This year's annual pilgrimage to "The Birthplace of Baseball" in upstate New York yielded a couple of surprises. First, a visit to the Hall of Fame's bookstore revealed the last two copies of The Kid From Dodgertown from the big box of books I'd provided at my speaking engagement and signing in 2023. (Its always a thrill to see your book displayed amongst those of some really terrific writers). Then, the next day at breakfast I met a guy in the wonderfully tiny (28 seats) Cooperstown Diner named Paul Sagnelli, a Vietnam veteran and former NYPD detective who was there with his family to soak in Cooperstown's baseball aura. In our conversation I mentioned the book, and he couldn't wait to get to the Hall and secure one of those last copies. And when this true American hero asked to take a photo with me outside the diner, I was honored to do so. See you next year!
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Recently I had the pleasure of making two appearances in vastly different venues about very different novels. First was my The Kid From Dodgertown book talk at the Spring Meadow senior facility in Trumbull, CT. The subject was baseball, and our audience of seniors knew their stuff. There was even one lady who proudly proclaimed she was 100 years young! Many of attendees shared fond memories of baseball seasons past. Thanks to Lori and Leslie at Spring Meadow for coordinating this fun event. Next up was the Southern New England Relic Hunters Club, which met at Filomena's Restaurant in Waterford, CT. After a fine pasta dinner, president George Potts introduced me to the sizable crowd of treasure hunters for a presentation on my latest novel, Detector Man. It was the first time I was addressing a crowd in which everyone knew more about the subject than me! To say the guys and gals were receptive to my talk is an understatement. We practically sold out on our books, and many expressed their appreciation that this popular hobby is finally being recognized. Thanks again to George for the invitation! Last week I had the pleasure of being a guest on the popular Treasure and Tales podcast from Northern Ireland. Hosts Dan and Ryan could not have been more friendly and accommodating, and our hour together flew by. As a result, sales in the UK picked up immediately, and it's great to see that Barney's story is being enjoyed across the pond! I hope you give it a listen. open.spotify.com/episode/4dX0Fyt93YfZFJnBmEt7VU I recently had the pleasure of talking with host Bob "The Doctor" Soos on Vero Beach's WTTB Radio about my new novel Detector Man, which is probably the "Vero Beachiest" novel ever. He's a great guy, and I thank him for the opportunity. To hear the interview, simply go to Detector Man under "Other Books" on this website. I hope to get your feedback on this brief but informative interview!  On April 15 we had the pleasure of attending the Jackie Robinson Celebration Game at the JRTC (formerly Dodgertown) in Vero Beach. The game, a single-A contest between the Clearwater Threshers (Phillies) and Palm Beach Cardinals, drew a large and enthusiastic crowd. Of course, recently renovated Holman Stadium (1953) played a part in my novel The Kid From Dodgertown (Amazon), so it was a treat to see an historic game in the very ballpark where Jackie and the other Boys of Summer played. Also on hand was special guest Mary Branca, daughter of Ralph Branca, one of Jackie's most supportive teammates when he first joined the Dodgers. We chatted about the book, and she was delighted to learn that I once taught in the same building where her father attended high school, A.B. Davis in Mount Vernon, NY. We hope to make this an annual event in our Vero Beach residence. This past weekend I participated in the annual Beatles on the Beach Festival in Delray Beach, FL, and it was a memorable experience. Maria and I enjoyed the balmy weather and super music from Beatle tribute bands from around the world including Beatline from Finland (who were also very nice guys) and Maria's favorite The Peakles, from her hometown of Lisbon, Portugal. She had fun hanging out with them and conversing in their native tongue before they took the stage for their USA debut. The Delray Beach Amphitheater is a tremendous venue, and from our shady table spot (thanks, Dan!) we had a great view of the performers. I also had the pleasure of giving a talk at the Delray Public Library on my novel 30 Minutes in Memphis: A Beatles Story, and was joined by authors Susan Shumsky (Maharishi and Me) and Charles Rosenay (Book of Top 10 Beatles Lists), who were also by our side on Saturday at the Amphitheater. I must also mention some notable "Beatle People" we met during the weekend, including podcaster Meagan Paese, Sirius XM deejay Caitlin Larkin, Beatles troubadour Mike Kozak, drummer par excellence Gregg Bissonette, and just a lot of Fab Four fans who were there to soak up the sun and great sounds (and buy some books!) Special thanks to event promoter/organizer Daniel Hartwell for putting together this memorable event. We hope to be invited back next year! Recently I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Catholic Sports Radio about my athletic, teaching, coaching, and writing careers. Their weekly podcast is heard worldwide and features both current and former (male and female) athletes and coaches, as well as celebrities from the entertainment world who have sports ties. I had a lot of fun looking back on my days on the football team at Iona College, memorable experiences with my students and players over 42 years in education, and the writing of my book The Rovers: A Tale of Fenway, in which religion figures prominently in the plot. Thanks to host Bruce Wawrzyniak, and my publicist Jenn Vanderslice for putting us together for the program! Click on the link below to hear the interview. catholicsportsradio.net/episode/csr-305-paul-ferrante/ This week I had the pleasure of discussing my writing career and the genesis of my novel Curse of the Fairfield Witch (Fire & Ice Books) with a large and enthusiastic crowd at Oronoque Village. We had a fine dinner and sold quite a few books, with some titles selling out! During and after our book signing I was able to have some great conversations with audience members about the writing process and the subject matter of my various titles. Thanks to Bob Krakovich for extending the invitation. It was a fun evening at beautiful Oronoque Village, and I hope to do it again someday. Recently I received a copy of the book There Are Faces I Remember by Dr. Angie McCartney, Sir Paul's stepmom, and her daughter Ruth McCartney. It was a Father's Day gift from my daughter Caroline, and it was a memorable gift, indeed. This is because, believe it or not, I'm featured in the book! It all started a year or so ago when I received a questionnaire from Angie explaining that she was putting together a book about all the family, friends, and other people she has met over the years who have a Beatle connection. I was selected because she loved my novel 30 Minutes in Memphis: A Beatles Story (Amazon), which led to my appearance on Angie and Ruth's Teaflix Tuesdays Facebook show, where we discussed the book and my Beatle memories. So, I filled out the questionnaire and included a requested author photo. Little did I know that I would be one of 183 people who would end up with their own profile and individually styled artistic "portrait". The book, which is large handsome coffee table tome that comes in its own slipcase, features a cast of incredibly varied celebrities, musicians, authors, family members and friends. And so, yours truly found himself in a mix with such people as Sir Elton John, Sir Rod Stewart, former President Bill Clinton, John Cleese, Richard Branson, Sir George Martin, and all the Beatles, their wives and children, etc. In addition to using the information I provided, the ladies wrote some very sweet comments about my book and our subsequent friendship, which I cherish. If you are a Beatles fan like me, you can check out the book on Amazon through the provided link. I've included my "artistic rendering" here for your perusal. Special thanks to Angie and Ruth for including me in this "fab" Beatles retrospective! www.amazon.com/There-are-Faces-I-Remember/dp/B0CNY7F7SQ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=JOKGEZFLUI5F&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.RhRXUTBspS3RUZsFDPhlOe1-KiKB6W-7UEmXPy88cS_GjHj071QN20LucGBJIEps.n8bRlNkS9-tUkdymGridFhZgojveFwRxO5yj7yKzj3g&dib_tag=se&keywords=there+are+faces+i+remember+book&qid=1718734716&sprefix=there+are+faces+I+remember+bo%2Caps%2C94&sr=8-1 I was pleasantly surprised to see that my six page feature article on Dodger aficionado Jerry Kurtz's man cave made the cover of the June 1st SCD. What a collection! Kudos to Jerry for sharing it with us. BTW, our Facebook page is mentioned in the article. There's also a great article in this same issue about the late, great Carl Erskine, written by Matt Bosch, a collector who corresponded with the former Dodger hurler. Anyway, try to pick up this issue of SCD. It's a true Brooklyn Dodger collector's item! |
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