Virtual Book Tour + #Giveaway: Haven Strong by Jessica Rakus @GoddessFish

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Jessica Rakus will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Blurb: 

Josephine Grant lives a charmed life - a husband, three perfect children, strong bonds with family and friends in the small town where she's lived her entire life. She's the helper, the hostess, the one who always shows up. The person who can do it all.

Then the bus carrying her son's basketball team crashes, and Jo's husband and son are among the lives lost. Now she has a new identity. Widow. Single mother. Woman who lost everything. Grief begins to tear apart the place that's always been her home. Infighting among friends. Gossip and rumors. Wounds that may never heal and bonds that just might.

Now Jo has to rebuild her life, but as the person who thinks of herself as the helper, asking others to help hold her together is impossible. Jo must learn to lean on others as she learns to stand on her own. 

Purchase HAVEN STRONG on Amazon and Barnes and Noble

 

Read an Excerpt

I handed my husband his sneakers, shoes he should have been able to keep better track of, given how often he wore them. At least he didn’t leave them where I’d trip on them, like the kids did.

“Thanks, Jo, you're a lifesaver.” He cupped my face with his free hand. My shoulders relaxed and I melted against him, forgetting all the things on my to do list. My eyes drifted shut as he kissed me, the lingering kiss we were rarely allowed, with three kids running around the house. Our daughters were spending a few hours with their grandparents, and our son was upstairs ignoring us. And even without the kids interrupting us, Steve’s cell phone pulled us apart, ringing incessantly from his pocket.

“Ignore it, Steve,” I murmured against his lips.

“It's Reston, and we have to leave anyway.” He stepped away from me and answered the phone call before sitting down to tug on the sneakers, grubby with constant wear. “We're on our way, I swear. Walking out the door as we speak.”

A lie. Despite multiple reminders we needed to leave, Matt was still in his room. Matt and Steve were due at school in ten minutes to catch the bus to this evening's basketball game. And if the head coach was calling, we had to leave the house now.

Interview with Jessica Rakus

Could you tell us about any research trips you took for this story? Which places did you visit, and what made them essential to your writing?

Unfortunately, no research trips have been necessary. Maybe I need to set a book somewhere fun, like Greece or Australia, and then I’ll have to travel.

What's the strangest thing you've ever had to research online for your book?

For this book, I did a lot of low-key medical research, as well as looking up high school syllabi, so I’d know what my characters were teaching.

What research (history, mythology, science) goes into your world-building?

I don’t do a ton of research on my settings. This book is set in a make-believe town, and as I realized my characters needed a specific resource, I’d just toss it into the town. I like to make my worlds as “normal” as possible, so I can put my energy into the story, rather than the research.

Have any of the people you've known, past or present, left a lasting impression on your writing journey? If so, we'd love to hear about a memorable experience that stands out to you.

Once I stopped being scared of feedback, joining a critique group was the best thing I’ve ever done for my writing. I’ve been part of three groups, thanks to moving: a great group in New York City that sprung out of NaNoWriMo, a group in West Virginia where I got the first feedback on this book, and an online group that I’m still working with today. Getting and giving critiques has made me a better writer, and I can’t recommend it enough.

Do you write in the same genre all the time?

I do! It feels very “write what you know” to write book club fiction - my characters are like me and they’ve faced similar issues.

If so, have you ever consider writing in another one?

I’ve considered writing more straight up romance. I love writing those moments between two people as they negotiate feelings and attraction. I struggle with things like dual POV and third person narration, because that’s never been how I write, so it’s a learning curve I’m not sure I’m in the mood for at this point.

Which character, supernatural or human, do you enjoy writing the most and why?

For this book, I loved writing Jo and Reston, as well as Jo’s older daughter Addy. I’ve kicked around ideas for sequels, and I always come back to having Reston and Addy narrate their own books. I’m not sure what’s drawing me to them, beyond that they have interesting stories to tell, but that’s true (I hope) about most/all of my characters. Maybe it’s a sign that I need to make those other characters more interesting/three dimensional. I guess we’ll find out if sequels happen!

About the Author:

Jessica Rakus is a debut novelist, after many, many years of writing practice. She currently lives in Louisiana, after living briefly in seven other states.

Connect with Jessica Rakus

More information available at Jessica Rakus Books

Giveaway:

$25 Amazon/BN GC

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