24 ratings | 0 reviews | avg rating:4.67

G.A. Zanni’s Followers (55)

G.A.’s Bookshelves

to-read (12)
currently-reading (7)
read (23)

G.A.’s Friends (1,997)

Louisa

16,824 books | 1,933 friends

Sherri Bryant

6,535 books | 518 friends

Leaundra

3,717 books | 1,273 friends

Deborah Kerbel

148 books | 1,365 friends

Michelle

5,378 books | 1,228 friends

Candice Bundy

654 books | 3,290 friends

Jessica Khoury

661 books | 1,599 friends

Celeste

3,810 books | 871 friends

More friends…

G.A. Zanni

Goodreads Author

Born

in Johnston, The United States

Website

http://www.facebook.com/G.A.Zanni

Twitter

GAZanni

Member Since

March 2012

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/Gazanni

edit data

My name is Gilbert Anthony Zanni. My father and I share identical names and per Social Security I am not a junior nor am I a second. This gave me trouble when I started school, when I joined the US Marine Corps and in other necessary life evils, including banking, hospital visits and so forth and so on. So, as I prepared to package the Deceitful Things project, I decided to go with the semi pseudonym of G.A. Zanni. It may have had nothing to do with the shared name issue and more to do with the fact that our name is Gilbert. If that was your name wouldn’t you want to find a way to make your name sound cooler?
All of that notwithstanding the past few days have been very surreal for me. I am overwhelmed and grateful for the support that I hav My name is Gilbert Anthony Zanni. My father and I share identical names and per Social Security I am not a junior nor am I a second. This gave me trouble when I started school, when I joined the US Marine Corps and in other necessary life evils, including banking, hospital visits and so forth and so on. So, as I prepared to package the Deceitful Things project, I decided to go with the semi pseudonym of G.A. Zanni. It may have had nothing to do with the shared name issue and more to do with the fact that our name is Gilbert. If that was your name wouldn’t you want to find a way to make your name sound cooler?
All of that notwithstanding the past few days have been very surreal for me. I am overwhelmed and grateful for the support that I have received from family, from friends and readers of the novel. This was my first novel and as such like a baby to me. I have to admit though, as much time, energy and sacrifice that I put into the project: I almost allowed the doubt of my skills, over thinking and self condemnation to keep me from accomplishing my lifelong goals and dreams of becoming an author.
As I began to progress deeper into the plot line, side stories and grow deeply attached to the characters, I questioned whether or not I was good enough to continue. My family said it was good, but that’s what they’re supposed to say. Unfortunately we all have heard positive feedback from family members that don’t want to crush your dreams. I’m guilty of doing it myself. And that is exactly what that guy on American Idol says when he bombs his audition.
Right?
He says something like this. “My family said I sounded like Wayne Newton.” When in actuality he sounds like a Tibetan Cowboy riding a baboon underwater. And then he stares confidently back at the three judges who look exasperated and occasionally the sound of crickets splits their silence.
So, in an attempt to not be that guy, I did what any married man without money who wanted a brutally honest critique would do: I asked my mother-in-law to read it. I was surprised to find out that she loved the story and then asked me for the rest. I told her that there was no rest of it. That was all I had. That was when I got the mother-in-law critique that I expected to get in the first place. Anyway, her interest in the novel and consistent yet sincere queries for more samples motivated me to continue writing the story. It has been a long time and a lot of late nights writing since I asked her to give me her “honest” opinion, but I could never express how grateful I am for the support that she has given me throughout the process.
Six years, a great literary agent (Hartline Literary Agency) and an amazing publisher (Trestle Press) later and the book was finally published. Late on February 28th 2012 Trestle Press released “Deceitful Things” onto Amazon and Barnes and Noble. I began reading the reviews of other authors in my genre and thought to myself: Self, I am a dead man. It took forever to go to sleep that night. I tossed and turned, sat up, tried to rest, woke up my wife, talked, stared at the clock and then did it a couple more times before I found sleep. When I woke up the next morning, I walked casually to my computer to check what was going on.
Okay, I may have understated the sense of urgency I had that morning. Still, when my blurred vision went away and I noticed that I was not seeing things, my wife and I were pleased to know that the novel had climbed to number two in the Christian, Science Fiction & fantasy, Hot New Release Category. I spent the rest of the day clicking the same link Trestle Press had sent me, checking my status on Amazon and watching the novel dance up and down between number one and number two.
I’d like to say that I checked up on it every three or four hours, but the truth is, I checked up on it about every four to seven minutes or so. My only concern was that moving forward the joy I fe ...more

7 posts
G.A. Zanni's Blog

Black Apparatus

To write this short series, In the Shadows of our Flag, I researched the book of Genesis. It is amazing and terrifying what information is available in that book.

Once I read the first "lie" introduced to the world from the Serpent to Eve, I became captivated.

Then in Genesis 6, 2; That the SONS OF GOD saw the DAUGHTERS OF MEN that they were fair; and they took wives of all they chose.

I don't want Read more of this blog post »

5 likes · Like • 1 comment • flag

Published on September 24, 2012 08:36

View all 7 posts »

Combine Editions
G.A. Zanni’s books

Average rating: 4.84 · 19 ratings · 4 reviews · 6 distinct works

	Deceitful Things 4.83 avg rating — 12 ratings — published 2012	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Dreadful Places it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 5 ratings — published 2012	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Black Apparatus (In The Shadows of Our Flag #1) it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating — published 2012	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Divine Purpose - Volume 3 - The Deceitful Things Series really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1 rating	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Dreadful Places (Deceitful Things Book 2) 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — published 2012	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Deceitful Things Book II Dreadful Places 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by G.A. Zanni…

Series by G.A. Zanni

Deceitful Things (2 books)
by

G.A. Zanni (Goodreads Author)

4.88 avg rating — 17 ratings

In The Shadows of Our Flag (1 book)
by

G.A. Zanni (Goodreads Author)

it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating

G.A. is Currently Reading

G.A. Zanni is currently reading

A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1)

by George R.R. Martin

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Oct 27, 2012 10:25AM

G.A. Zanni is currently reading

A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire, #2)

by George R.R. Martin

bookshelves: currently-reading

read in February 2013

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Feb 25, 2013 07:05AM

G.A. Zanni is currently reading

A Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice and Fire, #3)

by George R.R. Martin

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Feb 25, 2013 07:05AM

rss
G.A.’s Recent Updates

G.A. Zanni is now friends with Heather
Mar 18, 2024 08:31PM · like

More of G.A.'s books…

Quotes by G.A. Zanni (?)

“All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of one single candle

-St. Francis of Assisi”
― G.A. Zanni

23 likes

“If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at will change

-Wayne Dyer”
― G.A. Zanni

7 likes

G.A.’s Quotes

“In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on.”
― Robert Frost

tags: life

109153 likes

“The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference.”
― Elie Wiesel

tags: activism, apathy, hate, indifference, inspirational, love, opposite, philosophy

41976 likes

“Do not despise your own place and hour. Every place is under the stars, every place is the center of the world.”
― John Burroughs, Studies in Nature and Literature

tags: life, opportunity

1493 likes

“The sea's only gifts are harsh blows, and occasionally the chance to feel strong. Now I don't know much about the sea, but I do know that that's the way it is here. And I also know how important it is in life not necessarily to be strong but to feel strong. To measure yourself at least once. To find yourself at least once in the most ancient of human conditions. Facing the blind death stone alone, with nothing to help you but your hands and your own head.”
― Jon Krakauer, Into the Wild

tags: inspirational

269 likes

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
― H. Jackson Brown Jr., P.S. I Love You

tags: actions, disappointed, disappointment, dream, dreams, explore, misattributed-mark-twain, sail

60176 likes

More of G.A.’s quotes…

G.A.’s Friend Comments

Comments (showing 1-35) post a comment »

date

newest »

message 35: by Blak

Oct 03, 2012 09:45AM

Nice to meet you, G.A. - all the best! :D

reply | flag

message 34: by G.A.

Oct 02, 2012 07:27AM

Thanks for accepting. :-)

reply | flag

message 33: by Lorraine

Oct 02, 2012 07:18AM

Thanks for the frienvite ;D

reply | flag

message 32: by P.T.

Sep 23, 2012 05:29AM

Hi G.A.

Thanks for your friendship. :)

P.T.

reply | flag

message 31: by Fatima

Aug 07, 2012 09:35PM

Hey , thanks for adding me up . Nice to meet you :D

reply | flag

message 30: by Julia26

Jul 12, 2012 10:13AM

Hello, thanks for the friend request!

reply | flag

message 29: by Tami

Jun 29, 2012 01:55PM

Hi G.A. Thanks for the friend invite. Your book, 'Deceitful Things' looks quite intriguing!

reply | flag

message 28: by Tasneem

Jun 15, 2012 03:53AM

hi,
thanks for the add,looking forward to reading your book,all the best to you!!!!

reply | flag

message 27: by Sarah

May 31, 2012 08:34PM

Hi thank you for the friend request! (=

reply | flag

message 26: by Jillian Peery

May 29, 2012 11:16AM

Thanks for the add!

reply | flag

message 25: by Elisa

May 24, 2012 05:11PM

Hi, thank you for adding me! :)

reply | flag

message 24: by Nancy

May 24, 2012 04:56PM

Thanks for the friendship!

reply | flag

message 23: by Savannah

May 22, 2012 06:51PM

G.A., thank you for the friendship.
Stay naughty,
Savannah

reply | flag

message 22: by Carole

May 22, 2012 08:50AM

hi thanks so much for adding me.

reply | flag

message 21: by Toni

May 19, 2012 10:21PM

Thank you for the friend request! :) Looking forward to reading your books! :)

reply | flag

message 20: by G.A.

May 18, 2012 04:36PM

Thank you for accepting, truly

reply | flag

message 19: by Christine

May 18, 2012 04:35PM

Thanks for being my friend

reply | flag

message 18: by Robert

May 17, 2012 12:27PM

Thanks for the friend request, G.A.

reply | flag

message 17: by G.A.

May 09, 2012 07:22AM

Thank you for accepting it. I appreciate the kind words and your support. I am flattered.

reply | flag

message 16: by Kathryn

May 09, 2012 07:17AM

Hi G.A.!! Thanks for the friendvite! I look forward to reading your book.

www.tsktskwhattoread2.blogspot.com

reply | flag

message 15: by G.A.

May 05, 2012 12:02PM

Thank you for accepting.

reply | flag

message 14: by Susie

May 05, 2012 11:50AM

thanks for the add!

reply | flag

message 13: by Maureen

May 04, 2012 08:24AM

Hi G.A.! Thank you for inviting this author into your circle of friends here on Goodreads. I hope you'll add my novels What Would Nancy Do?, In the Company of Women, The Christmas to Remember and Finding Normal to your to-read list. I look forward to reading your book reviews and recommendations. Happy reading!

reply | flag

message 12: by Nely

May 03, 2012 08:22PM

Thankss for the add!
-Nely Cab

reply | flag

message 11: by Kat

May 01, 2012 12:07PM

Thanks for friending me!

reply | flag

message 10: by Cheryl

Apr 30, 2012 06:36AM

G.A. wrote: "Is that your dog in your profile picture? Beautiful dog. And thanks for accepting."

No problem. Glad to meet you.

Yes, that is my furry child, Misty. Isn't she gorgeous?

I've added your book "Deceitful Things" to my wishlist. It sounds very interesting.

reply | flag

message 9: by G.A.

Apr 30, 2012 06:24AM

Is that your dog in your profile picture? Beautiful dog. And thanks for accepting.

reply | flag

message 8: by Cheryl

Apr 30, 2012 06:17AM

Thanks for the friend request, G.A.

reply | flag

message 7: by G.A.

Apr 27, 2012 10:46AM

Thank you for accepting.

reply | flag

message 6: by Victoria

Apr 27, 2012 10:44AM

TY for friends invitation :)

reply | flag

message 5: by G.A.

Apr 22, 2012 06:21AM

Thank you as well.

reply | flag

message 4: by Debbie

Apr 22, 2012 02:27AM

Hi G.A. Thanks for the friendship. :)

reply | flag

message 3: by G.A.

Apr 19, 2012 09:27PM

Tamara Rose wrote: "Hi G.A.~ thanks for your friendship :D"

Thank you for yours. I truly appreciate it.

reply | flag

message 2: by Tamara

Apr 19, 2012 08:56PM

Hi G.A.~ thanks for your friendship :D

reply | flag

message 1: by G.A.

Apr 14, 2012 12:00PM

Book II of the Deceitful Things series, Dreadful Places will be released tomorrow night, 4/15/12 and will be available as an Ebook on Amazon.com and at Barnes and Noble. I would love some reviews of this project if anyone is interested.

reply | flag

G.A. Zanni’s Followers (55)

G.A. Zanni

Goodreads Author

rssG.A.’s Recent Updates

rss
G.A.’s Recent Updates