Charles J. (C.J.) Booth, Jr. ’67

Alumni Spotlight:

Charles J. (C.J.) Booth, Jr. ’67

Following his career in broadcasting & film and video production, Charles J. (C.J.) Booth, Jr. ’67 published the mystery-thriller series The Park Trilogy, which included Olive Park. Olive Park was awarded the Bronze Award in Popular Fiction (2012 E-Lit awards) and was also named one of the Top 5 Mysteries of 2012 (Reader’s Favorite) and was awarded Best Mystery of 2012 (Global E-Book awards). Rounding out The Park Trilogy were Crimson Park and Angel Park.

C.J. authored the short story collection, The Silver Moon and the Evening Tide, which includes Pushcart-nominated “Relentless.”

C.J.’s second mystery-thriller series, The Diamond & Stone Mysteries includes Girl Number Four, Honey Suckle Rose, The Widow Black, and the newest Rumor of Clowns. Next up are The Seventh Reel and The Over Under. C. J. has studied Creative Writing with Judith Guest (Ordinary People), Rebecca Hill (A Killing Time in St. Cloud), Gary Braver (Tunnel Vision, Skin Deep), and screenwriting in L.A. with David S. Freeman (Beyond Structure).

We reached out to C.J. to see what he is currently working on and ask him to reflect a bit about WFS.

As an author of seven books, what is your latest project?

The Seventh Reel (fiction re: the Kennedy assassination) and The Over Under (dealing with friend’s death) will finish my second mystery series, The Diamond and Stone mystery series.

Following that will be a young-adult, three-book series, Linda McGonogle and the Wombat-O-Matic. Written to encourage young girls to venture into science.

After that will be a new mystery-romance series, as yet unnamed.

What is the secret to self-publishing a novel?

Stamina and Persistence.

Regardless of the genre one is writing in, fiction or non-fiction, self-publishing is a business. You are not just an author. You are a marketer in every way. You must know how to write effective ads, be on a first-name basis with ALL social media platforms because those are the vehicles on which you will be advertising and raising your author profile. First though, you have to craft not just a good story, but a great one. Competition is fierce and relentless.

What was your impression of the School from your 50th Reunion?

My 50th reunion was the first reunion I attended and the first time I had returned to campus since graduation in 1967. So, it was mixture of the old and new. Mostly memories. The smell of the wood and hallways and the gym were the same and by habit I expected to see Mr. Savery in his office, I expected to see Mr. Nash, Mrs. Richman, Coach Lafferty, Mr. S., Miss Woodall and especially, Shorty, haunting the hallways. I could also see that the feelings I had back then about attending Friends, and my love for it, were still alive in the current students I met and spoke to. Yes, the new auditorium, the library, physical expansions were impressive, but I was heartened to see the soul of the school was still the same.

What are your favorite WFS memories?

I was fortunate to be a ‘lifer.’ As I recall there were 13 of us in our class that went all 13 years. When you see, interact with, and basically live with these same ‘inmates’ for that long, they become your partners in not just crime, but life and learning. I will pick one memory that shocked me at the time and, in looking back, has affected and directed the rest of my life ever since. It was the day I learned to read. It was a Dick and Jane book. That was the day I understood that letters made words that meant something. I remember the classroom, even the desk I was sitting in. When I think back to Friends and the friends and all we went through, I still associate Friends with that day when I turned the page and understood that I ‘Saw Spot Run.’

How has WFS impacted you since graduation?

When you look at the success of Friends School graduates, you see in them the common elements of Faith and Belief. You don’t see specific classes on those subjects but, like absorbing the rays of the sun day after day, those elements are absorbed as life values as you walk the hallways, sit in class, and see the dedication of the teachers, fellow students and parents who are so supportive. Faith and Belief form your rock when you are tested in life, when things don’t go your way, when things do go your way. They become your personal levelers that at once give you confidence to soar and still ground you in reality. That’s as it has been for me. I am forever grateful for the advantage of Friends School, and I know by the time the graduate is handed the diploma, he and she also have all the Faith and Belief they need.