Writing in a New Genre – A Scary Proposition

When I started writing my latest release, Extra Innings, it was as a weekly serial published on my author blog. When it began, I wanted it to be a mix of baseball nostalgia mixed with my usual crime fiction genre.

As I began fleshing out the character of Joe McLean, something became very apparent. he was a character worth exploring. He was a 40-something-year-old divorced man who was stuck in the drudgery of working in a family business. Because he was not a member of the family, he would never be promoted above the level he had achieved after more than 20 years.

He went through a sad divorce from a childless marriage and still pined for the woman he loved and lost. His only constant was attending baseball games and rooting for his hometown team in the WWII era stadium that was such a big part of his youth. Now, with the stadium set to be demolished and replaced with a new corporate cookie-cutter version, Joe’s depression began to set in.

As he examined that depression, he came to the realization that the stadium was only part of it. He had a dead-end job, a lonely life and had lost both of his parents to untimely, preventable events.

This was when the question arose in my mind: If you could go back and change things in your past to make your future more desirable, would you? That’s when the idea of time travel crept in and I found myself branching off into a new genre.

Now, I have to explain that the supernatural/paranormal/horror genre family is something that I enjoy reading as much as my beloved crime fiction. I’m an avid reader of Stephen King (along with both of his sons) and, to some extent, Dean Koontz. I just was afraid that, as an author, if I deviated from the genre I was known for, it might end up alienating readers.

The beauty of indie publishing combined with having a blog is that I could first test the waters through the vehicle of my weekly serial and then, if the reaction was positive, turn the serial into a full-fledged book in a new genre without securing any approval but my own.

That brings me to today and the release of Extra Innings. I used more beta readers than usual for this book, and the reaction has been positive. In addition, pre-orders were up over some of my previous books. I take that as an encouraging sign.

Here is a blurb from the back cover:

Joe McLean hates his life. A lonely, divorced, middle-aged man, stuck in a cramped apartment, the only bright spot in Joe’s life is cheering on his hometown baseball team.

Now, the local stadium, the place of many childhood and adult memories is being replaced. Joe desperately wants a piece of this iconic venue to preserve his memories and have some memorabilia from his happier past.

That’s when unusual things begin to happen, and Joe begins to rethink the direction his life has taken. Can Joe take a different path in life? Can he use the special ability that he has acquired to change the course of his life? Will he realize the truth about old adage, you can never go home again?

Follow the twists and turns in this supernatural story, Extra Innings, to find out.

The book is now available for purchase on Amazon.com at this link if you’re interested.

About Don Massenzio:

Don was born in Syracuse, New York to first generation Italian American parents. He’s an avid reader. Some of his favorite authors are Harlan Coben, David Morrell, Stephen King, Jonathan Kellerman, John Grisham, and Hugh Howey. His favorite book of all time is To Kill a Mockingbird.

Don started writing as a way to combat the long hours of travel and numerous hotel stays that are part of the ‘glamorous’ world of corporate life. He uses writing as a therapeutic outlet to combat my homesickness. 

His first published book was Frankly Speaking. It was the first in a series of books focused on the character, Frank Rozzani, a Florida private detective. The series is a throwback to the days of pulp detective novels with a tip of the hat to Jim Rockford from the 70’s television show, The Rockford Files.  He’s also released a collection of short stories called Random Tales that is available for your Kindle or in paperback. 

Also, look for his non-fiction book, The Ultimate Guide For Independently Published Authors: Tips for improving quality and selling your work, now available on Amazon.com as an eBook or in paperback

He moved to Jacksonville, Florida 23 years ago where I currently live with my wife, daughter, and three dogs.

Social Media Links:

Blog: www.donmassenzio.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authordonmassenzio/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/dmassenzio

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00JJVN0UI