The Story of the American Flying Broomstick, Book 1: Genesis [Paperback]

David Casler (Author, Editor), Loretta Casler (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 31, 2007

Follow Dave, an engineer for a large computer company, as he accidentally stumbles into a highly secret organization in London called the "Fraternal Order of the Grail" (FOG). These elderly gnomes are all that remains of a proud organization that to this day guards the Holy Grail as well as the sole remaining remnant of Moses' staff. Unbeknownst to FOGgers, they are also sitting on an unusual power of immense proportions--something they've never studied.

After his accidental induction into FOG, Dave goes home to Colorado to experiment with this newfound power, embodied in a wand-like "rod" that can levitate objects, start fires, create water and even make carrots! Given Dave's infatuation with the young adult fantasy book/movie series Three on a Broomstick, he attempts the creation of a real flying broomstick. He succeeds, but his success soon gets him in over his head.

The flying broomstick becomes public after Dave accidentally flies through a tree and now needs urgent medical attention. He's seen. What will happen now?

Join Dave as he jousts with the news media, the FAA, the studio that brings us Three on a Broomstick, the Air Force, and Congress. And what happens at the very end that persuades Dave to give away the technology to anyone who wants it? All is explained in Book 1: Genesis, which sets the stage for adventures yet to come!

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Another out-of-box experience comes from the imagination of Dave Casler, the inventor, sort of, of the Great American Flying Broomstick. An accident of place and time gives Dave a power he doesn't understand, but proceeds to test. In Book I: Genesis, he explains his broomstick, his wand, and the trouble they cause. Dave's conversational tone (complete with parenthetical asides) draws his reader into his world. His home base is Ridgway, Colorado, but his duties take him to Utah, and London. Dave's attention to details (he's an engineer) puts the reader on a broom alongside him. Be sure to hook up your carabiners on the safety harness, then soar to Mt. Sneffels! A real plus to Broomstick is the frank way in which Dave discusses his bipolar [illness]." --Montrose Daily Press, "Scene" Magazine, Dec 14, 2007

About the Author

Dave Casler went into engineering for reasons too complicated to describe. His mind wanders frequently and he thinks of unusual ways to accomplish ordinary things. He has two patents pending and loves to invent, whether it's real or not. This novel grew out of a daydream during a long and boring meeting. He and his wife Loretta live in Ridgway, Colorado, in the San Juan Mountains.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Mt. Sneffels Press; 1st edition (October 31, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0980060303
• ISBN-13: 978-0980060300
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,395,079 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I'm a Coloradan, living and working in Ridgway, Colorado. My day job is part-time with IBM--thanks to the Internet I can work for them from anywhere. I enjoy helping IBM with proposals, which require thinking about what the future might be.

Well, that same skill helps me write fiction as I visualize a future with fantasy elements rather than computers and software. I stumbled on the idea for the flying broomstick series while attending a long, work-related meeting. By the time I was on the airplane home, I was feverishly writing down everything I could remember from my daydreams. The result is The Story of the Great American Flying Broomstick, Book 1: Genesis. Since then I've added Book 2: The Missing Wand, and Book 3: FOG at the Crossroads. The books reflect my outlook on life: humor, pluck, and willingness to try most anything.

Recently, I've been working on a new book with a working title of The Unexpected Traveler. It's drafted but not ready for publication--when it is, it'll go onto Kindle before it turns up in paperback--Kindle is the future! The Unexpected Traveler is quite different from the Broom books. Rather than being set in Ouray County, Colorado, it's set in its own mythical world. It's also more serious and takes on a set of themes around struggle and redemption, adding a depth not in the more humorous and light-hearted Broom books.

Check out the Broom books on Kindle or in paperback--either way you can laugh through the entire book! And keep an eye out for The Unexpected Traveler.