Terri-Lynne DeFino

Terri-Lynne DeFino was born and raised in New Jersey but escaped to the wilds of Connecticut back in the nineties when her kids were babies and everyone wore flannel. She is the second of four children born to a homemaker and a then-fledgling attorney, in a Paterson, NJ household that included two grandparents and the occasional uncle, where Sunday dinner was a given and the noise level often required earplugs. According to her mother, she started writing stories at the age of seven, and learned to cook at any elbow she could wedge herself under. These days, her famiglia is larger, and louder, which might explain why she's still in Connecticut, but if you knock on her door, she'll invite you in and feed you, because you can take the Italian girl out of Jersey, but you can't take the Jersey Italian out of the girl. From HarperCollins/WilliamMorrow: Varina Palladino's Jersey Italian Love Story: “Varina Palladino’s Jersey Italian Love Story is fun and funny, wonderfully exuberant, and incredibly wise. These endearing characters—their voices and stories— will be with me for a long time to come. I didn’t want to say good-bye.” –Jill McCorkle, New York Times bestselling author of Hieroglyphics An utterly delightful and surprising family drama—think Moonstruck and My Big Fat Greek Wedding set in New Jersey—about a boisterous, complicated Italian family determined to help their widowed mother find a new boyfriend. * The Bar Harbor Retirement Home for Famous Writers (And Their Muses) from HarperCollins/William Morrow: “A solid hit, perfect for book clubs and readers who love to read about writers, writing, and books; why we love them; and how they make life worth living” -- Library Journal (starred review) “DeFino’s latest novel is a tale that emphasizes that second chances, artistic redemption and true love — in all its forms — can come at any time and any age. DeFino has a unique gift for language that captures the nostalgia and still-sharp wit of her aging artists perfectly.” -- RT Book Reviews “Rediscover the sheer joy of writing…intriguing characters help keep the reader engaged.” -- Booklist “This is a book to feel as much as to read…an intense texture of enchantment and reality.” -- Historical Novel Society “[A] charming story about the power of love and the power of reading.” -- NJ.com --This text refers to the paperback edition. ** Ind'tale Magazine, Seeking Carolina (from Kensington/Lyrical Shine) One would have thought that this was a straight love story, but the underlying sub-plot of finding Johanna’s mother, plus the mental illness that affects Johanna and her sister's life choices, makes the story multifaceted and interesting. It is a love story revolving around the Coco daughters and their missing mother and the secret that their grandmother kept. To juggle more than one subplot to bring the love story, between a man and a woman, and among the women of the Coco family, forward is a feat in itself which Ms. Defino does very well. She has also allowed one to see the internal conflict of each of the characters in varying degrees (including that of the secondary characters) leading to a rich tapestry of the lives and loves of the people in Bitterly, Connecticut. [...] Ms. Defino is one author to watch out for because of the beautiful stories she writes. Ind'tale, Dreaming August *Winner of the Rone Award for Best Women's Fiction 2017* (from Kensington/Lyrical Shine) "Ms. DeFino is a remarkable storyteller. Her writing style is as beautiful as it is original. One wishes that they lived in Bitterly, Connecticut in order to know Benny and Dan, as well as a host of other secondary characters that give meat to the story. These characters have their own stories to tell and are not just included in the story as props. Readers will come to love August and Mrs. Fargus and get a glimpse of what life after death must be like. Their dialogue about the great beyond is as humorous as it is bittersweet. Ms. DeFino is definitely an author to watch!" Ind'tale Magazine, Waking Savannah (from Kensington/Lyrical Shine) "Waking Savannah" is an amazing story that takes an in-depth look at the main characters' survival of violence in their lives, as they find out who they really are when the world is stripped away. The haunting spirits of Bitterly are an integral part of the story, and create a suspenseful atmosphere as Savvy and Ade find out why and how the spirits are connected to the Bitterly town folks. The plot is filled in throughout the story with all characters adding something to that experience." *** Library Journal Review, Finder (from Hadley Rille Books) "... Compelling characters and a fascinating world background make this a good addition to most fantasy collections." Publisher's Weekly Review, A Time Never Lived (from Hadley Rille Books) "This gripping sequel to 2010's Finder brings family drama and magical legend to life. [...] a dangerous quest across a magnificently-depicted multicultural fantasy world [...] This is a memorable saga of supernatural power and human love from the increasingly impressive DeFino." Publisher's Weekly Review, Beyond the Gate (from Hadley Rille Books) "...the story unfolds into a quietly surprising and unexpectedly satisfying conclusion."