Like all English majors, I always dreamed of writing the great American novel. But other priorities, like having to work for a living, always got in the way. It’s not that I wasn’t always writing. But writing PowerPoint presentations and business plans just isn’t the same. I wondered if I could actually write something that wasn’t all bullet points. Well, when I finally tried, I was surprised to find out that I had a sense of humor. Who ever knew that?
My writing career began when I returned to California after living in Italy for almost a decade. It was the start of the Covid pandemic. As a matter of fact, we left Italy just days before the country was locked down. And a few weeks later, the United States was pretty much in lock down too. Well, it was pretty boring sitting around staring at four walls. So that’s when I took up the pen – well not literally, of course. Does any writer use a pen anymore? I guess the keyboard is now mightier than the sword. The first thing I wrote about was my Italian journey. And who better to narrate that then my American Eskimo dog, Dino. Well, Dino became a much larger than life character in the book. He is a fine poet and he compares his artistic skills to the great impressionists. And, it turns out that Dino is funny. Don’t take my word for it, many readers have said this. Dino’s voice provided the perfect opportunity to question everything. to point out many human foibles and to throw in a major dose of sarcasm.
When I began writing a second book about Dino (which will one day be finished), the three little boys in my life asked if they were going to be in the story. So this got me thinking. And I decided to write a story for them, one in which they are the stars. And thus, The Book of Mysteries: Grimstone Mansion was born. What I thought would be a little story grew into a middle-grade fantasy book and the first book in The Book of Mysteries Trilogy. Book 2 in the series, The Red Gemstone, is nearing completion and should be out before summer comes to a close.
And thus, after all those years, it seems I am finally fulfilling another of my lifetime dreams, to write. Well, it’s not the great American novel, but it’s a start. And it is just the beginning.
