How old are you and where are you from?
Lawrenzo: I’m 62 years young, and was born in Hollywood Calif. The son of an actor.
Lawrenzo:
My writing started when I had my bone marrow transplant about 7 years ago. I’m a very creative person, love making videos and taking photos, and designed my own website. I wrote a story for a metal detecting magazine seven years ago and they published it, and wanted me to write more stories.
I was recovering from my transplant, and had to take a year and three months off from work, doctor’s orders. I was attending a cancer- walk and saw a child I knew that fought cancer like I did, and the idea for the book popped into my head. I told my friend about the story and he said I should write a book about it.
When I told him. “I don’t know how to write a book,” he told me to start with one word at a time. Five years and some fifty eight thousand words later, my book The Little c is now on Amazon for sale.
Tell us more about your book! What inspired you to write it?
Lawrenzo: The most important part for my inspiration is to help others understand what having cancer is like for a family and their loved ones. I read a lot of books on cancer and non of them seemed to be like my book. Maybe all writers say that? My story is based on my first years fight with cancer and what I did to beat it. The story is more like a movie, which is a lot like my style of writing.
If you could relate to any character in your book, who would it be and why?
Lawrenzo: The main character in the book is Charlie, and his nickname is Commando. He is a twelve-year-old child boy that is a fighter, impassioned to beat his cancer and go into remission like I did. His fight was my fight, and everything in the book is from my experience with winning the battle against cancer and going into remission.
What type of books do you enjoy? What are two of your favorites?
Lawrenzo: Well, what I’m about to write may ruin this interview, but I have a very hard time reading books because of all the chemo I had. It’s called chemo brain, and it is very difficult for me to concentrate. That’s why it may have taken me five years to write my book. However, I’m a rebel of sorts and found it easier for me to watch movies and really great cable shows. My style of writing is derived from that media.
I grew up in Hollywood the son of an actor (Ralph Manza). We spent almost every Sunday going to movies when I was growing up. I read his scripts and helped him rehearse his lines. I learned how to write manuscripts growing up and I think that rubbed off on me, and that is how my style of writing formed. Not saying that is the way to write books, but for me it was the only way I knew how to write my book. I did read one book; it’s called, The Language of the Lake. I know the writer we live in the same town, she wrote a great story.
Besides reading and writing, what else do you enjoy doing during your free time? Do you have any other businesses?
Lawrenzo: I’m a DME consultant at work. My passion is my hobby, metal detecting, I live in the Gold Country of Calif and have found a lot of history in the ground that dates back over 150 yeas ago. I love being in the woods alone with nature in the fall and winter, and early spring, looking for our history.
If you could pick any song to describe your main character, what would it be?
Lawrenzo: We are the champions by Queen.
Do you have any upcoming books in the works?
Lawrenzo: Yes a book about a two kids that live in the Gold Rush area that are detectives for a small town. I have been working on that for almost five years along with my book I just self-published.
I had to stop writing that book because I had too much to do to learn about how to self-publish. I used Createspace, and it was a godsend for me. I never thought I could do everything myself.
Do you have any book specials/giveaways or events coming up?
Lawrenzo: Marketing has been a thorn in my side, so much to learn and try to understand. That could be the downside of selling books for me. I know you just can’t put a book on Amazon and expect it to sell on its own. I did a lot of research on Youtube and have been working on a few ideas. I’m looking into an audio book. Hoping I can reach those that don’t have time to read and also reaching out to the handicap population.
Where can readers keep up with you on social media? Post your usernames!
Lawrenzo: I have a Facebook group page at OUR MISSION IS REMISSION and my website ourmissionisremission.net
Anything else you would like to share?
Lawrenzo: I also wanted to mention one more thing. As far as marketing goes the one thing I was allowed to do since my story is about cancer was to contact 30 of the top children's cancer hospitals in the United States. Seventeen of them asked for a copy of my book. I'm hoping to reach people in the industry to help others take a look at my story so it can help their loved ones get more involved in their fight with cancer. I am also sending a local newspaper my story for them to consider interviewing me. They are very interested.
I encourage anyone with a passion to write to start. I see so many Authors with so many books they have written and it is truly inspiring. I might be late in the game and my not sell a lot of books, but I wanted to write my story in the hopes that it can help others understand what fighting cancer is like and how it can effect a family. My book offers hope, and is uplifting. It is a story about a twelve boy that is diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. While receiving his chemo treatments he learns to use his imagination to fight his cancer, and teaches other children at the clinic to do the same. Based on how I fought cancer during the first year.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to do this interview.
Lawrenzo C.P. Manza
Check out his book available on Amazon today! https://www.amazon.com/Little-c-Lawrenzo-Manza-ebook/dp/B07DZ2MK9N/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1533338263&sr=8-1&keywords=lawrenzo+manza
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