Author Interview with Thomas Benigno

I'm very excited to start a new feature on my blog!  Each week I am going to bring you an interview from a fellow author and introduce you to their book!  My hope is to introduce you to something new as well as support my fellow authors in their endeavors.

To kick us off let me introduce you to Thomas Benigno.

Thomas is the author The Good Lawyer.  Here is the synopsis from Goodreads - A young, ambitious lawyer is eager to prove he is better than the father who abandoned him and worthy of the devoted mother who raised him beyond the siren call of the mobster dominated family he grew up in. Working as a Bronx Legal Aid Attorney he learns how to twist the system, how to become an unbeatable defense lawyer, and he his peacock proud of his perfect record-not a single conviction. But it's 1982. The Spiderman rapist is on the loose and New York City is a city in fear. When an outraged rape victim commits suicide right before his eyes, searching for absolution, he grabs the headline case of a teacher’s aide accused of molesting three students. Armed with a firm belief in his client’s innocence, he knocks the pegs out from under the prosecution’s case. When one of the children turns up dead, he discovers that his client may be strangely connected to the Spiderman. Digging deeper, horrifying revelations about his family's past collide with the true identity of the sadistic sociopath behind the Spiderman's rampage. In the process, this good lawyer comes face-to-face with his greatest conflict and deepest fear: to win, really win-save the city and even the woman he loves-must he sacrifice every principle he believes in and embrace his family's mafia past to become judge, jury, and executioner?

Take a look at my interview with Tom!

1. What inspired you to write a book?  I know your book is based on a true story, but what made you decide to write about your experience?

There were many reasons. After leaving the practice of criminal trial work in 1988 I was feeling creatively lost. Trial work is very challenging and fashioning defenses based on the evidence or lack thereof was what I enjoyed most. I left criminal  law because my best friend urged me to partner with him in real estate development. He combed the streets for deals. I negotiated them into contract and did all the legal work. It was very lucrative. Before the market turned in the late 80's we got out. I then began practicing real estate law full time. With the practice of real estate contract law, however, all of the excitement of being a trial attorney was, as you can imagine, gone. I enjoyed the work. It was much easier. Payment was in almost all cases guaranteed (in the practice of criminal law, not so). Believe it or not, the money was better. My wife and I were raising three children. Practicing real estate law meant I could be home at regular hours and without trial work to prepare for, my nights were free. Frankly, I wasn't used to having so much free time. I suppose I could have changed more diapers. So I started writing.

While working as a criminal defense attorney with the New York City Legal Aid Society in the Bronx I handled a case that troubles me to this day. Also, at the same time, I defended the Spiderman Rapist. I decided to take the two cases an fashion a legal thriller around them. I also wanted to write a love story and a mafia story. About half of the legal thriller story is true. I did have an uncle, I modeled Rocco after, who was a soldier in the mob, not a top capo in charge of Brooklyn, Queens and Long Island. Regarding the love story, I did meet and marry my wife of 33 years around the same period of time in the novel. Be assured however, that I was not foolish enough to model a character in my novel on her. That would be a no-win situation for me or any author. I'm no F. Scott Fitzgerald and wouldn't dream of trying such a thing not now, not ever.

2.  How do you feel about being compared to an author like John Grisham?

I do believe that if there was no John Grisham there would be no Thomas Benigno, author. He makes it seem easy. It's not. Trust me. Writing is hard. He gets out a book a year. I don't know how he does it. I suppose when you can write full-time it helps. His name is synonymous with legal thriller. I'm sure every new thriller writer gets compared to him. I am  also especially grateful to him for titling his novel, The Confession. It was my original title for The Good Lawyer. In retrospect I think I got the better of that one. 

3.  You wear many hats... attorney, actor, writer, husband, father... how do you balance it all? 

I am a husband and father first, an attorney second, a writer third. When and if the major publishing deal comes through, the second and third positions will change. Acting is just for fun. Balancing is easier when you have your priorities in order and learn to say no. Smart and caring people make time for what's important. 

4.  Knowing what you know now... if you could go back and be that young ambitious lawyer out to prove himself again, do you believe you would still take on the same cases? 

Probably. I don't live with too many regrets, and if I have regrets they are most likely not professional ones. I took those cases back in 1982 with the best of intentions. Like Nick, my main character, I was a product of the circumstances in life that surrounded me and I did the best I could at the time with what I knew and the talent I had. 

 5.  Any other books in your future?

I'm writing a follow-up to The Good Lawyer based on the Jones Beach murders here on Long Island. 

6.  And a fun question... what is your favorite quote?

"So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past."

F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, last page

Thank you very much for the interview and many thanks to my readers. 

For more information about Thomas Benigno, and his book The Good Lawyer, you can visit his Facebook page  by clicking HERE 

To visit Thomas Benigno's author page on Amazon, click HERE

To order a copy of Thomas Benigno's book in paperback or e-format, please click HERE

To order my new book Murder on Kilimanjaro, CLICK HERE
For more information about the Summit Murder Mystery series, CLICK HERE
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