the Judas Conspiracy - official homepage for 'A Cross to Bare' by James Allan Fredrick

BOOK SIGNINGS:
>> Wednesday, July 10th, 2002
It's been a while, but the wait is over... James Allan Fredrick will be making an appearance at the brand spankin' new Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 2051 N Federal Hwy, Fort Lauderdale, FL (the number is 954-561-3732). He'll be signing copies of A Cross To Bare, answering questions, kissing babies and the like.

OTHER BITS:
The Baron
>> Wednesday, February 27, 2002
As we all know, context is everything. Here's another example of the constant aggravation we suffer at the hands of those that just don't get it.

Beth:
..I received my copy of The Baron newsletter today. I'm hoping you can afford an alumnus the time for an anecdote. I was on the SPC Bowling team during my term at the school ('93-'96). I had also began experiencing an inherent call to writing. I volunteered to write for the school newspaper, and received an assignment with the bowling team as the subject. I thought this was tremendous! I'd be able to write about something I knew of intimately, and may even get to mention myself in the article to-boot. [In all modesty, I'm compelled to point out that I only mentioned myself once, during a listing of team stats.]
..Including the masthead and the byline, my name appeared three times in that edition. Hell, the byline and the copy piece were written and submitted by me. Do you know how many times the editorial staff spelled my name right after typesetting the article? If you guessed more than zero, I've lost you somehow.
..Someone thought I had actually spelled my own name wrong. Either that, or simple typos. Different typos. They spelled my last name wrong three different times, and three different ways.
..At any rate, I wanted to write and let you know how thrilled I was that my name was, in fact, spelled correctly in the Do You Remember... portion of the newsletter. It made me feel warm to know that some things can change. Then I finished reading the entry.
..I, of course, prepared the Alumni Update myself. In it, I discussed matters involving my job, my marriage, and my recently published novel. I was delighted to find that virtually everything I wrote on the Update was represented. What was less ingratiating was the fact that, apparently, one of the members of your staff decided that a graduate of your fine institution, an author, made a mistake in representing the title of his own book.

bear 1. a) to hold and take along; carry; transport 2. to posses as a part, characteristic, attribute 6. to sustain the burden of

bare 1. a) without the natural or customary covering b) without clothing; naked 3. without embellishment; unadorned; simple; plain

..If you were writing a novel, let's say it's a fictional biography of someone named Jackson Cross, and one of your primary goals is to expose the hypocrisy of the established religions--making every effort to maintain distance from all cliches, while utilizing what sounds like a familiar simile in the title--which title would suit your purposes more: A Cross to Bear...or A Cross to Bare? Nevermind. I've already received the answer loud and clear.

..I expect no retraction. You folks are rarely admit to being wrong. It made me laugh, really.

..Thanks for proving how little things change.

Peace,

James Fredrick
A Cross to Bare

Censored by The King!
Wednesday, October 14, 2001
..Ah, the irony.

..At his first book signing since the release of A Cross To Bare, our illustrious novelist had the plug pulled on his publicity by the King himself, Elvis Presley. During the reading of a particularly good bit from the book at Cafe Java, the same seemingly friendly chap that lended his sound system to our cause apparently had a change of heart as he put the kibosh on the reading. What's the world coming to?