Contemporary/Women's/Romance
Date Published: 02-24-2026
Publisher: She Writes Press
In the heart of Chicago, forty-five-year-old Angie Sortino finds herself at a crossroads. Recently widowed, she discovers that her deceased husband, Vinnie, has left her penniless, and she is forced to take a job at Chicago City Hall as a cleaning woman until Vinnie’s City pension can be cleared up. Then her spirited twenty-two-year-old niece, Gina Paloni, and her best friend Kim Yang, approach her with a dream of starting a catering company targeting funeral parlors—and Angie sees a chance to reawaken her own culinary aspirations.
As the three women embark on this new venture, they face the challenges of the catering business, from securing clients to perfecting their menu. Angie and Gina’s love for the Chicago Cubs adds a playful twist to their journey, as they often find inspiration in the vibrant atmosphere of Wrigley Field. Gina’s youthful enthusiasm contrasts with Angie’s cautious nature, leading to hilarious mishaps, unexpected romantic encounters, and heartfelt moments.
Through late-night brainstorming sessions and spontaneous cooking experiments, Angie begins to find her voice, both in the kitchen and in her life. With the support of a respected funeral director, Gina and Kim, and an unexpected new love interest, Angie learns to embrace her worth and pursue happiness.
Interview with Amy S. Peele
Could you tell us about any research trips you took for this story? Which places did you visit, and what made them essential to your writing?
I went to Chicago in 2020 to site visit the funeral parlor – Rago Brothers - where the first scene of my book takes place. I researched it online – it was built in 1917 and it was the place that arranged Al Capone’s funeral and other mob bosses. I ended up becoming friends with Lou Rago who owns it and it was so much fun. I did one of my Chicago launches there. I also visited all the restaurants that are featured in my book – Gibsons, Rosebud, Lou Mitchell’s – Murphy’s bleachers. These were all places I went to when I lived in Chicago but I wanted to be sure to get all the details accurate.
What's the strangest thing you've ever had to research online for your book?
Rago Brothers funeral parlor – this place has had NO upgrades or changes since it was built in 1917 – stained glass windows – red carpeting – grand piano. Talk about a blast from the past. I also had to decide where the sex scene in the bathroom would take place as there’s only two stalls and a wall mounted sink.
What research (history, mythology, science) goes into your world-building?
I placed the book in 2017 – the year after the Cubs won the world series – FINALLY! The main character was a die-hard cubs fan so I wanted to get all down factually. If you know anything about the Cubs – they believed that Wrigley Field was cursed and that’s why they never won a world series until 2017. Chicago has such a rich history so many of the restaurants I reference are iconic and still open for business till this day – Lou Mitchell’s for example.
Have any of the people you've known, past or present, left a lasting impression on your writing journey? If so, we'd love to hear about a memorable experience that stands out to you.
My first creative writing teacher at College of Marin – Guy Biderman was so kind and encouraging I would have never kept going if not for his gentle supportive direction. Meeting writers that were so gracious and kind such as Louise Penny and Harlon Coben I met them in person at our local independent bookstore Book Passage. This bookstore has an annual mystery writers conference that I attended and took classes from Haile Ephron who was an excellent instructor and the faculty was first class and approachable. I feel so lucky to have hitched my writing wagon to this bookstore and all the authors that come through it.
Do you write in the same genre all the time?
Last Bite was my first book in women’s fiction – Romcom and it was very fun to write it and place in my hometown Chicago. I lived there until I was 31 and then was recruited to San Francisco for a job at UCSF in 1985 working in the organ transplant world. When I retired in 2014 I decided to kill all the people I didn’t like a work and use their organs for transplant. It was very cathartic and I wrote a trilogy CUT – MATCH & HOLD.
If so, have you ever consider writing in another one?
I had so much fun writing the romcom that I would consider writing another. What I really want to do next is work with a writing partner. My friend an colleague are going to write a fun crazy romcom together after I have given Last Bite a good send off.
Which character, supernatural or human, do you enjoy writing the most and why?
I’ve never written a supernatural character before but I think it would be a fun exercise for sure. I love Melissa McCarthy so have fashioned one of the main characters, Jackie Larson, in my mystery series after her. When I write I create a character board and assemble pictures of movie starts on it as if it were going to be a movie. I like quirky characters that are funny and take risks that most would not.
About the Author
