This week, we're pleased to welcome author VINCENT LOCOCO with his latest release, A SONG FOR BELLAFORTUNA. One lucky visitor will get a free copy of A Song for Bellafortuna. Be sure to leave your email address in the comments of today's author interview for a chance to win. Winner(s) are contacted privately by email. Here's the blurb.
A Song for Bellafortuna is an inspirational Italian Historical Fiction novel concerning a young man’s desire to free his Sicilian village from the domination of one family’s long reign. For years, the beautiful, yet secluded, hilltop village of Bellafortuna, Sicily, was a great producer of wine and olive oil. The entire village prospered. However, after the arrival of the Vasaio family, production dwindles and the villagers soon find themselves in crushing debt to the Vasaios. Only one family in the village remains outside the control of the Vasaios, but the reason haunts Antonio Sanguinetti every day of his life. Antonio is determined to erase this legacy by offering financial and emotional support to his fellow villagers. He introduces them to the choral song from Verdi’s opera, Nabucco, which becomes the rallying cry for the villagers and offers them hope for a better life.
When Antonio’s only son, Giuseppe, discovers his family’s past, he becomes determined to take on the Vasaios and remove them from power. Led by the young Giuseppe, a plan is hatched that could result in either complete freedom for the villagers, or if it fails, forever solidifying the Vasaios’ control.
Find out what happens in A Song for Bellafortuna, a sweeping epic historical fiction tale of love, drama, sacrifice, and redemption, set among the beautiful landscape of Sicily.
NAMED A SHORT LIST FINALIST IN THE WILLIAM FAULKNER-WILLIAM WISDOM WRITING COMPETITION
LISTED BY AMAZON AS A HOT NEW RELEASE IN ITALIAN HISTORICAL FICTION
ADVANCE PRAISE FOR A SONG FOR BELLAFORTUNA
The novel has been called lyrical, intelligent, majestic, magical, powerful and compelling. Here are some advance reviews.
“Vincent B. LoCoco writes a heartwarming piece of historical fiction . . . He captured the essence of the Sicilian culture, especially regarding the value of ancestry and music . . . A Song For Bellafortuna is a beautiful tale of antiquity."
– Readers Favorite 5 Star Review
"The book was a joy to read. It is a wonderful story, told in a magical way.”
-Cavaliere Ufficiale Aldo Mancusi, President of the Enrico Caruso Museum of America in New York
"An inspiring story of an Italian village threatened by commerce and saved by opera."
-John Biguenet, author of The Torturer’s Apprentice and Oyster
About the Author
**Q&A with Vincent B. "Chip" Lococo**
We are joined today by New Orleans writer, Vincent B. “Chip” LoCoco. Welcome. I have a few questions today that I think our readers would love to know about you and your work. Here we go.
Please give us the title and genre of your book and a 30-word or less tagline:
The title of my new book is A Song for Bellafortuna. A Song for Bellafortuna is an inspirational Italian Historical Fiction novel concerning a young man’s desire to free his Sicilian village from the domination of one family’s long reign. For years, the beautiful, yet secluded, hilltop village of Bellafortuna, Sicily, was a great producer of wine and olive oil. The entire village prospered. However, after the arrival of the Vasaio family, production dwindles and the villagers soon find themselves in crushing debt to the Vasaios. Only young Giuseppe Sanguinetti has the courage to face the Vasaios and try to remove them from power.
Tell us a little bit about your cover art. Who designed it? Why did you go with that particular image/artwork?
Bellafortuna is a fictional village located in the hills of Sicily. I always knew I wanted a cover that screamed Sicily. Ana Grigoriu of Stuttgart Germany designed the cover. She was wonderful to work with on this project. She came by way of a recommendation and I could not have been more pleased. The villagers produce wine so not only did it have to be a village but it also needed vineyards. She captured the entire feel with the photo she picked.
Who is your favorite character from your book and why?
That is such a hard question to answer. Of course, Giuseppe Sanguinetti is the protagonist, and the character I thought most about during the course of writing. However, his father, Antonio, is the one character who I really would say is my favorite. Without giving too much away, let’s just say his love for his son in unending, and he could not stand to see his son fail.
How can we contact you or find out more about your books?
The best way to contact me is by way of my website. www.vincentlococo.com. There you can sign up to get updates, news, blog entries, giveaways and keep up with my other novel, Tempesta’s Dream – A Story of Love, Friendship and Opera about an aspiring opera singer growing up in Milan.
Who are some of your favorite authors that you feel were influential in your work? What impact have they had on your writing?
I am always asked this question, and my answer never changes. J.R.R. Tolkien was the one. He inspired me to love to read, to love the concept of “a story”, to get lost in a created world, and to love great storytelling. All of those things had an impact on my writing. When I think of an author, I think of him.
Any writing rituals?
After two novels, I have become known as an Italian Historical Fiction writer. That does seem appropriate as before I was even given that moniker, my writing ritual always involved earplugs in my ear usually listening to the great opera arias sung by the world greatest singers, di Stefano, Pavarotti, Domingo, Gigli, Callas, Tebaldi, etc. If that does not put you into an Italian romantic vein, then nothing will.
Do you meet your readers at book signings, conventions, or similar events?
I do and I really enjoy meeting them. I have also been asked to give talks about my novel. I will admit I can’t stand just standing in front of an audience and reading from my novel. My books are released as Audiobooks with professional narration. Bob Neufeld, my reader, does a much better job reading my book then I ever could. So instead, I now discuss the book in the broader text of Italy and music, which is a vital component of my novels. Of course, I have musical selections played and the audience has a wonderful time learning about different locals and listening to the wonderful music. Throw in a bottle of Chianti, and it’s as if you have been transported to Italy.
Well, it’s been a pleasure. Thanks for having me. Ciao.
Award winning and bestselling author, Vincent B. "Chip" LoCoco, lives in New Orleans. His first novel, Tempesta's Dream - A Story of Love, Friendship and Opera, became an Amazon bestselling novel and was awarded the 2014 Pinnacle Achievement Award in Historical Fiction. Amazon also has named his book as a Top Rated Novel in Italian Historical Fiction. His most recent novel, A Song for Bellafortuna, was shortlisted in the William Faulkner - William Wisdom Competition. He is an estate planning attorney in New Orleans, where he lives with his wife and two children. Visit him at www.vincentlococo.com.
Website: www.vincentlococo.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/tempestasdream
Twitter: https://twitter.com/VincentBLoCoco
