Lifelong Brooklynite pens ambitious trilogy of novels

A Vietnam veteran and lifelong Brooklynite has found a new lease on life by penning imaginative short stories and novels.

When Bay Ridge resident Joe Graffagnino retired after 40 years as a telecommunications engineer for the government, he decided to expand on a hobby he had little time for in the past: writing.

Ever since high school, I wanted to write, but I was been so busy with jobs and family,” he said. “I never got the opportunity till later on in life. Now, I do and it’s worked out well. It’s great to know you can do something after you retire.”

Graffagnino has written articles for magazines as well as short stories. However, he recently decided to take on the daunting task of writing a trilogy of action-adventure novels based on two female protagonists who are drastically different but share common goals.

His latest, The Journey of Mary/Ma Li, was published this past December and is the middle part of that trilogy. Since its release, he’s spent the past few months promoting the book around the neighborhood, hosting book readings and signings at local businesses such as The Salty Dog, The BookMark Shoppe and Vaccaro’s Restaurant.

According to Graffagnino, the road to writing his passion project hasn’t been an easy one.

“If you add up writing the first book, trying to get an agent and a publisher and then getting it done, it took two weeks shy of eight years,” he said, stating that the toughest part of the process was being an unknown writer. “The ordeal of trying to find an agent as an unknown is impossible. Luckily, I wound up finding a small publishing company out of North Carolina. They loved the book and wanted to print it.”

The story, which includes paranormal elements, follows two women. Mary Petrovich is from the 20^th century. She develops visions of a girl from 15^th century China, Ma Li. Their bonds grow stronger as Mary’s images become clearer.

One of the driving forces of the book is vengeance. “They’re both seeking revenge on what happened to their families,” he said. “Ma Li’s parents were killed by samurais and Mary’s family was killed by her uncle that she was forced to live with.”

Graffagnino experienced early success with his writing career. His articles were purchased by publications such as Real Estate Today. He then tried his hand at short stories. His work was picked up by Necrology Shorts, a web-based magazine highlighting short horror pieces.

His early work coupled with encouragement from a fellow author inspired Graffagnino to write more ambitious pieces. “A friend of mine, P.M. Griffin, who is a science fiction novelist, saw my work, and said that I could really write and should do something bigger. That’s what gave me the idea,” Graffagnino said.

Although he’s traveled the world through his military service, his hometown has played an integral role in his newest novel. “Brooklyn has always been my grounding point. Bay Ridge is my home. They say writers should write about things they know.” With that in mind, Graffagnino has put local people from his neighborhood in the book, as well as local businesses. “The book’s protagonist Mary’s headquarters is The Salty Dog,” he noted.

“If you’re good at one thing, you can be good at anything you do,” he said. “To have other people say your work is good, that means a lot.”

Graffagnino’s next signing is on Saturday, February 28 at Catch 22 lounge, 73^rd Street and Third Avenue. For more information, call 718-921-5869. To purchase “The Journey of Mary/Ma LI,” visit www.amazon.com.