About Joe Tarantino:
Joe Tarantino has cycled through all 50 U.S. states, crisscrossing a vast network of roads and trails. With 25 marathons and other endurance events under his belt, he retired from a successful career in the aerospace industry as a chemist, engineer, and operations manager, responding to God's call to a different direction in an otherwise comfortable life. While pursuing his cycling goals, he seeks to inspire others to chase their dreams through his writing.
Joe grew up in Canfield, Ohio, and now lives in Louisville, Ohio, with his wife, Barbara, a former Spanish teacher and high school guidance counselor. Joe graduated from Greenville College (now University) with a double major in chemistry and English, holds a Master's degree in Analytical Chemistry from Youngstown State University, and has an MBA from Walsh University. Joe and Barbara, who married in 1979, have two sons and are active in the Nazarene church at the local, district, and denominational levels. When not cycling or writing, Joe loves visiting local coffee shops, searching for the perfect cup of coffee.
What inspires you to write?
I have been blessed with good health and the opportunity to see the United States from the perspective of a bicycle seat, and I want to share my incredible experiences with others. From small-town diners to a remote interaction on a lonely back road in an Eastern Washington desert, I try to capture the sights, smells, and sounds, and how I feel at that moment in time. Of course, the over 13,000 miles I have traveled connecting all fifty states do not allow me to include everything. Still, I hope that the vignettes that my editors and I decide to keep will provide inspiration and encouragement to others.
What authors do you read when you aren’t writing?
I was a double major in chemistry and English as an undergrad, and my love of the classics, medieval English, and science fiction still prompts me toward an occasional rereading of Beowulf and my favorite Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and sci-fi short stories. More recently, I’ve developed a new appreciation for Steinbeck and have been searching used bookstores for his books. Many of the current books I read are purchased from gift shops in small-town museums, describing the areas where I am riding. One of my favorites came from the Cimarron Heritage Center in Boise City, Oklahoma. It’s a collection of eyewitness descriptions of “Black Sunday,” a chilling account of the worst day of the “Dust Bowl” days, and how folks tried to survive what many thought was the end of the world.
Tell us about your writing process.
I began keeping detailed notes of all my long bike rides when I was a teenager. As technology evolved and spreadsheets became ubiquitous, I currently “fill in the blanks” at the end of each daily ride with mileage, temperatures, elevation, wind speed, and other data. For trips that take a week or more, I convert that data, my notes, and pictures into an extended description of each day’s ride as soon as possible, hoping that I accurately capture my feelings before the memories fade. Later, I edit the entire trip document, using only the sections that others would find interesting.
What advice would you give other writers?
First – don’t expect to get rich. Second, be prepared to make marketing part of your author journey. No one knocks on your door, asking if you wrote a book. But in the end, holding your published book in your hands for the first time is an incredibly rewarding experience. The key for me is to maintain consistency; I try to write something at least an hour every day.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
My first book was self-published through a reputable organization. I thought my decades-old English major was sufficient for grammatical correctness and other aspects of writing a book. I was wrong. I struggled for a couple of years with how I wanted to proceed with my second book, before discovering a publishing consultant who provided editing, cover, layout, publishing, and marketing insights that I could apply. MyWordPublishing not only told me what to do, but HOW to do what I needed to do.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
AI is probably a runaway freight train that will generate way too many bland-sounding, similar books. E-books will probably evolve into something more exciting, perhaps incorporating augmented reality. However, I still believe there will be people who will appreciate the feel of a printed book in their hands. Just as schools are educating for future jobs that don’t yet exist, books will probably morph into something no one currently envisions.
What genres do you write?: bicycling, travel, memoir, Christian, religious
What formats are your books in?: Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
Joe Tarantino Home Page Link
Link To Joe Tarantino Page On Amazon
Your Social Media Links
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All information in this post is presented “as is” supplied by the author. We don’t edit to allow you the reader to hear the author in their own voice.
