“I was thinking of reading one of your books,” she said. “So
which one do you recommend the most?”
This was a question someone asked me on Instagram. It is one
I often hesitate to answer unless I know the person’s tastes, passions, likes,
and dislikes. But in this particular case I did know from the potential reader’s
profile and posts that she loved animals and nature and lived in the Pacific
Northwest. So this was a lay-up. I steered her toward “The Last Neanderthal”
and she absolutely loved it. Happy reader. Happy author. A win win.
But it occurred to me that I had no such “which one of your
books do you recommend most?” strategy in place—in the broader, more general
sense. And since I often do top ten and top five lists here on all sorts
of things, I thought it was time to turn my critical eye onto myself and choose
my top five published works.
Of course, all self-evaluations are extremely subjective.But I like to think I am pretty self-aware and astute at self-analysis. I know when something is good regardless of who wrote it. But just to balance this list out, I also heavily relied upon reader feedback, especially from a few trusted souls whose opinions I respect.
So here it is:
This contemporary, dystopian action adventure is probably the
signature James J. Caterino work, and certainly the most ambitious and epic. In
an elevator pitch I describe Caitlin Star as “Tomb Raider” meets “Tarzan”. But
be warned, it can be a very intense read. If these were made into films, they
would be rated R.
This recent short story is clever and creative and a lot of
fun. Seriously, this story is a blast. You will like it. If you are a “Supergirl”
fan or any kind of athlete you will really, REALLY like it.
“Steel Phantom” is a supernatural horror script I wrote in
2002 and pitched around Hollywood. The screenplay did receive some good
coverage, and garnered some interest from several producers and production
companies.
Now, this scary, sexy, suspenseful, supernatural story is available for the first time ever as a published book in the screenplay format.
I love this book. Perhaps my personal favorite James J.
Caterino book.
This modern day Bigfoot story can be described as "King Kong" meets "Harry and the Hendersons". A suspenseful and moving coming of age adventure story that you will really enjoy.
This modern day Bigfoot story can be described as "King Kong" meets "Harry and the Hendersons". A suspenseful and moving coming of age adventure story that you will really enjoy.
This, like “Steel Phantom”, is a screenplay. I love writing
in the screenplay format. It allows me to focus on the things I do
best—structure, pacing, and dialogue.
“Among the Stars”, is an exciting, sexy space opera
adventure written for the same target audience as all of my work—my thirteen
year-old self. In other words, me as I am right now, forever trapped in a
perpetual state of exuberant adolescence.
