Love Bytes says welcome to author Joe Cosentino joining us today to talk about new audio release “The First Noel”.
Joe Brought the two main character with him to answer some questions for us.
Welcome Joe 🙂
AN INTERVIEW WITH BOBBY, PAOLO, AND GEOFFREY
CHARACTERS IN THE FIRST NOEL,
BOBBY AND PAOLO HOLIDAY STORIES BOOK 3 BY JOE COSENTINO
PUBLISHED BY DREAMSPINNER PRESS
NOW ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO BOOK PERFORMED BY BRIAN CHENEY
- Thank you Bobby, Paolo, and Geoffrey for interviewing today. Your three Bobby and Paolo Holiday Stories (available as e-books and in paperback) published by Dreamspinner Press were a big hit with readers for their gorgeous locations, cozy holiday settings, humor, touching scenes, and of course sweet romance. Now nearly ten years later the last story, The First Noel, joins the first two as also being available as an audio book. How does that make you feel?
Bobby: It feels great to hear our story.
Paolo: Performed by a master audio book performer.
Geoffrey: I think our stories should be called “The Bobby, Paolo, and Geoffrey Holiday Stories.”
- Tell us about your series.
Bobby: In A Home for the Holidays, I, a young, Italian American law student from Philadelphia, travel to Capri during the winter holidays to meet my eccentric Italian relatives. Along the way, I fall in love with my handsome, muscular, sexy Italian distant cousin, Paolo.
Paolo: That’s me.
Geoffrey: When do I come along?
Bobby: In The Perfect Gift, Paolo and I move to Philadelphia, overcome numerous obstacles for the perfect wedding, and adopt our seven-year-old son, Geoffrey.
Geoffrey: Now you’re talking.
Bobby: Finally in The First Noel, young lawyer yours truly and my young fashion designer husband Paolo, my hysterically funny parents, our quirky best friend Jared, and our son Geoffrey are back together for the December holiday. Jared and Jared’s lover, (the second) Noel, have spotted my husband in a cozy restaurant with a young man named (the first) Noel. Who is the muscular, gorgeous, and charismatic first Noel? Also, Geoffrey’s birth mother, funded by an anti-gay organization, arrives on a mission to take back our eight-year-old son Geoffrey.
Geoffrey: But I wanted to stay with my dads.
Paolo: The story is packed with cozy December holiday settings and ends in an exciting, magical, and romantic HEA finale at the Delaware River Waterfront fireworks on New Year’s Eve.
Bobby: I know you’ll love this story as much as I love Paolo. Readers and reviewers said it was the perfect MM holiday story. They fell in love with Paolo and me for the third time!
Geoffrey: And with me!
- Tell us about the characters in your story.
Paolo: Bobby is twenty-six with long auburn hair, emerald eyes, and a swimmer’s build. He works as a young lawyer on discrimination cases and is passionate about LGBT equality.
Bobby: I’m also passionately in love with my husband. Paolo is also twenty-six, handsome, muscular, and sexy with wavy chestnut hair and dreamy sapphire eyes. He’s also a gifted fashion designer who is very much in love with his husband. That’s me. My parents are hysterically funny and dramatic Italian Americans who love their son dearly.
Geoffrey: Their eight-year-old adopted son, Geoffrey, is adorable, sweet, and smart.
Bobby: Jared, my best friend and colleague, is a total riot.
Paolo: In this story Jared finally finds true love in Noel, an ex-professional football player, who is tall, muscular, charismatic, and a man of mystery.
- And now The First Noel, like the first two stories, is available as an audio book. Bobby, did Brian Cheney capture your life with Paolo, family, and friends?
Bobby: Did he ever! Brian Cheney is an incredibly talented actor and audio book performer who brought the story of my life to vivid reality.
Paolo: He personified each character perfectly, including me! His comic timing, smooth voice, emotional delivery, and versatility make this story a joy to experience.
Geoffrey: And he sounded just like me!
- Why did it take nearly ten years to release an audio book version of this story?
Bobby: Joe was waiting for the perfect audio book performer, and he found him in Brian Cheney.
Paolo: After hearing the story, I’m sure you’ll agree.
Geoffrey: Amen!
- Do you think the Bobby and Paolo Holiday Stories would make a good movie or television series?
Bobby: Totally! Come on, producers, make Joe an offer!
Paolo: But for now, enjoy the audio book!
- Thank you for interviewing today, gentlemen.
Bobby: It was our pleasure. Like Paolo, Geoffrey, and me in our stories, I hope everyone reading this gets a happy ending this holiday season and always.
Paolo: Please know this new audio book comes wrapped in a huge ribbon of love.
Geoffrey: And we love hearing from readers via Joe’s web site!
The First Noel, Bobby & Paolo’s Holiday Stories Book 3,
by Joe Cosentino, published by Dreamspinner Press
now also an audio book performed by Brian Cheney
Cover Art: Adrian Nicholas
Length: 3 hours
Genre: gay, gay family, Christmas, December, humor, MM romance, Pennsylvania
Each Christmas has marked a milestone in Bobby and Paolo’s love story. But will this year be their last noel? It’s no surprise Bobby isn’t feeling much holiday spirit—not when he suspects his husband, Paolo, might be interested in his new business associate, the incredibly handsome Noel. On top of that, Bobby’s father is hanging up his Santa suit at the department store due to health issues; and worst of all, Geoffrey’s birth mother, funded by antigay extremists, is threatening their family. She’s trying to take away Bobby and Paolo’s adopted son, but she’ll have to face their supportive friends, family, and pastobefore she can tear Geoffrey from the only real home he’s ever known.
With so many challenges in their path, the December grooms will need an extra helping of holiday magic this year. Rumor has it Santa’s on his way to spread some holiday cheer.
Joe Cosentino was voted Favorite MM Mystery, Humorous, and Contemporary Author of the Year and Second Place Favorite MM Romance Author of the Year by the readers of Divine Magazine. His Dreamspinner Press titles are the In My Heart Anthology: An Infatuation & A Shooting Star, the Tales from Fairyland Anthology: The Naked Prince and Other Tales from Fairyland & Holiday Tales from Fairyland, the Bobby and Paolo Holiday Stories Anthology: A Home for the Holidays & The Perfect Gift & The First Noel, the Found At Last Anthology: Finding Giorgio & Finding Armando, and the two Player Piano mysteries. He is also the author of the 18 Nicky and Noah mysteries, 5 Jana Lane mysteries (The Wild Rose Press), and 5 Cozzi Cove novels (Ninestar Press). His books have won numerous Book of the Month awards and Rainbow Award Honorable Mentions. As an actor, Joe appeared in principal roles in film, television, and theatre, opposite stars such as Bruce Willis, Rosie O’Donnell, Nathan Lane, Jason Robards, and Holland Taylor. He received his Master of Fine Arts degree from Goddard College, Master’s degree from SUNY New Paltz, and is a happily married emeritus theatre professor residing in New York State.
Web site: https://joecosentino.weebly.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JoeCosentinoauthor
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4071647.Joe_Cosentino
Amazon: Author.to/JoeCosentino
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joecosentinoauthor
Brian Cheney, hailed by KUSC Los Angeles as the “next great tenor”, protégé of legendary tenor Jerry Hadley, has gained international acclaim for his portrayal of characters such as Radamés in Aida, Don José in Carmen, Mario Cavaradossi in Tosca, Rodolfo in La bohème, the Duke in Rigoletto, and Canio in Pagliacci. “It is tenor Brian Cheney as the brave painter Cavaradossi who really blew me away. Cheney has that terrific tenor sound: the power, richness, and vocal color of a high baritone combined with ringing, awe-inspiring high notes” (Stage and Cinema.) Highlights from last season include Mr. Cheney’s creation of the role of Victor Frankenstein in the world premiere performance of Gregg Kallor’s Frankenstein in New York to critical acclaim and his National Philharmonic debut as the tenor soloist in Leonard Bernstein’s Mass and West Side Story. “Cheney’s ringing tenor voice carried well in the stone catacombs, conveying the fear that the deep bass sound of the monster summoned. And as the section of the sketches went on, Cheney’s voice bloomed to match the action and threats of the creature.” (Operawire) Recent engagements include Radamés in Aida with Virginia Opera, Antonin Scalia in Derrick Wang’s Scalia/Ginsburg with Toledo Opera, and Salute to Vienna performances in Miami, West Palm Beach, Nashville, and New York City (Lincoln Center). In audio books, Mr. Cheney performed eight of Joe Cosentino’s Nicky and Noah Mystery novels, many of Joe Cosentino’s books published by Dreamspinner Press, All the King’s Men by Scott Leddy, Swarm by Guy Morris, The Last Ark by Guy Morris, and Pressure by Barry Napier. www.briancheneytenor.com