Indie Author Interview: C. D’Angelo
It’s my absolute pleasure today to share my interview with C. D’Angelo, the award-winning author of three indie novels, The Difference, The Visitor, and her newest release today, The Gift. I worked with C. on The Visitor, and it’s been amazing getting to know her and watch her success the past few years. As an indie author to now three published novels (who also has a full-time career outside of writing), I thought she’d have some great insight to share with us today about writing and her process.
Let’s dive in!
Congratulations on the release of The Gift today! Can you tell us a bit about the inspiration for this story?
The Gift was written in honor of my dad, whose loss has been the most difficult experience to work through in my life. Since I wrote my first two novels in honor of my grandparents, I felt I needed a novel inspired by the most influential person for me. I haven’t been as public with revealing this aspect of my novel because twenty-three years later, his absence is still a hard topic at times. But I loved being able to represent his spirit through the main character Toni, since his name was Tony and he was a musician, just like her. I wrote Toni’s dad to be like my dad and made references to his favorite singers and songs, included statements he made to me when I was a performing musician, and made sure to capture mannerisms and more. Though few readers will “get” it, I know he’s there forever in print for me to visit.
This is your third indie published novel, which is amazing! What have you learned from publishing your first novel to now that you wish you'd known at the beginning? What are some things you did differently this time around than with your first books?
Thank you! I’m thrilled about having another novel in the world. As for what I’ve learned so far, well my gosh, so much, from the actual writing to the selling of my books. So, I’ll share the most helpful bit of advice I received, from another author.
Marketing is experimental.
Once us authors put our books out for all to see, we want people to, well, see them! But getting reader’s attention can be difficult (and costly), making your head spin. I love thinking about how marketing is experimental because it takes the pressure off, meaning do what you think is best at the time and decide whether it works. Nothing is carved in stone and something that worked for previous books may not work for this one. That makes the journey slightly frustrating but also exciting. The Gift is the metaphor of a blank page, a fresh start to see who I can connect with and how I can carry on in the author world. On days where imposter syndrome enters or where you don’t know where to go next for getting the word out on your books, reframing to this word helps tremendously so that you can keep going. It’s what’s most important, after all.
I know you also work full-time in addition to being a writer. How do you balance your full-time work with finding time for your writing?
Yes, I’m a licensed mental health counselor and own my own practice. I’ve found it challenging to juggle both worlds at times, but I know my body and know how I need to divide my time in order for my brain to work best. Getting up early with enough time before seeing my first client at 8 AM is a great time for me to write, edit, or do authorly tasks. Another time I set aside is Sunday afternoons. This has traditionally been my writing/book stuff day so when I plan weekend activities, that chunk of hours is off limits. Establishing the right time for you can take some experimenting but there is time if you make writing a priority, It’s important to me to keep writing and publishing books, so I sacrifice time and sleep to get to the finished product. Holding my book in my hands makes it all worth it.
What did your writing journey look like, and when did you first consider yourself a writer?
I’ve always enjoyed writing for class assignments or professional research in my field, but I never thought about being a writer, as an identity. The story for my first novel, The Difference, came to me out of nowhere one day in 2011 and I started writing it in January 2012, naively thinking “I’ll just write a book.” Even though I wasn’t consistent with writing and it took eight years to publish, I got there! I didn’t give up because I like to finish what I start, plus, I wanted to honor my grandpa in that story. From there, the writing bug bit me and the rest is history (or is the present…a gift? Lol).
What advice would you give to aspiring authors?
I’m a person that can’t be anyone but me. I don’t have time or energy to put on a mask and pretend to be a certain way other than quirky, nerdy me. So guess what comes out in my books…the same thing! And guess what I’ve been told repeatedly? People love my writing voice and they feel heard, seen, and that they can relate to the characters. Part of that is because I write first person present, but I know part of that is also because I write from a genuine place, with no off-putting fancy lingo or concepts that seem like I’m trying too hard. I’m me and I encourage you to be you. That’s what draws people to you and what will keep them coming back for more.
What do you have planned next?
I’m working on a novella, called P.S. All the Difference, which is a story that takes place after my first novel, The Difference. People loved Rachel’s ancestry journey and wanted more, plus I always had this idea and need to get it out there, finally. I’m hoping for a spring release, but we’ll see. That’s the beauty of indie publishing, it’s all on my timeline.
Thank you so much for sharing these thoughts with us, C. Congratulations on your newest release, and I’m looking forward to watching your writing career continue to unfold!
C.’s newest release, The Gift, is available now here—and if you haven’t read her previous two books yet, those are amazing reads as well.
About The Gift: 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.
About the Author: C. D’Angelo is the award-winning Women’s Fiction author of The Difference, 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. When not writing, she can be found relaxing in her pool, traveling, and partaking in a variety of artistic endeavors. Learn more and sign up for her newsletter at her website, https://cdangeloauthor.com/
