ABOUT CHARLIE

Charlie Carillo grew up in Douglaston, New York, a town that was put on the map by three world-class tennis players - John McEnroe, Patrick McEnroe and Charlie's sister, Mary Carillo, now a famous sports broadcaster. The teenage Charlie tried his hand at tennis and lost a match to little John McEnroe 6-0, 6-0.  Charlie won a total of one point and wrote about the humiliating but humorous event years later in the New York Times. 

Charlie graduated from Queens College of the City University of New York in 1977.  That same year he won several prizes in the school's writing contest, including one for "the writer showing the most promise."  The cash prize was $300, the first money he ever made without pushing a broom or a lawnmower.   In 1978 Charlie took a job as a copyboy at the New York Post, eventually working his way up to reporter, rewrite man and columnist. In 1993 he switched to television, working as a producer for the news magazine shows "American Journal" and "Inside Edition.” He now divides his time between London and New York with his wife Kim and their labrador retriever, Bailey.

Charlie has a son, Rafael, and two stepchildren, Catherine and James. Charlie's first novel, "Shepherd Avenue," was just re-published by Kensington Books and will be followed in June by a sequel, "Return To Shepherd Avenue."  "Shepherd Avenue" was first published in 1986 by the Atlantic Monthly Press and was named one of the best books of that year by the American Library Association. Charlie's second novel, "My Ride With Gus," was published in 1996 by Pocket Books, and was translated into German and French editions.  It has been optioned to the movies by Fox.

Charlie's novels "Raising Jake" (2009) and “One Hit Wonder” (2010) were published by Kensington books and are also available in German editions. His novels  “Found Money,” “God Plays Favorites” and “The Man Who Killed Santa Claus: A Love Story" are available on Amazon Kindle.