Teresa Tumminello Brader was born in New Orleans and lives near Lake Pontchartrain; the city, the estuary, and its denizens are the source of much of her inspiration. Her first book, a hybrid memoir/fiction, LETTING IN AIR AND LIGHT was released from Belle Point Press on October 10, 2023, and was honored as one of three nominees for the 2025 One Book One New Orleans citywide read and literary outreach. Her second book, Secret Keepers, a short-story collection, is forthcoming March 25, 2025.