 |
|
 |
|
|
|
| home | ||
| ||
| site guide | ||
| ||
| help | ||
| . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | ||
| ||
| find members | ||
| ||
| rights postings | ||
| . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | ||
| ||
 DIALOGUES - Now available in paperback from Bantam Dell! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Here, There & Everywhere: The 100 Best Beatles Songs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
||
| ||
| This site is a service of PublishersLunch.com, the daily e-mail newsletter now known as "publishing's essential daily read." Join the nearly 30,000 people who read Lunch every day. | ||
| ||
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| writer : sjs@stephenspignesi.com | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ The chief glory of every people arises from its authors. - Samuel Johnson ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Welcome and Greetings to All! I am a NY Times best-selling author of forty nonfiction books and one novel. Here you will find a complete list of all the books I've written, a gallery of full-color covers (scroll down), details on forthcoming titles - including my new novel DIALOGUES - now out in paperback - and the latest news about me, my writing, my music, and anything else that comes to mind. I've been a full-time writer for almost twenty years and have written about history, popular culture, movies, music, TV, crime, UFOs, food, and the work of Stephen King. I have recently moved into fiction and screenwriting. My favorite Starbucks coffees are Sumatra and French Roast, and those new SweetTart jellybeans are incredible - but now they are nowhere to be found! Seems they're a seasonal item.
My new site offers some interesting info for people curious about precious metals, pearls, gemstones, etc. It can be found at: Stop by for a visit! :-}
***************************************
* THE WEIRD 100 is in the stores, and is filled with chewy weirdness!
This review appeared in the Waterbury Republican-American on Sunday, July 30, 2006: MURDER IN THE MIND DIALOGUES by Stephen Spignesi, Bantam, $12 Stephen Spignesi is a New Haven writer whose genius for plotting and his style make this a chilling, disturbing, suspense novel. Tory Troy is a bright, engaging young woman who is locked up in a mental hospital and facing six counts of murder. Before she was confined, she was a certified animal euthanasia technician in a New Haven animal shelter. But when six people who worked at the shelter were found dead in the gas chamber there, she was accused of their murder. Spignesi tells the story through conversations Tory has with her court-appointed psychiatrist, Baraku Bexley, and others he interviews - including her mother, the nursing staff, a former English teacher of hers and her lawyers. It is as if we are eavesdropping on their sessions. The story takes us into Troy's mind and the depths of her confused soul. ***********************************************
*************************************************
Lots of good stuff! Drop by for a visit! I've made a slew of blog postings since The Gem launched, including sample chapters from published and forthcoming books, fun lists, rants and raves, and personal notes. I also try to change the look of The Gem regularly to keep it looking fresh. Please come by and feel free to add a comment if I say something that interests, amuses, or aggravates you!! Also, readers of Dialogues may be interested in "Dialogues with Tory" I now also have a MySpace page: The trade paperback edition of Dialogues is NOW AVAILABLE!
*************************************************** NEW DIALOGUES REVIEW!! (see below) The first draft of Dialogues was written in six weeks in the summer of 2003. I took time off from nonfiction books I was writing under contract to write the story of writer and animal shelter worker Victoria "Tory" Troy. It was one of those moments in a writer's life when he or she knows that something simply must be written, or it will be lost forever. Tuesday, April 26, 2005 was Dialogues' official publication date and I would like to thank all who helped it reach this point - my agent John White, whose passionate belief in the book was heartfelt and unwavering; my editor Ann Harris, whose wisdom and insight elicited from me changes and additions to the book that made it what it is today; all the wonderful folks at Random House, especially those in the Bantam Dell imprint with whom I worked getting Dialogues ready, and, of course the three women in my life - my "trinity of the female spirit" - to whom the book is dedicated, my wife Pam, my mother Lee, and my sister Janet. I hope you all enjoy Dialogues. Writing it was a profound experience for me. I'd love to hear from you after you've read it, and thanks to all for your continued messages of interest and congratulations.
The following review first appeared on the book review site, DOVE'S READING ROOM
Book Title: DIALOGUES
Basic Story-line/Plot: A young woman is found standing over the bodies of her six dead co-workers, at a local animal shelter. She is quickly transported to a local Psychiatric Hospital for evaluation. Her doctor, through numerous ‘dialogues’ (hence the title), has the daunting task of proving her fit to stand trial. Setting(s): Waterbridge Animal Hospital, New Haven, CT (and surrounding towns) - Psychiatric Hospital - Court Room - Ward 9... The People You’ll Meet...
Supporting Characters:
The Six Victims (in order of death):
*NOTE: Tomoyuki (Tommy) Nakamura - Witness to Tory’s crime. Would’ve been the seventh victim, but he didn’t have to work that day. Lucky him, I’d say! The Jury (by occupation):
Dove’s (Personal) Review:
Stephen Spignesi’s first novel, DIALOGUES, is a major hit!!! He’s created a unique crime, fascinating characters, an intriguing story, and a completely unpredictable ending that will knock your socks off! Tory Troy is a very bright young woman. She’s currently employed as a Euthanasia Technician, at the Waterbridge Animal Shelter, located in New Haven, Connecticut. She’s responsible for “putting the unwanted animals to sleep.” One day, her job finally gets to her, and she snaps under the pressure. She kills six of her co-workers, and is caught red-handed, shortly after the dreadful act takes place. She’s also a writer, in her spare time. Included in DIALOGUES you will find three pieces of Tory’s work. Two short stories entitled ‘Skyline Pigeon’ and ‘The Baby’s Room,’ along with a poem called ‘A Crow on the Lawn of the House I Grew Up In.’ All three give the reader a ‘behind the scenes’ look into Tory’s past, enabling us to understand Tory - and her actions - that much better. ‘The Baby’s Room’ is my personal favorite. Tory is a marvelously developed character. She becomes ‘real’ in the reader’s mind. At least in mine she did, LOL! Some interesting facts about Tory that helped this happen: She’s 28 years old, dark brown hair, green eyes, she stands 5 feet/5 inches tall, and she’s 109 pounds. She’s single, lives with her mother, and her full name is Victoria Abigail Troy. She carries a pink iPod, likes orange Tic-Tacs, and enjoys her Maaroni with Ketchup! She’s described as pleasant and agreeable, but sometimes distant... and she hates Fridays. Especially rainy ones. She also used to work for a pharmaceutical company as a Sales Rep, which plays a big part in the story! Stephen King is known for writing about Maine... so Stephen Spignesi shall be known for writing about Connecticut. I reside in CT as well, so DIALOGUES appealed to me for this reason also. There are many local references mentioned that all CT residents will be familiar with. Some examples being: The town of New Haven, Old Saybrook, Hartford, The Q-Bridge, St. Raphael’s Hospital, University of Bridgeport, Yale-New Haven Hospital, Bridgeport’s Beardsley Zoo, the Crystal Mall, and the NCI/Death Row facility in Somers just to name a few. Dr. Bexley, the Psychiactric Examiner assigned to Tory’s case, is an interesting fellow! He’s half Jewish, half African-American. That, right there, could have been a story in itself, but we don’t know much more personal info about him other than that. He’s a very intelligent, compassionate person, who - eventually - befriends Tory, regardless of her murderous acts. His role in this drama, is to dig deep into Tory’s mind, in order to determine if she’s mentally fit to stand trial. Part of his research also includes extensive interviews with Tory’s family, friends, past teachers, and multiple discussions with various attorneys and Judges along the way. From these ‘dialogues,’ he builds his case regarding Tory’s state-of-mind during the crime. I wish I could say more, but I don’t want to give anything away! You’ll just have to experience DIALOGUES for yourself. If you’re a ‘book lover’ like me, you MUST pick up a copy of this novel today! I’m serious! Do it! Don’t wait! Really! Sign off, and DO IT RIGHT NOW!!! You will not be disappointed! Then, once you read it, tell all your friends and family about it! Tell your co-workers, tell your neighbors, tell your teachers, tell your students... hell, tell your pets, I don’t care. EVERYONE should read this book! Bravo, Mr. Spignesi! WELL DONE!!!! I will be keeping a close eye on the book shelves for your future titles!
Publishers Weekly says:
SEE THE DIALOGUES! FAQ! (see below)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Q: What is DIALOGUES about? (B.D. from CT)
Q: Is DIALOGUES all dialogues? (L.M. from CA)
Q: Is it true DIALOGUES is set in New Haven, Connecticut? (F.N. from VA)
Q: DIALOGUES includes a short story and a novella? What's up with that? (J.D. from CT)
Q: Who is Dr. Bexley? (S.A. from NY)
Q: How long did it take you to write DIALOGUES? (T.S. from MI)
Q: Will there be a sequel to DIALOGUES? (C.W. from TX)
Q: Where did you get the idea for DIALOGUES? (S.W. from VT)
Q: Is DIALOGUES about animals? (M.L. from AZ)
*************************************************
Here is an excerpt from the first published review of DIALOGUES:
An ingenious debut, largely talk, follows a moral and spiritual light as it rises out of darkness in a mental hospital. The main dialogue takes place between Tory and psychiatrist Dr. Baraku Bexley, who looks into her past with her ... Sucks you in, then delivers a wildly weird and unforeseeable ending. *************************************************
DIALOGUES
Stephen Spignesi takes us on a wild, non-stop psychological trip following Tory in her job. The twists and turns, not knowing what could possibly occur next, kept me deeply engrossed and not able to put this book down. When it ended, I wanted more of Mr. Spignesi's writing. He knows how to keep a reader! ************************************************* REVIEW DIALOGUES
DIALOGUES is incredible. Spignesi hits it out of the park. It's terrific. I could not put it down for the last forty pages … Spignesi truly pulls the rabbit out of the hat with a surprising, yet satisfying and plausible conclusion. A superb, delightful read with great characters and dialogue … This deserves to be a bestseller! ************************************************* REVIEW EXCERPT DIALOGUES
By the uncanny climax, Stephen Spignesi will have readers exchanging dialogues on this insightful uniquely rendered thriller. ************************************************* REVIEW EXCERPT DIALOGUES
Tory Troy emerges as a smart, intuitive, sometimes funny woman who loves animals (and has a credible rationale for her job, which is described in detail) and who seems to harbor no particular ax to grind against her fellow employees. So what pushed her over the edge? Wisely, Spignesi allows readers to think about that on their own. ************************************************* REVIEW DIALOGUES
After years of working in the field of encyclopedic nonfiction books about everything under the sun from Mayberry to the Titanic -- including a fistful of books about Stephen King -- Stephen Spignesi turns his talents to fiction with intriguing results. DIALOGUES is the story of Tory Troy, a woman accused of a terrible multiple murder at a Connecticut animal shelter. As the novel opens, she is being evaluated by a psychiatrist in order to determine whether or not she is competent to stand trial for the crimes. What is most unique about this novel is the method in which it is told. The entire story is told through the dialogues between various characters, with the only narrative prose coming from a handful of short stories written by Troy, which are examined by various professionals in the hope of finding a clue to the ghastly crime. And, truth be known, the answer is to be found there. Spignesi manages to keep the story moving throughout, although the lack of narrative and description takes some getting used to. Also, people who work in the professions portrayed in the novel may be alarmed by some of the liberties taken with the protocols and procedures actually used in those fields. But rest assured, there is a reason, and all becomes clear once the end is reached. All in all, DIALOGUES marks an auspicious fiction debut for an already-established writer who has made a tremendous start at broadening his horizons. ************************************************* ************************************************* FLAP COPY In this electrifying debut, Stephen Spignesi reinvents the psychological thriller with a chilling tale of mounting intensity. Ingeniously crafted and crackling with suspense, here is a puzzle within a puzzle, at the center of which stands a hauntingly enigmatic young woman whose story will challenge everything you think you know.... Six people have been murdered in the animal shelter in which they worked. One unlikely woman stands accused of the crimes. Her name is Victoria Troy, and she is the most improbable of cold-blooded killers. A lover of animals, petite, brainy, and gifted with a sharp sense of humor, she too worked in the shelter, in an anguishingly difficult job. What could possibly have provoked her to murder six of her own coworkers--some of whom were her friends. Who is Tory Troy? It is up to Dr. Baraku Bexley to find out. An astute psychiatrist hired by the court to determine whether Tory is mentally competent to stand trial, Bexley must explore her complicated background and her unusual convictions as he interviews her in the Connecticut psychiatric hospital in which she is confined--and also talks to others who have known her. What Bexley learns about this gifted young woman comes almost solely from these interviews...but is that enough to explain the divide between the person Tory seems to be and the terrible crimes she's accused of committing? Others find her difficult to fathom too: her lawyer, her nurse at the hospital, her mother, one of her former teachers; but all seek the same objective, to learn the truth no matter where it leads--or what secrets it may reveal about Tory, about the nature of evil, about us all. Fiercely engaging and morally provocative, DIALOGUES is a rush of adrenaline that will keep you riveted from the first page to the last. With the daring immediacy that a novel-in-conversations can deliver, DIALOGUES will confound, conflict, and possibly convert readers to the heroine's hauntingly disturbing point of view. Here is one of the freshest first novels of the year. In a mental hospital in Connecticut sits Tory Troy, a young woman facing six particularly grotesque charges of felony murder. Tory--bright, blunt, and empathetic--has spent the past year as a certified animal euthanasia technician; it was in the Waterbridge Animal Shelter that the police arrested her. As readers, we come to know her through the dialogues conducted with the doctor the court has appointed to assess her competence to stand trial--and through further conversations with the nursing staff, her mother, her one-time English professor, her lawyer, and others. Her singular perspective on the world--intricate, contrarian, deeply felt--makes Tory a fascinating but enigmatic guide to the darker regions of the human soul. In a novel that is distinctive not only for its subject matter but also for its unorthodox and riveting structure, author Stephen Spignesi leads us into Tory's world and leaves us there to find our way out. Each dialogue reveals something new or confounds our assumptions about her. Each time we believe we understand what has happened, difficult questions and insights arise. Gathering pace as the case reaches the courtroom--and then far beyond it--DIALOGUES will leave us both breathless and deeply moved. Dialogues is also being read by film production companies for possible optioning, and I will keep you all updated on developments in the cinematic arena.
********************************************
Hope all is well and thank you all for your notes, and e-mails. I love to hear from my readers and friends. More to come soon...
ETERNAL WISDOM "A reasonable being should ask himself why - if chemicals can enter into plants, and plants be taken up into animals, and animals be taken into man - why man himself, who is the peak of visible creation, should be denied the privilege of being assimilated into a higher power? The rose has no right to say that there is no life above it and neither has man, who has a vast capacity and unconquerable yearning for eternal life and truth and love."
"Love is life. All, everything that I understand, I understand only because I love. Everything is, everything exists, only because I love. Everything is united by it alone. Love is God, and to die means that I, a particle of love, shall return to the general and eternal source."
----------------------------------------------------
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
BEST-KNOWN PROJECTS |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
1987
- Mayberry, My Hometown (1987, Popular Culture, Ink.) 1990 - The Complete Stephen King Encyclopedia (1990, Contemporary Books) - The Stephen King Quiz Book (1990, Signet) 1992 - The Second Stephen King Quiz Book (1992, Signet) - The Woody Allen Companion (1992, Andrews and McMeel). 1993 - The Official "Gone With the Wind" Companion (1993, Plume) 1994 - The V. C. Andrews Trivia and Quiz Book (1994, Signet) - The Odd Index: The Ultimate Compendium of Bizarre and Unusual Facts (1994, Plume) 1995 - What's Your Mad About You IQ? (1995, Citadel Press) - The Gore Galore Video Quiz Book (1995, Signet) 1996 - What's Your Friends IQ? ( 1996, Citadel Press) - The Celebrity Baby Name Book (1996, Plume) - The ER Companion (1996, Citadel Press) 1997 - J.F.K. Jr. (1997, Citadel Press; originally titled The J.F.K. Jr. Scrapbook) - New York Times best-seller - The Robin Williams Scrapbook (1997, Citadel - Press) - The Italian 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Cultural, Scientific, and Political Figures, Past and Present (1997, Citadel Press) 1998 - The Beatles Book of Lists (1998, Citadel Press) - Young Kennedys: The New Generation (1998, Avon; written as "Jay David Andrews") - The Lost Work Of Stephen King: A Guide to Unpublished Manuscripts, Story Fragments, Alternative Versions, & Oddities (1998, Citadel Press). 1999 - The Complete Titanic: From the Ship's Earliest Blueprints to the Epic Film (1999, Citadel Press) 2000 - How To Be An Instant Expert (2000, Career Press) - She Came In Through the Kitchen Window: Recipes Inspired by The Beatles & Their Music (2000, Kensington Books) - The USA Book of Lists (2000, Career Press) 2001 - The UFO Book of Lists (2001, Kensington Books) - The Essential Stephen King: The Greatest Novels, Short Stories, Movies, and Other Creations of the World's Most Popular Writer (2001, New Page Books) - The Cat Book of Lists (2001, New Page Books) - The Hollywood Book of Lists (2001, Kensington Books) - The Essential Stephen King: The Complete & Uncut Edition (2001, GB Books) 2002 - Gems, Jewels, & Treasures: The Complete Jewelry Book (2002, QVC Publishing) - The 100 Greatest Disasters of All Time (2002, Kensington Books) - In the Crosshairs: 75 Assassinations and Assassination Attempts, from Julius Caesar to John Lennon (2002, New Page Books) 2003 - Crop Circles: Signs of Contact (with Colin Andrews) (2003, New Page Books) 2004 - Here, There and Everywhere: The 100 Best Beatles Songs (2004, Black Dog & Leventhal) - The Weird 100: The 100 Most Bizarre Paranormal Phenomena, from Alien Abductions to Zombies (2004, Kensington) - American Firsts (2004, New Page Books) - What's Your Red, White & Blue IQ? (2004, Kensington) 2005 - Dialogues: A Novel of Suspense (2005, Bantam Dell) 2007 - George Washington's Leadership Lessons (with James Rees, Executive Director of Mount Vernon) (2007, John Wiley & Sons) - What's Your Italian IQ? (2007, Citadel) - Second Homes for Dummies (with Bridget McRae) (2007, Wiley) |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
AGENT |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
JOHN WHITE,
John White Literary Agency |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
PROJECTS ON OFFER / PROPOSALS AVAILABLE |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
- Profane Prayers: The Films of Martin Scorsese
- In God They Trust: Quotations from The American Presidents on God, Their Faith, & the True Meaning of "One Nation, Under God" - In the Name of the Father: The Children Of The Presidents Of The United States, from George Washington's Adopted Daughter to the Bush Twins - Death Unlimited - The Complete Titanic (reprint rights available) - The Woody Allen Companion (reprint rights available) - UFOs 101 - The VC Andrews Trivia & Quiz Book (reprint rights available) Return to Top ========================= |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
