MOUNDRIDGE — April 7 will be a special day in Moundridge. It is Easter weekend, and a local author will be in town selling and signing his books at Sips.
The event will be held from 9 a.m. until noon.
The book is murder-mystery novel “Murder at St. Alfanus,” which was written by McPherson County native Todd Vogts. .
Vogts, of Canton, worked in Moundridge when he served as the editor-in-chief of The Ledger newspaper. He left The Ledger to move to Ransom, Kan., in order to become a high school journalism teacher, which he said was something he always wanted to do .
“I wanted to come back to where I really got my feet wet in community journalism,” Vogts said. “I really enjoyed my time in Moundridge as I worked at The Ledger, and I thought the arts and crafts fair would be a great opportunity to come back to share something that is very exciting in my life.”
Vogts will be selling his book for $16.50 per copy, and he said he would love to sign any and all copies of his book he sells or people bring in to him.
“This is one of my biggest dreams come true,” he said. “I have been writing short stories since I was in the fourth grade, and I’ve wanted to be a real author ever since. For a long time I’ve wanted to walk into a bookstore and see my name on the shelf. Now I have achieved that.”
Vogts said his book is about college journalists who try to uncover who committed a murder on their college’s campus.
According to the book’s blurb, the story follows the life of Tyler Fox, who is from Goessel, Kan. Tyler and his fellow student journalists attend St. Alfanus, a private Catholic college near Hooks in Bowie County, Texas. Tyler is also an up-and-coming golfer. One night while jogging on the golf course, he comes across a murder scene, and soon he and his friends are hot on the trail of the killer because the victim was the college president’s daughter.
Vogts said he decided to make his main character be from Goessel because he wanted to tie the book back to the area he grew up in.
“My parents’ live just a few miles away from Goessel, and I remember going to the Goessel grocery store when I was little,” he said. “The school system there has a golf team, and since I wanted Tyler to be a golfer, it seemed like a good fit. Of course, I didn’t leave out the town I call home. Canton is referenced in the book as well when I talk about The Canton Pilot, which was the local newspaper years ago.”
Vogts said he is proud of his first novel.
“I wouldn’t have gotten it published if it weren’t for all the support from my family and friends,” he said. “My mother, Karen Vogts, deserves thanks for instilling in me the love of reading. She also proofed it once. And I can’t leave out my brother, Troy Vogts, and my father, Steve Vogts, for my love of golf. Since I was very young, I remember playing golf with those two, and now I enjoy going out whenever I can.”
As proud as he is, Vogts said he’ll be even prouder when his next novel comes out.
“I am working on another one,” he said. “It is in the early stages right now. I don’t know when I will finish it, but when I do, I hope to get it published too.”
Many people have purchased “Murder at St. Alfanus” already, Vogts said.
“I’ve been getting good feedback,” he said. “I think people who buy it are looking for a good mystery to curl up with, and I like to think I’ve written just that. Regardless, though, I’m just so thankful for the support of everyone. It means the world to me.”
Vogts said he is looking forward to being in Moundridge again.
“I hope to see everyone there,” he said. “If you choose to buy my book, that is wonderful, and I hope you enjoy it! But even if you don’t buy it, I hope you’ll stop by and just say hello while having a delicious cup of coffee.”
For more information about “Murder at St. Alfanus,” visit www.sbpra.com/toddvogts or “Like” his Facebook page at www.facebook.com/authortoddvogts.
The book can also be purchased at online at www.toddvogtsamazon.com and www.toddvogtsbarnesandnoble.com.
