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Mirror Blue
He's her first chance at love. She's his last. Free spirit Aphra Porter never thought Isaac Lightfoot would remember the letter she wrote to him years before. But by some miracle, he does. Now a successful Web site designer in her thirties, Aphra meets the man whose writing talents she's always idolized-an encounter that leaves her spinning. No longer is Isaac a distant image, but a flesh and blood man who looks at her like no one has looked at her before. A critically acclaimed author and Vietnam war hero, Isaac is one tough bear of a man. Faced with the physical and emotional scars of war, a relationship with a daunting age difference, and an ex-wife bent on tearing Aphra from his life, he's about to learn that leaving the past behind and building a new life can be the toughest battle of all. Reviews and Other ..".a touching literary love story and beautifully written debut book, MIRROR BLUE pulls together two charming southern characters..."-Author Kim Michelle Richardson ..".credible characters that women can relate to on many levels, including the search for love, ex-wives, step-children, family, and age differences in relationships... And you'll love the ending!"-Author Marwa Ayad
- GenresRomance
192 pages, Paperback
First published May 8, 2009
61 people want to read
About the author
Thomma Lyn Grindstaff
18 books23 followersThomma Lyn Grindstaff gets some of her best ideas for fiction when she's hiking in the mountains. She’s both a novelist and a musician: a classically-trained pianist, guitarist, singer, and composer.
Other passions include studying philosophy, science, and spirituality. Last but never least, she’s a cat wrangler. She shares her home with five Ballicai (also known as cats). If you could sum Thomma Lyn up in three words, they would be Artist, Seeker, and Adventurer.
Thomma Lyn writes literary fiction and magical realism. Currently available titles include two novels, Mirror Blue and Heart's Chalice, and three stories, Anthrax and the Disease Kid, Daddy's Glove, and The Saddle of Private Lucius Gray. Two of Thomma's stories are also featured in the anthology People Are Strange.
Other passions include studying philosophy, science, and spirituality. Last but never least, she’s a cat wrangler. She shares her home with five Ballicai (also known as cats). If you could sum Thomma Lyn up in three words, they would be Artist, Seeker, and Adventurer.
Thomma Lyn writes literary fiction and magical realism. Currently available titles include two novels, Mirror Blue and Heart's Chalice, and three stories, Anthrax and the Disease Kid, Daddy's Glove, and The Saddle of Private Lucius Gray. Two of Thomma's stories are also featured in the anthology People Are Strange.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
November 2, 2009
When I read some quick reviews of this book before reading it, I was hesitant to read it because people were calling it a “Literary Romance Novel”. No offense to anyone out there but I just can not get into “Romance Novels”. I don’t know if it is the predictability of the traditional romance novel or the strangely worded sex scenes that turn me away. I decided on a whim to start reading this while waiting for the kids between activities to start reading this mostly because it is small (196 pages) and I thought it would be a quick read.
While it is short, the story in the pages turned out to be really great! Aphra (short for Aphrodite) is an avid reader of an author named Isaac Lightfoot. She had read his books since she was a teenager. She even wrote him a letter once, not really expecting an answer. He comes to a book store near where Aphra lives. She goes to get the typical autograph on his latest novel and gush over him in person. Imagine her surprise when she discovers he actually remembers that letter she wrote years before!
The story and plot were very well written for Thomma Grindstaff's debut novel. Isaac and Aphra fall in love easily and quickly when he hires her to revamp his dull website. They struggle through typical relationship woes: ex-spouses, children, communication issues, other people who want to interfere in the relationship. The biggest issue of the relationship is the 20 year age difference between them. The story really has you rooting for Aphra and Isaac to work everything out and to become a strong couple.
You can’t help but love all the characters in this book, even the cats and Isaac’s ex-wife Norma. I won’t give too much away but prepare to sit down and read this in one sitting, it will suck you in that much!
Book Excerpt:
He bent down, his bearded visage supplanting the face of the moon. From horizon to horizon, everything was Isaac. He nudged Aphra’s chin upward, and his lips brushed hers. Who moved away, she or Isaac? It didn’t matter, though, because their lips reconnected in an instant, and this time, neither of them moved away. She dropped her mail and her keys. They kissed cautiously, their fingertips barely touching, afraid of what they might unleash. Perhaps they had plenty of reason to be afraid: Aphra was trembling, and her blood surged with tsunamic force. When, following an interlude of timelessness, Isaac drew away from Aphra’s parted lips and feathered kisses on their corners, on her forehead, and on her cheeks, she knew that she was lost, that there was no resolve, that there was no control.
There was only feeling. There was only Isaac.
From horizon to horizon.
Heaven, Elysium, Mount Olympus help her.
While it is short, the story in the pages turned out to be really great! Aphra (short for Aphrodite) is an avid reader of an author named Isaac Lightfoot. She had read his books since she was a teenager. She even wrote him a letter once, not really expecting an answer. He comes to a book store near where Aphra lives. She goes to get the typical autograph on his latest novel and gush over him in person. Imagine her surprise when she discovers he actually remembers that letter she wrote years before!
The story and plot were very well written for Thomma Grindstaff's debut novel. Isaac and Aphra fall in love easily and quickly when he hires her to revamp his dull website. They struggle through typical relationship woes: ex-spouses, children, communication issues, other people who want to interfere in the relationship. The biggest issue of the relationship is the 20 year age difference between them. The story really has you rooting for Aphra and Isaac to work everything out and to become a strong couple.
You can’t help but love all the characters in this book, even the cats and Isaac’s ex-wife Norma. I won’t give too much away but prepare to sit down and read this in one sitting, it will suck you in that much!
Book Excerpt:
He bent down, his bearded visage supplanting the face of the moon. From horizon to horizon, everything was Isaac. He nudged Aphra’s chin upward, and his lips brushed hers. Who moved away, she or Isaac? It didn’t matter, though, because their lips reconnected in an instant, and this time, neither of them moved away. She dropped her mail and her keys. They kissed cautiously, their fingertips barely touching, afraid of what they might unleash. Perhaps they had plenty of reason to be afraid: Aphra was trembling, and her blood surged with tsunamic force. When, following an interlude of timelessness, Isaac drew away from Aphra’s parted lips and feathered kisses on their corners, on her forehead, and on her cheeks, she knew that she was lost, that there was no resolve, that there was no control.
There was only feeling. There was only Isaac.
From horizon to horizon.
Heaven, Elysium, Mount Olympus help her.
May 25, 2009
Thomma Lyn Grindstaff is a wonderful writer. She knows how to craft a story well, make you laugh, make you cry, make you hate, make you fall in love, and make you to keep reading to the end. Her writing is seamless.
Aphra Porter is an independent young woman with dreams and crushes that come true when she meets and falls in love with a famous author, Isaac Lightfoot, twenty years her senior. Her idol since childhood. Her mentor.
I fell in love with Isaac right along with Aphra. And she's a biker chic—woo hoo! On the side. A web designer in real life. The fact that Aphra and Isaac are both in love with their Harley's gives the story more meaning. A common ground outside of their passion for each other.
The ex-wife factor in this story is well played—well written. Norma is someone you're supposed to hate the mention of. Her character is showy and bitchy. Just what an ex should be, right? The son, his wife, and Isaac's own Momma treat Aphra's and Isaac's love for each other as nonexistent and they do everything in their power to destroy it.
Chapter 20 is where things turn. Get out the tissues. You'll need them until the end.
Some of my favorite lines:
"Silence drug itself out between them like a stone monolith pulled across grinding sand by bone-tired workers."
"Writing, as she'd commented to Isaac earlier, was the ultimate freedom. Worlds to create, bonds to form, lives to mold, How delightful it would be to recreate Isaac and herself in a universe of their mutual making, a universe of pure mind made up of the Ideal Forms which reflected as spectral shadows on the walls of the cave of their everyday lives—a realm where their love, unfettered and unhindered, might be given its fullest expression. With no Norma. No First Family. A place where Isaac was and ever would be hers. All hers."
And of course there are cats in this story. Two: Pilar and Santiago. They have a delightful and supportive roll in the lives of Aphra and Isaac. It's just natural that they would be there for Aphra. And Isaac.
Aphra Porter is an independent young woman with dreams and crushes that come true when she meets and falls in love with a famous author, Isaac Lightfoot, twenty years her senior. Her idol since childhood. Her mentor.
I fell in love with Isaac right along with Aphra. And she's a biker chic—woo hoo! On the side. A web designer in real life. The fact that Aphra and Isaac are both in love with their Harley's gives the story more meaning. A common ground outside of their passion for each other.
The ex-wife factor in this story is well played—well written. Norma is someone you're supposed to hate the mention of. Her character is showy and bitchy. Just what an ex should be, right? The son, his wife, and Isaac's own Momma treat Aphra's and Isaac's love for each other as nonexistent and they do everything in their power to destroy it.
Chapter 20 is where things turn. Get out the tissues. You'll need them until the end.
Some of my favorite lines:
"Silence drug itself out between them like a stone monolith pulled across grinding sand by bone-tired workers."
"Writing, as she'd commented to Isaac earlier, was the ultimate freedom. Worlds to create, bonds to form, lives to mold, How delightful it would be to recreate Isaac and herself in a universe of their mutual making, a universe of pure mind made up of the Ideal Forms which reflected as spectral shadows on the walls of the cave of their everyday lives—a realm where their love, unfettered and unhindered, might be given its fullest expression. With no Norma. No First Family. A place where Isaac was and ever would be hers. All hers."
And of course there are cats in this story. Two: Pilar and Santiago. They have a delightful and supportive roll in the lives of Aphra and Isaac. It's just natural that they would be there for Aphra. And Isaac.
Read
July 23, 2017In MIRROR BLUE, Thomma Lyn tackles many issues through credible characters that women can relate to on many levels, including the search for love, ex-wives, step-children, family, and age differences in relationships... Thomma Lyn Grindstaff writes women’s fiction most remarkably: from her vivid descriptions and scenic effects to the surge of feelings you can only experience by reading her words. It is not only a journey for the heroine of her novel, Aphra Porter; it’s a journey for every woman who reads her book. And you’ll love the ending! Highly recommended.
November 14, 2017
I'd never read a contemporary romance before this and was fairly certain I wouldn't like them if I did. Boy was I wrong. Thomma Lyn's characters live and breathe and in the pages of this story, which I couldn't devour fast enough, I laughed, and cried, and pulled out my hair with them. An amazingly poignant story that sneaks up on you and sweeps you away, while sharing deeper messages about the power of love to overcome the odds.
July 26, 2009
"He's her first chance at love. She's his last."
I love that tagline along with the theme and the blurb of Mirror Blue caught my eye. After finishing it, I really enjoyed reading the journey of web designer and aspiring writer Aphra (short for Aphrodite) and Isaac Lightfoot. I've heard more than a few readers mourning the death of straight contemporary romance but I've been coming across some goodies in the smaller press. Mirror Blue is definitely one.
Aphra has always looked up to Isaac Lightfoot, seeing the Vietnam vet as her hero. The book opens when she finally meets him at a book signing and sparks begin to fly. Soon Aphra finds herself redesigning Isaac's website and working alongside him. The feeling becomes mutual and the couple find themselves battling life, ex-wives, grown children and a dark turbulent past in order to find their happiness within each other.
Although Mirror Blue is a romance, it's written in a literary format. Ms. Grindstaff weaves the tale with flowing prose that exemplifies exactly how Aphra is feeling (added with a side of slight sarcasm). She doesn't shy away from showing the post traumatic stresses of war or the tension between finding love with someone who has a lot of baggage in their past. Aphra herself is a unique character who rides a motorcycle, reads classic books, isn't interested in having children and enjoys sharing her home with some very likable cats who know who rules the roost. Even her family members have their own personalities as does Isaac's friends who are also vets and I have to say I really loved the supporting cast here, especially Hieu and Red Hawk.
The only thing I found myself scratching my head on is towards the end. I'm not a huge fan of the 'big misunderstanding' in romance stories. The fact that Aphra went back and forth on wanting to be at the nexus of Isaac's universe (basically in his ex-wife's place who shared a son with him) and yet vehemently being against having children was a bit confusing. I did understand that she wanted to be in that special part of Isaac but a few things she inferred and pushed on Isaac could have been avoided if she would have just asked Isaac what was up. I did like that they talked afterward and put everything on the table about their feelings and fears along with the silly way they were acting. Sometimes I felt like Aphra was practically pushing Isaac back to his ex-wife and I'm glad he voiced this.
In any event, this was a great love story that was very well written. I'm going to keep an eye on this author because I'd love to read more of Ms. Grindstaff's works.
I love that tagline along with the theme and the blurb of Mirror Blue caught my eye. After finishing it, I really enjoyed reading the journey of web designer and aspiring writer Aphra (short for Aphrodite) and Isaac Lightfoot. I've heard more than a few readers mourning the death of straight contemporary romance but I've been coming across some goodies in the smaller press. Mirror Blue is definitely one.
Aphra has always looked up to Isaac Lightfoot, seeing the Vietnam vet as her hero. The book opens when she finally meets him at a book signing and sparks begin to fly. Soon Aphra finds herself redesigning Isaac's website and working alongside him. The feeling becomes mutual and the couple find themselves battling life, ex-wives, grown children and a dark turbulent past in order to find their happiness within each other.
Although Mirror Blue is a romance, it's written in a literary format. Ms. Grindstaff weaves the tale with flowing prose that exemplifies exactly how Aphra is feeling (added with a side of slight sarcasm). She doesn't shy away from showing the post traumatic stresses of war or the tension between finding love with someone who has a lot of baggage in their past. Aphra herself is a unique character who rides a motorcycle, reads classic books, isn't interested in having children and enjoys sharing her home with some very likable cats who know who rules the roost. Even her family members have their own personalities as does Isaac's friends who are also vets and I have to say I really loved the supporting cast here, especially Hieu and Red Hawk.
The only thing I found myself scratching my head on is towards the end. I'm not a huge fan of the 'big misunderstanding' in romance stories. The fact that Aphra went back and forth on wanting to be at the nexus of Isaac's universe (basically in his ex-wife's place who shared a son with him) and yet vehemently being against having children was a bit confusing. I did understand that she wanted to be in that special part of Isaac but a few things she inferred and pushed on Isaac could have been avoided if she would have just asked Isaac what was up. I did like that they talked afterward and put everything on the table about their feelings and fears along with the silly way they were acting. Sometimes I felt like Aphra was practically pushing Isaac back to his ex-wife and I'm glad he voiced this.
In any event, this was a great love story that was very well written. I'm going to keep an eye on this author because I'd love to read more of Ms. Grindstaff's works.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 18, 2009
The author, Thomma Grindstaff, is a great friend of mineand a very talented person. Knowing her, I tremendously enjoyed reading her first novel. I see her passion for life and love running throughout this story! She brings her characters to life. A very enjoyable and fun read.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews