Goodreads recently invited Joseph J. Gabriele to participate in their ‘Ask the Author’ program, where readers in the Goodreads community can ask questions and receive answers about books they’ve read.

Here are the answers to a few of the initial questions he received:

Where did you get the idea for your most recent book? — Goodreads

From the world around me. . . . In the writing of Dangerous Illusions, I felt compelled to capture New York, as it is now, in all of its remarkable complexities and contradictions and I wanted to reveal it in a way that would resonate with people who have lived here their entire lives, or for a chapter of their lives, as well as those who have not yet had a chance to experience New York.

How do you get inspired to write? — Goodreads

Perhaps the greatest source of inspiration for what I write comes from what I observe. I often find myself captivated by the details of my surroundings—the colors, the shapes, the sounds, the scents, the textures and patterns—and, of course, the people—their expressions, their interactions, their mannerisms, what they say and what they don’t say, what they wear and what they don’t wear. . . . There are so many aspects of life that have captured my imagination and curiosity, and so many subjects—from literature and music to the visual arts and architecture—and all of them are sources of inspiration.

What’s the best thing about being a writer? — Goodreads

The exhilaration that comes with the act of creation, the satisfaction of honing the words until they are ‘right’ and express what began in my imagination, as well as the privilege and freedom of working on the very things I am most passionate about, and—ultimately—the feeling of engagement that comes when a reader truly connects with the writing.

Will you be writing another book like Dangerous Illusions? I’ve read this 3 times already but am curious as to if you will write another like it? — Krystal, Goodreads

Krystal, I’m delighted to hear that you’ve read Dangerous Illusions three times—what a lovely compliment, thank you—and equally delighted by your question since I’m currently in the midst of writing two novels that will complete The Dangerous Illusions Trilogy. I’ve always loved novels—as well as plays—where characters reappear in subsequent works, but where each work is its own complete story and very much its own tale. As we learn in the first novel, knowledge is dangerous, and in Book II we will experience the dramatic and unpredictable consequences that result from that knowledge. For now, what I can share with you about Book III is that it will be a classic and outrageous tale of revenge.

Please feel free to post any questions or share any comments you may have at Ask the Author: Joseph J. Gabriele on Goodreads.