Jo Piazza has written 12 books, and she's not afraid to play favorites.
"I worked harder on this book than on anything else," the author, podcaster and journalist said of her new novel, "The Sicilian Legacy ." "I think it's the best I've ever done. The best thing, but it’s also very personal because it’s based on my family’s story.”
The book is a twisting, generations-spanning mystery that follows Sara Massala as she travels to Sicily after her marriage and business fail. Her great-aunt Rosie had recently died, leaving Sara a ticket to the island and a deed to a parcel of land. The goal: to find out what happened to Sara's great-grandmother Serafina, who Rosie believes was murdered. Switching between past and present, readers meet the independent, headstrong Serafina, who caused a stir by refusing to settle for a conventional life, and see parallels in the ways women were held back a century ago and today.
The book was inspired by Piazza's great-great-grandmother Lorenza Marsala, who was also murdered in Sicily. In addition to the novel, Piazza recently launched a companion podcast, which she describes as " White Lotus Meets the Only Murder in the Building ," in an attempt to solve Lorenza's murder. For this exploration, the author returned to Sicily, digging through archives, talking to locals, and combing through court records.
"We found some crazy bombshells in the town's records," she said. "That's something we don't know about her murder and who she was murdered with."
The recent obsession with the “mob wife” aesthetic couldn’t fit in better with “Sicilian Heritage.” “Sicily’s energy is really strong,” said Piazza, who lives in Philadelphia and the Catskill Islands. "I think when you read the book, you pick it up and then you walk away from it like, 'Yeah, I'm not going to take any shit -- I'm going to kick some ass and take some names.' "
Here, Piazza talks about her ideal bookstore, the brand of luxury candles next to her desk, and writing in bathroom stalls on planes, trains, and (a few years ago) nightclubs.
Write from anywhere:
I write all the time—anytime and anywhere. I have a laptop and can write. When I was a reporter and columnist for the Daily News , I was used to reporting from all over the country. I write on my BlackBerry half the time. Honestly, I miss BlackBerry. I did it in the bathroom at Bungalow 8, and there was a group of guys snorting coke in the next stall. Sometimes I also write on my phone.
I love taking Amtrak to New York because I love writing on the train. I love writing on airplanes when I’m alone—I write best on airplanes. It's non-stop because I've never bought airplane WiFi again since it was $100. And there are no distractions. I don’t think there’s any other place in the world where we can be uninterrupted and without access to the internet. So, a long haul flight without the kids is just - that's my dream. I have a new novel, 50,000 words long, that I need to start working on before I can put it on the market. I thought, “Where can I fly to?”
About burning sage and bougie candles:
Oh my gosh, I’m totally immersed in Sicily. I have sage on my desk that I light all the time—to bring out the good things. I lit it up when we went book shopping.
My only passion is expensive candles: Diptyque, everyone's favorite brand. And then we also have Catskill Candle Studio candles that I purchased in the Catskills. I buy it every time I go there. I really like Dilo, a local brand from Philadelphia. They're right across the street from me.
On not believing in writer’s block:
I was a long-time daily newspaper writer in the early 2000s, and it was just like, "Screw you if you don't send me stories." So I didn't understand writer's block. I do have more difficult days. Also, I'll write 1500 pieces of crap and walk away because there's something in it.
That’s so interesting – I think women writers are probably more effective than men. I often talk to male writers: "I have to be in the perfect space. I have to be in a cabin in the woods. It has to be really quiet." I thought, I could write 1,500 words while the kids were knocking on the door .
On her entrepreneurial dream:
I eat cheese and chocolate a lot. This is a very comprehensive diet. In fact, my dream bookstore that I would one day like to open would just sell books, cheese, chocolate, and wine. This is what is called good things, because we deserve good things. You can tell I already had this in mind - I already had a space that I wanted. Who doesn't want nice things?
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
