I considered naming my protagonist Mr. Darcy and giving him a jaunty cravat. I could have called the girl Elizabeth too, I suppose. I could have, but I didn’t. I didn’t even contrive a sneaky way to insert Jane Austen’s name or the words “pride” and “prejudice” repeatedly into the text.
I won’t try to fool you. This new book is in no way, shape, or form a JAFF story. So it’s not what you might expect from me… except that it IS kind of a love story. A heartwarming but unconventional one. Here’s the blurb:
A charming story, perfect for all ages! In A Bug’s Tale, a VW Beetle named Leonard relates his remarkable saga, travelling from the showroom floor to the bottom of a lake and beyond. But at its core, this is really an unconventional love story about the enduring bond between a special car and a girl who had the vision to see past his ordinary exterior to the warm heart beating inside. Leonard might just make you believe that, yes, some cars do have souls.
It’s not what I usually write and probably not what you usually read either. More likely, you’ve got a pile of lovely JAFF novels on your TBR list. So why should you deviate from your norm for A Bug’s Tale?
I’ve got the answer! It’s time to cleanse your palate!
To “cleanse the palate” means to neutralize or refresh your sense of taste. It involves clearing lingering flavors and food residue from your mouth using a neutral or contrasting food or drink so you can fully appreciate the distinct flavors of your next dish or drink.
By extension, the phrase is often used metaphorically. It means taking a mental break or experiencing a change of pace to clear your mind—like reading a light novel after a dense, heavy textbook so you can approach your next task with a fresh perspective.
Now, I would be the last person to discourage you from reading LOTS of Jane Austen fiction. But perhaps you’ve reached a temporary saturation. Perhaps all those P&P variations are beginning to run together in your mind. Your taste buds have become desensitized and need a cleansing break, so that you can return to the next JAFF novel with renewed appreciation!
So I invite you to sample something completely different to refresh your literary palate. I certainly found writing A Bug’s Tale refreshing, and I trust the same will be true for you reading it! Weighing in at just 64 pages (and priced accordingly), I’m calling this a novelette. It’s a perfect, light, change-of-pace summer read for an afternoon at the beach or on the plane as you wing your way to whatever exotic vacation spot you have planned.
This, my latest “darling child,” is available here in Kindle, KU, and paperback. Audio will be in production soon, I hope, if I can find just the right narrator to voice my buddy Leonard. Read more about the inspiration for this unexpected story here.
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