Joey has a fork stuck in his side!
Welcome to the April 20th stop on the blog tour for It Began In Brooklyn by Vito Altavilla with Goddess Fish Promotions. Be sure to follow the rest of the tour for spotlights, reviews, author guest posts, and a giveaway! More on that at the end of this post.
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Author Guest Post
How do I want readers to remember my book?
I want readers to remember my book as a memory of a simpler and more innocent time.
A time where neighbors helping neighbors was automatic.
A time when neighbors would often celebrate friends’ success or achievement.
When children grew into adulthood at much slower pace than today. No sex education until the eighth grade and then only in relation to birds and bees, not people. That came about in high school.
A time when children also made up their own games besides baseball and etc.
A very different life style. No computers, cell phones and dating often mint a movie and some kissing and fondling in the balcony of a movie house.
And finally, a time when most of my generation was only aware of two sexes, at least until they were older.
Yup, Male and female. The word gay meant you were happy – not a male with male and female with female relationship and now a new sexual phenomenon – transgender. I am sure that this last category was not even a thought in my head or certainly anyone that I ever knew.
Yeah, it really was a more innocent a simpler time, and I think for the most part also more honest.
I hope my book will bring a smile an occasional laugh and a warmth that a memory of past time van gender.
About the Book
It Began in Brooklyn
by Vito Altavilla
Published 30 January 2020
Iuniverse Inc
Genre: Non-Fiction, Memoir
Page Count: 168
Add it to your Goodreads TBR!
Joey has a fork stuck in his side! I’ll never use that pail and shovel ever again. I didn’t know an ashtray could hold so much… What do you mean she doesn’t have a penis? The great meatball Controversy of 1952, courtesy of ‘Fat Mama’ An industrial research chemist who participated in several technological breakthroughs and has a number of national and international patents in concert with his business partner to his credit has a much lighter side to his life. During the course of his life time he was often the cause or in the middle of a number of humorous and unique events that he focused this book on. I am sure that the reader will often smile and sometimes laugh out loud at his very original and unique stories. When was the last time you read a book that made you laugh or at the very least smile? This book will definitely do that. Read and enjoy.
Amazon US | Amazon CA | Amazon UK
Excerpt
All the children were gathered in the living room ready to celebrate Selma’s eleventh birthday party when her mom entered the room and told them all to follow her to their newly finished decorated basement. This was the time when neighbors were all trying to outdo each other. I believe the expression was keeping up with Joneses.
SONNY was at the end of the line holding the birthday gift his mom had bought. As he passed through the living room, he noticed a fruit bowl in the middle of the dining room table. He had never seen such beautiful ripe fruit like this. He didn’t know what possessed him, but he only knew he had to take a bite out of one of those apples. He figured if he took one bite only, he could the put it facedown and no one would notice.
He had to be quick, so he grabbed an apple and bit down hard. It was wax! It was stuck in his mouth up to his gums! He couldn’t dislodge it and his mouth was starting to hurt. He finally squeezed a finger on either side of the apple and with a yank dislodged it. There was still a big piece missing which was still in his mouth. He put the missing piece in his pocket returned the apple face down in the fruit bowl. The missing piece was invisible. However, SONNY had another problem. He could feel a waxy residue on his teeth and as he walked toward the basement he noticed a mirror, smiled then got very nervous. His teeth were red. The wax coating was now on his teeth. He tried to scrape it off but to no avail. His only solution was to eat birthday cake and ice cream with the slightest mouth opening he could muster. It seemed to work. No one said anything, although they did look at him strangely when he was singing happy birthday since he sang, “Abby birthday oo oo and Abby birdday oo oo, etc.” They just never thought that SONNY had a speech impediment.
The party was over and SONNY said goodbye with his lips only slightly open and his head down.
The following week Selma came up to SONNY and asked him if he saw anyone bite her mom’s wax apple. She was upset since it was expensive. SONNY said, “No, he hadn’t seen anyone bite her apple, but if he had he would have told her.
SONNY didn’t feel that he was lying. After all, for him to have seen someone he would have had to be looking in the mirror when he bit it.
About the Author
Vito Altavilla has extensive experience as an industrial researcher and has participated in many technological breakthroughs. He also has his own podcast called, “The Year Was: A Podcast About Life, Love, And The Pursuit Of A Good Time.” Now retired, he lives in Cincinnati, Ohio. In addition to all of that he is currently finishing a screenplay based on the novel, as well.
Giveaway Alert!
Vito Altavilla will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B&N gift card to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveaway| Mar 16 | Fabulous and Brunette | Mar 23 | Christine Young |
| Mar 23 | Gimme The Scoop Reviews | Mar 30 | Andi’s Book Reviews |
| Mar 30 | Novels Alive | Apr 6 | Straight From the Library |
| Apr 13 | Lisa Haselton’s Reviews and Interviews | Apr 20 | Westveil Publishing |
| Apr 27 | Long and Short Reviews | May 4 | All the Ups and Downs |
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Thanks for hosting!
Sounds great, thank you for sharing.
I love the excerpt.
The book sounds very interesting. Thanks!
Sounds like a great read