Blog Tour ~ How We Remember by J M Monaco

Jaffareadstoo is thrilled to be hosting today's stop on the How We Remember Blog Tour 

Red Door
13 September 2018

My thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book and the invitation to be part of the blog tour

What's it all about..

When Jo returns home following her mother’s death, she is shocked to learn of an unexpected inheritance and her mother’s diary. Jo thought she could put to rest her darker past until an entry implies the messy aftermath of an uncle’s sexual advances towards her when she was fifteen. Like the diary, Jo’s memory of events is full of gaps, but one thing is certain – she will never regain what was lost. What is the full story of what happened between Jo and her uncle?

My thoughts about it..

When Jo O'Brien returns to America, from London, in the aftermath of her mother's death, not only does she find that she is the recipient of an unexpected inheritance from her mother, but also the contents of her mother's hidden diary force Jo to confront some painful truths. Jo is a troubled soul, with health worries, job security issues and a fragmented relationship, not just  with her husband, Jon, but also with her father and older brother, all of which makes coming to America extremely complicated.

This is a complex story of a family who, whilst they seemed to care for each other, just couldn't live comfortably together and there are too many secrets left unshared and too many dark corners where the hurt has been left unacknowledged for far too long. Parts of the story are quite painful to read, particularly Jo’s sexual abuse by her uncle when she was an impressionable teenager, and, it would seem that in confronting this truth,  a whole bunch of other memories, which Jo had kept hidden, are now opened up to scrutiny. The author writes this troubled family drama well and takes us through an emotional minefield of family secrets with considerable skill and an interesting observational style of writing.

How We Remember is a deeply unsettling story about a set of flawed and damaged people who don’t know how to reconcile the troubles of their shared past. And whilst the author does a good job of bringing this painful story to life, it would seem that sometimes the hurt runs so deep that the damage can’t always be put right, and that, in some cases, families will, regardless of the cost to their peace of mind, simply go their own way.

About the Author

J.M. Monaco grew up in the northeast region of the USA where she studied English and Creative Writing at undergraduate level. She worked in a variety of areas before taking up postgraduate studies in England where she completed her PhD. She now lives in a buzzing city in the South West of England with her husband and children.

Website

Twitter @jm_monaco2 #HowWeRemember

@RedDoorBooks

Blog Tour ~ What Kitty Did Next by Carrie Kablean

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Happy Publication  Day
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Jaffareadstoo is delighted to host today's stop on What Kitty Did Next Blog Tour

Red Door Publishing
28 June 2018
My thanks to the publishers and to Love Books Group for my e-copy of this book
 and the invitation to be part of the blog tour

What's it all about..

England, 1813 – Nineteen-year-old Catherine Bennet lives in the shadow of her two eldest sisters, Elizabeth and Jane, who have both made excellent marriages. No one expects Kitty to amount to anything. Left at home in rural Hertfordshire with her neurotic and nagging mother, and a father who derides her as ‘silly and ignorant’, Kitty is lonely, diffident and at a loss as to how to improve her situation. When her world unexpectedly expands to London and the Darcy’s magnificent country estate in Derbyshire, she is overjoyed. Keen to impress this new society, and to change her family’s prejudice, Kitty does everything she can to improve her mind and manners – and for the first time feels liked and respected. However, one fateful night at Pemberley, a series of events and misunderstandings conspire to ruin Kitty’s reputation. Accused of theft –a crime worse almost worse than murder among the Georgian aristocracy – she is sent back home in disgrace. But Kitty has learnt from her new experiences and what she does next does next will not only surprise herself, but everyone else too.

Based on Jane Austen's much-loved characters, this is the story of one young woman’s struggle to overcome the obstacles of her time and place and truly find herself.

Here's what I thought about it..

It always fascinates me that such is the appeal of Jane Austen's great novel, Pride and Prejudice that so many authors attempt, in their own way, to continue the story. Some succeed and some don't and I'm pleased to say that What Kitty Did Next worked for me. 

I've always felt really sorry for Kitty Bennet, so often overshadowed by her more high spirited sisters, she always seemed to be derided as silly Kitty, so it’s been really lovely to see her have her own exciting story where her personality is allowed to shine just as brightly as her feisty older sisters.

The author writes well and certainly captures the essence of Pride and Prejudice whilst at the same time allowing a new and fascinating story to unfold. There are the usual quirky moments at home, at Longbourn, as with three of her sisters now married and settled, poor Kitty is left at home with the irascible, Mr. Bennet, and with Mrs Bennet still confounded by her nerves and intent on match making, Kitty is delighted when she receives an invitation to London to stay with the Bingleys and then to Derbyshire and the magnificent Pemberley estate. 

What then follows is a lovely coming of age story which is really quite charming and which captures the spirit of this iconic novel with good humour and a fine eye for historical detail. I enjoyed watching Kitty grow in confidence and maturity and as the title of the novel suggests, discovering just what Kitty does next makes for a really lovely Austenesque spin-off.

About the Author

Carrie Kablean began her career in London, where she was born, and now lives in Australia. Arriving in Sydney in 1990 (via eight years in Papua New Guinea, during which time she edited the local newspaper on Bougainville), she was with The Australian newspaper for more than 20 years, and was, concurrently, a theatre critic for the Sunday Telegraph.

Twitter @CarrieKablean #WhatKittyDidNext

@RedDoorBooks

#LoveBooksGroupTours

Today my author spotlight shines on...Heidi Perks

I am delighted to welcome to Jaffareadstoo

Heidi Perks

24 March 2016
Red Door Publishing

Welcome to Jaffareadstoo, Heidi and thank you for being our guest today and for sharing your debut novel Beneath the Surface with us..

Where did you get the first flash of inspiration for Beneath the Surface?

It was a couple of years ago when I remembered this odd fear I had as a child of suddenly wondering what would happen if my mum turned out to be someone else and not who I thought she was. The thinking behind it was how would I cope if someone I trusted so implicitly did something completely out of character? Out if this idea for Beneath The Surface was born - though of course was happens to Abi is much worse!

Without giving too much away – what can you tell us about the story?

It’s a story of a dysfunctional family and the impact of their actions on each generation. Abi comes home and finds that not only has her mum vanished she has taken the two youngest sisters with her. Fourteen years on she starts unravelling the past with the hope of finding a future for herself. As she does this we also see the story of her mother and the girls - who are now teenagers - and realise that history is threatening to repeat itself.

Whilst you are writing you must live with your characters. How do you feel about them when the book is finished? Are they what you expected them to be?

Sometimes but not always. Sometimes they completely surprised me and this was a good thing because it meant they had really developed whilst I was writing them. I had an idea of how I wanted them to be perceived by readers although everyone sees them differently and it has been so interesting hearing feedback. The characters in Beneath The Surface have got people talking a lot!

Which character in the story did you identify with the most?

That’s a tough one because I don’t think I am that similar to any, though I would probably have to say Abi, and possibly Hannah. Hopefully no one would say I have many similarities to the mother or grandmother!

Are you a plotter...or ...a start writing and see where it takes you, sort of writer? 

Definitely start writing and see what happens! I don’t think this is always the most productive way of writing though as for me it means a lot of re-writes and plotting and re-structuring mid-way through. But I am not the kind of person who can sit down before I have begun and meticulously plan out what is going to happen. I am too eager to start writing!

Do you write the type of books you like to read and which authors influence you?

Yes I do, absolutely. I love novels with lots of twists, I love psychological thrillers and dramas. Over the years I have been influenced by many writers but I particularly love Liane Moriaty and Rosamund Lupton. I read so much and always make sure I pick up whatever is big at the moment. I have just finished Behind Closed Doors, and am now reading The Teacher. 

Can you share with us anything about your next writing project?

I am now editing my second book. It is about a young girl who goes missing whilst being looked after by her mother’s friend. The story is told in the alternating voices of the mother and her friend. Despite finding it a hard subject matter I’ve loved writing this one too and can’t wait for it to come out!

My thoughts on Beneath the Surface...

Imagine being sixteen and coming home from school to find that your mother and baby stepsisters have disappeared from the family home, leaving no trace of where they might have gone. Trying to make sense of this disappearance would be beyond the comprehension of most people and for Abigail Ryder the devastating truth of abandonment is something that will shadow her throughout the rest of her adolescence and early adulthood.

After the initial disappearance we meet up with Abigail some fourteen years later when she partnered with Adam and they are considering having a family of their own, and that’s when the past in all its frightening reality comes back to haunt Abi. The intervening years haven’t been without incident for Abigail’s mother and younger sisters and the story of what happened to them forms a good percentage of the story. 

This tightly drawn suspense story grabs your attention from the beginning and what then follows is a cleverly constructed psychological profile of a family at odds with themselves, who are so full of secrets and lies that it’s difficult to know exactly where the truth is going to come from. It’s quite an emotional read in places, and the convoluted relationship between mothers and daughters becomes as much the focus of the story as the story itself. To say more would be to spoil the impact of the story and that would be such a pity as the story should be read with no spoilers from me.

The author writes well, with a fine eye for detail and the subtle references to family life, particularly in the choice of dialogue Abi has with Adam, and also in the sibling relationship between Hannah and Lauren, Abi’s younger stepsisters, I thought was particularly well done. I found the book to be a quick read, quite simply because, once started I couldn't put it down, and there's always that enticing need to discover just a little bit more. I really enjoyed trying to second guess what the outcome of the story would be and hoped that everything was going to work out well. Whether it does, or not...you'll have to discover for yourself !


Beneath the Surface is a commendable debut novel from a fresh new talent and I look forward to seeing what’s coming next.

Best Read With …..Salty bacon sarnies and cans of diet coke...

About the Author

Visit Heidi on her website

Find on Facebook

Follow on Twitter @heidiperks1

Amazon UK

Huge thanks to Heidi for being such a lovely guest and for sharing Beneath the Surface with me.

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