Friday, December 7, 2012

ANSA: Frank Nappi

Welcome back to ANSA everyone!  This week Frank Nappi is joining the ANSA authors.  Follow along with his current blog tour here.

Frank Nappi is an multi-genre author and a high school English and Creative writing teacher.  I'll let him explain his writing genre..."Well, after the release of my latest novel, Nobody Has To Know, the literary world may have to come up with a new distinction just to classify what it is I have been doing the last eight years. I guess to call my work eclectic would be an understatement. My first novel, Echoes From The Infantry, is an adult novel that delves into the world of a WWII veteran’s damaged psyche and subsequent family drama. That was followed up by The Legend of Mickey Tussler, described as a YA crossover novel that chronicles the exploits of a 17 year old autistic pitcher during the 1940’s. The sequel to that, Sophomore Campaign, is more of a YA story as Mickey's journey continues and now my latest novel, Nobody Has To Know, is  another  adult release, but in the genre of Mystery/Thriller. Some say I am  experiencing a professional identity crisis. I’d like to think of it, as others  have suggested, that I am  just very versatile."

His first memory of writing is when he was a little boy, "I can remember writing a story when I was very young - maybe five or six years old. It was about a king who rescues a girl and makes her his queen. Not really sure where the idea came from, or even how good it was. I just remember my mom typing it for me when I was finished and that image always makes me smile."  He published his first novel in 2005 with St. Martin's Press where he has continued to publish three more novels.  " I have always had this propensity to write - a love for the written word that to the best of my recollection is ineffable. I really believe it is in my DNA."

The biggest inspiration for his writing has come from two WWII veterans.  "When I met two very special 

WWII veterans - Mr. Bill McGinn and Mr. Eddie Hynes -- during a Veterans Speaker Program that I initiated at Oceanside High School for my classes, I was inspired like never before. The stories they told me, and our subsequent friendship, became the basis for my award winning Echoes From The Infantry. I have been writing ever since. Thank you Bill and Eddie."

Frank's favorite author is F. Scott Fitzgerald.  "F.Scott Fitzgerald was a linguistic genius. He understood the rhythm of the written word the way a composer understands musical notes.  There is such an ease and natural flow to his work - tantamount to the way the birds sing. It’s seamless, beautiful and moving. The Great Gatsby, his signature work, embodies all of these qualities like no other work of American fiction."

His novel, Nobody has to Know, was published on October 16, 2012.

Book Blurb:
Nobody Has To Know, Frank Nappi's dark and daring new thriller, tells the story of Cameron Baldridge, a popular high school teacher whose relationship with one of his students leads him down an unfortunate and self-destructive path. Stalked through text-messages, Baldridge fights for his life against a terrifying extortion plot and the forces that threaten to expose him.

Nobody Has To Know is a sobering look into a world of secrets, lies, and shocking revelations, and will leave the reader wondering many things, including whether or not you can ever really know the person you love. (end)



You can find all of Frank's novels on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and his website.  Keep up with Frank on Goodreads, Twitter, Facebook, his website, and his blog.  Happy Reading!

1 comment:

Tribute Books said...

Hilary, thanks for giving us such an interesting interview with Frank! :)

P.S. For early December, Frank is donating all of the proceeds from the sale of 'Nobody Has to Know' to support recovery efforts from Hurricane Sandy. His own community where he teaches high school English, Oceanside, was devastated by the storm.