Straight Chatting from the Library: Alex Disanti

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READ THE INTERVIEW

Would you share a little bit about yourself with us today?

Hello! Thank you so much for having me as your guest! I am Alex Disanti and author of the series A Separate Heaven. Reading and writing are lifelong loves for me. As a child I would write stories about my friends, my grandparents’ farm, and stories about Texas (my home state and where I still reside).

Favorite pastimes include taking drives in the country, browsing “antique” (and I use that word loosely!) stores in small towns, going to Luckenbach and spending the afternoon listening to local bands and storytellers, or just watching one of my favorite television series. (The Affair, The Good Wife)

Coke (real, not diet) and sweet tea are my favorite drinks and jalapeno burgers are in my top ten favorite foods. Prized possessions are three grown children, two daughters and a son. Christmas is my favorite time of year and for me there is no such thing as having too many ornaments or lights. I collect Santas, all kinds. My dream trip is to rent a villa in Italy and spend several weeks there.

Do you have a favorite scene you would like to share with us?

The following scene is from book 3: Today is a day of reckoning for Harold Walenski, a corrupt D.A. in hiding at his remote fishing cabin. Today he will come face to face with Dominic Gianelli, the man he deliberately wronged, the man whose family he endangered, and Gianelli will decide his fate

Dominic hiked a short distance to the opening where the cabin came into view. Walenski was indeed sitting on the porch, just as described, and appeared to be napping. An empty glass, a somehow lonely and appropriate companion to the whiskey bottle, also drained of its contents, sat balanced on the weathered railing.

The steps were splintered and rickety, and creaked beneath his weight. He stood there, looking down at the man who had wrought such foolish and needless misery, effectuating a chain of events that would see its end today.

Walenski stirred, coughed. Noting the arrival of his visitor, he registered no surprise. Raising his head, he squinted, and tried to focus on the massive figure that loomed before him, silhouetted by the setting sun.

“Gianelli,” was all he said.

Walenski did not move but a fetid odor filled the air around them. His breath was foul from hours of drinking...and there was something else...something Dominic recognized...yes, the smell of fear.

In one swift move, he stepped behind the chair and pinned Walenski’s upper body, immobilizing him. At the same time, he grabbed his right hand, still gripping the .38, and wrenched it upward. Pressing it firmly to Walenski’s temple, he pulled the trigger, then immediately released his hold on the gun.

A single shot rang out in the heavy silence of the woods. There was the rustle of wings, as birds disturbed by the sudden noise, took flight. It was dusk, the evening growing hot and muggy, and there was no breeze. Walenski’s body slumped in the oversized chair. The gun fell, striking the toe of his shoe then landed slightly afront of the now lifeless form.

Dominic entered the house and collected the only telling item, the newspaper. Upon leaving, he checked for a pulse, once, twice. There was none. Now it was over.

Where did you come up with the idea for your latest release?

A Separate Heaven is my first novel and was not originally planned as a series. New to the publishing landscape I was unaware that with new authors the majority of the time publishers place a limit on word count and reject anything upward of 120K. When I received this information from a well-respected agent, my word count was at 440K and I knew I had much further to go with my story. Hence the series. There will be a total of seven books. I am currently working on book five. I wish I had some awesome tale of how A Separate Heaven was conceived. The characters and plot simply came to me and developed over a period of months as I was out on daily walks. I’ve never outlined the material, and several months had passed before I decided I had a book and sat down to write it.

What are you currently working on?

I am currently working on book five of A Separate Heaven.

Do you have any special routine that you follow when you are writing?

I do not have a scheduled writing time at all. Fortunately, laptops are portable so I can write just about anywhere!

Did you have to do a lot of research for this book or any other? If so do you have a fascinating fact that you have learned you would like to share with us?

Parts of A Separate Heaven did and do require a lot of research. Occasionally, I enjoy blending fact with my fiction and when I do I want it to be accurate.

Just FYI and an interesting fact: The original Sicilian Mafia (which roughly translates as “swagger”) began in the early 1800s with no crime connotation whatsoever, but as an organization of people and families who were suspicious of the central authority and wanted to carry out their own justice and protection.

Who are some of your favorite authors that you like to read?

Anna Quindlen, John Grisham, Pat Conroy, Chaim Potok, Barbara Kingsolver

Is there a genre you haven't written that you would like to try?

I have some ideas for other novels but not a different genre. I do have a collection of short stories I would like to publish.

READ THE BLURB

Step into a world of riveting drama. Enter A Separate Heaven, a story comprised of power, wealth, and romance, multifaceted characters, and complex relationships. A novel by Alex Disanti. From Long Island to the shores of the Mediterranean, this exciting series spanning twenty five years in the lives of the Gianelli and Hamilton families will hold you spellbound.



READ AN EXCERPT

Around 1:00 A.M. Paige found she couldn’t sleep. As quietly as possible she eased herself from the bed and walked out onto the balcony. The weather was still nice. The breeze from the water was cool and she could see the waves crashing against the sandy beaches. Below her, the pool looked inviting. His soft snoring assured her Dominic was sleeping soundly. Hesitating only a moment, she tiptoed into the bathroom, wrapped herself in a big towel, and made her way down the stairs and outside to the pool.

She dropped the towel and slipped into the warm water that felt like silk on her naked body. Leisurely, she swam back and forth, again and again. This was heaven. It was all heaven. She lay on her back, floating, her eyes closed, replaying in her mind the wedding and all that had happened since.

Finally, she began to tire and, feeling she could sleep again, made one last lap underwater, crawling along the bottom of the pool. As she entered the shallow end, her hands reached for the tiled rim as she emerged, breaking the surface of the water.

Suddenly, something like a steel vise gripped her wrists, jerking her upward, and she was momentarily airborne. Her feet slammed against the concrete, jarring her from head to toe. Now Dominic had her by her shoulders and was shaking her. She knew he was saying something, but she could hear only the roaring in her head. Not six feet from them stood two men with guns. Behind them on the massive walls that surrounded the villa were several more.

About the Author:Alex Disanti lives in the Texas Hill Country. While writing has been a lifelong love for her, A Separate Heaven is her first novel. Early works were mainly poetry and short stories. As A Separate Heaven progressed from thought to paper, friends and family began reading the manuscript. Then, in an effort to test the marketability of the material, she enlisted the aid of what she calls her “test readers.” These readers vary in age, occupation and background. It simply grew from there. Alex’s rich detail brought the characters to life, and the ensuing chapters could not come quickly enough for her readers.

Author Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alex.disanti.5
Book Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ASeparateHeaven
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlexDisanti
Website: http://alexdisanti.com

Buy the books at Amazon: Book One, Book Two, Book Three.

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