‘Fablehaven’ author to stop by Zzyzx Cafe – VC Star
Brandon Mull (left), author of the NYT best-seller Fablehaven Series, stands with Brian Fry, Owner of Zzyzx Cafe.
Even though “people mispronounce it like crazy,” said Fry, the end-of-the-alphabet Zzyzx Road exit off of I-15 on the way to Las Vegas is the inspiration for Zzyzx Cafe, the informal breakfast-and-lunch spot he opened last August in Old Town Camarillo.
It also caught the eye of Mull, who used Zzyzx as the moniker for the demon prison featured in the fifth and final book in his New York Times best-selling “Fablehaven” series.
The men have other things in common.
Fry, 36, lived in Stamford, Conn., before moving to California and working in several hotels and restaurants. Mull, 35, attended middle school in Southbury, Conn., before moving to California and attending Westlake High School.
And if all goes according to plan during Mull’s book-tour swing through Ventura County this week, they will meet at 8 a.m. Thursday in the cafe with the name they both like so much.
“I don’t have demon fries or anything like that, but we do have Cap’n Crunch French toast,” Fry said of the possible menu for the breakfast get-together.
It will have to be a fast one. The Lewis Road restaurant opens daily at 7 a.m.; Mull is due at 9 a.m. today at Madrona Elementary School in Thousand Oaks, where he will talk with students about building their imaginations through reading and writing.
Mull plans to visit six Ventura County schools over a two-day period, culminating in a book-signing appearance at 6 p.m. Thursday at Borders Books in Thousand Oaks.
Originally aimed at young readers, Mull’s “Fablehaven” series also has attracted adult fans. It follows the adventures of a brother and sister and their attempts to save a preserve for enchanted creatures; the finale, “Fablehaven: Keys to the Demon Prison,” reveals secrets and allegiances. But does it reveal how to pronounce Zzyzx?
Fry offered his own guide — “It’s like Isaacs with a ‘Z’,” he said — but admitted he hasn’t read any of the “Fablehaven” books.
Although Mull’s appearances typically draw hundreds of autograph seekers to bookstores, “I hadn’t heard of him until someone mentioned the Zzyzx connection. I typed his name into Google and discovered he has a huge following,” Fry said with a laugh.
“When he comes for breakfast, I’m going to tell him we should do something here at the cafe,” Fry added. “We could decorate it to look just like a demon prison.”
Excerpt from Ventura County Star. Published 4/28/2010. Original Story Here.
