New Author Writes a Mysterious Treasure Hunt That is Not Just Another Book About The Holocaust

    AUBURN, CA, February 17, 2011 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The cliche goes like this: It's never too late -- and when it comes to realizing a lifelong dream and writing about something that really matters, Tom Schuyler is the man who seized the day. As a retired high school English teacher, Schuyler knew his time had come to pursue a subject that he had taught generations of kids -- creative writing -- yet had not pursued on his own. At the age of 70, Schuyler knew that now was his time to go for his dream.

So for Schuyler, the question wasn't whether or not he would write a novel -- he knew he wanted to do it. The question was more like, "What am I going to write about?" So, he considered what he would develop as a plot line; but his main goal was not to rehash and try to redo well-tread material. He wanted something unique that would offer an unexpected twist to keep the reader riveted.

"As I looked back toward my younger days, my mind was drawn to an experience that had shocked and to some extent terrified me," he said. "Before television, there was the Movietone News, which was shown in the theaters along with the feature and cartoons on a weekly basis. Suddenly, here is a picture of General Dwight Eisenhower standing at the edge of a humongous pit somewhere in Europe, a pit filled with dead Jewish bodies piled high, which appeared to be 30-40 bodies deep. Even to a boy who loved scary movies that scene was terrifying beyond comprehension, and I have never forgotten that image."

Schuyler is deeply aware that many stories have already been written about the Holocaust, so he realized he needed to develop a fresh story -- one not already told. He additionally did not want to focus on the already grisly atrocities perpetrated during that terrible time in history. Instead, he chose to tell a story that would hold the reader's interest and shed light on some tiny good -- and he wished to spin a yarn of mystery and intrigue.

The result -- The Rightful Heirs, a book about a vast fortune vaulted away in 24 Swiss bank accounts and stashed there by six Italian-Jewish families in an attempt to protect their assets from the gathering storm that would become the Holocaust.

"The Rightful Heirs holds the reader's interest by leading him or her through a maze of mystery, guiding him or her step by step to the exciting conclusion. It has all the ingredients of a great novel -- mystery, intrigue, sex, love, hate and family rivalry. It's definitely one of those books where you can't predict what is around every corner,"said Schuyler.

The Rightful Heirs is available for $14.95 on the 3L Publishing website (www.3LPublishing.com), Amazon at www.amazon.com, and will be distributed nationally in major bookstore chains and retail outlets in Fall 2010. For more information or to request a review copy, please call 916.671.9617 or send an email to [email protected].

Contact: Michele Smith
Mobile: 916.671.9617
Email: [email protected]

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