INTERVIEW
and GIVEAWAY
Elliot K. Carnucci is a Big, Fat Loser:
A Book About Bullying
A Book About Bullying
by Catherine
DePino
Elliot K. Carnucci is a Big, Fat Loser is currently on tour with Goddess Fish Promotions. The tour stops here
today for my interview with the author and a giveaway. Please be sure to visit
the other tour
stops as well.
Description
The kids at Ralph Bunche Middle School love to pick on Elliot
Kravitz-Carnucci. He struggles with his weight, looks like a geek, makes top
honors, and lives above the Carnucci Home for Funerals in South Philadelphia
with his distant, workaholic father and Nonna, his quirky, overbearing
grandmother.
Since his parents divorced, he splits spending his time with his funeral
director father and his mother Rayna, who dreams of becoming the queen of
commercials on the west coast.
At the hands of his peers, Elliot experiences a series of bullying
episodes that escalate from entrapment in a school supply closet to a brutal "swirly"
(head dunk in the toilet) that lands him in the hospital emergency room.
Elliot has a small circle of loyal friends and a mentor named Duke, an
aging school custodian, who root for him to overcome his bullying issues so
that he can enjoy his life as a teenager and as a budding singer/performer.
Can Elliot win his fight against the nasty bullies, or is he doomed
forever? Read this funny, sad, and crazy book to find out.
Excerpt
What were they
planning to do to me? Had they all gone over the edge? I tried to scream, but
all that came out from under the gag was Mmmmmmmmm.
Most of the teachers
and staff had already left to get an early start on spring break. Duke was
probably somewhere in the building, though, giving the place a final once over
before locking up. His doctor had told him to slow down after the tests proved
he had lung cancer, but it only made him work longer hours.
Kyle slammed me on
the back. “Tell you what, promise not to open your mouth and I’ll take the gag
off.”
I nodded yes like my
head was going to roll off.
“Mmmmmmm...”
He untied the gag,
and I heaved in a gulp of air.
“We don’t want you
to suffocate when your head hits the water.”
Were they going to
throw me in the river? Drown me? Could they be that crazy?
I tried to make a
run for it, but Kyle caught me before I could make it to the door. His biceps
bulged like baseballs from his lean arms. How I wished I'd added weight lifting
to my fitness routine.
Canfield looked at
his friends. “Part of the fun is the anticipation. Right, guys?”
Why couldn’t they
look at me?
I heard on the news
that when you’re threatened if you call a person by name, maybe he'll act more
human and be less likely to hurt you. Was it worth a try?
“Kyle, you don’t
want to do this…”
Featured Review
When we first meet
Elliot K. Carnucci, he's a classic victim, albeit one most middle schoolers can
identify with. Gradually Elliot gains enough confidence to confront his
tormenter and help prevent other kids from being bullied. But, as the book
gently makes clear, Elliot doesn't do it all on his own. He has help - from
empathetic friends, and also from caring, concerned adults. And it doesn't hurt
that some of the adults are the most eccentric South Philly Italian-American
characters to be found outside of a Lisa Scottoline novel. Ms. DePino knows
schools, Philly Italians, and kids!
Interview With the
Author
Hi Catherine DePino,
thanks for joining me today to discuss your book, Elliot K. Carnucci is a Big, Fat Loser: A Book About Bullying.
For what age group
do you recommend your book?
I believe it’s best for 8-14 year-olds. However, parents and grandparents
have told me they’ve enjoyed reading it because it gave them some good insights
into bullying and how to solve the problem.
What sparked the
idea for this book?
Although I’ve written four other books about bullying, this is my
favorite one. Before writing this book, I thought about what it would be like
to be ostracized by classmates and how I would deal with it. I’ve also worked in
schools all my life, so I felt at home with the setting, the theme, and the
characters. My main reason for writing the book was to give bullied kids hope
that the pain they’re experiencing would someday end.
So, which comes
first? The character's story or the idea for the novel?
The character’s story came first. Elliot asked me to tell his story, and
I couldn’t resist. I pictured him before he started talking to me. The artist’s
cover perfectly captures his looks and personality.
What was the hardest
part to write in this book?
I hated to see Elliot’s mentor, Mr. Boardly, the school custodian, get
sick and die. He was like a friend to me. But I knew this had to happen to
complete the plot and bring it to a satisfying conclusion. I based this
character on a beloved school custodian who died trying to cross a busy highway
when his car broke down.
It was also a challenge researching the funeral business, which I had to
do because Elliot’s father is a funeral director. I found myself wondering how
the people in this business deal with death on a daily basis and discovered some
interesting answers. I have to admit that sometimes while researching the topic
late at night, I felt a little uneasy, but that passed quickly as I realized
that it was all part of the business. As Elliot tells his mom when she’s upset
about his wanting to be part of the family business instead of becoming a
doctor like his grandfather: "It’s a business like anything else. I enjoy
helping people like Dad does. I think I may have a talent for it."
How do you hope this
book affects its readers?
I hope it makes them laugh and cry along with Elliot, the protagonist.
Mainly, I hope it gives them a clear view of what bullying entails and how to
go about solving one of the biggest problems of this generation. I tried to
make it something that people of all age groups (kids, parents, and
grandparents) would enjoy reading.
How long did it take
you to write this book?
It took longer than most other books I’ve written, more than a year.
After I let it sit for a while, I revised it completely. During this second
re-write I tried to breathe more life into the characters, especially Elliot
and his mentor, the school custodian.
What is your writing
routine?
I write better at night. I’m not a morning person and think more clearly
in the evening. I write whenever I can. Once I start a project, I don’t quit
until I complete it. Unlike most writers, I like to edit as I go along, and
then I do another couple of edits. Because I’m a grammar nerd, I don’t feel
comfortable leaving a sentence until it sounds the way I want it to. I’ve
written a number of grammar books for teachers to use with their classes. My
latest grammar book, Excuse Me, Your Participle’s Dangling: How to Use Grammar to Make Your Writing Powers Soar, targets working adults and ESL students, and anyone else who
wants to use grammar to help them write more fluently.
How did you get your
book published?
This is my first self-published book, and I published through Book Baby.
I also self-published Hi, God, It’s Me: e-prayers for Teenage Girls, a prayer book, after I
received the rights back from a traditional publisher. I’ve traditionally
published all of my other books.
What advice do you
have for someone who would like to become a published writer?
Write as often as you can. Don’t get discouraged. When you get a
rejection, just remember that the book wasn’t right for that publisher, but it
may be for someone else. If you believe in your book, keep trying. Don’t be
afraid to self-publish if you have trouble publishing with a traditional
publisher. And most of all - never give up.
Great advice,
Catherine! What do you like to do when you're not writing?
My husband and I love vacationing in Florida and Ocean City, New Jersey.
I love to read, and we both love to dance. My new passion is Zumba, which I’ve
tried in Pennsylvania, where I live; Naples, Florida; and Ocean City. I love
spending time with my children and grandchildren, who range in age from 2-14.
What does your
family think of your writing?
They’re glad I’ve found something I love to do and that I’m living my
lifelong dream.
Please tell us a bit
about your childhood.
Just as Elliot grew up living atop a funeral home, I spent my early years
living in an apartment above "The Royal Gardens", the restaurant and
bar my parents operated. Many of my early friends were psychiatrists from the
local mental hospital who stopped in for a beer (or two) after work. In fact,
most of my childhood friends were adults who gave me deep insights into the
inner workings of the human mind. All of these interactions gave me an active
imagination and sparked the desire to write.
Did you like reading
when you were a child?
I loved reading books of all kinds, and my mother read to me constantly.
I also liked to make up stories for my classmates.
When did you first
realize you wanted to be a writer?
I’ve wanted to be a writer for as long as I can remember. I didn’t have
time to think about it for many years as I worked full time and raised a
family. One year while on sabbatical from my teaching job, I wrote an article
for a local newspaper about my experiences working at an ice cream shop when I
was 13. Then I progressed to magazine articles, and finally reached my goal of
publishing a book for an educational company. I’ve been writing ever since.
Which writers have
influenced you the most?
I love Shakespeare’s plays, J. D. Salinger’s off-beat characters, and e. e. cummings' poems for their beautiful meanings and sounds. James Joyce’s Dubliners is also one of my favorite
books.
Do you hear from
your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?
Sometimes they write to me on my website. I love when they say they can
relate to a story I wrote. I also enjoy discussing my books with kids and
adults when I give talks about my books. I’m hoping that some of your readers
will contact me at my website and let me know what they think about the issues
in this and other books I’ve written. I’d love hearing from them.
I hope they do, too!
What can we look forward to from you in the future?
I have a few ideas in mind. One is a bully prevention book called Cool Things to Do While a Bully’s Bugging
You. Another is a book for pre-teens and teenagers about how to deal with
the adults in their lives when the going gets rough.
Thank you for taking
the time to stop by today, Catherine. Best of luck with your future projects.
About the Author
Catherine DePino has sold thirteen books for parents, teachers, and
children to mainstream publishers. She self-published her fourteenth book, Elliot K. Carnucci is a Big, Fat Loser: A
Book About Bullying because she wanted to give it a wider forum. Her
background includes a BS in English and Spanish education, a Master’s in
English education, and a doctorate in Curriculum Theory and Development and
Educational Administration from Temple University. The author worked for many years
as an English teacher, department head of English and world languages,
disciplinarian, and curriculum writer in the Philadelphia School District.
After this, she worked at Temple as an adjunct assistant professor and student
teaching supervisor.
Catherine has also written articles for national magazines, including The Christian Science Monitor and The Writer.
For many years she served on the board of The Philadelphia Writers’
Conference. She holds membership in the Association of Children’s Book Writers
and Illustrators.
Her new self-help book, Fire Up Your Life in Retirement: 101 Ways for Women to Reinvent Themselves, and,
appeared on the market in March 2014.
Giveaway
Catherine DePino will be awarding a $20 Amazon gift card to a randomly
drawn commenter during the tour. So make sure you follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of
winning (ends 18 July).
Links
