Sunday, August 30, 2015

Interview with author Joanne Guidoccio

Q ~ Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
For most of my life, I was a poster child for left brainers. I gravitated toward degrees in mathematics and education and found teaching to be a good career fit. But after thirty-one years, I was ready for a change.

So, I put pen to paper and revisited a writing dream from my high school years. I watched with delight as my articles and book reviews started appearing in newspapers, magazines, and online. Buoyed by this success, I took on the challenge of revamping A Season for Killing Blondes, a manuscript I had written during my “cancer” year. While shopping it around, I wrote Between Land and Sea and was thrilled when Debby Gilbert of Soul Mate Publishing offered me a contract. In 2014, Johanna Melargno of The Wild Rose Press offered me a contract for A Season for Killing Blondes. In September, Soul Mate Publishing will release The Coming of Arabella.

Q ~ What’s your favourite pass-time?
During my teaching years, I immersed myself in the life of the school and had very few outside outlets. When I retired, I was determined to widen my range of interests and achieve yin/yang balance in my life. While writing occupies the lion’s share of my time, I also enjoy reading, yoga, scrapbooking, blogging, movies, Toastmasters, artist dates, and meeting friends for leisurely brunches and lunches.

Q ~ How do you think people perceive authors? How do you think Canadian authors stand in the mix?
To date, my experience has been a positive one. Friends and acquaintances—online and offline—have been very supportive and encouraging. Truthfully, I haven’t noticed a “Canadian” difference.

Q ~ How do you feel about self-publishing?
I am traditionally published and very pleased with the products and services offered by Soul Mate Publishing and The Wild Rose Press. As for self-publishing, I may experiment with a short nonfiction eBook.

Q ~ What is your favorite quote, by whom, and why?
Life begins at the end of your comfort zone. Neale Donald Walsch

In planning my life after retirement, I was determined to challenge myself.

Q ~ What is your favourite genre to read? To write?
I have eclectic tastes and enjoy reading contemporary women’s fiction, cozy mysteries, thrillers, historical fiction, self-help, and memoirs. Right now, I’m writing cozy mysteries and paranormal romance. In the future, I hope to write a self-help book.

Q ~ Do you have a favourite author? Do they influence your writing?

Some of my favorite authors include Ann Patchett, Ann Lamott, Jane Green, Maeve Binchy, Gail Bowen, Louise Penny, Adriana Trigiani, Louise Hay, and Dr.Christiane Northrup. Reinvention is a common theme in these books and one that resonates in my own writing.

Q ~ Do you have any writing rituals that you follow? What is your go-to snack while writing?
While having a leisurely breakfast is one of my retirement perks, I do not linger over that second cup of coffee. If I choose to have more than one cup, I do so while checking email and social media. At nine o’clock, I start writing. My goal is 1,000 words a day. At first, I used the oven timer to keep me on task, but that annoying sound reminded me of incessant school bells, so I invested in a bird clock. Each hour, one of my feathered friends, among them the Downy Woodpecker, Belted Kingfisher, and Great Horned Owl, chirp and remind me to pace myself.

My go-to snack – chocolate!

Q ~ When you write, do you lay out a solid outline before beginning, or start writing and iron out the kinks later?
I’m a linear pantser. I like to start with a character sketch of the protagonist and a rough draft of the storyline. While the beginning and ending remain constant, there are several plot changes along the way. And I let the characters misbehave.

Q ~ Can you tell us a little bit about your latest release A Season for Killing Blondes and what inspired you to write it?
While undergoing cancer treatments, I gravitated toward cozy mysteries. After devouring over fifty books in that genre, I imagined the following scenarios: What if a brunette lottery winner moves back to her hometown and finds herself involved in a murder investigation? And what if all the victims are blondes? Since I had plotted the story during the most challenging season of my life, I decided to use A Season for Killing Blondes as the title.

Q ~ What is your favourite part or scene in the novel?
I love the scenes filled with Gilda’s relatives. Their reactions are unfiltered, adding unexpected bursts of humour to the storyline.

Q ~ Do you have a favourite character (or two) in your latest series? What is it that draws you to them?

I identify strongly with Gilda Greco, the protagonist of the novel. So much so, that I used the first-person POV. Our similarities...Italian Canadian, born and raised in Sudbury, relocated to Southern Ontario, mathematics teachers, career development practitioners, yoga enthusiasts, non-foodies.

One major difference—Gilda won a $19 million lottery. I’m still hoping

Q ~ You’ve written works outside of this series as well. For you, do they compare to one another? Do you have a favourite or do they all stand out in their own way?
Right now, I’m alternating between cozy mysteries and paranormal romance. On the back burner, I have a collection of angel short stories and a memoir of my cancer experience. While it may sound like dabbling, there is one theme that connects all of my work – reinvention. And the protagonists are all boomer women. In short, I write boomer lit.

Q ~ Do you have anything in the works at the moment? Care to give us a hint about it?
I have two WIPs in various stages of completion – Book 3 of the Mediterranean trilogy and Book 2 of the Gilda Greco Mystery series.

Q ~ If you could give aspiring authors one piece of advice, what would it be?
Carve your own journey and take time to discover what you really like to write. In most cases, you will gravitate toward the genres you read. But don’t limit yourself. Instead, experiment with other genres, nonfiction, and poetry. I highly recommend attending local readings and workshops.

A lucky commenter will receive a Kindle eBook of A Season for Killing Blondes.

About the author:

In 2008, Joanne took advantage of early retirement and decided to launch a second career that would tap into her creative side and utilize her well-honed organizational skills. Slowly, a writing practice emerged. Her articles and book reviews were published in newspapers, magazines, and online. When she tried her hand at fiction, she made reinvention a recurring theme in her novels and short stories. A member of Crime Writers of Canada, Sisters in Crime, and Romance Writers of America, Joanne writes paranormal romance, cozy mysteries, and inspirational literature from her home base of Guelph, Ontario.

Where to find Joanne...

About A Season for Killing Blondes:

Hours before the opening of her career counseling practice, Gilda Greco discovers the dead body of golden girl Carrie Ann Godfrey, neatly arranged in the dumpster outside her office. Gilda’s life and budding career are stalled as Detective Carlo Fantin, her former high school crush, conducts the investigation.

When three more dead blondes turn up all brutally strangled and deposited near Gilda’s favorite haunts, she is pegged as a prime suspect for the murders. Frustrated by Carlo’s chilly detective persona and the mean girl antics of Carrie Ann’s meddling relatives, Gilda decides to launch her own investigation. She discovers a gaggle of suspects, among them a yoga instructor in need of anger management training, a lecherous photographer, and fourteen ex-boyfriends.

As the puzzle pieces fall into place, shocking revelations emerge, forcing Gilda to confront the envy and deceit she has long overlooked.

Buy Links


And don't forget!
One lucky commenter will receive an ecopy of A Season for Killing Blondes from author Joanne Guidoccio.

32 comments:

  1. I am so impressed that you had the courage to start a new career in writing after retiring from teaching. It couldn't have been easy to do that.

    It sounds like we enjoy the same genres and A Season for Killing Blondes fits right in. I am looking forward to reading it.

    joanne.boykoATyahooDOTcom

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    1. Hi Jo-Anne, Thanks for the lovely comment. Persistence is what it takes...lots of persistence! And I'm grateful for the incredible support and encouragement I have received. Joanne :)

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  2. Wonderful Interview, Joanne and Jonel! Joanne you said you identify with Gilda, except for the lottery winnings, now that your creative genie is out of the lamp, if you HAD won $19 million, would you continue writing? Thank you both for a great post! I'm always on the hunt for my next great read!

    Dianne
    http://tometender.blogspot.com/

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    1. Hi Dianne, If I won $19 million, I would take a year to indulge and help family and friends. Afterward, I would continue writing more books in the Gilda Greco Mystery Series. I would also set up a promotional business to help other writers, especially boomer women, launch their books. Thanks for dropping by and giving me an opportunity to dream (and manifest) my future. Joanne :)

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  3. What a great teaser for this book. It looks like a great book. Love the cover.

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    1. Connie, Thanks for reading and commenting. Joanne :)

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  4. What a great teaser for this book. It looks like a great book. Love the cover.

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  5. Wow, 14 ex-boyfriends -- Gilda must be some number! The book sounds intriguing, so I better win! Jonel, are you listening? :-) --Michael

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    1. Hi Michael, Actually one of the victims had 14 ex-boyfriends! Good luck with the giveaway. Joanne :)

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  6. Great interview! My copy is waiting on my Kindle. I love that you write about Boomers. So many of us really are reinventing ourselves right now. Even if I won the lotto I'd still write. It's an addiction. Good luck, Joanne!

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    1. Thanks Sandra. I hope you enjoy the book. Joanne :)

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  7. I enjoyed your interview and the blurb. So glad to see more stories about boomers! We deserve to be heroines!

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  8. We certainly deserve to be in the spotlight. Thanks for dropping by, Ashantay :)

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  9. I love to see it when Canadian authors are successful. There may not be a "Canadian" difference, but I know from a friend's experience that it is difficult to break into the market. The book blurb sounds very interesting.

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    1. Kathryn, While it has been challenging, I have been blessed with much advice and support, especially from the online community. Thanks for dropping by. Joanne :)

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  10. Great interview! This book looks awesome!

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  11. Enjoyed the interview. This book sound like something I would enjoy reading.

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  12. Enjoyed the interview. This book sound like something I would enjoy reading.

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  13. Glad you liked the post, Gail. Thanks for dropping by :)

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  14. Wonderful interview, loving getting the authors perspective on what they do and why they do it. Thank you so much for having me. I am adding A Season for Killing Blondes to my TBR list! Now you need to write a book called "A Season for Killing In-Laws"! lol

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    1. Hi Jennifer, LOL!! While I did get some ribbing about the blondes, I think there would be a definite reaction to killing in-laws. I hope you enjoy the book. Joanne :)

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  15. Gilda sounds like an intriguing MC! I hope to get my hands on a copy of A Season for Killing Blondes. I agree that as writers, we need to try to adhere to a daily word count per day (1.000 words per day is great if you can manage it). I tend to write in 'binges'. Research also slows me down a lot. Your background is interesting (as a fellow teacher and author I can relate)!

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    1. Hi Kim, I love meeting other teachers who also wear the author hat. We are a growing tribe. Thanks for dropping by. Joanne :)

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  16. I have to admit I LOVE the title..lol

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    1. Hi Lagina, Thanks...I couldn't resist using it! :)

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  17. I love the title, cover and cozies. I enjoy interviews and the opportunity to learn more about the author, so thanks, Joanne, for sharing.
    sherry @ fundinmental

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    1. Sherry, So happy you stopped by. Thanks! Joanne :)

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  18. Wonderful interview, Joanne. And what an inspiring quote, too. Thanks so much for sharing. :)

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  19. Thanks for your lovely comment, Mary :)

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  20. According to Random.org our winner is.... (drum roll please)

    E. Michael Helms! Congrats!

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