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In creating his popular Marco Fontana Mystery series, Joe DeMarco draws on his own rich background as an Italian gay man based in Philadelphia. As he notes, the city itself is a character in the series. Below are his responses to my interview questions, followed by his bio and contact/buy links:

First off, congratulations on the release this year of MURDER ON LAS OLAS, the sixth novel in your Marco Fontana Mystery series. Can you share with our readers a bit about the novel and what inspired the series?

In MURDER ON LAS OLAS, Marco travels to Fort Lauderdale to attend and participate in the wedding of Danny, a guy who is not only a friend but also works for Marco in his strip troupe (more on that later).

When the story opens, Danny is extremely unhappy with the plans the wedding designer has made for his wedding—hint: think too much purple—and is angry enough to do some damage. Before Marco realizes it, he’s drawn into the wedding drama and “volunteers” to get the planner to change the concept.

Of course, one thing leads to another, and Marco finds himself dealing with not one but two murders. And the wedding guests and event vendors provide more than enough suspects to keep Marco guessing. Of course, when Danny is accused of the murders, Marco goes into high gear.   

Along the way, Marco meets a guy who makes him rethink his lone wolf behavior and contemplate settling down. Will he? That’s anybody’s guess.

About the series:

I’d always been interested in mysteries. I did and do a lot of reading in the field – both gay and straight titles.

Though I enjoyed what I read, I couldn’t find exactly what I was looking for in those books. At some point I decided—like many writers, I think—to make my own mysteries in a world I wanted to see realized and peopled with characters I’d enjoy watching and getting to know.

Marco and his friends gradually emerged and clamored to be allowed to tell their stories. Of course, being Italian, I was at ease with that part of Marco’s background and its nuances, so part of Marco’s backstory was set. Aside from the colorful nature of Italian family life, there’s a lot to explore in Italian culture and history and some of that finds its way into the books especially when Uncle Luciano is involved.

His main group of friends and sidekicks include Luke, a Chinese-American entrepreneur and Anton whose roots are Eastern European. Olga, a Russian emigree and former client, is his secretary/office manager who manages to get her opinion heard no matter what. 

The other big part of Marco’s life is that he’s gay. Once again, personal experience plays a part and informs his backstory. Having a character who is fully comfortable with his gayness and who is not in any way ashamed is important to me and was part of what I was searching for in what I’d been reading.

Marco doesn’t hope for acceptance; he enters situations expecting it as part of the natural order of things. Crucial to his character is that he’s not obnoxious or overbearing about his expectations. And most people he encounters take their cue from his bearing.

This is not to say that other characters in the stories don’t have a problem with the gay world. It’s part of life and Marco and the others deal with it, but they don’t let it define or defeat them.

Marco’s attitude is that he is who he is and others in his life can deal with it, or they won’t be dealing with him.

The other characters, especially Luke and Anton, have their own distinctive stories and play pivotal roles in some of the novels.

Philadelphia is also a character in my books. The only World Heritage city in the US, Philadelphia is a place rich in history and filled with elements for mysteries. Setting the series here was a natural. But I can’t resist the lure of making improvements in things, so the Philadelphia in my books is a newer and in some ways much improved version.   

Marco enjoys travel and I’ve decided to take him on the road occasionally. MURDER ON LAS OLAS takes place in Fort Lauderdale and is the first in the series not located in Philadelphia.

If you want to know more about Marco’s development as a private investigator, CRIMES ON LATIMER (book 3 in the series which is a collection of novellas) will take you from Marco’s high school days to just before the events of MURDER ON CARMAC.     

Your first Marco Fontana mystery, MURDER ON CAMAC, appeared in 2009. Since then, you’ve written two other mystery series, the Doyle and Kord series and the Vinnie Panello Series, as well as several other books. What has kept you returning to your Marco Fontana series?

Though I enjoy the characters in each series, the Fontana world probably lives “loudest” in my thoughts. The characters are always on my mind, are always wanting to engage in a new adventure. And I can’t help but listen to them and start the ball rolling for another escapade.   

There are so many aspects to the gay/lesbian community to explore. In addition, there are things that happen when gay and straight worlds collide as they inevitably do – and not always with bad results.

The Vinnie Panello series hasn’t really started yet – though the first novel in that series is complete and waiting for editing. My current thought about this one is to have an occasional spin-off Panello novel rather than a whole new and separate series.

Vinnie is a young cousin of Marco’s and already has begun appearing in the Fontana novels. In THE VERMILLION PURSUIT, he becomes a part of Marco’s detective agency, right now handling domestic cases and assisting on bigger cases when needed. It’s from this base that he’ll make an appearance on his own but still in the Marco Fontana world.           

The Doyle and Kord novels (the third one—SLING SHOT—is almost ready to send to the publisher) is a new experience for me. Written with dual third person main characters (Dole & Kord), it’s a different approach than the first person Marco Fontana novels. It can be a lot of fun but also means there’s a lot more to keep track of. One fun aspect is that readers sometimes get to see the same thing from different perspectives. There’s a bit more romance in these novels but it’s not overwhelming. The setting, Philadelphia, is the same though with some differences – things are a bit more gritty.

Another series I have is the Vampire Inquisitor series, two books of which are published so far: A WARNING IN BLOOD and A BATTLE IN BLOOD. The third book should be ready soon.

Fontana is not only a private investigator but affiliated with a gay stripper troupe, an unusual combination! Tell us more about his backstory and how his character has grown and changed during the series.                                                                                   

Marco manages a male strip troupe called StripGuyz. It’s based in a gay bar named Bubbles, but they do shows in different venues as well. I’m not sure how Marco stumbled onto this “career” path except to say that he was always interested in why some men choose this type of work. I suppose he decided to find out by getting to know as many of these men as he could. That experience eventually led him to start his own troupe.

Marco comes from a large Italian family in South Philadelphia. Several brothers and a couple of sisters, lots of aunts, uncles, and cousins round out the Fontana/Sforza family scene. Each of them has his or her own story but they are close knit or as close knit as any large Italian family can be. There’s enough drama, histrionics, and resentment to fill another series.

Strangely enough, though his family has made various appearances in the series so far, none of the stories has centered around a particular family story…Yet. Though I think this will change soon.

One continuing annoyance for Marco is Chief of Detectives Gina Giuliani who has an abiding dislike for Marco. The reason, his slightly older brother Dario who is enough of a look alike that Marco reminds her of him and their bad breakup.

Marco has tried to make some changes as a person. The biggest problem he deals with is his aversion to commitment – though he might not phrase it that way. I can understand his perspective. But changing his persona is not up to me. That’s something he’ll have to do on his own. In THE VERMILION PURSUIT (book number 5 in the series) his favorite uncle, Luciano, quizzes him about love and relationships and wonders if Marco has ever fallen crazy in love. Marco can’t say that he has and, maybe for the first time, begins to think that this might be something he should explore. 

Prior to this, in MURDER ON CAMAC and in DEATH ON DELANCEY, Marco and Anton are thought to be an item – but Anton is an old-fashioned kind of guy and will only go so far unless total commitment is part of the deal. For his part, Marco enjoys the closeness and familiarity he shares with Anton, but they’ve made no exclusivity agreements and Marco feels free to play the field.

In MURDER ON LAS OLAS, he meets someone who brings him to the brink of that crazy maybe-this-is-love kind of feeling. He even finds himself willing to entertain the possibility – something he’d never felt before. But will it work out?

Romantically, he’s edging toward growth. As a PI, he’s more dogged and more able to handle people and go the distance for the answers he needs. And he is well versed enough to change his approach when needed in each case with its own set of circumstances.

He remains a character filled with curiosity and a need to see justice done in whatever way he can accomplish it. These are traits that only grow and improve as he moves through the series.

Did you always know that you wanted to become a writer?

Actually, yes. I began as a voracious reader of almost anything and everything I could get my hands on. Visits to the Bookmobile in my neighborhood were times I relished. And then there’s the main Library (the first lending library in the US) – just delightful to be surrounded by all those books.

As a kid I had a gigantic book collection, too – not all read, though most of them were devoured, some more than once. At some point I was heavy into Science Fiction and thought that was what I wanted to write. I did try my hand at stories and novel outlines. But I didn’t feel it was a good fit.

I did try playwriting for a while and worked in theater with some small successes. I like to think of playwriting as valuable training in writing. Playwriting teaches things that enables better writing in other forms.

At the same time as those endeavors, I did journalistic work, writing for the gay press in publications around the country. I also edited two gay publications which lasted a while and covered a variety of topics.

At some point I decided it was time to get back to what I really wanted to do which was and is mystery writing.

Are there particular authors and books that have especially inspired your journey as an author?

There are so many that it’s impossible to name them all and in naming a few might seem like a slight to those not singled out. I read widely and always make new discoveries when I do.

What is your writing process like? Do you veer more toward being a “seat-of-the-pants” writer, a “planner,” or somewhere in-between?

I’m a planner more so than a seat-of-the-pants type. I usually start out that way and spend a good deal of energy on plans, outlines, research, etc. This kind of planning often clarifies the story for me and I find it a useful way to go.

But after doing so much planning, there are times when seat-of-the-pants thinking has a place in the process.

Planning too much can sometimes seem like quicksand: you get trapped in a pit of one-directional thinking and don’t see other possibilities. When that happens, I sit back and try to consider possibilities that are better than I, at first, thought.

Over-planning, or more precisely overly detailed planning, can slow down the process. Elements that sound great sometimes lead to the writer being painted into a corner. And then you have to start all over again.

Good ideas happen when you’re planning but also when you’re writing – which may necessitate changes in the original plan. But that’s what makes writing an adventure.

To be sure, I usually start with knowing who the killer is and why the murder happened. But even this can change. As you work through a draft, the murderer turns out to be someone you hadn’t thought about or someone who was lurking in the background and you learn that this person had a better reason to kill than the one you fingered earlier.

I suppose, in my process, I employ seat-of-the-pants type thinking to smaller parts of the story which I began by developing in outline form. So, I’m probably a hybrid type who does a bit of both but with a bigger emphasis on planning and outlining. 

In your lifetime, how has your experience as an openly gay author changed?

Things for gay/lesbian writers are much better now. There’s more openness, a bit more acceptance (though not total acceptance). It’s easier to approach publishers with a manuscript that is set in a gay milieu or with a lead protagonist who is gay or lesbian.

I think that when I started out, I felt more reticent about writing what I really wanted – not that it stopped me, but it required me to have resolve in what I was doing. But as society changed and became more accepting, I realized I didn’t have to fear writing what I wanted.

Gay bookstores blossomed all around the country giving an outlet that allowed publishers to see there was an audience and that helped tremendously.

The situation is still not perfect but it’s a whole lot better than it used to be.

Do you have any advice for aspiring mystery authors that you’d like to pass on?

The best advice is to read, read, read especially in your field. It’s the best way to learn. There are a lot of fine how-to books but one thing you’ll find in the best of those books is excerpts and examples from novels and stories. Which brings you back to the necessity of reading widely and deeply.

What’s next for you writing-wise?

I’m hoping to get the next Doyle & Kord novel off to the publisher soon and get into some other projects.

I just co-edited (with the fabulous D.M Barr) the newest Sisters In Crime NY Tri-State chapter’s anthology – New York State of Crime which includes my story, “The Vermin Tour.” So, there’s some promo work to be done.

 

BIO

Joseph R.G. DeMarco hails from Philadelphia and is a fan of East Coast living. He is known for his popular Marco Fontana Mystery series, the newest of which, MURDER ON LAS OLAS, published in 2024, takes place in Florida. Another of his series, the Doyle and Kord Mysteries, is also set in Philadelphia as is the Marco Fontana series. He has also published two volumes so far in The Vampire Inquisitor series.

Several of his stories have been anthologized in three volumes of the Quickies series (Arsenal Pulp Press), in Men Seeking Men (Painted Leaf Press), Charmed Lives and in Justice For All (Murder NY Style #5) and New York State of Crime (Murder NY Style #6) and others.

Before devoting his time more fully to fiction, he was involved in writing for the gay press.  A columnist for The Advocate, In Touch, and Gaysweek (NY), he also wrote for the Philadelphia Gay News (PGN), The New York Native, The Gay Community News, and a number of others.  His article, “Gay Racism,” which first appeared in PGN, won the Best Feature writing award from the Gay Press association and was subsequently anthologized in three different academic collections. 

His essays have been published in anthologies including Gay Life, and Hey Paisan! and others.  A number of his plays have been produced in Philadelphia, NY, and elsewhere. A student of sociological issues, his work has been published in The International Encyclopedia of Marriage and Family (Macmillan, 2002), two articles in the Encyclopedia of Men and Masculinites (ABC CLIO, 2003), “Homosexuality” and “Male Strippers.” And “The World of Gay Strippers” in The Gay and Lesbian Review Worldwide, March/April 2003

His editing work includes being Editor-in-Chief of the Weekly Gayzette, and of New Gay Life, and as a contributing editor for publications including Il Don Gennaro, a national Italian-American magazine, and Gaysweek (NY). Currently he is Editor-in-Chief of Mysterical-E which is on a temporary hiatus.

 My website: www.josephdemarco.com

BUY Links:

MURDER ON CARMAC (first in the series): https://tinyurl.com/43rpa7vu

MURDER ON LAS OLAS (newest in the series): https://tinyurl.com/bdf5zcfr