Serafino da Ferrara a LGBTQ+ Historical Fiction by Paolo G. Grossi ➱ Book Tour with Author Interview
Book Title: Serafino da Ferrara
Author: Paolo G. Grossi
Publisher: The Conrad Press
Cover Artist: Charlotte Mouncey - Bookstyle
Release Date: February 28, 2023
Genres: LGBTQ+ / Historical Fiction
Themes: Coming of age / Talent and Arts
Length: 79 270 words/333 pages
Heat Rating: 3 flames
It is a standalone book and does not end on a cliffhanger.
Buy Links
Available at Amazon, Waterstones,
The Conrad Press and all major retailers.
Universal Link | Amazon US | Amazon UK
Blurb
Ferrara, 1505 AD.
Talented Serafino is apprenticed to Mastro Filargiro, one of the city's leading artists.
Serafino finds love, but his mastery takes him on a perilous journey across Italy's feuding city-states, unaware that his virtuosity is a threat to the pre-eminence of the hitherto unchallenged masters of the Renaissance.
His life must take a dramatic new turn in the hope of escaping their enmity.
Washington DC, 2008.
Parker’s first year at Georgetown High is coming to an end.
His father is appointed Consul General in Florence. Parker enthusiastically embraces his new life and befriends handsome Beppe.
But almost everyone around him has been keeping secrets. And the fifteenth-century palazzo where his family now lives unexpectedly reveals its long-buried mysteries.
Separated by five hundred years, yet united by their talent, Serafino and Parker embark on similar journeys of discovery while fellow artists, assassins, princes and envious classmates rage and scheme around them.
Excerpt
He hears the final bell. The school erupts, classroom doors slam open barely holding on to their hinges, the metallic noise of lockers being opened and shut again is deafening.
Summer break is here. A torrent of students regurgitates into the street causing an almighty traffic jam. SUVs with mothers or nannies at the wheel vie for space, right of way, and ultimately a not-too-subtle parade of the best four wheels in Georgetown.
This is no cheap suburbia, most of their husbands or employers are toiling at some desk or chairing important meetings at Foggy Bottom, on Capitol Hill or the White House. Most often all three.
Parker walks out of the front door with his hands in the tight pockets of his slacks and his rucksack on his shoulders. A few hugs with the girls and some high-fives with fellow boys ensue. His older brother is already waiting at the bike stand. When he gets there the high-five is followed by a manly hug.
‘Dude, summer break and birthday tomorrow. Lucky little bro.’
‘Bet you know what the old folks have got me.’
‘Sure I do.’
They start cycling. When Parker reached the age of fourteen, their parents went out and bought a cheap bike for his growing frame. The Hendersons’ pristine drive sports the standard two SUVs parked neatly by each other, yet their mother wasn’t fond of school runs. In their opinion he was still a bit too young to cycle all the way to school by himself but the city had finally built some decent bike lanes and Tommy was now seventeen so they made them promise to stick together on the journey.
Tommy, who finds cycling by himself rather dull - he’s not much of a loner, any activity has to involve other people - had gone out of his way to promise to look out for his little brother at traffic junctions.
They had also promised never to set off without their helmets, though Tommy had swiftly pointed out to Parker that “setting off” with them was not the same as “wearing them”. Parker, the more academic of the pair, had found the distinction clever though he had laughed while retorting that it was still cheating.
So when they are a couple of blocks away from home they stop, unlock their helmets from their rucksacks’ straps and don them before reaching the driveway. A few times Parker had remarked that one day they might get caught by their mother driving by.
He walks to the garage door to open it but he’s shouted down by Tommy who parades himself in front of it.
‘Off-limits until tomorrow, bro.’
A smiling Parker leaves his bike with his brother and heads for the kitchen door. Tommy has just narrowed down his guesses for his present. One doesn’t need a garage to hide a watch or a pair of trainers.
To his surprise he finds them both at home, sat at the kitchen table with two mugs of coffee in their hands. After kissing his mother on the cheek (Tommy is starting to cringe at that, but Parker still likes it. Tomorrow’s birthday might change that), he meets his father’s closed fist with his; they have gradually stopped hugging.
‘Why are you home?’ Parker’s face frowns in suspicion. ‘You’ve got the day off tomorrow, haven’t you, Dad?’
‘‘No worries. All free tomorrow. Left office early, not much to do at the moment. There might be a few changes in my career; new President, new direction.’
Author Interview
When did you first realise that you wanted to be a writer?
I was a very keen reader at school in Milan. I wrote a few short novels in my teenage years. So I guess the bug was always there.
How many books have you written?
Two: The Tiergarten Tales and Serafino da Ferrara.
How long does it usually take you to write a book?
About a year, including the research required by historical fiction.
How did you come up with the idea for your book?
I thought about how two equally talented boys could go through similar journeys five hundred years apart. Then just added other characters as I went along.
Who are your favourite authors?
Mary Renault, Madeleine Miller, E.M.Foster. Henry James, Stephen Fry, Peter Gale.
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Getting the historical details right. And avoid boring my readers.
Where is your favourite place to write?
A little cafe' in Milan.
When you develop characters do you already know who they are before you begin writing or do you let them develop as you go?
The main ones are usually in my mind from the start. Then some appear and disappear depending on how the storyline develops.
Do you aim for a set number of words/pages per day?
No, I'm not very regular or disciplined in my writing.
What is the hardest thing about writing?
The mundane passages required to get to the highly emotionally charged ones.
What is the easiest thing about writing?
Not sure there is one.
Do you use images to develop your character’s looks?
Yes. Mostly old paintings.
Are your characters based on people you know?
Some in the modern settings.
Do you use your experiences in your books?
Not always, though in Serafino da Ferrara I used my school experience in Italy as a template.
Do you ever get writer’s block?
My imagination works 24/7 but at times I stop writing for long spells.
What do you think makes a good story?
Interesting characters.
Does writing energise or exhaust you?
It kind of relaxes me.
What has been one of your most rewarding experiences as an author?
Receiving some very positive reviews for The Tiergarten Tales from readers who genuinely enjoyed the book.
What do your friends and family think about you being a writer?
They've all been very supportive.
What do you do when you’re not writing?
Read, cycle, swim, visit interesting place, listen to music (opera mainly).
Do you like music or silence when your write? Do you outline or do you just write?
Music. Very brief outlines.
Do you prefer pen and paper or computer?
MacBook for me.
Do you write as routine or do you write when you feel like it?
Definitely when I feel like it. It has to be the right time.
What do you love best about your current book?
The endearing good hearts of its two main characters.
What is your next project?
I'm half-way through The Kaminsky Symphony, another LGBTQ+ Historical Fiction. Here is a short blurb:
Milan, 1912. Maestro Mandelli di Castagnino is resident conductor at La Scala, having taken over from the legendary Toscanini.
Barely in his mid-thirties, he is revered and feted by the Milanese grand society. But once the baton is down and after leaving the last soirée in his honour, he returns to an empty home, surrounded only by his servants, hiding a parallel life, in fear of being uncovered.
Exhausted by such existence, he accepts a post as resident chief conductor at the Odessa Opera House, causing consternation among family and admirers.
He settles in the elegant coastal city, improving the performance of the orchestra and winning the approval and friendship of the locals.
He also finds love, but the continent is about to sleepwalk into the carnage of a futile war and Imperial Russia is on the cusp of being rocked by the October Revolution.
Unable to return to Italy and desperately wanting to protect his beloved from the savagery of the civil war, he is confronted with a desperate choice.
About the Author
Paolo G. Grossi was born and raised in Milan. Thirty years ago he spent a weekend in London and decided to stay. Like most Italians, opera and the visual arts are his main passions. When not writing, you will surely find him attending a performance, visiting a museum and, of course, spending some time cycling in Berlin or around the Wannsee. He lives in London with his partner David.
Also by Paolo G. Grossi: The Tiergarten Tales
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