Today we’d like to introduce you to Armand Rosamilia.
Hi Armand, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I started my writing journey with Dean Koontz books when I was 12. They changed my life. Literally. I began writing awful stories in my teen years and had my first sale of a short story at 18 while still in high school.
Over the years I kept writing and kept trying to sell them. Mostly horror shorts. In 2011 I was laid off from a horrible retail management job and decided it was now or never to be a full-time author, which I did. Never looked back.
The past ten years I’ve mostly written and published crime thrillers, mostly set in the Jacksonville area or New Jersey (where I was born and lived until 2001 when I moved to Florida).
Living the dream, I get to make things up all day at my desk in the air conditioning and never have to worry about putting on pants. As long as there is more than enough coffee, I am a happy man.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I wish it had been a smooth road, but the rough parts I got through shaped my writing all the more. I had two bad marriages, where my exes hated that I ‘wasted time’ writing instead of pampering them. I worked retail management jobs six days a week and 80+ hours for really awful pay. I had three young kids at home that needed my attention, which was fun but exhausting. If you’ve had kids you know!
Struggles about shady publishers, the ever-changing publishing world, trying to find and hold onto readers… some days this is a real struggle, and I suffer from depression, which only adds to the stress.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I write crime thrillers and horror books and short stories, but I’ve dabbled in most genres over my 30+ year career.
My specialty is my crime thrillers set in and around Jacksonville. My “First Coast Thrillers” 6-book series is based in Jacksonville Beach.
I’m most proud of the fact I busted my butt and made this into a viable living for myself. My wife (third time’s a charm, right?) is loving and supportive of my work, and that makes this journey so much easier.
Readers have often said I create very rich characters and I’m proud of that compliment. I want the reader to find something in a character they can relate to, even if it’s sometimes not a good trait.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
I love to talk to readers. There is nothing better than for someone to approach me at a book signing or convention and either already know my work or want to hear more about it. I’m a big fan of mentoring newer writers and helping them in their journey, too.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://armandrosamilia.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/armand_rosamilia/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorArmandRosamilia
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/armand-rosamilia/
- Twitter: https://x.com/ArmandAuthor
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ArmandRosamilia
- Other: https://www.twitch.tv/armand_rosamilia
