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Author Pen Name:
Joe Tarantino
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Author Bio
Joe Tarantino has cycled through all 50 U.S. states, crisscrossing a vast network of roads and trails. With 25 marathons and other endurance events under his belt, he retired from a successful career in the aerospace industry as a chemist, engineer, and operations manager, responding to God's call to a different direction in an otherwise comfortable life. While pursuing his cycling goals, he seeks to inspire others to chase their dreams through his writing.
Joe grew up in Canfield, Ohio, and now lives in Louisville, Ohio, with his wife, Barbara, a former Spanish teacher and high school guidance counselor. Joe graduated from Greenville College (now University) with a double major in chemistry and English, holds a Master's degree in Analytical Chemistry from Youngstown State University, and has an MBA from Walsh University. Joe and Barbara, who married in 1979, have two sons and are active in the Nazarene church at the local, district, and denominational levels.
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A retired aerospace manager-turned-author describes his quirky adventures while bicycling across America in his faith-based travelogue memoirs.
Interest in Participating in Panels or Story Time
Book 1:
Pale Pink Roads: A Journey of Faith, Pedals, and American Byways
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Summary
Cross-country bicycle touring isn’t for the faint of heart. Each day brings brutal headwinds, unpredictable weather, flat tires, and even the occasional dog attack. Unplanned detours, the search for water and food, and last-minute logistical puzzles turn every mile into a test of physical, mental, and emotional endurance.
As a teenager, Joe Tarantino embarked on a naïve but ambitious quest: to ride 100 miles on a bicycle. Despite near disaster, he finished—and fell in love with the open road. Over the years, long-distance cycling became a way to navigate life’s hills and valleys while raising a family, caring for aging parents, and pursuing a career as an aerospace engineer.
Joe’s laughable inexperience and quirky roadside interactions combine with peaceful isolation and big-city chaos in these seventeen epic rides. Told with humor and heart, Pale Pink Roads reveals how miles on unfamiliar pavement led to insights on resilience, faith, and self-discovery from the saddle of his bike.
Whether you’re a devoted cyclist who would never trade their tortured rides for the beach or simply seeking inspiration, hop on for the ride—laugh, reflect, and feel the wind in your face. Along these pale pink roads, you may just find your own path.
Book 2:
Bicycling Across America's Great Northwest: When Fear and Faith Collide
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Summary
Joe Tarantino describes the fifth and final leg of his 3,600-mile bicycle ride across the North American continent started thirty-one years earlier. Previous trips had left him with nearly 1,700 miles remaining—from the Pacific coast to his prior stopping point in Winner, South Dakota, just east of the Badlands. After what began as a to-do on his bucket list, Joe eventually realized the final segment of his trip had become something God now wanted him to do. Riding by himself, Joe began his trip in Seaside, Oregon. He crossed the Columbia River over the Astoria-Megler Bridge into the state of Washington and was promptly greeted with record-high temperatures while crossing the Cascade Mountain range and eastern Washington deserts. Along the way, Joe encountered folks from all walks of life and demographics who provided support and encouragement at the times he needed it most. His wife, Barbara, eventually met him in Harrison, Idaho, driving a rented SUV, providing additional support and sharing in his daily adventures. In addition to the record heat, mountain ranges, and deserts, they also endured a 5.8-magnitude earthquake while staying in a one-hundred-year-old log cabin hotel in a remote area of Montana, the epicenter occurring only a few miles from where they had spent the night. Joe describes how God answered daily prayers for protection and provided new insights into Psalm 23 through the people and circumstances he encountered each day. Joe’s description of his trip will help you understand not only the physical challenges of such a journey but deep insight into his mind during the daily rides. In addition to entertaining you, this book will challenge, motivate, and inspire you to maybe accomplish something you thought impossible while encouraging you to reevaluate your own relationship with the Creator.
Book 3:
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Summary
Allergies and Dietary Restrictions
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