Blog tour interview with author Garasamo Maccagnone

Today I'm welcoming author Garasamo Maccagnone and Writers in the Sky who are on a virtual tour to promote Garasamo's recently released book, St. John of the Midfield.

Let's jump right in with Garasamo's bio:

Born in 1959, Garasamo Maccagnone studied literature and journalism at Macomb College, Wayne State University, and Western Michigan University. Garasamo has enjoyed writing since the age of sixteen. He is inspired by the works of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, John Dos Passos, and Jack London, and is currently working on his next book. Garasamo has owned a soccer club and coached and trained players for over twenty years. He lives with his wife, Vicki, and his three children in Shelby Township, Michigan.

Please tell us about your current release.
St. John of the Midfield tells the story of Bobo Stoikov, a former Bulgarian soccer player who escapes communist oppression. The story is told through the eyes of Mario Santini, a father on Bobo's team, and the son of a crime family boss. Mario, who wants to escape the world his father has created, ends up giving the nod that sets the tragic ending in motion. As he must protect his son from the sinister Sonny Christopher, Mario does what he has to in order to protect his son from being harmed, on the field, and off.

What inspired you to write this book?
It took ten years. I coached with a man named Rocco Mitkov for over fifteen years. Some of what he told me about his escape from Bulgaria inspired this. From there, it was all my imagination.

What exciting story are you working on next?
The title of my next piece is, The Sorrows of Pebble Creek. The story is about the murder of a noted Chaldean acquaintance of the narrator's, who is cut down by assassins of Uday Hussein. The story is told after the funeral, and as the author tries to uncover a mystery involving his assassinated friend's family, the narrator uncovers his true feelings for his ex-wife and estranged family.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?
The first time I sold a book to a non family member.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
I write daily. By doing so, it keeps you in a rhythm. It also keeps me sharp at the craft of creating meaningful sentences. When I wrote St. John of the Midfield, most of it was done between 2am and 5am. With my latest piece, I'm writing more in the 10am to 2pm time slot. Who can figure these things out?

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
The entire story is written in my head first. I can actually see the words in the sentences in my mind's eye. Many times, while on the road, my wife will look at me while she's driving and say, “You're writing, aren't you?” She can tell by the look on my face, and of course, how quiet I get, that I'm typing sentences in my head. She knows to leave me alone.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be a baseball player. With three brothers and a bunch of neighborhood boys all around the same age, we always had good numbers to start a baseball game. If we weren't playing in the streets, or stick ball in the back yards, we rode our bikes to the sandlots behind Eisenhower Elementary School and played until dark.
I ended up playing in college. I thought about pursuing a professional career, but then I met a beautiful girl who told me that if I married her we'd be together forever. It's been thirty years so I think I made the right decision.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
St. John of the Midfield can be purchased through this link.

Included in my next release will be four additional stories entitled, The Note Giver, Sentiments of Blue, The Conversion, and Holy Thursday.

My other written works include, The Affliction of Dreams, a collection of short stories and poetry, The Suburban Dragon, a children's book, and For the Love of St. Nick, an illustrated short story about two boys who seek the help of St. Nick after the tragic loss of their mother.

I also want to thank you for taking the time to interview me.

You're quite welcome. Best of luck with your tour!

Thank you for joining us as we celebrate author Garasamo Maccagnone and his WITS virtual tour. Tomorrow, December 23, 2010, day eight, Penny Lockwood Ehrenkranz will host an excerpt from St. John of the Midfield and a Q&A written interview. Follow this blogger on Twitter: @pennyehrenkranz. Check out the full tour schedule.