Today, I have an interview with Lorenzo Petruzziello, whose debut novel set in Rome had me cracking up. You can read my review posted on Library of Clean Reads. Check out my interview below and enter the giveaway to win a copy of the book!
Book Details:Book Title: The Love Fool: A Rome-antic Comedy by Lorenzo Petruzziello
Category: Adult Fiction, 314 pages
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Publisher: Quill (Inkshares)
Release date: March 13, 2018
Tour dates: Aug 6 to 24, 2018
Content Rating: PG
Book Description:
Set in Rome. Follow the whirlwind antics of a publicist as he struggles to manage his first TV chef client, his new life, and an unexpected visit from his ex-girlfriend.
Alex recently moved to Italy for an opportunity at a PR firm in Rome. His first client is the beautiful Danish chef Pernille Bjørn, a popular model, TV personality, and cookbook author just entering the booming televised cooking show market in Italy.
Alex's single-minded career focus is soon thwarted by Emily, an ex-girlfriend he hasn't heard from in almost a decade.
Italy's modern culture and enchanting sights set the backdrop to this Rome-antic comedy.
To follow the tour, please visit Lorenzo Petruzziello's page on Italy Book Tours.
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My Interview with Lorenzo Petruzziello:
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| Image by AKA Imagery |
EI: Ciao Lorenzo! Welcome to Essentially Italian. Can you please describe your book in 20 words or less?
LP: The Love Fool is a non-romantic romantic comedy; about the foolish things we do or say in matters of love.
EI: Why did you decide to write a romantic comedy versus, let’s say, a drama, thriller or mystery?
LP: I’m glad you asked me this. I surprised myself that romantic comedy fiction would be my first genre in writing. But being in Rome, when I began writing The Love Fool, I was inspired by the Eternal city and its romantic side. But I knew I didn’t want to write a basic romantic story – it’s not me really. Instead, I wanted to focus on the foolish mishaps within relationships. I knew my story was going to be a romp, almost slap-stick comedy with the tone of an 80s romantic comedy; but I also knew that it wasn’t going to be a basic romantic story.
EI: The main character Alex works for a PR firm in Italy. Are any experiences based on your own experiences working in publicity and marketing?
LP: Yes, actually. I mean, yes Alex’s work was inspired by my experience in pr and marketing, but it is not an accurate retelling of true events. I would say my experience would be a skeleton to what Alex experiences.
EI: Your first book cover was very different from the final one you chose. Why, and how did you come up with your current book cover?
LP: I hired a book cover designer and asked him to design something that pops and would make people walking by a reader and wonder “What the heck is that person reading?” I wanted a cover that stuck out on a bookcase, or on a table. The designer liked the element of the cat in the story, so he went with that idea and, after some back and forth, we came up with what you see today.
EI: Your book is set in Rome. What are your favorite things about Rome? Least favorite?
LP: I love the mix of the old and the new. I love sitting at a modern restaurant or bar, sipping a cocktail, and looking to my left (or right) and see part of a ruin. I love that among the cobblestone streets, the classic buildings, and the ruins, a modern thriving city exists. And this was why I was adamant on making Rome and its modern culture part of the story. I wanted the reader feel as if they fell into the spaces I describe and be there with the characters. My least favorite part about Rome? Hmm... Summertime – it’s too hot and too many people. But that can easily be resolved with a quick expedition to the countryside.
EI: What was the most challenging aspect of writing this book? The easiest?
LP: Well, the fact of the matter is that I had never really written something like this. I mean, sure I’ve written papers in college/university, and I write an occasional article here or there, but never anything as extensive as a novel-sized piece of work. So the most challenging would be getting started. The easiest part of writing this book? Once I did get started, the story flew out of me like a fountain of rich gold.
EI: Can you share with us some of your favorite authors and what you are currently reading?
LP: Oh yes! I’m glad you asked me that – I love reading. My favorite author – and probably an easy one to name – is F. Scott Fitzgerald. I love The Great Gatsby and will have to say that Tender Is The Night is probably my most favorite of his work. I just love how he captures body language and communicating through silent glances from across the room. Another favorite is Ian McEwan – Atonement was one of my favorite stories because of the way McEwan gently unfolds his story without sacrificing richness or depth of characters. Most recently I read The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair by Joël Dicker. At the moment, I’m reading Raymond Chandler’s The Big Sleep. I love noir fiction and films, so every now and then I’ll read some mystery or detective novel. I also mix my reading up with an Italian novel now and then – the last Italian novel I’ve read was Fabio Volo’s Un Giorno in Piu… .
EI: Favorite Italian Meal?
LP: Well, at home I cook/eat Italian a lot. It’s how I was raised. But I will tell you my favorite Roman dish is a toss-up between a deliciously rich Carbonara or an exquisite Amatriciana. I have to both every time I go to Rome.
EI: If you could travel back in time, where would you go?
LP: Hm… Maybe the 90s – to relive my 20s and enjoy it even more.
EI: Any future projects you’re working on?
LP: Yes, I’ve started on a new book. This time, I’m going to challenge myself with a different genre and take a crack at a noir-style story – set in Italy, but in a different city. In the meantime, I constantly keep up with my travel blog Magnusmade.com.
EI: Thanks so much for chatting with me!
Meet the Author:
Lorenzo Petruzziello holds an MBA in global marketing from Suffolk University in Boston, Massachusetts. His background includes publicity and marketing for many of public television’s popular cooking and travel shows. He lives in Massachusetts focusing on his writing. THE LOVE FOOL is his first novel.
Connect with Lorenzo: Website ~ Blog ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Instagram
Enter the Giveaway:
Ends Sept 1, 2018
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