The Coming of Arabella
by Joanne Guidoccio
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: Paranormal Romance
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BLURB:
On
the day of her engagement party, an ex-mermaid’s life is disrupted by the
unexpected arrival of another mermaid—a sister she has never known. Under
normal circumstances, Barbara Davies would be overjoyed, but her special day is
already wrought with tension. While Barbara is not the first mermaid from the
Mediterranean kingdom to settle in small town Ontario, she has yet to reveal
her origins to her fiancé. So when Arabella, the gorgeous sister whose
disturbing black eyes banished her to the island of Crete, saunters into her
life, clutching the arm of Barbara’s discarded lover, a powder keg of emotion
is released.
Relationships falter and
careers stall as envy stirs in the hearts of the sisters. On the verge of
meltdown after her fiancé leaves Canada for a teaching job in Vermont, Barbara
flees to Arizona hoping for a reprieve. There, she finds solace at a retreat
for ex-mermaids and a second chance at love with a charismatic preacher. As she
contemplates a new life in the desert paradise of Sedona, shocking secrets
emerge and tragedy strikes. A stronger and wiser Barbara rises up to face these
new challenges and embrace the best parts of her mermaid heritage.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My Review:
I like stories about mermaids, I was very curious to read this book. It was really a pleasant reading, is an original and addictive story written with much irony and there are several twists.
Barbara is a mermaid becomes a human in the body of a fifty. She has just received the proposal of her boyfriend and is very happy. To ruin her moment of glory there is the coming of Arabella. She's a also a mermaid but is became human in the body of a twenty. She claims to be Barbara' sister but has no at all fraternal affection. She will try to hinder her in any way.
Barbara is a great character, I had great fun with her. It is not easy to tell your boyfriend that you are a siren. Then comes a stunning twenties and her life becomes a hell.
This is the second book in this series although I haven't read the first book, it in no way disrupted my enjoyment of this book. And I will be reading first book in this series and subsequently every other book.
It 's very well written, the pace is smooth and engaging, the plot had me hooked from the first page.
If you are looking for a cute and funny book then you need to read this one.
EXCERPT:
Arabella threw back her shoulders and gazed down at Barbara.
With her heels, she was almost a head taller. “What I need is a relationship
with you.”
“A relationship with me?” Barbara repeated. She had been
prepared for almost any response but not that one.
“That’s right. BFFs, soul sisters, whatever you want to call
those tight bonds these humans have.”
Barbara’s eyes widened. “Do you even know or understand the
concept of BFF?”
“Of course, I do. A BFF is a best friend forever. You’re my
twin sister. You can’t get any closer than that.”
“It doesn’t work that way,” Barbara said. “You can’t order
up BFFs. Friends have the same value systems and look out for each other. I
can’t imagine you doing that for me.”
“Or you doing that for me,” Arabella said. “Mama’s explained
all the reasons you’ve been avoiding me, and I do understand the envy and
bitterness.” She shuddered. “I can’t imagine losing everything like you did. I
don’t know what I would do. But that’s neither here or there. I’m a part of
your life, whether you like it or not. And I’m not going anywhere. So, you
better start being nice to me.”
“Are you threatening me?”
Arabella smiled and tossed her hair. “Everyone in your
circle likes me. How would it look if you ignored me?”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
In 2008, she took
advantage of early retirement and decided to launch a second career that would
tap into her creative side and utilize her well-honed organizational skills.
Slowly, a writing practice emerged. Her articles and book reviews were
published in newspapers, magazines, and online. When she tried her hand at
fiction, she made reinvention a recurring theme in her novels and short
stories. A member of Sisters in Crime, Crime Writers of Canada, and Romance
Writers of America, Joanne writes paranormal romance, cozy mysteries, and
inspirational literature from her home base of Guelph, Ontario.
Social Media
Links
Website: http://joanneguidoccio.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/joanneguidoccio
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/jguidoccio/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7277706.Joanne_Guidoccio
Interview Questions
Where are you from?
While I’ve lived in Southern Ontario for more than half my lifetime, I
have fond memories of my childhood and adolescence in Sudbury, also known as
the Nickel Capital of the World and Slagtown. Growing up, I would sneak in to see the
big coin, and while walking in the evenings, I took in a spectacular view of
the slag dumping. Not exactly what most children would enjoy, but I was
fascinated by the contrast between the darkening sky and the fiery colors.
What gave you the inspiration to write this book?
After writing
Between Land and Sea (Book 1 of The Mediterranean Trilogy), I imagined more
books involving the mermaids and ex-mermaids in the protagonist’s life. One
night I dreamed of another mermaid, one not as kind and supportive as the
characters in the first novel. The following day, two What if scenarios
emerged:
What if the new
mermaid was somewhere on the Narcissist/Sociopath continuum?
What if she was
determined to wreak havoc in everyone’s life?
Do you write full-time or part-time?
While I have devoted my second act to writing,
I do have a patchwork of other activities that I enjoy. Each day, I set a goal
of 1000 words. Once that is achieved, I am free to participate in other activities,
among them yoga, scrapbooking, photography, Toastmasters, and get-togethers
with other writers and retirees. Life is good.
What is the hardest thing about writing?
Maintaining the momentum, especially when navigating what I like to call
the “murky middle” is what I find most challenging. At that point, I have to
take a break from the narrative. While writing Between Land and Sea, I found
inspiration when psychic Kendra Adams, one of the secondary characters in the
novel, appeared in a dream. In writing The Coming of Arabella, I struggled a
bit when the storyline shifted to Arizona. This time, I found inspiration on a
long country drive.
Who are your favorite authors?
I have eclectic tastes and enjoy reading contemporary women’s fiction,
cozy mysteries, thrillers, historical fiction, self-help, and memoirs. Some of
my favorite authors include Ann Patchett, Ann Lamott, Jane Green, Maeve Binchy,
Gail Bowen, Louise Penny, Adriana Trigiani, Louise Hay, and Dr. Christiane
Northrup.
What
are you working on next?
Right now, I’m working on The Making of a Mermaid Psychic, Book 3
of The Mediterranean Trilogy and Too Many Women in the Room, Book 2 of
the Gilda Greco Mystery Series.
Buy
Links for THE COMING OF ARABELLA by Joanne Guidoccio
Amazon
(US): http://is.gd/DQhWmI
Amazon
(Canada): http://is.gd/JrwC1l
Amazon
(UK): http://is.gd/fJ2x4E
Amazon
(Australia): http://is.gd/6KovIe
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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE
Joanne
Guidoccio will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via
rafflecopter during the tour.
I enjoyed the excerpt from the book, and the interview with the author.
RispondiEliminaThanks for dropping by, Jen :)
EliminaThanks for hosting!
RispondiEliminaThanks for the lovely review :)
RispondiEliminaThanks for the review and the interview :)
RispondiEliminaI enjoyed the excerpt and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the book.
Lori
Hi Lori, Glad to hear you enjoyed the excerpt. Happy reading! :)
EliminaEnjoyed the interview, excerpt and the review, Sounds like a great read, thanks for sharing!
RispondiEliminaYou're very welcome, Eva. Good luck with the giveaway. :)
EliminaGreat review. Loved the excerpt.
RispondiEliminaThanks for dropping by. :)
EliminaGreat post! Thanks for sharing your review and the excerpt, I'm looking forward to reading more :)
RispondiEliminaHi Victoria, I'm happy to hear you enjoyed the post. Happy reading! :)
RispondiEliminaI liked the interview.
RispondiEliminaThanks Rita! :)
EliminaI enjoyed reading the interview and review!
RispondiEliminaThanks Betty. Good luck with the giveaway. :)
EliminaWow! Excellent post! I really enjoyed reading the excerpt, the interview, and your review. This book sounds like a very interesting and intriguing read! Looking forward to reading this book!
RispondiEliminaThanks for the endorsement, Ally. I hope you enjoy reading the book. :)
RispondiEliminaI enjoyed the entire post. Thank you!
RispondiEliminaGood to hear, Ree. Good luck with the giveaway. :)
Elimina