Interview With Author Joe Tarantino
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My formal bio: I have cycled through all 50 U.S. states, crisscrossing a vast network of roads and trails. With 25 marathons and other endurance events under my belt, I retired from a successful career in the aerospace industry as a chemist, engineer, and operations manager, responding to God’s call to a different direction in an otherwise comfortable life. While pursuing my cycling goals, I seek to inspire others to chase their dreams through my writing.
I grew up in Canfield, Ohio, and now live in Louisville, Ohio, with my wife, Barbara, a former Spanish teacher and high school guidance counselor. I graduated from Greenville College (now University) with a double major in chemistry and English, hold a Master’s degree in Analytical Chemistry from Youngstown State University, and have an MBA from Walsh University. We married in 1979, have two sons, and are active in the Nazarene church at the local, district, and denominational levels.
I have written two books: Bicycling Across America’s Great Northwest: When Fear and Faith Collide (2018) and Pale Pink Roads: A Journey of Faith, Pedals, and American Byways (2025). There’s some overlap in the two books, and I recommend reading the second book first, as it provides more background, and like most other authors, is better written than our first book.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
As mentioned, my latest book is Pale Pink Roads: A Journey of Faith, Pedals, and American Byways (2025). I wanted to provide a better understanding of how I got to the point of setting a goal to ride through all fifty states, including the role my family and faith played, starting with my first 100-mile ride as a teenager. The name of the book was inspired by the color of the pavement I encountered after crossing the border from Iowa to South Dakota. The strange color reinforced the feeling that I was a long way from home, and I had arrived there on a bicycle.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I began keeping detailed notes of all my long bike rides, even when I was a teenager. As technology evolved and spreadsheets became ubiquitous, I now “fill in the blanks” at the end of each daily ride with mileage, temperatures, elevation, wind speed, and other data. For trips that take a week or more, I convert that data, my notes, and pictures into an extended description of each day’s ride as soon as possible, hoping that I accurately capture my feelings before the memories fade. Later, I edit the entire trip document, using only the sections that others would find interesting.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I loved the way John Green’s, The Anthropocene Reviewed, and Primo Levi’s, The Periodic Table, presented their material, as separate but connected stories from their lives. I tried to incorporate their style into the 17 adventures I documented in Pale Pink Roads. I was a double major in chemistry and English as an undergrad, and my love of the classics, medieval English, and science fiction still prompts me toward an occasional rereading of Beowulf, Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and my favorite sci-fi short stories. Moby Dick, The Odyssey, and other epic tales have also been influential.
What are you working on now?
I’ve cycled through all fifty states, but my last book only took me through the first 17. I’m hoping to follow up with another book that covers the last 33, but there’s so much material that it might turn into two books. I plan to solicit input from a few developmental editors to develop an approach before I begin to edit and condense my existing first drafts.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Social media seems to work best for me, especially Facebook. It’s easy to promote, and many of my friends respond positively or share my posts, so I know it’s working.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
First – don’t expect to get rich. Second, be prepared to make marketing part of your author journey. No one knocks on your door, asking if you wrote a book. But in the end, holding your published book in your hands for the first time is an incredibly rewarding experience. The key for me is to maintain consistency; I try to write something for at least an hour every day. There is no doubt you’ll feel frustrated and overwhelmed at times with all the options that exist. Just have a belief in yourself and your publishing vision!
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Be consistent in what you do. Just as I mentioned before, try to write something each day, but also set boundaries. Unless you want to make being an author a full-time position, be honest with yourself about how much time you want (and should) commit. Also, I read that beginning writers should not try to be active on every social media platform. Pick two or three at the most and stay consistent with those.
What are you reading now?
I recently joined a local writer’s group and purchased some of their books. The Forgotten Decade by Roger Gordon is a great segue to another expected disappointing Cleveland Browns season.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I definitely want to finish writing about the remaining 33 states that I have bicycled through before starting something else. After that, I’d like to pursue a sci-fi version that includes cycling. I’ve tried to clarify all the time jumps that I’ve thought about in a two-page summary, but I’m not sure I understand it yet. Maybe someday!
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I would bring the Bible, the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and my two books. I don’t want to forget the experiences and emotions I felt while riding.
Author Websites and Profiles
Joe Tarantino’s Social Media Links
Author Interview Series
To discover a new author, check out our Featured Authors page. We have some of the best authors around. They are just waiting for you to discover them. If you enjoyed this writer’s interview feel free to share it using the buttons below. Sharing is caring!
If you are an author and want to be interviewed just fill out out Author Interview page. After submitting we will send it out in our newsletters and social media channels that are filled with readers looking to discover new books to read.
If you are looking for a new book to read check out our Featured Books Page.