Blog

Local Author Showcase spotlights area writers and their work. In this installment, we catch up with Phil DeNapoli, whose self-published novel is set in Skokie, Evanston, and Rogers Park.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I’ve [lived in Skokie] for 15 years … when I am not writing I spend my time coaching high school baseball, playing golf, fishing, and reading.

Tell us more about your book.

The title of my novel is Preying On The Innocent. My book is a police procedural with the added side story of how a mother who is addicted to drugs can negatively influence everyone around her. She is a sociopath who feeds off the weak. For humor I added an African grey parrot that drew the attention of all my readers. It is a page-turner that can be read in one or two sittings.

What’s your writing routine?

My writing routine is simple. I write storyboards connecting plot and characters. I take my plot idea and run with it. I find that the story takes on a life of its own.

What’s your favorite book of all time?

I have two favorite books of all time: Love Story and The Catcher In The Rye. The Godfather is in that group also.

Which book do you wish you had written?

The Outsiders.

What’s the most surprising thing on your bookshelf?

A book listing the best similes and metaphors ever written going back to 1900.