Post
The lawyer shook his head. “I still don’t understand why your mermaid has to be old and fat.”
“Fifty-three is not that old.” I ignored the weight issue.
He persisted. “It is when it comes to mermaids. Why couldn’t you just let her be young, thin and beautiful?”
Thankfully, the conversation was interrupted by the facilitator’s call to resume the workshop. A few minutes more and I might have lost patience with the annoying lawyer who simply wouldn’t accept my vision of an older mermaid.
Since releasing Between Land and Sea, I have encountered varied responses to the overweight, middle-aged mermaid abandoned on the fog-drenched shores of southwest England.
Women, of all ages, were intrigued and happy to hear about a mermaid who is not so young or so beautiful. Boomers, especially those struggling with relationships, embraced the idea of an older mermaid. A recently divorced friend confided that she hoped to get several pointers from Isabella’s journey. In her Amazon review, English teacher Colleen McConnell described it as “a classic wisdom tale with a twist...reminiscent of Jane Austen.”
I was pleasantly surprised to discover that many thirty-something and forty-something women were also interested in Isabella’s reinvention story. Among the twenty-something crowd, the reactions varied. My niece, Christina, summarized it best: “We’re still at the invention stage.”
Very few men were as argumentative as the lawyer. My male friends and relatives wanted to hear more about the unconventional mermaid and the international banker who dumped her. Several were amused by the concept of a mermaid carrying extra pounds and one asked if the artist was planning to feature an overweight mermaid on the cover.
Any thoughts out there about older, wiser mermaids...
Blurb
After giving up her tail for an international banker, Isabella of the Mediterranean kingdom is aged beyond recognition. The horrified banker abandons her on the fog-drenched shores of southwest England, leaving her to face a difficult human journey as a plain and practically destitute fifty-three-year-old woman.
With the help of a magic tablet and online mermaid support, Isabella evolves into the persona of Barbara Davies. Along the way, she encounters a cast of unforgettable characters, among them former mermaids, supportive and not-so-supportive women, deserving and undeserving men, and several New Agers.
Links for Joanne Guidoccio
Website: www.joanneguidoccio.com
Amazon: http://is.gd/AVpoVs
Twitter: https://twitter.com/joanneguidoccio
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BetweenLandandSeaJG
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/jguidoccio/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7277706.Joanne_Guidoccio
YouTube (Trailer #1): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xipZ6quZDOs
YouTube (Trailer #2): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfiKOQe_yuU
Thank you for being apart of my Halloween special Joanne!
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure, Sarah. BTW...Great looking blog :)
ReplyDeleteYour book sounds interesting. I like the idea of a middle aged mermaids. Books are rarely written using an older heroine. Look forward to reading it. jackyd2@prodigy.net
ReplyDeleteHi Jackie, Thanks for dropping by. As a boomer, I am determined to write more books featuring older heroines. Often called boomer lit or hen lit. Joanne :)
ReplyDeleteFifty-three isn't old at all. This sounds like an interesting read. I tweeted.
ReplyDeleteThanks Ella. More of us need to say that 53 is not old. In fact, the numbers are meaningless. It's how young at heart we feel. Joanne:)
DeleteBoomers everywhere are rejoicing! I love the idea of an older, wiser mermaid who has to rely on something other than looks to get by. Your book sounds delightful.
ReplyDeleteLove that your heroine isn't the standard beautiful, YOUNG thing! We older chicks deserve some love, too!
ReplyDeleteDefinitely agree! Thanks for dropping by, Linda :)
DeleteThanks Becky! I prefer to read books featuring older protagonists, so I decided to write one.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a really good story and I absolutely love your book trailers! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Rachel, I'm very proud of my musically talented brothers. They created beautiful songs for Isabella. Thanks for dropping by :)
DeleteHi Rachel, I'm so proud of my musically talented brothers. They created such lovely songs for Isabella. Thanks for dropping by :)
ReplyDeleteOur winner is BECKY! Please email me at sarah-hoss@hotmail.com so I can get you your prize! Thanks for stopping by!
ReplyDeleteCongrats Becky!
DeleteI love the idea of an older, wiser mermaid! As for the weight issue, don't most of us put on a few pounds when we get older? Besides, when she got legs it wasn't as easy to swim -- and swimming is the best exercise around, right?
ReplyDeleteExcellent points, Glenda! Isabella arrived in Canada in late September. Too cold to swim outdoors and Isabella didn't care for the chlorine in swimming pools.
ReplyDelete