I have published my second book, which, ironically, is the first book I have ever finished writing. It was lying aside for a long time, waiting patiently, until I made it into my big project. The story is therefore important to me on a very personal level. But which isn't?
Bodies takes us to Prague in the late 1990s. We meet four young girls who are gradually establishing their careers and their independent existence. Moving to the capitol city of any country is a big step and only one of the girls actually is from Prague itself. Some of the girls know each other, others meet in passing, or encounter the same people. That's life in a big city - anonymous and intimate at the same time. Life in a big city also means different levels of existence, living in the same place, but experiencing it very differently.
The first character is Lizzie, a nurse from a small town who came to Prague to realize her dreams. First step was a job in one of the big teaching hospitals, which means subsidised accommodation and better career prospects. But nursing career is the last thing on Lizzie's mind. She wants to be a model. And Prague is the place where it can happen. She joined a prestigious agency and currently learns that it doesn't mean much. Making it as a model isn't as straightforward as she hoped.
Ida, the second girl, is from Prague, and lives alone in a small flat she inherited from her aunt. She was originally a vet nurse, but after a break up and a crisis of confidence, she ended up working in a brothel. She was in love and very happy, waiting for her boyfriend to graduate from university, becoming a vet and living with her happily ever after. Instead, she ended up single, in a job she didn't very much enjoy. After a few trials and errors, she realized that selling herself may be an unexpectedly good option. When we meet her, she is enjoying herself, doing well, even meeting a love of her life. But will it stay like that?
Victoria, our third heroine, seems to be the most glamorous. She is a model, and a good one. Working for the same agency as Lizzie, she is on another level - working full time, travelling, being in high demand. She lives in a beautiful flat with her gay best friend, has a rich boyfriend, and seems to have it all. But her ambition is much bigger, she wants to make it in the international market. Prague, the dream for girls like Lizzie, is too small for Victoria. However, she is already learning that sometimes, price of happiness can be very high.
The last of the girls is Isabela, a stripper who is carefully building her brand and running her career the best way she can. Dancing was her dream and she loves what she does, but she has also a strong business mind and isn't afraid to try new things, promote herself, and be who she is without any shame. It means living a very isolated existence and regularly upsetting her family, but for her, it is the best way to live.
Every chapter is dedicated to one character in turn, and we follow their progress through some pivotal times in their lives. Although their lifestyles are very different, some things about them are similar. They are ambitious and independent. Men should be falling for them, but the truth is that relationships aren't simple, no matter which of the girls we look at. All of them want to meet The One, but they also value their independence and freedom, which isn't seen as something women should aspire to, or talk about. Establishing their independent existence, they are finding out how society works and how they are supposed to fit in it. In a nutshell, life is complicated. And we can read and see how the girls in Bodies figure it out.
If you are interested, you can find the book here:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bodies-Lucinda-Real-ebook/dp/B09VFMFQT5/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1A4BO7DJGSNM4&keywords=lucinda+real&qid=1648563893&s=books&sprefix=lucinda+real+%2Cstripbooks%2C88&sr=1-1
The post about my first book Grey Rainbow is here:
https://lucindareal.blogspot.com/2021/06/about-grey-rainbow.html
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