Welcome to my #CMCon18 author feature series. Showcasing several of the talented authors that will be in attendance at the upcoming Coastal Magic Convention in Florida.
Author Bio
Tina DeSalvo, a fresh, humorous voice in romance, brings her knowledge and passion for the culture, traditions and people of Cajun Country (where she lives) and New Orleans (where she grew up) to her Second Chance Novel series-Elli, Jewell, Hunt for Christmas, Out-lanta and Abby. In another series, the Cloud Hill series, Tina takes readers to another place she knows well – visiting there often, the beautiful Rocky Mountains. Christmas at the Inn in Cloud Hill was released in October 2017 as part of the Nutcracker Reimagined –Christmas Collection. It is available for pre-order now.
Tina is also a journalist who spent her long career in television and radio news and as one of the first female sports broadcasters in Louisiana. A Breast Cancer Survivor since 2008, Tina donates her proceeds from Elli to help individuals fight the disease. She also features Stories of Hope on her website during the month of October where readers, authors and health care professionals tell their personal stories dealing with cancer. And, Tina is very active at RT Booklovers Convention and elsewhere with Friends Fight Together to bring the message that we are all in this fight against breast cancer together. She loves to write, but she especially loves spending time with readers...sharing laughs, tears and hugs. Learn more about Tina at tinadesalvo.com.
Tina is also a journalist who spent her long career in television and radio news and as one of the first female sports broadcasters in Louisiana. A Breast Cancer Survivor since 2008, Tina donates her proceeds from Elli to help individuals fight the disease. She also features Stories of Hope on her website during the month of October where readers, authors and health care professionals tell their personal stories dealing with cancer. And, Tina is very active at RT Booklovers Convention and elsewhere with Friends Fight Together to bring the message that we are all in this fight against breast cancer together. She loves to write, but she especially loves spending time with readers...sharing laughs, tears and hugs. Learn more about Tina at tinadesalvo.com.
Featured Series | Second Chance Novels
Click to purchase book one! Elli Morenelli has lived through a nightmare and now is working on getting her dream…
Her life could have been over with her breast cancer diagnosis, but Elli had fought and won. Now she is ready to fight for other women facing the same nightmare, but to do so she is going to need money. And she is going to need it fast.
Fortunately, Elli finds herself with half ownership of a Louisiana plantation. A twisted inheritance has set her up with an interesting future. Unfortunately, Elli no longer believes in planning a future, she just wants to take the money and run.
Ben Bienvenu wants nothing to do with the woman from California who is certain to turn his world upside down. But the conditions of the will that left the property to both of them doesn’t give him much choice. Not if he wants to keep the property that’s been in his family for generations.
A snobby diva rental dog, an impossible will, a nosy Bienvenu family, a distracting Mardi Gras season and a man who thinks he is protecting his son by standing his ground against her… Elli knows that trying to find common ground with this man known as the Cajun Dog Whisperer is going to be an uphill battle.
Her life could have been over with her breast cancer diagnosis, but Elli had fought and won. Now she is ready to fight for other women facing the same nightmare, but to do so she is going to need money. And she is going to need it fast.
Fortunately, Elli finds herself with half ownership of a Louisiana plantation. A twisted inheritance has set her up with an interesting future. Unfortunately, Elli no longer believes in planning a future, she just wants to take the money and run.
Ben Bienvenu wants nothing to do with the woman from California who is certain to turn his world upside down. But the conditions of the will that left the property to both of them doesn’t give him much choice. Not if he wants to keep the property that’s been in his family for generations.
A snobby diva rental dog, an impossible will, a nosy Bienvenu family, a distracting Mardi Gras season and a man who thinks he is protecting his son by standing his ground against her… Elli knows that trying to find common ground with this man known as the Cajun Dog Whisperer is going to be an uphill battle.
Click to purchase book two! Once invited into New Orleans’ historic mansions to evaluate prized antiques, Dr. Jewell Duet held a coveted professorship at a top university. With her deep knowledge of Louisiana history and antiquities, she was the go-to person for anyone requiring professional appraisals. But, one hasty decision cost her both her reputation and possibly her freedom. Now, as she waits to discover if her future includes prison, Jewell knows that taking the job at Sugar Mill is necessary if she is to support her beloved grandmother who has advanced dementia.
Charming, sexy lawyer Beau Bienvenu's attraction to the intriguing historian vies with his distrust of her motives. Beau has one simple goal when it comes to the family that rescued him and made him part of their clan…protect them at all costs. He doesn't trust Jewell, nor her reason for taking the lowly job at Sugar Mill Plantation. What is she really up to? Is it possible Jewell and her quirky grandmother are there to try to profit from a Bienvenu family mystery? If so, both women are out of luck.
Jewell and Beau are at odds about almost everything. The only things they agree on are that family is everything…and that their mutual attraction is inconvenient.
Charming, sexy lawyer Beau Bienvenu's attraction to the intriguing historian vies with his distrust of her motives. Beau has one simple goal when it comes to the family that rescued him and made him part of their clan…protect them at all costs. He doesn't trust Jewell, nor her reason for taking the lowly job at Sugar Mill Plantation. What is she really up to? Is it possible Jewell and her quirky grandmother are there to try to profit from a Bienvenu family mystery? If so, both women are out of luck.
Jewell and Beau are at odds about almost everything. The only things they agree on are that family is everything…and that their mutual attraction is inconvenient.
Interview with Tina DeSalvo
A note from Tina...
Before I begin, I want to thank you, Tamara, for inviting me to chat about books and what inspires me. I am honored to have been asked! I also want to thank Coastal Magic Con organizers for asking me to attend their wonderful event in stunning Daytona Beach. Yippee. I have my pink flip-flops ready and my carefree beach attitude waiting to be freed! I’m thrilled to feel the warm sand on my feet and hang out with readers, authors and all who will be there. See y’all in February!!
Thank you!
Tina DeSalvo
Thank you!
Tina DeSalvo
Share with us what book(s)/audiobook(s) are you reading right now?
I’m actually reading a couple of non-fiction books that I’m using for research for the historical western I’m editing right now. Yes, this contemporary author has written an historical western! While I’ve always loved reading historicals, it is my first go at writing one! Can you hear the butterflies doing acrobatics in my tummy? The Fathers of Victoria Gallin, will be released in the spring and I want to make sure I get the details accurate for the time period. I have read these non-fiction books on my desk before I sat down to write the story (besides touring the area where it is set), but I’m reviewing the info again while I edit. I’m a crazy person about getting my stories right. I think it goes to my journalist training – double source, make sure you get the facts correct. I ‘m really enjoying the process! And, yes, I’m a book nerd who loves non-fiction (romance is still my fave, though), so it isn’t a chore for me to read these books. Here’s another bit of info on this subject, I love to read True-Crime novels too.
What does your writing space look like?
One of Tina's writing spaces! “Writing spaces” would be most accurate. I write wherever I am - where the mood strikes me to sit and spend time. I’m obviously not a creature of habit. SHUDDER. Although, I can write anywhere, being outside, or in front of a large window to make me feel like I’m outside, is my favorite space to write. For over half the year in southern Louisiana, where I live, the weather is hot, humid and sticky. Not only does my computer struggle with the wet, heavy air, but my lungs don’t appreciate it either. LOL. That said, we have incredibly really beautiful days too – especially in the fall, winter and spring. Another favorite place I love to write is at the beach – on the Redneck Riviera. My hubs and I spend time along the Alabama Gulf coast. I’ve gotten some wonderful inspiration there. If you’ve read my novella, Out-lanta, you visited to the sugar sand beaches of Alabama during a stop on Luke and Ania’s road-trip. I wrote that scene while looking down at the beach from the balcony where I was staying. I hope readers enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
What books/authors would you say have influenced your writing style?
WOW! There are so many authors and books! Every author I have read, fiction and non-fiction, has influenced my writing. They have inspired and taught me about authenticity of voice, with each turn of the page. Authors I have met, become friends with, and who have shared their journeys with me, have been incredible influences too. I love when I’ve met an author whom I’ve read and hear the same voice spoken that I heard in my head when I read the work! Don’t you? It’s hard to single out specific authors who have influenced my writing style, but if I must, I think the authors who write with humor and emotion that have especially influenced me are authors like Maggie Osborne and Susan Elizabeth Phillips. Another author who has had a tremendous influence on me is Cherry Adair. She is a dear friend and an incredible mentor who taught me to be fearless in my writing – now if she could just teach me to be fearless with the bungee cord tied around my waist...haha. Just kidding. No one can teach me that- not even my delicious heroes.
Share your top 3 favorite authors to read.
Oh, so not fair. I can’t do it. I can name my top twenty...fifty...two-thousand. Never 3!
What was inspired to start writing?
Birth. Mine, not my children’s. I think for some of us, the desire to write is a gift from God at birth. I remember thinking of “make believe” stories before I could hold a crayon to write them – I was told that I drew them, though. I chose my career path as a journalist because I wanted to tell stories. I hadn’t considered then that I could tell my “make believe” stories nor that anyone would want to hear/read them. So, I told other people’s “real” stories. And, I have to tell you, it was an incredible journey for me to take to get to fiction. Those telling and discovering the real stories have made me a better fiction writer – at least, I hope it did.
What lead you to create the Second Chance Novel series?
Getting my own second chance started me on the path to write the Second Chance Novel Series. I was diagnosed with Stage 3 – Breast Cancer in 2008. Not only was it a tough time for my family and me because of the struggles in fighting the life-threatening disease, we also had to deal with the loss of two of my husband’s brothers. Paul and Peter passed away within four months of one another. The first died three weeks after my diagnosis. If anyone has struggled with sudden deaths or battled serious medical problems, you know, you often become reflective of the meaning of life, your legacy and your purpose in the world. You also think about regrets – if I die tomorrow what will I regret not doing. So, while I was in that place, I quickly realized that I had been granted a second chance. Paul and Peter were no longer with us, but I was. I was blessed with a second chance, for whatever reason. During that time, while I sat in the chemo infusion lab, I observed the others there, listened to their stories. As a fiction writer- I began to think – WHAT IF? What if I was single and didn’t have children and had cancer? If I was single, how would I change my life as I moved forward once I finished my treatment? That was how the first story of the Second Chance Novel Series was born – Elli. It isn’t the story of her fight with cancer, but starting her life over after it. And, because I have a lighter voice, I shared her emotional journey with a bit of humor, too. Elli will always be special to me because of where she was born. It is why I donate all of my proceeds for Elli to be used for the unmet needs of individuals fighting cancer.
What real-life inspirations did you draw from for the world building within your Second Chance Novel series?
Oh, I LOVE the world of the Second Chance Novel Series! It is the world where I grew up (in New Orleans) and where I live (in Cajun Country). I have blended the two places in Elli, Jewell, Abby and in the novellas – Hunt for Christmas, Out-lanta, A Second Chance in Vegas and soon to be released, Treasured. I have used the bayous, Cajun culture and food, New Orleans Culture and food, history and sugar cane influence to build this world. While Cane, Louisiana is a fictional place, and my Bienvenu family is a fictional family, they are both very much like the real towns and people of south Louisiana.
Who is your favorite character from the Second Chance series and why?
Yikes! If I tell you a favorite, the others will be jealous. LOL. I love each of the characters for different reasons. The heroes hold a tender place in my heart- sigh- Ben, Beau, Jackson, Luke, Hunt, Danté...And, I respect and adore the heroines – Elli, Jewell, Abby, Ania, Camille...Yet, the one character that I get the most feedback about is Tanté Izzy, the Bienvenu family matriarch. She is eccentric, out-spoken and endearing. She loves her family with unconditional love and doesn’t hesitate to inject herself in their lives for their “own good”. She is very much like the elderly Cajuns in our community who care deeply, understand their role in teaching the traditions and history of the family. Mais, and she sure can tell you a funny Cajun sayin’ or two.
What future projects are in store for your readers in 2018?
2018 is a very exciting year for me! Happy dance- happy dance- twirling- twirling!! Here’s the run down- I am releasing my very first historical western- The Fathers of Victoria Gallin! I have a new Second Chance Novella coming out in time for the Romantic Times Booklovers Convention- it is a contemporary “Pirate” story, and Tante Izzy will be in it too- Treasured, a Second Chance Novella. I also have the first full- length novel of my Cloud Hill series- releasing later in the year - Autumn, at the Inn in Cloud Hill. This series is set in the beautiful Rocky Mountains and was introduced in the Christmas Novella I wrote for the recently released Nutcracker Reimagined- a Collection of Christmas Tales (now available!).
Besides writing, releasing and writing some more...I will be getting out to meet readers! My favorite thing. I’ll be attending the outstanding- Coastal Magic Con in Daytona, The Barbara Vey Readers Weekend in Milwaukee, the Romantic Times Booklovers Convention in Reno, The Lori Forester Reader & Author Get-Together in Cincinnati and more... Please visit my website to discover the details of my books, book signings and awesome events I’ll be attending!
Besides writing, releasing and writing some more...I will be getting out to meet readers! My favorite thing. I’ll be attending the outstanding- Coastal Magic Con in Daytona, The Barbara Vey Readers Weekend in Milwaukee, the Romantic Times Booklovers Convention in Reno, The Lori Forester Reader & Author Get-Together in Cincinnati and more... Please visit my website to discover the details of my books, book signings and awesome events I’ll be attending!
Are there any nuggets of wisdom you can impart to aspiring writers?
The best advice I ever received and I would like to share with aspiring writers are two things-
1. Write. Writers write. Do it!
2. Fill your blank, white pages with black. It doesn’t have to be perfect. You can’t fix what isn’t there.
1. Write. Writers write. Do it!
2. Fill your blank, white pages with black. It doesn’t have to be perfect. You can’t fix what isn’t there.
