Interview With Author M Phyllis Riccobuono Carver

 

1. What inspired you to write this book?  I lived that “Las Vegas Life” since 1964 to the present. I loved it and wanted to share it, but I was raised in a first generation Sicilian-American loving and kind family. My father, Arasimo Salvatore Riccobuono, and my mother, Carmella Theresa Muscare, were both born in the United States of America and very proud of it. Both the Muscares and the Riccobuonos were good hard working and proudly honest United States citizens, who were born in 1920 in the USA. Their families were hardworking bakers and tailors.  

2. What exactly is it about and who is it written for? I wrote it for myself and the wonderful people, who I loved and who I will always love. Plus, I loved my job and wanted to share my experiences with people. We have lots of wonderful people in our country, and we need more smiles in our world.  

3. What do you hope readers will get out of reading your book? Fun, entertainment, and the knowledges of old Las Vegas, it’s hard times, it’s great times, and all the good people involved in the wonderful Las Vegas experience.  

4. How did you decide on your book’s title and cover design? I lived the Las Vegas Life. The book’s cover picture was a gift to me from a wonderful couple, who were my customers from Buffalo, NY. They owned a photography studio there. They took that photo of me on their last trip to Las Vegas, NV.  

5. What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers – other than run!? Keep trying. Don’t ever give up on your positive dreams. It will happen when you meet the right connections. It will all be worth it in the end, but always keep your present family in mind. They are truly your gifts.  

6. What trends in the book world do you see -- and where do you think the book publishing industry is heading? Only upwards. From my personal experience, I love holding a good read in my sleepy hands and the next day jumping up to read more. Books are not only entertaining, they are comforting and relaxing as well. Unless, of course, you enjoy reading those frightening novels. 

7. Were there experiences in your personal life or career that came in handy when writing this book? The entire book is about my young life in Vegas, and that of my family members, and beyond that time to the present. I’ve included so many different stories from my past to the present in my trilogy. The present is a gift that took many years of earning. I was just most fortunate to grow up in a good hard working first generation’s American Vet’s family, who knew God.  

8. How would you describe your writing style? Which writers or books is your writing similar to? Every writer has his or her own style. I feel that I write from my heart with some humor, as if we were sitting down and talking casually. Every once and awhile, I may throw in a real zinger, but that’s only because it really happened!  

9. What challenges did you overcome in the writing of this book? Teaching myself to type on and use computers! It is still a challenge to me. The stories flow from my mine, but my fingers have a difficult time keeping up with my thoughts. However, I save lots of paper that I once used. It’s easier to correct things on a computer then on paper if you don’t forget and swipe up!  

10. If people can buy or read one book this week or month, why should it be yours? Purely for entertainment, fun, a thrill, and the knowledge of old Vegas. There were lots of frightening things that happened in old Vegas especially downtown! The town started to boom again when I was a teenager. Our town was a mixture of many different of people and nationalities, but we considered ourselves Las Vegans and we were united. Las Vegas was like country, if you broke down or had a flat tire, the first person arriving at the scene stopped and helped. Can you imagine that now a days?

 

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About Brian Feinblum

Brian Feinblum should be followed on Twitter @theprexpert. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2023. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent.  This award-winning blog has generated over 3.3 million pageviews. With 4,400+ posts over the past dozen years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” For the past three decades, including 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and two jobs at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler. He recently hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America, and has spoken at ASJA, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. He has been featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald. For more information, please consult: www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum.