Book #3 - Book Description for A Piece of You:
Homicide Detective Sami Rizzo is at it again! She never dreamed “America’s Finest City,” would be tormented by yet another serial killer, but for the third time in the last five years a depraved maniac is stalking the streets of San Diego. Based on her qualifications and prior successes dealing with multiple murders, who else would Captain Davison assign to head the investigation?
Different from Sami’s past experiences, this fanatic is like no other. His methods of killing defy everything profilers think they know about serial killers. As an intense investigation begins and bits and pieces of evidence emerge, no one can understand his motivation. He’s merciful, yet brutal. And just to make things even more confusing, all of his victims are blood-related. Is he settling a vendetta? Did he randomly pick a name out of the phone book and begin a rampage? Or is there a deeper story?
Based on very little evidence and a lot of gut instincts, Detective Rizzo pieces together a complex puzzle and narrows the field of possible suspects. She learns that the killings may connect in some way to powerful people within the judicial system and doesn’t know who to trust. Ultimately, she comes face to face with the killer for a battle of brain and brawn. Can she outwit the shrewd killer, or will she be his next victim?
Book # 2 - Book description for Resuscitation:
Two years ago, Detective Sami Rizzo narrowly escaped a brush with death at the hands of a serial killer. After apprehending the killer and bringing him to justice, this life-changing event compels her to resign from the police force. In her heart of hearts, however, she struggles with the decision. But a second serial killer—a well- respected doctor gone astray—uses his charm to seduce his victims and then performs horrific surgical experiments on them. In a final act of depravity, he scatters their mutilated bodies throughout San Diego County. Feeling a sense of duty and obligation, Sami Rizzo appeals to the police chief and mayor, and they reinstate her as a homicide investigator. As the body count grows and the killer’s experiments become more and more brutal, Sami follows one dead-end lead after another, while trying to deal with a sickly mother and a turbulent relationship with her lover. But then the killer makes a crucial mistake: one of his victims survives. Sami does everything to protect the barely alive victim, but the killer has a different plan.
Book # 1 - Book Description for They Never Die Quietly:
They Never Die Quietly tells the story of homicide Detective Sami Rizzo, who is assigned to head a task force investigating serial killings in San Diego. Simon, the highly intelligent, cunning, and deceptively charming villain, redefines the depths of human evil. He believes God has given him absolute authority to purify his unholy victims through a ritual that ends in a grisly crucifixion. Driven by warped religious beliefs and guided by his dead mother, very much alive in his subconscious, Simon abducts “chosen ones” and holds them captive in a Room of Redemption. There, the victims helplessly await their crucifixion. Detective Rizzo urgently yearns to solve the case and gain the respect of her male colleagues, but her obsession to apprehend the killer on her own clouds her thinking. When Simon outsmarts Rizzo and captures her, determined to make her his next victim, she must employ all her resources—both physical and intellectual—to outwit the villain at his own game.
Author's Bio:
Daniel M. Annechino, a former book editor specializing in full-length fiction, wrote his first book, How to Buy the Most Car for the Least Money, in 1992 while working as a General Manager in the automobile business. But his passion had always been fiction, particularly thrillers. He spent two years researching serial killers before finally penning his gripping and memorable debut novel They Never Die Quietly.
His second book, Resuscitation (Thomas & Mercer 2011), a follow-up to his first novel, hit #1 in Kindle sales in the UK and reached #26 in the USA. He is also the author of I Do Solemnly Swear (Thomas & Mercer 2012) and Hypocrisy. A Piece of You is his fifth novel, the third in the Detective Sami Rizzo series. A native of New York, Annechino now lives in San Diego with his wife, Jennifer. He loves to cook, enjoys a glass of vintage wine, and spends lots of leisure time on the warm beaches of Southern California.
Interview
1. When did you
first realize you wanted to be a writer?
It may sound strange, but I never had
the desire nor realized I had the ability to write something other than a
one-page editorial until I was over forty years old. I was a general manager in
the car business at the time and for no particular reason I decided to write a
book focused on the intelligent way to buy a car. Several months later I found
an agent, she made a publishing deal for me within a week and it sold 22,000 copies.
“Wow,” I said, “that was easy.” So, feeling prepared to be the next Stephen
King, I released my repressed desire to one day write the great American novel
and I wrote my first novel in 1993. Couldn’t sell it anywhere. Somewhat
discouraged, I wrote a second novel. I couldn’t sell that one either. I gave it
one more shot and wrote #3. Guess what? It still sits on a shelf collecting
dust with the first two. I gave up writing and pretty much forgot about it. But
I got the bug again in 2008 and wrote They
Never Die Quietly, novel #4. That’s correct. I took about a 13 year hiatus.
Novel #4 made it through the maze and Thomas & Mercer published it in 2010.
To date I have published 5 novels.
2. How long does
it take you to write a book?
That’s a complicated question because
as Sol Stein, world renowned book editor and novelist once said, “There is no
such thing as good writing; only good rewriting.” This is an important lesson
that all serious writers need to embrace. Once the first draft is completed,
that’s when the real work begins. I generally can write a first draft in about
8 or 9 months. But before I can deliver a nearly-flawless manuscript to an
editor, the editorial process takes another 3 or 4 months. And even at that, a
book is never truly finished. On any given day I can pick up one of my books,
turn to a random page, and see something I wish I had written differently. You
have to know when it’s time to edit and when it’s time to write, “The End,” and
walk away.
3. What is your
work schedule like when you're writing?
When I start a book I literally
vanish from the face of the earth and live in another dimension with my
characters. If you don’t believe me, ask my wife. She feels like a widow every
time I write a book. My mind is writing, editing, pruning, fleshing out, and
developing characters every conscious minute of my life. I’m not implying that
every writer gets sucked into their books. I’m just saying that once I get on
that merry-go-round I can’t get off until the book is finished.
4. What would you
say is your interesting writing quirk?
I’m not so sure this is “interesting”
but I sometimes tend to give my villain more depth than my protagonist. Don’t
get me wrong. It’s very important to create a three dimensional villain. I just
have to be careful that my protagonists don’t lurk in the shadows of my
villains.
5. How do books
get published?
I hate to be the bearer of bad news,
but if you take self-publication out of the equation, only about 5% of all books
submitted to publishers ever make it to brick and mortar bookstores, Amazon.com,
and other online and retail outlets. Writing books, particularly novels, is a
ferociously competitive business and the market is overcrowded. It’s very hard
for a yet undiscovered writer to get noticed. It’s the old catch 22. You need a
track record to get published but how do you establish a track record if no one
will publish your work? You have the best shot of getting published by writing
a compelling story, finding an agent,
and letting them deal directly with acquisition editors. If an agent takes you
on as a client, they see potential in your work. If you try to go directly to a
publisher, in my humble opinion, it’s a dead-end street.
6. Where do you
get your information or ideas for your books?
Unlike the “typical” writer (if there
is such a thing), I hate outlining a book before I start writing. My creative
juices begin flowing once I start a book with a very basic premise. For
example, I wrote They Never Die Quietly
with a simple idea: I wanted to create a misguided religious fanatic who
believed that God chose him to “purify” the world. 78,000 words later, I wrote,
“The End”. When I begin a book I just start writing and one plot twist fosters
another, one character grows into 10 characters, and the main plot spawns
several sub-plots. I’ve tried to outline a book before beginning to write and
the results were disastrous.
7. What do you
like to do when you're not writing?
I read whenever I can but find that
my attention span isn’t as focused as it should be. Since I began writing I can
no longer read a book as a casual reader. I find myself editing every line and
that really distracts me and takes me out of the story. Aside from that, I like
movies, good wine, when I have time I like to cook, I love the San Diego Zoo,
I’m a big Padres and Charger fan, and of course, I love to travel. Last, I hate
to admit it, but I could easily waste away in front of the TV for hours. We now
have so many choices that it’s easy to get seduced by the “Boob Tube”.
8. What does your family think of your
writing?
Most can’t believe that I have 5
novels and one nonfiction book published. Whether or not they like my writing
is another story altogether. Most of my books are hard-boiled thrillers, so a
few of my squeamish family members can’t get past the first chapter. But for
the most part everyone in my family offers encouraging words.
9. What was one of
the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?
That being a writer is so much more
than just writing. In this day and age any writer who has dreams of success
must also be involved in marketing, promotion, manage a web site and blog, and
have a presence on social media. Any writer who thinks that writers only write
is in for a big surprise.
10. Do you have any suggestions to help me become a
better writer? If so, what are they?
Above
all, write every day even if it’s only a paragraph or two. But don’t force the
creative process. If it isn’t working, walk away. Most important, never forget
that rejection is a prerequisite for success. Few, if any writers make it right
out of the gate. My folder of rejection letters from agents and editors is two
inches thick. If you love to write, don’t write for fame and fortune; write
because it’s your passion.
11. Do you hear
from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?
Most of my readers who contact me are
kind and complimentary. But every so often I get called out on the carpet for
something. And on a few occasions, I’ve been bludgeoned by a reader. When
you’re out there for everyone to see, your Achilles heel is exposed to the
world.
12. What do you
think makes a good story?
Simply put, strong, engaging and
unique characters. Plots are a dime a dozen but truly original characters are
few and far between.
13. As a child,
what did you want to do when you grew up?
I haven’t yet grown up. Ask me in a
few years.
14. What would you
like my readers to know?
I
don’t want to burst anyone’s bubble, but writing is not as glamorous as it
might seem. Few writers reach a level where they make tons of money and get
invited as guests on talk shows. It’s a demanding, difficult career choice and
it requires tremendous tenacity and discipline. It isn’t a job for the faint of
heart. But I can tell you this: if crafting a story with vivid characters and
page-turning suspense is your passion, then there are few jobs that offer more
satisfaction.
My Review:
Homicide Detective Sami Rizzo has dealt with serial killers before. This time she has been asked to deal with someone who is a totally different kind of killer. Why is someone killing people that are all members of the same family? What could the people in this family have done to make someone hate all of them? No one even Sami can figure out what this is all leading up to. This is going to be a a really hard mystery crime to solve. What does this case have to do with others that are very well connected and who have a lot of friends in high places? Is this a set up for something else a lot bigger? I give this book a 5/5. I was given this book for as review and these are all my own opinions.
Prizes:
Win 1 of 20 print (or gifted Kindle) copies of A Piece of You: A Sami Rizzo Thriller
(open to USA & Canada)
Thanks so much for the great review of, "A Piece of You." I appreciate you taking the time to feature all three Sami Rizzo novels.
ReplyDeleteBest regards,
D.M. Annechino