Genre: Historical/Semi-Biographical Fiction
How often do you write, and do you have a strict routine and writing plan?
I became an author by accident. Because of Covid Lockdown, I was venting frustration to my son, who insisted I turn the moment into a creative outcome. So, I wrote my first book, and a publisher picked it up. Now when I promote my book in front of groups, I am constantly asked, “What is your next book?” Thus I am midway through a new novel called Matteo: An Italian Immigrant’s Story.
Have you ever based characters on real people? Give us a couple of examples.
I researched Google about what I should write about. The answer was to write about what you know. Ninety percent of the characters in my book are real people. Hannah is my mother, who at the age of nine moved to my grandfather’s isolated lighthouse in the cold North Atlantic. I grew up with my mom regaling us with stories of her childhood with nine siblings and their lives at the lighthouse, which included things like shipwrecks and snowstorms. In my current novel about Matteo, I am writing about real people in my dad’s family who had the Ellis Island immigration experience of the early 1900s.
Do you have your books edited, critiqued, and/or beta-reviewed? If so, what is your usual procedure?
I write a chapter, then my wife gives me an edited response causing me to effect changes. I repeat the process with my son. Then I repeat the process with a professional editor.
What genres appeal most to you as a writer?
I love historical fiction. When I write about family history, I do intense research into the geography, history and culture of the moment and incorporate it into the story.
What is your goal/dream as an author?
I want my grandchildren to know where they come from. Long after I am gone, I want their knowledge of me to be ready for them any time they wish to turn a page. I would like these stories to resonate with the world as well. I want people to know about Newfoundland, a place I love. The same can be said when it comes to their Italian/Brooklyn heritage.
Did your formal education or upbringing/background prepare you in any way to write?
Other than making me literate, my education played no part. I studied accounting, economics, and business. My grades in English and literature were mediocre at best.
BIOGRAPHY:
Don Ladolcetta grew up in New York. He earned two business degrees, married, raised two kids, and owned a small CPA tax practice. He raised a family in Florida before following his sons to retirement in Texas. He has five grandchildren. Today, Don and his wife Patty travel overseas three or four times a year and enjoy extensive travel as a result.
In 2020 he became a shut-in when the Covid 19 virus hit. His son Frank chided him into doing something creative, which gave birth to his historical fiction. A publisher picked it up and now sells the novel at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Target, and Walmart. His book benefits from his many visits to Newfoundland which he loves and lots of research.
Website: https://lighthousehannah.com/
San Gabriel Writers' League 