Shane Gambrazzo sits down for a question-and-answer session with dru’s book musings so that we, the readers, can get to know him better. Shane, take it away!
What is your full name?
Shane Pope Gambrazzo
How old are you?
33
What is your profession?
Operations Manager at Belle View Banquet Manor.
Do you have a significant other?
Yes. Big-time.
What is their name and profession?
Mia Carina, and she’s my co-worker – well, boss, to be honest – at Belle View.
Do you have any children?
Nope. At least. . . not yet. (Shh – don’t tell Mia I said that. She’s my future and I’m excited about having kids with her, but I haven’t told her that yet.)
Do you have any siblings?
Yeah, a sister, Olivia. She’s from my dad’s second marriage and is younger than me. She’s a senior in college. I’m paying for her to go and I’m real proud of her.
Are your parents nearby?
I wish. But they both passed away, may they rest in peace.
Who is your best friend?
Easy question. My better half, Mia.
Do you have any pets?
No, but Mia does. A bird named Pizzazz and a perfectly named cat, Doorstop. I gotta be careful not to trip over him every time I’m at her apartment.
What town do you live in?
I live in the Astoria section of the New York City borough of Queens.
Do you live in a small town or a big city?
I don’t think you get a bigger city than NYC! But Astoria’s a cool neighborhood. It feels like a small town.
Type of dwelling and do you own or rent?
I rent a two-bedroom apartment. The second bedroom is for Olivia when she visits from college. I’m saving money to buy a place in Astoria.
What is your favorite spot in your home?
Like any good Italian, my favorite spot is the kitchen!
Favorite meal and dessert?
Lasagna and cannoli.
Do you have any hobbies?
I like to work out with weights and stuff, but I think of that more as a lifestyle choice than a hobby. Actually, I do have a hobby. I collect something – but I can’t tell you because Mia doesn’t even know about it. She’ll find out, and I guess you will too, in book four. Not sure when it’ll be out. My author is writing it right now.
What is your favorite vacation spot?
Pretty much anywhere in Italy. Beach. Mountains. Cities like Florence or Rome. I love it all. Although I got in a lotta trouble when I lived there in my twenties and worked as a model. Too much money and Limoncello!
What music do you listen to?
I’m a fan of the standards. Gimme my boys Frank and Tony (Sinatra and Bennett, whose real name is Benedetto and is from Astoria).
Do you have a favorite book?
The Encyclopedia of Cocktails: 1000 Recipes for Every Occasion. It gives me ideas for work.
What is your idea of a really fun time?
LOL, this is a clean site so I can’t say!
If you were to write a memoir, what would you call it?
Ha, so funny you should ask this. Mia and I joke around about what we’d call our memoirs in It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Murder. My title is, ‘If I Had a Dime for Every Time Someone Accused Me of Watering Down the Liquor, I Wouldn’t Have to Do This Job.’ Don’t get me wrong. I LOVE my job. But some of our customers can be. . . demanding.
Amateur or professional sleuth and whom do you work with?
Amateur. I leave more of the sleuthing to Mia. She’s really good at it. I help when I can.
In a few sentences, what is a typical day in your life like?
I get up, go for a run, do my weight routine, then head over to Belle View. I give tours to prospective clients – too many tours to too many people who recognize me from my modeling days, which are long over, and I’d like to forget, to be honest. I order what we need for upcoming events and put together proposals for clients. I also help during live events. If we have a night event, like a wedding, I may not get home until three or four in the morning. If we don’t, I either go home and chill or get together with Mia and do the opposite of chilling, lol. (See answer above for “What’s your idea of a really fun time?”)
What does a typical day look like when you are on a case?
The day pretty much looks like what I described above. I’m most helpful holding down the fort at work while Mia works her investigative magic nailing the bad guys – or girls.
It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Murder, A Catering Hall Mystery #3
Genre: Cozy
Release: October 2021
Purchase Link
Astoria, Queens, is decorated within an inch of its life for the Christmas season, and Mia Carina is juggling her job at the Belle View catering hall with a case of murder . . .
Mia’s busy with a full schedule of events at the family business—among them an over-the-top Nativity-themed first birthday party and a Sweet Sixteen for a teen drama queen. But her personal life is even more challenging. Her estranged mother has returned—and her lifelong friend Jamie has discovered a shocking secret about his past. He’s so angry that he starts hanging out with Lorenzo, who claims to be his long-lost brother—even after it becomes clear that Lorenzo’s story is as fake as a plastic Christmas tree.
Then a body turns up among the elves in a Santa’s-workshop lawn display, and amateur sleuth Mia has a buffet of suspects to choose from. Amid the holiday celebrations, she intends to find out who’s the guilty party . . .
Italian recipes included!
About the author
Ellen’s Cajun Country Mysteries have won the Agatha award for Best Contemporary Novel and multiple Lefty awards for Best Humorous Mystery. She writes the Catering Hall Mystery series, under the name Maria DiRico, and will debut the Vintage Cookbook Mysteries (as Ellen) in June 2022. Ellen is an award-winning playwright, and non-award-winning TV writer of comedies like Wings, Just Shoot Me, and Fairly Odd Parents. She has written over two hundred articles for national magazines but considers her most impressive credit working as a cater-waiter for Martha Stewart. She blogs with Chicks on the Case and will be the 2023 Left Coast Crime Toastmaster.
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Ellen has generously offered to give away one print copy of It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Murder. To enter, please leave a comment below and tell us what is your favorite thing about the December holidays. One entry per person and the giveaway is limited to U.S. residents only. Giveaway ends October 29, 2021. Good luck everyone!
All comments are welcomed.
Thanks Ellen and Shane for dropping by the blog today.
This was so much fun to do!
Great post with Shane! I like the lights of December, especially decorated houses with it getting dark so much earlier..
thanks!! I’m a big fan of outdoor decorations myself.
The food has to be the best thing about the December holidays, and it’s a great excuse to let dieting go by the wayside.
Agree! I have to lose all my pandemic weight first before I hit the cookies!
It’s great to get to know Shane a little more. I love the traditional things about the holidays, music, food, and being with family & friends.
I had a blast writing this. I got to know Shane better doing it!
Decorations, food, and hanging out with family and friends.
This book is on my Christmas book to buy for my Italian- loving family and friends who devoured the first two in the series. Delighted with Mia & Shane’s humor as well as Ellen’s plotting! I won’t wait.
Beth, thank you so much!
My favorite thing about the holidays is getting together with family and friends.
Love them all!
I love all of the holiday decorations and lights. Our neighborhood goes all out with the decorations which is a lot of fun!
Oooh, post pictures! I LOVE outdoor displays!
I have book 3 on order at my local library for now. I’ll most likely buy a copy when we get back from our vacation. I love the series. These stories bring back memories of youngest daughter’s wedding at the actual Astoria World Manor.
Nora, I SO love that we have this connection. I keep forgetting to ask when the wedding was. But probably way after our cousins ran it.
Jan 2003 at Mafia Wold Manor. We paid a LARGE cash deposit and three weeks after the wedding the gentleman who handled our affair disappeared with a “bit” of cash.
I enjoy holiday-themed mysteries, and this one sounds like a good one. My favorite thing about the holidays is getting together with family and friends, sharing our best dishes at the holiday table–and there are no calories in holiday meals 🙂
LOL, I hear you!
This is such a fun series! I love the interview with Shane, it helps to give him a bit more dimension than what I’ve picked up in the books. I love the food of the holidays, especially the candy that I create especially for Christmas, caramels, fudge, peanut brittle, caramel corn – my family and friends look forward to it each year! Thanks for a chance to win a book!
Lori, thank you! And yes, I’m trying to give Shane more dimension with each book. This was fun to do!
I love the outdoor decorations people put up on their houses and yards. Live oaks and palm trees outlined in lights! Gorgeous! If not stressed out with shopping people seem to be in a happier, more mellow mood than other times of the year.
I agree, Pat.
Congratulations on your new release! I love driving around with my family and looking at all the Christmas lights.
Me too! Although my family has bailed on me, so I do it with friends. 🙂
Your books make me laugh, but also make me hungry. I’m looking forward to my daddy’s recipe for egg nog-Ho-ho ‘s Jack Daniels infused heaven. Minimum two cups! Can’t wait to see your Italian recipes and the fun in this series.
My favorite thing about the holidays is spending time with family. But I like the whole bonanza-lights, decorations, presents, baking-all the traditional activities.
**** WINNER ****
It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Murder is Lori B
Congratulations!