I was always a ham as a kid, forcing my unsuspecting parents and neighbors to watch my lavish musicals in the garage. After college I became a professional actor, working in film, television, and theatre opposite stars like Rosie O’Donnell, Nathan Lane, Bruce Willis, Charles Keating, Jason Robards, and Holland Taylor. Moving on to playwriting and ultimately writing novels seemed like an obvious next step. My novels have received mostly good reviews, and many readers comment on how theatrical they are, including a great deal of dialogue, humor, plot twists, unusual characters, and drama. Everyone tells me they would make great audiobooks, television series, and/or movies.
As a theatre college professor I realized theatre departments at colleges are little communities of romance, drama, comedy, mystery, and surprises. They make great fodder for novels. So I created the Nicky and Noah mystery series published by Lethe Press. In Drama Queen, Nicky and Noah have to uncover why college theatre professors are dropping like stage curtains while Nicky directs the college play production—a murder mystery. In Drama Muscle (not yet released), Nicky and Noah have to find out why musclemen are dropping like weights in the Physical Education department while Nicky directs the Student Bodybuilding Competition. In Drama Cruise (not yet released), Nicky and Noah go on a cruise to Alaska, and discover why college theatre professors are going overboard like lifeboats while Nicky directs a murder mystery dinner theatre show onboard ship.
The first novel, Drama Queen, frequently has been in the top #18 in its category on Amazon Kindle’s bestseller list since its release, and the paperback is also doing well. Again everyone told me it should be made into an audiobook and/or television series. So I was thrilled when Steve Berman told me Lethe Press was producing an audio version of the book. With twenty-four characters of all ages/races/genders/sexualities/personalities (one bipolar), as well as Nicky and Noah using their theatre skills to impersonate other people during their investigation, it was important to find the right narrator, Michael Gilboe. Not only is Michael a gifted actor, character voice artist, and hardworking professional, he is a college theatre professor and director just like Nicky Abbondanza, my leading character. Michael also has a dry wit in his reading, which fits the wacky humor of the series. It was great fun working with him on this audiobook. He did an amazing job bringing the characters to life.
The audiobook was just released on Audible and Amazon, available for download on any audio device or computer. I think listeners will enjoy Michael’s performance, and be captivated by the clues, red herrings, reversals, and surprise ending of the story. Hopefully listeners will embrace Nicky and Noah, and look forward to their next adventure. I want to play Martin Anderson, the department head, in the television series!
~Joe Cosentino
Blurb: It could be curtains for college theatre professor Nicky Abbondanza. With dead bodies popping up all over campus, Nicky must use his drama skills to figure out who is playing the role of murderer before it is lights out for Nicky and his colleagues. Complicating matters is Nicky’s huge crush on Noah Oliver, a gorgeous assistant professor in his department, who may or may not be involved with a cocky graduate assistant…and is also the top suspect for the murders! You will be applauding and shouting Bravo for Joe Cosentino’s fast-paced, side-splittingly funny, edge-of-your-seat, delightfully entertaining novel. Curtain up!
Buy Links: Amazon 
About the Author: Joe Cosentino is the author of Drama Queen the first Nicky and Noah mystery (Lethe Press), An Infatuation (Dreamspinner Press), Paper Doll the first Jana Lane mystery (Whiskey Creek Press), and The Nutcracker and the Mouse King (Eldridge Plays and Musicals). He has appeared in principal acting roles in film, television, and theatre, opposite stars such as Bruce Willis, Rosie O’Donnell, Nathan Lane, Holland Taylor, and Jason Robards. His one-act plays, Infatuation and Neighbor, were performed in New York City. He wrote The Perils of Pauline educational film (Prentice Hall Publishers). Joe is currently Head of the Department/Professor at a college in upstate New York, and is happily married. His upcoming novels are Drama Muscle the second Nicky and Noah mystery (Lethe Press), A Shooting Star (Dreamspinner Press novella), A Home for the Holidays (Dreamspinner Press holiday novella),The Naked Prince and Other Tales from Fairyland (Dreamspinner Press fairytale novella), and Porcelain Doll the second Jana Lane mystery (Wild Rose Press).