It's Raining Books: No More Secrets by Joanne Guidoccio

Monday, November 30, 2020

No More Secrets by Joanne Guidoccio

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Joanne Guidoccio will be awarding a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Five Little Known Facts About Me

1. Decluttering is one of my favorite stressbusters. Whenever I feel anxious or overwhelmed, I take several deep breaths and search for something (anything) to declutter. It could be an individual file, drawer, closet, or storage area. I can spend anywhere from fifteen minutes to an entire week on the project. Once everything is in its proper place, I feel happy and peaceful. And often lighter…I lost three pounds the week I decluttered the storage area.

2. I love my stability ball. Ten years ago, Guelph trainer Rose Parr introduced me to this flexible, easy-to-store vinyl ball that has helped improve core stability and balance. I quickly learned how to do push-ups, sit-ups, curls, chest flies, and squats using the ball and eight-pound weights.

3. I am controlled by a bird clock. Each hour, one of my feathered friends, among them the Downy Woodpecker, Belted Kingfisher, and Great Horned Owl, chirp and remind me to pace myself. A much kinder reminder than the annoying kitchen timer.

4. I was a toastmaster from 2008 to 2015. During those seven years, I achieved the following designations: Competent Communicator, Competent Leader, Advanced Communicator Bronze, and Advanced Communicator Silver.

5. David Bowie’s song— “(You Will) Set the World on Fire”—inspires and motivates me whenever I need an extra dose of confidence. While Googling the title, I discovered it’s also part of the following quote by Saint Catherine of Siena: “Be who God meant you to be, and you will set the world on fire.” Even more inspiring!

Angelica Delfino takes a special interest in the lives of her three nieces, whom she affectionately calls the daughters of her heart. Sensing that each woman is harboring a troubling, possibly even toxic secret, Angelica decides to share her secrets—secrets she had planned to take to the grave. Spellbound, the nieces listen as Angelica travels back six decades to reveal an incredulous tale of forbidden love, tragic loss, and reinvention. It is the classic immigrant story upended: an Italian widow’s transformative journey amid the most unlikely of circumstances.

Inspired by Angelica’s example, the younger women share their “First World” problems and, in the process, set themselves free.

But one heartbreaking secret remains untold...

Read an Excerpt

Tupperware in all the pastel shades. Head-to-toe clothing and accessories in the same hues. Who does that? Bellastrega shook her head at the avalanche of plastic that accompanied Velia Russo into the kitchen. She was already on her third trip back from the car, puffing and panting as she placed her food gifts on the kitchen table. Bellastrega could feel her jaw clenching at the thought of all those white devils—heavy sauces and creams and pounds of sugar—contaminating the kitchen.

Velia held one finger. “One more trip,” and then she was gone.

Bellastrega turned her attention back to the hearty vegetable stew that had been simmering on the stove. She sighed contentedly as she breathed in the aroma of the rosemary and Italian seasonings. Angelica’s favorite. As she glanced at the appetizing array of vegetables, she mentally calculated how long it would take to finish cooking. Everything was on schedule, and dinner would be on the table at six o’clock. Why had Velia decided to arrive three hours early?

From the start, Bellastrega had her misgivings about this all-girls weekend. She had listened while Angelica lovingly described each niece and shared her concerns regarding their unhappy lives. At first, Bellastrega had humored her, not realizing Angelica was intending to help her nieces get back on track. Her duty as aunt, she had explained.

Bellastrega had formed her own judgments regarding the three younger women. Usually right on target, Bellastrega had been surprised when this particular incarnation of Velia Russo arrived, laden with her food gifts. From Angelica’s descriptions, Bellastrega had expected a younger version of her mother, Rosetta, a heavy-set hausfrau and gossip, not this glamour-puss who could pass for a younger Martha Stewart. But first impressions could be deceiving.

“Help. I need your help.” The whiny voice interrupted Bellastrega’s thoughts. Sighing, she lowered the heat and made her way to the living room.

Bellastrega resisted the urge to laugh as she took in the comical sight before her. To save herself another trip, Velia had decided to lug in a large Pullman using her left hand, carry a pastry box in her right hand, and use her teeth to hold on to her purse.

All this for a weekend get-together? What would she have packed for a longer trip? Bellastrega forced a smile as she took the pastry box from Velia.

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