Friday, October 9, 2020

 


Title: Waiting for Grandfather

Author: Michael De Stefano
Pages: 246
Date Published: 2020
Publisher: Night to Dawn Magazine
Genre: Coming of Age

Synopsis:
Meet the Corelli clan. Told by the oldest grandson, Frank, this family tapestry, with pathos and hilarity, begins weaving itself in the 1930s and rollicks through four riotous decades. The strongest thread is its oldest member, Antonio. To the ragtag Corelli clan, he is an ocean—an unwavering force upon which they rely. Lizzy, the youngest Corelli, is the brightest thread. Emanating from her is the light by which they see the world. Spanning these dynamic figures is an oddball cast of characters that keep one another in stitches right up until the life-affirming surprise birthday party of their beloved patriarch.

~Try an Excerpt!~

With the long hours he worked, along with the time and trouble of looking after Uncle Al and Uncle Nunzio, who were always full of surprises, Antonio hardly had time for a love interest. But since Mama Corelli moved in, his load has been lightened. He began to consider his life, where it was headed, and the possibility of finding a nice girl with whom he could settle down. With his share of the newspaper tucked under his arm, he turned about and began his slow, plodding walk home. Never before had Antonio seen the slim, elegant woman around Swampoodle, and he wondered if he would ever see her again. He hadn’t gone but a few paces in the direction of Twenty-sixth and Indiana, when he heard someone call out, “Sir.” Alertly he spun around and saw the mysterious woman walking briskly in his direction, as briskly as she had run from him earlier. Throughout the day, she had heard speculations and murmurings regarding the volatility and unrest that led up to the Germany Invades Poland headline; and since she was a learned young woman who prided herself in keeping informed, she was anxious to get her hands on a newspaper. “I just remembered,” she said, for in her alacrity she had forgotten, “my father, without fail, buys the Bulletin every day at four.” After apologizing for the oversight, she handed over her sections of the newspaper to Antonio and again went scurrying off. Before Antonio had the presence of mind to call after her, out of the corner of his eye, he saw written on one of the paper’s white margins: Elizabeth Erwin, Cumberland 9-4762. 


Nothing can make a man’s day or boost his demeanor more than having been acknowledged by a pretty girl, especially if it’s a girl with whom he has developed a sudden interest. As a young man, I wished that whenever it was my turn to meet Miss Right, I, too, would experience a chance encounter and have an enchanting tale to tell; but such scenarios only seemed to have occurred back in a time called the good old days, when our country was innocent and its society less guarded—a time when an out-of-the-blue romantic encounter with a handsome stranger was not only permissible or possible but something a gal might even hope for. Nowadays it’s difficult to imagine two people reaching for the same newspaper, assuming newspapers will continue to exist. Clunking heads while walking the mall, because both are fixated on a miniature screen while trading thumbed messages with someone at another mall would seem the more likely scenario; although, it’s unlikely that anything resembling romance would follow such an encounter. I’d put my money on assault charges.


~Meet Michael!~ 

Michael DeStefano is from Philadelphia, where he is the owner of a hairstyling salon. Currently, he makes his home in Cinnaminson, New Jersey, is the husband of a Gulf War veteran, and author of The Gunslinger’s Companion. Any thoughts or criticisms readers of Waiting for Grandfather wish to share may be sent to dtbhs@aol.com.


Night to Dawn Magazine and Books LLC will be awarding a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.a Rafflecopter giveaway

6 comments:

  1. Thank you for the lovely showcasing of Waiting for Grandfather!

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  2. It sounds like a very interesting book. Thanks!

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  3. Thank you for sharing your book with us. I always look forward to finding out about another great read.

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  4. Sounds like an interesting family saga.

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