Frank Morelli has been a teacher, a coach, a bagel builder, a stock boy, a pretzel salesman, a bus driver, a postal employee, a JC Penney model (see: clerk), an actual clerk (like in the movie of the same name), a camp counselor, a roving sports reporter, and a nuclear physicist (okay, maybe that’s not true). At heart, he’s a writer, and that’s all he’s ever been. His fiction and essays have appeared in more than thirty publications, including The Saturday Evening Post, Cobalt Review, Philadelphia Stories, Jersey Devil Press, and Indiana Voice Journal. His sports-themed column—“Peanuts & Crackerjacks”—appears monthly at Change Seven Magazine. A Philadelphia native, Frank now lives near Greensboro, NC in a tiny house under the trees with his best friend and muse, their obnoxious alley cats, and two hundred pounds worth of dog. Connect with Frank at www.frankmorelliwrites.com, on Facebook, or on Twitter @frankmoewriter.

“In No Sad Songs, Frank Morelli has written a beautiful, poignant book about the near-impossible burdens that can be foisted upon us by our unpredictable lives. Gabe LoScuda trudges through the mud in the front lines of his own personal war, and he does it with so much heart you can’t help but root for him. Reading Gabe’s story, we learn to appreciate, as he does, the people in our lives who can be patient with us as we struggle toward our own awakening—the friends and family who can tell us we’re being idiots while still continuing to love us, every muddy step of the way. — Jack Cheng, author, See You in the Cosmos

“Young meets old in this heartfelt, compelling debut.” — Jerry Spinelli, author, The Warden’s Daughter and Stargirl

“In No Sad Songs, Morelli deftly balances genuinely hilarious moments with gut-punchingly moving ones. A big-hearted, seriously funny read.” — Lance Rubin, author of Denton Little’s Deathdate and Denton Little’s Still Not Dead

“No Sad Songs is truly a work of heart! This emotional journey of tough choices is wrapped in the messy but beautiful truth of family obligation and honor. Readers will be rooting for Gabe all the way through.” — Jennifer Walkup, author, This Ordinary Life and Second Verse

“No Sad Songs manages to be at once a funny, heartbreaking, and life-affirming coming of age story about the family we love and hate, self-discovery, and the promises we make and which we choose to keep.” — Estelle Laure, author of This Raging Light and But Then I Came Back

“Frank Morelli’s No Sad Songs burns bright. With lacerating prose and emotional honesty, Morelli vividly captures the intensity and freedom of young adulthood and the crushing responsibilities of being an adult. The book veers raucously and with wild, teenage abandon from fart jokes to Thoreau and, in between, makes room for me to feel deeply for Gabe LoScuda and to break my heart.” — Bryan Hurt, author, Everyone Wants to be Ambassador to France

“To compare Morelli to John Green would be cliché—and there is nothing cliché about No Sad Songs. Relatable on so many levels and to so many ages beyond its YA target, it is almost impossible not to find a character that doesn’t remind you of someone you know—and are certainly likely to find echoes of yourself throughout. Even though every family is different, No Sad Songs is a reminder of how much they all have in common in varying shades and degrees. No Sad Songs is filled with one amazingly powerful scene after another, with a perfect blend of humor and pathos that will keep you hooked throughout. The YA world is about to have a new king. Thankfully, there is always room for talent such as this.” — R.J. Fox, author, Love & Vodka, Tales from the Dork Side, and Awaiting Identification

When tragedy strikes, Gabe LoScuda’s world is quickly turned upside down. Thanks to Frank Morelli’s tremendous heart and wit, we laugh through tears as Gabe takes on grief and overwhelming responsibility like a champ. — Patrick Flores-Scott, author, Jumped In

With plenty of humor and heart, No Sad Songs will have you rooting for its endearing, flawed characters until the very end.” — Kristin Bartley Lenz, author, The Art of Holding On and Letting Go

“An absolutely fantastic read from beginning to end, Frank Morelli’s debut novel No Sad Songs is at turns hilarious, spirited, and a little bit heartbreaking. What a ride. I’m so glad I took it.” — Amina Cain, author, Creature  and I Go To Some Hollow