Grace Topping is interviewing me about my writing and cancer journeys, the Gilda Greco Mystery Series, and the Mediterranean Trilogy.
Drop by the Writers Who Kill blog.
What About the Men?
Since the release of Too Many Women in the Room, I have received many comments about the temperamental female characters that populate the novel.
Potential readers have also asked…
What about the men?
Three male characters play significant roles : Chief Detective Carlo Fantin, Chef David Korba, and Photographer Michael Taylor.
Continue reading on the Sisterhood of Suspense blog.
At Kitras Art Glass
I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Kitras Art Glass, Canada’s largest hot glass studio, was a short thirty-minute drive away in Fergus. Intrigued, I decided to take a break from my writing and treat myself to an artist date at their 2nd Annual Garden Party.
While visiting, I browsed through the many Kitras collections, among them Tree of Enchantment, Blossom, Van Glow, Calico, Art Nouveau, and Canada 150. I was impressed by the variety of decorative and functional art: ornaments, oil lamps, diffusers, bird feeders, vases, medallions, and so much more. These unique, hand-crafted glass creations are perfect for all-occasion gifting.
BTW…Kitras will ship purchases across Canada and the United States.
The Back Story
Once I get the initial spark of an idea, I like to play around with a What-If scenario and after much deliberation come up with a title for the novel. Only then can I start writing the first draft.
That MO worked well for Book 1 of the Gilda Greco Mystery Series:
Spark: Dead blondes turn up in dumpsters throughout the city.
What if… A woman wins a $19 million lottery and then returns to her hometown, only to find herself the primary suspect in the murders of four blondes. Can she prove her innocence and solve this case before it’s too late?
Title: A Season for Killing Blondes
Book 2 presented a challenge. I toyed with several storylines about a Greek restaurant, a charismatic chef, two murders, and a group of women who didn’t always get along. Frustrated with these disjoint elements, I turned my attention to shorter pieces and hoped that inspiration would soon arrive.
It came from an unlikely source.
Continue reading on the Mysteriastis blog.
Movie Review: Rough Night
Co-writers Lucia Aniello and Paul W. Downs have pushed the boundaries of questionable behavior in this R-rated comedy that has been described as the bastard child of Bridesmaids and The Hangover.
Or in some circles as the first post-Hillary movie.
Scarlett Johansson stars as bride-to-be Jessica, a budding politician running for State Senate. Her posse includes over-the-top kindergarten teacher Alice (Jillian Bell), activist Frankie (Ilana Glazer), wealthy divorcee Blair (Zoë Kravitz), and Aussie flower child Pippa (Kate McKinnon).
The women meet in Miami for a weekend bachelorette party that has been meticulously organized—everything from baskets of “favors” to tequila shots to cocaine to a male stripper. Standard party girl fare until Alice accidentally kills the stripper and sets in motion a series of wacky scenes.
After quick deliberation—Jess can’t compromise her political career, Frankie can’t risk a third offense on her record, Blair can’t put her custody battle at risk—the women decide to dispose of the body instead of calling the police.
As the women plot and execute different disposal strategies, they must also deal with old rivalries and grudges that have festered for the past decade. To further complicate matters, aging neighborhood swingers (Demi Moore and Ty Burrell) hover and put the moves on Blair.
Frantic with worry, fiancé Peter (Paul W. Downs) decides to drive down to Miami, cranked on expired uppers and clad in adult diapers.
Definitely a manic pace but with great chemistry and not-so-subtle hints of dark humor.
Happy Summer!
Longer days and shorter nights…Today marks the start of the summer solstice.
The term “solstice” is derived from the Latin words sol (sun) and sistere (to stand still). The sky at noon does not appear to change much during the solstice and its surrounding days. The rest of the year, the Earth’s tilt on its axis—roughly 23.5 degrees—causes the sun’s path in the sky to rise and fall from one day to the next.
Here are ten of my favorite “summer” quotations:
Summer’s lease hath all too short a date. ~ William Shakespeare
Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August.
~ Jenny Han
And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer. ~ F. Scott Fitzgerald
It’s a smile, it’s a kiss, it’s a sip of wine … it’s summertime! ~ Kenny Chesney
Summer is the annual permission slip to be lazy. To do nothing and have it count for something. To lie in the grass and count the stars. To sit on a branch and study the clouds. ~ Regina Brett
Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability. ~ Sam Keen
Summertime is always the best of what might be. ~ Charles Bowden
I love how summer just wraps its arms around you like a warm blanket.
~ Kellie Elmore
There shall be eternal summer in the grateful heart. ~ Celia Thaxter
The summer night is like a perfection of thought. ~ Wallace Stevens
First Two Pages—Too Many Women in the Room
While deciding whether or not to start with a prologue, I recalled advice I had received from a workshop facilitator: “Use only if the prologue adds an interesting and integral layer to the narrative.”
Interesting and integral…Definitely a challenge and one I decided to tackle in my new release, Too Many Women in the Room. Having written the rest of the novel in the first-person POV, I wanted the reader to be privy to the thoughts and feelings of the victim in his final hour.
Continue reading on B.K. Stevens’ blog.
All About Martinis
When it comes to food and hospitality, Chef David Korba is the consummate pro. In addition to developing signature entrées and desserts, David also offers trademark martinis with such tantalizing names as Babyface, Bellini, and Long Kiss Goodbye.
Definitely an auspicious start to Xenia, an innovative Greek restaurant near Sudbury, Ontario. But the VIP dinner quickly spirals out of control and the guests leave with empty stomachs. Well, almost empty stomachs…those trademark martinis provided a pleasant interlude before all the drama started in Too Many Women in the Room.
Continue reading on Marsha West’s blog.
Still Loving My Vintage Purse
I had always associated vintage clothing with the early part of the twentieth century, but recently I discovered that clothing from the 1920s to twenty years before the present day is considered vintage.
I imagine the same applies to purses.”MsoNormal”>I purchased my first “grown-up” purse during the summer of 1977. My mother had hinted that I needed to upgrade my wardrobe in preparation for my first year of teaching: suits, pumps, an LBD, and an evening purse.
So, together we went on a mini shopping spree that included a stop at Birks in downtown Sudbury. One of North America’s most prestigious jewellers since 1879, Birks was the Go-To stop for diamonds, pearls, fine jewellery, watches, and the perfect gift for almost any occasion. Receiving a gift beautifully wrapped in their trademark blue boxes would automatically elicit oohs and aahs at birthday parties, showers, and other festive events.
Continue reading on Vicki Batman’s blog.
Movie Review: Wonder Woman
It was definitely worth the wait—76 years to be exact.
Wonder Woman debuted in 1941 but didn’t get her own live-action film until 2017. Directed by Patty Jenkins and starring Gal Gadot as the Amazonian warrior princess, the film has surpassed all industry expectations, delivering over $300 million worldwide in box office receipts during the opening weekend.
Having grown up watching Lynda Carter’s Wonder Woman, I wondered if Gadot could capture the essence of the demigoddess aka Diana Prince.
I needn’t have worried.
From powerful acrobatics to rescuing spy Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) to tearing into the battlefields of the First World War—Gadot’s Diana displays strength, determination, and compassion. And she looks the part with her tiara, warrior costume, god-killing sword, bullet-deflecting bracelets, and Lasso of Truth.
After rescuing Steve when he crashes off the idyllic island of Themyscira (home of the Amazons), Diana learns of the global war that has been raging for years. Convinced that the war is the evil work of the god Ares, Diana stands up to her mother (Connie Nielsen) and follows Steve to London.
Conversations about sexual practices and Diana’s visit to a London dress shop provide comedic relief as the pair makes their way to the Front. Steve’s SWAT team—a Scottish marksman (Ewen Bremmer), a con artist (Said Taghmaoui), an Indigenous tracker (Eugene Brave Rock)—and his secretary (Lucy Davis) add eccentric charm and more humor.
I was also impressed by Robin Wright’s portrayal of Diana’s aunt, General Antiope. Unfortunately, she only appears in a few scenes.
I highly recommend this impressive and empowering movie about a superhero who continues to inspire women of all ages. Gal Godot said it best in a recent interview: “Wonder Woman, most of all, she stands for love and accepting all people for who they are…If each of us had a little bit more of Wonder Woman, of these qualities, in us, we’d have a better world.”
Joanne Guidoccio 