John was born and raised in suburban Philadelphia. In 2003, he sailed across the country in a U-haul and settled in the Bitterroot Mountains of Montana. He is the Author of Cemetery Street - currently available as an e-book and soon to be released in paperback - and Shangri-la Trailer Park. Nightwatching, a ghost story, will be released in 2012. He is currently working on Cemetery Street's sequel, Montana Rural.
About the book: The Cemetery Street by John ZunskiPaperback, 310 pages
Published May 16th 2011 by Smashwords
In a world where dreams are possible and nightmares come true, can you romance a memory? James Morrison thinks so. In a snowy cemetery, James reenacts a childhood ritual, unleashing an avalanche of memories. Laugh, cry, and blush with James as he recounts a late twentieth century American life. (from Goodreads)
AUTHOR INTERVIEW! AUTHOR INTERVIEW! AUTHOR INTERVIEW! AUTHOR INTERVIEW! AUTHOR INTERVIEW!
Hi John! Thanks for guesting on my blog.
Tell us something about your book.
Cemetery Street is a coming-of-age tearjerker. It is a story of love, friendship, loss, and dashed dreams. The story begins in a cemetery as the narrator James reenacts a childhood ritual at the grave of Shannie. The reader is swooshed back to the day the two met as teenagers and follows their relationship through the years until Shannie’s untimely demise. From what I understand, it may behoove the reader to keep tissues nearby.
So, what inspired you to write “Cemetery Street”?
The desire to pen “The Great American Novel.” It’s hardly an original inspiration, but it provided the courage to take on a dream. Once started, the process took me on an incredible ride of determination, emotion and self-discovery. Until then, I never truly understood that writing can be a courageous act. It is amazing the challenging places a muse will guide you if one has the intestinal fortitude to follow. Most of the events in Cemetery Street are made up, but there are a precious few that were inspired by life’s events.
Have you always dreamed of becoming an author?
The short answer is yes, but as with all dreams there are obstacles. For me the major hurdle was/is dyslexia. The only failing grade I ever received was in 7th grade English. It wasn’t until college that I learned I was in good company. My professor shared a story about Winston Churchill failing English 101 three times. That encouraged me to pursue the childhood dream of creating worlds that people could fall into and enjoy.
Random question, what is the most memorable memory you have from the 80’s and 90’s (as the book is I believe in those settings)?
That’s a hard question, so many things happened in that era. But if I had to give a single answer, I would say the realization of another dream – owning a Dekhockey rink. (Dekhockey is street hockey played on a plastic surface.) Many good memories were born from that experience.
In three words, what can we learn from the novel?
Life is fleeting.
Nice. Any upcoming new books?
Shangri-La Trailer Park is a dark comedy/drama about redemption and Nightwatching, which is a ghost story.
Interesting. Thanks again for dropping by!
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You can find the latest about John’s world and random musings at www.johnzunski.wordpress.com
Sounds like an interesting plot! Some of my memories are best to be hidden.
ReplyDeletethanks! :) it was.
ReplyDeleteThe book sounds interesting! But wow, an author who failed English in 7th grade... First time I ever heard of such a thing! But that's cool. He overcame it and published such a cool book! Great post, Jenna. :)
ReplyDeletethank you! :)
ReplyDeleteJenna,
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting me and reviewing Cemetery Street. Good luck to the entrants, hopefully you'll win your next favorite book!
John