A Season for Killing Blondes Release Day!

Posted on June 12, 2015 by Joanne Guidoccio

A Season for Killing Blondes is officially available today!

Blurb

Hours before the opening of her career counseling practice, Gilda Greco discovers the dead body of golden girl Carrie Ann Godfrey, neatly arranged in the dumpster outside her office. Gilda’s life and budding career are stalled as Detective Carlo Fantin, her former high school crush, conducts the investigation.

When three more dead blondes turn up all brutally strangled and deposited near Gilda’s favorite haunts, she is pegged as a prime suspect for the murders. Frustrated by Carlo’s chilly detective persona and the mean girl antics of Carrie Ann’s meddling relatives, Gilda decides to launch her own investigation. She discovers a gaggle of suspects, among them a yoga instructor in need of anger management training, a lecherous photographer, and fourteen ex-boyfriends.

As the puzzle pieces fall into place, shocking revelations emerge, forcing Gilda to confront the envy and deceit she has long overlooked.

Buy Links

Amazon Canada | Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon Australia | Kobo

The Wild Rose Press | Chapters/Indigo | Barnes & Noble

Thanks to the following bloggers for participating in today’s release.

Nights of Passion
Padme’s Library
NerdyChampagne
Alice’s Book Wonderland
Flame Resistant Udies Romance Reviews
Steamy Book Momma
Lovin’ Danger blog
Us Girls & A Book
Craves the Angst Book Blog
Ogitchida Kwe’s Book Blog
A Dirty Book Affair
A Bibliophobia Anonymous Book Reviews
My Life Loves and Passion
JBiggarBlog
Undercover Book Reviews
RoloPoloBookBlog
Books and Authors
Em & M Books
Marie’s Cozy Corner
Page By Page Inside-Out Reviews & Promotion
Happily Ever Chapter
3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too!
LibriAmoriMiei

Special thanks to Book Partners in Crime Promotions!

On Tour + #Giveaway

Posted on June 11, 2015 by Joanne Guidoccio

The following Soul Mate authors are hosting me on their blogs…

Tina Susedik

Kim Hotzon

Rachel Sharpe

Drop by and visit for a while. Remember to scroll down and enter the Rafflecopter giveaway. You could win a $25 Amazon gift card.

My Yoga Trials

Posted on June 8, 2015 by Joanne Guidoccio

I consider protagonist Gilda Greco to be my literary twin. She’s approximately 70 percent of me and shares many of my interests. As non-athletes it took us a while to find a preferred physical activity, but once we discovered yoga, we were hooked

In my case, it took over three decades of yoga trials.

Continue reading on Peggy Jaeger’s blog.

Sneak Peek Saturday

Posted on June 6, 2015 by Joanne Guidoccio

6 More Days!!

It’s official – The Wild Rose Press will release A Season for Killing Blondes on Friday, June 12, 2015. In the meantime, I will provide sneak peaks on several Saturdays leading up to the release.

Today, I will share the introduction to the novel..

Chapter 1 – Thursday, October 20, 2011

Three thousand euros worth of pastries. Can you believe it?

When I agreed to import the pastries, I had no idea I would be subsidizing the failing Italian economy and helping Silvio Berlusconi stay in power for a few weeks longer. Left to my own devices, I would have gone down the street to Regency Bakery, picked up some pastries and just walked them over. But my mother and Aunt Amelia were adamant. The open house for my new career counseling office needed a proper launch, one that could only be achieved with pastries from a Sicilian bakery.

To be fair, both of them were horrified when they saw that final four-figure amount on the invoice and swore me to secrecy. While conspicuous consumption is valued in the Italian community, being taken for a ride is not, and we would never hear the end of it from Uncle Paolo who is still complaining about the ten cents he has to pay for a shopping bag at No Frills.

I watched my mother rearrange the amaretto cookies, stuffed figs, biscotti, and other delicacies that had arrived yesterday. She and Aunt Amelia had brought in their best silver trays and carts and spent hours—according to Uncle Paolo—creating a colorful Italian corner.

“Everything is perfect. Maybe too perfect.” My mother made the sign of the cross and mumbled a Hail Mary.

“Relax, Ma. I’ve got everything under control. Nothing bad will happen.”

“Things have been going too well, Gilda. The lottery win. Your new career. This beautiful office. I’ve had one of my dreams, and you know what that means.”

Available for Pre-Order

Amazon Canada | Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon Australia | Kobo

Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway. You could win a $25 Amazon gift card.

Visiting and Sharing Recipes

Posted on June 5, 2015 by Joanne Guidoccio

Today, I’m visiting the blogs of three Soul Mate authors and sharing my favorite recipes.

Maggie Mundy –Tiramisu

Ryan Jo Summers – Perfect Smoothie

On tour + #Giveaway

Posted on June 2, 2015 by Joanne Guidoccio

Today, I’m visiting with two “Katherines”…

At Kathy Bryson’s blog, I’m sharing a character interview with protagonist Gilda Greco.

And Kate Sparkes is spotlighting A Season for Killing Blondes on her blog.

Drop by and visit for a while. Remember to scroll down and enter the Rafflecopter giveaway. You could win a $25 Amazon gift card.

Countdown to Release Day

Posted on June 1, 2015 by Joanne Guidoccio

The Wild Rose Press will release A Season for Killing Blondes on Friday, June 12.

Starting tomorrow, fifteen of my author friends will host me in a Countdown Blog Tour. I will be sharing posts, excerpts, and recipes with wonderful companions who have provided support and encouragement on my writing journey.

I’m hoping you’ll visit their blogs and enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway. You could win a $25 Amazon gift card.

Check daily for link updates.

June 2 – Kathy Bryson
June 2 – Kate Sparkes
June 3 – Anne B. Cole
June 4 – Jennifer Lowery
June 5 – Maggie Mundy
June 5 – Jo Richardson
June 5 – Ryan Jo Summers
June 6 – Sneak Peek Saturday
June 7 – MJ Compton
June 8 – Peggy Jaeger
June 9 – Susan B. James
June 10 – Kim Hotzon
June 10 – Rachel Sharpe
June 11 – Sophia Kimble
June 11 – Tina Susedik
June 12 – Stacy Hoff

Sneak Peek Saturday

Posted on May 9, 2015 by Joanne Guidoccio

In today’s excerpt, Gilda encounters Carlo’s detective persona.

Carlo had removed his suit jacket and rolled up the sleeves of his light blue dress shirt. His tie lay on the desk. The rumpled look suited him to a tee. And his large black-rimmed glasses accentuated those unforgettable blue eyes. Bluer than blue. Sky blue. Cornflower blue. Robin’s egg blue. Years ago, Adele Martino and I had come up with thirty-seven descriptions of Carlo Fantin’s eyes when Mrs. Gillespie assigned one of her Monday morning English composition exercises. As I tried to recall the other thirty-three, I realized that Carlo was speaking to me.

“…he’ll be taking notes as well.”

Darn! Another officer in the room, and I had missed his name and more importantly, his title. Was he a detective or a constable? I’m sure Sofia would know. In the meantime, I better stop daydreaming and start listening. I nodded in the direction of the beefy officer. Dark hair. Dark eyes. Expertly trimmed moustache. A big bear of a man who reminded me of Magnum P.I.

Carlo cleared his throat. He was ready to get down to business. Police business. “It appears that Carrie Ann was your first client. You haven’t opened this office for business yet. How did that happen?”

My heart raced as I spoke. “After Sofia and my mother left…I’m not certain about the time…um…I…I heard a knock at the front window. I looked up and saw Carrie Ann. Hadn’t seen her in ages.” I paused and then added, “Still wearing the same pageboy hair style and that blonde color—”

Carlo waved his hand. “Stick to the facts, please.”

I felt myself reddening as those piercing blue eyes bored right through me. “Oh, sorry. Um, I let Carrie Ann in.”

“And?” Carlo said when I hesitated.

I shrugged. “We just talked for a while, then, uh…” I closed my eyes and tried to recall the conversation. But nothing concrete came to mind, only Carrie Ann’s infectious laugh and bubbly compliments about the decorating scheme. When I opened my eyes, the other officer offered me a water bottle. I thanked him and gulped down half the contents.

“You scheduled her for a session tomorrow morning,” Carlo said as he held up my appointment book. “Carrie Ann is…was considered one of the best interior designers in town. Why would she need counseling from you?” His dark brows drew together in a suspicious frown. “Were you planning to tell her to give it up?”

Available for Pre-Order

Amazon Canada | Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon Australia | Kobo

Sneak Peak Saturday

Posted on April 25, 2015 by Joanne Guidoccio

In today’s excerpt, Gilda Greco reconnects with Carlo Fantin, her high school crush.

I noticed a man making his way through the crowd that had gathered outside the front window. Tall and lean with salt and pepper hair, the man sported a black leather coat and a light gray suit. When he stopped to talk with Uncle Paolo, he flashed a badge. As I approached the two men, my heart started beating faster. Carlo Fantin. How could I have forgotten my old high school crush? If anything, he looked even better now than he did back then. He hadn’t bulked up or lost his hair. He was still hunk material.

He stared, his blue eyes widening in surprise and something else I couldn’t quite define. Amusement. Anticipation. Maybe even lust. Whatever it was, he had stopped talking to Uncle Paolo and was now giving me his full attention.

He flashed the beautiful smile that had once captivated me and every other female student at Sudbury Secondary. “Hello, Gilda. It’s good to see you again. Uh, in spite of these circumstances.”

“Hi Carlo, I’m–”

“Detective Fantin.” My uncle shouted.

Before I could say anything, Aunt Amelia piped up, “We’re so glad you came, Detective. We’ll sleep better tonight knowing that you’re in charge.”

My mother and Sofia appeared at my side. All those years ago when I had fantasized about connecting with Carlo, I had envisioned many wonderful scenarios where we would bump into each other and fall in love—on the beach, dance floor, even at a bar. Never in a million years, did I think we would reconnect in these circumstances with my family in tow.

Enter the Giveaway – You could win a $25 Amazon gift card.