Mark will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
Friend of the Devil
by Mark Spivak
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: Thriller
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
In 1990 some critics believe that America’s most celebrated chef,
Joseph Soderini di Avenzano, sold his soul to the Devil to achieve culinary
greatness. 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.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT:
He
stepped down from the womb of the 727 onto the stubby metal stairway and
descended slowly onto the asphalt of the old Palm Beach Airport, like a child
sticking a toe into a hot bath.
The
first thing he noticed was the light. By the time he reached the tarmac, it
hurt his eyes. It was opaque and shining, milky white and brilliant.
As
his feet touched the bottom, a coffee-colored hand plucked the bag from his
grasp.
“Mr.
Fox?” The teeth were almost as bright as the light reflecting against the
pavement.
“Guilty.”
“Welcome
to Palm Beach. West Palm, to be precise.” The voice was cool and melodious,
with a Jamaican lilt. “We gladly cross the river to welcome our distinguished
guests and ferry them to the other shore.” He extended his hand toward the terminal,
smiling broadly. “Come, sir. Your chariot awaits.”
The
woman stood next to the limousine, sticking out of the asphalt like an exotic
tree. She wore a black leather jacket, and a short, black leather skirt, cut on
the bias to give her a schoolgirl look. She was smirking.
She
has gorgeous skin, was his first thought, smooth enough to lick. Then there was
her hair: jet black, cropped short, spiked liberally with mousse, standing
straight up as if from an electrical charge. I am so beautiful that I can
mutilate my hair and you will still crave me, she seemed to say. I can
masquerade as Elvis Costello and you will still crawl across the runway to
worship me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
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.
Website: http://www.markspivakbooks.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE
Mark will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a
randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f1767
Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteMany thanks for hosting me today. I look forward to meeting your readers and answering any questions they might have.
ReplyDeleteWhat is your favorite thing about being a writer?
ReplyDeleteWorking for myself. It goes way beyond the normal statements of being able to set my own schedule, etc: the main thing, for me, is that the future of my career isn't being determined by some idiot I'm working for, as it was for many years.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the tour and I enjoyed the excerpt :)
ReplyDeleteWelcome to the Angel's blog. I hope you have a great tour. Allana Angel
ReplyDeleteThanks. It's been great thus far---this is actually my second time around with Goddess Fish, and I'm meeting some great people.
ReplyDeleteAs a kid I loved to read kiddie thriller novels and now as an adult I love them even more, I can't wait to check this one out! Thanks for sharing :)
ReplyDeleteI missed a day but catching up and thanking you once again for the chance at winning.
ReplyDeleteWhen did you decide to become a writer?
DeleteI wanted to be a writer from the age of 11. I began my working life as a newspaper journalist, but became disillusioned and quit. I did a lot of other things---I had careers in the restaurant business and the wine business, and in the early 90s came full circle when I started writing about food, wine and spirits. The goal was always to write fiction.
DeleteThanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHave an awesome weekend and thanks for the opportunity to win your great giveaway
ReplyDeleteThank you for the opportunity to win and have a blessed Sunday
ReplyDeleteSome very clever phasing. Loved "sticking out of the asphalt like an exotic tree."
ReplyDeleteGood morning and thank you once again for the chance to win
ReplyDeleteA bright Good Morning to you and thank you for the opportunity you have brought all of us to win
ReplyDelete