The Conversation by Lisa Flickinger

LFLisa Flickinger lives in the shadow of the Rockies with her husband Matthew and their dog Zeke. When not writing or reading, you will find her combing antique shops, walking in the woods, or sipping a latte with friends. All That Glitters fulfills the lifelong dream of sharing the characters in her head with you, dear reader. Enjoy!

The Conversation

“Vivian needs to get over her insecurities and tell Ben what she really wants.”

My crème brulee latte caught in my throat when I heard the fervent words from my husband’s lips. I set my mug down on the plaid tablecloth and wiped the spray from my chin.

“Really?” was all I could manage. I’d never been in this position before. Matt’s not a reader and I live to read. Last year he read American Sniper. It was the first book I ever remember him reading for fun (if fun reading would include difficult autobiographies where the author suffers a horrific death). We’d held many conversations about his annual read and I had been happy enough to talk about a book.

This conversation was different. He’d just completed two-thirds of my new novel All That Glitters, a tale of two sisters braving danger and hardship during the Klondike Gold Rush in the late 1800’s. He was apparently dissatisfied with my heroine’s reluctance to tell the man she loved the truth about how she felt.

Is this every writer’s dream or just mine, to talk about the characters you’ve created with someone you love as though the characters are real? Between writing, editing, editing some more, publishing and marketing I’d spent years with the characters, they felt like old friends to me and now Matt knew them too. Great!

“Ben told her he loved someone else,” I said.

“If he knew Vivian loved him, he might change his mind.”

Change his mind? Wouldn’t that make Ben a cheat? So what if he hasn’t actually met the woman he intends to marry. Lots of long distance relationships work out. It’s not in Ben’s character to be unfaithful. Why doesn’t he know that? Maybe I didn’t make it clear enough in the manuscript. Perhaps my hero comes across as some immoral lout that no one can trust. What have I done? I’m so sorry, Ben.

“But then, I’m looking it at it from an older person’s perspective,” Matt continued. “I just wouldn’t want to get caught up in all the silly games of young love.”

Deep breath. Maybe I haven’t failed Ben after all. “Thanks honey, I’m so glad we had this conversation.”

As a reader, is a book more meaningful to you if you have an emotional reaction, or do you prefer to keep it light and stay uninvolved?

More about All That Glitters:All That Glitters Cover

The world has gone plum crazy over gold. Men and women alike would do almost anything to make their fortune. Leaving behind her family and a dying father, Ginny Connor follows the cunning Logan Harris up North to strike it rich. Twenty-year old Vivian Connor embarks on a cross-country chase to rescue her sister Ginny and they are both led into the chaos of the Klondike Gold Rush.

Meanwhile, Ben McCormack leaves his farm to retrieve his intended bride from a rowdy, tent town on the Alaskan coastline. Ben’s path inadvertently entwines with Vivian’s and he finds his heart tugging him in a different direction.

Danger and disappointment plague all their journeys to the far North. Will Vivian find her sister in time to return home to see their father? Can Ginny forgive herself for the decisions she’s made? Will Ben find the lifelong love he searches for? When the world listens only to the call of gold, redemption and love become scarce treasures.

To find Lisa online:

Website and Blog
Facebook Author Page

To buy her book:

Amazon

Thanks for sharing, Lisa.

Blessings,

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