Joe Cappello is an actor, a playwright, and the award-winning author of flash fiction and short stories that aim to connect, challenge, inspire, and move readers to tears of laughter. His debut short story collection, The Secret of the Smiling Rock Man: Stories Featuring Characters with Rocks in their Heads (April 2026), brings readers tales “told with a healthy dose of humor and a belief that life can be joyful, hopeful and a down-right hoot.” Look for Joe on his website JoeCappelloAuthor.com, on Medium and Substack, and his Amazon author store.
What would you like readers to know about The Secret of the Smiling Rock Man?
If you’re looking for short stories that you can comfortably read before turning in at night and maybe get a laugh or two in the process, I think you’ll find my book just the thing.
When readers turn the last page in the book, what do you hope they take away from it?
Life comes with a ton of prepackaged problems. I hope my characters are examples of how to face those problems with heart, hope and plenty of humor.
What challenges did you face putting this project together?
Since I was self-publishing the book, I had to spend time on developing some kind of marketing plan to give folks a reason why they should spend their time (and their money) on my stories. Part of this process was coming up with a good book description, a solid subtitle, and a bio that would tell something about myself and my writing journey. Packaging all of this took time. Then actually launching the book and scheduling reviews, attendance at book festivals and regular social media posts proved to be challenging, yet necessary, parts of the process.
Did you write the stories specifically for this collection? How did you decide to arrange the stories?
I had written these stories over a period of years, so they weren’t written specifically for this collection. But I noticed that most of the stories fit into one of four broad categories: family, mortality, workplace, and language. I also saw an overall theme emerging: characters who are reaching way over their heads to solve their problems. So that gave me the idea for the subtitle to my book: “Featuring characters with ‘Rocks in their heads.’” I hoped this would make it easier for a potential reader to understand what these zany characters had in store for them.
Tell us how the collection came together.
I had a great time working with artist Michelle Kohari on the cover design as well as illustrations to introduce each work. She managed to capture a moment in the life of my stories, one that illuminates my intent and dramatizes the kernel of what I am trying to say. I also have to give a shout out to Rose Kern at RMK Publications. She very patiently walked me through the process of preparing my manuscript for publication and was an absolute whiz at navigating Amazon KDP. I could not have done it without her.
Who are some of your favorite characters in the stories?
Win Winwood in “The Secret of the Smiling Rock Man” thinks he can discover the secret of mortality. My uncle Paulie Manucci actually thought he could book numbers right under the mob’s nose and get away with it in “Skeletons in the Closet (and in the Bay).” Armando Hayes schools two middle managers in street smarts and how to get a degree in Kick-ass 101 in “Lenny Jo’s.” Outrageous. Every one of them.
What was your favorite part of working on this project?
I really enjoyed culling through the many stories I have written in the last few years and selecting the 14 that appear in my collection. They were like signposts reminding me of where I was, what was on my mind and why I chose to write each of them. I am grateful to all those characters and their stories they so graciously allowed me to tell. It was a most satisfying and rewarding experience for me.
What did you learn from writing/publishing The Secret of the Smiling Rock Man that you can apply to future projects?
Patience…patience…patience. So many books are published each day that it takes time before your work will get any kind of notice.
What does an average writing session look like for you?
I try to do some form of writing-related work (writing, editing, researching, submitting) every day.
Is there something that always inspires you or triggers your creativity?
Being present in the moment. Life is all around just waiting to provide the topic for my next writing project. (I always have my pen and notebook at the ready!)
KL Wagoner loves creating worlds of fantasy and science fiction. Her current work in progress is The Last Bonekeeper fantasy trilogy and short stories in the same universe. A member of SouthWest Writers since 2006, Kat has volunteered as the organization’s secretary, newsletter editor, website manager, and author interview coordinator. Kat is also a veteran, a martial art student, and a grandmother. Visit her at klwagoner.com.
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