10 Vintage Obsessions

Posted on September 25, 2015 by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m thrilled to welcome Maia Chance to the Power of 10 series. Today, Maia shares the reasons behind her love of research and her latest release, Come Hell or Highball.

Here’s Maia!

Sometimes I deeply suspect that the real reason I write historical mysteries is because of the research portion of the job. Not, mind you, the dry, dusty, dates-and-facts part of historical research. No, I love the stuff.

Some of my favorites…

Pyrex. To me, colorful vintage Pyrex bowls are like candy. I don’t know why this is, but I take solace in knowing that I’m not the only one . . . and I know this because not only are Pyrex museums in existence, but there are a lot of people on Etsy who are DRIVING UP THE PRICES on Pink Gooseberry Cinderella bowls. *Shakes fist*

Shoes. Louis heels, t-straps, jeweled buckles, button-up . . . I love them all. It is unfortunate that I have somewhat large-ish, wide-ish feet, so I never can find vintage shoes that fit me. At least, not women’s shoes. Maybe men’s. (Although I saw a few pairs of Napoleon Bonaparte’s shoes in a museum exhibit. Shockingly small. They aren’t joking about his tininess.)

Maps. I am a total Map Nerd. I loathe that turn-by-turn navigation lady on computerized maps. She is so micromanaging. I love to unfold paper maps alllllll the way and navigate. And I LOVE looking at old maps. You can get a sense of a historic worldview just by studying, say, the blank spots on old maps.

Clothes. Oh my goodness. One word: Pinterest.

Furniture. I have this theory that the “historical body”—the gestures, carriage, and even, to some extent, the shape of the body itself—is conditioned not only by food, clothing (corsets, for example), and modes of labor, but also by the furniture a person uses on a daily basis. The cushy feather bed or the scratchy straw mattress? The crude stool that makes you hunch to keep your balance, or the straight-backed armchair that presents you as a ruler but makes your lumbar ache?

Transportation. They simply don’t make cars the way they used to. Period.

Food. I adore researching and writing about food. I edit out SO MUCH detail on food from my early drafts. I mean, I totally understand that it can get in the way of a fast-paced plot, but who isn’t at least a little intrigued by towering aspic jellies, Spam mousse, or orgeat?

Slang. I believe there is no better way to give a story the flavor of history than by inserting some choice slang. Butterfly’s boots? Confabulate? Geewillikins? Sign me up!

Makeup. From demure Victorian face powder to 1920’s Maybelline cake mascara to mod nude lips, makeup really sets a historical tone. I purposely created heroines for my two series who happen to have a knack for cosmetic application: One is an actress and the other, well, she simply likes makeup. Part of the reason for this was I wanted them both to be good at creating disguises. Also, secretly, I want a reason to study vintage magazine ads.

Houses. Here’s another place I have to pare way, way down with the description. I’m totally serious when I say that all of my books have started with a house. Before the characters, before the plot. Because a house (or a castle, chateau, shack) is so suggestive of both a time period and, well, just sitting empty there, it’s got to be filled with a story.

Blurb

31-year-old society matron Lola Woodby has survived her loveless marriage with an unholy mixture of highballs, detective novels, and chocolate layer cake, until, her husband dies suddenly, leaving her his fortune…or so Lola thought. As it turns out, all she inherits from Alfie is a big pile of debt. Pretty soon, Lola and her stalwart Swedish cook, Berta, are reduced to hiding out in the secret love nest Alfie kept in New York City. But when rent comes due, Lola and Berta have no choice but to accept an offer made by one of Alfie’s girls-on-the-side: in exchange for a handsome sum of money, the girl wants Lola to retrieve a mysterious reel of film for her. It sounds like an easy enough way to earn the rent money. But Lola and Berta realize they’re in way over their heads when, before they can retrieve it, the man currently in possession of the film reel is murdered, and the reel disappears. On a quest to retrieve the reel and solve the murder before the killer comes after them next, Lola and Berta find themselves navigating one wacky situation after another in high style and low company.

Charming, witty, often laugh-out-loud funny, Maia Chance’s Come Hell or Highball introduces a sparkling new voice in crime fiction.

Bio

Maia Chance writes historical mystery novels that are rife with absurd predicaments and romantic adventure. She is the author of the Fairy Tale Fatal and The Discreet Retrieval Agency series. Her first mystery, Snow White Red-Handed, was a national bestseller. Her latest releases are Cinderella Six Feet Under and Come Hell or Highball.

Where to find Maia…

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon

Happy Autumn!

Posted on September 23, 2015 by Joanne Guidoccio

Whenever I look out at Nature’s breathtaking fall palette, I am inspired and invigorated to start anew. Anything and everything is possible during the cool, crisp days of autumn.

Some of my favorite quotations…

Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns. George Eliot

No spring nor summer beauty hath such grace
As I have seen in one autumnal face. John Donne

Autumn, the year’s last loveliest smile. William Cullen Bryant

Autumn, the mellower season, and what we lose in flowers we more than gain in fruits. Samuel Butler

Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn. Emily Dickinson

Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting, and autumn a mosaic of them all. Stanley Horowitz

Autumn asks that we prepare for the future—that we be wise in the ways of garnering and keeping. But it also asks that we learn to let go—to acknowledge the beauty of sparseness. Bonaro W. Overstreet

I’ve never known anyone yet who doesn’t suffer a certain restlessness when autumn rolls around…We’re all eight years old and anything is possible. Sue Grafton

Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower. Albert Camus

Even if something is left undone, everyone must take time to sit still and watch the leaves turn. Elizabeth Lawrence

Food in Fiction

Posted on September 22, 2015 by Joanne Guidoccio

My recipe and novel are featured on Food in Fiction, a month-long celebration on Terri Giuliano Long’s blog.

Drop by and visit – I’m the second entry of the day. Before leaving, scroll down and enter the Rafflecopter giveaway. You could win a $25 Amazon gift card.

10 Interesting Facts About The Little Mermaid

Posted on September 21, 2015 by Joanne Guidoccio

In 1989, Walt Disney Productions released The Little Mermaid, an animated film based upon the fairy tale written by Hans Christian Andersen. The worldwide response was an overwhelming one. The film has grossed over $200 million worldwide and has been credited with launching the Disney Renaissance, an era that breathed life back into the animated feature film genre.

Here are 10 interesting facts about this popular film:

1. In designing heroine Ariel, the animators were inspired by the body of Alyssa Milano (Who’s The Boss? star) and the hair of astronaut Sally Ride. Ariel’s underwater hair sequence was based on a video of Sally’s hair as she traveled in zero gravity.

2. To avoid confusion with Daryl Hannah’s mermaid in Splash, the animators decided to make Ariel a redhead.

3. The voice actor for Prince Eric was sixteen-year-old Christoper Daniel Barnes.

4. The villain Ursula was designed to resemble Madame Medusa from “The Rescuers” and cinema drag queen Divine, best known for his roles in Pink Flamingos and Hairspray.

5. Originally, the producer asked Bea Arthur to play Ursula, but she dropped out of the film because of “Golden Girls” conflicts. Rosanne Barr and Nancy Wilson were also considered until Elaine Stritch was cast. Unfortunately, Elaine proved incompatible and was replaced by Pat Carroll.

6. Patrick Stewart was offered the role of King Triton but had to turn it down because he was too busy with “Star Trek: The Next Generation.” Kenneth Mars was cast in the role.

7. Jodi Benson recorded “Part of Your World” with the studio lights turned low to simulate the feeling of being underwater. This classic Disney tune was almost cut from the film because the director thought the song was too boring.

8. In the opening scene with King Triton, Micky Mouse, Goofy, Donald Duck, and Kermit the Frog appear in the crowd of sea-people.

9. During Eric and Ariel’s wedding scene, the Grand Duke and King from Disney’s Cinderella can be seen in the background.

10. The directors insisted that every bubble in the movie be hand-drawn, not Xeroxed. Animator Mark Dindal estimated that he and his colleagues had to draw a million bubbles.

Review from Pure Jonel

Posted on September 20, 2015 by Joanne Guidoccio

Received a lovely review of A Season for Killing Blondes from Jonel.

Molte grazie!

RB’s 10 Favorite Quotes

Posted on September 16, 2015 by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m thrilled to welcome Soul Mate author R.B. Austin to the Power of 10 series. Today, RB shares her favorite quotes.

Here’s RB!

Thank you so much for hosting me, Joanne! Listed below are ten of my favorite quotes.

I love words that when pulled together cause me to think. To feel. Or want to change. Or help me realize I’m not alone this is a huge, sometimes scary, world.

I hope you, dear readers, find some inspiration to brighten or change your day.

1. Never give up…No one knows what’s going to happen next. –L. Frank Baum

2. The mind I love must have wild places. –Katherine Mansfield

3. And what is empty turns its face to us / and whispers: / “I am not empty, I am open.” Tomas Transtromer

4. Do you think that I count the days? There is only one day left, always starting over: it is given to us at dawn and taken away from us at dusk. –Jean-Paul Sartre

5. In a time of destruction, create something. –Maxine Hong Kingston

6. Is this why we love at all? To save. –From the movie “A Winters Tale”

7. For there is nothing lost, that may be found, if sought. –Edmund Spenser

8. Be a lamp, a lifeboat, or a ladder… -Rumi

9. We can only die in the future, I thought; right now we are always alive. –Amy Hempel

10. Your thorns are the best part of you. –Marianne Moore

Blurb

The war between Apollyon and the Trihune has begun.

Lucas scours the street in need of a fix. He captures his enemy instead of kills. Spins lies instead of truth. Seeks darkness instead of light. So close to the edge with no concern for the fall.

The map was foretold. Its key long lost.

Sent on a mission to find the key necessary to defeat Apollyon, Lucas meets Kate. Fiery, powerful, unable-to-touch-any-object Kate. As his feelings for her grow, the addiction inside him wanes.

Until he learns she is not meant for him.

Find the key. Find the way and triumph.

His future with Kate is bleak. The darkness, too hard to control. The key, still lost.

Can Lucas win the battle raging inside his body in order to win the war rising on the streets?

Bio

RB Austin enjoys torturing dogs (dressing her Cairn terrier in knitted sweaters and booties), embarrassing her daughter (singing in the car . . . at the top of her lungs . . . with the windows open . . . at a stop light), and indulging in the second deadliest sin (chocolate, Swedish fish, chocolate, sour patch watermelons, and chocolate).

This author’s love of the sun puts in her in the more-than-likely-not-a-vampire category, unless you’re referring to the bloodsuckers in her Trihune series, then all bets are off.

She likes stalkers! . . . Well, not the creepy kind. So if you’re not creepy, she’d love to meet up with you on Facebook or Twitter.

Where to find RB…

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Happy Release Day!

At the Quilt Show

Posted on September 15, 2015 by Joanne Guidoccio

Quilts on the Grand Show – June 6, 2015

It was one of those spur-of-the-moment ideas that seemingly came out of nowhere. But thinking back, I do recall hearing about the “Quilts on the Grand Show” for several weeks before the actual event. The advertisements appeared in local papers, and several establishments—including the library branches—proudly displayed the work of these talented artisans.

When I found myself with several free hours on that Saturday afternoon in early June, I headed up to Fergus, a short thirty-minute drive away. Having never quilted, I didn’t anticipate spending too much at the show and planned on visiting other shops in the area.

Continue reading on Catherine Castle’s blog.

Mermaids in Halifax

Posted on September 14, 2015 by Joanne Guidoccio

In an earlier post, several visitors commented that I was seeing mermaids everywhere. But I didn’t have to look too far to discover this week’s topic. Earlier this month, my local newspaper (Guelph Mercury) featured the following article: “Mermaids making a splash.”

Guelph Mercury – September 5, 2015

Here are some highlights…

Mermaid Raina a.k.a. Stephanie Brown is the co-founder of Halifax Mermaids, a company that employs mermaids to provide environmental education. Wearing realistic tails and shell hairpieces, the mermaids perform at birthday parties, sandcastle festivals, and workshops at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic.

In addition to entertaining their enthusiastic audiences, the mermaids teach children about the ocean food chain, microplastic pollution, and the importance of recycling. Learning about the ocean and empowering people toward change are the primary goals of this fast-growing, one-year-old company.

To keep up with demand, the founders applied for and obtained a $10,000 small business grant. This extra funding will be used to hire more mermaids and book more events. They also plan to purchase a mobile tank that will allow them to travel across Canada.

About Stephanie…

In 2007, Stephanie decided to combine her education in child and youth development and her love of mermaids and launch a career as an independent mermaid. An excellent choice that has enabled Stephanie to keep in shape and manage her chronic illness and pain.

Having experienced a difficult childhood and benefitted from such programs as Make-A-Wish, Stephanie pays it forward by visiting sick children in hospitals. During these visits, she wears her tail and uses a wheelchair to make her rounds.

Spotlight on Dancing in the Athenian Rain

Posted on September 11, 2015 by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m happy to feature Katie Hamstead’s new release…

Blurb

When Donna is sent back in time to Classical Athens, she’s furious at Dr. Stephens for sending her against her wishes. Then a Greek soldier purchases her to be his wife.

She’s forced to learn a new language and culture, and faces her fears of never returning to her own time. The society hates her, especially because they think she’s an Amazon, which forces her to confront her issues—being compared to her genius brother, borderline abusive friends, and a cheating boyfriend.

But her husband, Peleus, is kind and patient. Although against her best judgment, she allows him into her heart. He counters all the negative voices from her past, but those voices drive a wedge between them. She must let go of her fears, her inhibitions, and insecurities, and admit her feelings, or she could lose him and the life they’ve built.

Buy Links

Amazon (US) | Amazon (Australia)

Bio

Born and raised in Australia, Katie’s early years of day dreaming in the “bush”, and having her father tell her wild bedtime stories, inspired her passion for writing.

After graduating High School, she became a foreign exchange student where she met a young man who several years later she married. Now she lives in Arizona with her husband, daughter and their dog.

She has a diploma in travel and tourism which helps inspire her writing. She currently works as an Acquisitions Editor with Curiosity Quills Press to help support her family.

Katie loves to out sing her friends and family, play sports and be a good wife and mother. She loves to write, and takes the few spare moments in her day to work on her novels.p

Where to find Katie…

Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

The Heart of the Story

Posted on September 9, 2015 by Joanne Guidoccio

Welcome to my Second Acts Series!

Today, we have author and fellow Sister of Suspense Marian Lanoutte/Merry Holly sharing a lifelong passion for writing.

Here’s Marian!

Briefly describe your first act.

I always joked that I didn’t know what I wanted to be when I grew up. My career choices was acting or writing. But my parents made it clear from an early age, they wouldn’t pay for those kinds of degrees. Teaching or accounting was their recommendations. I figured I’d show them and turned down college for a temporary job as an office manager that lasted ten years. My father told me I’d regret the decision, but I was eighteen and headstrong.

In my first act I was busy working with no real goal. Well, my father was right. At thirty I headed back to school and got my Bachelors of Science in Accounting.

What triggered the need for change?

Believe it or not, our office was totally manual at the time. My boss (one of the greatest I ever had) suggested we take classes to learn to use computers. Our trustees mentioned they wanted to computerize the process. Well, my husband and I, and my boss and his wife signed up at a local high school in their adult education program. The course was an introduction to computers and their uses. The four of us arrived for class the first night and discovered it was cancelled for lack of interest.

Disappointed, my husband and I drove straight to the local college and signed up for a basic computer class. I loved it (I could be a professional student discovered) and decided it was time to work on my degree.

My second act was triggered by a health issue. I discovered I had severe blockages in the heart and required by-pass surgery. During the recovery period (six months) I looked through my computer and discovered all the stories I’ve written over the years, I never shared with anyone. To aid in my recovery and keep my mind sharp, I started my first novel.

After surgery the limit for a by-pass patient is eight pounds. In the scheme of life that’s not a lot of weight. Your vacuum weights around ten pounds or more to give you a comparison. My husband to ensure I didn’t lift more brought me a notebook which weighed less than two pounds.

In three months I had my first draft of If I Fail, A Jake Carrington mystery. Since then I haven’t looked back. I now have three complete novels in the series (the last one Mated for Life is in the editing process,) and several published novellas.

Where are you now?

I’m back in my accounting career and continue to write in the evenings. The accounting is a necessary evil, and the writing is a joy. I’m sorry I didn’t follow my dreams and pursue my writing earlier in life. But I’m a firm believer things happen for a reason.

Do you have advice for anyone planning to pursue a second act?

Do your research. I wrote a first draft and sent it out to every agent on the planet. Not knowing the steps to a successful novel. The book, Loss of Power, is still sitting in a drawer. A wonderful story, that I love, which needs a ton of work. If it wasn’t for a nice editor at a big publishing house and her advice, I’d still be banging my head on the wall. She suggested I join a writing group and take some online classes to learn the craft. It was the best advice I got pertaining to my writing. And it made sense. Didn’t I have to take classes to learn accounting.

Any affirmations or quotations you wish to share?

Yes, I love Stephen Kings advice in On Writing. The book is wonderful. This quote is one taken from it.

“If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.” ― Stephen King

Marian’s Books