Interview With Author C. D’ Angelo

 

PenCraft Winter Best Book Awards Chick Lit Winner 2026
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IAN Book of the Year Awards Women's Fiction Finalist 2025
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Indies Today Finalist 2024

 

1.     What inspired you to write this book? I’ve dedicated every book to a family member and it was time to do one for my dad. He’s been the hardest loss in my life and I wasn’t ready to honor his spirit until novel three. So, The Gift has a theme of music because he was a musician and taught me the love of it as well. I think he’d love the father in the book, written to be like him.

 

2.     What exactly is it about — and who is it written for? Toni needs to escape her early midlife crisis by choosing between her discouraging cello career and a desire to revive her family’s winemaking legacy, without any experience or money as well as jeopardizing her marriage. She must not only select between careers but discover herself—including true passion and love—if she wants to survive. The Gift speaks to readers who are lost in an area of their life, who need confidence to follow their heart and change expectations or paths, and for those who are seeking satisfaction and fulfilment.

 

3.     What do you hope readers will get out of reading your book? I always hope readers can relate to my characters, feel inspired, and even make changes in their own lives, if needed. I’ve had people send me quotes from my books and tell me they made needed decisions because of how my characters handled decisions in my books. What an immense honor. If people can feel heard, supported, and know that they aren’t alone in struggles, that’s a gift to me. Connecting with readers on a deep level is an important part of what drives me to keep writing.

 

4.     How did you decide on your book’s title and cover design? All of my novels have the pattern of “The” and one more word as the title. I like clean and simple titles and thought this would help my author brand as well. It’s a challenge moving forward, however, since now I’ll be working on the second book in the Vintage Vines series, where The Gift is book 1. I’m not sure if I’ll change plan a little. We’ll see what happens! As for the cover design, I have a wonderful artist, Jena R. Collins, who has created all four of my covers. She’s a genius for her ideas and The Gift was no different. Notice, for example, the wine glass ring as the circle encompassing more clues to the story. Since Toni is a bit sloppy, I adored this concept. Also, all of my books are pastel in color. Hmm, what color will be next? (I know, I know!)

 

5.     What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers – other than run!?

You aren’t kidding!  But seriously, I’d say to stick with what you love. If you love what you’re writing, you’re on the right track. Authors have to read their manuscripts five million times before publishing them so you may as well love it, right?  I also would say to be prepared for ups and downs. So, please don’t base your self-concept on others, AKA reviews, comparison in social media accounts, etc. You’ll be suffering if so. Instead, stay on your path, use the support system in your life, grow your skills, and keep moving forward.  

 

6.     What trends in the book world do you see -- and where do you think the book publishing industry is heading?  Maybe it’s biased, but I see more indie authors out there in general, as well as traditionally published authors changing paths to independent publishing. The professionalism of self-publishing has increased and provides many opportunities for writer empowerment so I imagine it will keep expanding and changing rigid thoughts of the past. I changed paths years ago and have been thankful for my decision in many ways. The flexibility of doing what I want with my books means the world to me, because my art is part of my heart. Hey, that rhymes!

 

7.     Were there experiences in your personal life or career that came in handy when writing this book?  I have an author’s note at the beginning of The Gift regarding verbal, emotional, and psychological abuse warning of possible triggers in the story. My main career is as a psychotherapist and including a theme of this nature in my book needed accuracy and empathy, which I feel I achieved. I’m lucky to have been observing human behavior in my job for twenty-five years, so writing characters that feel real are possibly easier for me because of my experience.  

 

8.     How would you describe your writing style? Which writers or books is your writing similar to? I write in first person present; to help you be the main character. I want you to feel like you’re in their thoughts and experiencing emotions they may experience.  When Curtis Sittenfeld’s book, Prep, came out, I was enamored by the story, but the intimate writing struck me more and stayed with me all these years. Attempting to write in this manner much later came naturally, thank God, because it makes a huge impact for the reader, without facing distance from the content of the plot. Now, I’m not comparing myself to Curtis Sittenfeld, but the feeling I had reading Prep is something I think I’ve accomplished in my books, with my unique voice.  I also have a conversational writing style, as if you’re having an in-person conversation with me. A writer I hope I’m similar to for this style is Camille Pagán, with a touch of Sophie Kinsella’s humor. My books have serious themes but on the light side; they’re seriously fun. Get it?

 

9.     What challenges did you overcome in the writing of this book? I did the most research I’ve ever done for The Gift, including topics of music, Los Angeles (LA) in the early 1900s, two Italian cities, wine, and vineyards. Part of my research included interviewing an LA Philharmonic cellist and having professionals in the music and wine fields read my manuscript. I need facts to make my fictional stories believable, so I wouldn’t stop editing until I had facts right. This aspect was not necessarily a challenge but took a lot of time, which provided a challenge in my timeline of publishing. The most difficult part of the research, however, was ensuring road names were correct for early downtown LA, trying to search online for maps and any information I could find. I finally sought help from a genealogist, Jessica Neaves at Heritage Discovered, and am eternally grateful for her expertise. Not only do I love that my book is as truthful as possible for its historical pieces, but I loved learning about these areas for my own knowledge.  

 

10. If people can buy or read one book this week or month, why should it be yours? My books are clean, thought-provoking, Italian American inspired escapism for your daily life where you finish your armchair adventure feeling fulfilled and empowered in your own life. I also hear that you better have a full stomach or must eat while reading my books because of the scrumptious Italian food I describe. So, grab a glass of wine (especially when reading The Gift), munch on biscotti, and enjoy my writing to the fullest, living la dolce vita.

 

About The Author: C. D'Angelo is the award-winning Women’s Fiction author of The Difference Duology, The Visitor, and The Gift (Vintage Vines Series Book 1) whose novels consist of relatable stories of the Italian American culture, bursting with food, tradition, history, travel, and quirky characters. She’s a licensed mental health counselor who owns her own therapy practice and resides in Florida with her husband. For more information, please see: https://cdangeloauthor.com/

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About Brian Feinblum

This award-winning blog has generated over 9, 750,000 page views. With over 5,700+ posts over the past 15 years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs by BookBaby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2026, 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.”  Copyright 2026.

 

For the past three decades, Brian Feinblum has helped thousands of authors. He formed his own book publicity firm in 2020. Prior to that, for 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and as the director of publicity at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler.

 

His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/whats-needed-to-promote-a-book-successfully) and (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/10-things-my-dog-taught-me-about-marketing-books). He was recently interviewed by the IBPA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0BhO9m8jbs

 

He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, three times at BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association, Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, five times at Morgan James Publishing Red Carpet, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. He served as a judge for the 2024 IBPA Book Awards.

 

His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.

 

Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog.

 

You can connect with him at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum/ or https://www.facebook.com/brian.feinblum