Official Interview: David J Castello

[kandscreeley]

Good day my fellow bookies! It's time for another Chat with Sarah.

This time I was able to ask some questions of the writer of the Book of the Month for February 2017. Mr. David J Castello is the author of The Diary of an Immortal (1945 - 1959).

To view the official review: click here.

To view the discussion from book of the month: click here.

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1. Tell us a little bit about yourself. What are your passions and hobbies?

I'm full blooded Italian-American and was born in the Bronx (my maternal grandparents are from Parma, Italy). However, my family moved to south Florida (Boynton Beach) when I was three years old. I've lived all over the U.S. in many cities including Manhattan, Los Angeles, Laguna Beach, Palm Springs, Scottsdale and Nashville. I currently reside in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Besides writing, I'm also a professional drummer (did three tours of the U.K. in 2016) and the Editor-in-Chief and COO for the Castello Cities Internet Network (Nashville.com, PalmSprings.com, WestPalmBeach.com, Acapulco.com, etc). I love archaeology, travel and fine dining.

2. What book has influenced you most as an author?

Even though I write fiction I only read non-fiction. One book that greatly influenced me was The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich by William Shirer. Shirer wrote with a descriptive urgency/tempo that has rarely been equaled.

3. You've said that The Diary of an Immortal (1945-1959) came to you in a dream. Did you realize right away that this was meant to be a book?

I realized it could be a novel fairly quickly. The Diary of an Immortal (1945-1959) was my debut novel. I've always been a writer, but had never written a novel. I wrote my first newspaper article when I was nine years old and my one and only merit badge in Boy Scouts was for Journalism (let's just say it didn't do wonders with my outdoorsy fellow Scouts).

4. How long between the dream and actually having the finished product?

It took me twenty years to finish The Diary of an Immortal (1945-1959) because I kept going back to it. However, I've just finished the manuscript for my next novel, The Witch. It's the story of a Polish Gypsy Holocaust survivor who befriends a teenage boy during racial strife in a small northern Florida town in 1962. I finished the manuscript for The Witch in four months.

[Interviewers note: 20 years?! That's dedication.]

5. Did you realize at the time that it would become quite as successful as it has?

Thank you for the compliment. I was thrilled by how many people enjoyed The Diary of an Immortal (1945-1959).

6. In the book, Steven was simply trying to get back the time the war stole from him by taking the immortality pills. If you were Steven, do you think that you would have taken them? If so, what would you have done with your immortality?

Yes, I would've taken the formula and traveled around the world forever. Actually, I wouldn't want to live forever. I would continue living until I was bored, but that could take a while.

7. It looks like religion plays a prominent role in the book as well. Buddhism seems to be the main focus. Is that the religion you most closely identify with or what made you decide to include Buddhism?

I've always been a fan of the philosophical side of Buddhism. I'm also a fan of pure Christianity, but not the American materialistic version that equates wealth with meeting God's approval.

8. What person has most influenced your life?

My Mother was and is a huge influence. Definitely a Renaissance woman who was way ahead of her time.

9. Are you a cat or a dog person?

I love both dogs and cats, but have had more dogs. I've just brought home a nine-week-old tricolor Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Sophia.

10. Pizza or a hamburger?

Toss-up between a pepperoni pizza I had in Brooklyn, New York and a hamburger with blue cheese and jalapenos I had in Brighton, England.


Thanks Mr. Castello for taking the time to answer my questions. I look forward to seeing The Witch soon!

Meanwhile, to view The Diary of an Immortal on Amazon: click here.

[BookishCreature]

I'm a sucker for historical fictions, and I'm really intrigued by the description for The Witch! I'll have to keep an eye out for it.

[gali]

I have read the book and loved it. Thank you both~

[Kourtney Bradley]

I really enjoy reading these author interviews!
The Witch definitely sounds interesting, so I'll be keeping my eyes open! And as always, thank you kandscreely for leading the interview!

[Manang Muyang]

I think this is the first interview with a picture of the author. It would be nice to always have one

I haven't read The Diary of an Immortal. I hope I'll not take 20 years, though. But with my reading backlog, you never know!

[kandscreeley]

Thanks Miriam. I'll see if we can get more pictures in the future.

[Wildfire80]

Loved Diary of an Immortal, but I really hope there will be a follow up to it that doesn't take 20 years!

[Alys Sterk]

I can definitely see his mother's influence on him in the way he interacts with her in the novels.

[Caffrey_19]

20years? That sounds like a lot of hard work and dedication if you ask me. The Diary of an Immortal seems like a book worth reading. I might as well have it on my ’want to read’ shelf. Nice interview kandscreely.