Romance
Date Published: 6/11/20
Publisher: Black Rose Writing
This is the love story to end all love story’s! 1977, the most tumultuous year in New York City’s history. In a place called Bensonhurst, a young Italian-American fighter named Anthony Marino meets his love in Romeo and Julie disco on 86th Street. Gia steals his heart away, and through tremendous trials and tribulations, their love survives. A modern Shakespearean tale that pulls on every heart string we possess.
Interview with David Ruggerio
For those
interested in exploring the subject or theme of your book, where
should they start?
If
you live outside of the New York City area, don't be put off. It is
a tale based in Brooklyn during 1977, yet the bones of the story
will touch a nerve regardless of where you live.
How did you become
involved with the subject or theme of your book?
I
am born and raised in the streets of Brooklyn. I was a teen during
the '70s; there was nothing like it. Additionally, the protagonist
is a fighter, and so was I. This was a story very close to my soul.
What were your
goals and intentions in this book, and how well do you feel you
achieved them?
I
think that society has moved so far away from those times. I think
it needs to be told that today may not be better. The youth today do
not know how to converse; they don't know how to socialize.
Everything is done with a smartphone or computer. It is shocking
that if someone is seeking a mate, the first thing they do is go to
the internet. My book opens the reader's eyes to how we socialized,
how we loved, how we fought, how we dealt with adversity. Things
today are so disconnected; people do not know how to deal with the
problems that life presents. Considering what we are dealing with
right now, I think this book is apropos.
Anything you would like to say to
your readers and fans?
With Covid-19 and
the riots that are taking place, stay inside, pick up my book. I
will take you back to the days of disco, loving, and living. I
promise I will tug at your heartstrings. Be prepared to smile,
cheer, and cry. God knows we need to explore those emotions before
we prepare to tackle today's issues.
Wat did you enjoy most about
writing this book?
It took me back
to the best days of my life. The young girl is named after my first
love, a girl I was to marry. Trust me, at times, it was challenging
to write.
Can you tell us a little bit about
your next books or what you have planned for the future?
Last year I wrote
my first novel, A Wistful Tale of Gods, Men, and Monsters. It was
horror, and despite the fact, my publisher loves my new book, he
pleaded me to write more horror. My next book is horror, A Prison
Without Locks. It will be released on November 25th.
Also, I have written my memoir. High Crimes and Haute Cuisine. It is
being made into a film. The release of the book has not been
determined.
How long have you been writing?
My first foray
was my memoir; I began that five years ago. It was one of the most
difficult things I ever did. At times I had to walk away from it,
the pain it caused was too much. When I turned to fiction, it was a
relief. I love it, although I don't consider myself a bonafide
writer. Instead, I am a storyteller.
Can you tell us a
little bit about the characters in Say Goodbye and Goodnight ?
Say
Goodbye and Goodnight is told by its protagonist, Anthony Marino. He
is sixteen years old, just turned professional as a fighter, loves
to spend time in the neighborhood disco, and has found his one true
love.
Gia
Columbo is also sixteen, one of the most beautiful young girls in
the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn. She is trying to escape her
ex-boyfriend, who is a hoodlum. She is also under the "thumb"
of her father, Albert Columbo, who is an organized crime figure.
Izzy
Moishel is Anthony's trainer. He is a throwback to the days when
Delancey Street was chock full of Jewish fighter. His
colloquialisms, wit, and advice are priceless.
If you could spend the day with one
of the characters from Say
Goodbye and Goodnight, who would it be? Please tell
us why you chose this particular character, where you would go, and
what you would do.
That's easy; it
would be with Gia. She is modeled after my first love, and if there
was one part of the book that was extremely hard to write, it was
the passages about her.
I hope your
readers enjoy this book—one word of caution. I make mention of
this in the Author's Notes; at times, I write the dialogue the way
it was spoken back then, Izzy did not speak the King's English.
Second, the role of women back then was different, and staying true
to the period; please don't be offended.
Please enjoy my
book; it was a true labor of love.
About the Author
Known worldwide as a celebrity chef, David Ruggerio’s life-story is one of redemption, sacrifice, and a new lease on life as an award-winning genre fiction writer.
Ruggerio rose to the position of top chef at the famous La Caravelle in New York by age 25. He went on to take command of Pierre Cardin's New York outpost of Maxim's de Paris, where he garnered three stars from The New York Times. In 1995, Robert Mondavi, the note vintner, named him one of the thirteen best young chefs in America.
With two acclaimed cookbooks under his belt, David Ruggerio became known as a "Super Chef" and was called for television guest spots that quickly became opportunities. He hosted the iconic TV shows Ruggerio to Go on the Food Network, and Little Italy with David Ruggerio on PBS. Throughout his outstanding career as a chef, Ruggerio cooked for five US Presidents.
Today, Ruggerio lives on the East Coast and spends his days writing mostly genre fiction. He is an Amazon bestselling author and the recipient of the Maxy Award for Best Horror 2019 for his debut horror novel, A Wistful Tale of Gods, Men and Monsters. His second book of fiction, Say Goodbye and Goodnight, releases June 2020.
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