Interview with Joe Cosentino,
author of Drama Prince,
the 15th Nicky and
Noah mystery/comedy/romance novel
Joe Cosentino, thank you for speaking about your writing process at the release of the fifteenth novel in your award-winning and popular Nicky and Noah gay cozy comedy mystery series.
Thank you. I’m feeling cozy and mysterious.
You’ve written thirty novels!
And my mother wishes I had a “real” job. I wonder if
Steven King’s mother wishes that.
How did you become a storyteller?
My
mother says I tell tall tales—and she’s right! I’ve always had a wild
imagination. My parents always feared what I’d make up and tell neighbors about
them. And they still do! I appropriately majored in theatre at college. Then I
went on to act opposite stars like Rosie O’Donnell
(AT&T industrial), Nathan Lane (Roar
of the Greasepaint musical onstage), Bruce Willis (A Midsummer Night’s Dream onstage), Charles Keating (NBC’s Another World), Jason Robards
(Commercial Credit computer commercial), and Holland Taylor (ABC’s My Mother Was Never a Kid TV movie). Finally,
I began writing plays and ultimately writing novels. Since I’m a cozy mystery
reading fanatic, and there are so few gay cozy mystery series out there, I was
happy to fill the bill—or in this new novel, the nightshirt.
You’re also a college
professor/department head. How do you find the time to do all this writing?
I don’t get a lot of sleep.
Where do you write?
My home study is very much like Martin Anderson’s office at
Treemeadow College including a fireplace with a cherry wood mantel and a cherry
wood desk and bookcase. I also have a window seat beneath a large
window/gateway to the woods.
Do you write an outline before
each book?
For a mystery, an outline is imperative. It’s important to plot
out all the clues and surprise reveals. I generally think of a great idea for a
new book at 3 a.m. If I can remember it the next day, or read my notes on my
night table, I draft the outline. Since I was an actor, I also write a character
biography for each character. Then I close my eyes and let the magic happen. As
I see the scenes in front of me like a movie and the characters start talking
to each other in my head, I hit the computer. My spouse reads my second draft.
After we argue, I write my third draft.
What advice do you have for
unpublished writers?
Don’t listen to naysayers. Find the magic within yourself. Get
in front of the computer and start writing your unique story. Don’t copy
anyone. Write what you know and feel passionate about. Write every day. Don’t
be afraid to take chances. When you have a story you think is perfect, ask
someone you trust to read it. Then after doing another draft, email it to a
publisher who has an open submissions policy and who publishes the kind of
story you’ve written, or publish it yourself.
Is it hard to write comedy?
Not for me. I’ve always thought funny. As an actor, I remember directors
telling me to stop making my scenes so funny. I didn’t realize I was doing it.
I think I get this from my mother. For example, for Christmas one year my mother
gave me a jacket and my sister a house. When I complained, she said, “But it’s
a nice jacket.” Thanks, Mom!
Why do you write gay fiction?
Why not? LGBT people have many interesting untold stories. Go to
a mall and look at the row of movie posters without any LGBT characters in
them. Visit a bookstore and see cover after cover of opposite sex love stories.
Take a look at so many of our Republican political and so-called religious
leaders who raise money and gain power by demonizing LGBT people and trying (and
often succeeding) to take away civil rights. I mourn for the young gay kids who
consider suicide. So I support organizations like GLSEN (giving them a portion
of my book royalties), and I write stories that include LGBT people and themes.
However, just as my Jana Lane series with its gay supporting characters has
huge crossover appeal for gay people, the Nicky and Noah series with its LGBT
leading characters and straight supporting characters has a tremendous amount
of crossover appeal for straight people. Most people like a clever mystery, a
sweet romance, and a good laugh, regardless of the sexuality of the characters.
In your various series, how do you remember all the elements about the characters and settings over a long time period?
I
keep good notes on everything for continuity. Also, the regular characters are
like family to me. I know them so well. I love watching them and their
relationships grow and develop. It’s equally fun creating new characters in
each book. I laugh out loud when writing my novels, and the endings still
surprise me—even though I wrote them!
You’re a college theatre professor/department chair like Martin Anderson in your Nicky and Noah mysteries series. Has that influenced that series?
As
a past professional actor and current college theatre professor/department
chair, I know first-hand the wild and wacky antics, sweet romance, and
captivating mystery in the worlds of theatre and academia. The Nicky and Noah
mysteries are full of them! I never seem to run out of wild characters to write
about. My faculty colleagues and students kid me that if any of them tick me
off, I’ll kill them in my next book.
Are you Martin Anderson, the theatre department head, in the novels?
My colleagues say my sense of humor is Nicky’s but I look like Martin
Anderson. I love how Martin is so loyal and supportive of Nicky and Noah. His
one up-man-ship with his office assistant Shayla is a riot. I’ll admit that
like me Martin is a bit of a gossip. His spouse, Ruben, is based on mine. It’s
great when Ruben keeps Martin’s theatricality in line with hysterical barbs.
The older couple stay sharp by engaging in their verbal warfare, but it’s all
done in deep admiration and respect. Finally, it’s wonderful to see an elderly
couple so much in love (uncommon in the entertainment field), and how they can
read each other like a book—no pun intended.
Are college theatre
professors/amateur sleuths/adorable couple Nicky and Noah based on any of your
younger colleagues?
Like most of the characters in my books, Nicky is a combination
of a few people I’ve known. He’s handsome, muscular, smart, charming, and he
has an enormous manhood, which doesn’t hurt (or maybe it does). However, what I
admire most about Nicky is his never give up attitude and sense of humor in the
face of adversity. He is genuinely concerned for others, and he’ll do anything
to solve a murder mystery. Finally, he is a one-man man, and Nicky is proud to
admit that man is Noah Oliver. Nicky is also incredibly devoted to his family
and friends. Noah is blond, blue-eyed, lean, handsome, smart, and devoted. He
makes the perfect Watson to Nicky’s Holmes. (I always thought Holmes and Watson
were a gay couple.) Noah also has a large heart and soft spot (no pun intended)
for others. Finally, like Nicky, Noah is quite gifted at improvisation, and
creates wild and wonderful characters for their role plays to catch the
murderer.
Since both you and Nicky are of
Italian-American decent, are Nicky’s parents like yours? Are Noah’s parents
like your spouse’s parents?
Both Nicky’s parents and Noah’s parents have many of the traits
of my parents. They’re absolutely hilarious. I love Noah’s mother’s fixation
with taking pictures of everything, and his father’s fascination with seeing
movies. I also love how Noah’s father is an amateur sleuth like Nicky. As they
say, men marry their fathers. Nicky’s mother’s obsession with Bingo at her
church is a riot. Both sets of parents fully embrace their sons and their sons’
family, which is refreshing.
For anyone unfortunate enough not to have read them, tell us the titles of the Nicky and Noah mysteries.
Drama Queen, Drama Muscle, Drama Cruise,
Drama Luau, Drama Detective, Drama Fraternity, Drama Castle, Drama Dance,
Drama Faerie, Drama Runway, Drama Christmas, Drama Pan, Drama TV, Drama Oz, and now Drama Prince.
Why Drama Prince as the fifteenth novel?
After
I wrote my Tales from Fairyland Anthology, I realized there was more
territory to cover with gay fairytales (pun intended). Since I’m a Cinderella
fanatic, I decided to use that classic story.
Why is the novel set in San Francisco?
Where better
to have a gay fairytale theme park theatre? Also, San Francisco is a magical
place. We get to visit some of my favorite locations in this book like the
Castro Theatre, Pink Triangle Memorial Park, and Faerie Hollow.
Tell us a bit about the plot—no spoilers.
It's great to see our favorite characters back.
Nicky,
in addition to being the director, plays King Charming, the king with a long
scepter. Noah plays Nicky’s Queen—onstage and off. Their best friends, Martin
and Ruben, are along for the wild ride as the Stepmother/Fairy Godmother and
the Duke (who wants to grab his brother the King by the crown) respectively—but
not respectfully. The two couples’ sons, Taavi and Ty, are cast as Gro and
Tesque, the stepbrothers demanding full service from Cinder.
Who are the new characters/suspects/victims for book fifteen?
Things
heat up pretty quickly between the actors playing Cinder and Prince Charming as
well as the young men cast as the Footman and the Coachman. However, they may
get a royal screw as four local detectives drop around them like a priest’s
robe at conventions.
How can your readers get their
hands on Drama Prince and how can
they contact you?
The purchase links are below, as are my contact links, including
my web site. I love to hear from readers! So do Nicky and Noah. I tell them
everything!
Thank you, Joe, for interviewing today.
It
was my pleasure. As a past professional actor and current college theatre
professor/department chair, I know first-hand the hysterically funny antics,
sweet romance, and captivating mystery in the worlds of theatre and academia.
The Nicky and Noah mysteries are full of them! I know you’ll laugh, cry, feel
romantic, and love delving into this crackling new mystery with more plot
twists and turns (as Nicky would say) than the Proud Boys planning a takeover
of the Capitol. I’m more excited than (as Nicky would say) a conservative
politician taking away LGBT rights to share this fifteenth novel in the series
with you. So wave your Fairy Godmother’s wand, ride coach, and head to the
palace for a ball with a charming prince who has a slipper fetish! I promise
you a happy ending!
And
I love to hear from readers. So drop me a line. I’ll share it with Nicky and
Noah! http://www.JoeCosentino.weebly.com
DRAMA PRINCE (the 15th Nicky and Noah mystery)
E-book and Paperback: 213 pages
Language: English
Genre: MM, contemporary, mystery, comedy, romance, theatre,
musical theater, Cinderella, theme parks, San Francisco
Heat Level: 2
Cover Art: Jesús Da Silva
ISBN-13: 9781005288006
ASIN: B0BH2TY7MV
Release
date: December 1, 2022
Buy Links:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1168254
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/drama-prince-joe-cosentino/1142424128?ean=2940165942693
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/drama-prince-a-nicky-and-noah-mystery
At a gay fairytale theme park in San Francisco, the
Treemeadow College theatre crew stage an original musical adaptation of Cinderella
entitled, Let’s Ball. The adorable actors playing Cinder and Prince
Charming fear they may not get a happy ending as local detectives drop around
them like a royal flush. Once again, our favorite thespians will need to use
their drama skills to catch the killer before an explosive pumpkin threatens to
make the show a bomb. You will be applauding and shouting Bravo for Joe
Cosentino’s fast-paced, side-splittingly funny, edge-of-your-seat entertaining
fifteenth novel in this delightful series. It’s a blast! So hurry to your seat.
The stage lights are coming up in the royal kingdom of Fabulous on a king with
a long scepter, a queen who is a real queen, a fairy godmother with a roving
wand, a stepmother who grabs them by the crown, a servant left alone to
stimulate himself, two stepbrothers demanding full service, a prince with a
slipper fetish who is seeking a royal screw, and murder!
Praise for
the Nicky and Noah mysteries:
“Joe
Cosentino has a unique and fabulous gift. His writing is flawless, and his
plot-lines will have you guessing until the very last page, which makes his
books a joy to read. His books are worth their weight in gold, and if you
haven't discovered them yet you are in for a rare treat.” Divine Magazine
“a combination
of Laurel and Hardy mixed with Hitchcock and Murder She Wrote…
Loaded with
puns and one-liners…Right to the end, you are kept guessing, and the conclusion
still has a surprise in store for you…the best modern Sherlock and Watson in
books today…I highly recommend this book and the entire series, it’s a pure
pleasure, full of fun and love, written with talent and
brio…fabulous…brilliant” Optimumm Book Reviews
Excerpt of Drama
Prince, the 15th Nicky and Noah mystery novel, by Joe Cosentino
I
made my way to Nate Friedman’s dressing room doorway, where I feigned needing
to zip my fly.
The
twenty-four-year-old playing our Mouse/Footman sat in the makeup chair facing
away from the mirror. Opposite him on the easy chair, was Tej Vevi, our
Mouse/Coachman. Though both men were similar in age and wore identical mouse
costumes, they couldn’t have looked more different. Nate was tall and thin with
frizzy auburn hair and a prominent nose. Tej’s Arab ancestry had awarded him a
muscular statuesque body with long thick black hair and onyx eyes.
Tej
took Nate’s hand. “I had a really good time last night.”
“So
did I.” Nate squeezed Tej’s hand, causing the freckles on Nate’s hand to dance
like eye floaters.
“The
restaurant in Laurel Heights was great.” Tej added, “So was Laurel Heights.”
“That’s
my home.”
“Thank
you for sharing it with me.”
Nate
grinned. “And thank you for showing me the Midtown Terrace area last
week.”
“My
pleasure. It’s the only place I’ve ever lived.” Tej rubbed his wide nose. “My
folks are active in the Arab Community Center there.”
“That’s
great. My parents are…were involved with the Jewish Community Center in Laurel
Heights.”
Tej
asked, “Are your parents okay with you being an actor?”
Nate
giggled. “They sit front row center for every show I do.”
Hey,
that’s my
seat for this show! Oh, yeah, I’ll be onstage.
Nate
asked, “How about your folks? Are they comfortable with you being a
performer?”
“As
comfortable as a Democrat at a White Nationalists meeting.”
Leave
the witty metaphors to me please!
Tej
explained, “My mom and dad see my shows, but they’d rather I work at the family
business.”
“What’s
that?”
“Importing
and exporting clothing and jewelry.”
“And
you’re not into that?”
“The
only clothing and jewelry I’m interested in are costumes and accessories for
the stage.”
“Says
the guy wearing a mouse costume.”
“To
the other guy wearing a mouse costume.”
They
shared a laugh.
Nate
said, “Since my father is a cantor at our temple, music, dance, and theatre
were always a big part of my life growing up. My mom wanted to be an actress,
but she got sidetracked by having kids. She’s a terrific history teacher,
because she uses her performing skills in the classroom. Her students love it
when Mom dresses up to play famous people in history, and when she has them
improvise scenes from our country’s past.”
“Your
folks sound great.”
“Thanks.
So do yours.”
Tej
nodded. “They’ve worked hard all their lives to never deny my sister and me
anything.”
“Same
with mine for my brother and me.”
“I
guess we’re lucky.”
Nate
nodded. “How do your parents feel about your interest in Buddhism?”
Tej
shrugged his ample shoulders. “We don’t really talk about it much.”
“Do
you mind talking about it with me?”
“Not
at all. What would you like to know?”
Nate
slid to the edge of his seat. “Do you believe we store up good points here for
the afterlife?”
“Jewish
people don’t believe that?”
Nate
tented his fingers. “We believe doing good works come back to us with good
things in this life.”
“I
believe that too, but I also think our current good deeds create karma for our
next life. What we’ve learned here puts us at a higher level of existence the
next time around, so we don’t need to learn it all over again.”
Nate cocked his head. “You believe in
reincarnation?”
“I
have to believe this life isn’t all there is. We’re made of energy. How can
that energy just disappear when we die?”
“What
about animals?”
“They’re
lower forms of life still needing to learn a great deal. So they reincarnate
too.”
“How
about trees?”
Tej
rubbed his hands together. “Think about the leaves. They start out small, but
they grow to become green and luscious. When they are starved of sunlight,
leaves turn beautiful colors, finally falling to the ground.”
“Where
they turn brown and die.”
“But
they come back the next spring even stronger and more beautiful than the year
before. Then it happens all over again.”
Nate smirked. “Okay, but how come everybody in
a past life is a king or a queen?”
No
pun intended.
“Why
aren’t they a peasant?” Nate asked.
“I
can’t answer that, since I don’t remember my past lives.” Tej sat back in the
chair. “But so many times I’ll do something, say something, or go somewhere and
think, I’ve done this, said that, or been there before.”
“Maybe
it was in a dream.”
“I
think it’s more than that. Like Cinder tells the prince in our show, we’re all
connected. I can feel it in my bones. There’s more to my life and yours
than…this life.”
“Then
why can’t we remember our past lives?”
“Maybe
we aren’t trying hard enough, or perhaps we’ve lost the ability to remember.”
Tej sighed. “If I had the money, I’d go to a therapist who helps you recall
your past lives.”
“Couldn’t
those therapists simply be using the power of suggestion?”
Tej
grinned. “Speaking about the power of suggestion.” He placed a hand on Nate’s
knee. “I’d like to suggest we do something right now.”
Nate
returned the grin. “Oh, really? What’s that?”
“Hm.
I don’t know. How about this?” Tej leaned over and planted a tender kiss on
Nate’s lips.
“I
think I like that suggestion.”
“I
know I like it.”
Nate
giggled. “Since turnabout is fair play, I guess I should offer a suggestion of
my own.”
“And
what suggestion would that be?”
“How’s
this one?” Nate kissed Tej, longer and deeper.
Tej
rose and lifted Nate into his arms like a Proud Boy with a Confederate flag. He
kissed Nate again and again. When they parted, Tej said, “This is getting
serious for me. I want to see you tonight, and the next night, and the next.”
Before
Tej could kiss him again, Nate blurted out, “I’m a Reformed Jew.”
“That’s
great.”
“Why?”
“Since
unlike the Hasidic, you believe in full rights for LGBT people, including
marriage and adoption.” A crease formed between Tej’s bushy eyebrows. “I wish I
could say the same about my family’s religion. I guess that’s one of the
reasons I turned to Buddhism.”
“But
aren’t your parents fine with you being gay?”
Tej
nodded and hair covered his eyes. “Like I said, they don’t tell me what to do.
It’s my life, and I have to be true to my nature. They understand that. But I
can sense they wish things were different.”
“There’s
no point in wishing things were different. They are what they are.” Nate
frowned. “You and I are proof of that.”
“What
do you mean?”
Nate
faced him. “Tej, you’re a terrific guy. I’ve really enjoyed getting to know you
during the last month of rehearsals. Our dates have been great. And I hope
you’ll always be a part of my life.”
“Why
do I sense a ‘but’ coming?”
“Tej,
my parents…I…always thought…when the time comes, I wouldn’t get seriously
involved with anyone who…wasn’t like me.”
Tiny
beads of sweat formed on Tej’s forehead. “But I am like you. We’re both
actors, around the same age, gay. We have the same liberal political beliefs.
We like the same music, theatre, art. I loved your neighborhood and you loved
mine. Okay, you don’t believe in reincarnation and the afterlife. I do. So
we’ll be together in this life. That’s totally fine with me.”
Nate
ran a shaky hand through his hair. “You don’t understand.”
“No,
I don’t.”
A
tear brimmed Nate’s eye. “Tej, from the beginning of recorded time, the Jewish
people were imprisoned, enslaved, and marked for extinction. But they never
gave up. They kept fighting for survival. To remain a tribe, a people, a
culture. A Jewish culture.”
Tej
gasped as if being hit by a sucker punch. “Are you saying what I think you’re
saying?”
“I’m
sorry, Tej. I like you so much. And I think I could love you, possibly spend
the rest of my life with you. But I’ve always thought…assumed I’d share my life
with someone—”
“Jewish?”
Nate
nodded.
“So
because Jews and Arabs have been at war for centuries, we have to fight
each other?”
“No,
Tej.” Nate took his hands. “We can be friends, even continue dating.”
“But
when it comes time for a serious relationship and marriage, I’m out, because
I’m not Jewish?”
Nate
nodded. “I’m sorry.”
Tej
released his hands. “I’m sorry too. For you. And for me. Because your bigotry
is standing in the way of your happiness—and mine.” Tej stormed out of the
dressing room.
“Tej!”
Joe
Cosentino was voted Favorite MM Mystery, Humorous, and Contemporary Author of
the Year by the readers of Divine Magazine for Drama Queen, the
first Nicky and Noah mystery novel. He is also the author of the remaining
Nicky and Noah mysteries: Drama Muscle, Drama Cruise, Drama
Luau, Drama Detective, Drama Fraternity, Drama Castle, Drama Dance,
Drama Faerie, Drama Runway, Drama Christmas, Drama Pan, Drama TV, Drama Oz, Drama
Prince; the Player Piano Mysteries: The Player and The Player’s
Encore; the Jana Lane Mysteries: Paper Doll, Porcelain Doll, Satin
Doll, China Doll, Rag Doll; the Cozzi Cove series: Cozzi
Cove: Bouncing Back, Moving Forward, Stepping Out, New
Beginnings, Happy Endings; the In My Heart Anthology: An
Infatuation & A Shooting Star; the Tales from Fairyland Anthology:
The Naked Prince and Other Tales from Fairyland and Holiday Tales
from Fairyland; the Bobby and Paolo Holiday Stories Anthology: A
Home for the Holidays, The Perfect Gift, The First Noel; and the Found
At Last Anthology: Finding Giorgio and Finding Armando. His books
have won numerous Book of the Month awards and Rainbow Award Honorable
Mentions. As an actor, Joe appeared in principal roles in film, television, and
theatre, opposite stars such as Bruce Willis, Rosie O’Donnell, Nathan Lane,
Jason Robards, and Holland Taylor. He received his Master of Fine Arts degree
from Goddard College, Master’s degree from SUNY New Paltz, and is currently a happily
married college theatre professor/department chair residing in New York State.
Web site: http://www.JoeCosentino.weebly.com
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/JoeCosentinoauthor
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/JoeCosen
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4071647.Joe_Cosentino
Amazon: Author.to/JoeCosentino
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/joecosentinoauthor
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