Vinny Cusenza
Stories with Soul, Light, and Shadows
Reviews & Blurbs
"Shimmering, insightful, entertaining… Vinny Cusenza enters the literary scene with this finely wrought mystery enhanced by sensitive social issues – an impressive debut indeed!" – Grady Harp, Top Ten Amazon book reviewer, published poet and essayist
"Cusenza’s gorgeous prose…his descriptions of the lake in summer and the mountain in all weather can be felt on the skin. His empathy for the characters, even the bigoted and violent, keep the meanest from slipping into stereotype. I enjoyed being immersed in this steamy, star-crossed gay romance wrapped in a far-from-cozy rural murder story steeped in history." – Louis Ceci, published novelist, poet, and editor
"Cusenza’s novel makes for an admirably ambitious debut, blending choice facets of American and regional history with a star-crossed romance. Both blood, in this often violent action-adventure, and soil, in vivid descriptions of a certain corner of New York State, can be found in abundance – and the title’s allusion to an infamous Nazi slogan proves far from coincidental." – Lance Ringel, award-winning author of Flower of Iowa and Floridian Nights
"Vinny Cusenza dexterously weaves together the lives of a wide cast of characters fully realized. The plot unfolds with emotion and drive. Cusenza is able to lead readers through a gauntlet of tension and struggle, and deliver them into hope and promise." – Sander Santiago, award-nominated gay romance author of Best of the Wrong Reasons
"THRILLING FROM BEGINNING TO END. Cusenza is a natural storyteller, and Blood and Soil unfolds masterly with well-drawn characters, vivid dialog, and an engrossing plot. But most of all, this is a damn good read. The story explodes with revelations and takedowns…The twists, turns, and surprises are unrelenting to the very end." – Glen Vecchione, Where the Nights Smell Like Bread
"A tale of two vastly dissimilar young men struggling for acceptance, love, and justice in a time of intolerance…a page-turner packed with suspense, murder, heartbreak, and healing, and an allegory of the search for our authentic selves." – Getty Ambau, author of the award-winning Desta adventure series
"Blood and Soil is a twisty, atmospheric murder mystery that pulses with violence and shimmers with tenderness." – Beth Ann Bauman, author of Rosie and Skate and Jersey Angel
"Blood and Soil is as tense as it is tender—a haunting meditation on justice, identity, and the fragile connections that can bloom in the unlikeliest places. I couldn’t shake its atmosphere or its characters long after the final page." – Farhad J. Dadyburjor, Mumbai-based author of The Other Man and How I Got Lucky
Vinny Cusenza writes across genres, but always from the heart. Whether in his literary debut Blood and Soil or his personal essays and travel meditations, Vinny explores the nuances of identity, place, and the quiet power of human connection.
A native New Yorker with a photographer’s eye and a wanderer’s soul, he has won awards for his photography, founded a boutique New England inn, and once sang with Liza Minnelli in Central Park. His work blends emotional honesty with lyrical precision—and just a touch of mischief.
Vinny lives in Park Slope, Brooklyn with husband Steve and their bromantic cats, Tigre and Rex. When he’s not writing or editing, he’s likely photographing the boroughs or planning his next travel dispatch.
About Vinny
Truth-teller. Word-tinkerer. Rhino-herder.
Behind the Bio
A few surprising facts and playful insights from
Vinny Cusenza’s writing life.
The most unexpected thing that happened while writing
Blood and Soil ?
Discovering there had been a Nazi Youth camp in my own backyard in the 1940s—and then watching American fascism reemerge in real time.
Dinner with three fictional characters—who’s coming and what’s cooking?
Mrs. Madrigal, Frodo, and Holden Caulfield. We’ll serve cheese sandwiches, malted milk, meat pies, apple tarts—and pot.
How does your personal history shape your voice?
Growing up gay before Stonewall, I lived with the tension of wanting to belong while knowing I didn’t. That duality shaped my fascination with identity, and how we harm or heal each other through the labels we assign.
Quirky writing ritual?
Writing immediately upon waking, before my inner critic has a chance to get out of bed.
Advice to first-time writers?
Your first draft is supposed to be a mess. Forget the rules. Let your soul spill onto the page—only you can write your story.
What inspired you to finally tell this story?
After years of polishing other people’s manuscripts—many about outsiders striving to live authentic lives—I realized I had my own outsider story to tell.
Let's Talk
Reach out. I read everything—even if my cat gets to it first.
Vinny is available for live and virtual events and book clubs. Contact him if you are interested.
Publicist:
Michele Karlsberg Marketing & Management
Email: MicheleKarlsberg@me.com
Phone: 917-359-2803