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CARROLLWOOD - Treasure hunters can replace their pickaxes with pencils in hopes that a new clue might be revealed Saturday afternoon when author Mike Stadther visits Barnes & Noble in Carrollwood.
Stadther, a former software executive, gained international prominence earlier this year with his family fairy tale, A Treasure's Trove. A quaint story about a couple and their dog who try to save a dozen forest insects from crystallization by a villain named Rusful, the book is also a real-life treasure map.
Full of subliminal written and illustrated clues, the book leads treasure hunters to real tokens that originally were redeemable for 12 corresponding high-quality jeweled insects that Stadther either bought, or had made, worth more than $1-million. Stadther hid the tokens all over the United States, on public land, in plain, open view.
By September, all 12 original tokens had been found, and redeemed for the insect jewels. But during the year, Stadther announced a surprise 13th token, which was also subsequently found, then just last month he announced that indeed a 14th token, representing the Master of Darklings, Rusful, was also hidden.
Clues had been written into the book, and additional clues have since been posted on the book's official Web site. That token, redeemable for an uncut black diamond, has yet to be found.
"I've had a fascination with treasure hunts since I was a little boy looking for four-leaf clovers and small fossils of leaves," said Stadther, 52, who lives in Westchester County, just north of New York City. "Everyone loves finding a treasure, and this book gets families involved together - moms, dads and their children."
Stadther began the project seven years ago. He wrote and illustrated the book himself; procured some of the gems and had others especially designed for his story; covered all of the legal ramifications of prize winning in different states; hid all the tokens; then, as any aspiring author would, took the book to numerous publishers.
They all rejected him.
"I was just stupefied, astonished," Stadther said. "It seemed very clear to me that this would sell a lot of books, and the publishers just couldn't get it."
So Stadther, who had grown and sold two very successful software companies, took it upon himself to publish A Treasure's Trove.
Almost one year later, the book has sold more than 500,000 copies and spent 20 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list for children's soft-covered books. It has also spawned the sale of stuffed animals, caps, T-shirts, a related puzzle book and the official solutions book.
Now Stadther is working on another treasure hunt book, this one leading to an international search for 100 rings.
Michael Jerome of Countryside in Clearwater bought the book about 10 months ago. He had never participated in any type of treasure hunt. But as an avid coin collector, he had come to buy a coin from the shipwrecked Spanish galleon Atocha, which sank off Key West in 1622. So the word "treasure" caught his eye.
"First I did a little research to make sure it was real, and that the book wasn't too adolescent," said Jerome, 44, a custom packaging business owner. "Once I validated it, it all came together."
Almost immediately, Jerome was drawn to a full page illustration of Rusful. He instantly saw clues "in the space of just the head of an eraser." He studied that picture, and the story in general, for several months. In May, clues and notes in hand, he drove to northern Georgia in search of a token.
He never found one.
When he heard in September that all 12 tokens had been found and redeemed in September, he threw away his book and his notes, unaware that two more remained. A 13th has since been found, but Jerome is on a hunt for No. 14, which represents Rusful. He's betting the token is in coal country, as the hidden jewel is a black uncut diamond. He's searching for another copy of the book.
"I just may have to drive over to Tampa to get a copy," said Jerome. "Maybe he'll even give us a new clue."
- Contact reporter Sheryl Kay at skreporter@hotmail.com
Barnes & Noble is at 11802 N Dale Mabry Highway. Author Mike Stadther will read excerpts from his book and sign copies beginning at 2 p.m. Saturday. For more information about the book signing, contact the store at 813 962-6446. For more information about Stadther and A Treasure's Trove, see the Web page at www.atreasurestrove.com