Author Interview & Giveaway: Frank Nappi
We are excited to welcome author, Frank Nappi, to the nest today. Giveaway details can be found at the end of this post. The Giveaway is open to U.S. Residents only.
Andrea @ Reading Lark: How long have you been writing?
Frank: I have been writing my whole life in one way or another, but I was first published formally in 2005.
Andrea @ Reading Lark: Can you describe your novel in five words?
Frank: Artful, thought-provoking baseball drama.
Andrea @ Reading Lark: Where did you get the idea for this novel?
Frank: The idea for the novel came from my love for baseball and my experiences with special needs individuals whom I met through Best Buddies and Challenger Baseball.
Andrea @ Reading Lark: Which character is your favorite to write?
Frank: Arthur Murphy was perhaps the most enjoyable character to craft because so much Murph is embodied in many baseball folks I know, including myself.
Andrea @ Reading Lark: What was the road to publication like for you?
Frank: Tumultuous and frustrating, but ultimately rewarding. It is not an easy thing to accomplish.
Andrea @ Reading Lark: What is your favorite bird?
Frank: I detest birds, but if I have to answer, the penguin wins hands down.
Bio:
Frank Nappi has taught high school English and Creative Writing for over twenty years. His debut novel, Echoes From The Infantry, received national attention, including MWSA's silver medal for outstanding fiction for 2006. His follow-up novel, The Legend of Mickey Tussler, garnered rave reviews as well, including a screenplay adaptation of the touching story which aired nationwide in the fall of 2011 (A Mile in His Shoes starring Dean Cain and Luke Schroder). Frank continues to produce quality work, including The Legend of Mickey Tussler: Sophomore Campaign, the intriguing sequel to the much heralded original story, and is presently at work on a third installment of the unique series. Frank lives on Long Island with his wife Julia and their two sons, Nicholas and Anthony.
The Legend of Mickey Tussler
Seventeen-year-old Mickey Tussler is recruited to play for a minor league affiliate of the Boston Braves. Arthur Murphy swears Mickey has the greatest arm he has ever seen, that anybody has ever seen. And it might be true. But Mickey's autism is prohibitive. It keeps him sealed off from a world he scarcely understands. Lost both in the memory of his former life with an abusive father and the challenges of a new world filled with heckling teammates, opponents and fans, there's no way Mickey can succeed. But his inimitable talent -- one of the most gifted arms in the history of baseball -- gives him a chance. Can he survive a real life dream? Or are the harsh realities of life too much for him? This is the powerful underdog story of how a young man with an extraordinary gift comes of age in a harsh and competitive world.
Sophomore Campaign (the sequel to The Legend of Mickey Tussler)
It's 1949 and eighteen-year-old pitching phenom Mickey Tussler is back with the rejuvenated minor league Brewers in the sequel to The Legend of Mickey Tussler (the basis for the television movie A Mile in His Shoes). Despite Mickey's proclamation that he will never play baseball again after last season's violent conclusion, his manager and now surrogate father Arthur Murphy cajoles the emotionally fragile, socially awkward boy with autism into giving it another shot. Mickey reluctantly returns to the field and must once again cope with the violence and hatred around him. When a young African American player joins the team, the entire team is subjected to racial threats and episodes of violence, one of which Mickey witnesses firsthand. Struggling to understand such ugliness and hatred, and fearful of reprisal should he tell anyone about what he hasseen, the boy's performance on the field suffers. Mickey now must deal with a side of human nature he scarcely comprehends.
Frank's Efforts to Support Autism Advocacy and Awareness
Frank Nappi, the author of "The Legend of Mickey Tussler" and "Sophomore Campaign," is donating part of the proceeds from the books to Best Buddies International.
In a blog, Nappi said, "In an effort to support greater autism advocacy and awareness, I am pleased to announce that with the sale of each paperback copy of The Legend of Mickey Tussler or Sophomore Campaign between Friday, July 6 and Friday, July 27 on Amazon.com, I will donate a portion of the proceeds to Best Buddies International - a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities."
The Mickey Tussler series chronicles the coming of age of a young pitching phenom with autism on a minor league baseball team during the 1940s.
You can read more about Nappi's efforts by going to: http://bestbuddiesblog.wordpress.com/2012/07/01/best-buddies-truly-rewarding-on-so-many-levels/
Sounds like an interesting series, even though I'm not into baseball.
ReplyDelete(And penguins are pretty awesome birds.)