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Patricia Reding
a book bubble about
Ephemeral and Fleeting
Science Fiction & Fantasy
Author Insight
Becoming Human
I suspect most authors would agree that in the process of writing, their characters take on lives of their own. This is certainly true for me. Often, it is in the mundane, meaningless, daily things that a character might reveal who she is at her core. Here, Lucy is caught in a moment of admiring the beauty of a cashmere shawl. It doesn't matter if we all know that Lucy loves cashmere (and likely similar luxuries), nor would it matter if we did not. But somehow, in this brief moment, she becomes even more human than she was before. For those who admire Lucy, this bit might make her an even more sympathetic character. For those who dislike her (and she certainly has exhibited behavior that could cause some to do so), this glimpse into her character might add fodder to their finding her disingenuous and perhaps even more unlikeable. In the end, as in real life, each person who comes into contact with Lucy will determine this question for himself. In that way, she and her larger place in the story is very lifelike. Do you agree?
Book Excerpt
Ephemeral and Fleeting
Lucy removed the shawl from over her shoulder and ran it under her chin.
“Why do you do that?” Eden asked. “Rub it under your chin?”
She smiled. “Cashmere is warm, lightweight, and intensely soft. If you run it under your chin, you won’t feel the least scratchiness.” She leaned in and whispered, as though sharing a secret, “I confess, I’ve always loved the feel of it.”
She handed the item to the twins.
As they ran their hands over it, Vida reached over to touch it, as well.
“It’s so luxurious,” Eden said. “Still, this Skelly must have said something about it, Lucy. Was that what her—prediction—was all about?”
A sudden gust of wind blew rain into a window that had been left open a crack. Lucy went to close it.
“Well,” she said as she returned, “Skelly spoke mostly in riddles. Even so, I know her to have been right about one thing, at least. She told Rowena that she’d have a seventh daughter one day, and then, about the cape, she said—” Lucy stopped cold. “No, that’s not right.” Her brow dropped. “As I mentioned, she spoke in riddles. I remember laughing about it at the time, teasing Rowena that we’d seen and heard it all, so I’m sure I can recall her words accurately. Now, let me think here . . .”
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