My endeavor to craft my first mystery/thriller was in its most incipient stages fraught with much angst and trepidation. Having already established myself as a YA crossover novelist with both my first novel, ECHOES FROM THE INFANTRY, and then the release of my heralded MICKEY TUSSLER series, venturing out into unchartered waters was certainly a risk. Could I really write something of any worth in this genre? The fact that the subject matter for my foray into this new realm includes a teacher who becomes entangled in a relationship with one of his students only ramped up the drama -- I am a high school teacher and recognized right away the potential for criticism from those who were unable to separate artist from art. Still, I trudged on.

Once the story was complete, I faced my next wave of obstacles. My agent, who read the story and praised it for its literary merit, insisted that I publish it under a pseudonym. I did not share his opinion. Then when my submissions went out, several editors from many Legacy Houses, one with which I had been previously affiliated, balked. "Frank, the writing is certainly first rate, and you have crafted a wonderful story here, but readers will be put off by your protagonist -- and that will preclude them from reading."

Tough to swallow. Luckily, I did not.

My next move was to enlist the assistance of several impartial readers -- folks who had nothing invested in the project whatsoever - to ascertain their thoughts.  I assembled a cadre of about 15 readers, comprised on both male and female fiction enthusiasts ranging in age.  Over the course of several weeks, I began compiling the feedback and started to realize that the story I had written was indeed viable -- and in fact, it was resonating with readers. The myopic view of my protagonist that so  many editors had taken was foundering -- actually, so many readers, including women, viewed him not as a lecherous predator but a damaged, forlorn soul who like many folks, is a victim of a past riddled with loss and misfortune.

Success.

Buoyed now by the validation of my initial instincts, I decided, with the help of my agent and publicist, to put the story out directly through Amazon. Naturally, there still existed an element of fear -- maybe those first readers were wrong. Perhaps the editors who rejected the story were correct in their assessments. After all, this is what they do for a living.

It was not until I received a wonderful endorsement from NY Times #1 best-selling author Nelson DeMille that I truly felt vindicated. Mr. DeMille called my novel "A haunting, briskly-paced page turner that explores the darkest recesses of the human psyche while propelling the reader through an intricate series of hair-raising twists and turns. NOBODY HAS TO KNOW is a masterfully written tale that is expertly told. Frank Nappi knows how to entertain the reader from start to finish." That praise has been followed by other formal reviews, all favorable, as well as a spate of emails from readers who are enthralled with the complexity of the characters and the pacing of the events in my novel.

This, above all else, is so gratifying.

For more information about NOBODY HAS TO KNOW, including the book trailer, excerpts,
and additional praise, please visit my site www.franknappi.com .

And for those of you who decide to really see what all the buzz is about, I encourage and also
welcome your insights about what you have read.

So the maelstrom of commentary about my upcoming release Nobody Has To Know
has already begun. The first chapter of the book was released free less than 24 hours ago and to say that I am incredulous regarding some of the
responses I have received is an understatement -- more like utterly amazed -- at just how self-absorbed and narcissistic some folks are - not to mention how
incapable many people are at accepting the concept of fiction.


The simple fact that something is put in print does not automatically render it true. And while there will always exist similarities between fictional
events and those which actually transpired, many times authors will use fictional
frameworks as a vehicle to express larger thoughts and observations about the human condition that while disturbing, need to be and should be explored. 


Tim O’Brien, award winning author and in my estimation literary genius, grapples
with this very concept in his celebrated work The Things They Carried. O’Brien explores in great detail the difference between what is true -- that is, what
actually occurred -- and what is a truth -- an
abstract concept that conveys a thought or reality of what could happen in a given circumstance. The two concepts are not necessarily interchangeable.


Since at the core of certain concepts and behaviors there exists a universality, somewhere out there, there will also exist an individual or two
who has experienced something similar to what an author may describe. That does not mean that the author has replicated that particular event or has “borrowed” from a particular  individual’s life -- it simply underscores the point that what has been written is indeed a universal truth worthy of
exploration. 

It is nothing more.

Nobody Has To Know is a work of fiction -one that casts a sobering spotlight on the damaged psyches of several characters and their struggle to navigate
the tumultuous waters that result from certain decisions they make.

If one looks at the novel objectively and consider all facets of the story, it is easy to see that taboo which is revealed is simply one part of a larger
tale, one that does not celebrate such indiscretion but rather condemns it and offers a fictional suggestion of what could happen  when there exists a confluence of factors that happen to line up in a certain way.

I am looking forward to receiving continued feedback after the second free chapter is made available and of course once the book is officially released on October 16th. 

Read the first chapter of my new mystery/thriller NOBODY HAS TO KNOW & watch the book trailer here: http://www.franknappi.com/index.html