A Perfect 10 with Armand Rosamilia

This week, A Perfect 10 features author Armand Rosamilia. Armand is living proof that you can write in multiple genres and have success. I had the pleasure of meeting him in person at a mini comic book convention in Jacksonville, Florida just by chance. My daughter made A/B honor roll and her chosen reward is to go to the comic book store. There happened to be vendor booths with artists, authors and gamers on the day we chose to go and Armand was among them. It was a pleasure meeting him and I hope you enjoy his thoughts as he answers the usual 10 questions.

Please enjoy this edition of A Perfect 10.

Side note: I wasn’t able to travel back to Jacksonville this past weekend due to thousands of flights cancelled and rescheduled in Atlanta. I would have ended up getting home and turning around to leave within a day and a half. I opted to stay in Albuquerque. All of my interview files are in Florida. Armand was gracious enough to resend his interview questionnaire to me along with his materials. You might notice a different header image on this week’s post. I don’t have my usual picture, but I kind of like this one better. (I know, TMI)

If you want to check out past interviews, you can find them in the following links:

A.C. Flory, Steve Boseley, Kayla Matt, Mae Clair, Jill Sammut, Deanna Kahler, Dawn Reno Langley, John Howell, Elaine Cougler, Jan Sikes, Nancy Bell, Nick Davis, Kathleen Lopez, Susan Thatcher, Charles Yallowitz

Also, if you are an author and you want to be part of this feature, I still have a few slots open for 2017. You can email me at don@donmassenzio.com

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• Does writing energize or exhaust you?

Both! It can beat you up some days when you’re struggling to find the next word to write, when the deadlines are looming and you’re really behind, and when you’re just not feeling it. Then you get the days where you skip lunch because you’re so in the zone or you look up and you’ve burned six straight hours working and it feels like six minutes. The ideas are flowing and you never want it to end.

• Do you ever write under a pseudonym? If not have you considered it? Why or why not?

I’ve written some erotica in the past I used a pen-name for since I didn’t want it associated with my catalog of books to confuse anyone. I’ve also done some ghostwriting of novels and my name was not used. Most of my work is written under my name, though.

• Does a big ego help or hurt writers? Why or why not?

You need an ego and believing in yourself to succeed… but too much of an ego is a bad thing and a turnoff for potential readers and your peers. I absolutely believe I am a great writer and I will succeed, but I know I’m not the best and need to keep working at this.

• What was the best money you ever spent as a writer?

First date dinner with the woman who became my wife. In the four years we’ve known each other she has helped me so much with the business end of this career. I’m creative and disorganized and uncaring when it comes to the money part of this but she’s really taken control and helped me with shortcuts and strategies to let me grow as an author and not stress about the little stuff.

• What does writing success look like to you? Have you achieved it?

I have. I’ve been a full-time author for the past six years. I’m able to travel and not stress over money anymore. I can write and promote and do what I love and never put pants on unless someone is coming over for dinner. This is living the dream.

• What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book? What sources do you use?

I don’t do a ton of research. I just start writing a story and if it needs something specific I’ll Google it right then but give myself only 20-30 minutes to research so I don’t fall into the trap of spending the day on the internet reading about everything and anything. I’d rather go back in edits and add to it but most of the time I’ve given enough or know enough about a subject I can get by. I never want a reader to be drawn out of a story because they question some fact or have to look it up, or there is so much info-dump about it the story is compromised.

• How do you select the names of your characters? Have you ever regretted choosing a particular name? Why?

I’m not someone who bangs my head against the wall, looking for the perfect name. I think the best ones are those you don’t have to think about too long. Sometimes I’ll have a few names in my head waiting for some personality. I try not to use like-sounding names if possible but I’ve written a couple hundred stories in my life so it gets hard to remember which names were ever used. I did use the name of a woman once and after the story was published we had a falling out… so I killed her, I mean the character, in the sequel.

• What is the hardest type of scene to write?

For me it is something that is taken out of my real life. A scene that is personal for me. Sometimes, as I’m working on a story, the scene calls for an emotion or imagery I know is close to something I’ve experienced. I’ve accepted I can’t fight it and just roll with it, but at times it really knocks you for a loop because it brings up painful memories.

• If you could have dinner with four people, living or dead, who would they be and what would you want to ask them?

I’d want to have dinner with Dean Koontz, Robert E. Howard, H.P. Lovecraft and Brian Lumley. Four authors who changed everything for me as a kid growing up with great stories that made me want to become an author. I’d pick their brains about how they started and the mistakes and triumphs in their careers.

• What platform has brought you the most success in marketing your books?

Honestly, just being myself. I learned a long time ago readers weren’t interested in a hard sell for a book. They wanted to find an author they could not only read but have a conversation with. I’ve always tried to be friendly and have some fun with this career. It really beats getting a ‘real’ job. The authors I looked up to on my way into this took the time to chat with me, offer suggestions and just be normal. I try to do the same and I think it works.

 Armand’s Books:

Dirty Deeds

I get paid to erase problems.

Did your extramarital affair produce an unwanted complication? Family problems? Just want to enjoy your midlife crisis by yourself?

That’s where I come in. For a fee I’ll take care of it. A big fee.

Only, I’m not going to do what you think. I’m not going to save you from them, I’m going to save them from you.

 Find Dirty Deeds HERE

Dirty Deeds 2

Everything was going smoothly until my past caught up with me.

Now I’m being taunted by a madman who know more about me than I do.

He’s kidnapped the closest person in my life, and he is using it to get my attention.

Trust me… he has it. Now I just need to figure out where he is and when he’ll strike again.

Things were easier when I was only kidnapping children.

Find Dirty Deeds 2 HERE.

 Dirty Deeds 3

Philadelphia. City of Brotherly Love.

Unless you have the Philly mob trying to kill you and the FBI wanting to sit you down for an interview about your connections to organized crime.

Not to mention being wanted for your own illegal business ventures.

Did you guess I was in trouble?

Find Dirty Deeds 3 HERE.

About Armand:

Armand Rosamilia is a New Jersey boy currently living in sunny Florida, where he writes when he’s not sleeping. He’s happily married to a woman who helps his career and is supportive, which is all he ever wanted in life…

He’s written over 150 stories that are currently available, including horror, zombies, contemporary fiction, thrillers and more. His goal is to write a good story and not worry about genre labels.

He not only runs two successful podcasts…

Arm Cast: Dead Sexy Horror Podcast – interviewing fellow authors as well as filmmakers, musicians, etc.

The Mando Method Podcast with co-host Chuck Buda – talking about writing and publishing

But he owns the network they’re on, too! Project Entertainment Network

He also loves to talk in third person… because he’s really that cool.

You can find him at http://armandrosamilia.com for not only his latest releases but interviews and guest posts with other authors he likes!

and e-mail him to talk about zombies, baseball and Metal:

armandrosamilia@gmail.com