Blog Tour: Claiming Jeremiah by Missy B. Salick

Welcome to my stop on the Claiming Jeremiah Blog Tour

hosted by Tasty Book Tours.
This tour is from June 3rd - June 14th,
you can find the other stops HERE. 

 Blurb:

On the same night that twenty four-year-old Jordyn Sims has a miscarriage, her sister-in-law Tori Sims conceives a child. Nine months later, Tori, a long term heroin addict, abandons her two-hour-old drug addicted newborn Jeremiah, in a hospital stairwell. Jordyn receives the news and pursues foster adoption. However, Oscar, Tori's possessive drug-addicted boyfriend, is not about to give Jeremiah up so easily. While in confrontation with Tori and Oscar, Jordyn seeks help from the Administration of Children Services (ACS), only to discover she is faced with a maze of departments, regulations, legalities and overworked social workers. Jordyn, however, remains strong and continues to push through the uphill battle, even after she discovers she's pregnant.

With all odds against her adoption of Jeremiah, and her pregnancy at high risk from increasing stress, will Jordyn win this tough battle, or will her world crumble before her?

Cindy's Review;  I must say, Jordyn is one strong woman. ;) Claiming Jeremiah was a really hard-touching read of family and how hard adopting a child can be. What makes the story even better is that the author hits close to home writing this story. At the end of the book, the author told us about the child she also adopted. She also went through the horrible long months of process, just like Jordyn. So I must say, she must also be a very strong woman. And that boy Missy adopted is so cute. ;D Way cute. 

At the start of Catching Jeremiah, Jordyn has a miscarriage. And at the same time, her sister-in-law, who is like a drug addict, who has crazy attachment to her boyfriend who treats her like crap. I'm sorry for my language guys, but Oscar is like so horrible. I just want to put him to jail! gives birth to like her second child, or is it 3rd? She has a lot of babies.   

When Jordyn hears that Tori had just left Jeremiah under the stairs, Jordyn immediately wants to adopt him. But adopting Jeremiah has a super long process, and Jordyn still didn't give up after she got pregnant, after she was going through stress and panic attacks, Jordyn still thinks Jeremiah needs a home. What's even worse is when Oscar goes and attack Jordyn for Jeremiah; But being strong, Jordyn holds true that she will get Jeremiah and be part of her family.

Jordyn is a really strong woman that not only cares for herself, but everyone else. My reaction to this book was just D'awwwwwww all the way. ;) 

I rate this an 8~ 

Author Bio:
Missy B. Salick is a new author who has written her first novel, Claiming Jeremiah. Her fictional memoir on foster adoption is drawing a hefty buzz, with an online release date not until April 7, 2013 ( May 4 in paperback). The novel is small in size, but contains a powerful message. "Children in foster care need a place to call home."  Salick, a foster care advocate, wrote this book based on her personal journey of foster adopting her four-year-old son.Before self-publishing, Claiming Jeremiah, Salick spent several years as a freelance business writer for Fortune 500 companies such as: Shearman & Sterling, KPMG, Deloitte and many more. She also had a stint with song ghost writing. Salick's experience in the entertainment industry stems from working with entertainment companies and media including Violator, MBK, Village Voice and more. As the founder of J.J. Autumn Publishing, her publishing company is geared towards highlighting urban fiction dedicated to special causes and community awareness projects.

Q&A w/ Missy:

1. What inspired you to write Claiming Jeremiah?

A: I was inspired to write Claiming Jeremiah after I experienced the foster adoption process with my son. My son was a family member who entered foster care and I wanted to prevent that from happening as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, due to legal and state laws it was harder than I thought. I did research, reading several books and articles on what I could do to stay positive and to learn more about the process. While I found several books about the technical information I needed, I couldn’t find any that illustrated a positive story and outcome. I wanted more than just information. I wanted to experience the roller coaster ride of someone else’s journey to give me hope. And the stories that were hopeful seemed too good to be true. I wanted the bad along with the good. I wanted the truth. While foster care isn’t always a beautiful and positive subject to speak about, I believe it is a subject that needs more public attention drawn to it in the media and from those who have experienced it from both sides, both the children and the parents. I kept a journal of my own personal trials and tribulations and that lead to the birth of Claiming Jeremiah.  

2. What was the toughest part about writing Claiming Jeremiah? 

A: The toughest part about writing Claiming Jeremiah was the character development. It was very important to me to capture each character the right way. The reader needs to be able to experience not only what it is like being each character, but also to get the information they needed to foster a child in care. For instance, from the first chapter you easily understand Jordyn and what she is about. However, with Tori, she is a much more complex character. From the first pages, you see her confused, scattered, and being a heavy drug user who has left her two-hour-old newborn in a hospital stairwell. The normal reaction would be to dislike her character. Tori is misunderstood, however, and I wanted to reveal what it would be like to walk in Tori’s shoes. What causes her to do this to her body, to herself, and to her children? What’s the driving force behind her actions? These are all questions I wanted to explore and give some shape and impression of to my readers. More importantly, I wanted to show her other side and not make her out just to be the villain. 

3. Why did you start writing?

A: Writing has always and will always be a part of my life. Writing is my comfort zone. Nothing brings me more peace and assurance in my life than writing. There is no judgment when my pen hits the paper. To me it’s my time to be free. I can say what I want, wear what I want, be whom I want. Writing keeps me sane. When I write I have the opportunity to let go and express myself.

You are still very young—at what age did you begin this process, and what has it been like being a young foster (adoptive) mother? 

A: I began this process when I was twenty-four years old. I must say it has been a rewarding experience. Never in a million years would I have thought I would be doing this, yet alone at this age. It’s funny, because when my husband and I go to trainings or into the agencies we are always the youngest ones there. We usually get bombarded with questions and then praised for our actions.  

4. As a foster parent, since you have witnessed some of the challenges involved in all the red tape, what are some solutions that you can offer?

A: Each situation is different. You have to find what solutions work best for you. For me, I was dealing with two states and therefore had to deal with four different agencies: the ICPC of each state and each state’s local agency. It was a nightmare. My solution was to make sure nothing fell through the cracks. Each day I was constantly e-mailing or calling someone for a status update. My advice would be to find out what the hold up is or what you can do to make the process move faster and more smoothly. The caseworkers have so many cases and things going on, it’s easy for them to get sidetracked. I’ve learned they care as much as you care. If you show extra incentive, they will too.  

What suggestions would you give to aspiring writers?

A: You have to start somewhere. You cannot finish that book if you don’t write. Write as much as you can. The best part about writing is you can do it anywhere. Always remain true to yourself and your characters. Most importantly—keep writing and find a great editor you connect with.     


Thank you so much- contact me with ANY additional questions!  


Missy Salick
718-807-5949
Author of Claiming Jeremiah
jjautumnpublishing@gmail.com

Links:
Amazon
Barnes and Nobles
Goodreads

Giveaway:

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