Praise From an Older Writer; A Phone Call From Stephen Vizinczey

Just before Christmas I received a most amazing and unexpected telephone call from Stephen Vizinczey, a writer I have admired for over three decades and have championed many times on this blog.

Stephen called to thank me for the pieces I had written about him on this blog and to inform me that he had purchased and was reading my novel The City of Earthly Desire. He told me that he was enjoying it and that I possessed great talent. You can imagine what a thrill and honor it was to hear that! Then, just as I was beginning to recover from the shock, Stephen informed me that he would send me a manuscript copy of his latest and yet unpublished novel If Only for me to read.

To say I was stunned would be the understatement of the century. To put this in some sort of perspective, imagine you were a struggling actor and one day you received a phone call of encouragement from none other than Robert DeNiro. Or picture yourself as an aspiring hockey player who unexpectedly gets a call from Wayne Gretzky. That is what Stephen's phone call meant to me. It truly was one of the high points of my life. 

We spoke for about twenty-minutes covering topics ranging from the contemporary publishing industry to current world issues. He was kind, gracious, and, as I expected, exceptionally insightful when it came to matters of politics or writing. 
To follow up the conversation, he sent me a brief email and an attached copy of If Only (which I have read and will write about in a future post.)

The universe is a mysterious place that is forever full of surprises. Sometimes those surprises are good ones.

It all takes me back to my decision to self-publish The City of Earthly Desire back in 2012. Having Mr. Vizinczey read the novel makes that decision seem worthwhile all in itself. 

Stephen and I have been keeping in touch since then. He is currently focused on getting his latest novel to the market and I am thrilled to say that I am playing a small role in the process. I'll reveal more about that in future posts.

Stay tuned!