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Wednesday, February 10, 2016

#TRAVEL TO #SEDONA WITH AUTHOR JOANNE GUIDOCCIO

Joanne Guidoccio, author of paranormal romance, cozy mysteries and inspirational literature, makes reinvention a recurring theme in her novels and short stories. Learn more about her and her books at her website. 

The Perfect Setting: Sedona, Arizona

Ex-mermaid Barbara Davies accepts an invitation to spend a month in Sedona, hoping to escape from her shattered life in small town Ontario and reinvent herself once more.

Anything and everything is possible in this desert paradise.

Today, I’m sharing ten interesting (and not so well-known) facts about Sedona.

1. Sedona is also known as “Arizona’s Scenic Sensation,” “Sacred Land of the Native American Indians,” and “The Most Beautiful Place in America.”

2. The city was named after its first Postmaster’s wife, Sedona Miller Schnebly, a woman celebrated for her hospitality and industriousness.
3. More than 90 feature films have been shot either in full or in part in the Greater Sedona area. Some classics include Billy the Kid, Apache, and Broken Arrow.

4. These streets—Johnny Guitar, Pony Soldier, Gun Fury—were named after movies filmed in Sedona.

5. The main attraction is the stunning array of red sandstone formations known as the Red Rocks of Sedona. The color of the rocks comes from the iron oxide (rust) that has stained the formations over centuries.

6. One rock formation closely resembles the character Snoopy (Peanuts comic strip) lying on top of his doghouse. A nearby rock resembles Lucy, also from Peanuts. Other landmark rock formations include Coffeepot Rock, Bell Rock, Cathedral Rock, Chimney Rock, Courthouse Butte, Mittens, Cow Pies, and Rabbit Ears.
7. When their trademark yellow arches clashed with the natural colors of the landscape, McDonald’s decided to use turquoise arches.

8. Sedona is well known for its spiritual vortexes. These swirling centers of subtle energy emanate from the earth’s surface, enabling more sensitive people to feel their effects for several days afterward.

9. Often referred to as a spiritual Disneyland, Sedona has attracted a large New Age community, bringing with it a variety of spiritual practices and alternative healing modalities.

10. Over four million people pass through Sedona each year, making it the most visited New Age pilgrimage destination in the United States.

The Coming of Arabella
Book Two of the Mediterranean Trilogy

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 fiancĂ©. 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.

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13 comments:

Joanne Guidoccio said...

Thanks for hosting me, Lois :)

noelle44 said...


I had a friend who moved from Salinas, CA to Sedona after her husband died. She wrote me every year about how beautiful the place was and how much she loved living there!

Joanne Guidoccio said...

Hi Noelle, I have fond memories of my time in Sedona and considered moving there, but practicality won out--pensions and healthcare in Canada. If I win a major lottery...

Thanks for dropping by. :)

Angela Adams said...

Thank you for sharing the lovely photos!

Joanne Guidoccio said...

You're very welcome, Angela. :)

gailingis said...

Joanne, love Sedona, our Phoenix kids were married there. Gorgeous place, imagine living there as an artist! There are wonderful art galleries to feast the eyes. Thanks for the amazing photos, and intro to your book. Looks like a great read! Good luck! And thanks to Soulie Anastasia for hosting you!

Joanne Guidoccio said...

Hi Gail, Good to see you here. I can't imagine a more perfect setting for a wedding. And the pictures....all that red rock splendor! :)

C. T. Collier said...

Sounds like an exciting, intense story, Joanne! I loved :-) seeing the photos of Sedona, a place dear to my heart --katie o'boyle

Joanne Guidoccio said...

Memories of Sedona linger for a lifetime. Thanks for dropping by, Katie :)

Maggie Mundy said...

It was great to read about a place so far away. Sounded like the perfect place to set a book.

Joanne Guidoccio said...

Hi Maggie, I toyed with the idea of relocating to Sedona, a magical place where everything and anything is possible. Thanks for dropping by. :)

Anonymous said...

Joanne I was lucky enough to visit Sedona many years ago and it did seem to have some spiritual quality about it. I could imagine it would make a great setting for the book too.

Joanne Guidoccio said...

Hi Kath, The days I spent in Sedona were very special. I felt a stillness of spirit that stayed with me for months afterward. I couldn't resist using Sedona as a backdrop for The Coming of Arabella. Thanks for dropping by. :)