Italian Soccer Seen Through the Eyes of An Outsider

The Miracle of Castel di Sangro is a striking work of non-fiction by American author Joe McGinniss (1942 - 1914), published in 1999. Driven by a sudden obsession with Italy’s most popular sport, McGinniss followed a fledgling soccer team around for an entire season as it competed in the coveted Serie B league. Playing in Serie B was an unlikely feat for Castel di Sangro, an impoverished town of 5,000 in the Abruzzo region. At stake was the pursuit of ‘la salvezza’ (the avoidance of being relegated to a lower division) and the pride of a remote town that had known little glory or distinction.

There is a charming ‘fish out of water’ element to this story as McGinness imbeds himself in the Italian culture and fumbles with the language and customs. “My own personality had merged so totally with that of the town and the team that I could not imagine a future without either,” he explains. But his passion for soccer, his journalist instincts and an eagerness to embrace all things Italian override any shortcomings and endear him to his hosts, many of whom seem equally baffled and flattered by his attentions.

With access to players, coaches and managers, McGinness provides a spirited account of the team’s ‘miracle’ season, which includes triumphs, scandals, heartbreaks, tragedies, and dramas; he does so with great flair, compassion, sensitivity, enthusiasm and humour. By his own admission, however, toward the end his stay, McGinness’s soccer obsession had become insufferable to some because of his strident views and opinions.

Those ‘insufferable’ views are not unfounded. As the author discovers to his dismay before the final game of the season, the miracle of Castel di Sangro isn’t so much a miracle as it is a fairytale, and the story ends on a rather sour note. But for all those who invested in this miracle season - townsfolk, players, families, fans, advertisers and the media - it was a fairytale worth believing in and a season to remember.

Chapters Peterborough Meet and Greet / Book Signing

Attention crime / thriller / suspense fiction readers in Peterborough! I’ll be at Chapters Peterborough on Saturday September 20 (11 AM – 3 PM) for a Meet and Greet and book signing. I’ll be signing copies of my two crime thriller novels, A Case Against the Clock and The Ghosts of Willow Beach. For each copy of A Case Against the Clock sold, I’ll be donating $1.00 (CA) to ALS Canada.  

Fun Fact:  A Case Against the Clock contains a Peterborough connection to the plot.  

 

I’m thrilled to announce the launch of my second crime thriller novel, The Ghosts of Willow Beach. It’s a darkly disturbing story about a grisly discovery made inside a dead man’s basement, which prompts an investigation led by homicide detective Dieter Gorman. Shocking revelations about key suspects will expose a decades-long mystery and forever alter Gorman’s perceptions of good and evil. 

A special thank you to Jaret Fattori, Emma Fattori, (the late) Rod Urquhart, Amy McIntyre, Anna Di Meglio, Kathy MacLellan, Darryl Oreskovich, Diane Brousseau and Sigrid Macdonald for their professional assistance, and to the many friends, family members and fellow authors who have provided support, encouragement and inspiration.

The Ghosts of Willow Beach is available as an e-Book and a paperback on Amazon. Stay tuned for news about upcoming book signings in the spring and summer of 2025.

Click Here To Order

I'm excited to announce that my new crime thriller novel, The Ghosts of Willow Beach, is scheduled to be released on Mardch 1, 2025. The book will be available as a Kindle Edition and as a paperback, on Amazon. The Kindle editon is currently available on pre-order at the link below. 

Here's a brief plot summary:

A small fishing boat with two men aboard washes ashore in the sleepy community of Willow Beach. One man doesn’t speak, and the second man – a reclusive scrap dealer – is dead. In conducting his investigation, Homicide Detective Dieter Gorman makes a grizzly discovery at the dead man’s home. In the basement, he’s confronted with a scene of unimaginable horror.

Gorman is drawn into a darkly disturbing case that is impeded by a suspect who is unable to communicate, and by a retired newspaper reporter who might hold important clues but who suffers from Alzheimer disease. In his search for answers, Gorman relies on his savvy street smarts and on LSD, a potent hallucinogenic which has helped him in prior investigations.

Will Gorman’s investigative skills and acid tripping be enough to solve the biggest case of his career? Whatever the final outcome, shocking revelations about key suspects will expose a decades-long mystery and forever alter Gorman’s perceptions of good and evil.

Here is the link to pre-order: Click Here 

 

First Book Signing for 'A Case Against the Clock'

My first-ever book signing event for ‘A Case Against the Clock’ is in the books! By all measures, the day was a resounding success in terms of books sold, overall attendance and lively conversation. A heartfelt thank you to my family, friends and fellow authors who showed up to buy my novel and to offer their support. A special thanks to Melissa Kargus and Michelle Taylor of Indigo Kanata for arranging this event and for their unwavering support for local authors; to Emma, Jaret and Barbie for making the long trek; and to Chi Chi Nguyen for going the extra mile in spreading the word. It was fun meeting readers and talking books, authors, writing, stories, publishing and the written word. For every book sold, I’ll be donating $1.00 (CAN) to ALS Canada.

Franklin Expedition Reimagined Through Fiction

Far too many years have passed since I last read a Dan Simmons novel (Hyperion, Song of Kali, back in the ‘90s). Just finished Simmons’ The Terror (2007), a fictionalized account of the 1845 Franklin Expedition. Simmons constructs a compelling and heart-wrenching narrative of the tragic attempt to locate the Northwest Passage in the Canadian Arctic, based on true events and actual crew members aboard the two ships (HMS Terror and HMS Erebus). Simmons’ vivid descriptions of the hostile winter conditions, coupled with realistic portrayals of the main players, including Captain Sir John Franklin himself and Franklin's second-in-command, Francis Crozier, make for an absorbing work of historical fiction. The novel precedes more or less chronologically using frequent flashbacks and dream sequences. The Terror is further enriched with elements of horror and the supernatural, which create an underlying sense of foreboding as the crews’ circumstances become more desperate and hopeless with each passing day. In addition to being a captivating read, this novel is a study of human nature and the extremes to which men will go when faced with unrelenting threats to their survival. All in all, this is a brilliant novel that left me in awe of Simmons’ talent as a wildly imaginative writer and a gifted storyteller.

Secrets of Stone Is A Remarkable Work of Fantasy Fiction

 

Secrets of Stone is a debut fantasy adventure novel by a talented young writer named Coltrane Seesequasis. Coltrane, a writer of Indigenous heritage who grew up in Gatineau, Quebec, has created a future world in which humans have become extinct and which is ruled by sentient wolves. From start to finish, I was swept up in the coming-of-age adventures of the young wolf, Silversong, who embarks on a perilous journey across a hostile landscape, in an attempt to vanquish his enemies and win the respect of his tribe. The novel is populated by wolves imbued with human characteristics, and includes surprising plot twists, fantastical imagery and remarkable insights into human thought and behaviour. I can’t recommend Secrets of Stone highly enough, and I’m looking forward to the next novel in this planned four-book series. I recently had the pleasure of attending Coltrane’s first-ever book signing, at Indigo Rideau Centre in Ottawa. To learn more about the author and to order Secrets of Stone, visit coltranebooks.com. Congratulations, Coltrane!