Flying Fish, Making Waves, and Happy 4th of July!

This is the Flying Fish in Memphis. I didn’t take the picture, but I did eat there Friday night with my hubby, and our best friends.

We dropped our tweens off at a birthday part, looking oh so cute. Bittersweet. Girls growing up.

We took our little ones with us. They’re a year apart. Little Miss thang is convinced she’s going to marry Myles. Myles tells her, “Stop saying that! It’s embarrassing.” 🙂

We had a great time.

I’m listening to Jason Mraz live in Chitown. He’s one of my favorites.  So that’s what’s been going on in my neck of the woods over the weekend. I thought since I ate seafood over the weekend, and since today is July 4th (this book has a great fireworks scene over the lake) it would be appropriate to review:

Making Waves by Lorna Seilstad

I’ve been branching out–reading historicals. Glad I have! I’ve read so many great ones lately. This is one of them.
Normally, I’m not a big fan of people on the covers of books, but it obviously is popular because most of them are like this. But this cover seems to fit. I pictured the main character, Marguerite, much like this.
“When spunky Marguerite Westing discovers that her family will summer at Lake Manawa in 1895, she couldn’t be more thrilled. It is the perfect way to escape her agonizingly boring suitor, Roger Gordon. It’s also where she stumbles upon two new loves: sailing, and sailing instructor Trip Andrews. But this summer of fun turns to turmoil as her father’s gambling problems threaten to ruin the family forever. Will free-spirited Marguerite marry
Roger to save her father’s name and fortune? Or will she follow her heart–even if it means abandoning the family she loves?”
My opinion

Marguerite is a feisty, fun character living in a time when women had a place and sailing or really anything it seemed wasn’t it. I loved her wit and sass. Some of the things she thought to herself while courting boring Roger made me laugh out loud.
Once she thought to herself that if God would strike Roger with lightning, she’d be happy to move over a few feet.  I’m still laughing over that.
I thought Trip Andrews was flirty and fun. I giggled at their bathing suits back then. Not something I’d find attractive on a man, but it’s a historical, so…
I felt transported back into the time. I wanted to wipe my brow due to the heat and have a glass of lemonade with them. My heart pitter-pattered as love blossomed and I was satisfied with the ending.
4 out of 5 stars
Do you have a favorite historical? Share. I need to dip my toe into the genre more and what are you doing to celebrate the holiday today?

Frivolous Friday: What’s a Perfect Ending?

I happen to love a happy ending. I don’t like closing a book unsatisfied. Katie Ganshert wrote a great post on Monday about tension and frustration and the difference.

She said, “Avoid drawing things out for an eternity.

Yes, we want to prolong tension. But not to the point of frustration.”
She’s right and this got me thinking.
Where’s the fine line between frustration and tongue hanging out and panting for more, when ending a book and leaving the hero/heroine apart?
Here’s what I think.
What to do to keep readers from getting frustrated when a hero/heroine don’t end up together in the end.
1. Make sure they know you have a sequel/series coming and the story isn’t over.
Unless you plan to finish out their story in a sequel or a series, don’t rip them apart. I personally don’t want to go away feeling like, well hey, if I wanted the real world, I’d have just called my cousin. Her relationship is on rocky ground. By the time she answers, he’ll be out the door and I can cry and boo hoo and feel unsatisfied without paying $15.99. So glad I bought the unlimited minutes plan.
2. Give them lots of moments with romantic tension, flirting, touches and a few sizzling kisses–or sweet ones depending on what you write.
The whole point of reading a romance is for the romance. Profound. I know. I know. I want to read a book that is full of flirting, glances, touches (mostly appropriate ;)) and swooning moments. If you do that and then pull them apart at the end, while I know it really isn’t over see 1., I’ll be screaming with anticipation for the next book. Not frustration.
3. Tie up and resolve sub-plots, twists, or murders. Again, this depends on what you write.
When I know they’ve caught the bad guy (unless it’s a sequel and he’s still on the loose–but for the love give us something to resolve) the secret is revealed, the twist gets straightened out then I have some gratification. I feel the book is over, even if the relationship between the hero/heroine isn’t. I don’t feel like it ended with a thlump!
I certianly don’t want to frustrate a reader, but I think if written well, we can leave the story hanging…until the next book.
Just to clarify, I know life doesn’t always end in a fairy tale. I think you can write a believable journey with plenty of grit and grief, convey the message, point to Christ, and still have a happy ending. I’ve seen it in hundreds of books.
Now it’s your turn. Do you like happy endings? Do you feel satisfied when the hero/heroine don’t end up together, but you know another book or two with more story is coming?
I really want to know your thoughts. Have a great weekend, friends.