Interview with V. Frank Asaro - The Tortoise Shell Code

Off the coast of Southern California, the Sea Diva, a tuna boat, sinks. Members of the crew are missing and what happened remains a mystery. Anthony Darren, a renowned and wealthy lawyer at the top of his game, knows the boat’s owner and soon becomes involved in the case. As the case goes to trial, a missing crew member is believed to be at fault, but new evidence comes to light and the finger of guilt points in a completely unanticipated direction.

Now Anthony must pull together all his resources to find the truth in what has happened and free a wrongly accused man—as well as untangle himself. Fighting despair, he finds that the recent events have called much larger issues into question. As he struggles to right this terrible wrong, Anthony makes new and enlightening discoveries in his own life-long battle for personal and global justice.

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Hi Frank - thanks for visiting today!

1.     Can you please tell us a little bit about your book?

It is a high-seas crime novel with lots of fisticuffs, a ship sinking, courtroom drama, romance, revolution, and plenty of fuel for thought.

2.     How long did it take you to write it?

It took several years. Over time I would write for an hour or two in the middle of the night while trying to get my mind off the constant combat of litigation. I was trying to get to a zone of quiet to get back to sleep.  I am a now retired lawyer.

3.     Are your characters based on anyone you know? 

One or two are, but mostly they are a composite of many personalities. Moby was very much like someone I knew well.

4.     I know you are a lawyer, but did you have to do a lot of research for your novel?

I did almost none.  Mainly, it comes from many years’ experience, with a good deal of plausible imagination into the mix.

5.  How did you come up with your book title?

A tortoise shell code is actually in the book.  I was running titles by my then 12 year old granddaughter Molly.  She liked it immediately.  She knew about the plot but hadn’t read the book.

6.  Are you working on another book? Can you tell us anything about it?

Sure.  I have a few other manuscripts waiting.  They both involve past life regressions, one in Alaska/California about law, romance and adventure, the other set in Italy/California about a musical genius and romance.

Thanks so much!!

ABOUT FRANK - V Frank Asaro is a lawyer, musician/composer, inventor and author/philosopher who began developing the theory of co-opetition not long after he was selected out of law school as lawyer-clerk to the California Courts of Appeal. He went on to receive the highest-category law career peer review, Martindale Hubbell rating, and appeared in Who’s Who in American Law, 98-99 and Who’s Who in the World 2000.