Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Character Interview: The Coming of Arabella by Joanne Guidoccio



 

Where are you from?
For the first twenty-three years of my life, I was Isabella of the Mediterranean kingdom, granddaughter of Chief Elder Annabella. Each year, since turning eighteen, I was crowned Most Beautiful Mermaid—a tribute to my auburn tresses, mesmerizing green eyes, and magnificent tail. All that changed when I swam ashore one evening and met Andrew Bradley III. I fell madly in lust—I now know that wasn’t love—and gave up my tail for him. In a fit of rage, Annabella chopped off my hair, aged me thirty years, and gave me twenty extra pounds to carry.

Where do you live now and what do you for a living? Is there something you’d rather be doing?
I live in Cobourg, a small town about 70 miles east of Toronto, and work as a corporate trainer at Eagle Vision. Earlier this year, I released It’s Your Time, a self-help book for boomer women. While I am grateful for my blessings (and the six-figure income), I’m starting to feel restless. I’m hoping my month in Sedona will give me clarity.

What’s going on in your life right now?
Everything changed when Arabella (my mermaid twin) stormed into my life. My fiancé broke off the engagement and took off for Vermont. I lost my temper at work and have been suspended for thirty days. One positive – I received an invitation to spend the month in Sedona with my good friend and world-renowned psychic Kendra Adams.

Is there someone special in your life?
Graham Scott is my soulmate, and I’m hoping we can reconcile.

How did you meet?
I literally fell into Graham’s life. As I was leaving the local library, I tripped on a few stairs and Graham rushed to help me. Afterward, he invited me out for coffee, and our friendship blossomed.

What’s keeping you two apart?
Stubbornness...on his part. And my inability to share my mermaid origins. I kept that secret too long, and like all secrets, it imploded with disastrous results. Right now, he’s cooling his heels in Vermont, and I’m trying to heal my bruised heart in Arizona.

What’s one thing you could do that would make you feel like the relationship will work out?
I’m keeping the lines of communication open. So far, he hasn’t returned my calls or emails, but I’m not giving up.

Any last comments?
I hope you enjoyed this short interview. I’m grateful to Sharon for giving me this opportunity to share some of my issues.

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.

Excerpt

Arabella’s eyes blazed 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?


Buy Links
Amazon (US): http://is.gd/DQhWmI
Amazon (Canada): http://is.gd/JrwC1l
Amazon (UK): http://is.gd/fJ2x4E
Amazon (Australia): http://is.gd/6KovIe

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

Connect with Joanne
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/

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