The Coming of Arabella by Joanne Guidoccio ~ Presented by Christine

Please welcome Joanne Guidoccio author of The Coming of Arabella.

Joanne Guidoccio will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour, and a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn host.

The Coming of Arabella

by Joanne Guidoccio

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GENRE: Paranormal Romance

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INTERVIEW:

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

I intend to write prolifically and release at least one book a year. Right now, I’m alternating between paranormal romances (Mediterranean Trilogy) and cozy mysteries (Gilda Greco Mystery Series).

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

I’m most fascinated by Kendra Adams, the psychic mermaid who inspires and motivates Isabella/Barbara Davies (protagonist) and other ex-mermaids in the trilogy. I had originally intended for Kendra to be a minor character but changed my mind after she started invading my dreams. She appeals to my teaching/counseling interests and abilities.

3. If you were the casting directory for the film version of your book, who would play your leading roles?

Barbara Davies – Lorraine Bracco
Graham Scott – Colin Firth
Arabella – Angelina Jolie
Stewart Tobin – Hugh Jackman
Kendra Adams – Meryl Streep

4. What is the best and worst advice you ever received? (regarding writing or publishing)

“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. 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. Whenever I’m tempted to rush and/or send a half-baked manuscript, I recall these words of wisdom.

I have been blessed with many wonderful friends and mentors. Honestly, I can’t think of a single piece of “bad” advice.

5. Do you outline your books or just start writing?

I am a linear pantser. Once I have an idea for a novel, I imagine the protagonist and then come up with a rough outline of the first two or three chapters. Afterward, I start writing and let the characters misbehave. A secondary plot and additional characters emerge.

6. Have you started your next project? If so, can you share a little bit about your book?

I’m working on Book 3 of the Mediterranean trilogy, The Making of a Mermaid Psychic (Kendra’s story).

7. Can you tell us a little about the black moment in your book?

At Barbara’s engagement party, Arabella reveals one of her sister’s secrets and drives away her fiancé. Barbara manages to distract herself with her career, but all that changes when she gets into an altercation with Arabella and receives a 30-day suspension. No man. No job. Barbara hits rock-bottom.

8. What is your favorite reality show?

I enjoy watching Dancing with the Stars and am especially attracted to the older contestants. It’s so inspiring to watch these men and women compete outside their comfort zones.

9. Who is your favorite actor and actress?

Colin Firth and Meryl Streep

10. Can you tell us a little bit about what it was like to write a trilogy?

Originally, I had intended for Between Land and Sea (Book 1) to be a stand-alone book. By the book’s end, Isabella/Barbara Davies had achieved both personal and career success, but she had unresolved issues with her grandmother (elder of the Mediterranean Kingdom) and her former lover (Stewart Tobin). I considered writing a sequel but then realized that I needed two more books to tie up all the loose ends.

BLURB:

On the day of her engagement party, an ex-mermaid’s life is disrupted by the unexpected arrival of another mermaid—a sister she has never known. Under normal circumstances, Barbara Davies would be overjoyed, but her special day is already wrought with tension. While Barbara is not the first mermaid from the Mediterranean kingdom to settle in small town Ontario, she has yet to reveal her origins to her fiancé. So when Arabella, the gorgeous sister whose disturbing black eyes banished her to the island of Crete, saunters into her life, clutching the arm of Barbara’s discarded lover, a powder keg of emotion is released.

Relationships falter and careers stall as envy stirs in the hearts of the sisters. On the verge of meltdown after her fiancé leaves Canada for a teaching job in Vermont, Barbara flees to Arizona hoping for a reprieve. There, she finds solace at a retreat for ex-mermaids and a second chance at love with a charismatic preacher. As she contemplates a new life in the desert paradise of Sedona, shocking secrets emerge and tragedy strikes. A stronger and wiser Barbara rises up to face these new challenges and embrace the best parts of her mermaid heritage.

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EXCERPT:

Arabella’s eyes glazed like burning embers of coal. “You don’t know or what to know what I capable of.” She snapped her fingers. “I can discredit you just like that.”

Barbara laughed. “Discredit me without discrediting yourself? I’d like to see you try that.”

As Arabella got closer, Barbara could smell that flowery scent she had always associated with Belinda. It did not suit Arabella in the least. The younger woman needed a muskier scent, one that would blend in better with her predatory nature.

“You’ve already lost Graham and Gwen. Mama and Paul are on my side. Do you want to lose Sharon as well?”

“There’s nothing you can do or say that will turn Sharon or anyone else in this office against me,” Barbara said. “So, don’t waste your breath.” While she maintained a tight smile and spoke in an even tone, Barbara could hear her pulse pounding as tremors of anger shot through her limbs. She wanted desperately to sit down but would not give Arabella any more physical advantages.

Arabella smiled smugly. “Sharon doesn’t like secrets or people who keep them. I wonder how she would react if I told her about your . . . our origins.”

“You wouldn’t dare!”

Arabella shrugged. “I don’t care one way or another. Stewart is encouraging me to write about our lives. He thinks it has the makings of a bestseller.” She laughed. “In addition to the erotica, of course.”

She’s bluffing. Barbara ignored the intrusive thought as memories of Stewart rushed back. He was the consummate businessman and enjoyed being on the cusp of the latest trend. His artist clients produced edgy and controversial art that had been rejected by more conservative agents. Vast stores of family money allowed Stewart to be more daring and sometimes even provocative. What could be more daring and provocative than a mermaid wife?

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

In high school, Joanne dabbled in poetry, but it would be over three decades before she entertained the idea of writing as a career. She listened to her practical Italian side and earned degrees in mathematics and education. She experienced many fulfilling moments as she watched her students develop an appreciation (and sometimes, love) of mathematics. Later, she obtained a post-graduate diploma as a career development practitioner and put that skill set to use in the co-operative education classroom. She welcomed this opportunity to help her students experience personal growth and acquire career direction through their placements.

In 2008, she 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 Sisters in Crime, Crime Writers of Canada, and Romance Writers of America, Joanne writes paranormal romance, cozy mysteries, and inspirational literature from her home base of Guelph, Ontario.

Social Media Links

Website: http://joanneguidoccio.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/joanneguidoccio

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

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

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/jguidoccio/

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

Buy Links for THE COMING OF ARABELLA by Joanne Guidoccio

Amazon (US):   http://is.gd/DQhWmI

Amazon (Canada): http://is.gd/JrwC1l

Amazon (UK): http://is.gd/fJ2x4E

Amazon (Australia): http://is.gd/6KovIe

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

Joanne Guidoccio will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour, and a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn host.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f1252