WEDNESDAY WHIMSY

Lily reviews Miss Fishfly

With a name like Miss Fishfly, what’s not to like? I like eating fish and I like batting at insects. I helped Mom catch an ant the other day and I act like I am going to die of starvation when she opens a can of tuna and won’t share. However, Miss Fishfly is about neither of these things.

Miss Fishfly, a novella by Linda Glaz, is a sweet contemporary romance about two young people dealing with the baggage from their pasts, which they don’t want to carry into the future. Christy Hayes, a hard working nurse, was once deserted by her father and has been looking for love with the wrong kind of guys. Cole Keller, a war hero from a dysfunctional  background, has been betrayed by the one woman he thought he loved.

Both of them are struggling to find something more in their lives, but don’t think God is the answer. They are thrown together by the wedding of their best friends, Aleni and Brice, and again at the bedside of Cole’s dying grandpa. A friendship between Christie and Cole that begs to be more, and the gentle prodding of the God-fearing people in their lives, send the two on a quest for healing and a future that promises more than their pasts.

           

Miss Fishfly is a page-turning, quick read with strong (human) characters and real life situations. It’s a story of hope and healing. Both the hero and heroine have flawed pasts, but also have good qualities, like real people. Christie is caring and sensitive to other’s needs. Cole has a tender spot for children, especially Brice’s stepson, and respect for his Grandpa Hartway. Mom says we should all have a Grandpa Hartway in our lives—someone lovable who imparts the message of God’s grace with truth and wisdom. Personally, I don’t like it when children try to pet me all the time, because I’m so cute, but Mom says I have to play nice. Cole sounds super patient.

           

My only complaint is that this novella is too short! Mom and I would love to read more about Christie, Cole and their families. One other teensy thing—there are dogs in the story. But I will forgive the author this indiscretion at this time and still give Miss Fishfly four paws up. (Besides, don’t tell the other cats, but I kind of like dogs. I rode to Petsmart with one the day Mom and Dad came to adopt me.)

Please leave a comment for a chance to win an ebook copy of Miss Fishfly!

MONDAY MOTIVATION

CHARACTER EXPLORATION

Have fun with your characters. When you get stuck, try a little exercise. I start by praying for God’s leading. Close your eyes and see your character. Where is he/she? Think about the sights, sounds and smells around them, putting yourself in their shoes. Now, what is your character doing? Talking to someone? Looking for something? Painting a picture or just a wall? Playing a musical instrument? Running down a road?

You may find new things out about your character you never thought of before. I had a character, who had a lost love she hadn’t told me about before. He returned to her life. I wound up with a whole new twist to my plot. My character actually winds up marrying this lost love, who becomes a stepfather to her son. This complicates family relationships and holds her back for a time from making important decisions she needs to make about her commitment to God.

It’s funny how a simple five or ten minute exercise of the imagination can help breathe new life into a story, give more depth to a character and guide them down paths we hadn’t originally planned.

Do you have a “stuck” two-dimensional character that needs to have more depth of “life” breathed into them? 

Last week's prompt

I took about five minutes to write about last week's prompt,

which was fresh-baked bread. It led me to reminisce about

my bread baking days, when my sons were younger. Here are

my results, with little editing:

I miss baking bread. When the boys were little, I ground my own white wheat berries in a grain mill, making it into flour. Then I used my mixer with the dough hook to create lovely, pliable dough. The dough had a grainy texture and a nutty taste.

As the dough sat in a warm spot to rise, you could smell the yeast. Then as each loaf baked and was removed from the oven, the scent of honey and wheat blended with the yeasty goodness. I couldn’t wait until it cooled enough to slice and slather with butter. And my boys, big and little lined up for a chance to sample the golden-brown bread. 

Did you use last week's prompt and find it helpful? Here's a new prompt--write

about: Sunshine

WE HAVE A WINNER FOR LAST WEEK'S DRAWING!

Davalynn Spencer is the winner of the Amazon Gift Card! Congratulations!

Thank you to everyone who participated!

This week, please leave a comment for a chance to win an ebook edition

of Linda Glaz's Miss Fishfly, which Lily will be reviewing on Wednesday.