So…The Ultimate Betrayal
“One of the most often overlooked aspects of infidelity is the pain that exists within the cheater, long before the act in question takes place, that subsequently causes the pain in the person being cheated on,” she said as she sat across from me, her hipster glasses resting perfectly on the bridge of her nose and her hands folded neatly in her lap. As the third therapist I'd interviewed about this topic, she was the one who gave me the final piece of the puzzle that I needed to make Kyle Fasano, the main character in The Millionth Trilogy, more human.
It was my fascination with the decision that some people make to cheat on the one they love that drew me to the topics of lust and infidelity as the central catalysts for the spiritual war that breaks out across all three novels. We all wrestle with the issue of temptation. It's part of being human. Some of us have crossed that line (or have had that line crossed on us), and we've seen the unique quality of the pain that is unleashed. It takes a long time to get past or get over. The wound can heal, but many times the scar never stops hurting.
“Why?” I wondered, while sequestered in the alcove of my favorite Starbucks one morning. Why was this particular…sin…so much more profound than the others? So much so, in fact, that people lose their minds. As any detective will tell you, “crimes of passion” are one of the top three reasons for why he/she will ever be called to a murder scene. The answer (to me) seemed obvious. If God was love, as almost all world religions teach us, then infidelity was a particularly troubling sin, as it was not only a betrayal of your partner but also a betrayal of your Creator as well.
Betraying God? That idea made me very uneasy. You can be forgiven, of course, but man, what a screw-up. I’m bound to get an email now from a pastor or two warning me against naming one sin as greater than any other. I understand. But for the purposes of this story, lust, temptation, selfishness and the labyrinth of consequences that follow infidelity were going to be given center stage. They were going to roam free like the monsters they are, and they were going to be released by an Everyman…you know, just like you and me. Then? Well, you'll have to read the story to find out.
Thank YOU for being a subscriber to this newsletter. I can't tell you how much it has meant to me to get your emails, reviews, questions and FB messages. Many of you I've never met, so when you tell me you've read all three books in one week, or you stayed up past midnight to finish one of them, or bought the paperback at full retail and had it shipped overseas because you don't own a Kindle and couldn't get if for free during a recent promotion? It means SO much. Please remember: I need you to care and to share. Word of mouth is every writer’s best friend. My next newsletter comes out in a month. Until then, I’ve got some exciting announcements to share below. Check ‘em out…and remember: You ROCK!
Tony Faggioli
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
BOOK 3, “ONE PLUS ONE”, EARNED THE HONER OF BEING A “FEATURED REVIEW” IN THE NOVEMBER ISSUE OF KIRKUS REVIEWS MAGAZINE. I’M TOLD THAT ONLY 10% OF THE REVIEWS DONE EACH YEAR BY KIRKUS EARN THIS DISTINCTION AND I'M HONORED. DUE TO THIS FACT, I RELEASED BOOK 3 ON NOVEMBER 1st, A FULL MONTH EARLY. ALL THREE BOOKS ARE NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.
LAST WEEK, VROMAN’S BOOKSTORE (an icon for over 120 years in Pasadena, CA) AGREED TO TAKE ALL 3 BOOKS OF “THE MILLIONTH TRILOGY” ON CONSIGNMENT. AS ONE OF MY FAVORITE PLACES IN THE WORLD, I WAS OVER THE MOON AND STILL AM! E-BOOKS ARE GREAT BUT THERE’S NOTHING QUITE LIKE SEEING YOUR BOOKS ON THE SHELF OF AN ACTUAL BOOKSTORE. JUST. AWESOME.
LASTLY, I WILL BE THE “SPOTLIGHT AUTHOR” THANKSGIVING WEEKEND ON STORYFINDS.COM. REMEMBER TO CHECK IT OUT. MAYBE EVEN POP IN THERE AND MAKE FUN OF MY PICTURE OR SOMETHING.
