Featured Interview With Joanne Guidoccio
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in Sudbury, Ontario, also known as the Nickel Capital of the World and Slagtown. Growing up, I could easily climb the rocks and sneak in to see the big coin, and while walking in the evenings, I had a spectacular view of the slag dumping. Not exactly what most people would enjoy, but I was fascinated by the contrast between the darkening sky and the fiery colors. Most of all, I enjoyed watching the city evolve. After decades of damage to the local environment, the mining industry finally cleaned up its act. The City Fathers also launched several greening initiatives during the 1970s.
Unfortunately, lack of teaching opportunities forced me to seek employment elsewhere. After several short stops, I settled in Guelph, Ontario, a mid-size community sixty miles west of Toronto.
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
From an early age, I loved curling up with a book and losing myself in the stories. Reading time was my favorite time of the school day. I also enjoyed visiting the bookmobile that came every other week. For most of my childhood, I was torn between careers in teaching and librarianship.
In high school, I looked forward to my English classes and dreamed of writing the great Canadian novel. I followed the conventional advice of the times and pursued a career in teaching, but in my heart of hearts, I knew that someday I would resurrect that writing dream. In 2008, I took advantage of early retirement and devoted my second act to writing.
At first, I focused on the non-fiction market and wrote book reviews and articles about careers, education, money management, personal growth and development, and wellness. While I was pleased with the response from newspapers, magazines, and online publications, I felt a growing restlessness.
On a whim, I signed up for a series of workshops offered by science fiction writer Sarah Totton. At first, I focused on the writing advice, but later toyed with the idea of writing fantasy for boomer women. Not wanting to feature vampires, witches, werewolves, or other dark creatures, I thought back to my childhood and recalled my favorite fairy tale, The Little Mermaid.
A series of “What if” questions whirled through my mind…
What if the mermaid wasn’t so young or so beautiful?
What if the man abandoned her?
What if she had to reinvent herself?
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I have eclectic reading tastes and enjoy reading contemporary women’s fiction, cozy mysteries, historical fiction, memoirs, and self-help books. Some of my favorite authors include Ann Patchett, Maeve Binchy, Louise Penny, Anna Quindlen, Julia Cameron, Dani Shapiro, Louise Hay, and Jacquelyn Mitchard.
I especially admire late blooming authors (Maeve Binchy and Louise Penny) who have launched successful second acts. Their novels and writing journeys have inspired me to launch my own second act as a writer. From Maeve, I learned that success is not a pie where only a select few have access to the slices. And I have taken several pages out of Louise’s disciplined approach to structure my own writing practice.
Tell us a little about your latest book?
As a child, I enjoyed reading The Little Mermaid, but felt sorry for the mute ex-mermaid who could only smile when the handsome prince married the princess. Knowing that the wedding morning would only bring heartbreak and seal her fate as “foam on the crest of waves” always saddened me.
I wanted a happily-ever-after ending, but when the Disney version was released, I still wasn’t satisfied. I realize now that I wanted to read about a different kind of mermaid, one who could achieve a happy and successful life, with or without the prince.
Keeping this vision of an older and wiser mermaid firmly in mind, I wrote Between Land and Sea, the first book in the Mediterranean trilogy. I completed the first draft in three months.
Short blurb…
After giving up her tail for an international banker, Isabella of the Mediterranean kingdom is aged beyond recognition. The horrified banker abandons her on the fog-drenched shores of southwest England, leaving her to face a difficult human journey as a plain and practically destitute fifty-three-year-old woman.
With the help of a magic tablet and online mermaid support, Isabella evolves into the persona of Barbara Davies. Along the way, she encounters a cast of unforgettable characters, among them former mermaids, supportive and not-so-supportive women, deserving and undeserving men, and several New Agers.
Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles
Thank you for hosting me. 🙂