Blog Tour - Guest Post: Broads with Baggage by Kylie Kaden

I'm delighted to be taking part in the #MissingYou Blog Tour hosted by Random House Australia. Following on from the success of Kylie Kaden's debut novel, Losing Kate in 2014, Missing You, was released on 1 April this year and is "another tantalising love-story-turned thriller".

I previously reviewed Missing You (my review here) and can vouch for the fact that "I was taken on a suspenseful and alluring journey into the lives of Aisha and Ryan and their high-needs son Eli", thoroughly enjoying "her exploration of human complexity and darkness" as she delves into themes such as: the raising of a high-needs child; the strain placed on relationships when wanting different things in life; the question of "Is love enough?" when settling down and everyday issues become a reality; and the complexities of sibling rivalry. All in all, Kylie has definitely avoided second-book syndrome and once again brought us a thoroughly engaging read!

Whilst I am the last stop on the tour and, before I introduce you to Kylie, there are many other great blogs that have taken part and it would be wonderful if you could pop on over to read their reviews and see what she had to say in her guest post contributions. Here's a list to make it easier:

- Culture Street asked Kylie to select 5 Books of Influence
- Book Review by Shelleyrae Book'd Out
- Book Review by Nicole Has Read
- Book Review at Debbish
- Book Review by Monique at Write Note Reviews
- Guest Post at Nicole Has Read
- Book Review by 1 Girl 2 Many Books
- Book Review by Australian Women Online

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Kylie for contributing this Guest Post.

Brisbane writer Kylie Kaden is a self-diagnosed bookworm and recovering chocoholic. Raised in Queensland, she spent holidays camping with her parents and two brothers at the Sunshine Coast, where much of Losing Kate was set. She now lives in Brisbane with her husband and three young sons. As the only female in a house of males, Kylie tops up her sanity by writing whilst her youngest naps (and the washing mounts). She is adamant the next addition to the Kaden household will be female…and canine.

Kylie graduated with an honours degree in psychology from Queensland University of Technology in 2000, but cites it helps little with meeting the challenges of parenting in the real world. She shares her frazzled parenting experiences in her regular column in My Child magazine, and is a strong advocate for telling it like it is when it comes to the struggles (and joys) of raising kids.

Kylie knew writing was in her blood from a young age, using her brother’s Commodore 64 to invent stories as a child. Losing Kate took shape as she drank tea at the kitchen bench, often with a toddler on her lap and ABC Kids chirping in the background.

She considers being a novelist the best job in the world – what other occupation lets you wear Ugg boots to work and make things up for a living?

Missing You is available in both paperback and eBook and can be purchased at the following links:

Booktopia    Boomerang Books    Bookworld    Amazon    Kobo    QBD

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Would Bridget Jones have been anywhere near as endearing if she were a skinny, eloquent, epitome of success? Would The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo have a fraction of the revenge-fuelled-determination to hunt down the killer if she hadn’t come across more than her fair share of injustice (or less tattoos?). Would catching Mr Darcy have been anywhere near as interesting if he didn’t have his own dark and twisty bits? I don’t think so.

A book where picture-perfect people sashay their way through life with nothing to learn sounds like a boring read. I love books that teach me about the human condition; how it’s bolstered by love, shattered by separation, tested by adversity. What is there to live for if we’ve mastered everything already? We may not always get a happy ending, but most of us are satisfied if the protagonist at least took steps towards bettering themselves.

One reviewer described my books as being about flawed characters muddling through adversity. I’ve never been prouder, because at least flawed characters are realistic. And isn’t that the main thing we yearn for in fiction? For characters to be written so convincingly, the dialogue so authentic that we relate to them like real people - feel their pain, yearn to see what they do next? 

The Aussie spirit loves the underdog: the broken, the down-trodden. The quirky ones that fight normalcy and those with a chip on their shoulder.   Is it because we want to save them, see the story through to witness them overcome their biggest vice, shatter their Achilles heel? Or is it simply because we can relate to imperfection?

Missing You is full of people with baggage: Aisha - an offbeat beauty, struggling to be the mum she never had. Ryan: an opportunistic-charmer, coming to terms with being the dad he never knew he wanted to be, and Pat, a stuck-in-his-ways grandpa lumbered with the care of a difficult 4yo grandson Eli: who sees the world differently to the rest of us. Pat described his grandson as being just like his daughter ‘high maintenance, but worth the fight’.  In life or on the page, they’re the kind of characters I like to meet. 

There is a line in Missing You where Aisha says ‘If I meet someone who seems perfectly normal and well balanced, I figure I just don’t know them well enough yet’. Because aren’t we all a little quirky in some way? Don’t we want to feel like if they can overcome their flaws - so can we?

Whether it be a compulsion to hang the washing with colour coding, an inability to commit to a relationship, or an irrational obsession for boy bands, everyone has something they can work on to be the best version of themselves. With the right ensemble of flawed characters, and the appropriate hurdles to clear, you have yourself a story worth investing in.

Thanks for having me Marcia!

About the Book

“Missing You is a tantalising love story and a seductive suspense novel: ‘Our lives were built around the strength of a kiss between strangers. Yet seven years on, look where it led us . . .'

When Aisha met Ryan she fell hard for his good looks and easy charm. Why worry that he didn't want children or a 9 to 5 job? Nothing and no one would come between them.

But with the birth of their high-needs son, Eli, their extraordinary love is shackled into an ordinary life, their passion blunted by responsibility.

Until Ryan can't take it anymore.

Then, following a mysterious phone call late one night, Aisha leaves four-year-old Eli in the care of her elderly father Patrick - and doesn't come back.

As Patrick struggles with the grandson he barely knows or understands, his frustration with his missing daughter and absent son-in-law quickly turns to fear.

Particularly when blood is found in Aisha's abandoned car . . .”

Kylie loves to connect with her readers, so you're more than welcome to follow these links:

Website    Facebook    Twitter

And, there's a Free Sample Chapter here.