Author Spotlight - Meet C. D’Angelo
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Welcome, C.! Please tell us a little about yourself & your book.
Hi, everyone. I’m C. D’Angelo and I write Women’s Fiction/Chick Lit novels. My stories are about my Italian American culture, bursting with food, tradition, history, travel, and quirky characters. Besides writing, I own my own mental health therapy practice and have been a therapist for 23 years. This is why I integrate mental health into my stories, which I’m proud of for representing it accurately.
My new release, The Gift, is the first book in the Vintage Vines series, and guess what, this is my first series! My first two books are standalones, but I carry characters over into the next book, so don’t be surprised to find old friends in The Gift.
The Gift is about Toni, who’s going through an early midlife crisis for career…and love. She’s tired and bored with her cellist career, always trying to get into the Los Angeles Philharmonic and never succeeding, then gets a much-needed spark of passion again in her life when hearing about her family’s winery business in the early 1900s right in her hometown of LA. Deciding on which path to choose may cost her more than she bargained for since her husband is not supportive of carrying on her family legacy with a vineyard due to no experience or money so she must choose not only between careers but discover herself—including true passion and love—if she wants to survive.
What do you hope readers take away from The Gift?
I always hope people enjoy my stories, feel they can relate, experience escapism from their life, and find inspiration in the character’s emotional growth. Readers of all of my books have shared new perspectives that I haven’t even thought of, such as the early readers for The Gift who’ve said Toni’s journey proves you can change your mind, life brings you twists and turns that can evoke satisfaction you never expected, and that you are in charge of your future. I can’t wait to hear what else readers take away.
I always learn something new in your books. What type of research did you have to do for this one?
I’ve never researched for a book as much as this one! When I start a manuscript, I keep a notes document for facts and information I want to include in the story. For The Gift, it was fourteen pages long! It included information about wine, wineries, vineyards, Stradella (the city of Toni’s family in Italy), Milan (for scenes there), local food for the areas, Los Angeles (for locations), and Temecula Valley (an area for wineries in Southern CA). Luckily, I have a music background and didn’t need too much research on that aspect of The Gift, though I did interview an LA Philharmonic cellist and have a friend and cousin in the field so I asked them anything I needed along the way. Out of all of my research, I was shocked at how much is involved in getting that wine in our glasses, from the soil, to the slope of the land, to when to harvest to grapes and beyond. People, wow! So, this will help me in the next book in the series when I need to learn even more. Help!
How are you celebrating your book launch?
For the last two novels, I had online launch parties, which were fun and best for the years of the pandemic. This time, I’m celebrating by going to dinner the night of release then being part of two Facebook group events and two in-person events. I’ll give away a copy of The Gift at the online events and both in-person events include wine tasting as well as personalized books. One event is at the best local knick-knack store where the whole downtown street does a wine tasting the last Thursday of the month and one is at an actual winery, where there will be music, winery tours, and a gift basket people can win which includes my book, wine, and more. I love wine, so the local events are perfect for my book…and me.
What has been the most rewarding experience of becoming an author?
How do I choose just one? OK, OK, I’ll try. Writing stories for publication means the obvious—other people will read them. Eek! But within this fear comes opportunity. I’ve been told that my stories brought such realization to people’s lives that they started their own healing journey, from seeking their family roots like Rachel in The Difference, to considering to give love a second chance, like Mary in The Visitor. Making meaningful changes in your life from reading a book is the ultimate compliment for me. And making a difference for someone fills my soul and feeds me to continue publishing, so if you think an author may like to hear your (positive!) feedback, don’t hesitate.
Where can readers find you and your books?
https://linktr.ee/C.DAngelo.Author
The Gift purchase link: https://books2read.com/TheGiftCDAngelo
Website: www.cdangeloauthor.com
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/C.DAngelo.Author/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/c.dangelo.author/
Thank you, C.!