“Starfish” by Lisa Fipps … and a GIVEAWAY!

Welcome to Friday Reads!

 

 

 

Lisa has offered to give away a print copy of this book (US ONLY). You can enter by using the Rafflecopter link at the bottom of this post. (Contest ends March 5, 2021.) Share on XIf you’re the chosen winner, I’ll contact you for your information. (Note: The book releases on March 9, 2021)

 

The story behind the story…

I wrote Starfish because it was the book I needed when I was in middle-grade. Fat protagonists are uncommon in children’s literature, even though a majority of Americans are fat. (I use the term fat because I want to strip it of its use as an insult and make it just a simple descriptor, just like tall or blonde.) I was bullied because I was fat. Like Ellie, I was bullied at school, at home – everywhere. While nothing can make up for what happened to me or make it okay, one of my goals in writing Starfish is to give children the tools they need to deal with bullying so that maybe—just maybe—they won’t experience the pain I did, or at least not as much of it.

 

Q&A with Lisa…

Q: What takeaway message do you hope readers get from your story?

A: Starfish is emotionally real and, at times, raw. That’s intentional. I want readers to feel what it’s like to live in Ellie’s skin. I don’t want them to just walk in her shoes because shoes are easy to take off, especially when they become uncomfortable. If you live in someone else’s skin for a while, the experience stays with you. It changes you. I want readers to see the world with new eyes. With Ellie’s eyes. With the eyes of a fat person, so they see just how pervasive fat-bias and bullying are and how words can shatter the soul or heal it. I want fat kids to know they’re not alone. They endure such hatred that they often suffer in silence from the humiliation of it all, never talking about what’s been said and done to them; that shame-based isolation means they don’t know that others are treated the same way. They end up thinking something is wrong with them, instead of realizing there’s something wrong with people who hurt others. I also want those who bully others – for any reason – to realize just how much pain they’re causing. And then maybe – just maybe – they’ll stop.

Q: That’s such an important message! How did you get started as a writer?

A: I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t writing, reading, drawing, and creating imaginary worlds in my head. The shade under the Rose of Sharon tree (it was so overgrown it was far past the bush stage) in my backyard was my space. My place. My escape. When it was cut down, I was devastated. Then I sought out a spot—just barely big enough for me—in a clearing in our neighbor’s pine tree grove. I became a journalist because I wanted a job that allowed me to focus on my writing, but my goal when I was growing up was always to write children’s books and maybe illustrate them.

Q: What would you be doing if you weren’t a writer?

A: If I weren’t a writer, I’d probably be an artist. I was always telling my Mom, “I want to create something.” Unfortunately, I looked at the long, white hallway wall as a giant, blank canvas. I took my black crayon and drew what I’m sure was a masterpiece that rivaled DaVinci. The world will never know. I was so proud of it. I knew Mom would be, too. I had her close her eyes, and then I led her to the hallway to see it. She opened her eyes, spanked me, and handed me a bucket of warm, soapy water and a sponge. Cleaning the wall was supposed to be my punishment. But when I was finished, I realized something: I had a blank canvas again! Such began my tortured artist phase. Create. Spanked. Wash. Repeat. I ended up in a special program for kids gifted in art. Then I took private art lessons. But I clashed with my high school art teacher, so I dropped art and—with prodding from two friends—enrolled in the creative writing class. What they knew, that I didn’t, was that the star of the basketball team, whom I had a crush on, was in the class. I ended up sitting next to him. Our first assignment was to write a poem to enter in a local contest. Mine won. The teacher read the winning poems aloud in class. He loved mine. Staring at me with me those dreamy eyes and really seeing me for the first time, he asked, “You wrote this?” I nodded because I was swooning too much to speak. He said, “This is good. Really good. Can I have a copy of it?” What he didn’t know was that it was a love poem about him. To this day, he doesn’t know. And that changed everything. When someone believes in you, you begin to believe in yourself. I still dabble in art, especially watercolor. But I’ll never be as good as today’s illustrators. So, I’ll stay in my own lane and just write.

Q: Oh, I absolutely love that! From drawing on the wall to writing… quite the journey! What’s something about you that would surprise your readers?

A: I used to test-drive cars and write about them from a consumer point of view. That’s when I was a journalist. A limited-edition Camaro. Convertibles. A new car every week to drive as much as I wanted—I only had to put gas in them if I ran out—for several years. I’ve always had a thing for cars, especially new ones with all the bells and whistles. I never knew my dad because he died when I was 13 months old, but I’m told he was the same. Must be in my genes. 

Q:  How fun to test-drive the cars! Do you have any specific writing rituals (ex: a favorite pen, certain music, or outfit, etc.)?

A: I am very picky when it comes to pens. They have to feel right in my hand. I have horrible handwriting, though, from all those years of writing furiously and creating my own shorthand—like a giant B for the word because—when interviewing people back when I was a journalist. I collect journals. For example, my second book includes an oak tree. That’s the only hint you’ll get about my next project. Mwahahahaha. So, I’ve been jotting down ideas, scenes, thoughts, etc., in that journal. One journal per book. But I also collect journals because I just love the potential on all those blank pages. All the stories that can come to life. I create playlists for each book. I’m into music. My taste is eclectic, to say the least. I choose songs that help me feel what I think the characters are feeling or remind me of the themes in the book. On the resources page of my website, you can find the songs I listened to when writing Starfish. I tend to write either early in the morning—well, early for me because I’m not a morning person—or late into the night. I marathon write. Most of the time, I write in eight- to ten-hour sessions. I think my longest was fifteen. I don’t set out to do that. It’s just that when I’m writing, I get lost in the world I’m creating, in the characters’ lives. I lose all track of time and what’s going on around me. Sometimes I forget to eat, drink, or even go to the bathroom.

Q: I totally agree about the pens and music and journals! Thanks for the hint (teaser!) on your next book. Do you have any pets?

A: I used to have a pug, Princess Gigi Pugsley. I thought I’d rescued her. She was a puppy mill pug who’d been abused, neglected, and abandoned. But, in reality, she rescued me. She was the Best. Dog. Ever. I adopted her when she was six months old. She died shortly before she turned fourteen. I still miss her. Terribly.

 

I’m so sorry to hear about Princess Gigi Pugsley. Pugs are cute. I can’t have dogs due to allergies, but I agree about how animals can rescue us, as well as the other way around. Thanks so much for sharing a bit with my readers!

 

Excerpt from Starfish…

The first Fat Girl Rule

you learn hurts the most,

a startling, scorpion-stinging soul slap. …

One minute you were like

everybody else, playing around, enjoying life,

and then,

with the flip of an unseen cosmic switch,

you’re the fat girl,

stumbling,

trying to regain your balance.

Acting as if you know what you’re doing, like

when

you used to play dress-up

and tried to walk

in high-heeled shoes.

 

Amazon purchase link

My review…

This is one of the best books I’ve read in a really long time! I definitely see it being one of my favorite books of 2021. I don’t give out a many 5-star reviews, but this is one of them!

There are so many wonderful things I can say about this book! People need to Read This Book!! Everyone who grew up overweight or bullied needs to read this! Those middle school could benefit from reading this book. And people who don’t fit any of those descriptions need to read this book to see the impact bullying and fat-shaming has on others. It’s for everyone who has felt at some point in time that they didn’t fit in.

Fipps addresses important topics, such as bullying and weight bias (including that in the medical field and even family members). She also sheds light on the importance of therapy, another topic that is frowned upon by many in society.

I love poetry, so I really liked the fact that the story is told via short poems/verse. It works well and lends insight into Ellie’s character.

I absolutely adored Ellie, and my heart broke for her. I applauded her for her growth, as well as how she learned to stand up for herself. I also loved the concept of starfishing, to occupy the space everyone is entitled to and deserves. Hopefully readers will walk away from the last page with the reminder to think before they speak. A kind word goes a long way.

Some of my favorite quotes:

– “Does everybody
make somebody
feel like a nobody?”

– “But it’s a lot easier
to toss into the trash the thoughts
others have about you
than the ones
you have about yourself.”

– “Untrue, negative thought:
The higher my weight,
the lower my value.
True, positive thought:
A scale does not
determine your worth.”

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy from Bookish First and the publisher, but I wasn’t required to leave a positive review.

 

About Lisa…

Lisa Fipps is a former award-winning journalist, current director of marketing for a public library, and an author of middle-grade books. Starfish is her debut novel.

 

Where to find Lisa online…

Website: authorlisafipps.com

Twitter: @AuthorLisaFipps

Instagram: @authorlisafipps

Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorlisafipps

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Rules for giveaway can be found here.