This is an excerpt from the interview. I have included a link to the entire interview.

If you’re seeking baseball books for young adults, then you will want to read this interview with author Steven A. Falco. Steven pubished a young adult baseball novel entitled Mickey Mantle’s Last Home Run. This is his second book, and he is working on another book to be published next year.

Here is the book blurb:

TJ and Jonathan are teen-age friends and teammates on the JV baseball team. Like many young people growing up in America in the late sixties, they have heroes. For TJ, who is white, it is Mickey Mantle, the aging star of the New York Yankees. For Jonathan, who is black, it is Martin Luther King Jr., the leader of the civil rights movement. Unfortunately, 1968 is a bad year for heroes and—America. Their friendship is strained to the breaking point when Martin Luther King Jr. is assassinated.

Jonathan, who is devastated by the murder, blames all white people, TJ included. TJ then has to struggle through the challenges of the JV baseball season in his racially-torn town, without the support of his friend. Is there anything that can repair their broken bond? Would it take still another American tragedy?

Combining the heartbreak and hilarity of teen-age life in that tumultuous year, this baseball book for young adults provides a perspective from which to understand the racial issues that still prevail. It appeals not only to young readers but also their baby-boomer parents and grandparents.

Click here

What is your favorite part of writing?

My favorite is the creative part. I love it when my fingers fly over the keyboard and the words and ideas just flow out. It can be exciting and at times exhausting. I write very fast and I get a kick out of seeing how many spelling errors and grammatical mistakes I make by the time I’m done with a particularly engrossing writing session. I love to see how many red and green underlines I get when I’m done.

What is the least favorite part of writing?

No question it is editing. I refer you back to all the red and green underlines. There is no question that I like the creative part of writing the most. But writing is also a craft and good writing no matter how creative must be clear and readable. So I go back and tediously address all my misspellings and grammatical errors as best I can.