Joanne began writing fiction after a long career in eldercare administration. Recently widowed and then retired, she joined a writer’s group and wrote a short story based on family lore. “My aunt told me my grandfather was the son of the kitchen canary. That’s a name used in the old days for an Irish domestic.” With the encouragement of her fellow writers, she researched the relationship between Irish domestics and their employers in the mid-1800s and fictionalized, Kitchen Canary.

“To my delight, Kitchen Canary won several fiction awards, and readers wanted more of the story, so I wrote the sequel, Through the Open Door, following the Kitchen Canary characters further into their lives.”

Joanne has recently married and lives with her husband, Jim, on Cape Cod. They share five grown children and nine grandchildren. She continues to write fiction.

Joanne is among many self-published authors.  Her books are available through Amazon in paperback and on Kindle. Joanne says her first book, Kitchen Canary, continues to receive five-star reviews. “I’m especially pleased readers appreciate the historical aspect of the book. In addition, readers seem very engaged with my characters.”