Today’s Spotlight is on Joanne Guidoccio, author of Between Land and Sea:

Why do you write?

I write to entertain, educate and inspire. The teacher hat has stayed with me, well beyond retirement.

What’s your favorite genre? Do you have a favorite author (if so, please tell us the name)?

I have eclectic tastes and love to curl up with contemporary women’s literature, historical fiction, cozy mysteries, memoirs, psychological thrillers and self-help books. I enjoy reading Louise Penny, Ann Patchett, Maeve Binchy, Julia Cameron, Anna Quindlen and Adriana Trigiani.

To be successful as an author, what do you see as the main goal?

Be true to your authentic voice. Write the book that you want to read.

What inspires you and how do you channel it when you need inspiration?

I am inspired by writing journeys. Whenever I attend readings or discover new authors, I am more interested in their back stories. I have usually read or intend to read the book, so I am more curious about what inspires and motivates the author. What is her writing regimen? How does she deal with writer’ block? What advice would she give her younger, unpublished self? I take notes and blog about it afterward. Lately, I’ve been featuring late blooming authors in my Second Acts series.

What advice can you give to aspiring authors?

Read. Write. Rinse and repeat.

What advice would you give to the youth of today (not just authors)?

Don’t be afraid to experiment at the edges of your life. Take the practical degrees, but include other options, especially those outside your comfort zone. Astronomy. Archeology. Russian literature. If you don’t get a job right away, regroup and apply for an internship, a volunteer posting in a third-world country or other “out of the box” possibilities. Use your twenties to test your boundaries.

What’s on your bucket list?

Writing prolifically, producing at least one book per year…packing up and spending six months of the year in Hawaii…running a marathon

Tell us about your book:

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.

Bio

In high school, I dabbled in poetry, but decided to wait until I had more life experiences before writing a novel. The original plan was to get a general arts degree and take a few years off to travel and write. Instead, I gave in to my practical Italian side and obtained degrees in mathematics and education.

While I experienced many satisfying moments during my teaching career, I never found the time and energy to write. In 2008, I took advantage of early retirement. Slowly, a writing practice emerged and my articles and book reviews started appearing in newspapers, magazines and online.

My debut novel, Between Land and Sea, a paranormal romance about a middle-aged mermaid, has just been released by Soul Mate Publishing.

I live and write in Guelph, Ontario.

Where to find Joanne…

Website:  www.joanneguidoccio.com

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/joanneguidoccio

Facebook: www.facebook.com/BetweenLandandSeaJG

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

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

Amazon: http://is.gd/AVpoVs 

YouTube (Trailer #1): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xipZ6quZDOs

YouTube (Trailer #2): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfiKOQe_yuU