YTC Writes

Welcome to my blog!

My name is Yasmin Tirado-Chiodini (Yas or Yassie for family and friends). I am an attorney, author, and entrepreneur. One of my favorite quotes is:

“A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.” by Robert A. Heinlein

Although I have not literally experienced all of the above (well, maybe some of them in my writing …) we all live once (or at least that’s what we are told), so I have embraced having a Renaissance DNA in me since an early age, often taking less traveled roads and going against the grain.

My Time Machine

I have been drawn to family history ever since I can remember. As a young girl, I interviewed older family members to later transcribe their fascinating stories, as best a child could. I imagined what it would have been like to live during the times they described. It did not take long before I found myself immersed in their world.

Some of the stories became more vivid as time went by, as they got retold and were later substantiated with my investigations, photographs, documents and mementos. Many stories were lost, vanishing as relatives passed away, never to be shared again. I always yearned to find a time machine to travel back in time and rescue those stories from wherever they were kept. Family history research comes closest to that magical machine.

Family history has been my life companion, at times taking a second place to career and personal commitments, but always awaiting my return with unwavering patience. The child in me went on to become a space shuttle engineer, an attorney, entrepreneur, college professor, married and had a beautiful daughter, but she never ceased to be a family historian. In fact, my life experiences have made me a much better time traveler, investigator and preservationist. And perhaps, a better human.

A few years ago family history drove me to take pencil and paper, once again. But this time, it urged me to give breadth to stories and findings in books. I wrote a historical novel, “Antonio’s Will,” (and its Spanish version “La Voluntad de Antonio”), centering on my gruesome discovery of an ancestor who was executed in the electric chair in 1916, and “Antonio’s Grace” a nonfiction book focusing on the clemency process in the case. These books also allowed me to meet family members I did not know. The short story “How the Colonel Got His Nickname,” was inspired by conversations with one of the living descendants of the family in “Antonio’s Will,” a cousin who I have cherished meeting.

Scroll below for more information About my Books. I invite you to read my work and learn about my fascinating family stories and many other stories I feature in my writing. Meet those who lived them and the rich history behind them.

Join me in time traveling! 

About My Professional Career

My “day job” is “virtual lawyer.” (At least until the day I strike luck with a “best seller.” A girl can only dream.) I can’t complain. I’ve had some pretty neat jobs. I have worked with major corporations and smaller companies, as well as on my own. Most of all, I have met wonderful people during my life journey to date. I left my job as a U.S. Space Shuttle engineer working at NASA/Kennedy Space Center for law school in 1993, graduated from GWU Law School in 1996, worked with some great companies–including defense and government contractors, nonprofit “think tanks,” consulting firms and law firms–worked for a famous Apollo-era astronaut, and eventually established my virtual law practice in business and intellectual property law in Florida (virtual = work from home.)

During the past two decades, while continuing to practice law, I launched a start-up technology company, enjoyed teaching as an adjunct professor of legal ethics and negotiations for a top-rated Executive M.B.A. program in Florida, wrote and self-published six books (see below for more detail), served my community in various leadership roles, and raised an amazing daughter with my husband of 24 years. 

My diverse preparation, experiences, successes and failures have enabled me to strategically spot the “dos and don’ts” of business ownership and operation. I leverage this knowledge for the benefit of my clients. Besides helping my law practice clients, including other authors, I also love to write and share my knowledge and experiences  through teaching, coaching, and speaking engagements.

Time for Fun? 

Besides genealogy, reading and writing, I am also artsy and like to draw a bit, paint, make “stuff” (like jewelry), love the arts and most types of music. I play guitar and piano by ear, and I am mad about Airstreams and vintage RVs. My husband and I own an Airstream B190 van called “Tortuga,” in which we have taken some memorable trips from/to Florida. One of our favorites was our visit to Yellowstone and the Tetons when we purchased it. I live in the country with my family and our rescued dogs. We are nature lovers and mostly keep to ourselves.

About My Books

I released my first novel in 2014, “Antonio’s Will: A Story of Sacrifice, Love, Tragedy and Injustice,” exposing the story of injustice of a man executed in the electric chair in the United States in 1916. I’ve always enjoyed playing “devil’s advocate” so this novel is definitively for those people who like to side with the less likable character, but it is so much more. It is rich with family stories and historical facts that most readers will find interesting. (Antonio’s Will was on the Amazon Best Seller and Top Rated Kindle lists for Caribbean and Hispanic American Literature for a couple of years after publication in 2014.) Check out the article I wrote about the novel on this blog by clicking here!)

I published “Antonio’s Grace: An Island’s Plea for a Native Son” (Book 2 of the Antonio’s Series) in 2015. It is a nonfiction book containing a selection of photographs, historical documents and commentary on the fascinating story and the legal case in “Antonio’s Will.”

Following this work, I wrote and illustrated a short story, “How the Colonel got His Name,” based on a real story about one of the descendants of the family in Antonio’s Will, who I met after I published the novel. Learn more about how to get it for free here. On December 2016, I published the Spanish version of Antonio’s Will, “La Voluntad de Antonio: Una Historia de Sacrificio, Amor, Tragedia e Injusticia.”

I am also (slowly) working on other works of fiction–one centered on historical murders that occurred within my family in 15th century medieval Spain–and have other projects in the works with focus on Spain and Scotland history.

Now in its 3rd edition, my non-fiction book “Does Your Compass Work? A Legal Guide for Florida Businesses” helps businesses understand the importance of following legal and business guidelines to maximize business success. The book is also available in Spanish.

Please click on the book covers on the sidebar for more information about my books!

Please check my posts on the right margin. I hope you find them helpful. Feel free to say hello when you get a chance!  Thanks for stopping by!

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Please visit my websites at www.TiradoChiodini.com, www.doesyourcompasswork.com, www.AntoniosWill.com, and www.AntoniosGrace.com. Follow my Facebook author page at www.facebook.com/Yasmin.Tirado.Chiodini.Author for more information about me, as well as my books. I am also on Linkedin, Instagram (Yassie_tc) and Twitter (@TiradoChiodini).