A Different Kind of Lottery Winner

Joanne Guidoccio is one of my favorite writers as she explores reinventing yourself in her books and on her blog. Today she shares her upcoming novel with some hints about being careful what you wish for AND a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card! Welcome, Joanne!

10 More Days!

Kathy, thanks for participating in the Countdown for A Season for Killing Blondes.

We don’t hear too many happily-ever-after stories about lottery winners. Often, they are portrayed as impulsive people who manage to squander all their money. And then there are the horror stories about long-lost relatives and friends who appear out of nowhere, asking for handouts. So, it’s not too surprising when lottery winners decide to take physical and emotional distance from their previous lives.

Gilda Greco, the protagonist of A Season for Killing Blondes, took a different approach. After graciously accepting her $19 million lottery win, she returned to her hometown of Sudbury, Ontario. Here’s an excerpt from an interview Gilda gave prior to finding herself in the middle of a murder investigation.

What was the first thing you did when you found out you were a winner?

I couldn’t believe it, so I called the lottery commission and asked them to read the correct numbers over the telephone. I waited three days and then drove to Toronto to pick up my check. I was totally unprepared for the publicity and had to rush home and phone everyone before the evening news.

Did you quit your job right away?

Thankfully, we were in the middle of exams and a week before the end of the semester. I scrambled to get everything done and left as soon as the last report card was submitted. It took me almost two weeks to organize my financial affairs. As soon as everything was in place, I booked a flight to Hawaii and spent the rest of the winter there.

I’ve heard about all your travels. Is it true you actually traveled to Antarctica?

When I found out about the Antarctica 12-day cruise, I couldn’t resist booking. I would have to say it’s my most memorable trip. I have vivid memories of the amazing wildlife, especially the penguins. I would love to return.

You could have settled anywhere. Why did you come back to Sudbury?

My family and close friends still live here. It didn’t make too much sense to put thousands of miles between us. I can still travel, but it’s nice to come home.

You’re starting a new business. Will you have time to travel?

I’ve visited almost every place on my bucket list. I plan to go to Africa next spring. Right now, I’m excited about ReCareering and can’t wait to start.

Tell me about ReCareering.

When I got tired of traveling, I know, I know, I should be grateful and not complain. I needed a new direction and decided to enroll in the Career Development Practitioner program at Conestoga College.  I toyed with the idea of counseling young adults and then decided to help another segment of the population—boomers who were struggling with life after retirement.

About A Season for Killing Blondes

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.

See the Trailer!

Buy the book –

• Amazon (Canada)
• Amazon (United States)
• Amazon (United Kingdom)
• Amazon (Australia)
• Kobo

Don’t forget to enter for a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card!

About Joanne Guidoccio

In high school, Joanne dabbled in poetry, but it would be over three decades before she entertained the idea of writing as a career. She listened to her practical Italian side and earned degrees in mathematics and education. She experienced many fulfilling moments as she watched her students develop an appreciation, and sometimes love, of mathematics. Later, she obtained a post-graduate diploma as a career development practitioner and put that skill set to use in the co-operative education classroom. She welcomed this opportunity to help her students experience personal growth and acquire career direction through their placements.
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.

Website:   http://joanneguidoccio.com/
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Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7277706.Joanne_Guidoccio