Today we’d like to introduce you to Marcos Rossi.
Hi Marcos, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I had a calling to express myself on paper since my teenage years back in Brazil, but it always came out in a very chaotic and unstructured way. The “writing moments” were many times simply a way to vent, to let my feelings out. As the adulthood obligations took over, this calling lost a bit of its intensity but never went away. It had only been suffocated by other demands that spoke louder at the time.
However, after so many years shut and forgotten, this voice inside me started to shout loud and clear that it needed a space. So, in 2011, influenced by some friends and books I read, I decided it was time and started a blog called Flowers on the Balcony.
The mission of the blog was to publish an inspirational short story/chronicle a month, challenging the readers (mostly friends, family, and coworkers) to make a change and positive impact in their own lives and personal world. Flowers on the Balcony is in fact a metaphor, suggesting we should put out there all we have of good and beautiful. The blog was a success with the targeted audience, and I kept it active for 20 months.
When I thought I had enough material for a book, I self-published it with the same name; “Flowers on the Balcony”. The only ambition was to leave the content of the blog as a legacy for friends and family, but it ended up going far beyond that circle, and soon, the requests for more started to come.
So, in 2013 I decided to challenge myself to write a novel, essentially with the same ambition of the blog; Challenge the reader to improve as a person and seek for growth in all aspects of their lives. The book is called “Bread & Joy” and tells the story of Frank, a troubled young man that lives in London during World War II. The idea of choosing historic romance as a niche was also an attempt to make the storytelling something interesting for me, forcing me to research periods and historic events of my interest. So, while I tell a story, I learn new things.
Frank goes through many challenges and gets some help from a mentor along the way. He falls in love, but the war plays tricks on him. He seeks for a new start in the farm he was born (Bread & Joy) and that decision changes him forever.
Both mentioned books are published in Portuguese and English.
My third work came as a response to the great feedback received over Bread & Joy. It’s also a historic romance, this time focused on something closer to home for me. It talks about the Italian immigration in Brazil. I’m a decedent of immigrants and am one myself. At this moment, it is only available in Portuguese, but it should come out in English in 2022. It tells the life story of Matteo, an Italian teenager that immigrates to Brazil in the late 1800s for reasons beyond his control and that suddenly sees himself facing challenges he would never imagine. It has received great reviews from Brazilian readers.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I don’t actually believe there is such thing as a “smooth road”, especially when you decide to become a writer in your 40s, need to keep your day job to take care of the family and have no room in your budget to promote your work. Every inch of notoriety has been earned with personal effort and dedication, and I still believe there is a lot to be conquered. I must wake up at 5 AM to write while the house sleeps, so this habit does not compete with my day job or family demands that come during the day or at night. And as you get noted by the literary industry, you start receiving all kinds of calls from people offering services to promote your work with promises to get the attention of the major publishing companies and you never know who to trust. I fell victim of scams a few times until I finally found people I could rely on.
Today I have a reputable publishing company for my work in Portuguese (Underline Publishing) and a real agent who is working on leveraging my books in English. More to come on that. Now I believe my work is finally in good hands.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a person with many interests and, why not to say, different talents. And I try to explore and expand them as much as possible. I have a bachelor’s degree in economics, a master’s in management, and apply them both in my day job. I’m also a Certified Supply Chain professional and a Green Belt in Quality Management (soon to be Black Belt). I teach a 20-hour Supply Chain certification for professionals at a Continuing Education program at FIU three of four times a year. I’m also a certified life coach and help my customers get ready for their next life (or professional) challenges. And, of course, I write books. The thing I am most proud of is the fact that I keep all the abovementioned activities with very good results. It demands a lot from me, but I like to do a job well done in everything I get involved with.
What sets my books apart is the fact that they always leave life lessons behind, something to think about, as well as some interesting historic information. You always get a few takeaways after you read them.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I was a shy, introverted kid. And to a degree, I still am both of those things. I’m far from being a social butterfly among strangers. But when I get familiarized with someone, I get more social and even funny sometimes. I tend to listen more than I speak. I was always (and still am) interested in sports and music (forgot to mention I am a lead singer in a virtual rock band as well). When alone, my mind was always in some sort of fantasy of my own and I think that helps me today on getting creative when I need to be.
Contact Info:
- Email: marcoshnrossi@gmail.com
- Instagram: mhnrossi
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marcoshnrossi
