1.
What inspired you to write this book?
Although I’ve written
a best-seller and award winners in other genres, this is my first
foray into MG
Mystery. I was at a book signing and a 10-year-old came up to me and
asked me why I didn’t
write anything for his age group. She liked mysteries, so I
promised to write
one. I’m a big fan of Dan Brown where Robert Langdon travels all
over the world and
uncovers clues at famous historic sites. I thought, “Why doesn’t
anybody write like
this for kids?” To make it more believable, I wanted to make the
setting a single
famous site instead of globetrotting. Since my wife and I love Central
Park, it was a
natural.
2.
What exactly is it about — and who is it written for?
For all Middle Grade
Readers. Harper Jensen and her precocious little brother Bohdi have an idyllic
childhood helping their dad on their family’s apple and dairy farm in the
country while their mom studies Archaeology at the university. But when their
mom takes a new job as a curator in charge of a new exhibit at the Archaeology Museum
in Manhattan, the kids are uprooted and their dad is left behind. Now, Harper’s
view from their new apartment overlooking Central Park is nothing like the farm
she left in Devon. Instead of cows and horses, she sees dozens of yellow cabs. Missing
the rolling hills and meadows of the farm, not to mention her dad, Harper’s mom
introduces her to Central Park, the biggest backyard in the world with so much
to discover. And Harper doesn’t lose time, making friends on her very first day
of exploring. It’s not long before Harper, Addy, Eli, Gabriel, and Zara, make
an alarming discovery that sets into motion an investigation that links some of
their parents and puts a bullseye on Harper’s mom when a priceless artifact is
stolen. By following clues among the famous landmarks of Central Park, while
avoiding encounters with the
park bully, can the
newly dubbed Central Park Irregulars solve the mystery in time to save Harper’s
mom, before it’s too late?
3.
What do you hope readers will get out of reading your book?
I hope that tween
readers get three things out of reading The Central Park Irregulars: a
love of reading, a
curiosity to explore historic places, and good character traits such as
tolerance,
cooperation, fairness, and honesty.
4.
How did you decide on your book’s title and cover design?
Since The Central
Park Irregulars is a crime-solving novel, their name is derived from
The Baker Street
Irregulars, who were a bunch of street urchins that helped Sherlock
Holmes solve crimes. My
artist, Chris H., did an exceptional job on the cover of the book. He brought
Harper, Bodhi, and their friends to life. It’s like he crawled inside my head
and saw exactly what they all should look like! I’m thinking about nominating
him for an award.
5.
What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers –
other
than run!?
Honestly? I’m going
to say that there are plenty of literary agents that don’t get it right
and miss out on
signing a great novelist. So, if you get a lot of rejections, develop a
thick skin, learn
from it, get better at your craft, and don’t give up
6.
Were there experiences in your personal life or career that came in
handy
when writing this book?
One of the greatest
experiences of my life was that I was mentored in writing by the
late, great Harlan
Ellison. I dedicated my first book to him and sent him a copy. Well, if
you know ‘Uncle
Harlan’ he loved to be flattered. He called me up and talked to me for
over two straight
hours! He teased me about living in “scintillating Vineland,” retold the
story of his feud
with Frank Sinatra, and gave me a ton of advice about the craft of
writing. His best
advice? “You’ve got talent, kid. Believe in yourself, and don’t let the
critics get you
down.” And yes, even though I was in my fifties he called me “kid,” and he used
saltier language to describe critics.
7.
How would you describe your writing style? Which writers or books is
your
writing similar to?
I’ve been described
as “The Mashup King” I like to blend humor, snappy dialogue,
exhaustive research
on the places and settings of my action, and of course, because
I’m certified in SEL,
I sneak in some character education lessons in every story.
For this MG Mystery,
I intentionally mimicked the style of Dan Brown, describing some
of the historic
backstory of the setting (yes, I’m intentionally expositional at those
instances), and
ending many chapters with cliffhangers so you want to keep going.
8.
If people can buy or read one book this week or month, why should it
be
yours?
We’ve been getting
amazing reviews from everywhere! Book Life, Children’s Book
Review, Readers
Favorite, Reedsy-Discovery to name just a few. It’s a “crackling
mystery,” it’s
fast-paced, gives an honest and accurate portrayal of today’s tweens, and
if you’re not careful
it actually teaches great life lessons.
For more information,
please see: www.paulcicchini.com.
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About Brian Feinblum
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For
the past three decades, Brian Feinblum has helped thousands of authors. He
formed his own book publicity firm in 2020. Prior to that, for 21 years as the
head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and as the
director of publicity 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,
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Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler.
His
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He
hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and
has spoken at ASJA, BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah
Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association,
Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, Morgan James Publishing, and
Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. He served as a judge for the
2024 IBPA Book Awards.
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. His first published book was The
Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook. It
was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.
Born
and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids,
and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog.
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