Happy 99 Cent Anniversary!

Good morning, friends!

Today marks the two-year anniversary of the publication of “Beneath the Mimosa Tree.” I know, I know…this is OLD news. Yes, that may be true. But for me, it never will be old news. I won’t ever forget the way may hand shook as I hit the “publish” button and sent it off to Kindle. It was 5 o’clock in the afternoon, and off it went for Kindle to review my files for publication. At approximately 11 p.m., I received an email from Amazon saying, “Congratulations! Your book is now available for download.”

I was the book’s first customer.

I downloaded it immediately to my Kindle because I had to see if it all looked okay. It did.

Now, two years later, as I am writing the final pages of my second novel (tentatively entitled “Baseball Girl”), I’m still proud of that first book. I always will be.

In honor of the 2nd Anniversary of its publication, I’ve slashed the Kindle price for purchase. For a few days, it will be available for .99 cents. Click here or on the image to go to Amazon Kindle.

To my true supporters and friends who have recommended the book to others, I can’t thank you enough. Little independent novels like this thrive on word-of-mouth, social media, and one friend passing it along to another.

And tonight, ironically, I’m visiting a book club in Towson, where they selected my book as this month’s read. I’m excited to stop by and say hello.

So, thanks again, everyone.

🙂

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Here are a couple of new reviews from Amazon, followed by a description of the book.

— It takes place in Annapolis which is very near my home so I could easily picture the surroundings. The author did a good job of developing the main and supporting characters in a way that way that had everyone suffering the consequences of their choices.

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— I really loved this book — very sweet. I really enjoyed this as a leisurely read. I highly recommend it.

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— I don’t know where to start with “Beneath the Mimosa Tree.” As a male college student, this was the first book I’ve read in years outside the classroom, purely for pleasure. Admittedly, I got about half-way through and I put the book down for a couple of weeks because life was a little busy. But then, as I was having lunch earlier this week on a beautiful day in Manhattan, I decided I was going to finish BTMT.

I made the right decision and in the last 3 or 4 days, I finished the second-half of the book. I found myself captivated with the story and its multiple moving parts, especially the difference of tone between Michael and Annabelle. The back-and-forth of the story kept me so interested that I finished the book latter half in 2 train rides and lunch breaks. And I don’t want to give away the ending, but trust me, I visualized the last ~20 or so pages of the book as if it were straight in a movie.

I’m not a book expert… especially not in this genre, but I connected with this book on a couple levels as not only am I an Italian-American from New York (who has experienced the large holiday gatherings and knows what a real cannoli tastes like) but I’m also a sucker for a great story!

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ABOUT BENEATH THE MIMOSA TREE

Annabelle Marco and Michael Contelli are both only children of Italian-Americans. Next door neighbors since they were both five years old, they both receive their parents’ constant attention and are regularly subjected to their meddlesome behavior. In high school and then in college, as their relationship moves from friendship to love, Annabelle finds herself battling her parents, his parents, and even Michael. She feels smothered by them all and seeks independence through an unplanned and unexpected decision that she comes to regret and that ultimately alters the course of her life, Michael’s life, and the lives of both of their parents.

Set in Annapolis, Maryland, New York City, and London, England, in the 1980s and 1990s, Beneath the Mimosa Tree examines both Annabelle’s and Michael’s journeys over the span of ten years as we hear their alternating voices tell the story of self-discoveries, the nature of well-meaning families, and the sense of renewal that can take place when forgiveness is permitted.