We were lucky to catch up with C. D’Angelo recently and have shared our conversation below.

C., thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

Asking which of my projects is the most meaningful project for me cannot be answered. This isn’t the response desired, I’m sure, haha! But it’s the truth. Here’s the thing. I was inspired by my grandpa for my first novel, The Difference, my grandma for my next novel, The Visitor, and my current work in progress, The Gift, will be released in September and, you guessed right, it’s inspired by someone as well; my dad. All three of these monumental figures in my life are not living anymore and I miss them every day. So what does a writer do? They create in order to process and connect with others, but not always in the ways you’d think. My novels are not about death and loss, but instead about the special relationships of people, especially family or even chosen family. They’re about overcoming an emotional hurdle as well, which is what defines Women’s Fiction. I’m driven to keep my family name alive in their honor as well as to enjoy all the positives on the creative path of writing. So see, I can’t pick one most meaningful project because I put my heart and soul into everything I do (that’s just me in general). Every novel is my favorite and every project is meaningful.

C., before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m an award-winning self-published author of 2 novels, soon to be 3 and a novella, as well as a licensed mental health counselor who owns my own practice. I love creating something from nothing and have a variety of artistic hobbies, including crochet, playing instruments, and cross stitching. My novels consist of relatable stories of the Italian American culture, bursting with food, tradition, history, travel, and quirky characters. Top comments for my novels about the Italian American community include relatability and a fresh voice…as well as awakening the reader’s senses to the point of salivation. Do NOT read my books on an empty stomach. You’ve been warned…

I began writing in my mid-30s (never too late, friends) when the story of The Difference came to me. I’d never written a book, but always enjoyed writing so I gave it a try. Eight years later when it got published, I couldn’t believe the hobby had turned into something more, something I needed to do. I’m proud that I’ve created books that bring people joy and connection.

If you enjoy escaping into the world of realistic characters with true issues I treat with validly yet stay light, you’d love my stories. I like to say their seriously fun (get it?). My books are thought-provoking and meaningful, but never dark and depressing. If anything, they’ll bring ideas to you and inspire you to make changes in your life as well as leave you on a feel-good note when you read the final word of the novel.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I’ve been a perfectionist my whole life, but perfectionism doesn’t work in real life. It’s unattainable, unrealistic, and unreasonable. This is a lesson I learned when I published my debut novel, The Difference.

First, I was with a small press and it wasn’t working out so I chose to go on the self-publishing road instead of querying again and waiting who knows how long (after 8 years, I couldn’t fathom it). To me, this was not the perfect way I figured this novel would come into the world. Second, I wanted that book D-O-N-E and tried to stick to a release date not too much longer than I had already announced (oh yes, another non-perfect event) which meant a lot of work in a short period of time. Since it was my first rodeo, I had an idea of what more needed to happen before release, but not quite. Every part of the editing process, as well as cover design and formatting, takes a lot of time, much more than I gave myself. But guess what, I did it anyway! Was it perfect? Heck, no. In fact, I had to republish the interior files because I found some typos after publication…the horror! Come to find out, that’s normal, but at the time, I thought everyone would think I was incompetent. But over time in this field, you learn that you HAVE TO accept these situations and that you won’t be perfect…ever. This lesson has helped me in projects since then but also in other aspects of my life. So now I strive for excellence but not perfectionism.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

I love interaction with people. After all, remember that I’m a therapist! So, starting my accounts on social media years ago was fun for me. I love how creative I can be with pictures and videos as well as learning from others, setting new goals for myself from seeing what others achieve, and just chit-chatting with readers, authors, and other bookish people.

One aspect of my character is that I cannot be fake. I’m genuine, real, and don’t have the energy to put on an act, including on social media. Now, this means to me that I treasure quality over quantity in my accounts, AKA people over numbers of followers. It’d be nice to have tens of thousands of followers, sure, but the joy I receive from the followers I have are what keeps me going. They’re the ones who share in my triumphs and news. I’m not saying you can’t still have that with much higher numbers than I have, but I’ll get there. It’s OK. And it will have meaning when I do.

As for how to start and “get there,” I like having a few content areas within my brand and sticking to those over time.
(Tip #1: Think of your brand)
My content areas include sharing about my books (interviews like these, signings, locations/settings, related content from my books, etc. included), other people’s books (what I’m reading, supporting other authors, aesthetics), my Italian American culture, and inspirational topics/quotes. I rotate as I feel it makes sense and stay consistent in my messaging.
(Tip #2: Stay on brand/consistent)
When you see my content, you see the areas above with humor, positivity (nobody wants to hear me moan about difficulties), and escapism.
(Tip #3: Give people what they followed for/what they expect)

Social media is not your number 1 selling tool, it’s for fun. So, go on and have a great time. People pick up on that, instead of a hard sell every single day. You can do it!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://cdangeloauthor.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/c.dangelo.author/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/C.DAngelo.Author/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/CDAngeloAuthor
• Other: Goodreads:

  www.goodreads.com/cdangeloauthor

  Pinterest:

  BookBub:

  https://www.bookbub.com/authors/c-d-angelo

  TikTok:

  www.tiktok.com/@cdangeloauthor

  Book purchase links:

  https://books2read.com/TheDifferenceCDAngelo

  https://books2read.com/TheVisitorCDAngelo