Tag Archives: Joanne Guidoccio
Inspiration…Blowing in the Wind
Pink tutus and pointe shoes.
Walls of mirrors and hours of practice.
The Nutcracker and Swan Lake.
These are the images that come to mind whenever we think of little girls and their ballerina dreams.
A world away and a world apart from Mabinty Bangura.
Born in Sierra Leone during the Civil War, Mabinty was orphaned at three years of age after her father was shot by rebels and her mother starved to death. Suffering from vitiligo, a skin condition that produced white freckles on her neck and chest, she was called a “devil’s child” by the other girls and women at the orphanage. Known as Number 27, Mabinty ranked at the very bottom of the orphanage’s ranking system. Her only companion was Mia, Number 26, who was shunned for being left-handed.
On a windy day, a magazine swept up against a fence in the orphanage yard. Fascinated by the beautiful young girl on the cover, Mabinty quickly tore it off and hid it under her clothes. Later she explained: “She was in this beautiful tutu and she was on pointe. And she looked so happy to me at the time, and it was perfect timing because I was going through so much and she gave me hope to keep going.”
When a couple from New Jersey arrived to adopt Mia, they decided to also adopt her defiant friend. Away from Sierra Leone, Mabinty realized she was finally in a safe place. She took out the magazine photo and showed it her new mother, who enrolled her in dance school.
Following the dream wasn’t always easy.
After preparing to play Marie in The Nutcracker, she was told that someone else would get the part because the world was not ready for a black Marie. Another instructor commented that she did not have the classic ballet body. At five feet four and a half inches, she was considered too short and her feet did not have that coveted classical line. And the pink and white standard colors for ballet wear clashed with her ebony complexion.
Undaunted, Mabinty (now known as Michaela DePrince) pressed on and worked hard to give her feet a classical line. Her mother hand-dyed her costume straps and pointe shoes a deep brown. At one point, Michaela did consider quitting ballet, but changed her mind after seeing black dancer Heidi Cruz perform with the Pennsylvania Ballet.
In 2012, eighteen-year-old Michaela De Prince became the youngest member of the acclaimed Dance Theater of Harlem. At eighteen, she joined the Dutch National Junior Company as a second-year member and apprentice to the main company. Three years later, Michaela was promoted to the rank of Grand Sujet for The Dutch National Ballet’s main company.
In 2013 Michaela collaborated with her mother to write her memoir, Taking Flight. The mother-daughter team has also worked together on Hope in a Ballet Shoe and Ballerina Dreams, a Step-into-Reading book for young readers between the ages of six and eight years old.
This amazing young woman, who radiates poise and quiet confidence, hopes to inspire other girls to purse ballet. In a recent interview, she said: “I take what’s in my past and put it in my body. My life is proof that no matter what situation you’re in, as long as you have a supportive family, you can achieve anything.”
Taking a Sneak Peek…
It’s official!
The Wild Rose Press will release Too Many Women in the Room on Friday, May 19, 2017. Today, and for the next two Fridays, I will share sneak peeks of the Prologue.
While the rest of the novel is written in the POV of the protagonist (Gilda Greco), the Prologue is written in the victim’s POV.
Here’s Part I of the Prologue:
He couldn’t believe he was following his wife’s advice. After twelve years of paying lip service to deep yoga breaths, mindfulness, and all the other New Age crap she espoused, he had finally found a use for it. His midnight run usually sorted out all the stress, but tonight was different. He still couldn’t shake the venom that had been directed his way.
To make matters worse, it had come from eight women, eight very different and very annoying women. He had bedded four, but right now he couldn’t imagine having sex with any of them. As for the untouched four, well, only one interested him, and it had nothing to do with her feminine wiles and everything to do with her healthy bank account.
He would have to take something to get through the night, something a lot stronger than his wife’s herbal teas. The remnants of an old Percocet prescription came to mind. Two capsules might do the trick. The thought of a panacea, albeit a chemical one, calmed his racing thoughts. A good night’s sleep would make a world of difference. And tomorrow, he would sort it out.
The light patter of feet distracted him. Definitely a woman’s gait. Her breath was even, neither shallow nor panting. Younger, maybe in her thirties. His pulse quickened, and a smile spread over his features. A welcome distraction. Just what he needed to erase the built-up stress. To hell with deep breathing, affirmations, and Percocet.
Buy Links
Amazon (Canada) | Amazon (US) | Kobo | Indigo | The Wild Rose Press
Life Lessons from Noah’s Ark
While writing this post, I’m enjoying a cup of my favorite tea–Flora Echinacea Elderberry with Cranberry and Rooibos–and smiling contentedly as I contemplate not going out in the rain. When it rains several days in a row, I prefer to stay warm and dry indoors.
The cool, wet weather motivates me to plan and work ahead. These past two days, I’ve filed and decluttered, cleaned my condo, written several posts and reviews, and worked on the launch of my upcoming cozy, Too Many Women in the Room. But improved work habits aren’t the only benefits to be gained from rainy days or the anticipation of rainy days.
Here are 9 life lessons from Noah’s Ark:
1. Plan ahead. It wasn’t raining when Noah built the Ark.
2. Stay fit. When you’re 60 years old, you may be asked to do something really big.
3. Remember that we are all in the same boat.
4. Don’t miss the boat.
5. Build your future on high ground.
6. For safety’s sake, travel in pairs.
7. Speed isn’t always an advantage. The snails were on board with the cheetahs.
8. When you are stressed, float awhile.
9. Remember, the Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.
Source: Inspirational Jokes
Happy National Find a Rainbow Day
Today is National Find a Rainbow Day, a time to reflect upon the beauty and magnificence of those multicolored arcs that remind us of the hope and possibilities that exist in Nature and in our own lives.
Here are my 10 favorite “rainbow” quotes:
Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud. Maya Angelou
There comes a point in your life when you realize your hardest times are your best times, too—you will see the rainbow of your life. Roy Bennett
And when it rains on your parade, look up rather than down. Without the rain, there would be no rainbow. G.K. Chesterton
If you want to see a rainbow you have to learn to see the rain. Paulo Coelho
When you reduce life to black and white, you never see rainbows. Rachel Houston
The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.
Dolly Parton
One can enjoy a rainbow without necessarily forgetting the forces that made it. Mark Twain
Rainbows apologize for angry skies. Sylvia Voirol
My heart leaps up when I behold
A rainbow in the sky…
William Wordsworth
Don’t miss all the beautiful colors of the rainbow looking for that pot of gold. Author Unknown
Do you have a favorite “rainbow” quote?
Many Winding Roads to Success
Whenever I need a strong dose of inspiration, I refer to the following story about one of the most prolific writers of our time.
A laundry worker, who lived in a trailer, earned $60 a week at his job while his wife worked night shifts. The man had a burning desire to be a writer and spent his nights and weekends typing manuscripts to send to agents and publishers. Each one was rejected with a form letter that gave him no assurance that his manuscript had ever been read.
Finally, a warmer, more personal rejection letter came in the mail, stating that, although his work was not good enough to warrant publishing, he had promise as a writer and should keep writing.
He forwarded two more manuscripts to the same friendly publisher over the next eighteen months, and as before, he struck out with both of them. Finances got so tight that the young couple had to disconnect their telephone to pay for medicine for their baby.
Feeling discouraged, he threw his latest manuscript into the garbage. His wife, committed to his life goals and believing in his talent, took the manuscript out of the trash and sent it to Doubleday, the publisher who had sent the friendly rejections.
The book, titled Carrie, sold more than five million copies and, as a movie, became one of the top-grossing films in 1976.
The laundry worker was Stephen King.
Source: Stand and Deliver: How to Become a Masterful Communicator and Public Speaker (Dale Carnegie Training)
In Praise of Spinach
Today is National Spinach Day, a day set aside to honor and consider all the delicious ways we can incorporate this nutritional powerhouse into our diets.
Here are 10 interesting facts about spinach:
1. During Catherine de Medici’s reign as queen of France, spinach was served at every meal. Many modern dishes made with spinach are known as “Florentine” in honor of Catherine’s birth in Florence.
2. The earliest written record of the spinach plant was found in Chinese, suggesting the spinach plant was introduced in China via Nepal.
3. Medieval artists extracted green pigment from spinach to use as an ink or paint.
4. China is the world’s largest spinach producer with 85% of global production.
5. California accounts for almost three quarters of national production. Other spinach-growing states include Arizona, New Jersey, Texas, Colorado, Maryland, and Arkansas.
6. In the 1930’s, U.S. spinach growers credited Popeye with a 33% increase in domestic spinach consumption.
7. Alma, Arkansas—the home of “Allen Canning Company” which cans and ships spinach—holds an annual spinach festival each April. Alma proclaims itself to be the “Spinach Capital of the World”…a title also claimed by Crystal City, Texas.
8. An excellent source of protein, calcium, folic acid, fiber, and vitamins A, C, and K, spinach is also loaded with cancer-fighting antioxidants.
9. A half cup of raw spinach counts as one vegetable serving.
10. Studies have found that eating cooked spinach and carrots – versus raw – results in much higher blood levels of beta-carotene, an antioxidant thought to guard against heart disease and lung cancer.
On a personal note…
I look forward to my breakfast smoothie. Here’s one of my favorite recipes:
I start with one scoop of Sun Warrior Vegan Protein Powder (vanilla flavor). Recommended by my nutritionist, this brand contains brown rice protein and works well for anyone who is sensitive to eggs, dairy, and soy. I add one-half cup of blueberries, one cup of baby spinach leaves, and one teaspoon of cinnamon. I then add six to eight ounces of water and blend.
Do you have a quick-and-easy spinach recipe to share?
Giveaway–TRR 6th Anniversary Party
Today, I’m participating in an anniversary party for The Romance Reviews. Along with nine other authors, I’m offering a prize to one lucky winner. Scroll down here and look for my question:
How many ex-boyfriends are possible suspects?
Answer correctly and you could win an e-book of A Season for Killing Blondes.
Fun Friday
10 Things I’m Looking Forward to in Nova Scotia
I’m happy to welcome author Luanna Stewart. Today, Luanna shares her favorite memories of Nova Scotia and her new release, If Wishes Were Earls.
Here’s Luanna!
In no particular order…
1. Except for this one. The number one thing I’m looking forward to with our move to Nova Scotia is returning home. I was born and raised in Halifax, the capital city, and have lived elsewhere more than half my life. It’s time to go home.
2. The Atlantic Ocean. Even though I’m currently living on the coast of Maine, and the same ocean is just a fifteen-minute drive away, it’s not quite the same.
3. The air. Laugh if you will, but the air is different in NS. Probably from a combination of the ocean and the large expanses of evergreen forests. That balsam fir smell, especially after a rain, smells like NS to me.
4. The air. Not a typo. My mum has a summer house on an island off the coast and the briny fresh smell of the air is so luscious you just want to take a bite. On many occasions I’ve stood in her back garden, closed my eyes, and just breathed.
5. Small towns. I like the intimacy. From our new hometown of Lunenburg, to Wolfville where Son1 attended college, to Malagash where my dad was born and where we vacationed when I was a kid, they all have a distinct character. I love exploring the local history, and there is always at least one good restaurant serving a local brew and fish & chips.
6. Camping. There are pictures in the old family album of me camping whilst still in diapers. (They were cloth diapers back in those days – my mum was a saint!) So it’s no wonder camping is in my blood. Hubby and I went camping on our honeymoon, backcountry, the site accessible only by canoe. Our favourite park is Kejimkujik National Park, known as Keji (pronounced KEH-gee). It’s in the middle of the province, full of lakes, rivers and streams, and once you paddle for a few hours to your campsite all you can hear are the loons announcing sunrise and the beavers chewing on lily pads. The night sky is overwhelming in its brilliance.
7. Hiking. Nova Scotia is riddled with hiking trails over all sorts of terrain. Along the coast, deep into old-growth forest, around bogs and marshes, the trails allow for all levels of difficulty.
8. Kayaking. Our new home is right on the ocean so we can push our kayaks into the water from our beach and paddle away, exploring the bays and inlets nearby. If we’re particularly adventurous we can paddle into town!
9. Music. Ah, the fiddle and the bagpipe. On street corners, in pubs, at music festivals, toe-tapping folk music is alive and well. The three biggest influences on the local folk music are Scottish, Irish, and Acadian. Any and all will make you dance in your chair.
10. Cycling. Along with the hiking trails there is a vast network of former railway lines that have been converted into hiking/cycling trails. A wonderful and safe way to explore the area. You can peddle for miles, and because the trails used to be rail lines into the various towns, you can travel into town and pop into a pub for lunch! The best part? No hills.
What are some things you particularly like about where you live? If you had to move away, what would you miss the most?
One commenter will receive a hand-knitted (by me) washcloth and a bar of handcrafted soap. (USA and Canada only.)
Tagline
A mysterious letter and an enchanted keepsake promise to lead Miranda to her heart’s desire. Or does her heart secretly yearn for more than a sexy earl?
Blurb
When a mysterious note directs Miss Miranda Large to a tiny village in Cornwall to find her heart’s desire, she has no choice but to go. An enchanted keepsake heightens her curiosity. A snowstorm forces her to accept the hospitality of a sullen, albeit sexy and handsome, earl and Miranda’s wish doesn’t seem so out of reach.
Edward Penhallion, the 12th Earl of Claverlock, is not in the mood to start his search for a new wife. He wants to be left alone with his books and his dreams of revenge. But the arrival of a headstrong, sharp-tongued spinster forces him to play the charming host. Not a difficult task, given her intelligence and beauty. Suddenly, he’s not terribly eager for her to leave.
But as the snow falls and the winds blow, Edward discovers there’s more to Miranda than a lively wit and a lovely face. And Miranda wonders if the trappings of wealth are enough for true happiness.
Buy Links
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Bio
Luanna Stewart has been creating adventures for her imaginary friends since childhood. As soon as she discovered her grandmother’s stash of romance novels, all plots had to lead to a happily-ever-after.
Born and raised in Nova Scotia, Luanna now lives in Maine with her dear husband, two college boys, and two cats. When she’s not torturing her heroes and heroines, she’s in her kitchen baking something delicious.
Writing under the pen name Grace Hood, she has two novellas published with The Wild Rose Press.
Where to find Luanna…
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page
Joanne Guidoccio 