In the run-down orphanage known as Boys Hall, 4th grader Chip Rock is handed a daunting task: go downtown, alone, and pay a visit to Mrs. Carruthers, a 75-year-old sourpuss and total stranger. Help her write a letter. There they sit, like two dogs sniffing each other. It's a neighborly assignment but Chip never expected a stinky house, a bad attitude and four-letter words that fly like hornets. As the frightened orphan meets a crabby loner, Chip learns the job has nothing to do with letter...

CHIP ROCK and the FAT OLD FART tells the story of the comic and poignant friendship between 23 year old Chip Rock and a 55 year old, socially-shocking meat cutter, Deacon O'Dell. FAT OLD FART explores the glue which binds together imperfect families and flawed friendships.The novel is set in the fictional and crumbling SoCal beach town of No Palms. The town itself - with all its quirks and changes -- is as much a character as Chip or Deacon or anyone else.This is a coming-o...

Zin Mignon, the 13 year-old phenom Chef, stumbles upon a scrawled note from his late father. Thus, he embarks on a fantastic quest to uncover the mysteries of his shady past.Master Chef meets Artemis Fowl, delivering a culinary genius.Starting out in his father’s pathetic Brooklyn deli, Zin's world-spinning adventures take him through the alleys of the homeless to the tables of billionaires. Early on, at the finest culinary school in Paris, Zin is in a horrific pickle. He's ...

HALLBOYS is a collection of six linked short stories featuring the dreams and escapades of Chip Rock and his pals (The Hallboys) growing up in the shabby orphange known as Boys Hall, in the broken-down SoCal beach town of No Palms.As with all Michael Daswick fiction, the stories balance comedy and drama, with surprising and memorable endings. They underscore the vivid imagination of children, and their adventures which lead to friendships and the bonds that last a lifetime. These s...

#2 in the ZIN series.From the filthy streets of Brooklyn to the glam of Beverly Hills, 13 year old wonder Chef Zin Mignon serves a parade of royalty, celebrities and supermodels, all the while overshadowed by a murky family past.The trouble is the old and forgetful Mrs. Pirogi – Zin's sole link to a long-lost family legacy – can’t quite remember much about Zin’s cryptic ancestry. So why is the chef extraordinaire and the sizzling sensation of the Sunset Str...

Up until 1980, less than 50 brave souls had managed the monumental open-ocean solo swim from the SoCal coast to Catalina Island. But that's exactly what Cal, a simple burger artist, sets out to do in Chip Rock and the Catalina Kid.In the clammy coastal town of No Palms, Chip Rock and his pals have aged out of the pathetic orphanage known as Boys Hall. 27 miles across the channel, Catalina Island sits in the haze.Catalina Kid tells the saga of Chip's lifelong friend, Cal, an...

With the extraordinary events of Book #2 and the Secret of the Russian Rye behind him, Zin Mignon's quest turns to his shadowy family history. The 14 year-old phenom Chef reaches the squalid peasants’ orphanages in the hinterlands of Russia. But with his pal Jenny, all they find are skinny kids and crushing conditions. Ah, but Zin has fame. And an appetite to help. Thus, he cooks up a daring charitable scheme to feed the planet’s poorest kids. In the globetrotting Book 3, Zin does his fine...

A frolicking trip to the pantry! Incredibly, the greatest Chef in the world is only 13 years old. He's Zin Mignon, the spectacular culinary mastermind who lives at the intersection of fantasy, laughs, gripping mystery, inspiration and humanity.The four-book Series kicks off in the pathetic family Brooklyn deli where young Zin clutches a secret note from his dying dad. The cryptic words set Zin on a world-spinning quest, an adventure that takes him through the alleys of the homeless...

Zin Mignon approached his father's grave and buckled in horror. "Mom! Look! Who would do such a thing?""Oh, son, I'm so sorry." "I don't get it. Dad was just a simple guy who ran a little deli. I mean… Wasn't he?"Thus begins the 4th book of brilliant 13 year-old Chef Zin Mignon. He's one part culinary mastermind and two parts just-another-kid with The Great American Dream. But everything's gone haywire. Zin's returned to the docks of Brooklyn to face the wic...

The importance of the Outsider. Chip Rock has just aged out of the pathetic orphanage known as Boys Hall, in the comically doleful little town of No Palms on the SoCal coast. Low on luck and opportunity, Chip sets out to find a meaningful place in the world. It's no ordinary journey. Aimless and quick with bad choices, Chip wanders into a rich tapestry of characters: the grumps at the No Palms Women's Club; the nagging neighbor Rosita right across the street; the Old Town Dog, luckless fis...

Find out why Zin was seen on CNN, ABC, FOX, NBC, etc!With the extraordinary events of Book #2 and the Secret of the Russian Rye behind him, Zin Mignon's quest turns to his shadowy family history. The 14 year-old phenom Chef reaches the squalid peasants' orphanages in the hinterlands of Russia.But with his pal Jenny, all they find are skinny kids and crushing conditions. Ah, but Zin has fame. And an appetite to help. Thus, he cooks up a daring charitable scheme to feed the pl...

The importance of the Outsider.In the clammy coastal SoCal town of No Palms, Chip Rock and his mates have aged out of the slipshod orphanage known as Boys Hall, and set out to find a meaningful place in their world. Chip Rock and the Catalina Kid tells the saga of Chip's lifelong friend, Cal. An industrious yet unsettled burger-artist, Cal shocks the community when he embarks on a daring 27-mile channel swim to Catalina Island.With the help of a dazzling yet mysterious girl ...