Blog Tour and Giveaway: Call My Name: A Novel by Jenni Ogden

 

Join us for this tour from Aug 18 to Sep 14, 2022!

Book Details:

Book Title:  Call My Name: A Novel by Jenni Ogden
Category:  Adult Fiction (18 +),  384 pages
Genre:  Literary/Women's/Bookclub Fiction
Publisher:  Sea Dragon Press
Release date:   April 2020
Formats Available for Review: print (USA only), ebook (MOBI FILE (FOR KINDLE), EPUB, PDF, NetGalley download), audiobook (Findaway download, NetGalley download)
Tour dates: Aug 18 to Sep 14, 2022
Content Rating:  PG-13 + M: Has childbirth/abortion/adoption/surrogacy themes, the brief description of a rape in the past by a Japanese guard of a prisoner in a POW camp in Sumatra in WWII (not explicit but of course disturbing and violent). A mention of cannabis smoking when characters are young, mild in-context use of f-word and other expletives.

 Praise from Paula McLain, New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Wife & When the Stars Go Dark:

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"An emotionally piercing and absorbing account of turbulent female friendship over time, Call My Name is also a keen meditation on the powerful pull of connection and belonging—the places and people that shape and change us, forever calling us home."
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“A gripping story that’s hard to put down--draws the reader into complex and deeply human questions as her characters’ lives intertwine over three decades of joy, loss, grief, and below it all, like a sustaining chord, loyalty and kindness. Call My Name reminds us that love calls us to be generous rather than possessive and that we can go on, even when terrible things happen, because we’re profoundly connected. Layered, sometimes shocking, yet shining with goodness and hope, it’s exactly the kind of story we need right now.” — Barbara Linn Probst, Sarton and Nautilus award-winning author of The Sound Between the Notes & The Color of Ice

"Jenni Ogden's done it again—given us a beautifully crafted novel filled with the complexities, mysteries and joys of human connection within a family and between sisters, lovers and friends. Filled with authenticity, compassion and grace, Call My Name will find its way deep into your heart and soul, and stay with you long after the last page has been turned." — Sally Cole-Misch, Award-winning author of The Best Part of Us

“Vivid setting, dynamic plot, and likable characters come together beautifully to deliver an emotionally compelling tale of friendship, love, loss, and forgiveness. Call My Name is a fantastic read.” — Jodi Wright, Award-winning author of How to Grow an Addict & Eat and Get Gas.

“This is a love story ... of couples, of friends, of families. A page turning saga that is fresh in its story, yet provides the warmth of an old-fashioned classic." — Romalyn Tilghman, Award-winning author of To the Stars with Difficulties, 2018 Kansas Notable Book of the Year

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Book Description:

Two women, bound together by opposite personalities, friendship, love and family—until motherhood rips them apart.
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From Jenni Ogden, author of bestselling novel A Drop in the Ocean (Gold Nautilus Award for Fiction) comes a compelling family saga set in the Australian Tropics and spanning the 1960s to 1990s. 

Her mother dead from a drug overdose, thirteen-year-old Olivia is rescued by Cathie Tulloch, her mother’s friend throughout the years they were held captive in Japanese prison camps in Sumatra in WWII. Welcomed into the Tulloch’s remote family home in the Australian tropics, introverted Olivia is claimed by dramatic, generous, controlling Cassandra Tulloch as her sister and best friend. Moving to the UK at 18, Olivia finds her independence, and partner Ben. But in 1970, after five years away, she is homesick, and ready to fulfill her long-held dream: to make a family of her own. In Brisbane she and Ben share a hippie lifestyle with Cassandra and husband, Sebastian. But while earth-mother Cassandra effortlessly produces beautiful babies, for Olivia, becoming a mother is hard. Even harder is discovering the truth about her own mother. And when the unimaginable happens, destroying the friendship with Cassandra that has been her bedrock for so long, Olivia tells herself that she doesn’t deserve a family, nor a place to call home.

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Meet the Author:

Jenni Ogden and her husband live off-grid on spectacular Great Barrier Island, 100 kms off the coast of New Zealand, a perfect place to write and for grandchildren to spend their holidays. Winters are often spent in Far North Tropical Queensland, close to Killara, the fictional home in Call My Name, her third novel.

Her debut novel published in 2016, A Drop in the Ocean, was an Amazon bestseller and won multiple awards including the 2016 Gold Nautilus Award for Fiction, Large Publisher.

Her second novel, The Moon is Missing, was published in 2020 and is set on London, New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina, and Great Barrier Island, NZ.

​Jenni, who holds a PhD in Clinical Neuropsychology and was awarded the Distinguished Career Award by the International Neuropsychological Society in 2015, is well-known for her books featuring her patients’ moving stories: Fractured Minds: A Case-Study Approach to Clinical Neuropsychology, and Trouble In Mind: Stories from a Neuropsychologist’s Casebook.

Connect with the Author:  website  ~ facebook  ~ twitter ~ instagram ~ pinterest ~ goodreads

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Guest Post:

My take on how to be a writer of fiction!

By Jenni Ogden

Write a story you are excited about. You’ll be living with it for a long time! Think of the early months and years as the learning phase—that saying that it takes 10,000 hours of practice to become expert at a new skill applies to writing a novel. Working on your first novel is your degree in creative writing. 

Read writing craft books and learn how to put yourself into your
characters’ heads and feel what they are feeling. Then express it in words. If your character is feeling disgusted, imagine being forced to drink a glass of warm fat! (You get the idea...) 

Find your voice. This is no easy task but, in my experience, it shows itself in that writing that tumbles out of you without too much conscious thinking. Often, for the reader who knows you well, their reading experience will be reminiscent of listening to you telling them the story after a good dinner. In other words, it truly does sound like your voice. Of course the actual writing will need revision, but if it flows and feels right, then try not to revise it so much that it loses its soul and freshness. And if your book is going to be turned into an engaging audiobook, remember that the more distinctive and expressive your writing is, the easier it will be for your narrator to turn it into listening magic!

Remind yourself to be realistic and put glumness aside as the rejections trickle or pour in. They are telling you that the competition is fierce, perhaps that your book is not commercial enough (but ignore that if this is the story you want to write), and that you need to keep revising and getting better. Stamina and a belief that you can do it are so important! 

For posts on all sorts of things, go to my Psychology Today blog: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/trouble-in-mind-0

And do sign up to my occasional e-newsletter: http://www.jenniogden.com/newsletter.htm

Tour Schedule:

​Aug 18 – Rockin' Book Reviews – audiobook review / guest post / giveaway
Aug 18 - Literary Flits – book review / giveaway
Aug 19 – Novels Alive – book review / giveaway
Aug 19 - Book Reviews by Linda Moore – book review / giveaway
Aug 19- Bookish Trisha - book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
Aug 22 – Leels Loves Books – book review / giveaway
Aug 23 – Leanne bookstagram – book review
Aug 24 – Authors on iTours: Let's Talk Books – audiobook review / giveaway
Aug 25 – Jazzy Book Reviews – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
Aug 26 – Stephanie Jane - book review / giveaway
Aug 29 – FUONLYKNEW – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
Aug 30 – A Mama's Corner of the World – book review / giveaway
Aug 31 – fundinmental – book spotlight / giveaway
Sep 1 – She Just Loves Books – audiobook review / giveaway
Sep 2 – Paws.Read.Repeat – audiobook review / giveway
Sep 6 – Splashes of Joy – audiobook review / giveaway
Sep 7 – Cover Lover Book Review – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Sep 8 - Celticlady's Reviews - book spotlight / giveaway
Sep 8 – Locks, Hooks and Books – audiobook review / guest post / giveaway
Sep 9 – Books Are a Blessing - book review / giveaway
Sep 12 – I'm Into Books – book spotlight / giveaway
Sep 12 - Geaux Get Lit - audiobook review / giveaway
Sep 13 – Books for Books – book spotlight
Sep 13 - The Garden of Reading - book review 
Sep 14 – Pick a Good Book – book review / author interview / giveaway

 

Enter the Giveaway:

 

CALL MY NAME: A Novel Book Tour Giveaway

 My Review: 

Call My Name: A Novel is the first book I have read by Jenni Ogden. After reading this one, it definitely will not be the last. I loved everything about this family saga. The author does not shy away from controversial and / or difficult topics. I was quickly hooked right from the start and I had to keep going until I was finished to see what happens with the characters. 

The audio version of Call My Name: A Novel is narrated by the talented Naomi Barton. I found her voice to go perfectly with the novel. She really was able to bring the story and characters to life. I loved how her accent made me feel as though I was living among the people and the area. Audiobook lovers would enjoy her performance like I did. I had no problem to keep listening to it and had it finished in two days. 

I am giving Call My Name: A Novel a very well deserved five plus stars. I highly recommend it for readers who enjoy reading women’s fiction that deals with true to life events. I am interested in reading past and upcoming novels written by Jenni Ogden in the future. I would love to know where she takes her readers to next. This one is not one to be missed and I believe it is a must read. 

I received an audio copy of Call My Name: A Novel from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review is one hundred percent my honest opinion.