Book jacket for "Jones Point" to be published this fall.
Local attorney/author John Adam Wasowicz is following up his 2017 legal thriller with a new one, "Jones Point," to be published in September and set in Alexandria with references to some local businesses that many Alexandrians will recognize.
Jones Point is a 65-acre park owned, maintained and operated by the National Park Service located just south of Old Town Alexandria underneath the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. Its lighthouse, built in 1855, is the last remaining riverine lighthouse in Virginia.
The new book comes on the heels of the author's 2017 effort, "Daingerfield Island," named for another Alexandria landmark that lies just north of Old Town off the George Washington Parkway and the Mount Vernon Trail.
"The positive reception and staying power of 'Daingerfield Island' overwhelmed me," the author said. After his first book was published, he traveled to more than 40 bookstores, from Vermont to South Carolina and more than a dozen bookstores and boutiques in Virginia, including The Old Town Shop, Hooray for Books and Principle Gallery.
* Also read: Old Town Books Finds a Long-Term Home in Alexandria *
"Everywhere I've gone, people have been receptive to the story and the main character, Mo Katz. He has received a lot of 'fan' email and requests for a follow-up story," Wasowicz said.
"Mo Katz" aka Elmo Katz, is an Alexandria defense attorney and former city prosecutor. According to the publisher's description, in "Daingerfield Island," ... "Katz's world is upended when he finds himself entangled in a complex terrorist plot. Places he once navigated with ease are now obscured by shadows as Katz weaves his way through political intrigue, courtroom machinations and police skulduggery to save what's left of the truth — and himself."
The new book to be published this fall opens with a murder at Jones Point beneath the Wilson Bridge. Look for mentions of Alexandria businesses, including:
- Principle Gallery
- Hard Times Cafe
- Misha's
- Faccia Luna
- Port City Brewing
- Meggrolls
Wasowicz has practiced law in Northern Virginia for over 30 years in positions in both the public and private sectors.
"During my years in private practice, I began composing fictional stories during drive-time from home to court, often times along the G.W. Parkway," he said. "Over time, one of those stories became the genesis of 'Daingerfield Island,' with my fictional ex-Alexandria prosecutor turned criminal defense attorney, Elmo Katz. The parkway is the spine of the story, with scenes unfolding at the Alexandria courthouse, Dyke Marsh, and, of course, Daingerfield Island, located south of Reagan National Airport."
Wasowicz said he always writes in the evening for one or two hours. "Now that my wife and I are 'empty nesters' — having raised three sons, all of whom have flown the coop —I have the time to write on a regular basis," he said. "I compose my work on the keyboard and store it in 'the cloud.' Modern technology makes it very convenient to write fiction: It's easy to change characters and scenes, to relocate text within the story and to edit your work. I work in my basement after asking Alexa to 'shuffle my music,' which includes a wide assortment of my favorite Stones and Beatles classics."
When asked how long it took him to write "Daingerfield Island," Wasowicz said that "in one sense, it took forever; in another sense, only a couple of years."
"I first began composing Elmo Katz on sheets of paper," he said, and finished writing it "paperless."
"So I guess you could say it's taken a technological revolution to write the book," he said. "On the other hand, once I found my publisher, Clarinda Harriss of Baltimore-based BrickHouse Books, and my editor, Charles Rammelkamp, they provided the structure and direction to enable me to pull together all the disparate parts in about two years."
For would-be authors out there thinking of writing a book or jumping into something creative?
His advice is "to never give up and to always pursue your artistic and creative endeavors," he said. "It's what makes you whole as a human being. Whether it's writing, publishing, decoration, design, acting, dance, art, whatever, 'just do it,' as they say in the sneaker commercial. Age is not a barrier. In fact, speaking from experience, I think age is helpful, because you're at a point in life where you have the time, the advantage of life experiences, and the desire to fulfill youthful ambition."
