Category Archives: What’s Up With Joanne!

A Poem with an Intriguing Backstory

Posted on April 15, 2024 by Joanne Guidoccio

April is National Poetry Month, a month set aside to honor poetry and its vital place in our society. First celebrated in 1996 by the Academy of American Poets, this event has grown into a national movement that inspires millions, … Continue reading →

Posted in Soul Mate Publishing, What's Up With Joanne! | 7 Comments

Sharing a Cup of Warmth

Posted on March 11, 2024 by Joanne Guidoccio

Throughout my childhood, I watched with amazement as my mother quickly and effortlessly assembled the simplest ingredients to create stracciatella (strah-chuh-teh-luh), a soup that would heal whatever ailed me. Often referred to as “Italy’s version of egg drop soup,” it … Continue reading →

Posted in Recipe, Soul Mate Publishing, What's Up With Joanne! | 4 Comments

Inspired by Two Francescas

Posted on February 5, 2024 by Joanne Guidoccio

In June of 1995, I sat with eyes glued to the big screen as Meryl Streep assumed the role of Francesca Johnson, an Italian war bride, in the romantic drama The Bridges of Madison County. Based on the best-selling novel … Continue reading →

Posted in Romance, Soul Mate Publishing, What's Up With Joanne!, Women's Fiction | 2 Comments

Experimenting with ChatGPT

Posted on November 13, 2023 by Joanne Guidoccio

On November 30th, ChatGPT will celebrate its first anniversary. It’s hard to believe that only one year has passed since the launch of this AI-based language model that “can answer questions, provide explanations, offer suggestions, and generate text in a … Continue reading →

Posted in Soul Mate Publishing, What's Up With Joanne!, Writing | 13 Comments

Six More Second Acts

Posted on September 4, 2023 by Joanne Guidoccio

Since July 2013, I have interviewed over 150 women for the Second Act series on my blog. Originally, I had planned to feature only boomer women and their older sisters, but I have expanded to include women of all ages … Continue reading →

Posted in Inspiration, Soul Mate Publishing, What's Up With Joanne! | 4 Comments

All About Cheesecakes

Posted on July 31, 2023 by Joanne Guidoccio

Yesterday was National Cheesecake Day, a day set aside to indulge in the most decadent of desserts. While the original day was first celebrated in 1985, cheesecakes didn’t really take off until 2001. With the help of the Internet, cheesecakes … Continue reading →

Posted in Soul Mate Publishing, What's Up With Joanne! | 5 Comments

Idea → Sticky Idea → Premise

Posted on June 26, 2023 by Joanne Guidoccio

Writers can find inspiration almost anywhere, and they don’t have to go too far to find those ideas. Checking Twitter or Facebook feeds, reading a daily newspaper, watching a movie or television program, visiting an art gallery, attending a workshop, … Continue reading →

Posted in Soul Mate Publishing, What's Up With Joanne! | 5 Comments

Inspiration from My Favorite Authors

Posted on May 22, 2023 by Joanne Guidoccio

Collecting quotations has been one of my lifelong hobbies. In the pre-computer days, I would jot down quotations on slips of paper and toss them in a desk drawer. Once a month, I would type them up and place them … Continue reading →

Posted in Inspiration, Soul Mate Publishing, What's Up With Joanne! | 7 Comments

Dating Trends for 2023

Posted on April 17, 2023 by Joanne Guidoccio

While reading Bianca London’s article in a recent issue of Glamour UK, I realized that I was unfamiliar with the 2023 dating lexicon. In researching the article, Bianca enlisted the aid of dating experts Eugénie Legendre and Dennie Smith and … Continue reading →

Posted in Soul Mate Publishing, What's Up With Joanne! | 6 Comments

In Praise of Napping

Posted on March 13, 2023 by Joanne Guidoccio

Today is National Napping Day, a day created by Camille and Dr. William Anthony in 1999 to spotlight the healthy benefits of catching up on quality sleep. Dr. Anthony noted: “We chose this particular Monday because Americans (and Canadians) are … Continue reading →

Posted in Soul Mate Publishing, What's Up With Joanne! | 10 Comments