FAQ

Here are a few of the most frequently asked questions:
How did you get the idea to write The Scam? The original inspiration came to me about twenty years ago while I was working as vice president for an independent commercial bank on Long Island. At that time one of the bank's senior officers mysteriously disappeared. He was the commercial loan officer. One of the loans that he had made had become delinquent and I was in the process of reviewing the file and drawing up papers to write off the loan when I came upon a suicide letter that he had left behind. In his letter, the loan officer explained just how he was duped into making the loan, and how his life was threatened by the client that he gave the loan to. The letter startled me, and my first thought was that it sounded like something right out of Hollywood. I began to do some research and drafted an outline for a book. Eventually, I started to write a manuscript. However, at that time, I could not think of a proper ending for my book so I put the manuscript asside with the intention of finishing it sometime in the future. As the years passed I became involved with other matters and did not get around to finishing my manuscript until after I retired. By that time I had to completely revise and rewrite my novel, but I finally had an ending.
How much of your novel is true and how much is fiction? Well, as I mention in the Author's Note at the begining of my book, The Scam is a work of fiction based on actual events. I will say this: the disapearance of the loan officer is factual, as is the loan that he made. The bank's client was connected to organized crime and allegedly did threaten the loan officers life. Also. the bank that he worked for was eventually closed by the bank regulators, and many of the events that I write about led to the demise of that bank. I will leave the rest up to the readers imagination.
Why did you self-publish your novel rather than use a traditional publisher? There are several reasons for my decision to self-publish. To begin with, I wanted to have my book published in a timely manner, and as a new author I knew that it could be years before I found a traditional publisher willing to publish my book. By that time my novel could be dated. Also, I felt hat if I had a published book, rather than an unread manuscript, I would have a better chance of attracting the attention of a literary agent to represent me in the future publication of other novels that I write. That is of course if my first novel was good enough attract the attention of an agent or a traditional publisher. As it is my desire to have my novel turned into a movie, I wanted to have a finished book to show to film producers. At this stage I am activly seeking a literary agent to represent me.
Is self-publishing expensive? Yes, it is costly. Also, you have to be careful to select a reputable publishing company. I selected iUniverse to publish my novel because they were recommended by a friend and fellow author. I also looked at other books that were published by iUniverse and liked the quality of their product. There are some down sides to self-publishing though: for one, do not expect to make a profit from your book sales, the publisher takes 80% of your profit. And you can count on spending a lot of time marketing your book if you expect any success. However, like anything else in life, you only get out what you put in.
Will detective Vince Bianco appear in your future novels? I do plan to use Vince as a continuing character in other novels. I feel that he has a good future in my books, and, who knows, perhaps he will star in a regular TV series some day.