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A PASSION FOR WRITING C. DE MELO SPECIALIZES IN UNIQUE HISTORICAL FICTION NOVELS. AFTER GRADUATING SUMMA CUM LAUDE FROM UMASS DARTMOUTH WITH A DEGREE IN ART HISTORY, SHE MOVED TO TUSCANY TO WORK AS AN EDUCATIONAL TOUR GUIDE. SHE IS FASCINATED WITH THE MEDICI, AND HAS BEEN RESEARCHING THIS INTRIGUING DYNASTIC FAMILY FOR OVER A DECADE. A WORLD TRAVELER, SHE ENJOYS EXPERIENCING DIFFERENT CULTURES, AND STRIVES TO SHARE HER PASSION FOR HISTORY AND ADVENTURE THROUGH VIVID STORYTELLING. SHE HAS SELF-PUBLISHED SEVERAL NOVELS AND CURRENTLY CONTRIBUTES PIECES TO THE FLORENCE NEWS. TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND.
WORDS: ANIMA MUNDI PHOTOS: FROM PRIVATE ARCHIVE C. DE MELO
I was born shortly after my Azorean parents immigrated to Massachusetts, so my first language was Portuguese. I’m grateful for having been raised in a Luso-centric community that encouraged me to embrace my Mediterranean culture. As a child, I loved history, art, and books. By the time I reached adolescence, I was an avid reader of historical novels and fostered a deep connection with the past. Later, after obtaining my degree in Art History at UMASS Dartmouth, I began working all over Italy as an Educational Program Coordinator for Trinity College. I eventually settled in Florence, Tuscany where I fell in love with Lorenzo il Magnifico. My passion for the intriguing Medici family inspired my first book, SABINA: A Novel Set in the Italian Renaissance, which was self-published in 2011. Three years later, it hit #1 in Renaissance Fiction on Amazon. I’ve been writing non-stop ever since. WHY DID YOU CHOOSE A CAREER AS AN AUTHOR? WAS IT DIFFICULT?
BROJ #34, DECEMBAR 2017.