Literature

‘It feels good to bring art to my community.’

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.

LITERATURE Local author releases debut mystery novel

BY JOHANNA MILLER

Book described as ‘humorous thriller’

Author Tony Di Leonardo was visiting the a healthy dose of humor. “Death by Drive-By” follows 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 start- and 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 origi- the 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 con- der-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. He saw Kelly’s Books as an opportunity. “Kelly was really encouraging,” Di Leonardo said. “I’m so new at this—I asked, how can I publicize without advertising? But Kelly knew what she was talking about. I was impressed. I feel really fortunate.” The book is now for sale at Kelly’s Books, and Di Leonardo own experiences of living in a retirement home to write the story. “I had fun poking fun at all the interesting characters I’d seen and watched over the years,” he said. “There are all kinds of people, of all ages, who come into a home like that for different reasons.” “Death by Drive-By” is selling relatively well, Di Leonardo said, and readers seem to be enjoying said he’s looking into other local it tremendously. But promotion is bookstores. In addition, the book is for sale at larger retailers such as Barnes & Noble, Walmart Contributed still an issue, especially during the pandemic, when most people are shopping online. and Amazon. ‘DEATH BY DRIVE-BY’ The cover of “On the internet… no one

Di Leonardo began writing Tony Di Leonardo’s first book. finds my book by accident,” he “Death by Drive-By” in 2009. He said. “You have to know to look for had been working as a defense contractor for the military it, search exactly my name and the title. Getting this when he had a sudden stroke, and during recovery was book into people’s hands has been very hard.” prompted to write as part of therapy. “Death by Drive-By'' is Di Leonardo’s first book, but

“A lady working with me said I should write… at first he doesn’t think it will be his last. Taking sections that I thought, ‘OK, I’ll just write something about the mil- were cut from the final version of the book, he hopes to itary, about what I know,’” Di Leonardo said. “But she write a follow-up. said ‘No, do something different.’ She told me to write “I never thought I’d be a novelist,” Di Leonardo said. something funny, or adventurous.” “And I don’t really intend to get rich as a writer. I just

A longtime mystery and thriller buff, Di Leonardo hope people will read my book. I think people will find decided to jump headfirst into the genre—though with it really enjoyable.”