LITERATURE
‘It feels good to bring art to my community.’
BY JOHANNA MILLER
Book described as ‘humorous thriller’
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PAJARO VALLEY MAGAZINE | MAY 21 - 27, 2021
a healthy dose of humor. “Death by Drive-By” follows uthor Tony Di Leonardo was visiting the Watsonville Square shopping center when the character of Vinny Oliveto, a San Francisco deteche first noticed Kelly’s Books. Walking into tive whose life turns upside down after suffering a stroke the small independent bookstore, he startand landing in a retirement home in Kansas. After the ed chatting with owner Kelly Pleskunas drive-by shooting of a beloved, long-resident resident of about his debut novel, “Death by Drive-By,” which had the facility, Vinny launches invesjust been released in December tigations and kickstarts a chase 2020. across several state lines to find Di Leonardo, who is origithe murderer. nally from Sunnyvale and now “It’s a thriller, but not your norlives in Capitola, was looking for mal thriller,” Di Leonardo said. “I ways to sell the book. The small call it a ‘humorous-thriller-murpublisher he had signed a conder-mystery.’ I’m hoping I can get tract with had a very limited people interested in the mystery, advertising budget, leaving Di but I also want people to laugh.” Leonardo to deal with most of Di Leonardo said he used his the promotion. own experiences of living in a retireHe saw Kelly’s Books as an ment home to write the story. opportunity. “I had fun poking fun at all the “Kelly was really encouraginteresting characters I’d seen and ing,” Di Leonardo said. “I’m so watched over the years,” he said. new at this—I asked, how can I “There are all kinds of people, of publicize without advertising? all ages, who come into a home But Kelly knew what she was like that for different reasons.” talking about. I was impressed. “Death by Drive-By” is selling I feel really fortunate.” relatively well, Di Leonardo said, The book is now for sale at and readers seem to be enjoying Kelly’s Books, and Di Leonardo it tremendously. But promotion is said he’s looking into other local still an issue, especially during the bookstores. In addition, the book pandemic, when most people are is for sale at larger retailers such shopping online. as Barnes & Noble, Walmart “On the internet… no one ‘DEATH BY DRIVE-BY’ The cover of and Amazon. finds my book by accident,” he Di Leonardo began writing Tony Di Leonardo’s first book. said. “You have to know to look for “Death by Drive-By” in 2009. He it, search exactly my name and the title. Getting this had been working as a defense contractor for the military book into people’s hands has been very hard.” when he had a sudden stroke, and during recovery was “Death by Drive-By'' is Di Leonardo’s first book, but prompted to write as part of therapy. he doesn’t think it will be his last. Taking sections that “A lady working with me said I should write… at first were cut from the final version of the book, he hopes to I thought, ‘OK, I’ll just write something about the milwrite a follow-up. itary, about what I know,’” Di Leonardo said. “But she “I never thought I’d be a novelist,” Di Leonardo said. said ‘No, do something different.’ She told me to write “And I don’t really intend to get rich as a writer. I just something funny, or adventurous.” hope people will read my book. I think people will find A longtime mystery and thriller buff, Di Leonardo decided to jump headfirst into the genre—though with it really enjoyable.” Contributed
can do outdoors, while also staying safe,” Campos said. “That’s important, especially during Covid.” Since the Art Hike Challenge began, other similar projects have been planned in parks across the county. On May 8, Art Outdoors: Hike to Heal began at Felton Discovery County Park. Next month, The 4 Mayors: Outside the Frame, and Santa Cruz County: Framing Nature will both kick off, with a series of artistic frames in city and county park locations in Watsonville, Capitola, Santa Cruz and Scotts Valley. Campos said he was surprised at how much has come out of his project. He was initially contracted to work for CPF for only three months, to come up with ideas during the pandemic. But as his project grew, so did his role. “I didn’t think it would get that big,” he said. “I didn’t think we’d be contracted to do a lot more. It feels good to bring art to my community.” Campos gave a lot of credit to CPF Executive Director Mariah Roberts and Parks & Programs Specialist Aniko Millan in helping organize the challenge and allowing it to grow as big as it has. “They’re the ones who did lots of the work, all the behindthe-scenes stuff,” he said. “This wouldn’t have actually happened without them.” Pinto Lake County Park is located at 757 Green Valley Road in Watsonville. For information and to download the Art Hike Challenge map, visit countyparkfriends.org.
Local author releases debut mystery novel
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