I started writing the book this past summer. My publisher had a call for Christmas stories, so I made a commitment to myself to write one that I would love to read.

Robert Babirad – 27 November 2021

The Back Flap

A Hamptons Holiday Unlike Any Other

Dani runs a successful French bistro in Westhampton Beach, New York. She is determined to fulfill a family legacy and hopes to expand into the elite world of Long Island winemaking. When an unexpected visitor from New York City shows up over the holidays, everything suddenly changes.

Will an unexpected romance change Dani’s dream for the better or for the worse? Can two people rediscovering themselves-and each other-over Christmas lead to a new beginning?

Spend the holidays in Westhampton Beach and find out if this Christmas is just the end of another year or a new beginning.

About the book

What is the book about?

As Long Island, New York became more developed and suburbanized with tract housing in the years after World War II, Dani’s family ultimately decided to purchase property and move out to its more rural East End.  Her grandparents started a successful business and in the early Nineteen Seventies, Long Island would also see the arrival of the wine industry.  After the passing of her grandparents, Dani would go on to become a successful chef and run a French bistro in Westhampton Beach, New York.  However, she continued to hold within her the dream of her grandparents which was to someday run a successful winery.  It is a dream that she wants to now fulfill for herself in spite of what seem to be overwhelming odds.

An unexpected visitor arrives at her bistro during the holiday season who has a mission of his own.  It is inextricably connected with the commercial real estate company that he works for some seventy odd miles away in New York City.  Dani is suddenly placed in a position where romance, her own dreams, and the future of a family business all hang in the balance.  The book is a journey in which two characters begin to rediscover themselves and each other over the magical period that is the holiday season.

When did you start writing the book?

I started writing the book this past summer.  My publisher had a call for Christmas stories, so I made a commitment to myself to write one that I would love to read.

 How long did it take you to write it?

The entire process took about four months.  I made numerous additions to it, as ideas continued to come to me after the first draft, and as the process continued.

 Where did you get the idea from?

The idea came from a few different areas in my life.  I have always been very interested in cooking and fine cuisine, especially Thomas Keller and his work at The French Laundry and Per Se.  I have also always enjoyed The Barefoot Contessa, Martha Stewart, and some of the cookbooks written by Chef Rudi Sodamin.  This was combined with my love of design in the areas of both homes and public spaces.  I have always particularly appreciated the design work of Adam Tihany and Richard Landry.

All of this then merged with my interest in wines, winemaking, and the vineyards and landscapes of Eastern Long Island, New York.  Additionally, I have spent a significant portion of my life in various areas on Eastern Long Island, so I had a great deal of familiarity with the region.

Finally, my sister worked as a journalist in the Hamptons; and I often had the opportunity to go with her to various events. It opened up a world that I previously had no familiarity with whatsoever. It all worked together to create the foundation for this holiday novel.

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

I struggled with the conflict over how the main character’s dream would come to be realized initially.  I wanted to create a resolution that would allow both characters to achieve the dreams that they had and were striving to attain throughout the novel.  However, those dreams could only be achieved by them both working together and leaving behind aspects of their lives that were no longer fulfilling.

What came easily?

Describing the architecture, landscapes, and places in the Hamptons was relatively easy, because of my strong personal interest and background knowledge in those areas.

Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?

Some of my characters are entirely fictitious.  However, there are others that are based on people who I actually know.  Additionally, all of my characters use bits of dialogue, knowledge, and contain attributes that are derived both from people whom I’ve actually known and experiences that I have had.

Do you have a target reader for this book?

I think anybody who enjoys a holiday story and writing about wineries and the Hamptons would constitute my target reader.

How was writing this book different from what you’d experienced writing previous books?

My first book was a memoir, which was significantly different from writing a work of fiction such as this.  Additionally, the second book that I wrote, which will actually be coming out in 2022, after A Westhampton Beach Christmas, is set outside of the country in Budapest.  It is therefore very different as far as location, language, culture, conflict, and plot when compared to this story.

What new things did you learn about writing, publishing, and/or yourself while writing and preparing this book for publication?

This book deepened my interest in the work of wineries and winemaking, because of the research effort that was involved.  I have an even greater appreciation for the work of winemakers after having spoken with various people in the industry during the creation of this book.

My knowledge of cooking techniques also increased, as well as certain areas of French cooking that I had previously been unfamiliar with.

The process of writing this book taught me a lot about winemaking, architectural techniques, cooking, what it takes for something to be considered `organic,’ and various other subject areas that I wouldn’t have had a chance to delve as deeply into had I not been working on a novel.

End of Interview:

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