#AuthorInterview with Joanne Guidoccio - Featuring HIPPIE MERMAID
- 12h
- 6 min read
I'm excited for my #AuthorInterview with Joanne Guidoccio today. Not only is she a fellow Canadian author, Joanne has also written for The Wild Rose Press as I have, so I feel we have much in common. She's offering an excerpt from new paranormal short story, HIPPIE MERMAID. Welcome Joanne!
Did you always want to be a writer?
From an early age, I loved curling up with a book and losing myself in the stories. In high school, I looked forward to English class and dreamed of writing the great Canadian novel but followed the conventional advice of the times and pursued a career in teaching. In my heart of hearts, I knew that someday I would resurrect that writing dream. When I took advantage of early retirement in 2008, I decided to devote my second act to writing.
Do you have any words of advice for beginning writers?
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. If you need more direction, sign up for a creative writing course—online or offline— that exposes you to short stories, children’s writing, creative nonfiction, and poetry. Search until you find a warm, supportive environment where your words can flow freely. And most important of all, enjoy the journey.
When were you first published and how did that happen? Was it a long or short journey?
Saturday, August 2, 2008: The Waterloo Record featured a two-page spread of my article, “Only in Newfoundland,” in the travel section of their weekend edition. As a recent retiree (June 30), I was thrilled to see my article, two sidebars, and five beautifully laid out pictures for all to see. Even more exciting…friends called and emailed to congratulate me on starting a second career as a writer!
That early publication gave me the confidence to write more articles and reviews. Gradually, a writing practice took shape as my work began appearing in newspapers, magazines, and online. Each byline affirmed that I was on the right path. Joining local writing groups deepened my commitment and helped me grow within a supportive community. In 2013, my first novel, Between Land and Sea, was published, an unforgettable milestone that led to five more novels in the years that followed.
Are you a plotter or a pantser?
I think of myself as a linear pantser. Once I get the spark of an idea, I let it percolate. While driving or doing routine tasks, I imagine characters and come up with a title. Before starting to write, I plan the first three chapters and the ending. As for the rest of the storyline, I let it flow as I write.
What’s your favorite thing about being a writer?
I look forward to writing the first chapter and bringing the characters to life. That initial spark of an idea may percolate for several days (sometimes weeks), but the real thrill occurs when I sit at my computer and start writing.
What’s your least favorite thing about being a writer?
At some point, usually around Page 80, I encounter the murky middle, that nebulous place where I find it difficult to continue or sustain the tension of the novel. In short, I’m lost with no clear trail or direction in sight. In the early days of my writing career, I struggled to regain my motivation, wondering if I should abandon the novel. Thankfully, I have discovered several strategies that have lifted me out of the abyss.
What genre is your favorite to read?
I have eclectic tastes and love to curl up with women’s fiction, historical fiction, literary fiction, cozy mysteries, memoirs, psychological thrillers, and self-help books.
As for my all-time favorite book…I tend to have favorites for each season of my life. During my cancer journey, I gravitated toward You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay. I still refer to this book during challenging periods. Two recent favorites are Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout and Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall.
What are your hobbies away from the computer?
While writing occupies the lion’s share of my time, I also enjoy reading, yoga, scrapbooking, blogging, movies, artist dates, and meeting friends for leisurely brunches and lunches. These hobbies and pastimes provide an excellent distraction from the writing. Afterward, I feel refreshed and ready to start again.
How do you choose the names and physical characteristics of your characters? Do you base them on real people?
Having lived and taught in different cities throughout the province of Ontario, I felt free to “borrow” names and physical characteristics from friends and former colleagues to create composite characters. One of my characters in A Season for Killing Blondes is approximately 70% of me; the same can’t be said of the other characters. I would be very surprised if anyone recognized herself/himself in the novel.
Anything additional you want to share with readers?
Readers, thank you for your encouragement and support over the past seventeen years. I appreciate your blog comments, reviews, likes, and follows on social media, congratulatory emails, and telephone calls. You have been wonderful companions on my creative journey.
Blurb, HIPPIE MERMAID:
From sea to shore, betrayal follows her wherever she goes.
On Christmas Eve, psychic Kendra Adams reveals the secret she’s hidden for decades—she was once Rosina, a mermaid torn between sea and shore. Betrayed in her ocean kingdom and desperate to escape banishment, she persuades a politician to smuggle her into the human world. But freedom on land comes at a cost, as she soon finds herself ensnared in another web, this one spun by the politician’s power-hungry sister.
Excerpt:
The human laughter startled me. It sounded so foreign, unlike anything I had ever heard before. I followed the sounds and turned my gaze toward four large humans approaching us. Up close, they were frightening, almost menacing, in their dark garments. I took note of their varying appearances. Two had light brown hair and blue eyes, while the other pair sported dark hair and dark eyes. Intent on observing the darker pair, I didn’t notice the other two men eyeing me.
“Hippie mermaid!” yelled one of the men with light-colored features.
All the men glanced in my direction. I felt myself reddening as I met their liquid eyes and wide smiles. There was interest there, and some other emotion or feeling I had never seen before. For a split second, I was flattered by their attention. And then I recalled what Mama had said. I must let Annabella choose first.
Annabella did not give me a chance to react. She beckoned to the man who had spoken, and he reluctantly turned away from me. Rosetta claimed the other light-haired man, and Lisetta chose one of the dark-haired men. I watched as they moved to separate rocks along the shore.
The remaining man approached. As his features came into closer focus, I realized he was older than the others. Not by much, but there were white hairs sprinkled in the darkness, and his face crinkled as he smiled. “I guess I won this mermaid lottery.”
My eyes widened in surprise.
He laughed and shook his head. “You could have had any of us. You didn’t have to end up with me.”
“But I’m not a Bella or an Etta. I’m an Ina.” There was no point in hiding my rank. I had never been embarrassed by it, and after hearing about Aunt Lina’s punishment, I knew my place.
“Honey, I don’t know what you’re talking about. You’re the prettiest of the group. You just don’t know it yet.”
Buy Links:
Amazon UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0FVHQ2T3N
Amazon AU https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0FVHQ2T3N
Author Bio:
Joanne Guidoccio enjoyed a rewarding career teaching mathematics, business, and co-operative education courses before retiring to pursue writing. A member of Crime Writers of Canada, Sisters in Crime, and the Women’s Fiction Writers Association, she writes paranormal romances, cozy mysteries, and inspirational stories from her home base of Guelph, Ontario.
Social Media Links:
Website: https://joanneguidoccio.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/joanneguidoccio
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.ca/jguidoccio
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Joanne-Guidoccio/e/B00FAWJGCG