We are delighted to welcome author Augustus Cileone to Omnimystery News.
Gus's new murder mystery is Out of the Picture (Sage Words Publishing; February 2015 trade paperback and ebook formats). We asked him to tell us a little more about the book; he titles his guest post for us today, "What Elements Are Used To Write Fiction".
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Photo provided courtesy of
Augustus Cileone
I suppose the ingredients used to cook up works of fiction consist of the author's interests and experiences, which are then combined with the writer's observations. Add to this recipe imagination, and you have your story.
In my latest novel, Out of the Picture, I wanted to write a mystery because I have always been interested in trying to solve the puzzle at the heart of the works in this genre. I am also an avid movie fan. I am one of those masochists who watch the whole Oscar broadcast each year. I have enrolled in numerous film studies courses over the years, and write a movie blog which analyzes a film each week. I may not be able to remember what I ate for dinner, but I will recall movie dialogue and film credits with ease.
I also love animals. I have observed over the years how loving and loyal our animal companions can be. Unfortunately, I had to say goodbye to my beloved feline family member, Jellybean, not too long ago. She does show up in a supporting role in Out of the Picture. (The book also includes an anti-animal abuse theme). I recently started doing volunteer work at a local animal shelter, Kitty Cottage. I am donating all of my author royalties from Out of the Picture to the animal shelter.
Before retiring, I was a medical claims examiner with the Department of Veterans Affairs. I reviewed numerous claims involving post-traumatic stress disorder. The main character, Vince Singleton, in Out of the Picture, suffers from this condition. He was traumatized after witnessing the violent death of his wife. Since he could not prevent the death of his wife, his involvement in trying to catch a murderer, who has threatened his world, helps him on his way to redemption.
My interests in literature and my experiences with Quaker schools were reflected in my first mystery, A Lesson in Murder. And, my Italian American heritage and the upheaval I observed in the 1960's and 1970's are addressed in my second novel, Feast or Famine, which is a comic/dramatic work.
Hopefully readers will find that I have added the right amount of imagination to these interests and experiences to make my writing worthy of literary consumption.
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Augustus Cileone was born in Philadelphia. He received undergraduate and graduate degrees in English from Temple University. He later studied at Saint Joseph's University and acquired teaching certificates in elementary and secondary education. He won the Dark Oak Mystery Contest sponsored by Oak Tree Press for the novel A Lesson in Murder, about homicides associated with a Philadelphia Quaker school.
For more information about the author, please visit his website at AugustusCileone.com and his author page on Goodreads, or find him on Facebook.
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Out of the Picture by Augustus Cileone
A Mystery Novel
Publisher: Sage Words Publishing
Vince Singleton, a writer, part-time English professor at Philadelphia Sacred Covenant University, and huge movie fan, suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. He witnessed the accidental shooting of his wife by a policeman during a robbery. Vince, however, suspects that her death was intentional. Now, an old friend of his is found dead amid unusual clues. Vince helps the lieutenant working the case, despite his wariness of policemen.
Faculty members associated with animal abuse are murdered and strange items are discovered near the bodies. Vince determines that the clues refer to movies, and, with the help of his daughter, his journalist brother, and a female professor, tries to find the killer before another person is taken … out of the picture.
— Out of the Picture by Augustus Cileone
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