Hi lovelies! It gives me great pleasure today to host Mark
Spivak and his new book, “Friend of the Devil!”
For other stops on his Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tour, please click
on the banner above.
Friend of the
Devil
by Mark Spivak
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GENRE: Thriller (Culinary)
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BLURB:
In 1990 some critics
believe that America’s most celebrated chef, Joseph Soderini di Avenzano, cut a
deal with the Devil to achieve fame and fortune. Whether he is actually Bocuse
or Beelzebub, Avenzano is approaching the 25th anniversary of his glittering
Palm Beach restaurant, Chateau de la Mer, patterned after the Michelin-starred
palaces of Europe.
Journalist David Fox arrives in Palm Beach to interview the chef for a story on the restaurant’s silver jubilee. He quickly becomes involved with Chateau de la Mer’s hostess, unwittingly transforming himself into a romantic rival of Avenzano. The chef invites Fox to winter in Florida and write his authorized biography. David gradually becomes sucked into the restaurant’s vortex: shipments of cocaine coming up from the Caribbean; the Mafia connections and unexplained murder of the chef’s original partner; the chef’s ravenous ex-wives, swirling in the background like a hidden coven. As his lover plots the demise of the chef, Fox tries to sort out hallucination and reality while Avenzano treats him like a feline’s catnip-stuffed toy.
Journalist David Fox arrives in Palm Beach to interview the chef for a story on the restaurant’s silver jubilee. He quickly becomes involved with Chateau de la Mer’s hostess, unwittingly transforming himself into a romantic rival of Avenzano. The chef invites Fox to winter in Florida and write his authorized biography. David gradually becomes sucked into the restaurant’s vortex: shipments of cocaine coming up from the Caribbean; the Mafia connections and unexplained murder of the chef’s original partner; the chef’s ravenous ex-wives, swirling in the background like a hidden coven. As his lover plots the demise of the chef, Fox tries to sort out hallucination and reality while Avenzano treats him like a feline’s catnip-stuffed toy.
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EXCERPT THREE:
The two
young men emerged from the woods onto Highway 49. There were no street lamps,
and Joseph was grateful for the moonlight. Slowly and deliberately, they walked
toward the intersection of Highway 61. When they got to the Crossroads, the
site was unremarkable: a small general store, a gas station, and miles of
desolate blackness stretching in every direction.
“Here you
go, baby.” Willy stopped a few hundred yards from the intersection and turned
to face Joseph. “You on your own. Can’t take you closer than this.”
“Where
are you headed?”
“As far
away as I can git,” he laughed, “as fast as I can git there.”
“Thank
you. I appreciate your help.”
“Well,
this wasn’t no charity. You know that.”
“Even
so.”
“You got
some questions?”
“What do
I do? Just walk up there and wait?”
“You
won’t be waitin’ long,” said Willy. “The man’ll be along shortly. You don’t
need no business card, neither. Trust me on that.”
“Okay.”
“You’ll
be fine.” Willy studied him carefully. “Shoot, you look like you don’t got a
care in the world.”
“I
wouldn’t go that far. But I’m here for a reason, of my own free will.”
“I
understand.” He patted Joseph on the arm. “You look me up when you open your
restaurant, hear?”
“I will.”
He watched Willy head back for the woods. “I definitely will.”
“I’ll be
here,” Willy called over his shoulder.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mark Spivak is an award-winning writer specializing in wine, spirits,
food, restaurants and culinary travel. He was the wine writer for the Palm
Beach Post from 1994-1999, and was honored by the Academy of Wine
Communications for excellence in wine coverage “in a graceful and approachable
style.” Since 2001 has been the Wine and Spirits Editor for the Palm Beach
Media Group; his running commentary on the world of food, wine and spirits is
available at the Global Gourmet blog on www.palmbeachillustrated.com. He is the
holder of the Certificate and Advanced diplomas from the Court of Master
Sommeliers.
Mark’s work has appeared in National Geographic Traveler, Robb Report,
Men’s Journal, Art & Antiques, the Continental and Ritz-Carlton magazines, Arizona
Highways and Newsmax. He is the author of Iconic Spirits: An Intoxicating
History (Lyons Press, 2012) and Moonshine Nation: The Art of Creating Cornbread
in a Bottle (Lyons Press, 2014). His first novel, Friend of the Devil, is
published by Black Opal Books.
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CONNECT WITH MARK:
Website:
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4659831.Mark_Spivak?from_search=true&search_version=service
Facebook:
Amazon Author Page:
Barnes and Noble Author Page:
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AMAZON BUY LINK:
Please click the Amazon image above or use this link:
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GIVEAWAY INFO:
One randomly chosen winner via Rafflecopter will win a
$50 Amazon/BN.com gift card.
**This post contains affiliate links and if clicked and a
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This contest is sponsored by a
third party. Fabulous and Brunette is a registered host of Goddess Fish
Promotions. Prizes are given away by the sponsors and not Fabulous and
Brunette. The sponsor is solely responsible for the contest prize.
Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteHave added your book to my TBR list and can't wait to read it.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your post - Thanks for sharing!!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for taking the time to offer us this giveaway
ReplyDeleteSounds like a good story. Thanks for sharing the excerpt.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting excerpt.
ReplyDeleteMany thanks for hosting me today, and thanks to everyone for their support. I look forward to meeting readers and answering any questions they might have.
ReplyDeleteThe book sounds very intriguing, thank you for the reveal!
ReplyDeleteMany thanks for hosting me today, and thanks to everyone for their kind words. I look forward to meeting readers and answering any questions you might have.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great read, thank you for sharing!
ReplyDelete