Well-done Romance Fresh Out of the Chef’s Kitchen
Author David Ruggerio’s Journey from the President’s Kitchen to Writing Novels
The pandemic brought changes to our lives. We were previously used to meeting in person, and now we’re forced to move our gatherings online. The book industry is no different. On the 20th of June, Desiree Duffy, founder of Black Chateau, hosted an online book-launch party with Super-chef and author David Ruggerio on the Books That Make You online channels. David launched his new historical romance novel, “Say Goodbye and Goodnight.” This book is a perfect addition to your beach-bound bookbag.
David’s inspiring story of becoming famous as a “Super Chef” set the tone for the event. As you may know, David Ruggerio is a world-renowned celebrity chef. He worked in top restaurants of New York before the note vintner, Robert Mondavi, named him one of the thirteen best young chefs in America in 1995. David wrote two acclaimed cookbooks and became known as a “Super Chef.” He hosted iconic TV cooking shows and throughout his outstanding career cooked for five US Presidents.
During the author’s interview, David told us how, later in his life, the loss of his older son from opioid addiction led to the immense pain used to express in different ways. He started waking up at 5 am every day to write. The first book he wrote was “A Wistful Tale of Gods, Men, and Monster,” a horror novel about small-town occupied by an ancient evil. This book made him Amazon’s bestselling author and the recipient of the Maxy Award for Best Horror 2019.
His new fiction, “Say Goodbye and Goodnight,” tells the story of a young fighter who encounters love like no other. However, will it last? A young aspiring fighter, Anthony Marino maneuvers through all the pitfalls and minefields that existed in 1977 Brooklyn. Yet beneath the harsh surface, Brooklyn offered much more. It was the time of disco, the music that liberated a generation. And through it, Anthony found his true love in Gia. Theirs was an ultimate love story that attracted a lot of envy and hate. Say Goodbye and Goodnight is a love saga and the perils that waited for them behind every corner.
The book launch was one of a kind. It was the first time for both David Ruggerio and Black Chateau to have a virtual book launch. The hour-long event was action-packed. There were professional actors reading part of the book as Anthony and Gia during the stream. It was a wonderful experience as it made lead characters come alive. Also, the interview with David was quite insightful and fun. He talked about how Stephen King and the works of other non-fiction writers inspired him and his writing. Shh…here’s a little secret, David prefers writing not in cafes or his office, but his basement.
David’s description of his book’s background of what the ’70s felt like in New York City was so fascinating. He spoke of the socio-political atmosphere, culture, and the events of the times that shaped that decade. The party concluded with the announcement of the winner of the grand giveaway – the main prize was autographed copies of both David’s books and delicious cooking oils David made. Additionally, three bonus prize winners received autographed copies of “Say Goodbye and Goodnight.”
The event was a success and came with a huge benefit, a possibility to re-live the event anytime you want. David has an Easter egg in his book that he may have revealed during the launch. It’s about Gia, the heroine from the story. You can watch the book launch party to find out what it is.
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