Joel Strangis, standing in the main piazza of Sambiase, Calabria— his grandfather’s home town.

I am an author living in North Carolina. I have had three books published and am now working on my fourth. My first book was an Italian folktale passed down from my great-grandmother told in picture book format. My second book, a biography for young adults, is about a courageous African-American you might not have heard of, but who is getting more and more attention. My third book, also a young adult biography, is about someone you probably have heard of, especially if you enjoy photographic art.

My work-in-progress is a true crime saga told in memoir style about a man from the south of Italy who was shot and killed in West Virginia. I love to travel, especially in the beautiful and historic regions of Catalonia in Spain and Calabria in Italy.