📚 A Bookish Chat with 'AJ and the Incredible Fish' Paolo Mazzucato | Author Interview | #AuthorInterview #BlogTour #Interview #fantasyadventure #tweens
Paolo Mazzucato is an American fiction author and screenwriter. He began his writing career as a Chicago playwright and award-winning student filmmaker before moving to Los Angeles where he won awards for screenwriting and scripted various projects for film and television. He is also the author of several children’s books including: “No One Mocks a Panda” (an Amazon #1 Best Seller, Feb. 2019), and “The Absolutely True Story of La Befana” (an Amazon Holiday Top 100 title). He is also the author of the fantasy/adventure novel, “The Gondoliers: The Secret Journals of Fanticulous Glim,” a “recommended” read by the US Review of Books.
Mazzucato’s new book will be launched on Sunday, September 22nd at the Orange County
Children’s Book Festival in Costa Mesa, California.
Find out more about the author on his website: www.writer.mazzucato.org and follow him on his social media (Facebook, X and Instagram).
TWL: Welcome to The Writer's Life! Now that your book has been
published, we’d love to find out more about the process. How did you
come up with the idea to write your book?
Paolo: I grew up loving
adventure. Every family camping trip through a different part of the
US, or journey back to Italy, or outing with my uncle to France or
Greece...I think that sense of exploration and observation was instilled
in me when I was young. Later, fantasy became a part of it—folklore and
stories about peculiar places and characters. Though I began writing
little stories, comic strips and shorts, as a kid, I was a teen when I
discovered books like Gulliver’s Travels, which was not only an engaging adventure, but a story with something to say deep within the text. AJ and the Incredible Fish
came from my wanting to do both, tell a fanciful story of adventure
that also touched on themes and ideas that I’ve discovered along the
way.
TWL: Can you give us a short excerpt?
Paolo:
“Do you have a wish ready?” Grandpa asked as he motioned me toward the cake. I crossed to the table shaking my head. “Nah...I don’t think so,” I told him.
“Don’t think so?” He sounded stunned. “What do you mean? Snuffed candles need a wish to carry.”
“Grandpa,” I said, “birthday wishes went out with the tooth fairy. I am eleven, remember?” Grandpa looked at me, puzzled, like he was wondering just how and when my way of seeing things had taken such a dive off the deep end. He edged closer. “Alexander, you’re never too old to believe.”
I considered Grandpa’s look. He seemed so sure, but I knew better, I thought. Out of the corner of my doubtful eye, I saw Grandpa nod, ever so slightly, to himself it seemed, like he had been mulling over a decision for some time and had just made up his mind.
“Your situation is more dire than I thought,” he said. “You are at serious risk, Alexander, of being forever trapped in the ordinary.”
TWL: What part of the book was the most fun to write?
Paolo: The point of view in AJ was both the most challenging and fun. My first novel, The Gondoliers, is from a more traditional third person perspective, but for AJ
I chose to write in first person, from AJ’s point of view. Having to
see and describe the fantastic, new world and strange encounters through
the eyes of an eleven-year-old, with ideas and even language
appropriate for his age, made the adventure more engaging and personal.
TWL: What’s one fact about your book that would surprise people?
Paolo:
Well...interspersed within the story are...musical interludes. Yep,
from Penguin, the nun, teaching a lesson with a peppy tune, to prisoners
bemoaning their fate to the driving beat of a feverish dirge, there are
moments when the lyrics of a song, whether real or imagined, weave
their way into a chapter and scene.
TWL: What other books are you working on and when will they be published?
Paolo: In addition to AJ and the Incredible Fish, my previous novel, The Gondoliers: The Secret Journals of Fanticulous Glim,
and a handful of children’s books already published, I have a new
fantasy/adventure novel that I am finishing up and that will likely come
out in 2025 or early ’26.
TWL: Finally, is there a message you’re trying to get across with your book?
Paolo:
I think that encouraging not just young people but adults as well, to
go after their dream whatever it may be, is the underlying message of
AJ’s adventure. I think Grandpa says it best when he tells AJ that “the
only danger [in life] comes from never leaving the shore.”
Title: AJ and the Incredible Fish
Author: Paolo Mazzucato
Publisher: Bepi Books
Publication Date: September 10, 2024
Pages: 316
Could a fish hold the key to belief?
AJ and the Incredible Fish by Paolo Mazzucato is a captivating fantasy adventure that’s perfect for tweens aged 9-14, especially boys who love a blend of excitement and deeper meaning.
This story takes young readers on an unforgettable journey that blends the wonders of fantasy with the realities of growing up.
Eleven-year-old AJ is a relatable character who starts off skeptical of fairy tales and grand adventures, but when his Grandpa unexpectedly sets sail on a quest to find a legendary fish, AJ finds himself pulled into a world where anything is possible.
Alongside an eccentric girl named Livvy, AJ faces perilous challenges, encounters extraordinary characters, and discovers that the true adventure lies in believing in the impossible.
This book is more than just an adventure; it’s a story about trust, courage, and the power of belief. It encourages young readers to embrace their imagination, face their fears, and understand that sometimes, the greatest treasures in life are the dreams we dare to chase.
Ideal for parents, teachers, and librarians seeking a fantasy fiction adventure that inspires and entertains.
Don’t miss out—let AJ’s journey spark imaginations!
AJ AND THE INCREDIBLE FISH is available in hardcover for $24.95 and in Paperback for $18.95. It can be found on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, BepiBooks.com and other online book sellers. (and at the Orange County Children’s Book Festival, Sept. 22, 2024 https://www.kidsbookfestival.com/
BepiBooks: https://bepibooks.com/aj.html
Publication date: September 10, 2024; Publisher: Bepi Books
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Paolo-Mazzucato/author/B07PHNMF53
Amazon Hard Cover Page: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1737989840?
AJ and the Incredible Fish — Hard Cover: 978-1-7379898-4-4; 316 pages, 24.95
AJ and the Incredible Fish — Paperback: 978-1-7379898-5-1, 316 pages, 18.95
Amazon Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/AJ-Incredible-Fish-Paolo-Mazzucato/dp/1737989859
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