FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 2010

CONTACT:J.B Struzzi II

118 Greenwood Place

Bridgeville PA 15017

(412) 319-7907

LOCAL AUTHOR STRUZZI SECOND NOVEL NOW IN STORES

Paranormal Adventure Thriller Helps Children Cope with Bullies and the Loss of a Loved One

Pittsburgh, PA–Mirror Publishing of Milwaukee is pleased to announce the publication and release of the 192-page young adult novel Jacob’s Haunting (ISBN-13: 9781936046515). The book is the second work published by AlleghenyCounty resident J.B. Struzzi II - also thePittsburghregional spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT). The book also features original cover art painted by Melissa Struzzi-Englesberg, the author’s sister and PetersTownship, WashingtonCounty resident.

J.B. Struzzi II and Melissa Struzzi-Englesbergwill be appearing at a book signing on June 26 to officially release Jacobs Haunting.

What: Book Signing

When: 2 p.m., Saturday, June 26

Where:Joseph-Beth Booksellers, 510 South 27th Street, Pittsburgh, PA15203, (412) 381-3600

Who: J.B. Struzzi II, author of Jacob’s Haunting and The Christmas Secret

Following up to 2008’s successful release of the The Christmas Secret, Struzzi’s new novel is again set in Western Pennsylvania, featuring compelling characters and familiar adolescent scenes.

“Jacob’s Haunting is a story about family relationships - fathers and sons - American traditions, and standing up and fighting for what you believe in – even when it seems like the world is against you,” Struzzi said. “I wrote this book based on a lot of the things I did growing up in Western Pennsylvania and the area’s rich military history and support. People will recognize familiar scenes and the universal themes in the story will touch the heartstrings of many. I hope it can teach young people to believe in themselves and do the right thing.”

Synopsis

Twelve year old Jacob Mitchell wanted only one thing in this life; to hunt and fish with his father. He longed for the day he could spend time in woods side by side with his dad. But one year before he would be old enough to carry a gun on the first day of deer season, the soldiers came to their door with tragic news. Jacob’s father would not be coming home from his reserve unit serving in Iraq.

Jacob and his mother try to carry on, but things are different now. And when Jake begins to see images no one else sees and hears voices he knows are not there, his hold on reality slips. Others start to notice his odd behavior including Ricky “Rotten” Watkins, the notoriously infamous town bully. Rotten never liked Jake, and the added ammunition of his odd behavior feeds the fire of rivalry between the two.

But Jake doesn’t think he’s crazy. He believes the images he keeps seeing - a girl somehow trapped in the house across the street - are real, and Jake sets out to prove it.

Angry Art – the old man who lives in the house – denies there is a girl when Jake confronts him. Jake doesn’t believe Angry Art and convinces his best friend, Mikey, to sneak into the house with him while the old man is at work. What they discover inside the house set the stage for an epic adventure that transcends time and ultimately concludes at a gateway to the afterlife.

Clue by clue, Jake must unravel the mystery of the girl, who she was and why she is trapped in the house, before a pending flood hits the region and Rotten and his cronies ruin everything.

Jacob’s Haunting is available online from Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble (B&N.com), and in most regional book stores. The book is also available directly from the author by sending a check or money order (see below). Mr. Struzzi will also be appearing at many local events and signings this fall (schedule listed below).

J.B. Struzzi II, 42, is currently a resident of Bridgeville, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. He is a 1985 graduate of Penn-TraffordHigh School and the University of Pittsburgh earning a degree in English writing. Struzzi is also a former staff writer with the Murrysville Star (Gateway Publications) and the Butler Eagle newspapers. He currently serves the press officer/spokesman for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation in the Pittsburgh/Western Pennsylvania region. He is also a former resident of Butler, Indiana and Westmoreland counties. J.B. Struzzi II is married and has four children.

To order a signed copy of Jacob’s Haunting, send a check or money order for $15 to:

J.B. Struzzi II

118 Greenwood Place

Bridgeville PA, 15017

(Copies of The Christmas Secret are also available at $12 each.)

To learn more, visit Please feel free to contact Mr. Struzzi at r 412-319-7907 for book signings, interviews, appearances and other promotions. Promotional photo and cover art are available upon request.

Upcoming Public Appearances/Book Signing Schedule:

Thursday, June 17

  • 9 a.m. Pittsburgh Today Live, KDKA-TV

Saturday, June 26

  • 2-4 p.m. Joseph-Beth Booksellers, 510 South 27th Street, Pittsburgh, PA15203, (412) 381-3600

Saturday, July 31

  • 2-4 p.m. Borders, 200 Mall Boulevard, Monroeville, PA15146; (412-374-9772)