by James Branam
Mistaken Identity was my first published book. It’s basically a detective story with grammar exercises and vocabulary. I created the main character, Bill Lorentz, a writer with a severe case of writer’s block who, after witnessing a crime scene, sets out to solve the crime. A bumbling detective unable to find a clue if it were attached to his own nose, Bill is assisted by his maid, Agnes, who turns out to be the brains of the crime-solving duo.
I wrote the book in American English. I did this because at the time nearly all English language textbooks in the Czech Republic featured British English. To help students learn American English, I included a comparison of American and British vocabulary.
The story behind the publishing of this book is somewhat interesting. I wrote the book without any promise of publication. After finishing the book, I took it to Fragment, one of the largest textbook publishers in the Czech Republic. They in turn gave it to a couple of university professors for review and critique. I had almost given up hope when I received a phone call from Fragment. They wanted to publish the book. My career as a professional writer had begun.
I still get an occasional email from readers of this book, asking me when Bill Lorentz’s next case will be published. Although doing fairly well in sales, the book was targeted at a too narrow slice of readers to become a bestseller. After a couple of printings, the book is no longer in print, although a few copies can still be found in bookstores around the country.
Author: James Branam
Publisher: Fragment
Illustrations: Sylvie Mikulcová
ISBN: 80-7200-092-6
Pages: 76
Year of publication: 1997