather know who the person (#1) behind the person (#2) is. (You can substitute "ghost writer" for #1 and "fictitious character" for #2.)
I looked around on the internet hoping to find exactly who the author is, but was not able to come up with anything concrete. I did, however, find a lot of speculation. Here are a few of the names I found being tossed around as possibilities:
Stephen J. Cannell (True, he is a best selling author and creator of television shows…)
James Patterson (True, he's another best selling author…)
Nathan Fillion (Isn't he an actor?)
Oh, and did I mention Tom Straw?
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I am a fan of "Castle" too.
I haven't read the book, but I like the way the "Jessica Fletcher" (Murder She Wrote) books are handled – the author is listed as "Jessica Fletcher and Donald Bain". It seems that this would be a better approach – allowing the fictional author to remain in our imagination, but also giving credit to the "real" author too.
Bill, that is a good point. I can remember finding Murder She Wrote mystery books under Fletcher a lot of times. I think that if Donald Bain actually does all the work, then it's only right that he's right there on the books' covers with "Jessica"…
I am a fan of the show, too, and one who received the book as a Christmas gift. It read just like an episode of Castle. It was delightful. Knowing it was all done tongue in cheek and that it was simply an advertising ploy for the show took none of the delight away. Even the "author blurb" on the back flap listed Castle's fictitious family. I thought it was very clever…
Anne, thanks for telling us how good the book is. It does sound like it is cleverly interwoven with one of our favorite television characters. I am guessing that the family blurb is fun… I love Castle's mom on the show >>> a real treat to watch. I hope that they expand her part so that we can get more regarding her current/high school boyfriend.
I read tons of comments from readers on Amazon.com and other book sites…most people seem to think it is Stephen J. Cannell. Some even say they have compared book covers and see similarities. Hot topic it looks like with a lot of readers and fellow lovers of the show, Castle. Lots of good guesses people have had too. I like the show too…just started watching it when I couldn't find much else on. Glad I did.
I bought the book as a Christmas gift for my son. As I was checking out, the clerk saw Mr. Fillion's photo on the back. She asked if he wasn't an actor. I briefly explained the book was published as if written by the actor playing the part of Richard Castle. Her response was wonderful "Ohhh, poor author." It does make you feel sorry for the author but since it is so true to the series, my guess is it may be written by one or more of the scriptwriters, a la Lee Goldberg and the Monk series.
I cannot imagine the ghostwriter would be Cannell or Patterson. There's no percentage in a best-selling author of their name recognition doing a book in secret. It's way too much work. (Not to mention, Patterson needs co-writers to write his OWN books … why in the world would he have the time and energy to do one that WASN'T his?)
My guess would be that it's more likely to be an author who writes tie-ins already. Most of them seem to be generally able to turn books around quickly and are accustomed to working with someone else's characters. But, like I said, just a guess.
I agree with you, Chris, that I doubt very much that either Cannell or Patterson would ghostwrite a book… I don't care how many times "they have played poker with Castle!"
I love the Castle show! It is so well written. I've not read the book Heat Wave yet but have wondered if it was not written by the show's writer, or creator.
"Dancing with the Stars" introduced me to "Castle". I am so thrilled to see such a show on ABC. I agree that the writer should be given credit. That doesn't take away one bit from the magic.
Jerrella,
There is some speculation that the true identity of the author of the Heat Wave book is… Tom Straw.
I am also a huge fan of Castle. It is one of the few network shows I watch. I think the "real" author is probably one of the guys in Castle's poker game.
My favorite shows are found on cable— Burn Notice, White Collar and The Closer.