Mario Mudano
Welcome to Argent Echoes, and I would like to share a little about myself and my debut novel, And Falls The Rain.
Home for most of my life was South Florida—Hollywood, Florida specifically—and I have been a professional baseball player in the San Diego Padres and Toronto Blue Jays systems, a hospital administrator, and an art gallery owner, before turning to writing.
My minor league travels took me to Walla Walla, Washington; Butte, Montana; Utica, New York; Beeville, Texas and Yuma, Arizona. And yes, what you’ve heard about the long bus rides, low-budget motels, half-full stadiums, and paychecks that barely cover the rent, are all true! But I wouldn’t have passed up the experiences for anything. I’ve also been a “suit” and toiled in the highly-competitive world of corporate healthcare. The checks were bigger in healthcare—but so was the pressure cooker. My art gallery, Gatsby’s Fine Art, was not a commercial success--but at least I could devour books while waiting for the occasional customer to walk through the door!
Speaking of books, I’ve had a life-long obsession with them from a very early age. My favorites are love stories—especially the timeless, classical ones like Madame Bovary, Anna Karenina, and The Great Gatsby. For me, the more ill-fated (or seemingly ill-fated) the better!
On a personal note, I enjoy driving my vintage black Jaguar (purchased for $5,000), with too much money put into it since. (Am I the only person who thinks that after “one more repair,” the car will be just fine!) I also like perusing antique shops, outdoor bazaars, and flea markets. It’s true that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure—and you never know when a discarded gem might be unearthed and bought on the cheap! Acquiring old books gives me great pleasure--preferably early edition hardbacks—and brittle pages, musty scents, and worn or cracked leather can be heaven. Last but not least I enjoy traveling, Lake Como in northern Italy being my all-time favorite destination. It’s where the Alps sweep down to the serene blues of the lake--and you really can feel like you’re living in another century.
In closing, my intention is to write another novel, and I have the loose outlines of one bouncing around in my head.
"As we drove through rush-hour traffic, rain started to fall, and the clouds looked like dirty rags in a gray sky. Pressing my cheek against the window, memories of Allie flooded back to me. The first time I laid eyes on her in the library. The first time her lips pressed against mine..."
GET YOUR COPY
