Review of Daisy (Book 2 in The Newport Ladies Book Club Series) by Josi S. Kilpack and Giveaway of Signed Copy, along with Author Interview!

Product Details:

• Title: Daisy (Book 2 in The Newport Ladies Book Club Series)
• By: Josi S. Kilpack
• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Deseret Book (June 4, 2012)
• Genre: Womens Fiction
• ISBN-10: 1609070089
• ISBN-13: 978-1609070083
• FTC FYI: I received a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

Book Description:

Publication Date: June 4, 2012

Since becoming a mother at the age of seventeen, Daisy has looked forward to the day when she could check motherhood off her list of things to do. Everything seems to be right on track, until Daisy turns forty-six and suddenly finds herself facing a very different future than the one she had planned and an uncomfortable evaluation of the past she thought she understood. Looking for a distraction to escape the growing tension at home, Daisy joins the Newport Ladies Book Club, where she meets Paige, Athena, and Olivia unlikely friends who offer encouragement and support when Daisy s perfectly crafted life is turned upside-down. Daisy is one of four stand-alone books, by four different authors, in the Newport Ladies Book Club series. Readers will be able to participate in a virtual book club that features recommendations and discussion guides for a variety of fiction titles that can be used by any book group.

My Review:

I read and reviewed the first book in The Newport Ladies Book Club Series, Olivia, a few months ago.{Read my review of Olivia HERE} I loved it a lot! The whole idea of writing a series from different characters viewpoints, all taking place within the same time period, truly intrigued me. 

As I started reading Daisy, I knew that this was a character I could relate to on many levels. I felt the same way way as I read Olivia. My life isn't perfect, and neither are these characters. They all have a lot going on and each of them are dealing with pretty powerful things in their lives. Daisy carries a lot of baggage. She has been an unwed Mom (haven't done that one), a single Mom (currently doing that one), dealing with an ex-husband and kids that play both sides (this happens a lot!) and she had a miscarriage at the end of one of her marriages(yep). I read a few reviews of Daisy where people said they couldn't relate to the character. I had to laugh because I COULD relate to Daisy on many levels. As I read the book, there were so many times I wanted to tell Josi Kilpack that she got it right! Some of the reviewers said how "selfish" Daisy was. I have to disagree to some  extent. If you have never gone through the hardship of working full-time and raising kids by yourself, then you don't understand Daisy. She was excited to have some time for herself. What Mom, single or married, doesn't want that? But it is even something more you crave when you are the only parent. I didn't always like how Daisy handled things, but none of us are perfect parents. So, I kind of bristled when I read so many criticisms of Daisy.

The other thing that made me LOL, were reviewers that said this book made them unhappy or sad. Oh wow!! Some of us have lives like that where we don't always have happy endings. This is life. I liked this book and the ups and downs portrayed in the story. This is reality for so many people.  This novel is also Womens Fiction, not a Fairy Tale.  I'm not saying the whole story will leave you utterly depressed, and wanting to dive into a bucket of chocolate ice cream, but you will be brought to tears at times. This novel will also make you think about your life, and your own relationship with your children and your own parents. My conclusion is, that this is a very well written book to bring about so many heartfelt emotions. Josi Kilpack knows how to write well developed characters. She knows how to bring out the emotions in the story, that in turn makes the reader feel the same things. 

This series is good. I feel that these characters are bringing out the best in the writers who are crafting them. I can't wait to read the next book, Paige, by Annette Lyon. I recommend you invest your time in reading The Newport Ladies Book Club series. The main thing that I have learned from reading this series, is that we as women need to be kinder, and less judgmental of each other. We need to support each other through the hardships of life, whether or not we understand  or can relate to what they are going through.

Here is my interview with Author Josi Kilpack. I appreciate her taking the time to answer my questions.

1.Whose idea was it to write "The Newport Ladies Book Club"?

It was my idea--an idea I'd had for a long time but didn't know how to make happen. On a book tour with Julie Wright I told her about the idea of writing about connected women but changing Point of View character in each book or section or something like that. She helped me develop it into a separate-book series, we talked about who else could work with us on this and presented the idea to Annette Lyon and Heather Moore who were all in.

2.What process did you go through to write the character Daisy? How are you like Daisy and how are you different?

At first, Daisy was going to be a woman with an eating disorder, but by 40 pages I just didn't feel like it was working. I had already developed a lot of her appearance and family situation so I pondered on what other difficulties she could face instead and the idea came to have her a reluctant mother facing motherhood again and having to reassess her future in extreme ways. She's like me in ways such as ambition, independence, get-it-done, and not 'enjoying' motherhood the way many women do. But she's very different in regard to religious matters, family relationships and seeing her role as a mother as separate from herself. I came to really love and respect Daisy, who is imperfect but really is trying to do her best; has been trying to do her best for a long time. She's a woman I think it's easy to judge, but my hope is that readers will see past that and see that she really is trying; that sometimes someone's 'best' is limited in our estimation and that life is about our individual journey and personal growth.

 

3.How did you grow as a writer working on this novel?

In my own life I'm dealing with my first child leaving home, and it's caused me to focus on some regrets I have about the mother I've been. It's hard to go too deep with that, but I was a young mom and an impatient one. For a long time I was counting the days until my kids grew up. Now that they are, I'm having a difficult time forgiving myself for not embracing my role better. Daisy was an opportunity for me to explore those things and I feel like I learned a lot from that process--some forgiveness was in order as well as some exploration and some commitments to do better from here forward. On that personal--very personal--level it was a very important story for me to write in my life right now. It was also the first time I'd worked with other writers on a project and that was a very rewarding and growth-promoting opportunity as well. I was dependent on the other three women writing this series to get my story right and I learned a lot in that process.

4.What character will you be writing next in the series?
I'll be writing Shannon, who is Ruby's niece. I've just finished her story and it was another powerful journey for me. My favorite part about reading and writing women's fiction is the parallels I can draw between the character and myself, it's been very true for both Daisy and Shannon.

5.You did an incredible job with Daisy. What do you hope to accomplish next as a writer?

You know, I have accomplished so much more than I ever expected in my writing career. I did not see myself where I am right  now and I am enjoying it very much. My books are doing well, most of the reviews are very positive, and I am still learning so much about the world and about myself. I hope that things continue to feel this way to me--comfortable and validated. I hope to continue to write books that people enjoy and that I learn from. Writing has been a very enriching and rewarding part of my personal journey, and I am so very grateful for that. I hope that it continues to be part of my path here; so far it has given me many good things.

Thanks so much Josi!

Visit this blog to learn more about the series:http://thenewportladiesbookclub.blogspot.com/

Go here to learn more about Josi and her other books.

 

You can buy Daisy here at Deseret Book or at Amazon.com You can also enter to win an autographed copy of Daisy here on my blog. (USA entries only)

Enter at the Rafflecopter form down below!

About Josi:

Josi S. Kilpack hated to read until her mother handed her a copy of The Witch of Blackbird Pond when she was 13. From that day forward, she read everything she could get her hands on and accredits her writing “education” to the many novels she has “studied” since then. She began writing her first novel in 1998 and never stopped. Her novel, Sheep’s Clothing won the Whitney Award 2007 for Mystery/Suspense. Lemon Tart, the first book in the Sadie Hoffmiller Culinary Mystery series was a finalist in 2009.  Josi currently lives in Willard Utah with her husband, children, dog, kitty, and varying number of chickens.

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