My favorite part of Vinny Cusenza’s website is a section called Behind the Bio, where he answers a deceptively simple question: What’s the most unexpected thing that happened while writing “Blood and Soil?”

His answer; discovering that a Nazi Youth camp once operated not far from his childhood summer home, and then watching the resurgence of American fascism unfold in real time. That sense of uncovering buried truths –both personal and historical– runs deep in his powerful debut novel, a queer historical suspense set in mid-century Appalachia.

Cusenza is a Brooklyn native, a global traveler with a soft spot for Italy, and a seasoned freelance editor who brings a cross-genre sensibility to his writing. “Blood and Soil” is atmospheric and emotionally charged, blending romance and identity

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