No More Secrets by Joanne Guidoccio

Posted: October 26, 2020/By: achristay@aol.com

Please welcome Joanne Guidoccio author of No More Secrets

Joanne Guidoccio will be awarding a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

No More Secrets

byJoanne Guidoccio

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GENRE: Women’s Fiction

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INTERVIEW:

What or who inspired you to start writing?

While sitting in high school English class (circa 1973), I dreamed of writing the great Canadian novel. At the time, we were reading Margaret Atwood’s early novels. While I followed the conventional advice of the times and pursued a teaching career, I knew that someday I would resurrect the writing dream. In 2008, I took advantage of early retirement and devoted my second act to writing.

How did you come up with ideas for your writing?

Inspiration comes from almost anywhere: dreams, conversations with friends, news articles, movies, and novels. My inspiration for No More Secrets: The Bridges of Madison County, a 1995 film based on the best-selling novel by Robert James Waller. Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood deliver stellar performances as Francesca Johnson (Italian war bride) and Robert Kincaid (National Geographic photojournalist). They have a four-day love affair that forever changes them.

What would you want your readers to know about you that might not be in your bio?

A poster child for left-brainers, I delight in bringing order to chaos. I schedule regular decluttering sessions and take great pride in maintaining a minimalist décor.

As far as your writing goes, what are your future plans?

Since 2008, I have written and released six novels with traditional publishers. I have also written articles, book reviews, and essays for online and print publications. Right now, I’m focusing on short pieces—novellas, articles, essays—about a range of topics, among them reinvention, retirement, and wellness.

If you could be one of the characters from any of your books, who would it be and why?

I can easily imagine myself as one of the psychics in my novels. Having met with several psychics at holistic fairs, I am both fascinated and unsettled by these women’s uncanny insights.

In No More Secrets, Bellastrega, a psychic companion, appears throughout the storyline. With her assistance, the protagonist recovers enough of her health to help her nieces on their life journeys.

What is the best and worst advice you ever received?

Best advice: “It’s okay to fall out of love with your manuscript.” I received this advice from Brian Henry, a creative writing instructor at Ryerson University in Toronto. During one of his workshops, he recommended putting manuscripts aside before starting the editing process. He didn’t specify a timeline but stressed that we can’t improve our work until we fall out of love with it.

Worst advice (for me): “Create two-page outlines for each chapter in your novel before starting to write.” While this is excellent advice for plotters, I find it very frustrating to follow. I prefer to write organically.

Do you outline your books or just start writing?

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.

Do you have any hobbies and does the knowledge you’ve gained from these carry over into your characters or the plot of your books?

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.

Do you have an all-time favorite book?

I have eclectic tastes and love to curl up with women’s fiction, historical 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 Lifeby Louise Hay. I still refer to this book during challenging periods.

A recent favorite is The Exilesby Christina Baker Kline.

Who is your favorite actor and actress?

Meryl Streep and Richard Gere

BLURB:

Angelica Delfino takes a special interest in the lives of her three nieces, whom she affectionately calls the daughters of her heart. Sensing that each woman is harboring a troubling, possibly even toxic secret, Angelica decides to share her secrets—secrets she had planned to take to the grave. Spellbound, the nieces listen as Angelica travels back six decades to reveal an incredulous tale of forbidden love, tragic loss, and reinvention. It is the classic immigrant story upended: an Italian widow’s transformative journey amid the most unlikely of circumstances.

Inspired by Angelica’s example, the younger women share their “First World” problems and, in the process, set themselves free.

But one heartbreaking secret remains untold…

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EXCERPT:

As Angelica read the document, she heard several sighs emanating from Bellastrega. While she had grown to like this young woman and trust her judgment when it came to wellness, Angelica was not prepared to abandon her plans. Three women needed to be rescued.

“What if they don’t come?” Bellastrega asked.

“They will come,” Angelica said, smiling confidently.

“It’s still winter, and the roads around here can be treacherous.”

“That won’t stop them.” Angelica smiled at Bellastrega’s discomfort with winter driving. Fearless in her talk, the psychic dreaded going out at any hint of snow. “Not to worry. They’re Northern Ontario girls.”

Bellastrega waved her hands. “So, they get up here, and you share your secrets. Then what?”

“They begin to heal.”

“You can’t expect to solve all their problems in one weekend,” Bellastrega said in a gentler tone. “If you’re not careful, you’ll send them running to their mothers, who won’t hesitate to create unnecessary stress for you.”

From the start, Bellastrega had been determined to eradicate all the unnecessary stress in Angelica’s life. Did she really think she could create a lasting magic bubble?

Since receiving the positive medical report, Bellastrega had redoubled her efforts and started to plan spring and summer excursions. She had added to her meager wardrobe and purchased several decorative items for her room. Each day, she was settling in and becoming more comfortable in her role as a companion. The beautiful thirty-five-year-old woman with Arctic-blue eyes and a stormy past had found sanctuary in Angelica’s house.

Angelica’s thoughts traveled back six decades to her encounter with another set of Arctic-blue eyes. But that woman had been much older and more realistic in her expectations.

“Are you all right?” Bellastrega asked.

“I’m fine,” Angelica said, returning to the present. “I want to start the process. The rest will be up to them.” Angelica felt a sudden wave of fatigue, one she hadn’t experienced in months. This argument was growing old, and she no longer wished to justify her motives. Why couldn’t Bellastrega let it go?

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

In 2008, Joanne Guidoccio took advantage of early retirement and launched a second act as a writer. Her articles and book reviews have been 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 Women’s Fiction Writers Association, Joanne writes paranormal romances, cozy mysteries, and inspirational literature from her home base of Guelph, Ontario.

Website – https://joanneguidoccio.com

Twitter – https://twitter.com/joanneguidoccio

Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7277706.Joanne_Guidoccio

Pinterest – https://www.pinterest.ca/jguidoccio/

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/authorjoanneguidoccio

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanneguidoccio/

Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/Joanne-Guidoccio/e/B00FAWJGCG/

Buy links:

Amazon (US) – https://www.amazon.com/No-More-Secrets-Joanne-Guidoccio-ebook/dp/B08CVTYWWX

Amazon (Canada) – https://www.amazon.ca/No-More-Secrets-Joanne-Guidoccio-ebook/dp/B08CVTYWWX

Amazon (UK) – https://www.amazon.co.uk/No-More-Secrets-Joanne-Guidoccio-ebook/dp/B08CVTYWWX

Amazon (Australia) – https://www.amazon.com.au/No-More-Secrets-Joanne-Guidoccio-ebook/dp/B08CVTYWWX/