Readers All Over the World

By Lisa A. Fraser



Readers all over the world – particularly Europe – know him as Valentinno, the best-selling author of the book A Romantic's Passion: The Tenth Muse.

Valentinno's book, published in January by Authorhouse books, has already sold out in France and Germany. And the tale of love and inspiration, told in various volumes, has already won the hearts of many.

With rich imagery, expressions and eloquent descriptions, A Romantic's Passion tells the story of a man's torrid love affair with the woman who changed his life.

In five volumes of poems, letters, prose, extended verse and photos, Valentinno reveals an intricate web of love and devotion and doesn't hold back as he lets readers into his life with his thoughts and his own photos.

A friend of his, who happened to be a photographer, had always wanted to do something of the sort and together they decided to put together a book of prose and photos.

“I wanted to do something a little different,” he said.

A Romantic's Passion showcases Valentinno's feelings toward his great love with a provocative, uninhibited tone. He was so deeply in love that she became his muse and his life's work. The woman, who also appears in photos with Valentinno, has allowed him to feel so much, he could not resist writing a book about it.

“In one day, I experienced a love more than 10,000 men could experience in a lifetime,” he said.

A Romantic's Passion is an ode to this love, and Valentinno wants readers to feel like they too can have a love like that. Poetry, he says, is the best vehicle to showcase such intense feelings.

“Poetry has a sacred, spiritual, romantic feel when you read it,” he said. “When you read a poem, you will realize how love is a sacred union.”

The 37-year-old author who was born in Brooklyn but moved to Glendale when he was three years old, didn't start out as a poet. He was a screenwriter for many years, before deciding to go down the path of prose. But poetry was always there. At 16, he had his first poem published in a magazine.

“I remember being excited because I had written it for a girl I liked when I was younger” he said. “'I thought it would be something special too do for her.”

Valentinno always felt a connection to poetry, particularly the romantic kind. It was just the best way to express himself.

“Romantic poetry is like a different language. The word usage, the eloquence, the imagery – you can build an entire poem out of one line,” he said.

A Romantic's Passion is not Valentinno's first book. He has three others written under a different pen name. One of them became a bestseller in Europe, and his work has been translated into French, German, Spanish, Chinese and Japanese. He decided to change his pen name to Valentino after requests by readers and friends to adopt something that would match his poetry.

He has written for the Queen of England, and in less than five years he has won numerous poetry awards for his work, including the Dickinson Award.

Valentinno noted that his real-life experiences are the only muses for him. Anything from a memory of a moment to a gesture he once performed or an object could inspire him.

In turn, he hopes that his poetry can continue to inspire others. “I hope people will get a better understanding of love and romance,” he said. “I don't want to be a doctor, but I hope there's something in there that's going to help them.”

Valentinno's book can be found at Amazon.com or at Barnes & Noble.