**Giveaway** Author Richard Torregrossa Interview - Terminal Life

Today I'm welcoming Richard Torregrossa who is not new to writing but is releasing his debut novel, Terminal Life the first in his Suited Hero series.
Enjoy our brief chat then enter to win your own copy courtesy of his publisher Oceanview, who is quickly becoming my go-to when I'm looking for a great mystery/thriller.
Richard it's all yours!

• ISBN-13: 9781608091201
• Publisher: Oceanview Publishing
• Publication date: 7/1/2014
• Pages: 280

 

Overview

Luke Stark, a Special Forces veteran, returns home from his second tour in Afghanistan to learn that his wife has been mysteriously murdered and his son has disappeared. These tragedies, in addition to suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, push him over the edge. He has also been diagnosed with an incipient form of cancer, but he forgoes treatment, a decision that is akin to a slow suicide.

Oceanview Publishing is graciously
sponsoring this giveaway of one
print copy US only of Terminal Life
Thanks Oceanview
Good Luck!

Richard Welcome to The Reading Frenzy.

Could you tell my readers about Terminal Life?

It kicks off The Suited Hero series. It’s the first sartorial mystery crime thriller featuring Luke Stark whose meticulously maintained suit is almost like a superhero costume, a garment with talismanic powers, and a kind of weapon; it’s as important to him as his 9mm, AK-47, or any of the other weapons in his arsenal.

Luke is a Special Forces veteran who returns home from his second tour in Afghanistan to learn that his wife has been mysteriously murdered and his son has disappeared. These tragedies, in addition to suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, push him over the edge. He has also been diagnosed with an incipient form of cancer, but he forgoes treatment, a decision that is akin to a slow suicide. Although he languishes in a shelter, he wears an impeccable suit, an eccentric characteristic that sets him apart from his fellow down-and-outers and just about everybody else. He is nicknamed, somewhat ironically, The Suited Hero.

Revenge and the search for his son spark a kind of rebirth in him that is as cathartic as it is brutal. This leads him into the dangerous world of illegal prescription drug distribution, where nobody in this noirish mystery crime thriller—not even some family members—is who they appear to be.

Richard I see from the overview of the novel that your protagonist/hero in Terminal Life is a snappy dresser and reflects your professional expertise.

Where did the novel idea come from?

 It came from all my years as a journalist spent writing about menswear and men’s fashion and of course my Cary Grant bio, my interest in mystery crime thriller action movies, and years of martial arts training. I sort of combined all of these passions.

Many heroes in the genre are tough and smart, but they lack style, panache, so I wanted to give Luke Stark a unique characteristic, a kind of mystique that sets him apart, and the suit fit the bill. It reflects his character as well as his quirky personality.

Who is the best-dressed man today?

Me

Of all time?

Cary Grant.

You have written biographies and inspirational-illustrated books.

What led you down the path to novelist?

Ironically, the movies. Terminal LIfe is written in a brisk cinematic style. I love action flicks, the kind starring Jason Statham. Also, street violence and crime. I grew up in Brooklyn, where the novel is set, and saw a lot of it and still do. In fact, it’s gotten worse in some neighborhoods. Violence obviously inimical to society and repulsive to us personally, yet we package it as entertainment. Terminal Life is really a comment on that paradox.

I read on your bio that you are developing your own line of apparel.

How is that coming along and where will shoppers be able to buy your line?

We’re developing The Luke Stark tailored suit. Off the rack suits are often constraining, difficult to move in, and uncomfortable because they are made to fit men of many different shapes. The Luke Stark suit is custom made for your particular anatomy. It’s specially cut for ease of movement and that is demonstrated by Luke Stark in the fight scenes in Terminal Life. Many details make that possible. For instance, The Luke Stark suit is cut with higher armholes that make the suit easy to move in—and as easy to fight in as a tracksuit. My clients contact me personally and we meet so that I can measure them, pick out the fabric, select all the details like a ticket pocket, the button stance, vents, and customize the suit so it fits perfectly like a second skin. Contactmailto:: info@richardtorregrossa.com

Richard is Terminal Life a stand-a-lone?

I hope not. I’ve written ten chapters and a detailed outline for the next one and will complete it if Terminal Life sells and there’s a demand for another one. Or I just might go ahead and finish it because it really kicks ass and it’s enormous fun so far.

Will you be returning to fiction writing?

Yes. I’m deep in a novel that is not a genre novel; it’s not a mystery crime thriller. It’s called Where Have All The Good Girls Gone?

Richard what do you enjoy reading?

I’m a Civil War buff so I read a lot on that topic. I also constantly re-read the classics because writing is my craft and I always find the masters instructive. For instance, I just re-read all of Richard Yates’ fiction and Blake Bailey’s wonderful biography, A Tragic Honesty: The Life of Richard Yates.

Have any authors inspired you?

Yes.

John Cheever, William Styron, Truman Capote, Evelyn Waugh, Gay Talese, and Tom Wolfe.

What are you working on now?

Where Have All the Good Girls Gone? It’s a novel about infidelity, an erotic psychological page-turner about a young professor whose wife's infidelity derails what he thinks is a happy and blissfully uncomplicated life into a dark journey of self-discovery.

Thank you Richard for spending some time with us today.

Is there a link for your events?

Probably the best source of info about events and projects is my Facebook Page:

https://www.facebook.com/RichardTorregrossaAuthor

Thank you!

CONNECT WITH RICHARD -Website - Facebook 

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Richard Torregrossa is an author and a journalist whose work has appeared in The Financial Times, Town & Country, Newsday, The New York Post, The Chicago Tribune, Self, Cosmopolitan, Yoga Journal, Family Circle, and many online outlets. His books include the acclaimed biography Cary Grant: A Celebration of Styles. A first-degree black belt, he is an enthusiastic martial artist who teaches and continues to study a variety of disciplines. He resides in Brooklyn, New York.

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