FAQ

Q Being a banker all of your life – do you find it difficult relating to the artistic rather than financial side of life.
 
A I have always tapped into both sides of my brain. I’ve never really considered myself a numbers guy – even though I majored in accounting and spent over fifty years of my life in the banking world. The finance side of my brain always provided food and shelter for my family, while the artistic side of my brain always provided food for my soul. My art – whether it is painting, writing, music, poetry, gardening, cooking or creating anything – has always been a source of comfort for me. So I have never found it difficult to use either side – most often, both – with everything I do.
 
Q Is THE PECCI CHRONICLES your first attempt at writing a book?
 

A This is the first novel that I have published, and the first time I have attempted to write a story of such magnitude. I have, throughout my career, written many stories and articles which had been published in local news media, and of course, I have always kept journals chronicling our many foreign trips over the years. But this is my first book – and a series, no less?

Q You have mentioned a series in your book. Can you tell me more about this series and what we can expect from THE CHRONICLES?

A  The character Giovanni in “Confessions of A Corsair” was originally intended to take on a minor role in the story of Paolo Pecci, the son. Giovanni was supposed to lend historic reference to Paolo and his lineage, and was to be confined within the pages of the first chapter. As I began to write what will become the second book in the series, “Of Saints and Sinners”, Giovanni’s character continued to unfold and it started to dominate the story that I had intended to tell. I therefore accepted Giovanni’s direction and used his story to open THE PECCI CHRONICLES series.

Q  What is the genesis of this story?

A  “Confessions” was subconsciously told to me by Paolo, Giovanni’s son, who I believe has guided me through the centuries back to medieval Cortona. I have felt his presence very strongly over many years, and have learned to listen to that hidden voice. Like Giovanni dictating his story to Nikos – Paolo has felt it necessary to tell his father’s story first, so that I can fully understand the story I had originally set out to tell. I have discovered so much by this process and have experienced many events which I can only describe as past life memories. The connections are uncanny.

Q  Quite a surprising ending in Confessions. Did you consider other possibilities?

A.  There were a few alternatives – but in the end, I was led by the Holy Spirit.