Murder on the Steel Pier: A Tess Mancini Time Travel Mystery
by Rosie Genova
About Murder on the Steel Pier
Murder on the Steel Pier: A Tess Mancini Time Travel Mystery
Historical Mystery
1st in Series
Setting -1955 Atlantic City
Publisher : Two Roses Books
(March 31, 2025)
Print length : 321 pages
Digital ASIN : B0DS934RJL
Greetings from the Nifty Fifties…The morning after a blowout birthday celebration in Atlantic City, crime reporter and party girl Tess Mancini wakes up in an unfamiliar place—1955. Bread is eighteen cents a loaf, Ike occupies the White House, and the Boardwalk is crawling with vintage cars and vintage wise guys. A bewildered Tess is sure of only two things: One, she’s not crazy, and two, the clothes are fabulous. Somehow, she’s living the life of her Great-Aunt Theresa, who disappeared decades before Tess’s birth.
In her 1950s existence, Tess is a reporter at the local newspaper, living at a boarding house owned by her Zia Antonetta, an Italian immigrant with a big secret. It turns out Theresa has a kid brother, teenaged troublemaker Val Mancini—aka Tess’s paternal grandfather. Though determined to return to her own time, Tess’s curiosity takes over. What happened to the first Theresa Mancini? And is Tess’s trip through time connected to her aunt’s fate?But when young Val is accused of murdering a boarding house guest, a Nazi in hiding, Tess ends up with two investigations on her hands—and is now stuck in time until she can prove Val’s innocence. As she searches for answers, she finds allies in a dishy police detective and a suspiciously charming fellow reporter. The clock is ticking for Tess to find a way home, but first, she has to keep her grandfather off Death Row.
Because before Tess can get back to the future … she needs to make sure she has one.
About Rosie Genova
Proud Jersey girl Rosie Genova is a multi-genre author. Her work includes a Jersey shore cozy series, The Italian Kitchen Mysteries, and The Tess Mancini Time Travel Mysteries, set in 1955 Atlantic City. She is also the author of standalone suspense and a couple of rom-coms that presently live in her computer files (but are longing to be released into the wild). A former teacher and journalist, Rosie’s non-fiction has appeared in a variety of publications, including Entrepreneur magazine and The New York Times. The mother of three sons, Rosie still lives in her favorite state with her husband, too many dusty antiques, and a charming mutt named Lucy.
INTERVIEW
1.
When did you first
realize you wanted to be a writer?
Since I was about eight years old. I used to write poetry on the
yellow memo pads my mom kept by the phone.
2.
How long does it take
you to write a book?
It generally takes me 8 to 9 months to write and revise a book.
Then another month to copyedit and proof. I wish I were faster!
3.
What is your work
schedule like when you're writing?
I probably work about 4 hours per day when I’m in the middle of
a project. (Six hours if I have a deadline!)
4.
What would you say is
your interesting writing quirk?
I don’t know that it’s a quirk, but I’m a cross-genre writer—everything
from cozy mystery to dark suspense to rom-coms.
5.
How do books get
published?
Big question! But the short answer is either traditionally, with
an agent who (hopefully) is able to place your book with a publisher. Or
independently, through any number of services available for authors. I have
published my work both traditionally and independently.
6.
Where do you get your
information or ideas for your books?
Often,
my ideas for my books start with a question. For my first series, The Italian
Kitchen Mysteries, it was: What if a mystery writer went home to research her
family for a different kind of book, but ended up solving mysteries in real
life? For Murder on the Steel Pier, the question was a little crazier:
What if a Millennial partied a little too hard in Atlantic City and woke up in
1955? And then had to work to keep her own grandfather off Death Row? From
there I was off and running.
7.
When did you write your
first book and how old were you?
I was a journalist when my kids were young, so I really honed my
craft that way. I had a few personal essays published after that, and started a
blog. But I didn’t tackle my first novel until I went back to teaching in my
forties. So I was on deadline to finish my first cozy mystery while teaching
freshman English, journalism, and advising the school’s weekly newspaper. And
uh, taking care of three kids.
8.
What do you like to do
when you're not writing?
Reading!
Exciting, I know. But I also like to cook and bake, and I love to spend time in
the Catskills, where I mostly…read.
9.
What does your family
think of your writing?
My
biggest fan is my husband, who reads everything I write. That spot was shared
with my late mom, who I’m happy to say lived long enough to see my first book
published.
10.
What was one of the most
surprising things you learned in creating your books?
Honestly,
how critical revision is to the process. And have other eyes on your work to
see the things you miss because you’re just too close to the story.
11.
How many books have you
written? Which is your favorite?
Murder on the Steel Pier is my tenth book; I’ve written four cozy mysteries which are
also published. The other five include two rom-coms, two suspense novels, and
one women’s fiction story. I’m planning to publish one of the suspense novels
this summer. My favorite book is probably my first novel, a romantic comedy
inspired by the Shakespeare play, Much Ado about Nothing. I just loved writing
it and I adore the two main characters. Maybe they’ll come out to play one of
these days…
12.
Do you have any
suggestions to help me become a better writer? If so, what are they?
Learn
everything you can about your craft. Learn everything you can about the
publishing world, from how to query agents to the process of publishing and
marketing. No one can do that for you; you really have to be willing to roll up
your sleeves and go to work.
Do
you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?
I
do hear from readers, often on Facebook in the comments, but sometimes through
my contact page on my website. Lots of people seem to relate to the Italian
families in my books!
13.
Do you like to create
books for adults?
Yes—I don’t think I’m cut out to write for kids!
14.
What do you think makes
a good story?
Well
developed, believable characters who talk like real people. High stakes to keep
the reader involved in the story. And a satisfying ending, even if it’s not a
traditionally happy one.
15.
As a child, what did you
want to do when you grew up?
I’m
doing it! I always joke that other kids wanted toys—I wanted an ISBN.
(Identifying number of a published book that appears on the copyright page.)
16.
What would you like my
readers to know?
That
without them, we authors are playing to an empty house!
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Thanks so much for the interview and for highlighting Murder on the Steel Pier!
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