Author Archives: Joanne Guidoccio
Movie Review: I Can Only Imagine
I’ve always been fascinated with the back story behind creative endeavors—that initial spark, struggles on the journey, and the ultimate success. All three exist, along with stellar acting performances, in this riveting film about the inspiring story behind the most popular Christian music song in history.
The storyline follows the trajectory of MercyMe lead singer Bart Millard from his pre-teen years (played by Brody Rose) through high school and beyond (brilliantly played by Broadway performer J. Michael Finlay).
Growing up in Greenville, Texas, Bart had a tight bond with his gentle mother but steered clear of his angry, abusive father (expertly played by Dennis Quaid). Upon returning home from a week at church camp, Bart discovers that his mother has abandoned him, leaving him alone to suffer the emotional and physical abuse.
Bart attempts to connect with his father—a former high school athlete—through football. Unfortunately, a leg injury derails Bart’s plans. His girlfriend Shannon (Madelaine Carroll) persuades him to join the Glee Club. Everyone—including Bart—is surprised by his singing talent.
Determined to be a success in the music industry, Bart leaves town upon graduation, abandoning his father and girlfriend. He joins a band that needs a singer and tours with them throughout Oklahoma and nearby states. They attract the attention of music producer Brickell (well-played by Trace Adkins). While Brickell isn’t impressed by their cover songs, he does show interest in Bart’s more heartfelt music.
The band is popular and well-received by audiences, but music executives are not ready to take them to the next level. The criticism stings: “You’re not good enough…Go home.”
Distraught, Bart wants to quit, but Brickwell persuades him to address the demons that are holding him back. His advice is spot-on: “Let that pain become your inspiration.”
Planning to confront his father, Bart returns to Greenville. But his anger is short-lived. The paternal monster has evolved into the father that Bart always hoped he would have. Inspired by this spiritual transformation, Bart pens the lyrics to “I Can Only Imagine.”
What follows are tear-jerking moments and the delivery of the song. During the credits, the real-life Bart Millard delivers his rendition of the chart-topping song that has brought hope into the lives of millions.
Definitely a movie for the Easter season. Don’t miss it!
Inspired by Lisa Genova
Yesterday evening, I attended “An Evening with Lisa Genova” at the central branch of the Kitchener Public Library. This Imagine It Event was well-attended by fans of the best-selling author of Still Alice, Left Neglected, Love Anthony, and Inside the O’Briens. Her latest release, Every Note Played, achieved best-seller status yesterday!
In the armchair conversation with a Kitchener author, Lisa shared her extraordinary writing journey.
Growing up, Lisa had no desire to write. Her lifelong ambition was to become a scientist. Fascinated by the biology of the brain, she earned a Ph.D. in neuroscience from Harvard and went on to work as a strategy consultant for the health-care industry. She followed a linear path and married her childhood sweetheart and then had a child.
Soon afterward, her marriage started unraveling and eventually ended. Devastated and uncertain how to proceed with her life, she asked herself the following questions: “What do I want to do now? What do I want my life to look like? If I could do anything I wanted to do, what would that be?”
Her answer: Write a book.
Inspired by her grandmother who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, Lisa started writing Still Alice. She was determined to discover how people like her grandmother felt as their personal history slowly slipped away.
While writing, she also decided to take acting lessons. Her family and friends wondered: “What happened to Lisa?”
Upon completing the novel, Lisa sent out query letters to agents and received “tons of rejections.” She didn’t take these rejections too personally since the agents were only rejecting her queries, not her manuscript. Two of the three agents who read the manuscript turned it down, convinced that no one would want to read about such a depressing topic. The third agent suggested she write non-fiction instead.
Undaunted, Lisa decided to self-publish, ignoring the possible stigma that might be associated with the book. After much persistence and dogged determination (Lisa sold the book out of the trunk of her car), Still Alice garnered a glowing review in the Boston Sunday Globe. Simon and Schuster acquired the book that eventually sold more than 2 million copies and was translated into 37 languages. Julianne Moore received an Oscar for Best Actress in the film version of the book.
The popularity of Still Alice allowed Lisa to write full time.
Each of her books is extensively researched. Well aware that she has two separate audiences—those who know nothing about the diseases and those who have experienced the diseases first-hand—Lisa works hard to ensure that all details are correct.
Lisa interviewed twelve “real” experts—people who are living with ALS—before writing Every Note Played. She was moved by their ability to show their most vulnerable selves. In turn, she allowed herself to be permeable. She also interviewed concert and jazz musicians and took piano lessons.
The novel alternates between two POVs: Richard, the accomplished concert pianist who receives standing ovations from audiences all over the world, and his wife Karina, a woman stuck in an unfulfilling life as an after-school piano teacher. A diagnosis of ALS forces them to deal with their failed marriage.
Having read Lisa’s previous novels, I’m looking forward to reading this latest installment.
A Comforting Prayer
On Wednesdays, I share posts, fables, songs, poems, quotations, TEDx Talks, cartoons, and books that have inspired and motivated me on my writing journey. I hope these posts will give writers, artists, and other creatives a mid-week boost.
I like to start my day with the following prayer from Saint Teresa of Avila.
Cover and Trailer Reveal: A Different Kind of Reunion
I am thrilled to share this cover and trailer with you today!
Blurb
While not usually a big deal, one overlooked email would haunt teacher Gilda Greco. Had she read it, former student Sarah McHenry might still be alive.
Suspecting foul play, Constable Leo Mulligan plays on Gilda’s guilt and persuades her to participate in a séance facilitated by one of Canada’s best-known psychics. Six former students also agree to participate. At first co-operative and willing, the camaraderie is short-lived as old grudges and rivalries emerge. The séance is a bust.
Determined to solve Sarah’s murder, Gilda launches her own investigation and uncovers shocking revelations that could put several lives—including her own—in danger. Can Gilda and the psychic solve this case before the killer strikes again?
Excerpt
Jim whistled. “You sure don’t like it easy. With all your millions, you’d think this crap could somehow miss landing on you. But you do seem to attract it.” He chuckled. “Might be something to address with a therapist or maybe the psychic you’ve just met.”
“I didn’t just meet Cassandra. I got to know her and her parents very well during those seven months I taught in Parry Sound. They’re good people.” While I was also skeptical, I did feel the urge to defend her. She had been so sincere and so open. I couldn’t fathom the notion of Cassandra faking or putting on the airs of a psychic. It wasn’t in her nature to be deceitful.
“I’m sure they are,” Jim said. “But let’s face some facts here. Most psychics need to make a living. I don’t doubt this lady has some intuitive ability—as many women do—but I don’t think it’s enough to catch a murderer. The constable is grasping at straws. What did you say his name was?”
“Leo. Leo Mulligan.”
“Tall, dark-haired guy. Good-looking and a bit of a rascal.”
“He’s evolved.” I immediately regretted my response. Knowing Jim, he would pounce and tease me.
“And you’re interested,” Jim said, chuckling. “What does your boyfriend think about this cozy reunion you’re having?”
Release Date: April 23, 2018
Top 10 Places Detective Jesus De La Cruz Likes to Drink Coffee
I’m happy to welcome civil engineer and author TG Wolff to the Power of 10 series. Today, TG and Detective Jesus De La Cruz, the protagonist of Exacting Justice, share their love of coffee.
Here’s TG!
Thank you, Joanne for hosting me Detective Jesus De La Cruz today. We’re both happy to be stopping by to share our love of coffee with your readers and a taste of our upcoming book, Exacting Justice.
For myself, I never drank coffee…until I had children. Now it’s one of my basic food groups. I don’t consider myself a coffee snob but insist that it takes good. Little coffee shops, the eclectic ones that sell jewelry, soaps, and what-not are my favorites. My drink of choice: large Americano with a splash of whole milk.
The hero of my thriller is Cleveland police homicide detective Jesus De La Cruz. Cruz worked under cover narcotics for 10 years until a bust gone bad changed his story. He came out with a new face, a new career in homicide, and the realization that he was an alcoholic. On the road to recovery, Cruz developed a taste for coffee. He is unapologetic about the gallon he drinks each day and they way he likes it dressed—light and sweet.
Top Ten Places Det. Jesus De La Cruz Likes to Drink Coffee
10. Mornings, His kitchen. After leaving the Cleveland, Ohio hospital, Cruz lived with his sister, Marianna, and her family for a year before he bought his first house. The Cape Cod was in as bad a shape as he was at the start. He tackled remodeling the kitchen first, small as it was. Now each morning, he leans against the counter his own hands installed, reading the thoughts and meditation of other recovering alcoholics, savoring the calm before the storm of each day.
9. Nighttown. Nighttown is a restaurant and music venue just up the hill in Cleveland Heights. It is the preferred Sunday evening dining choice of Cruz’s AA Sponsor Dr. Oscar Bollier. Good food, good music, good company make for a well-rounded life. One that’s even better with topped off with dessert and coffee. (nighttowncleveland.club)
8. His desk. Being a homicide detective isn’t the sexy, fast-paced life of the movies. Somedays it feels like he’s paid to drudge through the worst side of human existence one inch at a time. It sickens him what people can do to another person and he gets really tired of the lies and excuses. A coffee mug sits on his desk with his nieces’ laughing faces shining out. Filled with sixteen ounces of light and sweet, it’s the perfect counterweight to reality.
7. Lagoon at the Cleveland Museum of Art Museum. CMA is remarkable at every turn, and doubly so because admission is free. When Cruz was healing from his injuries, he would bring his two nieces here to enjoy a few rooms, a tasty treat, and a romp around the park-like lagoon. He found solace here, the beast among the beauty. Now recovered, he still likes to sneak away, with his favorite cuppa, and become part of something grander.
Credit: http://www.clevelandart.org
6. Cleveland’s West Side Market. Once upon a time, Cleveland was a community of immigrants. That heritage is deliciously alive at the West Side Market. Stall after stall presents shoppers with fresh produce, delicious bakery, ethnic specialties, and the real treat—community. With seeing so much of Cleveland’s underside, Cruz likes to buy a cuppa here and be reminded why he got into copping in the first place.
Credit: westsidemarket.org
5. AA Meeting. The coffee is bad, the chairs uncomfortable but this church meeting room is where Cruz can be found every Monday night. Beating addiction isn’t something you do once but over and over again. Then, if you’re lucky, you look back one day and realize you’ve done it for a year. Then two. A round of applause to everyone who has the courage to knock addiction back, whether it’s alcohol, narcotics, food or others.
4. His car. There are times when the rhythm and noise of Cleveland police are the pulse of the job. There are other times when Cruz considers committing a homicide to get a little piece and quiet. Those are the times he fills his go-cup and takes it to his office away from the office, his car.
3. Presti’s Bakery, Cleveland’s Little Italy. Some places stay the same no matter how much they change. Here, the coffee can be made as strong as in the old country, served with sweet treats to satisfy the kid in all of us. Looking out over Mayfield Road as it climbs into the Heights, Presti’s has the comforts of home…without your mother telling you to clear the dishes.
Credit: TG Wolff
2. Lake Erie shore. Cleveland sits on one great lake. Erie. Standing on her shores, looking out to the horizon, everything seems possible. Sometimes after a long day, Cruz will park on the East 9th Street Pier and walk down to the edge. There is always a wind. There is always something new to discover.
Credit: Jeff Futo
The number one place Cruz likes to drink his coffee is…
His sister’s house. In Mariana Moreno’s home, laughter, chatter and noise are the soundtrack of life. When Cruz felt like he belonged nowhere, fit in nowhere, including his own life, there was a place for him here. It is one thing when people can relate to your situation and invite you in. It’s a whole other level when they can’t possibly understand and still refuse to let you leave. In his sister’s house, Cruz learned the lessons of love.
Blurb
An unknown killer is waging a war on drugs. The murders are horrendous but with a silver lining—now stop signs are the only objects lingering on corners in the city’s toughest neighborhoods. Half the city calls for the police to end the killer’s reign. The other half cheers the killer on, denouncing the tactics but celebrating the progress police haven’t been able to achieve.
The gritty details of Cleveland’s drug underworld are nothing new to Homicide Detective Jesus De La Cruz. Two years earlier, Cruz worked undercover narcotics and was poised for a promotion that would have placed him in a coveted position within the drug organization. The deal went bad. Now he has a new face, a new job, and a new case.
The killer moves through the streets with impunity, identity still unknown. Demands for progress from his superiors, accumulated grief of the victim’s relatives, growing pressure from the public, and elevated stress from his family quietly pull Cruz apart. With no out, the detective moves all in, putting his own head on the line to bait a killer.
Excerpt
Monday, November 6
Dressed for the day, Cruz leaned against the kitchen counter he’d installed himself, sipping coffee and reading the daily meditation. Weak sunlight poked through the blinds, striping the page until it was unreadable. He set the book aside. A moment later, his phone rang.
His day started with a caravan of city-issued cars parked on the northbound shoulder of I-71. The knot of concrete ribbons was the nexus of I-71, I-480, and the spurs to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. Going through at sixty-five miles an hour, he had read the “Cleveland Corp Limit” sign hundreds of times but never noticed this triangle patch. The sign rose up behind the concrete barricade and between its legs was a post. The post wasn’t interesting. It was what was on it.
“Just a head?” Cruz shouted to be heard over the white noise of traffic above, below and next to him. He swung a leg over the barricade and carefully lowered his weight to the ground. The land dropped sharply down to I-480. This wasn’t a place made for walking.
“So far, Detective.” One of the patrolmen on the scene, a big man named Buettner, answered him. Three others fought the wind to secure a tent screening the crime scene from the morning commute. “Had nearly a half dozen accidents with people looking at this.”
“It would get my attention, even without coffee.” Because he was watching his footing, he began with the ground. The post was one of the thousands sold for myriad household uses. Heavy enough gauge to be able to take some weight, small enough to be portable. The ground wasn’t frozen, but it would take a mallet to drive it in deep enough to support a head. Crime scene would dust for prints. Overgrown scrub around the post was matted down but showed no footprints of the person who had stood here and planted the nightmare.
His latest customer died hard. The head was battered, scraped as though it had been bounced off pavement a few times. Something was familiar…
“Shit. Why wasn’t I told his ID?”
“We don’t have it yet, Detective. Can’t take prints,” Buettner said.
Cruz paced away. This wasn’t coincidence or serendipity or even cosmic justice. This was just messed up.
Buy Links
Bio
TG Wolff writes thrillers and mysteries that play within the gray area between good and bad, right and wrong. Cause and effect drive the stories, drawing from over 20 years’ experience in Civil Engineering, where “cause” is more often a symptom of a bigger, more challenging problem. Diverse characters mirror the complexities of real life and real people, balanced with a healthy dose of entertainment. TG Wolff holds a Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering and is a member of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime.
Where to find TG Wolff…
Website | Blog | Amazon | Twitter | LinkedIn
On Working Very Hard
On Wednesdays, I share posts, fables, songs, poems, quotations, TEDx Talks, cartoons, and books that have inspired and motivated me on my writing journey. I hope these posts will give writers, artists, and other creatives a mid-week boost.
I enjoy reading Zen stories, especially when I feel overwhelmed with too many tasks and deadlines. Here’s one of my favorites:
A martial arts student went to his teacher and said earnestly, “I am devoted to studying your martial system. How long will it take me to master it.”
The teacher’s reply was casual, “Ten years.”
Impatiently, the student answered, “But I want to master it faster than that. I will work very hard. I will practice everyday, ten or more hours a day if I have to. How long will it take then?”
The teacher thought for a moment. “20 years.”
Source: 10 Short Zen Stories
Giveaway–7th Anniversary Party for TRR
Today, I’m participating in an anniversary party for The Romance Reviews. Along with three other authors, I’m offering a prize to one lucky winner. Scroll down here and look for my question:
What is the name of the Greek restaurant in this novel? (Note: You will get a clue)
Answer correctly and you could win an e-book of Too Many Women in the Room.
Happy Spring!
This past winter has been has been a challenging one with record-breaking low temperatures and snowfalls, unrelenting winds and Nor’Easters, floods and cancellations. Today marks a new beginning, a season of rebirth, reinvention, rejuvenation, renewal, resurrection, and regrowth.
Here are ten of my favorite “spring” quotes:
Expect to have hope rekindled. Expect your prayers to be answered in wondrous ways. The dry seasons in life do not last. The spring rains will come again.
Sarah Ban Breathnach
No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn. Hal Borland
Spring shows what God can do with a drab and dirty world. Virgil A. Kraft
You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep spring from coming.
Pablo Neruda
Every spring is the only spring — a perpetual astonishment. Ellis Peters
Spring has returned. The Earth is like a child that knows poems.
Rainer Maria Rilke
Spring is the time of plans and projects. Leo Tolstoy
It’s spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you’ve got it, you want — oh, you don’t quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so! Mark Twain
Spring is nature’s way of saying, ‘Let’s party!’ Robin Williams
The spring wakes us, nurtures us and revitalizes us. How often does your spring come? If you are a prisoner of the calendar, it comes once a year. If you are creating authentic power, it comes frequently, or very frequently. Gary Zukav
Do you have a favorite “spring” quote?
Enjoying the Best of Two Worlds
Welcome to my Second Acts Series!
Today, we have Soul Mate author Madelaine Grant sharing her artistic and literary passions and new release, A Total Mismatch.
Here’s Madelaine!
I wrote my first story at age ten. The story was originally accepted by my elementary school magazine. Ecstatic with joy, I told everyone I was being published. However, fate intervened and my teacher told me, sorrowfully, that they had decided not to publish my story since an older student had written something similar. I guess they figured I’d have time to write more stories and be published later on. Taking this rejection really hard I decided then and there I wasn’t going to be a writer after all.
When my art teacher complimented me on my pastel drawings in sixth grade and told me I used colors well and could become an artist, I was delighted. That’s the direction I chose and followed for the next several decades. First I concentrated on commercial art, since I did have to make a living. Later on I began teaching art to children at a nearby museum. That led to more teaching jobs and finally to becoming Assistant Director of Art at that same museum.
But the writing bug would not totally disappear. I tried writing and illustrating a children’s story which almost got published. The company went bankrupt however. I finally joined RWA and my local chapter Tampa Area Romance Authors. After writing several romance novels which never made it I began writing short stories for True Confessions and True Story magazines. I had met one of the editors through TARA and, with her help, was finally able to see my work published. Emboldened by that first success I wrote several novellas which were published by Extasy Books. And now my first full- length novel, a romantic comedy titled “A Total Mismatch” by Madelaine Grant (pen name) has been published as an e book by Soul Mate Publishing. It will go into print in March and is available on Amazon and other distributors for pre order. Here’s a quick summary of the book:
Romantic comedy “A Total Mismatch” takes polar opposites Samantha Peabody and Jordan Hart on a wild courtship ride from lavish weddings and fine art to belly dancing and barroom brawls. This rollicking journey includes the best flavors of ice cream in New York City and a touch of tai chi. To read the first chapter of the book you can visit my web site http://www.madelainegrant.com.
I haven’t given up art. I still paint and exhibit my work. The combination of writing and art seems to be the best of both worlds. I love both and hope to write more books and paint more pictures for years to come.
Blurb
Fate brings polar opposites Samantha (Sam) Peabody and Jordan Hart together. Free spirit Sam is an artist, occasional belly dancer, and sloppy housekeeper while Jordan is a lawyer, fitness and neatness freak, and lover of ice cream.
The one thing they have in common is their dislike of big, fussy weddings.
After a fight with her oldest sister, Andrea, Sam decides not to attend Andrea’s lavish wedding. When Jordan is invited to a wedding, he asks Sam to accompany him, not knowing it’s Sam’s sister’s affair. Complicating Sam’s busy life is an offer from a local craft beer company to belly dance for a TV ad and become the symbol of their new beer company.
Sam’s disastrous first marriage and the difficult dynamics in her family make her insecure about a new relationship. Besides, she hates the idea of marriage. Can Jordan’s persistence win Sam over and dissolve her fears?
Where to find Madelaine…
Website | Blog | Facebook | Amazon
Joanne here!
Madelaine, I’m impressed by your creative talents. Best of luck with A Total Mismatch. It sounds delightful!
Joanne Guidoccio 