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Bestselling author Stephen Spignesi
Writing is the only thing that, when I do it, I don't feel I should be doing something else. Gloria Steinem (Photo: Kate Berges)
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The chief glory of every people arises from its authors. - Samuel Johnson
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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.
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NEWS!
I have launched a new site called KNOW WHAT THE JEWELER KNOWS. I was in a family jewelry business for many years and even wrote a book about gems, precious metals, and diamonds for QVC a few years back.
My new site offers some interesting info for people curious about precious metals, pearls, gemstones, etc. It can be found at:
Know What The Jeweler Knows
Stop by for a visit! :-}
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See the "Quote of the Day!" (Scroll down.)
See the "Gross National Debt" counter! (Scroll down.)
See the "Cost of the Iraq War" counter. (Scroll down.) Prepare to be stunned.
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Book Updates
* THE WEIRD 100 is in the stores, and is filled with chewy weirdness!
* WHAT'S YOUR RED, WHITE BLUE IQ? is in the stores - test your knowledge of all things U.S.A.!
* HERE, THERE & EVERYWHERE: THE 100 BEST BEATLE SONGS is driving Fab fans crazy - where's [fill in name of song that didn't make the cut]? they want to know! Maybe Volume 2 some day?
* AMERICAN FIRSTS is available at a bookstore near you! Also, The book has recently been published in a beautiful - yet value-priced - hardcover by Barnes & Noble books! Barnes & Noble books also recently published a similarly priced hardcover of the popular IN THE CROSSHAIRS!
* THE DISASTER 100 has been retitled CATASTROPHE! for the paperback edition!
* GEORGE WASHINGTON'S LEADERSHIP LESSONS is now available online and in stores!
* WHAT'S YOUR ITALIAN IQ? is scheduled for October 2007 publication!
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As always, contact me directly for a signed copy of any of my books.
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New Review!
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.
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Click to E-Mail Steve
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My new Blog is here: THE GEM
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:
Steve's MySpace Page
The trade paperback edition of Dialogues is NOW AVAILABLE!
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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.
STEVE
The following review first appeared on the book review site, DOVE'S READING ROOM
CLICK HERE to visit Dove's Reading Room!
Special thanks to Dove for permission to reprint it here!
Book Title: DIALOGUES
Page Count: 356
Author: Stephen Spignesi
Publisher: Bantam
Release Date: April 26, 2005
ISBN: 0-553-80401-4
Category: Fiction
Genre: Suspense/Drama/Legal Thriller
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 Youll Meet...
Main Characters:
- Victoria (Tory) Troy, Certified Euthanasia Technician, Writer
- Dr. Baraku Bexley, Psychiatric Examiner
- Carolyn Payne, Defense Attorney
- Viviana Troy, Torys mother
- Crouch Troy, Torys father
- Chiarra Ziegler, Psychiatric Nurse
Supporting Characters:
- Brawley Loren, District Attorney
- Gabriel Mundane, Torys Writing Professor
- Gwyneth June, Forensic Pathologist
- Gerard Becker, Judge
- Marilyn Costanza, Crouchs lawyer
- Halle Bexley, Barakua wife (and former Clerk to Judge Becker)
- Lester Jackson, Medical Transciptionist
- Noah, Chiarras fiance
- David North, Catholic Priest
The Six Victims (in order of death):
- 1. Jake
- 2. Teresa
- 3. Marcy
- 4. Renaldo
- 5. Ann
- 6. Philip
*NOTE: Tomoyuki (Tommy) Nakamura - Witness to Torys crime. Wouldve been the seventh victim, but he didnt have to work that day. Lucky him, Id say!
The Jury (by occupation):
- 1. Thoracic Surgeon
- 2. Hospice Nurse
- 3. Stay-At-Home Mom
- 4. Stay-At-Home Mom
- 5. College Student, part-time employee at Olive Garden
- 6. Stockbroker
- 7. Assembly Line (Pratt Whitney)
- 8. Landscaper
- 9. Accountant
10. Teacher
11. Reporter (for the New Haven Messenger)
12. Pharmacist
Doves (Personal) Review:
Awesome! Superb! Brilliant! Mind-blowing! Thrilling! Exciting! Perfection on paper! A true page-turner!
Stephen Spignesis first novel, DIALOGUES, is a major hit!!! Hes 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. Shes currently employed as a Euthanasia Technician, at the Waterbridge Animal Shelter, located in New Haven, Connecticut. Shes 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.
Shes also a writer, in her spare time. Included in DIALOGUES you will find three pieces of Torys work. Two short stories entitled Skyline Pigeon and The Babys 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 Torys past, enabling us to understand Tory - and her actions - that much better. The Babys Room is my personal favorite.
Tory is a marvelously developed character. She becomes real in the readers mind. At least in mine she did, LOL! Some interesting facts about Tory that helped this happen: Shes 28 years old, dark brown hair, green eyes, she stands 5 feet/5 inches tall, and shes 109 pounds. Shes 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! Shes 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. Raphaels Hospital, University of Bridgeport, Yale-New Haven Hospital, Bridgeports 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 Torys case, is an interesting fellow! Hes half Jewish, half African-American. That, right there, could have been a story in itself, but we dont know much more personal info about him other than that. Hes a very intelligent, compassionate person, who - eventually - befriends Tory, regardless of her murderous acts. His role in this drama, is to dig deep into Torys mind, in order to determine if shes mentally fit to stand trial. Part of his research also includes extensive interviews with Torys family, friends, past teachers, and multiple discussions with various attorneys and Judges along the way. From these dialogues, he builds his case regarding Torys state-of-mind during the crime.
I wish I could say more, but I dont want to give anything away! Youll just have to experience DIALOGUES for yourself. If youre a book lover like me, you MUST pick up a copy of this novel today! Im serious! Do it! Dont 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 dont 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!
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Publishers Weekly says:
"... engrossing ... an often fascinating narrative ... Tory's writings and flashbacks heighten the tension ... spellbindingly crafted ...
SEE THE DIALOGUES! FAQ! (see below)
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CLICK HERE to read an excerpt from DIALOGUES!
CLICK HERE to order DIALOGUES from Amazon!
CLICK HERE to order DIALOGUES from Barnes & Noble!
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CLICK HERE to read the New Haven Register profile!
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STEPHEN SPIGNESI ANSWERS QUESTIONS ABOUT DIALOGUES
Q: What is DIALOGUES about? (B.D. from CT)
A: A young New Haven woman is accused of murdering her six co-workers at the animal shelter where they all work. A court-appointed psychiatrist has to determine if she's fit to stand trial. If she's tried, and is convicted, she could get the death penalty which, in Connecticut, is lethal injection.
Q: Is DIALOGUES all dialogues? (L.M. from CA)
A: Not completely. We get to the know the main character, Tory, through her dialogues with others, but the book also includes one of her novellas and a short story, and there are narrative passages elsewhere in the novel.
Q: Is it true DIALOGUES is set in New Haven, Connecticut? (F.N. from VA)
A: Yes. It's set in Connecticut, including New Haven, Old Saybrook, and other locales. Locals will definitely recognize places, institutions, and businesses in the area (although they're all used fictionally, of course). Some of the streets are made up, but many are real.
Q: DIALOGUES includes a short story and a novella? What's up with that? (J.D. from CT)
A: Tory is a writer and, during the competency evaluation process following her alleged crimes, the court-appointed psychiatrist, Dr. Bexley is given access to some of Tory's college writings. Specifically, a novella titled The Baby's Room, and a short story called "Skyline Pigeon." The novella is about a young mother who has to live through the worst nightmare a parent can endure. The short story is about a young man who neglects caring for his mother one day to bring an injured pigeon to the vet. Are the stories relevant to Tory's mental state at the time of the cirmes? Dr. Bexley wonders. And so will the reader.
Q: Who is Dr. Bexley? (S.A. from NY)
A: Dr. Baraku Bexley is a Board Certified psychiatrist who is often retained to do court-appointed psychiatric evaluations for the state of Connecticut judicial system. He is brilliant, and astute, and it is through his questioning of Tory that we come to know her - and some of her secrets. Dr. Bexley's father was from Tanzania, and his mother was Jewish. I saw James Earl Jones in my mind when I was writing the book but you just know that if it becomes a movie, they'll want Denzel for the part!
Q: How long did it take you to write DIALOGUES? (T.S. from MI)
A: I wrote the bulk of the first draft in a white heat of creativity over a period of six weeks in the summer of 2003. When it was placed with Random House, I then did three major revisions over a period of about eight months. I was fortunate to have an incredibly brilliant editor who asked the perfect questions - questions that allowed me to bring the novel to its final state. She never told me what to do; she simply asked the absolutely perfect questions.
Q: Will there be a sequel to DIALOGUES? (C.W. from TX)
A: Well, that would totally depend on whether Tory lives or dies for her crimes, wouldn't it? Can't have a sequel if the main character is executed by lethal injection at the end of the first book, right? But you'll have to read the book to find out what happens!
Q: Where did you get the idea for DIALOGUES? (S.W. from VT)
A: Discussing the genesis of the idea would give away certain key plot developments, so I won't do that, but what I can tell you is that the entire novel came to me full-blown; i.e., I saw the entire book - the complete story - laid out in my mind before I wrote a word. This has happened to me in the past and it always bode well for the final book, as I believe it does with DIALOGUES.
Q: Is DIALOGUES about animals? (M.L. from AZ)
A: Tory works in an animal shelter and some of her duties there affect the turn of events of the story. The book is Tory's story, however, although there is also some discussion amongst the characters of the plight of unwanted animals in America.
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THE KIRKUS REVIEW
Here is an excerpt from the first published review of DIALOGUES:
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Spignesi, Stephen
DIALOGUES
Bantam hardcover (354 pp.)
$23.00
ISBN: 0-553-80401-4
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.
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MORE...
DIALOGUES
By Stephen Spignesi
As reviewed by Cy Hilterman
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!
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REVIEW
DIALOGUES
By Stephen Spignesi
As reviewed by Jim Cole
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!
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REVIEW EXCERPT
DIALOGUES
By Stephen Spignesi
As reviewed by Harriet Klausner
By the uncanny climax, Stephen Spignesi will have readers exchanging dialogues on this insightful uniquely rendered thriller.
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REVIEW EXCERPT
DIALOGUES
By Stephen Spignesi
As reviewed by Booklist
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.
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REVIEW
DIALOGUES
By Stephen Spignesi
As reviewed by Tyson Blue
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.
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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.
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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...
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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."
Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen
"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."
Leo Tolstoy
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