Mercy is a fascinating supernatural account of one man’s struggle to overcome his family’s mistakes. What was the inspiration behind this engaging story?

I found it interesting that the Literary Titan reviewer discovered a layer to my story which I didn’t actively intend, but which in retrospect, is apparent to me as well. There is one particular chapter near the beginning of Mercy which addresses the “turmoil, sadness, sickness and death” which had inflicted Anthony’s extended family. The demon is initially attracted to the Napolitano family because of the love which is abundant throughout, but also because Anthony’s grandfather is essentially an evil person at heart, who was ripe for possession. So, in that respect, Anthony’s journey is an attempt to overcome the failings of his family and the tragedies to which they were subjected because of them. Believe it or not, the initial inspiration for the story of Mercy was the stone cross fragment which I saw and photographed outside a small shop in Woodstock, NY. It is the cover of the book. It started me on a game of “What if…?” which eventually became the story of Anthony and the demon and his cosmic connection to a 17^th century woman. 

Anthony is an intriguing and well developed character. What were some ideals that guided his character development?

The character of Anthony is based largely upon me and some of the experiences that I had as a child, as a young man, and, now, as an older man. But he is of course an idealized version of me. I’m not at all sure I would have had the courage and fortitude to deal with a demon for a good portion of my life! His feelings are largely my own, but his problems and solutions, of course, are not. When the central theme of the book eventually became clear to me, that “love reallydoes conquer all,” I needed to make sure that Anthony was not only prepared to face the demon, but equally prepared to face, embrace, and most of all be worthy of, the rare love which would one day come his way. 

I enjoyed the unique take on angels and demons in this book. What were some themes you wanted to explore in your novel?

The primary theme here was tied into the questions, “What exactly is religion?” and “Who exactly is the being we call God?” I guess these questions arose from my own questions about, and struggles with, Catholicism and being raised in the “Italian-American version” of the Catholic Church. Shortly after Anthony meets his mentor/confessor Professor James Gilligan, a former divinity student, he asks him if he still believes in God. Gilligan’s answer to that question is the starting point to Anthony’s defensive posture against the demon. 

What is the next story that you are working on and when will it be available?

I’m currently seven chapters into my next book, which is tentatively titled The Walrus, and is another supernatural mystery tale. The story is essentially an exploration into the possibility that something, or someone, could be inherently both good and evil. I’m hoping to have it available by the end of this year or early 2021.

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