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MORGANTOWN - Friendship, mystery, beer and rock ‘n’ roll.
If you were forced to sum up the writing of Morgantown author Jim Antonini in a handful of words, that foursome would get you off to a hot start.
Loyalty would be an appropriate addition.
Self-discovery would be another.
In the last six years, Antonini has released seven titles - five novels and two works of nonfiction - under his Pump Fake Press label.
The latest, "Candyland," was released this summer as a sequel of sorts to his first published work, "Bullets for Silverware."
In addition to being fast-paced murder mysteries, the titles are the tale of Antonini's early adulthood - from a brand-new pharmacist who gets in over his head in a West Virginia hollow in "Bullets," to a Harvard research fellow living the Boston nightlife in "Candyland."
"That's kind of where all the writing started, in Boston. I got a degree in pharmacy, and I moved to rural West Virginia where I was a pharmacist for a while, and that's where the first book came from. Then I went back to graduate school, and after graduate school, I got a research fellowship in Boston at the Harvard School of Public Health, and while I was there, I was allowed to take free courses at Harvard, and I took a bunch of creative writing courses."
Early attempts at traditional publication working through an agent resulted in some close calls but never really materialized, and Antonini's professional pursuits eventually led him back home to Morgantown.
While the writing was always there, filling free hours and lingering in the background, it would be years before a global pandemic helped reshuffle priorities.
"And then COVID hit, and I had all this writing and these files. The pandemic saw us home a lot, so I got some things together, particularly "Bullets for Silverware." I had a lady kind of managing me, and she said I should put that book out as soon as possible, because she thought with everything shut down, people were going to be buying books. And that's exactly what happened," Antonini said. "I sold a lot of copies of that book on Amazon. I was shocked at how many books I sold. A lot of people were reading that, and it kind of laid the foundation for other books, because I had parts of other books written. I was working on "Wild Bill Rides Again," so I was able to get it done and get another book done. That's kind of where I'm now. I'm up to seven books."
Interspersed with the fiction, Antonini's writing has featured two Morgantown institutions that are near and dear to his heart.
In 2024, he collaborated with Gene's owner Al Bonner on "The Hot Dog Diaries," which recounts the history and alcohol-soaked lore of the beloved Greenmont watering hole.
The following year, Antonini worked with Suzanne Reynolds to release "Sometimes Orange is Almost Gold," a compilation of 27 years of (mostly true) post-game writeups and player profiles dedicated to the Bondsmen of Chico's Bail Bonds, a pirate's crew of a softball outfit sponsored by 123 Pleasant Street.
Antonini has spent 21 seasons wearing the county orange for Chico's.
All of Antonini's titles are self-published.
"When I first started this writing process, there were two ways to go. The traditional route, or on your own. What I did was form my own publishing company and I published my books through there. Now I'm trying to publish other people's books through this publishing company, Pump Fake Press," he said, explaining he’s frequently pitched book ideas when on the town.
He's also working on a new book of his own.
Antonini credits the support, and deadlines, of his writing group - lovingly dubbed the Geoffrey Fuller Five after another Morgantown author and editor - for not only pushing him to write "Candyland" but helping him continue to hone his own voice and style.
He has more time to devote to the craft since retiring from NIOSH.
"My books tend to be quick. I don't know how to describe that; like a page-turner. Because when I'm reading a book, I want the story to move and flow. I'm reading a lot now. I have a lot more time to read. It's been nice. It's been fun after I've written stuff to read and see other styles. I've been reading some stuff that is really descriptive, and it's so easy to get bogged down in all the descriptions," he said. "I kind of like to have a lot of action. That’s just me.”
Asked which of his books he's most fond of, Antonini points to "Wild Bill Rides Again," a 2023 novel about a family man who steals $1 million and goes on an eventful joyride across America with the law on his tail. The book was selected as a finalist for both the 2026 Kirkus Indie Book Award and Eric Hoffer Book Awards.
"It just seems like that book has resonated with a lot of people," he said. "I've had a lot of people contact me after reading it and say that they really felt a connection to that book."