Character Spotlight ~ Kimberly Stuart's Mia Rathbun

Today the spotlight shines on..........................Mia Rathbun

Love books with humour and bite?! Be sure to check out Kimberly Stuart's offerings. I have only read Stretch Marks but have it on good authority that her other books are just as fun and fabulous :)

Enjoy - over to you, Kimberly:~

Brief physical description

Medium height, cute and curvy build, shoulder-length curly (at times unruly) light brown hair. Nice smile, bright eyes, furrowed brow, particularly when pondering her carbon footprint and the influence of conservative talk radio.

Note: Mia experiences WILD weight fluctuations between the front and back covers. This part of character development endured many, many hours (months, even) of research on the part of the author, so please be appropriately appreciative.

Actor/famous person

I'll just let you guess which one is Mia and which one is her misguided boyfriend, Lars.

Actually, that would be a bit dressy for Mia, who does own her fair share of natural fabrics and hemp necklaces. She'd look more like this:

…only without the skates and orange cones. I've never seen Mia skating between orange cones.

Strengths and weaknesses

Mia works hard and has every intention to save the world, or at least her world. She's also loyal and earnest and proficient at Downward Dog.

She's not such a quick judge of character. She tends to hold grudges. And she does not treat herself as well as she should, particularly in the area of relationships with mooch-men (my word, not hers).

Your inspiration for the character

My inspiration for Mia came alongside the inspiration for Babs, her mother. I loved imagining how a granola-crunching, urban dwelling PETA member would react to having a straight-ticket Republican, beef consuming, cruise ship hostess for a mom. It still makes me giggle to think about it and the book's done!

Background to the story

I lived in Chicago for a spell and wanted to write a story that took place there. Mia and Babs came to me in one fell swoop and I had SUCH a great time hashing out their relationship for them. Add in a tasty but worthless boyfriend and a Persian grocer, and Stretch Marks was well on its way to being a modern, urban romance of sorts, with a healthy helping of family drama thrown in.

Love it, Kimberly - thanks for sharing :) I'll be checking out your backlist!

On Monday, the spotlight shines on Linda Clare's Muri Pond from The Fence My Father Built.

Relz Reviewz Extras

Review of Stretch Marks

Visit Kimberly's website and blog

Buy Kimberly's books at Amazon or Koorong

Stretch Marks by Kimberly Stuart

Synopsis:~

Free-spirited Chicago social worker Mia Rathbun and her boyfriend, Lars, have a good thing going---until Mia becomes pregnant. Suddenly she finds herself on her own facing single parenthood. When her estranged mother, Babs, shows up to help, things get dicey. Can mother and daughter reconcile---and discover how God can create beauty from ashes?


My take:~

Every now and again I come across a book that is a pure treat! Stretch Marks is just that – humorous, poignant and honest to a fault. Kimberly Stuart’s writing is fresh, energetic and timely. Following the heartache of an unplanned pregnancy and the tension of a difficult mother/daughter relationship, Kimberly plumbs the emotion and conflict that results. Unique characters inhabit Mia’s neighbourhood and show their support with love and tenderness as she comes to terms with becoming a mother. A touch of romance and the joy of healed relationships, make Stretch Marks a delightful journey. I will be certainly be looking for Kimberly’s backlist.

Relz Reviewz Extras

Visit Kimberly's website and blog

Buy Kimberly's books at Amazon or Koorong