Broken Lives: A #Mystery #Novel by Cesario Picca

I'm Cesario Picca, I was born and bred in Salento (South Italy) thanks to my parents Francesco and Antonia. For 25 years I worked as a crime and judicial reporter, now I devote my time to my thrillers.

I have already published (2005) the juridical essay Ungagged - the developing concept of freedom of the press.

My love for thrillers blossomed with Murder in the Tremiti Isles (She, the other and death…) in which the main character is a reporter from Salento, Rosario Saru Santacroce, who is involved in a femicide. But you can also find Saru Santacroce in the thrillers Gioco mortale - delitto nel mondo della trasgressione (Because transgress also means dying…), Il dio danzante - delitto nel Salento (It is hard to deal with our own certainties…) and Broken Lives (The monsters from the past destroy the future…), a psychological thriller set in London, dedicated to victims of abuse and inspired by Criminal Minds.

In 2002 I was awarded the Piero Passetti prize for Chronicler of the year. I’m a speaker or moderator at numerous conferences and participate in many radio and television broadcasts.

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About the Book

The monsters from the past destroy the future…

A monster from the past reemerges in the present destroying the lives of three young students and engaging in a fight against time with the promising Scotland Yard detective, Sonny D’Amato, in charge of solving the difficult case. The suffering of someone who as a child doesn’t know about love but suffers only abuse can turn into the worst nightmare when it triggers that dangerous stress factor that makes anger push a person to cross the hellish threshold of no return. Thanks to the precious help of the coroner July Pence, the detective digs in the past in search of the logical thread that will allow him to solve the intricate enigma. He will most likely get the promotion that he feels he deserves, but without being able to rejoice. In fact, his soul will be hostage to the pain emanating from this sad inquiry that will make him lose sight of the difference between the victim and the executioner. Because, as Alexandr Solzhenitsyn wrote, “the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being”. Set in London, Broken lives, the new thriller by Cesario Picca, sees once again the reporter from Salento Rosario Saru Santacroce looking for news to inform the readers about these crimes which are worrying a city already wracked by terrorist attacks.

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Keep reading for an interview with the author:

Why did you decide to be a writer?

I’m a crime and judicial reporter and I work breathing crimes, murders, thrillers and suspense so it was not difficult to start writing. But I think there’s always a turning point in our life, the right moment to start doing something and I was looking for it. I started in 2004. It was a frozen evening and I was waiting for police to explain what happened in an apartment where an old woman died. The real story turned the beginning on in my mind. So I started thinking about a thriller and I wrote it.

Do you have a "day job"?

Yes. I'm a journalist, I create events, I'm a problem solver so I work with lots of enterprises

What genres do you write?

Thrillers

Is there a genre that you've been wanting to experiment with?

I love mystery and suspense so I've not still thought about another genre

What inspires you to write?

I’m a crime and judicial reporter and when I write I’m inspired by the reality, by my work, by what I see and I hear, by the life. I love hearing, seeing and feeling what happens around me and I write it in a romance way. I mix real-life experiences and imagination. But I think reality is the most important mine we can draw fully from

What books have most influenced you?

I always read thrillers but as I said the reality is a good mine.

If you could choose an author to be your mentor, who would it be?

Criminal Minds' creator because inspired me to write the psychological thriller Broken Lives

What are your goals as an author?

I will be very happy if I will be alive, and I can continue to enjoy my life, amusing readers of my thrillers

Does your family support you in your writing, or are you on your own?

Yes, my family supports me.

What is the best compliment you've ever received as an author?

The best compliment is when readers tell you the liked your thrillers.

What do you enjoy doing aside from writing?

I love footing. Until now I have run 12 marathons all over the world. A good way, in my opinion, to relax, feel good, think and avoid putting on weight especially if you love eating and cooking like me. I like travelling and knowing people, new point of view, new cultures, new feelings. In my opinion, the best way to spend money. Then I love reading. In the past I read lots of politics and historical essays, now I prefer thrillers. And, if I can, I love the other half of the sky…

If you were stranded on a deserted island, and you could only have five books with you, what would they be?

I usually read classics and Bible. I don’t have a favorite author. It depends on the moment and on my readings. In the past, I read Edgar Wallace, Ellery Queen, Cornell Woolrich, Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie, Jeffery Deaver, John Grisham, Ken Follett.

What made you decide to self-publish?

I don’t like the policy used by traditional editors. Particularly, I’ve never found a serious or professional editor and so I decided to become an indie author. In this case, I am grateful for the Internet and its revolution which is breaking the mortal grip of traditional editors where a connection can make the difference. I don’t think all indies will become writers like someone say because readers (and market) always give you your real value. But a good prayer and some luck can help to be successful.

What fears do you have about writing and being an indie author?

I think self-publishing is a challenge and I love challenges.

What is your writing process?

I write when I feel the story and I go.

Murder in the Tremiti Isles by Cesario Picca

Cesario Picca (1972) born and bred in Salento (South Italy), lives and works in Bologna as a crime and judicial reporter. He has already published (2005), the juridical essay Ungagged – the developing concept of freedom of the press. 

His love for thrillers blossomed with Murder in the Tremiti Isles in which the main character is a reporter from Salento, Rosario Santacroce. He will soon be involved in many other intrigues and adventures as Gioco mortale – delitto nel mondo della trasgressione with the same likable verve and curiosity. In this second adventure Saru Santacroce will explain all you want to know about the world of transgression. But your aunt Concezione will impose you not to read it... 

In 2002 Picca was awarded the Piero Passetti prize for chronicler of the year. He has been a speaker or moderator at numerous conferences and has participated in many radio and television broadcasts. 

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About the Book

A wealthy tourist from Bologna has been killed in the Tremiti Isles and the reporter Rosario Santacroce, a nice, talkative and charismatic Salento journalist, writes about the murder in the beautiful contest of Tremiti Islands (Puglia, South Italy). During the reading you can hear the sea, see the sun, smell good food, imagine sex meetings, live the suspense, find out Salento’s colors.

A sort of ode to life is what Rosario Santacroce offers his readers. The protagonist of this thriller is a forty year old Salento reporter who lives in Bologna and works for a local newspaper. A rough and rational man, talkative, charismatic, ready to savor every moment of life as if it was the last. Nicknamed Saru (the nickname that is given in Salento to those named like him), he covers the city's crime beat. As often happens, occasionally work also follows him on holidays because a real reporter is destined (almost) never to unplug. And that is probably why he gets entangled in the murder of a wealthy tourist from Bologna who like him is on vacation in the Tremiti Islands.

The first to rush to the scene of the crime was none other than Saru and for that reason he ends up among the suspects. Journalists of all the national newspapers arrive on the island but Saru always manages to get a bit more news than the others thanks to his friendship with the marshal of the local station who hails from the same part of Italy as him.

The story is peppered with amusing expressions in the Salento dialect related to the food, tastes and customs of that part of Italy surrounded by two seas and contains the right mix of eroticism and suspense. The author reveals the often humorous interplay between fellow-journalists, refers to real news stories and packs the investigation with twists right up to the surprise ending.

Get it today on Amazon and Kindle!

Keep reading for an interview with the author:

Why did you decide to be a writer?

I’m a crime and judicial reporter and I work breathing crimes, murders, thrillers and suspense so it was not difficult to start writing. But I think there’s always a turning point in our life, the right moment to start doing something and I was looking for it. I started in 2004. It was a frozen evening and I was waiting for police to explain what happened in an apartment where an old woman died. The real story turned the beginning on in my mind. So I started thinking about a thriller and I wrote it. I looked for a real and honest editor to publish the romance but I haven't found it. So I put the thriller in a drawer and I wrote another one. This second one was Murder in the Tremiti Isles which is set in the Adriatic Pearls in Puglia, in the South of Italy. I created the character Rosario Santacroce, nicknamed Saru, born in Salento like me, journalist who writes about crime stories. The author reveals the often humorous interplay between fellow-journalists, refers to real news stories and packs the investigation with twists right up to the surprise ending. My stories are peppered with amusing expressions in the Salento dialect related to the food, tastes and customs of Salento, that part of South Italy surrounded by two seas, and contain the right mix of eroticism and suspense.

What inspires you to write?

I’m inspired by the reality, by my work, by what I see and I hear, by the life. I love hearing, seeing and feeling what happens around me and I write it in a romance way. I mix real life experiences and imagination. But I think reality is the most important mine we can draw fully from. When I feel a story and I have many elements to write it I start writing. For example, some months ago I read about a prisoner’s escape and my fantasy turned on pushing me writing a new episode with the character Saru Santacroce like protagonist in his Salento.

When did you first consider yourself an author?

I don’t know if I’m an author because readers, who are the right unit of measure of my talent (if I have), must say it. The most important thing for me is the opportunity to write what I feel and to amuse people who read my stories.

What are your goals as an author? Where do you see yourself in five years?

I love writing and telling stories so I hope continuing doing it and amusing readers otherwise I must thinking what doing when I’ll grow.

Have you ever had a particularly harsh critique? How did you handle it?

Until now I only received one critique. But in general, I think critiques are so good to avoid Pindaric flights. Then, you can’t be always appreciated because there are people who like you and other not. Life is the same philosophy: an important gift we have to taste also if sometimes could be hard.

What do you enjoy doing aside from writing?

I love footing. Until now I have run 12 marathons all over the world. A good way, in my opinion, to relax, feel good, think and avoid putting on weight especially if you love eating and cooking like me. I like travelling and knowing people, new point of view, new cultures, new feelings. In my opinion the best way to spend money. Then I love reading. In the past I read lots politics and historical essays, now I prefer thrillers. And, if I can, I love the other half of the sky…

If you were stranded on a deserted island, and you could only have five books with you, what would they be?

First of all a survival guide. Then, because I usually read classics and Bible, I think I would read Odyssey, Aeneid and Iliad. I hope these books will be good to expire my spare time waiting for someone to bring me back. Otherwise, If I feel good in that place, I hope finding my Friday (but woman).

What made you decide to self-publish?

I don't like the policy used by traditional editors. Particularly, I've never found a serious or professional editor and so I decided to become an indie author. In this case I be grateful for Internet and its revolution which is breaking the mortal grip of traditional editors where connection can make the difference. I don’t think all indies will become writers like someone say because readers (and market) always give you your real value. But a good prayer and some luck can help to be successful.

What are you working on now?

Now I’m working on the third adventure where Saru Santacroce writes about a prisoner killed after his escape for a big treasure. The story is set in Salento, my origin land.

What was the hardest part about writing your latest book?

In the second Italian episode (Gioco mortale – delitto nel mondo della trasgressione) Saru writes about a murder in the world of transgression. Thanks to him you can discover all you wanted to know about this world and nobody wanted to tell you. But it was very difficult to write about sex and licentiousness without falling in trash.

Do you have any advice for other authors?

They must not give up easily. If they have good and interesting stories to tell they have to write them. Readers are not stupid sheep as someone think. So if they like an author they support him despite the only thought massifying or usual editors or newspapers’ reviews.

Do you have anything specific you'd like to say to your readers?

I only hope they continue enjoying reading my stories.