Trattoria has been nominated!

My buddy Susan DiPlacido is on fire. Not only does she have a new novel on the bookshelves (Mutual Holdings), but her novel Trattoria has been nominated for a Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Award in the category of Best Small Press Romance! Good luck Susan!

Rejected By An Intern

"I've attached a short reader's report written by one of my interns."

I can take rejection, I really can. I can take criticism; in fact I want criticism. That is how your writing improves. My novel Into the Sunset has not only been read by people whose opinion I trust, but it has also been read by my former writing teacher, who gave me extensive notes on an early draft of the novel. I took this info and polished the book into a solid piece. I’ve worked damn hard to whip this thing into shape. Is it For Whom the Bell Tolls? Of course not. It is a comic novel with lots of sex (sex sells, don’t forget), toilet humor, and a unique, fun plot. It is a fast read. I always keep in mind one of Elmore Leonard’s ten rules—cut out the parts that readers tend to skip. I think it’s a page turner.

So it was disappointing when the latest agent—who requested a full manuscript—passed it off to an intern to read and comment on. Did the agent herself read it? I don’t know, but I did get the review of an intern probably fresh out of school who has probably never written or had a story published in his/her life. Some of the highlights: “...the author decided to add a few disturbing sexual encounters that I couldn’t quite accept.” Well, if you consider a thirty year-old man having sex with a sixty year-old woman disturbing, then yeah it was disturbing. Otherwise everything else was just normal sex, nothing freaky going on.

Here is another one: “The relationships he created in the story fall apart just as quickly as they were begun, and no one really learned anything.” This one made me laugh out loud. It is a comment straight out of a creative writing classroom. You know, the characters must learn something and be redeemed at the end. Tell it to Hannibal Lecter. Anyway, my characters do learn something about themselves at the end. So there.

Next stop on the Into the Sunset express? The Small Presses. See you in the bookstores.

This & That

The full manuscript for my novel Into the Sunset is still in the hands of an agent. Hopefully she’ll want to represent it, and my search will be over (I’ll post news as soon as I get it). Meanwhile, I submitted a short story of mine entitled In Bloom to an exciting and relatively new zine called TQR - Total Quality Reading. The concept of the website is that you can follow the journey of your story from submission to either acceptance or rejection. There is a messageboard where the editors hash it out, argue the merits of the story, decide whether it is good enough to be sent up to the editor at the next level, eventual publication, and a $50 pay day.

In Bloom caused a bit of a controversy, with one editor (LaFloor) showing strong support, and another (Guevara) thinking it was somewhat lacking, and should not proceed up the ladder. The gauntlet was thrown down, with a game of chess between the two to determine the fate of my story. The result? From TQR’s news page: “LaFloor won Dec 16th chess match due to Guevara's disqualification, meaning Don Capone's venture In Bloom continues its Cinderella run through the vetting hierarchy of TQR.” I’ll keep you updated as to its progress.

Lennon Lives!

Fuck MDC.

Susan DiPlacido's Mutual Holdings

My buddy Susan DiPlacido has yet another novel hitting the bookshelves this week. This one is called Mutual Holdings and it is another sexy, funny, romantic blast! I had the pleasure of reading a near-final draft and I have to say, now that Susan is a big successful author, living the high life and dating celebrities, drinking expensive wine and driving fancy cars (occasionally at the same time) she still hasn’t lost her edge. She might even be getting edgier! Get on board the DiPlacido wagon before the inevitable burnout and self-imposed seclusion. Here is the synopsis for Mutual Holdings:

A successful New York accountant, Lisa Russo is happily single. At thirty she has a growing career, a nice home, and her nights are rarely lonely. It doesn't hurt that her business partner and ex-flame, Tony Mancuso, is always nearby to offer advice, and more, whenever she desires it.

But Lisa's pleasantly structured life gets thrown into chaos when handsome and sophisticated businessman Gianni Loren hires her to reconcile some of his foreign holdings. Gianni, however, is quickly smitten with much more than just Lisa's business sense. As the vibes between them progress from savvy to sultry, he asks her to join him back in Italy as a permanent member of his company, and his life.

But Lisa is not sure she's willing to give up her thriving career at home to risk it all on this one enigmatic foreigner, especially now that Tony, suddenly faced with the possibility of a life without her, is turning up the heat to keep her in the business, and with him.

Order it now!
I should add, this is published by Magic Carpet Books, an imprint of B&N. So go to Barnes & Noble or their website to purchase Mutual Holdings!

Fingers Crossed Again

An agent asked for the FULL manuscript of my novel Into the Sunset. I mailed it out on Thurdsday. I'm allowing myself to be excited now for two reasons: 1) I met this agent in person (and she still asked for the MS!) and 2) I subbed the first chapter and a synopsis when I queried her, and she liked the writing enough to ask for more. (This is opposed to the prior agent who claimed to not like the writing.)

More soon...

Finding an agent is like...

...getting a new job. It’s all in who you know. I got my current job because someone I knew got me in. Then a year later I got another one of my friends into the company. That’s how it works. Sending a resume out to a job posting or classified ad will get you nowhere except into a big pile with other job seekers that have no chance because they don’t know anyone on the inside.

Same with finding an agent.

I mean, I’m not sending query letters out to every agent in the book. I’m actually still doing my research, trying to find the agents that would be a good fit for the novel I’m shopping. I spend a lot of time researching, finding out who the agents represent, what books they’ve sold, etc.

It’s getting me nowhere, fast.

Some assistant, or intern, is screening out these queries, deleting them before the agent can even lay eyes on it. Or just firing off the standard “not for us” rejection. There’s got to be a better way.

And just like with a job hunt, you need someone on the inside. Somebody to say “Take a look at this author.” Someone to get your email query out of the trash and onto the agent’s browser window.

I need a referral. Anyone?

Back to Business

I've posted another excerpt from my novel Into the Sunset on my PublishersMarketplace page. Check it out:
Donald Capone

Meanwhile, I'm continuing to work on the latest draft of my second novel, the Lennon one, Like I've Never Been Born.

Plagiarism or Coincidence?

I'm pissed and ready to puke. Seriously. The idea of my second book has been stolen. I sent out 13 query letters between 6/11/05 and 7/29/05 and mentioned the plot briefly on my Publishers Marketplace page since then. I am looking for a lawyer now and trying to determine if the writer of the film is in anyway connected to any of the agents I queried:

---------------------------
Lohan Imagines Lennon Flick

Thu Nov 03, 7:05 PM ET

Lindsay Lohan is eyeing some killer roles these days.

Just days after signing on to Bobby, Emilio Estevez's low-budget ensemble drama about the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy, the erstwhile Mean Girl is now set to star opposite Jared Leto in Chapter 27, an indie film centering on the 1980 murder of John Lennon.

Lohan will play a devoted fan of the former Beatle who befriends Lennon's killer, Mark David Chapman (Leto), shortly before the murder in New York 25 years ago.
________________________________
If you just change the word "befriends" in that last sentence to "encounters" it could be the tagline for my novel. I swear my idea was stolen. Last spring I sent out query letters for the book, and I summarize it on my Publishers Marketplace page. My idea has been out there to steal. The only difference is in my book she doesn't befriend the killer as much as try to avoid him because she thinks he's creepy. I have another great book with a funny plot that would be perfect for a book/movie if you want to steal it. It's called "Into the Sunset," but you can just use the idea and call it anything you want.

[EDIT-MORE RANTING]
I know there is a good possibility it is a coincidence.
But on the other hand, in 25 yrs nothing has been done on the subject, and it happens to be done the same time my query letters were floating around out there? WITH A 19-YR OLD DEVOTED LENNON FAN FEMALE CHARACTER WHO ENCOUNTERS CHAPMAN?!

[EDIT-YET MORE RANTING]
One more thing—my novel also gets into the head of Chapman (as the movie supposedly does), with 3 or 4 chapters from his POV as he prepares for the murder. But I never use that scumbag's name; I don't want to give him the satisfaction. My book is a loving tribute to Lennon, and how his loss effects my characters.

[I FOUND OUT MORE INFO]
From aintitcool.com:
"Variety reports that Lindsay Lohan (hoo-wwwhaaaaa???) and Jared Leto have been cast in the film. Leto will be playing Chapman, even though in real life Chapman was kind of a heavy geeky looking guy. Lohan is a Beatle fan that Chapman befriends the weekend he kills John Lennon. Newcomer Jarrett Schaeffer will write and direct the pic."

Random Excerpts

I've decided to post random excerpts from my novel Into the Sunset on my PublishersMarketplace page. I will update on a somewhat consistent basis. Check it out:
Donald Capone

National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)

November is National Novel Writing Month. If you are not familiar with this, it is a "fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. Participants begin writing November 1. The goal is to write a 175-page (50,000-word) novel by midnight, November 30." That's right, write a novel in 30 days! Chris Baty, the founder of NaNoWriMo has written a great guidebook (shown above) to help you get through the month with your sanity (somewhat) intact— No Plot? No Problem! His notion of giving yourself a deadline is what really sticks out in my mind (and, basically, is the whole concept of the 30 day novel). 50K words in 30 days breaks down to approximately 1,600+K words a day. The book is very inspiring, and even if you choose not to participate in NaNoWriMo it will still give you the kick in the pants you might need to finally start that long put off novel you've always dreamt of writing. I cut it in third and wrote the 50K of my second book in 90 days—still fast. You just have to write every day and not give yourself any excuses. I was able to write 500-600 words a day and still get everything else I needed to do accomplished.

Click on the image of the book to visit NaNoWriMo's official website. You still have time to sign up!

Chick-Lit Meets Intellectual Porn

“Writing with a mind-blowing commitment to honesty, inducing multiple orgasms, even from Eunuchs.” With a promise like that, how can one resist reading further? Newcomer Laure Dixon is sure to make her mark on the literary world with her memoir THE EDGE OF PASSION.

“...Laure Dixon leads her readers on a series of authentic, sensual adventures across international time zones and through unfathomable sexual scenarios involving business moguls, government agents and married men. Her boundary pushing and chutzpah will lure male and female readers as she embraces humor amid some deeply sad, and at times frightening, real life drama.”

Laure is currently seeking an agent. If a beautiful young woman with a sexy memoir can’t land an agent, then there’s no hope for any of us writers!

Check out her blog to read the complete synopsis and an excerpt from THE EDGE OF PASSION:
Laure Dixon

Rejected!

I heard from the agent who had the first 100 pages of my manuscript. As you probably deduced from the title of this post, the news wasn't so good. Here is her response:

"Many thanks for sending Into the Sunset, but I'm sorry to say I didn't like the writing. 

"Please know that my strategy is to go with what I like, and my response to a manuscript isn't always a reflection of what publishers are looking for.

"Thanks again for giving me an opportunity to consider your work."

OK, so the line about not liking the writing threw me for a second. I've been exposed for the fraud that I am! Why did I ever think I could write in the first place?! But I have confidence in my writing. Maybe she didn't like the humor, or the first-person narration. Maybe it wasn't "literary" enough. It is what it is: a mainstream comedy with jokes about sex, the workplace, jealousy, sex, toilet paper, hemorrhoids, centaurs, spying, more sex. Hell, what's not to like? It's pop, it's funny, it's a quick read. I'd buy it if I saw it in a book store.

Time to send out some more query letters...

Still Waiting...

The first 100 pages of my novel "Into the Sunset" has been with an agent for two weeks now. While I await her response I have suspended sending out any more query letters. Meanwhile, I received a rejection form Jonathan Ames' agent, who I thought would have been a good fit. Here is the rejection letter:

"Thank you for submitting information on your manuscript.

"Unfortunately, we are not accepting any new clients at this time, but we wish you every success with your writing career."

Now, back to waiting...

Got a Bite...

I finally got a positive response to my query letter for “Into the Sunset.” A very wise and beautiful agent (I’m assuming this because of her astute interest in my work and also to promote good karma) asked for the first 100 pages of the manuscript. I dropped the package in the mail last weekend. She has promised a speedy response. Stay tuned...

Publisher's Marketplace

In an attempt to land an agent I have to first get an agent to read my manuscript. To increase my chances of this actually happening, I've purchased a page on Publisher's Marketplace. It's a good place to network, an excellent resource to research agents, and basically the place to be if your are part of the publishing world. Check out my page:
Donald Capone

What’s worse than rejection? I’ll tell you.

People, especially writers, hate rejection. Whether it’s a submission of a short story, poem, full-length novel, or a query letter to an agent it still has the same sting. Well, take heart, because there is a place online to commiserate: Rejection Collection. A quick scan of the posted rejection letters makes one wonder if we are all receiving the same set of three rejection letters. The agent glances at your query, then picks a rejection letter from the rejection template, adds your name (if you’re lucky—you might just get “Dear Writer”) and sends it off.

I’m actually OK—so far—with rejection. I know it comes with the territory, and that rejection isn’t necessarily a rejection of your work. It could be just a numbers game. If a magazine has room for ten stories, and they received fourteen that were good enough to run, well, that leaves four stories—and four authors—out in the cold. So you move on.

What is worse than rejection, for me, is the “no response.” You do your research, find the journal or the agent that suits your work, write your cover letter and send it off in good faith. And wait for a response. And wait. And wait. Once in a while, everything will click and you’ll get an acceptance. More often than not you’ll get a rejection. But the growing trend is that I get no response. If I send an agent query letter out via email and don’t receive a reply within ten days I write it off as a “NO.” Traditional mail I give a bit longer, maybe even a month. Then I mark it down as a “no” on my submission log. Stories submitted to magazines I’ll give three months before throwing in the towel. Sometimes I’ll email a reminder, asking about the status of my story. Still, no reply.

I wonder what becomes of my self-addressed-stamped-envelopes. Are they reusing the stamps at least? Pasting a mailing label over my handwritten address and using it for business transactions? Is this all a scam to get free stamps?! At least e-queries don’t cost anything but time.

I’m tempted to create a query letter with a simple set of java buttons that allow the agent/editor to click from a choice of “NO” or “YES”. I mean, if an agency/journal is openly soliciting submissions on their websites, the least they can do is spend the three seconds it takes to click reply in their email program and write “No thanks.” Is that too much to ask?

Meanwhile, I have about three or four short stories I’m waiting on, and about a half-dozen agent queries. Please, reject me already! Put me out of my misery.

Fastest Rejection Ever? Possibly.

12 MINUTES! I sent out a query letter for my novel "Into the Sunset" at 10:24 a.m. this morning. At 10:36 I had a rejection! Meanwhile, I still wait on the response of Jonathan Ames' agent.

“Into the Sunset”—Not so bad!

After I finished a tight draft of my first novel Into the Sunset last year, I wrote a query letter and sent it out. I got a couple of bites, and two requests for partial manuscripts. After two rejections, I figured I better just sit down and write a better book. The reason I thought this was because many of the books on writing I had read basically said, “Your first book will suck, so write it and get it over with. Then write the second one with the experience you learned with the first one.” So I did. And it was easier (and faster) to write the second novel. I’m very happy with this second novel, and think it will eventually find representation. Along the way, I bought into the fact that first novels suck. In my mind, I began to believe my first book wasn’t very good. I was even kind of afraid to go back and look at it again. Then a funny thing happened. I did go back to the first one after a seven month break to see if I could salvage it in any way. Though it did need some work, I was totally surprised at how good it was. I did a new draft, starting from page one on. I sharpened it, added more humor, fleshed out some scenes, slowed down the pace of other scenes. When I made it to the last page I immediately went back to page one and started again, and kept writing, and writing. It is now a lot funnier than before, the lead character is more rounded, and the overall voice of the story is stronger. Last week, I sent out my first query letter for this novel in six months. So it starts again...

Books On Writing

These books have helped me more than any other books on writing:

Self-Editing For Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King
If you are a new writer, this book is for you. It will shave months, even years, off of your learning period. And nip any bad habits in the bud. It gave me the kick in the butt I needed when I started out.
Self-Editing For Fiction Writers

Plot & Structure by James Scott Bell
Flat out the best book on novel writing I’ve ever come across. Immediately after reading this book, I sat down and outlined my second novel Like I’ve Never Been Born. With Bell’s guidance fresh on my mind, I wrote a 50K first draft in only three months. His idea of “doorways” was particularly helpful, and really sticks out in my mind still. What thrusts the lead character out of his ordinary life, and into one of confrontation/conflict? That is the first doorway that leads to the whole middle of the book. The second doorway sends the lead character toward the “knockout ending” and the story’s resolution. Good stuff.
Plot & Structure

No Plot? No Problem! by Chris Baty
Write a novel in 30 days! Very inspiring, and funny too. His notion of giving yourself a deadline is what really sticks in my mind (and, basically, is the whole concept of the 30 day novel). 50K words in 30 days breaks down to approximately 1,600+K words a day. Hard to do when you work full time. I cut it in third and wrote the 50K in 90 days—still fast. You just have to write every day and not give yourself any excuses. I was able to write 500-600 words a day and still get everything else I needed to do accomplished.
No Plot? No Problem!

"Into the Sunset" Excerpt

I’ve decided to take a break from sending out query letters for my second novel, ”Like I’ve Never Been Born”, at least so I can re-work the query letter. I still think this is the book that will get me an agent. Meanwhile, I just revised my first novel, the comedy ”Into the Sunset”. I revamped my query letter for it and plan to send it to the agent for an author I admire. I will post the rejection when it arrives. Here is the opening paragraph of my novel ”Into the Sunset”:

Spring 2004
Chapter 1: Retiring Personality

“You’re an old man stuck in a young man’s body.” My ex-girlfriend Cindy once said this to me during one of our routine verbal skirmishes. I don’t remember what led her to make that claim, and, because I basically agreed with the assessment, I couldn’t really argue the point. But I did anyway. That’s what she and I did so well together—argue. Now, sitting in my car just before finally embarking on my master plan, I realized she may have been right; or maybe she had just planted the seed. What came first, the chicken or the egg? Either way, here I was. A young man in an old man’s body. Literally.

Buy my story "Astronaut" on a coffee mug!

FlashFiction.net
View Mug
Astronaut
by Donald Capone

Jesse opened his eyes and thought he was an astronaut. He was suspended upside down by straps that held him tight. The only sound was a metallic, groaning noise—the sound the space shuttle must make after it breaks free from the earth’s atmosphere and enters the cold void. And it was dark, too dark to see. Soon there were other sounds that he focused on: A drip, drip, dripping, and the low moan of another person. He wasn’t in the shuttle. Where was he?

His head was pounding, throbbing with the beat of his heart. Blood was in his hair, in his eyes. A flash of memory came to him, a twisted face, the side of a big rig sliding toward him. Someone moaned again, and he tried to turn his head.

He was tumbling—no the car he was in was tumbling, rolling down an embankment. Wait, that already happened. He looked down, felt the release to the seatbelt and pressed. The pain as he hit the roof of the car was overwhelming. He was out again, strapped into the space shuttle, and looking at the blue planet covered in cotton. Water visible through the cotton. He was so thirsty.

A moan brought him back to earth. It wasn’t as dark as before. A drop of something dark landed on his face. He looked up and saw Helen hanging from the passenger seat, strapped in, bloody. An immense feeling of love for her washed over him.

The truck had jackknifed, was coming at them, its length spanning the entire road. He jerked the wheel hard to the right, which only succeeded in pointing the car toward a rocky cliff. Then they were tumbling, glass was breaking, limbs of trees, boulders, bushes. Something sharp struck his forehead. Soon he was floating, looking at the darkness, marveling at the moon.

“Help...” He looked up again. Helen had her eyes open. “Help me...Jesse.”

Jesse was alert now, okay, he needed to get help. Where was the cellphone? There, on the floor, no, ceiling, of the car. He slid it over. Did it still work? He flipped it open and the glow lit up his bloody face.

“I’m getting help, honey,” he said, and dialed 911. He saw the signal bouncing off a satellite.

“This is 911. What is your emergency?” a female voice said.

He thought of a joke, but didn’t voice it. Houston, we have a problem. “There’s been an accident...”

“Is anyone hurt?”

“My wife. And me. We’re hurt.”

“Was it a car accident?” the female voice said.

“Yes.”

“Sir, can you tell me where you are?”

“In the car still. There was a truck, I think.” His mind was off again. Images of astronauts floating inside a spacecraft, weightless, objects drifting by as they smiled at the camera.

“Sir...sir!” the voice again, insistent. “Stay with me, keep talking until help arrives.”

But he was gone, thinking of the stiff flag, and the footprint that is never erased. He was cold, and began to shiver. A voice was calling him, a female voice through a speaker. Was it the NASA control center? “Sir, help will be there momentarily. Can you hear me?”

Then another voice: “Jesse. Where are you? I’m scared.”

“Don’t worry honey...Houston is coming.”

Time passed, or did it? He couldn’t tell. He felt hands, strong hands, pulling him free, a male voice saying “We have you. Everything’s okay. What is your name, sir?”

“Jesse.” He was lifted, then was on a bed, no, a stretcher. Red lights strobed and pulsed, blinded him. Wavy figures moved to and fro, blurry, all wearing the same color orange. Were they aliens?

“Jesse, we’re here to help you and your wife.” He was brought inside a vehicle, or capsule, or maybe the shuttle again. He was strapped down, ready for launch. When he opened his eyes next, he saw Helen being lifted into the capsule, also strapped down, ready for launch. The door was shut and the shuttle rocked gently, from side to side, like a boat in dock. The sound of an engine started, raw, powerful. It grew louder with the addition of a beating, rotating, flapping noise, Whap, whap, whap!

Jesse thought that the countdown must have begun. 10, 9, 8...

Suddenly they were airborne and he felt his stomach lurch. The shuttle turned right, then gained speed.

“Helen,” he said. “We’re flying.”

“Jesse...”

Then they were on the ground again, hands were lifting them up and out, placing them on concrete, rolling them toward bright lights, open doors, where figures in white waited. Was it heaven?

“Helen, we made it.”

“Yes,” she said.

Rejection Letters

A sampling of rejection letters I've received so far for my novel
"Like I've Never Been Born"
"Dear Donald Capone:
"Thank you very much for your query letter.
"We're very sorry to report that we don't believe that this described book would be saleable in today's tough marketplace.
"Please keep in mind that ours is a subjective response. Another agent may have a totally different response. We've been proven wrong before.
"Good luck in your quest for publication."
Standard rejection. At least they used my name.

"Dear Writer:
"Thank you very much for your recent submission. I regret that I cannot offer to represent your project. As an agent, I never take on a project unless I have a strong personal response to the material and feel I can successfully place it with a publisher. I am sorry I could not be more supportive, and send you the best wishes for good luck."
Impersonal. Didn't even use my name.

"Dear Mr. Capone:
"Thank you for sending me a query letter and synopsis of your novel. After careful evaluation, I have decided that I am not the right agent to represent your work. Please do not take this rejection as a comment on your writing ability. I can only properly represent material that greatly excites or interests me. I am sure another agent will feel quite differently about your work.
"Due to the volume of material sent to the agency (close to 800 unsolicited letters a month), I am unable to provide a personal evaluation or further explanation.
"Thank you for considering our agency. I wish you the best of luck finding representation and good fortune with your writing career."
This was a nice one.

"Thanks, Donald, but this wouldn't be right for us."
Short but sweet.

My Two Novels

I’m currently seeking representation for my two novels, “Into the Sunset” and “Like I’ve Never Been Born.” “Sunset” is a comic novel, while “Born” is more literary, my serious piece, but not without its moments of humor.

Since the books aren’t agented, I’m wary about putting my ideas out here on the internet. So I’ll be cagey about their descriptions. “Like I’ve Never Been Born” is my second novel, and probably the better of the two (due in large part no doubt to the fact that I already had the experience of writing the first one).

“Like I’ve Never Been Born” incorporates a landmark event in rock n’ roll history with the personal journey of my main character, Angela Girardi. I have been sending agent query letters out for the past two months, which have been roundly and soundly rejected. Frankly (and at the risk of sounding pretentious), if I was an agent and this query crossed my desk, I’d want to take a look at the manuscript, since it involves one of the legendary figures in pop culture and rock n’ roll history. But...because of the cool reception, and because I’ve just completed a revision on “Sunset,” I think I’ll try again with that book...

“Into the Sunset” is a comedy, plain and simple. It has sex, disguises, work place humor, sex, and romance. What else do you need to know? My main character, Wayne Benson, hatches a plot to lessen the stress of his bachelor lifestyle. The idea is brilliant, edgy, outrageous, and it just might work. Or will it? Sorry, I can’t be more specific about the plot. But I will say that while I was writing this book I always felt it would make a great film. I’ll give a more complete summary of the plot in future posts, and keep you informed as to my query success/failure for this book.

Short Stories

Some of my stories that have been published
Word Riot

"Another Day"

Thieves Jargon

"Door to Door Service"

"Reprisal"

FlashFiction

"Astronaut"

Flask Fiction

"Green Panties" (PDF)

Susan DiPlacido's Novels-great summer reading!

24/7
Wow! I feel like I've been to Vegas and back three times. And lost my wallet, shirt, and heart along the way. DiPlacido has a winning recipe here. Without sending it out to a lab, I think I've determined the main ingredients: Part chick lit with a dash of Elmore Leonard, a hint of Mark McGwire's testosterone-based steroids, a pinch of Quentin Tarantino's violence (for extra zing), and finally some Penthouse letters to raise the temperature past the boiling point. Forget Oprah's reading list, take this one out to the pool with you so you can jump right in and cool off when you need to. Excuse me now, I need to take a cold shower.

Trattoria
In "Trattoria," Susan DiPlacido presents a different side of Las Vegas than she does in her other novel "24/7." The setting is not a corporate-owned casino and its accompanying gambling lifestyle, but a family-owned Italian restaurant, struggling for survival, and a gambling of a different sort-on love and family. DiPlacido brings the reader into the lives and minds of her characters, their inner desires and fears. You're rooting for everything to work out for them, but just like in real life, you know all too well what's at stake, and that the odds for a happy ending are stacked against them. "Trattoria" is a fun ride and it was hard to say goodbye to the characters when I finished the book.

MISSION STATEMENT

OK, I really signed up for a blog because I wanted to post a message on Susan DiPlacido's blog. Also, it seemed like the thing to do. I mean everyone has a blog, right? I was the last kid on the block with a cell phone and I didn’t want to be left out in the cold without a blog to communicate my rants/angst/success with the rest of the world. The only problem—I don’t necessarily WANT to communicate my rants/angst/success with the rest of the world. But that will come, I’m sure, once I get into the whole blog swing. I guess this blog will mostly be geared toward my attempts at getting my two novels (“Into the Sunset” and “Like I’ve Never Been Born”) represented by an agent. "Sunset" is a comedy; "Born" is my serious "literary" novel, in which John Lennon is central to the story. More on those books in the next post.

Hey, I'm starting to like this!

Capone's Hit List

Capone's Hit List
Welcome to my blog. I got a lot of catching up to do.