Long Island Horror Book Author Pivots; To Release 1st Romantic Thriller

MELVILLE, NY — Melville fiction author Michael Laimo is set to release his first romantic psychological thriller novel.

Laimo, 58, has written 11 books previously — all of them horror. "Missed Connection" marks his first departure from that genre, though Laimo promised strong elements of adult humor in his upcoming work. The trade paperback and e-book are scheduled to be released on May 21, while the audiobook is targeted for fall.

The novel will follow New York City fashion executive Peter Delmonico, who has had a rough life, Laimo said. Physically abused by his father as a child, and mentally abused by his wife as an adult, he sees no choice but to let his inner demons guide him through life. Obsessed with photography for as long as he can remember, Delmonico takes a detour one afternoon into NYC’s Bryant Park, where he snaps a photo of a beautiful woman who bumps into him, and then kisses him, before vanishing into the crowd as mysteriously as she appeared. Determined to bring true love into his life, Delmonico sets out on a journey throughout Manhattan to find her. His only real lead is the photo he took of her in his camera.

"'Missed Connection' is an intense romantic thriller filled with twists and turns, a raunchy, funny, sexy, satirical, and somewhat diabolical look at life in Manhattan through the eyes of a damaged man who only wants to love, and be loved," Laimo told Patch.

The e-book will be available from all online book retailers. The paperback can be purchased on Amazon, or through select independent booksellers. People can also ask their local bookstore or library to order a copy for you, Laimo said. Signed copies can be purchased through Laimo's website.

Straying from the horror genre for the first time was not as easy as Laimo thought it would be, he said.

"Having focused solely on one genre my entire writing career, that being horror, I set out to write something a bit more accessible to the masses, and not just fans of one genre," he explained. "What a challenge that was! I first had to find a new voice in me, something that lent itself more to the type of story I wanted to tell."

Laimo's first draft took a year to write, and he said it was "awful." But he embarked on a re-learning process where he shifted his narrative into "something completely different" and appropriate for the romantic thriller genre.

"I spent the next couple years — I have a full time job so I only write part-time — fine-tuning 'Missed Connection' into the best novel I could write, so that every word not only meant something to the story, but also resonated with the reader, with a focus more on action and character building as opposed to atmosphere and description," Laimo said.

Laimo published five horror novels in the mass-market in the 2000s. Two of them, "Dead Souls" and "Deep in the Darkness," were made into feature films. Laimo took time off from writing to focus on the films. He started reading thrillers — erotic thrillers, specifically.

He watched "You" on Netflix and then read the books, leading him to fall in love with the idea of writing a story from an antihero's point of view, he said.

"With 'Missed Connection,' I backtracked this idea with my morally gray protagonist so that readers could experience how he progresses to become the book’s antihero, all through his distressed thoughts," Laimo said. "It was hard work creating a 'bad guy' main character that readers could empathize with, but it is with hope that they will ultimately feel sorry for him in the end."

Laimo provides daily updates on his writing on his TikTok page, "#booktok," as well as on his other social media channels.

"I hope Patch readers will stop by to say hello, and tell me how much they are enjoying 'Missed Connection!'" Laimo said.