Author Archives: Joanne Guidoccio

10 Interesting Facts About The Earl’s Treasure

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m happy to welcome Soul Mate author, Nancy Lee Badger. Today, Nancy shares ten interesting facts about her new release, The Earl’s Treasure.

Here’s Nancy!

1 This is the official release of my long-awaited book The Earl’s Treasure. I say Long-awaited because it took me many years to write. I put the story aside several times while I published others, then came back to it and decided it had to be shared with my readers.

2 Why did it take so long, you ask? I traveled to conferences, took on presidency of my local Romance Writers of America chapter, moved Mom to NC from Florida, published several paranormal novels with Soul Mate Publishing, worked for my county’s board of elections, and…so far, I have survived a pandemic.

3 Behind the scenes: my editor, Kathy Rothenberger, got the story clean enough for me to shop it at two conferences. It still needed work, so my mother took a look and made suggestions. Dear hubby helped with the Scottish side, and author Betty Bolte was kind enough to give it a read and make suggestions. It takes a village, they say!

4 Why this hero? Stone is a second son who bravely fought against Napoleon and spent some time as a spy. Wounded, he heads home when word arrives that his brother has died. Eric, our second son, fought for America while in Iraq but we were extremely fortunate that he came home to us unscathed. (His brother is fine, too)

5 What irks Stone? His mother’s ancestry. His English father taught him to despise everything Scottish. Check out what happens when a treasure hunt sends him to Scotland and he ends up in a kilt!

6 Who is Adele? She is a childhood friend of my hero. Ten years have passed since they kissed. Why they parted, why he disappeared from her life, and how he reacts when he finds out she married and was recently widowed brings surprises.

7 Why ‘Treasure Tales’ for my series’ name? A treasure is at the heart of the story, and I throw in hints of suspense, concerning things that go missing from Adele’s home. When a man tries to abduct her from the ball, she and Stone meet up once again. Adventure ensues!

8 Horses rule! I love horses and Stone’s war horse, Satan, plays a pivoting role. He saves the day in many ways. Another animal is shot to death, which was hard to write, but necessary.

9 Why do I love to set stories in Scotland? Why not?

10 The real answer to why I set this book partially in Scotland: This is my 30th romance and locating most of the action in Scotland is due to my love of that country. I have volunteered at the New Hampshire Highlands Games for over 25 years with family, but only recently discovered I am partially of Scottish descent. Ever since I wrote a book called Dragon’s Curse many years ago, I found the urge to write other Scottish historical paranormal novels. This book is not paranormal. Instead, it is a spicy romance based upon a mysterious treasure.

A Short Blurb

After Stone is wounded and thrust into an earldom, and Adele is widowed by an abusive husband, these star-crossed childhood friends meet at an English country ball, escape a kidnapper searching for a treasure, and depart for Scotland ahead of those intent on killing anyone in their way.

Excerpt from The Earl’s Treasure

“It’s up to me now,” Stone said to the horses. Their ears flicked back, as if listening. When Adele’s beauty shimmered in his head, the thought of making babies with her rose to a fever pitch, then fell just as fast. In order to beget the next earl he needed a nubile young innocent, not a barren, beautiful widow of twenty-six.

He sighed, then spied the peaked roofs of Gretna. Squeezing his fists until his knuckles hurt, he cursed. “Dear Lord! I am back in Scotland!”
Snow glistened on the thatched roofs, the village blacksmith’s hammer clanged, and the acrid scent of smoke made him cough. He steered the horses to an inn where they would stop for their comfort, then head to an area just north of town to eat the luncheon Sadie had packed for them. After he pulled on the reins to command the horses to stop he bounded to the ground, jarring his knees. Straightening, he rolled his aching shoulders. The one wounded in battle burned, as if the bullet remained deep in his flesh. A young lad appeared and gathered up the reins of their horses.

“Water them, but leave them hitched. We are not staying long.”

“Aye, my lord. Yer not getting’ hitched?” He chuckled at his own use of the slang word for being married over the anvil.

“No, lad.” He had tied his stallion to the back of the coach. “Don’t forget this one, lad, but be wary of his teeth.”

He opened the coach door and handed Adele down, with her eyes red-rimmed, and her steps unsteady. They entered the inn and she headed to the lady’s retiring room. The innkeeper recognized Stone which surprise him since he hadn’t been around since before he left for Eton.

“Sure as the day is half-past I recognize our Cora’s little lad,” the man said.

Stone pursed his lips, holding back the urge to tell the man what he could do with his statement. He never thought he looked anything like his Scottish mother, which seemed a blessing. Now, he wanted to have a drink, empty his bladder, and get back on the road.

“Yes, you have the right of it. Been ages since I visited Castle Bradan.”

“I’m sure ye had yer reasons, but the laird will love seeing ye.” The innkeeper poured whisky into a glass and set it in front of Stone.

Gingerly moving his foot, assured the gem rested between the leather and his wool stockings, he gulped the wee dram of aged Scottish whisky and awaited Adele. When she returned, he ordered her a tankard of spiced cider.

“Dear Lord!” the innkeeper said, “Is this little Adele Hartwell from the Glen House?”

“Aye, ’twas my name when a girl at da’s home. He passed away years ago, after I moved to Longtown.”

“Over yon border? Aye, I believe I heard telling of a baron winning yer hand.”

Stone marched away and took care of his personal needs while Adele stayed safe inside the inn with people she knew.

Let them reminisce about a life I no longer cherish.

Buy Links

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AUS

SPECIAL EBOOK PRICING NOW THROUGH DECEMBER 7TH!

What’s Next?

I hope to write several other books that feature secondary characters from this book. I recently released a tie-in story titled Love, Hamish. Find out how to get this novella FREE HERE.

More About the Author

Nancy Lee Badger grew up in Huntington on New York’s Long Island. After attending Plymouth State, in New Hampshire, she earned a Bachelor of Science degree and met and married her college sweetheart. They raised two handsome sons in Rumney, New Hampshire while dreaming of being a writer. When the children had left the nest, and shoveling snow became a chore, she retired from her satisfying job as a 911 Emergency Medical Dispatcher and moved to North Carolina, where she writes full-time.

Nancy is a member of Romance Writers of America, Heart of Carolina Romance Writers, Fantasy-Futuristic & Paranormal Romance Writers, and the Triangle Association of Freelancers. She finds story ideas in the most unusual places. Connect with her here:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Amazon Author Page | Goodreads

Looking for Guest Bloggers

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

guestbloggers

Attention: Authors, artists, coaches, entrepreneurs, and New Age Practitioners. I’m scheduling guest posts for January through June 2021. You can write your own post or contribute to one of the following series: Second Acts, Power of Ten, Author/Book Spotlights.

These are my guidelines. You can obtain a PDF here.

Second Acts Series

The theme of my novels and website is one of reinvention. In the Second Acts series, I have featured the reinvention stories of over 100 women.

You can provide your own post or structure it around the following questions:

1. Briefly describe your first act.
2. What triggered the need for change?
3. Where are you now?
4. Do you have advice for anyone planning to pursue a second act?
5. Any affirmations or quotations you wish to share?

Examples – Second Acts Series

Power of 10 Series

The posts in this series can pertain to your book or any aspect of your life. Some ideas include…

10 Interesting Facts About My Protagonist (Villain, Back Story…)
10 Tips About a Hobby or Special Interest (Parenting, Gardening, Yoga…)
10 Favorite Books (Movies, Actors, Foods, Quotes…)
10 Best Moments
10 Most Embarrassing Moments
10 Life Lessons from… (Mentors, Role Models, Heroes…)

Examples – Power of 10

Author Spotlights

Provide a short post about your writing journey.

Examples – Author Spotlights

General Details

In addition to the post, I will need your picture, book cover(s), social media links, other publications (and anything else you wish to share) at least three days prior to publication.

DO NOT EMBED PICTURES – SEND AS SEPARATE JPEGS.

Contact me here.

30 Things to Start Doing For Yourself

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

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.

When I discovered the following infographic, I knew I had to share it. Pick one thing and try it today.



On Tour with Goddess Fish – Day 8

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

It’s my eighth Monday on tour with Goddess Fish.

I’m visiting the It’s Raining Books blog and sharing five little known facts about myself. I’m also including a blurb, excerpt, and buy links for No More Secrets.

Stop by and visit for a while. Remember to scroll down and enter the Rafflecopter giveaway. You could win a $20 Amazon gift card.

Find out more here.

10 Interesting Facts About My Protagonist – Jordan James, PI

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m happy to welcome back Soul Mate author Rachel Sharpe. Today, Rachel shares ten interesting facts about the protagonist of her mystery series.

Here’s Rachel!

Jordan James is the main character of my Jordan James, PI series and its protagonist. Please enjoy reading 10 interesting facts about her and her series.

10 – The best writing advice I ever received came from the wife of the late author Walker Percy, who told me to always “write what you know.” I try to make it a point to do just that.

9 – The premise for Simple Misconception came from my desire to write a story in Jordan’s hometown of New Orleans. The character of Natalie, her friend who turns up missing, is loosely based on an old friend from high school.

8 – The premise for Bitter Retribution came from two separate trips: one to Hollywood where I visited family who work in the entertainment industry, and one to Colorado to go skiing.

7 – The premise for Lost Distinction came from my fascination with the Kennedy family and a trip to Martha’s Vineyard I took prior to writing book two.

6 – The premise for Cold Ambition came one night after I had decided I wanted to write a novel. The first thought that came to my mind was I wanted her to be a girl from New Orleans living in New England who decided to follow a childhood dream and become a private investigator, which was my childhood dream.

5 – Jordan’s childhood neighborhood is based on my grandparents’ neighborhood.

4 – Jordan’s first client and love interest, Rick, is based on former 1950s teen idol, Rick Nelson (hence the name).

3 – The character of Jon Riche, Jordan’s associate, foil, and sometimes love interest, came about during the first draft of Cold Ambition. He’s not based on anyone in particular and almost writes himself. I enjoy writing about him because I never fully know where he may take Jordan or the story.

2 – Jordan’s best friend, Heather, is based on my best friend.

1 – Jordan James isn’t based on me, but on what I’ve considered could have been my alternate life had my life gone differently.

Bio and Links

Rachel Sharpe is the author of Cold Ambition, Lost Distinction, Bitter Retribution, and Simple Misconception, all part of the Jordan James, PI series, a mystery series with sweet romance. Although born and raised in the South, “Yankee” relatives first led Rachel to historic New England, which she has come to consider her second home and is the setting for the series.

Rachel currently resides with her husband and children in the Greater New Orleans area.

Check Out Rachel’s Sites to Keep Up with Jordan James!!!

Facebook | Twitter

Rachel’s Novels

When Jordan James decided to embark on a career as a private investigator, she never could have imagined that a chance encounter would lead to her staring down the barrel of a gun on the roof’s edge of a high-rise building. As she begins to investigate her first case, the puzzling murder of a prominent businessman that has left Boston’s finest mystified for more than two decades, she finds herself suddenly immersed in a treacherous underworld brimming with betrayal, raw greed, and political subterfuge of international proportions. In the midst of this, she discovers she is falling for her mysterious client despite the hints of his dark past. Can this feisty Southern girl with a penchant for trouble solve this baffling case, or is she doomed to become another tragic chapter in an international conspiracy?

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“It all started with a favor . . .”

When private investigator Jordan James agreed to search for the missing son of a U.S. Ambassador, she didn’t realize she was walking into a case one hundred years in the making. The deeper she delves into this unusual assignment, the more shocking, and the more dangerous, it becomes. With time running out and lives at stake, Jordan must race to identify the culprit of an elaborate plot while also uncovering a far more personal truth too intimate to ignore . . .

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“What started out as a star-studded vacation has turned into a sensational avalanche . . .” When private investigator Jordan James decided to join her best friend on the set of her hit television series in the Rocky Mountains, she had no idea she would become a key player in a murder mystery more suited for the big screen than the slopes. With one actor dead and a killer on the loose, can Jordan uncover the culprit before another victim makes headlines on Hollywood Minute?

buynow


A Trip to the Big Easy Turns into a Big Nightmare…”

When private investigator Jordan James returns home to New Orleans for Christmas, she never imagined her holiday could end with kidnapping and death. As she begins to investigate the mysterious disappearance of a childhood friend, she unwittingly stumbles upon a dangerous, international syndicate. With lives at risk and time running short, Jordan must find a connection between these seemingly unrelated events if she ever hopes to find her friend.

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A Short Lesson on Gratitude

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

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 was moved by this story on Nick Ortner’s blog, The Tapping Solution:

Today I have a short story for you about gratitude. A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet. He held up a sign which read, “I am blind, please help.”

There were only a few coins in the hat – spare change from folks as they hurried past. A man was walking by. He took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat. He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some words. Then he put the sign back in the boy’s hand so that everyone who walked by would see the new words.

Soon the hat began to fill up. A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy. That afternoon, the man who had changed the sign returned to see how things were. The boy recognized his footsteps and asked, “Were you the one who changed my sign this morning? What did you write?”

The man said, “I only wrote the truth. I said what you said but in a different way.” I wrote, “Today is a beautiful day, but I cannot see it.” Both signs spoke the truth. But the first sign simply said the boy was blind, while the second sign conveyed to everyone walking by how grateful they should be to see…



10 Interesting Facts About the Glass Dolphin Mystery Series

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m happy to welcome Canadian author Judy Penz Sheluk. Today, Judy shares interesting facts about the Glass Dolphin Mystery Series and her new release Where There’s a Will (Book 3).

Here’s Judy!

1. The Glass Dolphin is the name of an antiques shop where, according to owner Arabella Carpenter, “authenticity matters.” In early drafts of the novel, it was called the Blue Dolphin, until Judy discovered there was a Blue Dolphin Antiques in Maine (there’s also one in Oregon, and there are probably others, too). It just seemed easier to change the name.

2. The Glass Dolphin got its name from Arabella’s first antique “find,” a pair of cobalt blue dolphin candlestick holders, made by the Boston & Sandwich Glass Company in Sandwich, Mass. Production of dolphin candlesticks began about 1840 and continued for 35 to 40 years. They were produced in clear or opaque milk glass, as well as in colored glass, including green, canary yellow, and cobalt blue. Blue is generally the most sought after color.

3. The Glass Dolphin is located on historic Main Street in Lount’s Landing, a small town about ninety minutes north of Toronto, Canada. The town of Lount’s Landing (on the Dutch River), is loosely based on Holland Landing (on the Holland River), where Judy lived for 25 years.

4. The fictional Lount’s Landing was named after Samuel Lount, a blacksmith, farmer, and politician who lived in the village of Holland Landing in the nineteenth century. He was hanged for treason on April 12, 1838. There is a historic plaque dedicated to Samuel Lount in front of the Holland Landing Library and Community Centre.

5. Lount’s last words as he headed to his death were, “We die in a good cause; Canada will yet be free.” These words play a pivotal part in The Hanged Man’s Noose, book 1 in the series.

6. The Hanged Man’s Noose is the name of a local pub, owned and operated by Betsy Ehrlich, a history buff and a good friend of Arabella’s. Her signature drink is the Treasontini, a blueberry vodka martini. [Download the recipe here: http://www.judypenzsheluk.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/How-to-Make-a-Treasontini.pdf%5D

7. The Hanged Man’s Noose also offers a good selection of pub food, including Arabella’s favorite: Full Noose Nachos. [Download the recipe here: http://www.judypenzsheluk.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/FULL-NOOSE-NACHOS.pdf%5D

8. Arabella’s sleuthing partner is Emily Garland, a former freelance journalist and local magazine editor, and now a partner in the Glass Dolphin. A bacon eating “vegetarian,” Emily’s name comes from Emily in Emily Climbs by L.M. Montgomery and Judy’s namesake, Judy Garland.

9. Arabella’s ex-husband, Levon Larroquette, is an antiques picker (think American Pickers). He is also a major character in each book. In Judy’s head, Levon looks like a young Kris Kristofferson (think A Star is Born, 1976). Levon’s name is a combination of the Elton John song, Levon, and the last name of actor John Larroquette.

10. All factual information in each book has been carefully researched; Judy was the Senior Editor at New England Antiques Journal from 2008 through 2018, and prior to that, the Editor for Antiques & Collectibles Showcase. And like Emily Garland, she was also a freelance journalist for many years.

About the Glass Dolphin Mystery Series

A cozy mystery series without the cats, crafts, or cookie recipes, the Glass Dolphin mysteries follow the investigations of amateur sleuths Arabella Carpenter and Emily Garland. The books include: The Hanged Man’s Noose (#1), A Hole in One (#2), and Where There’s A Will (#3). While it is always preferable to read a series in order, any one of the titles can be read as a standalone.


















About Where There’s A Will

Emily Garland is getting married and looking for the perfect forever home. When the old, and some say haunted, Hadley house comes up for sale, she’s convinced it’s “the one.” The house is also perfect for reality TV star Miles Pemberton and his new series, House Haunters. Emily will fight for her dream home, but Pemberton’s pockets are deeper than Emily’s, and he’ll stretch the rules to get what he wants.

While Pemberton racks up enemies all around Lount’s Landing, Arabella Carpenter, Emily’s partner at the Glass Dolphin antiques shop, has been hired to appraise the contents of the estate, along with her ex-husband, Levon. Could the feuding beneficiaries decide there’s a conflict of interest? Could Pemberton?

Things get even more complicated when Arabella and Levon discover another will hidden inside the house, and with it, a decades-old secret. Can the property stay on the market? And if so, who will make the winning offer: Emily or Miles Pemberton?

Purchase Links

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Apple

About the Author

A former journalist and magazine editor, Judy Penz Sheluk is the author of two mystery series: the Glass Dolphin Mysteries and the Marketville Mysteries. Her short crime fiction appears in several collections, including The Best Laid Plans and Heartbreaks & Half-truths, which she also edited.

Judy is a member of Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers, the Short Mystery Fiction Society, and Crime Writers of Canada, where she serves as Chair on the Board of Directors. Find her at http://www.judypenzsheluk.com.

Samuel Lount photo courtesy of Ontarioplaques.com