By Jennifer Brett

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Writing his debut novel was one thing. Getting it published was quite another.

"It took five years," said Marc Fitten, author of "Valeria’s Last Stand."

"It takes perseverance and a little bit of luck and stubbornness. Talent is important, but there are a lot of talented people out there. It becomes an issue of who can sit at the step the longest."

Reviews suggest readers can rejoice that he didn’t budge.

"I write because I’m not able to do much of anything else," he said with a chuckle. "I want to live using my creativity."

Set in a fictitious Hungarian village, his novel teems with colorful characters reviewers have called Chaucerian. Fitten’s title character is cranky, pushing 70 and finds much fault with the world — but isn’t too old or set in her ways to find love, it turns out.

"It’s tough being her," said Fitten, a Brooklyn, N.Y, native who spent much of the 1990s traveling in Europe."She doesn’t want to change with the times."

Fitten also serves as editor of the literary journal Chattahoochee Review, the latest issue of which should be out in time for the AJC Decatur Book Festival. He’s among the local writers who will give presentations at the event.

"It’s really crazy what’s happening in this town," he said. "It’s like the year of the Atlanta literati."

He’s just concluded a tour of 100 independent bookstores and is at work on his next novel.

"The fact that I get to do it is just fabulous," he said.

Festival appearances

Marc Fitten, author of "Valeria’s Last Stand"

3 p.m. Saturday. "Very Fine Fiction," First Baptist Decatur, 308 Clairmont Ave.; 4:30 p.m. Saturday. "Break in Case of Emergency: This Book Could Save Your Life," Escape stage, Decatur Square. www.marcfitten.com