An exciting new armchair treasure hunt called Xavier Marx and the Missing Masterpieces has been released on Amazon. Clues are hidden within the children’s story and images of the book. The hunt was created by Sean Cronin, Hilary Genga, and Sara Martin. If a reader finds and solves those clues, and then discovers the proxy item hidden somewhere in the US, they can claim a $10,000 cash prize. The treasure hunt also benefits the International Child Art Foundation and features artwork from children around the world.

I appreciate Sean taking time to answer the following Six Questions about this wonderful project. Enjoy the Six Questions, join the adventure, and search for treasure! Who will be the one to claim the $10,000? Let’s find out more!

Six Questions with Sean:

  • 1Q) Congrats on your book! I know a lot of searchers are enjoying Xavier MarX and the Missing Masterpieces. Excellent job on presenting an adventurous treasure hunt. Will you share a brief background about yourself, and your other teammates involved in the book?

Thank you so much for the kind words! It has been a lot of fun putting this treasure hunt together. My partner Hilary Genga is a successful entrepreneur and the founder of Trunkettes Swimwear. We met over a decade ago on a website called OneUpMe created by actor Jesse Eisenberg and his cousin Eric Fisher. The website centered on a daily game creating silly analogies such as “He’s like Santa’s workshop: he’s busy at the present time.” Hilary was a Forrest Fenn searcher and after the chest was found we got to talking about treasure hunts and we teamed up to work on The Great US Treasure Hunt. We ended up solving the final chapter in that hunt, but someone narrowly beat us to the proxy in the dark and pouring rain. Rats! At some point Hilary and I were talking about what we liked and didn’t like about various treasure hunts and that led to our decision to create our own! We both have very creative minds, and it was a lot of fun putting our ideas together. Hilary had worked with our illustrator Sara Martin before and knew she would be PERFECT for this endeavor. Together, the three of us worked tirelessly to create the type of hunt we would all love to solve. It truly was a great collaborative effort that brought “Xavier Marx and the Missing Masterpieces” to life. Plus the three of us all have totally awesome dogs, which you can see in the “about-the-author” section of the book!

  • 2Q) What inspired you all to create an armchair treasure hunt featuring art within the book together? Had you worked on other treasure hunts? Can you share what a searcher needs to do to get involved?

When we started thinking about the type of hunt we wanted to create, one of the first inspirations that came to mind was the famous “Masquerade.” We loved the fact that even when the treasure hunt was over, you could still enjoy a wonderful children’s book on its own merit. Only one person or team can win the treasure at the end of the hunt, but we wanted everyone to feel like they won something – at the very least they’d have a nice children’s book. When treasure hunters share that their kids want them to read the book over and over or that they can’t get the book away from their kids to even work on the hunt, that just warms my heart. I hope we have created a book that stands on its own merit and the treasure hunt is a bonus!

We got involved with the great non-profit The International Child Art Foundation early on in the process and knew we wanted to show off some amazing child artists. The message in our book is that with imagination and heart, anyone can be an artist. We felt it was important to showcase not just the works of the masters, but also the works of future generations. Xavier starts his journey by admiring the work of Van Gogh on a class field trip, and by the end he has allowed Van Gogh to inspire him to create his own amazing art. I hope this book can inspire kids to pick up a paint brush, or pencil, or crayon just like Xavier and create their own masterpieces!

If someone wants to get involved in the treasure hunt, all they need is a copy of the book. The book is available in physical form on Amazon or on our publisher Bookbaby’s website. For those who use Apple products, the book is also available in ebook form for just $9.99 on Bookbaby’s website. We kept the cost of entry as low as possible for a $10,000 prize! At the same time, we’d love to sell as many books as possible, because the hunt benefits the International Child Art Foundation and we’d love to raise some money for a great cause. If someone has been thinking about jumping in, now is the perfect time. I think it’s very possible that the person who will win this hunt has not even read the book yet. If you’re reading this, maybe it’s you!

  • 3Q) Are all the clues presented in the book? Do you feel someone brand new to the wonderful hobby of armchair treasure hunting can discover where the treasure proxy is hidden? What was most challenging part for you in creating the book, and the hunt itself?

I absolutely think anyone could solve this hunt and discover the treasure proxy. I believe Forrest Fenn once said that kids have certain advantages in treasure hunting. I think that’s true and I think adults have certain advantages too. How wonderful would it be if a family worked together to solve the hunt? I’ve heard from many folks working on the hunt with their families. Some of them have even visited museums around the country!

Every treasure hunt is different and it’s hard to say what hunts will speak to which hunters. People who have experience solving treasure hunts and puzzles may have certain advantages from experience, but a lot of experienced hunters have had the book for a couple months now and no one has found the treasure. It’s certainly possible that not being a seasoned treasure hunter could be an advantage. Will the right person come along and figure it all out the first day they get the book? Or will it be someone who sticks with the hunt day after day and week after week until they figure it out? I look forward to finding out.

All the clues needed to solve the treasure hunt are in the book. In addition we have released bonus clues which are visible on our Instagram. To date we have three bonus clues – from Jason Alexander (George from Seinfeld), Clancy Brown (Mr. Krabs from Spongebob), and Daymond John (Shark Tank). These will help you with the hunt but you could solve the hunt without them.

The most challenging part of creating the book was keeping it under 100 pages! I’m partially joking of course, but once we saw how great the talented child artists were it really was difficult to not include 5,000 amazing kid paintings. Hopefully everyone enjoys seeing the talent showcased and if we’re lucky enough to make a sequel maybe we can include even more child art masterpieces.

  • 4Q) What are you enjoying most about the hunt so far? Is it going as you had imagined, or have there been unexpected surprises? Are you the only one who knows the solution and clues? You have involved some big names in giving clues? Do they know the answer to the clues, or any part of the solution?

Hilary and I both know the entire solution and where the treasure proxy is located. So if one of us dies, you don’t need to worry! The solution won’t disappear with the creator cough Byron Preiss cough. Jesse Eisenberg is a literal genius and I love the guy to death. I can’t disclose his exact level of involvement, but let me just say don’t underestimate the guy. Our clue-giving celebrities have all been involved to whatever degree they felt comfortable with. Some of their involvement levels may surprise you. But none of the bonus celebrities know the full solution or the treasure location so there is no need to ask them. And if anyone wants another clue and has a celebrity connection, just let us know! Despite the rumors that Banksy is behind this hunt, we’re still just trying to get his phone number…

The best part of the hunt are the stories people share about reading the book with their kids. Ultimately, it’s a kid’s book so that makes me so happy. The absolute best moment yet was when I got to hand deliver the book to one of the child artists and listen as he read the book aloud. When he got to his artwork, there was so much pride in his face. Giving these talented children a way to showcase their talents at such a young age is rewarding in and of itself. I truly think one day we will see some of their art hung on the walls of museums for real. (And if one of these kids turns out to be the next Picasso or Da Vinci, imagine how much a copy of this book could be worth…)

  • 5Q) Is the treasure proxy hidden in an area that is accessible to all, free of charge, and available to search 24/7, all year round? How will a searcher recognize the item once on location?

I don’t want to say much more than is in our ground rules at the beginning of the book because I think we covered it pretty well. If you’re boots on the ground in a canoe, or you’re digging a 3.5 foot hole in the ground with a shovel, or you’re spending $3,000 to get your family into Disney World, then you have made a wrong turn. Please be safe, hunters! When a hunter has completely solved the book, they will know everything they need to know. If you find yourself spending 18 days boots on the ground like the finder of the Forrest Fenn treasure, you probably need to go back to the book.

  • 6Q) Can you say whether the solution is more cipher based, or subjective? And is a lot of outside research needed to understand the clues? Even of those given on your Instagram @theracefortreasure? What advice would you give searchers taking up your challenge offered in Xavier MarX and The Missing Masterpieces?

I believe the person who solves the hunt will be extremely satisfied with the solution, and they will be extremely proud of themselves for seeing it through to the end. I know there is speculation about whether the book is cipher based or subjective as you put it, and there are people who feel strongly both ways. I’d ask people with strong opinions to think about why they feel the way they do. Something in the book must be making them think one thing or the other. If the evidence supports their theory, then they should explore it further. I don’t want to give away my opinion on how I see the solution because I think that’s part of the fun and I think the book provides all the answers.

If you’re thinking of taking on the challenge provided by “Xavier Marx and the Missing Masterpieces” I say go for it! This hunt is not going to last twenty years. It wasn’t designed to be impossible – it was designed to be solved. Someone is going to win $10,000. It could be you!