BESTSELLERS & BEST FRIENDS
My book publishing blog, with murder mysteries woven through it.
If this is your first visit, be sure to start with “1. Let’s do it!”
___________________________________________________________
I got to thinking about book dedications. Maybe if I looked at the dedications in Allan Jatos’ books (I’ve got a bookshelf full of them), I’d gain some insight to the reclusive guy. After all, you’d learn a bit about me by looking at some of my book dedications.
For example.
The Pessimist’s Journal
My first book. Good god, it might be my only one, my only chance for a dedication.
It had to be Sally.
(My co-author, Dick McDonough, was a proud Francophile.)
The Really, Really Classy Donald Trump Quiz Book
Just covering my ass.
What Was the Bombing of Hiroshima?
Bombing? Hiroshima? A dedication?
So I just went with the entire family.
The illustrator smartly passed.
The Hot Dog Cookbook
I tried to make it “John.” But Heinz wouldn’t allow me.
So I went with my nieces and nephews. Because they love hot dogs, and I love them like crazy.
(And yes, there’s another “Jess Brallier” out there. He’s an anesthesiologist. It gets confusing. I’ve been asked to comment on brain surgery, and he was asked to write the intro to a tater tots cookbook.)
Presidential Wit and Wisdom
The first book Sally and I wrote together.
So we dedicated it to each other.
Adorable, aren’t we?
Celebrate America
To my in-laws, Pat and Bob Chabert. She loved this book, her favorite of all of the books Sally and I did together.
Who Was Albert Einstein?
My bestselling book and yet it wasn’t dedicated to anybody.
Perhaps a lesson learned?
Lawyers & Other Reptiles
My one true bestseller (I came up with the idea, unlike Einstein which I was asked to write). Dedicated to my children. Perfect!
Coach
Dedicated to our first and most enduring “couple” friends. Friends who are a couple are rare and special, and deserving.
The Pessimist’s Journal for the 1980’s
For my brothers.
(co-author Dick is still the proud Francophile.)
Medical Wit and Wisdom
At last! A well-produced and non-embarrassing book (Running Press did a terrific job) deserving and worthy of my beloved parents. (With thanks to friends, Sally, and the agent who got me out of a royalties mess.)
Tess’s Tree
An obvious one—for the real Tess who inspired the story.
The Olphabet
My latest. And my favorite dedication.
To my daughter.
Now, back to Allan Jatos’ dedications. His are all first names or initials. Like Jack, Meg, Bela, Lazlo, M.C., A.D., and H.H.
Never any mention of his agent, editor, or wife. Which is really unusual (go ahead, run over to your bookcases and check out the dedications and acknowledgements).
That is, until his 24th and 25th book (both published in 2020) and his 26th and 27th (both published in 2021). And all four of those are dedicated to:
To Katie and Aaron
Holy shit! Katie and Aaron. The two also known as, “the hot jogger” and “the handsome guy that enjoys all kinds of sex.”
Jatos’ last four books. Same dedication. Those two.
What’s going on? And why am I consumed by it? Get a life, Jess!
Tomorrow: I don’t know