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 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.
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