Alumnus, son of hockey coach Kevin Cady, publishes book

By Paris Franz, For The Miami Student

Miami alumnus Kevin Cady's ('09) first book, "A Solitary Awakening," will be published and available in the next few months.

"A Solitary Awakening" is the first novel in The Warren Files trilogy, and tells the story of FBI agents Elijah Warren and Aurelia Blanc as they face the complicated case of a twisted killer.

Cady, who graduated with a bachelor's degree in rhetoric, said his inspiration for the book came all at once. In the past, Cady had not had an interest in creative writing, so it came as a surprise when inspiration suddenly struck.

"It was something that came about from a single idea I had one night. I wrote it down in my phone," Cady said. "Just deciding to write a trilogy was a very crazy thing."

Since his time at Miami, Cady has received a master's in education from Colorado College and currently teaches high school English and vocational construction in Colorado Springs.

However, Cady and his family have always been deeply involved with Miami and the Oxford community. His father Steve Cady, former head coach of the men's ice hockey team and the namesake of Steve Cady Arena in the Goggin Ice Center, said he is extremely proud of his son's accomplishment.

"It's just unbelievable to me that he could do something like this; there's no way possible that I could have ever done anything like this," said Steve Cady. "I'm very proud of the work that he's done and the commitment he's made to it, and just to see the love and the passion that he put into [his books]."

Kevin Cady's mother Sue is currently a water fitness instructor at Miami, and his brother Matt used to work as an assistant strength and conditioning coach for the hockey team. Having grown up in Oxford, Cady said his time in the Miami community impacted his writing.

"My experiences at Miami definitely shaped who I am, and that means it has helped shape what I'm putting into my writing," said Cady. "Because of where I grew up, it shaped me and it shaped my experiences and the types of people that I'm around, so it helps me understand the people that I write about."

Ben Voth, a former associate professor of communications and director of debate, remembers Cady as an "unusually motivated student." Voth said he was pleased by Cady's accomplishment, but expected as much.

"I continue to be amazed but not surprised that students can do such amazing things like Kevin has done," said Voth.

Enjoy what you're reading?
Signup for our newsletter

Cady's target audience for his novel is those who enjoy crime thrillers, suspense novels and mysteries.

The novel is set in the '90s, a time when "intelligence didn't come from technology." The agents spend time thinking and researching in libraries, which may evoke a sense of nostalgia in some millennials.

Seth Fuller, a self-described fan of the crime mystery genre, met Cady through his job as a barista and a bartender in Colorado Springs. Since then, Fuller has read and provided feedback to Cady for the first two books of the series and said he is looking forward to reading the third.

Fuller said he likes the series both because of the philosophical themes it explores and the intricate character development.

"In the first book, particularly, the protagonist is one of the most complex and interesting characters I have read in a long time," Fuller said. "I actually felt like I would enjoy sitting down and having a cup of coffee with him, he was interesting enough."

The first book in Cady's series, A Solitary Awakening, was sent to the publisher last week and will be available for purchase this winter. The next two books are currently being edited and are set to print in 2016.

"I'm very optimistic because I really believe in this story and what it means," said Cady. "I very much appreciate the support from anybody who's willing to pick them up, and I think that if people give them a chance they'll get through all three."