I’m hosting a guest post today by Amy Lynch, author of “Bride Without Groom”. Please welcome the author!
The letter from the Tooth Fairy
Amy Lynch
The tooth fairy made her very first visit to the Lynch house last night. Let’s just say that on an excitement scale of one to ten, it was an eleven. You see, during a posh Sunday lunch at the golf club with the in-laws, out popped my six year old daughter’s tiny bottom tooth. Next thing you know, I’m scrambling under the table to find it, as my daughter squeals in delight. The tooth had been wiggling about all week, threatening to escape, and the little keepsake box from her teacher was at the ready.
Now, paper money, the child informed the amused grown-ups at the table, is better than coin money. And sometimes, she educated us, the fairy left little letters to the children. Some of the girls in her class had lost teeth, you see, so she was quite up to date on the old tooth fairy etiquette. Our younger child was less interested in tooth fairies. He was busy cramming the remaining profiteroles in his chocolate-smeared gob while his sister created a charming distraction. You have to admire the little guy, he didn’t waste an opportunity.
‘Ah yes,’ my mother-in-law winked, ‘the children must be in bed early tonight. They must be asleep when she comes.’
Afraid to miss out on the cold hard cash, the kids were out like a light. This was handy, because my husband and I got to watch back to back uninterrupted episodes of ‘Game of Thrones.’ Before going to bed, my husband put a large two Euro coin into the little white box, along with the teeniest letter you’ve ever seen. The mastermind behind the letter, of course, was me. It was a complex, long-winded note, explaining that the tooth fairy (Frenchy) was going to use the tooth to make a necklace for her sister (Pinky) whose birthday it was, and that there was to be a great ball held in Fairyland, and all of the fairies would be dancing in the moonlight. And yes, before you ask, I’d had a large glass of wine before writing it.
At exactly six forty five on a Bank Holiday Monday morning (blast that flipping tooth fairy, this was even earlier than Christmas morning) the children leapt from their beds, exclaiming the good news. The tooth fairy, as promised, had come up with the goods.
What delighted us the most was not that our daughter insisted that she was going to treat the entire extended family (including long lost cousins) to ice-creams with her mega two Euro coin, but that she was able to read the teeny letter aloud, all by herself. In fact, she read it to everyone we met today.
The love of reading comes from me. When I was little, dad and I used to adore flicking lazily through The Beano. Later, we progressed to Roald Dahl, our library cards frayed at the edges from frequent Saturday visits. When I close my eyes, the illustrations by Quentin Blake are still visible in my mind. These days, I’m reading ‘The Magic Finger’ to the children, who share my love of Roald Dahl, and have a library card each.
At eight o’clock every night, my daughter begs for more time before lights out, so that she can finish reading. She permanently has a pen in her hand, doodling and writing constantly. At night, I creep into their bedroom, avoid the creaky floorboard, and remove the pen from her little hand. She says that when she grows up, she wants to write books, just like her mummy. Perhaps the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. When I look at my daughter, I see the same love of reading and writing, the same hard-working, chatty personality, the same freckled nose. The bookworm gene, I now see, passes from one generation to the next. And just think of all the wonderful stories just waiting to be enjoyed!
ABOUT THE BOOK
Rebecca has chosen the most luscious, five tiered, wedding cake – as featured in Hello! Magazine. The engagement ring that she has selected is celebrity inspired. The wedding singer is on speed dial. He doesn’t usually do Michael Bolton, but as it’s for a first dance he’ll make an exception. She has fallen for an ivory lace couture gown that is to die for. The down payment may require her to sell a left kidney, but it will be worth it. Isn’t that why you have two? There’s one teeny problem. It’s nothing, really. No need to panic! It’s just that Barry has yet to propose. Truth be told, he’s had enough. There’s only so much wedding talk that one man can take. Now he’s leaving for a conference in Bangkok and frankly, he’s looking forward to the peace and quiet. As the Tiger beer flows and the tie loosens, his colleague Shelley is providing more than a shoulder for him to cry on. Back in Dublin, Rebecca worries, and Operation ‘Win Back Barry’ is in full swing. But wait… who is the mysterious woman that is so keen to talk to her? And what is it that Barry needs to get off his chest?
AUTHOR BIO
Irish author Amy Lynch writes humorous romantic fiction, but not always with fairy tale endings! She has been working in the charity sector for twelve years, is married and is the mother of two young children. When Amy is not writing, she can be found juggling school lunches and two Shetland pony-sized rescue dogs. Now, how’s that for multi-tasking? Amy is published by Harper Collins UK. Her debut ‘Bride without a groom’ is available on kindle or paperback
Buy links
Wow this post had so much to keep me riveted. The tooth fairy story was filled with intrigue and the generational love of reading was touching. Mine comes from my dad and I found out in my teens that my grandfather actually enjoyed writing. Sadly I found out after he died and was given a few of his things which was a full writing course from England and his notes. The book sounds quite exciting. Congrats Amy.