Local author Tina Gabrielle has loved books her whole life. As a teenager, she even “used scotch tape to hold her peeling laminated library card together,” and she wrote her first book at 16, according to her website.

But after Gabrielle earned degrees in law and mechanical engineering, she went on to have successful careers as a New Jersey Deputy Attorney, a patent attorney, and an engineer, before finally returning to her first love: writing fiction. Today she is an Amazon Best-Selling author of Regency period historical romances whose books have been Barnes and Noble Top Picks. Her experiences as a woman in the law profession inspired her to create intelligent, strong female characters living in a time when such types were not generally appreciated. Her work as an attorney also inspired the courtroom scenes in her Regency Barrister series. Currently, Gabrielle is working on a contemporary cozy mystery series set at the Jersey Shore due out next year.

Are you an aspiring author looking for a little inspiration, too? Gabrielle also hosts the monthly Writers’ Critique Group at the Cinnaminson Library for those who want to get together to read and critique their works-in-progress and discuss the craft of writing. The author knows first-hand about the value of having a support system as a writer, “Many people have helped me on the way to publication and I feel a deep sense of satisfaction helping others now.”