Neighbors: Vince Vizzaccaro

Vizzaccaro has always loved a good story.

But with a college degree in computer science and a career in programming and software consulting, authoring a book doesn’t seem like a natural transition.

But Vizzaccaro, 47, recently published his first novel, “Visions 2012: The Nostradamus Design,” a historical thriller based on the predictions of Nostradamus.

“At first, it started off as an exercise in having fun,” Vizzaccaro says, noting he only writes on Sundays. “But the more I got into it, I realized there was something here. My primary goal was to write a book I would enjoy reading.”

Vizzaccaro’s vision for the book started with the concept of prophecies. The Mayan civilization’s long calendar ended Dec. 31, 2012, marking a time that either the world ends or a major world change will occur, many predict. Vizzaccaro also began looking into biblical prophecies, such as those found in the book of Daniel, and then the predictions of Nostradamus, a French apothecary and seer in the 1500s whose collections of prophecies have since become known throughout the world.

In “Visions 2012 The Nostradamus Design,” the main character, Max Medici, leads the Advance Intelligence division of the U.S. Secret Service and prepares to confront the “ultimate evil” in 2012, as well as to find a way to end the presidential curse, which has claimed the life of each U.S. president elected every 20th year since 1840 and more.

As a descendant of Nostradamus, Medici uses his own ability to see the future and Nostradamus’ prophecies to try to prevent the pending catastrophe.

“It’s a fast-paced historical thriller,” Vizzaccaro says. “It’s focused on Nostradamus’ predictions. Politics is an underlying (theme). I tried to bring in a lot of true history — the same way as (author) Dan Brown does with his books. It’s educational and fun. Real history often is more intriguing.”

The novel starts in the United States but is set in Paris, Italy and Russia. Many of the scenes and happenings in the novel are based on Vizzaccaro’s own experiences, he said.

“I improvised the Russian part,” he says, adding many scenes in Italy and Paris are based on his own visits to those areas. “There’re a lot of my personal stories in this book. The characters actually do things that happened in my life — odd circumstances. I put them in there.”

A character in the novel is even based on Vizzaccaro’s mother, he says.

“The best part was actually finishing it,” Vizzaccaro says of the process. “It’s very easy to start a book. It’s challenging to finish one.”

Vizzaccaro’s book this month also was released on audio book so relatives, including his mother, who is unable to read it, can still enjoy the story.

Although Vizzaccaro enjoys golf, writing always has been the primary way he spends his free time.

“Writing has just been a fun and enjoyable hobby for me,” Vizzaccaro said. “I had some speech issues (as a child). I turned to writing as a way of communication. As an adult, I decided to take it to the next level.”
Vizzaccaro has been writing stories for years and even made a few attempts at writing novels, but none has been good enough to publish until now, he says.

For more information on Vizzaccaro or his new book, visit www.vincentvizzaccaro.com.