Author Interview-Joanne Guidoccio
What inspired
you to become 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. Instead, 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. When
I took advantage of early retirement in 2008, I decided to devote my second act
to writing.
Who are your
favorite romance characters (besides your own)?
My
favorite authors include Ann Patchett, Ann Lamott, Jane Green, Maeve Binchy,
Gail Bowen, Louise Penny, and Adriana Trigiani. The protagonists in these
novels are older and wiser, having encountered many bumps on the road to
romantic love and personal fulfillment. One of my favorite quotes comes from
Maeve Binchy: “I don't have ugly ducklings turning into swans in my stories. I have ugly ducklings turning into confident ducks.”
Tell me what
inspired this story.
In 2004, I
was diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer. While undergoing
treatments, I gravitated toward cozy mysteries. After devouring over fifty
books in the 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.
What is one of
your favorite romantic locales?
I
enjoy reading novels based on the eastern and western coasts of Canada and the
United States. I particularly like scenes featuring promenades on boardwalks.
Blurb
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
Bio
In 2008, Joanne took advantage of early retirement
and decided to launch a second career that would
Where can readers find more about your stories, books and you on the
Internet?
Note from Mariposa:
Joanne is also one of the contributors to We'd Rather Be Writing, a cookbook featuring quick dinners and time saving tips from 88 authors.
