Hello, Joe Cosentino. Thank you for coming
back to Dawn’s Reading Nook. This year so far we enjoyed hearing about your
previous releases AN INFATUATION & A SHOOTING STAR from Dreamspinner Press,
DRAMA QUEEN the first Nicky and Noah mystery from Lethe Press, and PAPER DOLL
the first Jana Lane mystery from Whiskey Creek Press. Tell us how you came up
with your current release, A HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS, a HEA short novella for the
holidays from Dreamspinner Press.
Like Kunta Kinte charting his roots, my spouse and I dipped into our
savings—and dipped into the Dramamine, and booked a flight and bus tour from
the US to Rome, Naples, Venice, Assisi, Lake Como, Milan, Florence, the Amalphi
Coast, Pompeii, Tuscany, and Lake Maggiore. However, there was no site more
gorgeous, magical, and romantic than the Island of Capri. I will never forget
the enormous jagged cliffs sitting majestically on the turquoise water beneath
the sapphire sky, the white sandy beaches, stunning villas, artistic white
stone formations, mouthwatering food, and beautiful and sensuous people. Upon
arriving back in the US, I realized I had to write a romantic story taking
place in Capri.
What is the storyline?
Bobby, a young, Italian American law student, travels to Capri to meet
his quaint Italian relatives. He falls in love with his handsome, muscular,
sexy Italian third cousin, Paolo. Their relationship with highs and lows and
some captivating surprises is the core of the novella.
Is it somewhat autobiographical like AN
INFATUATION and A SHOOTING STAR?
Since I come from a long line of funny Italian Americans, I included a
good deal of humor in the story with Paolo’s eccentric family. (My grandmother,
like Paolo’s, actually said, “A boy leaves home with a wife or in a coffin!”)
Readers say it’s like taking a romantic trip to gorgeous Capri, Italy—but far
less expensive!
Is the leading character based on you?
In some ways, when I was younger. Like Harold in AN INFATUATION and
Jonathan in A SHOOTING STAR, Bobby is sweet, sensitive, and smart. As a law
student, he has buried his head in his books. As the novella begins, he is
ready for an adventure—and ready for first love.
Like Mario in AN INFATUATION and David in A SHOOTING STAR, Paolo is
handsome, muscular, charismatic, and like many people in Italy, much more
interested in love than in work. He is also a gifted artist. Unlike Bobby,
Paolo is very experienced in matters of the heart. Paolo loves the finer things in life, but he doesn’t want
to work for them. He is quite concerned about his body, clothing, and social
life. He is loosely based on my cousin’s cousin who lives in Italy.
What is the moral of the story?
Take a chance on love.
How did you handle writing the love scenes?
Lovemaking
is a part of life, so it makes sense to include love scenes in novels. The love
scenes in my books are pretty tame compared to many. I have been told they are
sweet, sexy, and touching.
As a college professor/department head, how do you have the time to
write?
I
write at night after my spouse has gone to bed. I have a beautiful cherry wood
study with a fireplace, huge desk, bookcases, and window seat. My mother asked
me, “Don’t you have anything better to do than write at night?” I wonder if
Shakespeare’s mother asked him that? Hah.
What advice would you give to other writers in your genre?
I love reading and writing stories with
engaging characters who I want to spend time with. Just as I did improvisation
as an actor, I recommend letting your characters talk to one another and seeing
what happens! An outline is simply an outline. Don’t be afraid to deviate from
it. When a reader finishes a book, he/she should be satisfied that the various
parts equaled the whole, rather than the author pulling an ending out of the
hat. Finally, don’t forget the comedy and drama!
How do you deal with bad reviews?
Most of
my reviews and reader responses have been incredibly positive, which fuel my
writing. My favorite review for AN INFATUATION told readers if they are only
going to buy one book this year, buy this one. Another reviewer called A
SHOOTING STAR a masterpiece. Yet another wrote it is a lesson on how to write
fiction. And another reviewer wrote DRAMA QUEEN was the funniest book she had
ever read and a spine-tingling whodunit. What a gift it is for a reviewer or
reader to post a positive review on a blog, Amazon, or Goodreads, relating how
something I’ve written has moved them, made them laugh, made them cry, think
about something new, or changed their life. It is a true gift. As for the few
bad reviews, I don’t read them. As my mother always told me, if you don’t have
something nice to say about somebody, don’t say anything. I can’t imagine why
anyone would continue reading a book after chapter one if he/she doesn’t like
it. Just put it down and read something else. Why attack a book someone has
poured his/her blood, sweat, and tears into? As the saying goes, just say no.
What’s next for you in terms of MM novellas?
Dreamspinner
Press is publishing THE NAKED PRINCE AND OTHER TALES FROM FAIRYLAND in
February. They are my funny, romantic, and gay takes on fairytales like
Cinderella, Goldie Locks and the Three Bears, Pinocchio, Jack and the
Beanstalk, and the Snow Queen.
What’s next for you in the mystery genre?
DRAMA QUEEN, the first Nicky and Noah mystery from Lethe Press, has
been on the Amazon bestseller list in its category. It is available as an
ebook, paperback, or audiobook performed by Michael Gilboe who plays all
twenty-four characters. In the novel, theatre college professors are dropping
like stage curtains. With the inept local detective more interested in getting
into Nicky’s pants than solving the murders, it is up to well-endowed Directing
professor, Nicky Abbondanza to use his theatre skills (including playing other
people) to solve the case, while he directs a murder mystery onstage.
Complicating matters is Nicky’s intense crush on Assistant Professor of Acting,
gorgeous Noah Oliver, the prime suspect in the murder. In DRAMA MUSCLE
(releasing 2016) Nicky and Noah have to use their
theatre skills to find out why musclemen are dropping like weights in the
Physical Education department while Nicky directs the Student Bodybuilding
Competition. In DRAMA CRUISE (releasing 2016), Nicky and Noah go on a cruise to
Alaska, and discover why college theatre professors are going overboard like
lifeboats while Nicky directs a murder mystery dinner theatre show onboard
ship.
My Jana
Lane mysteries, with straight leading characters and gay supporting characters,
began with PAPER DOLL (Whiskey Creek Press). Ex-child star Jana Lane at
thirty-eight lives with her family in a mansion in picturesque Hudson Valley,
New York. Her flashbacks from the past become murder attempts in her future.
Forced to summon up the lost courage she had as a child, Jana ventures back to
Hollywood, which helps her uncover a web of secrets about everyone she loves.
She also embarks on a romance with the devilishly handsome son of her old
producer, Rocco Cavoto. In PORCELAIN DOLL (releasing in 2016 from The Wild Rose
Press), Jana makes a comeback film and uncovers who is being murdered on the
set and why. Her heart is set aflutter by her incredibly gorgeous co-star, Jason
Apollo. In SATIN DOLL (releasing in 2016 from The Wild Rose Press), Jana and
family head to Washington, DC, where Jana plays a US senator in a new film, and
becomes embroiled in a murder and corruption at the senate chamber. She also
embarks on a romance with Chris Bruno, the muscular detective. In CHINA DOLL
(releasing in 2016 from The Wild Rose Press), Jana heads to New York City to
star in a Broadway play, enchanted by her gorgeous co-star Peter Stevens, and
faced with murder on stage and off. Since the novels take place in the
1980’s, Jana’s agent and best friend are gay, and Jana is somewhat of a gay
activist; the AIDS epidemic is a large part of the novels.
What are you writing now?
I
just finished two novels set in a gay beach resort in New Jersey, COZZI COVE:
BOUNCING BACK and COZZI COVE: MOVING FORWARD. I am in the contract phase with a
publisher.
You are certainly prolific.
My friends say I write books
faster than they can read them.
Thank you for spending some time with us today. Joe. I look forward to
reading A HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS and your upcoming releases in 2016.
Thank you so much, Dawn. As
always, it was a pleasure. I love hearing from readers. They can contact me at:
http://www.JoeCosentino.weebly.com.
After reading A HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS, people
have said they’ve taken a little trip to Capri and had the romance of a
lifetime. I hope readers will pick up this short novella. It’s a lot cheaper
than a trip to Italy, and is bursting with the sights, scents, sounds, tastes,
and romance of the magnificent island of Capri!
A HOME FOR THE
HOLIDAYS
by JOE COSENTINO
a HEA holiday short
story published by Dreamspinner Press
Buy at:
Bobby McGrath’s Christmas trip to the beautiful Italian Island of Capri
to meet his eccentric, extended family offers stunning views—none more stunning
than his third cousin, Paolo Mascobello, a real stocking stuffer. As the two
young men embark on a relationship, Bobby, a driven law student, learns to
relax and bask under the old Italian moon, and Paolo realizes there’s more to
life than a frolic on the beach. For the two to find everlasting amore, Paulo must overcome
his fear of commitment and learn to follow his dreams, and Bobby must get his
wish for happily ever after. “Reading this little holiday treat is like taking
a romantic trip to gorgeous Capri, Italy!”
Excerpt from A HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS by
Joe Cosentino
published by Dreamspinner Press
Upon entering my room, I
noticed Lucia had unpacked my things into a large mahogany wardrobe out of C.
S. Lewis. Exhausted from my trip, I stripped off my clothes, leaped onto the
gigantic, canopied four-poster bed, and slept until I felt a firm nudge on my
shoulder. As I opened my still jet-lagged eyes, I wasn’t sure if I was dreaming
or awake. Standing next to my bed was the most gorgeous man I had ever seen.
About my height and age, his wavy chestnut hair framed piercing sapphire eyes,
a straight nose, and full red lips. Wearing a skintight button-down red shirt,
black pants, and black loafers, he gave Michelangelo’s David a run for his florin. To say his body was strong was like
saying the Catholic Church had a little wealth and power. His taut, perfectly
shaped muscles sprouted additional muscles of even greater magnitude. Bulging
shoulders led to mountainous pectoral muscles, a narrow waist and hips, and a
prominent lump between his sculpted thighs. His skin was olive-colored and so
smooth it appeared as if he had no veins in his body.
“Mama said you should come
down for lunch.”
Covering my rapidly growing
erection with my thigh, I responded in a daze, “Who are you?”
He spoke perfect English. “I
am Paolo.”
Next to Paolo, even with a
swimmer’s body, I felt incredibly white and skinny. “Hello, Paolo. I’m Bobby. I
think we’re related.” As I rose to get dressed, Paolo seemed to check out my
body, or was that wishful thinking?
“Your grandfather and my
grandfather were cousins.”
Doing the math quickly, I
said, “So that makes us third cousins?”
“I guess it does.” He shook
my hand. It felt warm and comforting. “We look nothing alike.”
I laughed at the
understatement. “No.”
“Is this your first time in
Italy?”
“Yes.”
“Do you like it here?”
“Yes.”
“Do you answer every question
with ‘yes’ or ‘no’?”
“No.” I felt like a teenager
at his first dance.
Paolo shrugged his massive
shoulders. “You better get down to the dining room. Mama doesn’t like to hold
lunch.”
Once dressed in a light blue
sweater and dark blue pants, I said, “I don’t know how to get to the dining
room.”
He smiled. “Follow me.”
Praise
for Joe Cosentino’s In My Heart novellas, AN INFATUATION & A SHOOTING STAR,
from Dreamspinner Press:
“unbelievably beautiful” “a
masterpiece” Lovebytes Reviews
“as Joe Cosentino proves
time and time again, with his wonderful writing and storytelling ability, love
will prevail, and you will smile from ear to ear." Kathy Mac Reviews
“a master class in how to
write short fiction (or any fiction). Joe Cosentino has provided a work that
will leave you thinking and wanting to savor and re-read it again and again.”
GGR Reviews
“Like an
onion, Joe Cosentino's stories have layers.” “For those readers looking for
something a little bit different - dare I say unique? For those readers who
like to laugh. For those readers who appreciate the nuances of people and the
way each character is different. For those readers who want to read a damn good
story - check out this author. I'm glad I did.” “A truly fabulous read.” Boy
Meets Boy Reviews
“This story just blew me away.” Cathy Brockman
Romance/MM Good Book Reviews
“From the beginning I was enthralled and couldn’t
wait to finish the book.” Inked Rainbow Reads
“really grabs you and tugs at your emotions” “unique
and enjoyable.” Nautical Star Books
“It turned out exactly how I wanted it to.” BFD Book
Blog
“This is polished prose at its best. Intelligent writing, a
thought-provoking plot and characters befitting the theater genre” “one of my
favorite reads this year.” Love’s Last Refuge Reviews
“Don't miss this one friends, it is a
heartfelt story magical in the telling! Thanks Joe for putting your heart on
the page for us to savor!”
Bike Book Reviews
Bike Book Reviews
“It’s unusual for me to get
sucked into a book in the first chapter but it grabbed me early and I read the
whole thing in one day”.
Nautical Star Books
“There
were times I laughed and then there were times I cried…unforgettable.”
Multitaskingmomma Reviews
"I really loved this
book and having an ending that made me laugh and cry at the same time is
testament to the brilliant writing." BooksLaidBareBoys
"The author executed
his storyline with a marvelous precision that would be the envy of many
authors. He draws the readers into the lives of his characters, they become
real and in turn, their emotions becomes yours." "If you can only
afford to buy one more book this year, buy this one.” Three Books Over the
Rainbow Reviews
Amazon Bestselling author
Joe Cosentino wrote An Infatuation,
A Shooting Star, A Home for the Holidays (Dreamspinner
Press), Drama Queen the first Nicky
and Noah mystery (Lethe Press), Paper
Doll the first Jana Lane mystery (Whiskey Creek Press), and The Nutcracker and the Mouse King
(Eldridge Plays and Musicals). He has appeared in principal acting roles in
film, television, and theatre, opposite stars such as Bruce Willis, Rosie
O’Donnell, Nathan Lane, Holland Taylor, Charles Keating, and Jason Robards. His
one-act plays, Infatuation and Neighbor, were performed in New
York City. He wrote The Perils of Pauline educational film (Prentice Hall
Publishers). Joe is currently Head of the Department/Professor at a college in
upstate New York, and is happily married. His upcoming releases in 2016 are The Naked Prince and Other Tales from
Fairyland (Dreamspinner Press short stories novella), Porcelain Doll
the second Jana Lane mystery (Wild Rose Press), and Drama Muscle the
second Nicky and Noah mystery (Lethe Press).
Web site: http://www.JoeCosentino.weebly.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JoeCosentinoauthor
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/JoeCosen
Amazon: Author.to/JoeCosentino
DRAMA QUEEN (a Nicky and Noah
mystery)
a
comedy/mystery/romance novel
by JOE COSENTINO
from Lethe Press
Paperback: 194 pages
Publisher: Lethe Press (June 6, 2015)
Language: English
Cover Design: Ben Baldwin
ISBN-10: 1590214676
ISBN-13: 978-1590214671
ASIN: B00YCJSEJO
Release date: June 6, 2015
paperback, ebook, and
audiobook available now
purchase links:
It could be curtains for
college theatre professor Nicky Abbondanza. With dead bodies popping up all
over campus, Nicky must use his drama skills to figure out who is playing the
role of murderer before it is lights out for Nicky and his colleagues.
Complicating matters is Nicky’s huge crush on Noah Oliver, a gorgeous assistant
professor in his department, who may or may not be involved with a cocky
graduate assistant...and is also the top suspect for the murders! You will be
applauding and shouting Bravo for Joe Cosentino’s fast-paced, side-splittingly
funny, edge-of-your-seat, delightfully entertaining novel. Curtain up!
“I cannot
stop laughing. Drama Queen is Hardy
Boys-meets-Murder She Wrote-meets-Midsummer Murders, with a
side of parodic, farcical, satire.” “Who-dunits don't come more whodunnity than
this.” Boy Meets Boy Reviews
“If you are looking for a fun mystery, lots of humor, like
actors, play directors and hot professors, sweet romance and mild, mostly
off-page but sensual man-sex this is definitely for you!” MM Good Book Reviews
“If you like broad comedy with a side of crime and a host of suspects, Drama Queen should fill the playbill
nicely.” GGR Reviews
“I’m hoping that this is just the start for Nicky and
Noah. If Jessica Fletcher could have so many murderers in Cabot Cove, why
shouldn’t the same hold true for Treemeadow College?” Scattered Thoughts and
Rogue Words Reviews
“This
fast-paced, hilariously funny, entertaining novel will have you on the edge of
your seat as you try to figure out who-dun-it!” Joyfully Jay
“a murder
mystery, a comedic romp, an investigative caper, and a love story all rolled up
into one nifty little novel” The Novel Approach
“The tangled weave of murder mystery and other mysteries
comes to a startling conclusion that is both satisfying and mind boggling.”
MultitaskingMomma
“The only
two stories I have read from author Joe Cosentino were both heartfelt and
heartbreaking. With Drama Queen, he
proves that he can do humor and mystery with equal skill." Prism Book
Alliance
“I am not
used to reading books that make me snigger out loud, but in Drama Queen Joe
Cosentino has struck a great balance between his use of tongue in cheek humour
and a compelling mystery which we want to see solved.” Divine Magazine
“Nicky and Noah are two sexy leading characters who conduct
the investigation in this comedic caper with wit and style.” “The narrator
delivered on the fast paced humor, the character nuances, and sheer
entertainment.” Vance Bastian Reviews
“Cosentino does a wonderful
job of writing a mystery that keeps the reader guessing right up until the
end.” “I loved this story and want to listen to more like it. The characters
are well developed and very believable.” “This book got some major grins from
me as Nicky and Noah go about trying to prove Noah’s innocence.” “Michael
Gilboe…was very believable as a crime solving college professor.” Barron Owens
Reviews
“I love
this story, just the right mix, of fun, hilarity and mystery in the mix. The
storyline is fresh and well thought out, and the dynamic of the characters is
through the roof! Top notch narration as well! This is a win win win indeed!” Bike
Book Reviews
“the murder
mystery had me guessing the entire time” “great narration” Susan Voss Dab of
Darkness Reviews
“filled
with humor and enough complexities to keep you turning the page. The author
clearly knows of what he speaks on all matters theater, and the kind of
authentic details he brings to the table in terms of characters and staging
makes this immensely entertaining.” Love’s Last Refuge Reviews
"Without
doubt the funniest book I have read this year, maybe ever"
"brilliant" Three Books Over the Rainbow
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