THE STORY: Anthony Marino is an ordinary Long Island guy who finds himself stalked by a mob assassin for no reason he can imagine.  His maneuvers to stay alive play against a ridiculous wedding he has to participate in, an equally bizarre funeral, the coming of a new baby, and most of all, a turbulent love relationship with a pretty woman named Katie who, despite being crazy-making, truly loves him.  It’s rough seas all the way for a character who has no choice but to go with the flow.

SOME COMMENTS on Water Wedding:

“Fun characters: Anthony, Katie, the Chief, Rabbi Levine, Marty the sad little bookseller, the gargantuan bride, the sweet little groom, even the dog Humphrey … good stories-within-stories, too.  The wedding itself was a hoot, and the scene in the flea market was even funnier.”

“Real grace and intelligence in the writing … very fine control.  The material is both funny and serious, and the writing voice nicely poised between the two.”

“Loved Rabbi Levine.  Loved Katie.  Loved all the goofy and yet very real trouble Anthony got into in spite of being such a reasonable (mostly) person.  Loved the deadpan sense of humor.”

“Before I read Water Wedding, I used to wonder what the people of Atlantis were doing while their world was sinking.  Now I know.”

“Action, character, and worldy-insight are nicely modulated here into a fast-moving, entertaining, thought-provoking, true-to-life story.”

“Couldn’t put it down.  Only wished it was longer.”

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If by chance you’re a ballroom dancer – here’s a story about a world you’ll recognize. And if you’re not, here’s a candid love story set in a world you’ll recognize as well.

Tommy and Laurie are virtual strangers in mid-life when they meet at a Long Island ballroom dance.  Each sees something mysterious but compelling in the other’s eyes, each takes a chance on a wild ride that begins at the hover point of a spin turn and may or may not sweep the rest of their lives into it.

Their ride carries them across the gamut of dance experiences – the studios, the Latin clubs, the big social dances, the exhibitions, the dance weekends – all against the backdrop of onerous day jobs, aging parents, and troublesome ex-spouses.

I wrote In My Blood after fifteen years of involvement in the dance world.  I wrote it hoping to illuminate, through an imagined story, a number of personal experiences beyond the dance scene itself: the dynamics of love relationships, the madness of independent filmmaking, the meaning of my parents’ lives and deaths, the lost beauty of the past.  I wanted to write about every passion that had gotten “in my blood.”

I thought it would be fun, too, to comment on the psychology and the sociology and the history of ballroom dancing, and to weave all these elements into a single story that would sweep readers along just like a good waltz.  The result is In My Blood.