"Cicero James, Miracle Worker" by Hal Emerson

CICERO JAMES, MIRACLE WORKER

My name is Cicero James, and I died last Thursday. I know how it sounds, and the rest of what I have to tell you is just going to make it worse. But it's true. I died, and I came back. And the rest of it—why it happened, what it means, and most importantly what we’re going to have to do about it—is what I need you to hear. I’m going to start at the beginning, and I’m going to tell all of this as faithfully as possible. I’m going to try to bring you along for the ride. It’s all coming out in a rush, so if I don’t tell it quite right, or if I muff a word or use bad grammar or something, try not to hold it against me. And if I don’t manage to convince you… I understand. No harm, no foul, no hard feelings. This is all insane to anyone who hasn't lived it. But if you're in, then you’re in, and here we go.

TOPICS OF CONVERSATION

• Overview of the Story and Inspiration Discussion of Cicero James, Miracle Worker's premise, including the protagonist's role as a modern miracle worker, and how the story was built around the opening line about dying multiple times.

• World-Building and Magic System Exploration of the parallel society of workers, the concept of “workings,” the nature of terrors, and how belief shapes reality in this urban fantasy world.

• Character Development and Voice Focus on Cicero’s personality, tattoos, sense of humor, relationships, and how these elements reveal different facets of his identity and emotional depth.

• Themes of Mental Health and Trauma Conversation around how childhood trauma opens the door to magical abilities, and how Cicero’s personal struggles influence his role as a protector of the “blissful” (non-magical people).

• Series Continuation and Reader Reactions Talk about feedback from readers, unexpected interpretations (including political ones), and what’s planned for the next book in the series.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Hal Emerson is the author of ten books, including the award-winning Exile Trilogy, beginning with The Prince of Ravens. He is a graduate of UCLA with a BA in theatre, where he studied Shakespeare, Chekhov, and the Greek and Roman Classics. He also has an MBA from UC Berkeley (Cal).

Some of his favorite books and series include East of Eden, The Brothers Karamazov, The Lord of the Rings, and The Wheel of Time. As a young reader he was particularly inspired by The Chronicles of Prydain, and he is an avid Harry Potter fan.

He still believes in the Oxford comma, and he has seen every Robin Williams movie.

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