Writings by Kevin Guilfoile

Writings by John Warner

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WATCH THE VIDLIT FOR JOHN'S HILARIOUS NEW BOOK FONDLING YOUR MUSE

Official Fondling Your Muse site.

CAST OF SHADOWS

How far would you go to look into the eyes of your daughter's killer?
In Kevin's debut novel Cast of Shadows, fertility expert Davis Moore's daughter is raped and murdered by an unknown assailant. With his marriage and practice falling apart in the tragedy's wake, Dr. Moore entertains a monstrous thought: the possibility of cloning the killer from crime scene evidence so he will one day know what the murderer looked like.

STUFF THEY SAY ABOUT CAST OF SHADOWS

"One of the best books of 2005."
Chicago Tribune and Kansas City Star

"Gripping...Creepy...What's striking about Cast of Shadows is that Mr. Guilfoile, in his first outing as a novelist, does all this with a lot more panache than Mr. Crichton has demonstrated in many years."
Michiko Kakutani, New York Times

"Guilfoile hits the jackpot...A spellbinding first novel...Mature, intelligent, stylishly written and more than a little bit dark."
Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune Magazine

"A masterpiece of intelligent plotting...(A) rare thriller that dares to make telling the difference between right and wrong, fate and choice, as difficult as it is in real life."
Laura Miller, Salon

"Riveting." (3.5/4 stars)
Sue Corbett, People Magazine

"A taut, fast-moving cautionary tale for the 21st century...Michael Crichton today would have little grounds to complain of the comparison."
Peter Millar, The Times of London

"FIVE STARS: Guilfoile has written a visionary novel, part science fiction, part murder mystery, part philosophical thriller...(Cast of Shadows) is already the best book of 2006."
Crimezone, The Netherlands

"FIVE STARS: A moving drama...which starts like a science fiction novel but becomes a first-class whodunnit."
Norbert Spehner, Le Presse, Canada

"One of the best novels I have read this year...On the strength of this book alone Kevin Guilfoile has shown himself to be one of the most promising new talents to emerge in the thriller genre in recent years."
Adam Colclough, Shots Magazine , UK

"One of the distinguished mysteries of 2005."
The Daily Camera, Boulder, Colorado

"The Best First Novel of 2005."
Love Is Murder Readers' Choice Poll

"Truly haunting--a cautionary tale about scientific hubris, vengefulness and extremism in all its forms."
Sarah Stewart, New York Post

"A surprisingly smart clone thriller."
New York Magazine

"Suspenseful...ingenious...the plot of Cast of Shadows twists more quickly than you can say deoxyribonucleic acid."
Art Winslow, Chicago Tribune Book Review

"A masterful thriller...The surprising outcome attests to a remarkable storytelling talent. Guilfoile's first novel will clearly not be his last."
Roger Gaillard, Le Temps, Switzerland

"Riveting, excruciatingly suspenseful, and intellectually challenging...It is simply, and surely, not to be missed."
Joe Hartlaub, Bookreporter.com

"A gripping and original book that delivers thrills on an epic level."
Jeff Johnson, Charleston Post and Courier

"An always surprising medical thriller, complete with elegant prose and well-developed characters."
Mark Schone, New York Times Book Review

"The perfect combination of science fiction and crime thriller...A fascinating read with a powerful ending."
Jennifer Jordan, January Magazine

"There's as much fascinating science in Cast of Shadows as there is in a Michael Crichton
thriller, but Guilfoile's characters are much more rounded and believable. Here's a young writer to keep an eye on."
Henry Kisor, Chicago Sun-Times

"An altogether satisfying thriller...While technology permeates Cast of Shadows, it is the all-too-human vulnerabilites of characters we come to care about that brings fear to the tipping point."
Sherryl Connelly, New York Daily News

"FOUR STARS. An outstanding suspense novel, interesting and complex."
Dagbladet, Sweden

"Guilfoile's highly original first novel throws a lot into the mix -- cloning, serial killing, religious fanaticism and virtual reality computer games -- but, somehow, he makes it all work."
Yvonne Crittenden, Toronto Sun

"A creepily subversive medical thriller."
Ishan Taylor, New York Times Book Review

"(One of) the must-reads of 2005."
Crime Spree Magazine

"(A) beautiful masterpiece....caressed by Guilfoile's genius, creating a climax unlike anything else. There are many twists and turns and things you will never see coming. Nothing at all is predictable in this striking novel."
Jason Damman, Science Fiction and Fantasy World

"Cast of Shadows breathlessly involves murder, cloning and father-daughter love in its wonderfully complex plot."
New City Lit 50

"An extraordinarily challenging and satisfying story...(with) not only a cutting edge premise but a voice perfectly tuned to its main characters. One of my two favorite reads so far this year."
Joy Calderwood, Reviewers' Choice Reviews

"A fascinating book...Seldom have I read a thriller with such a surprising ending."
Stigbjorn Bergensten, Nerikes Allehanda, Sweden

"Rich with twists, (Cast of Shadows) is an original novel that avoids the beaten paths and the end will leave you amazed. Everything one looks for in a thriller is here, done with intelligence and credibility."
Critiques Libres, France

"An impeccably woven novel that will fascinate the reader from the first page only to give him a truly unexpected surprise at the end as he discovers that... No, I will leave the pleasure of that discovery to the reader."
Pino Cottogni, Fantascienza Magazine, Italy

"Guilfoile brilliantly weaves a complex tale of intrigue, with multiple bounces, tangles, turns and twists."
Samia Hammami, Sitart Magazine, France

"Exciting, visionary, and extremely disturbing."
Nikola Poitzman, Media Mania Magazine, Germany

"Oh, what a tangled web Kevin Guilfoile weaves! A disturbing portrait of creation and destruction (and) a cautionary tale for our generation."
Marc Lourdes, The Star, Malaysia

"Just when suspense novels seem to be falling into disgrace, (publisher) Athenian brings us a story that has all the necessary elements for fans of the thriller genre. Readers nostalgic for this type of literature will find (Cast of Shadows) the ideal book to satisfy their expectations."
Patricia Puerta, ARPA, Argentina

"Terrific...a remarkable novel...immensely readable and engaging."
Charles Parsons, The Badger Herald

"Guilfoile's thrill-heavy new novel sets a new bar for fictional detectives...a brainy odyssey with a body count."
Michael Miller, Time Out New York

"A reflection on human nature, destiny and personal freedom, carried by elegant writing and perfectly drawn characters."
TV5 Monde, France

"Kevin Guilfoile frames his successful debut novel with ethical questions about the boundaries of cloning research, but the scientific aspects never get in the way of the exciting action."
KulturNews Magazine, Germany

"As a moral philosopher it is impossible to read Kevin Guilfoile's mesmerizing book without thinking of the history of philosophy for which the idea of free will was central. And I say this as somebody who usually hates thinking about bioethics in terms of scary science fiction stories."
Laurie Zoloth, PhD., Director of the Center for Bioethics at Northwestern University

"With a debut like this, Guilfoile could be a pretty big deal."
Tom Lynch, New City Chicago

"Slick, well-paced and carefully crafted (Cast of Shadows) will have you siting bolt-upright in bed for hours on end."
Scott Abrahams, Progress Leader, Melbourne. Australia

"A completely new combination of subjects for a crime novel....It is hardly possible to write an evaluation of this novel, because all adjectives have already been used endlessly for other, less unusual detective stories."
Linda Broszeit, Buecherinsel , Germany

"Un bon thriller. The intrigue becomes progressively more and more complex along with the characters....The last 150 pages are particularly captivating."
Jerome Lavadou, ActuSF, France

"Excruciatingly suspenseful...Snap up your copy before everyone beats you to it."
Femme Magazine, New Zealand

"Surprising and disturbing....I couldn't put it down.."
Jon Kranz, WHRV-FM

"An original and spectacularly disturbing novel, that is developed as delicately as the work of a jeweler and anticipates moral, social and Metaphysical dilemmas that science gradually will have to confront."
Los Libros Del Mes, Argentina

"An exciting, multi-layered thriller."
Easy Living Magazine, UK

"Suspenseful...This terrific book made me reconsider my opinion about mysteries set in the future."
Leslie McGill, Kansas City Star

"A stunning debut thriller. I couldn't put it down."
The Book Report With Sarah, George FM, New Zealand

"A skillfully written thriller that also addresses important questions about cloning."
di.se, Sweden

"An ingenious hook (and) an exciting thriller, even for those skeptics, like me, who wince at the genre... I just plain enjoyed the ride."
David Barringer, Small Spiral Notebook

"Rich and rewarding (and) virtually impossible to put down. I only wonder if it will be possible for him to top this debut."
Tracy Farnsworth, Roundtable Reviews

"One of the best books of 2005...a corker of a read...lots of scary fun and lots to think about, too."
Jim Gladstone, Books To Watch Out For

"From the first paragraph I knew that this was going to be good."
Veronica Bond, Gapers Block

"Cast of Shadows has its own rewards as it revs up the clone story and tears off in unexpected directions."
Andrew Galarneau, Buffalo News

"Scary...ingenious... Achieves a metaphorical resonance that allows the reader to indulge in some truly frightening speculations."
San Francisco Chronicle

"Remarkably effective...This is Kevin Guilfoile's first novel. Keep an eye out for that name."
Bureau 42

"A great psychological thriller with twists and more twists...Be prepared to remain awake for the night."
Joyce Laabs, Lakeland Times

"A half-hour with this book, and you'll want to keep it with you at all times."
Terri Schlichenmeyer, The Dispatch News

"A riveting debut...unsettling, intensely thought provoking, and delectably creepy."
Barnes & Noble

"Engrossing...provocative...rich and involving..."
Publishers Weekly

"With startlingly original concepts Kevin Guilfoile has shown considerable promise as a writer...(and) he navigates the thriller plot of his debut Cast of Shadows with aplomb."
Flavorpill LA

"An impressive debut...engrossing, meaty...a well-written mystery that offers
more to think about than your usual whodunit."
Edge Boston

"Emotively written with deep and complex characters...Guilfoile handles the grandiose nature of the plot with great intelligence and high-level drama."
Brad Gerrard, The Big Issue, UK

"Intricately woven and unsettling..."
Amazon.com

"Guilfoile proves that literary writing and thriller pacing can go hand in hand."
Barbara's Bookstore Recommends

"Unusual and compelling, this is one of the best thrillers we have read."
Angus & Robertson Bookshop, Australia

"A combination medical thriller, SF-Game novel, and mystery...(Cast of Shadows) is fascinating, realistic, and distressing. Highly recommended."
Jerry Wright, Bewildering Stories Magazine

"Truly imaginative...A novel of substance, a true page-turner of great enlightenment as well as entertainment value. It should establish Kevin Guilfoile as a major talent to watch, and read."
Jim Brock, Baryon Magazine

"An absorbing story with characters real enough to cast shadows. It raises the same questions as Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, and, luckily for us, it's not the Boris Karloff version."
Barbara Fister, Mystery Scene Magazine

"[Cast of Shadows] will delight any reader who enjoys edgy, psychological thrillers."
Book Sense Pick, Steve Shapiro, Rainy Day Books in Fairway, Kansas

"An incredibly tense page-turner."
The Daily Cavalier

"Combines a shrewd sense of genre--at its leanest level it's a murder mystery--with a politically inclined grip of the zeitgeist."
Austin Chronicle

"An intriguing premise (and) an exciting debut thriller."
AudioFile Magazine

"Chilling and compelling."
The Dominion Post, New Zealand

"It grabs you and does not let go."
Carol Fitzgerald, Bookreporter.com

"This fascinating premise, a genuinely innovative one, is handled with
cool and persuasive assurance by a skilled writer."
Publishing News, UK

"Chilling...compelling...an interesting mix of literary thriller and scientific contemplation."
Library Journal

"One of the best first novels of 2005."
Deadly Pleasures Magazine

"A must-have (book)...thrilling and compelling...Guilfoile uses science fiction to masterfully create an intense, intricately woven psychological thriller."
Lisa Bowles, The (Oklahoma State) Daily O'Collegian

"Guilfoile takes a fascinating premise and turns it into one of the most clever page-turners I have ever had the pleasure of reading...This is the best thriller you've never heard of."
Blackberry Books

"A tight, disturbing, futuristic thriller."
Francine Levitov, KLIATT

"Engrossing...Unsettling...Guilfoile is too deft--and cares too much for his characters--to allow (for) an easy conclusion."
Ross McSweeney, Dragonfire (Drexel University)

"An essential summer book...Definitely a discussion starter while the prose remains quick and engaging."
enotes.com

"Exceptionally well-written (and) suspenseful...It immediately involves the reader in its fast-paced plot and the complex characters drive us towards an entirely unexpected ending."
James Woods, Fiction Addiction

"Engaging...Eerily plausible...Above all a great page-turner."
Christina Bieber Lake, The Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity

"A suspense novel to block the sun from your eyes while you tan."
Santa Cruz Sentinel

"Kevin Guilfoile's Cast of Shadows is a thought-provoking and fascinating book that not only provides a cautionary tale of modern science, but also a thrilling plot and well-written characters."
Angela McQuay, The Mystery Morgue

"An impressive psychochiller."
Murder One Booksellers, UK

"This is a twisted little book and I loved every minute of it...A devilishly wonderful plot and an ability to stay in the foreground of your thoughts well after you finish the book."
Jon Jordan, Mystery One Books

"The mystery created within the story was by itself enough to make this an excellent book, but the philosophical and ethical questions explored are guaranteed to make this one of the most discussed and thought about novels on the bookstore shelves today."
Murder and Mayhem Book Club

"Through an intricately woven original plot Guilfoile creates a fast-paced gripping thriller that keeps the reader guessing up until the final shattering pages. This is a must read."
Michael L. Thal, Scribes World

"I was rapidly hooked...If you like unusual and challenging crime fiction, read Cast of Shadows and keep a beady eye open for whatever the author does next."
Sharon Wheeler, Reviewing The Evidence

"Relentlessly gripping and profoundly unsettling. We embrace this major new suspense novelist."
Brenda A. Snodgrass, Curled Up With A Good Book

"Guilfoile skillfully weaves the moral, ethical, religious and fanatical reactions and consequences of living in a world with clones...If you want a glimpse into a future with cloning in the world (although some might argue we are already there), read this story."
T.M. Martin, Yet Another Book Review Site

"A thrilling suspense novel...If this is any indication of his writing skills, we will be seeing (Guilfoile's) name on the bestseller list many times."
Nancy Eaton, Bestsellers World

"The conclusion comes with a triple twist...which dramatically reflects Moore's desperation and the ultimate futility of his obsession."
Colin Steele, Sunday Canberra Times

"Cast of Shadows is one of those rare novels that stays with the
reader long after turning the last page."
Kyle Mills, bestselling author of Sphere of Influence and Rising Phoenix.

Official Cast of Shadows site.

Kevin's readings, appearances, and book signings.

John's hilarious new book, Fondling Your Muse, is likely the only one on bookshelves with blurbs from a Pulitzer Prize winner, a Pulitzer Prize finalist, and not one but two popular television comedians. Order it today and while you wait for it to arrive, read the articles that started it all: Rounder Characters In No Time Flat! and Breaking Through Writers Block.

Created In Darkness By Troubled Americans: The Best of McSweeney's Humor was co-edited by John and includes a story by Kevin. It also features Jim Stallard's "No Justice, No Foul," widely considered to be the funniest thing written by anybody ever.

May Contain Nuts, the latest in the Mirth of a Nation anthologies of the best American humor contains six stories by Kevin or John or both of them together.

NEW ON THE WEB

God or No God [Kevin]

Time To Floss [John]

New Fathers Roundtable Part III [Kevin, et al]

Sex Education Gets a Makeover [John]

I, A Discerning Food Critic, Have Discovered A Genius [John]

On the Occasion Of My Retirement From Baseball [John]

McClellan At Home [John]

Frequently Asked Questions About the Toyota Prius [John]

Cast of Shadows Book Tour Diary: Chapter One [Kevin]

Cast of Shadows Book Tour Diary: Chapter Two [Kevin]

Cast of Shadows Book Tour Diary: Chapter Three [Kevin]

Questions Frequently Asked About Tivo Answered By Someone Who Loves TiVo Too Much [John]

The First Annual TMN Tournament of Books [Kevin, John, et al]

New Fathers Roundtable Part II [Kevin, et al]

The Guilfoile-Warner Papers Part V: Obit [John and Kevin]

The Guilfoile-Warner Papers Part IV: A Week Away [John and Kevin]

The Guilfoile-Warner Papers Part III: Master Debating [John and Kevin]

The Guilfoile-Warner Papers Part II: Improving Kerry [John and Kevin]

The Guilfoile-Warner Papers Part I: Flip-Flops and Conventions [John and Kevin]

ELSEWHERE BY OTHERS:

Shakespeare's Interrogatories, Or Why He Wanted to Kill All the Lawyers.

To fully appreciate the genius of Paul Ford's The Top 10.25 Things Women (genders 1-2.5) Don't Know About Men (genders 3-5) you'll need to familiarize yourself with the article that inspired it and also read science fiction for about 30 years.

Daniel Radosh's Power Point Anthology of Literature.

Brian N. Pacula's The Fragmented Case Files of Brock Showalter, Fundamentalist Christian Detective is both self-explanatory and hilarious.

I'll say that the perfect humor piece is one that can be celebrated at both bible.org and atheistalliance.org. Ian Frazier's Laws Concerning Food and Drink; Household Principles; Lamentations of the Father is the only one I know that can talk trash like that and back it up.