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Book Title: The Firefly
Author: Laury A. Egan
Publisher: Spectrum Books
Cover Artist: Design by Laury A. Egan with assistance by Andrew May and Vicki DeVico
Release Date: August 12, 2023
Genres: F/F Romance and portrait of a teenager, age 14, through adulthood, age 40.
Tropes: teenage lovers separated
Themes: Solitariness of a creative girl/woman, sexual orientation confusion in the 60s, pressure to conform to social expectations
Heat rating: 3 flames
Length: 74 000 words/ 304 pages
It is a standalone book and does not end on a cliffhanger.
Buy Links - Available in Kindle Unlimited
A Romance by a Lake; a Life Searching for a Teenage Lover
Blurb
1964: A dark summer night on a still black lake. A lantern is lit at the end of a dock. A blond girl in white appears and begins to dance, her body illuminated like the fireflies surrounding her. A second girl emerges from a house and is beckoned forward. The two meet, swim, and then kiss. Thus begins an ethereal romance and a young woman’s journey into adulthood.
Robin Bennet, age fourteen, has been accidentally abandoned at a lakeside rental house in the Pocono Mountains. Her parents were arguing, and each believed the other had remained with Robin. Alone, Robin discovers that someone has been sleeping in the house and is now stealing vodka and snacks. A fifteen-year-old boy, Kieran, the intruder, appears and invites himself to dinner. Robin is charmed by him, especially when she learns he is the brother of the beautiful girl who magically appeared on the dock the night before. After Kieran leaves, the “Firefly” returns, lights the lantern, and circles around it until Robin joins her. The two swim and make love on the beach. When Robin awakens, the Firefly—Stella—has disappeared, and Robin’s mother arrives, announcing they will return to New Jersey immediately because she is divorcing Robin’s father. Frantic, Robin tries to find Stella, a search that continues while Robin builds a career as an architect in Manhattan, fails in marriage, and struggles with her sexual identity.
Excerpt
[Robin’s parents have left her alone in a rented lake house, each thinking the other would remain. The year is 1964, Robin is 14, and has just drunk some wine.] “Robin shuddered awake. She shook her head, which felt on the verge of aching, and lifted her gaze toward the lake. To her amazement, the lantern was lit on the dock. Standing by it was the Firefly, dressed in white, her blond hair bright against the darkness of the water and the forested hill beyond.
Robin rubbed her eyes. She must be having drunken hallucinations, but when she looked again, the beautiful vision remained. Excitement shot through her, and she lurched to her feet, descended the stairs with the bottle of wine, and walked down the grassy hill to the path, afraid to blink and lose sight of the enchanting image that lay before her. As she stepped onto the dock, the Firefly circled the lantern and offered her hands in invitation, her long fingers sweeping through the air with elegant fluidity. It appeared the girl was smiling, but perhaps this was what Robin hoped.
She made her way carefully. Some of the boards were uneven, and she didn’t trust her steadiness after drinking so much. Her ears also seemed filled with a pulsing sound, or was that the loud beating of her heart? Nearing the girl, Robin knew the figure was Stella because of the strong resemblance to Kieran—the same yellow hair, slender build, neat features, and gracefulness. But Stella was more magnetic, more enchanting. Instantly, the dinner with Kieran was forgotten. This moment was all present, all now.
Dazed, Robin stopped and stared at this beautiful apparition, one she struggled to believe was real. Almost afraid of breaking the silence with words, she whispered, “Hello.”
“Hello,” the girl replied.
“Stella?”
“Yes. Robin?”
“Yes.”
The water lapped against the dock pilings, and a bird called from a distant tree. Above, the dark sky shrouded them in an illuminated enclosure.
They smiled at each other.
Robin inched closer, reveling in the sensuous figure before her. Stella had blue eyes. Perhaps a paler shade than Kieran’s or maybe the lantern’s glittering reflections were creating the appearance of translucence. Her skin was unblemished, smooth, and creamy. The fragrance of Jean Naté floated in the air.
“I hoped you’d return,” Robin said.
“I’m glad. I waited until Kieran left.” Her expression was amused, flirtatious.
Robin sighed. “I don’t think the dinner went well. I mean, the meal was fine, but Kieran is hard to understand.”
Stella laughed. “He’s perfected the fine art of being secretive.”
“And you? Are you the same?”
“Yes, I suppose so. You’ll have to find out.”
This sounded like a teasing challenge. “I will,” she answered in kind. “Would you like some wine?”
Stella accepted the bottle, drank, and wiped her mouth. Her lips were perfectly cut, pink, and alluring.
“Thank you.” She handed the wine back to Robin, who took a swallow. “Good. Now, it’s a warm night, Robin. We should swim, don’t you think?”
Without waiting for a response, Stella began undressing. Underneath her blouse, against her tanned skin, a lacy white bra was revealed. Robin noticed that Stella’s breasts appeared to be larger than hers, but Stella was two years older.
When Stella leaned down to unbuckle her sandals, Robin unbuttoned her own shirt, overcome with shyness. Although she showered with girls after gym class, Robin had never exposed herself like this. She fixed her eyes on Stella, who had dropped her pants and stepped clear. The girl was slightly taller than Robin, with legs and arms that were lean and strong. Clad only in cotton underpants and a bra, Stella gave her a captivating smile, turned, and dove neatly off the dock. For what seemed like a minute, she stayed underwater until she resurfaced about fifteen feet away. Stella brushed back her short hair and watched as Robin took off her slacks and sandals and executed a clean entrance into the black water. Rising near Stella, the two swam closer to each other and kept upright by paddling their arms.
Robin felt a wave of dizziness pass over her. Because of the wine or because of the nearness to this radiant being? She waited for the girl to speak, to act. Instead, Stella laughed, the sound reminding Robin of wind chimes blowing in a light breeze.”
About the Author
Laury A. Egan is the author of eleven novels: The Firefly; Once, Upon an Island; Doublecrossed; The Swimmer; Fabulous! An Opera Buffa; The Outcast Oracle; Turnabout; Wave in D Minor; The Ungodly Hour; A Bittersweet Tale; The Outcast Oracle; and Jenny Kidd as well as a collection, Fog and Other Stories. Four limited-edition poetry volumes have been published: Snow, Shadows, a Stranger; Beneath the Lion’s Paw; The Sea & Beyond; and Presence & Absence. Eighty-five of her stories and poems have appeared in literary journals. She lives on the northern coast of New Jersey.
Author Links
Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter
Instagram | LinkedIn | Poets & Writers
Tell us a little about yourself.
I live on the northern coast of New Jersey, with a view of the ocean and the Manhattan skyline. Over most of my career, I worked as a university press book designer, and though I do less photography due to a partial walking disability, I still teach fine arts photography to select adult students and illustrate some of my books. The Firefly is my 11th novel, with titles ranging from psychological suspense, literary, young adult, romance (though not standard), and comedy. I’m a “bridge” writer so my audiences span general and LGTBQ readers. My collection, Fog and Other Stories, was published in 2013 and about 85 poems have appeared in literary journals and anthologies. Four volumes of poetry were issued in limited edition. Following the August 12 publication of The Firefly, three more books are under contract with Spectrum Books: The Psychologist’s Shadow (Nov. 18), The Black Leopard’s Kiss & The Writer Remembers (December 16)—a literary work with magical realism—and in April 2024, Jack & I, about a boy with dissociative identity disorder. Really busy!
What would people be most surprised to know about you?
That I have a partial walking disability—great for writing because it keeps me at my desk but awful for everything else.
Do you have a favorite quote (either from your own books or those you’ve read)?
Here are two I’ve written:
“Death is in the house.” (Wave in D Minor: the first line of the prologue)
“Marnie Hardwick and I met in the dark heart of February.” (Doublecrossed, first line)
How long have you been writing and what made you fall in love with writing?
I began with a poem at age 7, then a novel at age 12, stories and poems in high school. I kept writing poems until I finally could devote full time to writing after retiring as a book designer. My first two publications (besides stories/poems) were poetry volumes: Snow, Shadows, a Stranger and Beneath the Lion’s Paw. Jenny Kidd and Fog and Other Stories followed as did many other titles. The inspiration to write came from being an only child, one who lived several miles from town and didn’t have many friends nearby. Writing was entertainment but also a way to understand my thoughts and feelings. The natural beauty of the area—ocean, bay, forest—were early subjects. Setting has always been important to me.
Did you always want to be a writer?
Yes. (Briefly I considered being an astronomer but then realized I had to be good at math!)
What are your ambitions for your writing career?
I would love to gain a more widespread readership and to have more major-media reviews. Ha! Like the New York Times?
What’s your favorite part of writing?
The first line…if I can devise a great hook that makes the reader wonder “what will happen next?” Although I tend to truncate dialogue in early drafts and need to amplify conversations in revision, it’s great to get into a character’s voice and create scenes between speakers that feel authentic and drive the plot.
Tell us about your writing style.
Because of my poetry and photography backgrounds, I’m attentive to natural beauty and physical surroundings, so in some works, I utilize a lush style, particularly in my literary novels such as Once, Upon an Island, which is dramatic and intense but also a portrait of an island, St. Croix. I often have to cut descriptive passages and curb my tendency to overwrite setting. Because I write in different genres, my style varies accordingly. Wave in D Minor and the forthcoming The Black Leopard’s Kiss & The Writer Remembers were stylistically influenced by Virginia Woolf (for better or for worse!), so these titles start more slowly than my psychological suspense books, such as Doublecrossed.
What does your writing process look like?
I work seven days a week, mostly all day. I usually revise 25-40 times and try to polish the manuscript and thus avoid embarrassing myself in front of an editor (and future readers). The first draft is often the quickest part of the process; the editing is the longest and requires the most patience.
When/where is your favorite time/place to write?
I have a home office crowded by books (including my own), my photographs, and my mother’s paintings, i.e. very little wall space, which is also true of my house. Usually, I’m at my desk by 7:30 a.m. and tend to stop about 5:00 p.m., though sometimes I return later if I have an idea or an error occurs to me.
Why did you choose to write LGBT romance/fiction?
The Firefly isn’t a typical LGTBQ romance—it’s more of a portrait organized around a romance. I tend not to write for a specific audience but rather for all readers, yet I’m most comfortable writing about love that arises between women, even when the relationship proves to be treacherous, such as in Doublecrossed. Emotionally, the woman-to-woman connections are closest to my own experience, though I have often featured heterosexual relationships.
Do you write any other genre?
Psychological suspense is my primary genre, though I’ve published two literary novels, Once, Upon an Island and The Swimmer. I’ve also made forays into young-adult fiction and comedy. The Firefly is in the romance genre, but it’s also a portrait of a young woman, so not really the usual romance. I write what needs to be written.
Give the readers a brief summary of your latest book or WIP. What genre does it fall in?
The Firefly: “1964: A dark summer night on a still black lake. A lantern is lit at the end of a dock. A blond girl in white appears and begins to dance, her body illuminated like the fireflies surrounding her. A second girl emerges from a house and is beckoned forward. The two meet, swim, and then kiss, beginning an ethereal romance and a young woman’s journey into adulthood.”
The Psychologist’s Shadow (November 18): “…a portrait of a compassionate, introspective therapist who finds herself in a dangerous struggle with an unknown stalker. The novel is a simmering literary suspense, one in which tension accumulates as the reader gains insights during sessions with clients—one of whom may be the psychologist’s shadow—and through the stalker’s journal entries, which serve as a discordant counterpoint to the main narration.”
Give us a little insight into your main characters. Who are they?
Robin can’t forget Stella, the Firefly, and as Robin passes through high school, university, and the founding of her architectural firm, no one compares to Stella, though they only spent a few hours together when Robin was fourteen. Robin is creative, talented, ambitious, and very hard working—perhaps too diligent. Her social life is impoverished compared to her work. She yearns for the woman she can’t find.
Will we be seeing these characters again? Is this book part of a series?
No, this is a stand-alone novel.
Which actor would you like to see playing the lead character from your most recent book?
Would need a teenage actress as well as one in her 30s or 40s. Cate Blanchett or Kate Winslet might be excellent or Saoirse Ronan for the older Robin character.
What genre/s do you enjoy reading in your free time?
Mostly mysteries and suspense novels (UK or Nordic noir ). Literary work and sometimes biography and occasionally poetry. I never read sci-fi, horror, fantasy, or standard LGTBQ romance.
What was the last book you read? What did you like about it?
I’ve been working my way through all of Mari Hannah’s wonderful detective mysteries (see Kate Daniels) and Kate Atkinson’s brilliant titles, which are sly, wry, and clever (see the Jason Brodie series). Reading Lauren Groff’s The Monsters of Templeton, which I’m unsure about—parts are first-rate; parts wander too far from the main plot or else I haven’t quite “got it” yet.
Have you held any interesting jobs while you worked on your books?
Before I began my novels, I was employed as a book designer at Princeton University Press and then freelanced for about 20 presses. I’ve also worked as a freelance photographer at the Metropolitan Opera, the Opera Company of Philadelphia, and venues at Lincoln Center. For many years, I’ve taught fine arts photography to professionals. My career pre-writing was varied and challenging.
How do you relax?
Every night I watch films, usually streaming. Then I spend about forty minutes reading to wind down.
What hobbies do you have outside of writing?
Because I’m partly disabled, most of the activities I loved are no longer possible to do: swimming in the ocean, playing tennis, going to the Metropolitan Opera, traveling, and photographing, though I still create images for some of my book covers.
Many thanks! Great questions!
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