Mobster Talk with Author M.M. Cox

“Who is this again?” Ray Gallo asks in a deep, gravelly voice, motioning to Frank.

 

“Frank Moretti; a friend of mine,” Gino says meaningfully. “He’s been working in the area for a while now. He’s got some connections that have been really helpful.”

 

Ray nods and turns his attention back to Chen. Chen continues to sit still, but as I watch him more closely, I notice a trickle of blood coming from Chen’s upper lip. I don’t want to think that Gino may have beaten this man or even allowed Frank to do it.

 

I still can’t believe that the man who has been so kind to me in my hour of need, the man who rescued me from the clutches of Barb Kluwer, could treat others so brutally.

-          Excerpt from Accidental Mobster by M. M. Cox

For me, storytelling has always been in the blood.  Usually, an idea for a book begins with one intense scene of dialogue and several action sequences that I’d love to see on the big screen. Then I sit down and start typing.

However, in today’s publishing industry, coming up with an idea that’s fresh is one tough undertaking. Thousands of new books are released every day.  And for writers of teen fiction, this becomes a more unique challenge. That’s because when it comes down to it, high school is often going to be a big part of the story, and how does a writer make that interesting?

Yet, I’ve always wanted to write young adult (YA) novels and take on that challenge. And I’ve always been in love with paranormal themes. Vampires, angels, ghosts—bring it on! But it wasn’t until I tuned into another interest of mine that I finally landed on a story that was definitely a strand of different.

That interest was the Mafia.

I’ve read and seen the Godfather and watched the Sopranos, Donnie Brasco, Goodfellas, and Tenth & Wolf. I’ve even suffered through a few rounds of Mob Wives. I’ve read Way of the Wiseguy, The Making of Jack Falcone (movie alert next year!!!), Mob Star, and a plethora of other inside-the-mob stories. It’s not that I’m fascinated with crime. Not at all. It’s that I’m fascinated with how criminals get caught.

You see, I come from a family connected not to organized crime families, but connected to the good guys—law enforcement. Am I biased? Of course. But don’t worry, the Accidental Mobster, is no black and white tale of good and evil.  And that’s because I realize how messy justice can sometimes be.

Once I knew what I wanted to write about, it then became a question of execution. Everyone’s a sucker for a Cinderella story, right? Who doesn’t dream of going from rags to riches? I know writers fantasize about this every day. YA authors like me go to bed dreaming of becoming the next Rowling, Collins, or Meyer. It’s not the only reason we write, or even the primary one, but we’re only human.

So the rags-to-riches premise became my base for creating Danny Higgins. As a poor kid, he gets taken in by a wealthy man—a godfather he never knew anything about—who has a pretty spectacular house, luxury cars, a sweet wife, and snobby kids. The family even has the obligatory ankle-biting dog. What teenager wouldn’t be in heaven when everything he’s ever wanted is laid at his feet—expensive clothes, a stable family, and the chance to fit in at a trendy high school?

But all is not as it seems.  And when Danny finds out what his godfather does for a living, it definitely rocks his world. And really, isn’t that part of being a teenager? It’s a time in our lives when we figure out that people really aren’t perfect and that if things are too good to be true, they usually are. Throw in an undercover FBI agent with a hero-complex, an arrogant school bully, and a few hot females vying for Danny’s attention, and chaos, drama, and action explode.

A good part of the work that went into writing this book was figuring out how to keep the subject matter fresh and current and also relative to a teen audience. The Mafia is generally a grown man’s world, although older teen boys are sometimes caught up in it. I had to make Danny a bold kid who wouldn’t be afraid to get involved and stand-up to criminals—men who kill and steal without much compunction. Danny has his own ethical issues to resolve, including lying about his past and deciding where to settle his loyalties. In the end, it’s his street-smart personality and brashness that help him face down a room full of murderers to protect others.

Something I really enjoyed during the writing process was pulling on my experience living in the northeast United States to create the fictional town of Newcastle, New Jersey. I resided for a while in Delaware, and I knew several kids from New Jersey. What a great accent they have! I also spent time visiting different areas of New Jersey, some of which were very beautiful and others that felt neglected and depressed. Just like most of the U.S., in New Jersey there is definitely a contrast between haves and have-nots. But the bottom line is that New Jersey has a brand of people that are proud and resilient, and I worked very hard to illustrate that in my characters.

And as the story came together (and eventually, the second and third books in the trilogy as well), I found that I had created a family of characters that I cared about. They’re cool, tough, and smart, and their weaknesses only make me like them better.

This is a story that I have enjoyed writing and can’t wait to share, and I’m excited to see it making its public debut. My subject matter, the Mafia, is a fascinating and important piece of American culture, and it intrigues a wide range of people. You won’t find much on the subject written for young people, so Accidental Mobster does bring something fresh to the YA genre.  The book is packed with fist-fights, gun-toting bad guys, and criminal intrigue, and it doesn’t matter what age you are—I bet it’s got something in there for you.