Bookpleasures.com welcomesas our guest Victor (Vic) DiMartino author of Escapes.

Vic was born in Casablanca, Morocco and emigrated to the USA with his parents as a young boy. He was raised in a rural New Jersey township.

His post-secondary education was interrupted after he was drafted into the Army during the Vietnam War era.

When he was stationed near the Minneapolis-Saint Paul airport, he met his wife Vickie and after an honorable discharge from the military service he married Vickie and resumed his education.

Vic had many business promotions and re-locations over the next two decades as his career continued to advance. In spite of his busy schedule he managed to earn his undergraduate and graduate degrees over the course of twenty years. During his career in executive positions for several national firms, some of his responsibilities included writing contracts, business reports and articles which led to honing his writing skills..

After retiring from his corporate profession he and his wife moved to Florida where Victor owned and operated several businesses. No longer burdened by the hectic demands of his former business life which involved extensive travel, he now had time to reflect on his boyhood experiences in Morocco.

Norm: Good day Vic and thanks for taking the time to participate in our interview.

Vic: Thank you, Norm.

Norm: What are your thoughts as to why people read biographies and autobiographies?

Vic: As interesting as life is, biographies lend a depth and appreciation for readers whose own experiences differ markedly. Biographies open the reader’s mind from what they may perceive to be an uneventful life while also revealing facts that would have been otherwise unknown.

Norm: Do you feel that writers, regardless of genre owe something to readers, if not, why not, if so, why and what would that be?

Vic: I feel writers owe readers a memorable reading experience. One that outweighs the time spent reading a book. The reader must be entertained, emotionally drawn into the story and once finished reading it, should be left with the feeling that it was time well spent.

Norm: What motivated you to write Escapes and why did you decide to write it as a novel rather than a biography?

Vic: Though short, my time spent with my paternal grandfather in Casablanca was precious and left an indelible mark on me. I wanted to let readers know that despite his career as a politician under the Mussolini Regime and his passion for writing—frowned upon by his family—he was a man they never fully understood.

Most of the events in Escapes actually happened, however details of the family’s escape from Sicily as well as much of the dialogue were from my own imagination, thus the reason for writing it as a novel rather than a biography.

Norm: What were your goals and intentions in this book, and how well do you feel you achieved them and what do you hope will be the everlasting thoughts for readers who finish your book?

Vic: My goals were to tell the story of the rather unique events in my family’s lives and reveal the little-known story of Italy’s involvement in WWI. I think readers will be entertained by the family events and learn something about Italy’s role in WWI.

Norm: Did you see your book from an outline or did it come from a completed manuscript?

Vic: I started with an outline of chapter headings and, after rearranging some of them wrote the manuscript.

Norm: Did you have a special approach to showing how people deal with change?

Vic: Since the events in Escapes are based on true stories, those that I was familiar with, the approach was relatively straightforward.

Norm: You include some very detailed dialogues in the book between Arturo and others, where did that dialogue come from?

Vic: It came from my imagination as to what would have been discussed in the specific circumstances…after all that is one of the reasons it is a novel.

Norm: How long did it take you to write the book and how much research did you assign to its writing?

Vic: It took almost three years, counting revisions, editing and research. The latter, which was approximately 50% of the time spent, was driven by my desire to find what motivated my grandfather, Arturo, to become a politician in Fascist Italy.

The research uncovered some rather interesting facts of why Italy joined the Allies in WWI; how she was betrayed long after hostilities ended despite the pivotal role she played in ending the war; and how the country was in ruins after the war’s aftermath. Many of the accounts concerning Italy’s involvement in WWI are little-known. They are not in the common mainstream of WWI history.

Norm: What was the most difficult part of writing this book and what did you enjoy most about writing the book?

Vic: The most difficult part was how to merge the research into the biographical family events. I enjoyed learning about Italy’s role in winning the war and I developed a deep appreciation for her sacrifices and better understood the reasons for siding with Germany in WWII.

Norm: Can you tell us how you found representation for your book? Did you pitch it to an agent, or query publishers who would most likely publish this type of book? Any rejections? Did you self-publish?

Vic: I sent the manuscript to Covenant Books, and it was accepted. I did not self publish it. I was lucky to have my first submission accepted.

Norm: Will there be any unique ways you'll be marketing your book that is different from how others authors market their books?

Vic: As a first time author I’m learning and exploring many avenues in marketing the book including press releases by Covenant and a marketing campaign launched in Great Britain. I have a website with links to Amazon, the Amazon Author page and Covenant Books which also provided a thirty second You Tube video. Obviously Norm, your service is included in my marketing efforts.

Norm: Where can our readers find out more about you and Escapes?

Vic: Escapes in both paperback and digital formats is at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Apple iTunes and bookstores under Escapes Vic DiMartino. The book’s website is HERE

Norm: What is next for Vic DiMartino?

Vic: I’ve started to write a sequel about our life in the United States, but I’m unsure if it will be a biography or some other fictional genre.

Norm: As this interview comes to an end, what question do you wish that someone would ask about your book, but nobody has? 

Vic: Why did you decide to write the book?

Norm: Thanks once again and good luck with all of your future endeavours.

FOLLOW HERE TO READ NORM'S REVIEW OF ESCAPES