Keep Me Afloat
How can you expect forgiveness from others if you can’t even forgive yourself?
BOOK DETAILS:
Buy the book: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or order through your favorite independent bookstore.
Published by: Lake Union Publishing
Release date: March 3, 2020
Pages (paperback): 381
ISBN–13: 978-1542015813
2020 CIBA/Somerset First Place Winner
2021 International Book Award Winner
2021 Book Excellence Award Winner
2020 Best Book Award Finalist
International Bestseller on Amazon:
#1 New Release in Friendship Fiction, United States
#1 Bestseller in Women’s Fiction About Friendship, Australia
SYNOPSIS:
A moving story about true love and heartbreak, mistakes and redemption, forgiveness and second chances.
Five years ago, marine biologist Abby Fisher made a mistake that cost her everything. Rather than face the consequences, she fled home to start anew—and built the career she’d always dreamed of. But when her research program runs out of funding, she’s adrift once again and decides to return to the safe harbor of her family and friends.
Except nothing at home is how she remembered.
Her friendships are strained, her normally affectionate parents seem distant, and her once-great love story is now just a painful memory. What’s worse, she keeps running into the people she hurt years ago—and they aren’t ready to forgive her.
Abby is determined to atone for her mistakes, but she can’t seem to move beyond her guilt for a chance of future happiness. Can Abby learn to sail through the storm, or will she remain lost at sea?
Poignant and heartfelt, Keep Me Afloat asks the question: How can you expect forgiveness from others if you can’t even forgive yourself?
A Special Announcement
I wrote Keep Me Afloat with the intention of making a difference. As a writer, I believe it’s my responsibility to lend my voice to important issues that affect us all—and all life depends on the health of our oceans. For the first three months my book is available, I’ll donate 30% of my proceeds (net royalties earned) to the following organizations: World Wildlife Fund, SeaLegacy, and a local nonprofit benefiting the Southern Resident Killer Whales, the Center for Whale Research.
A note from the author:
Dear Readers,
When I was a kid, I was obsessed with nature documentaries; I grew up on a steady diet of Steve Irwin and David Attenborough. Even now, I could successfully narrate the entirety of Blue Planet without skipping a beat. Before I became a writer, I entertained dreams of becoming a veterinarian, a marine naturalist, a wildlife photographer. I have always loved animals, especially whales. So, it’s probably not a surprise that I wrote a book about a marine biologist.
Keep Me Afloat is a love letter to the natural world, but it’s also a love letter to my hometown of Port Townsend. Poised on the water’s edge, Port Townsend is a charming and touristy Victorian seaport—it’s quirky and breathtakingly gorgeous. I have many fond memories of spotting seals and orcas from the deck of whale watching boats and even from the dock near my favorite coffee shop. In addition to writing an emotional, deep story about forgiveness, I wanted to write a book that showcases the wild and rugged beauty of the Pacific Northwest and the marine wildlife that grace our surrounding waters.
While Keep Me Afloat might seem different than my first novel, The Ingredients of Us, you’ll notice it has similar themes of love, mistakes, self-discovery, and second chances. I won’t lie: this book is packed full of emotion—but my favorite kind of read is one that sticks with you long after you turn the last page…and that’s what I set out to do with this book.
It has already been described as “achingly beautiful” and “heart-wrenching.” It definitely has twists and turns—but it contains a lot of heart and hope, too. I can’t wait to hear what you think!
– Jenni
Check Out the Virtual Book Tour!
Because my March–April Western Washington book tour was canceled due to coronavirus, I decided to host an online book tour! You can visit my tour page for the full tour experience, or watch the video playlist below.
Praise for Keep Me Afloat
“Achingly beautiful and emotionally rich, Keep Me Afloat explores the heartache of stifling self to put family first. When a marine biologist—broke, jobless, alone—drifts home with a U-Haul of guilt, her past and present merge to reveal her truth in unexpected ways. A stunning novel of love, redemption, and whales.”
“An achingly intense, emotional novel about love, second-chances, and self discovery. It is a poignant, beautifully written story. . . As soon as I finished reading ‘Keep Me Afloat’, I knew from the ache in my heart and the tears streaming down my face that it would be one of my favourite books, not only of 2019 but of all time.”
“A delightful story of finding oneself after hiding from the pain of the past.”
“I feel like I can’t say enough about how much I loved this book, it’s definitely a contender for one of my most favourite reads ever. It was exactly what I needed to read during these crazy times. I’ve never not wanted a book to end so badly while also not wanting to put it down. This story is so beautiful, raw, heart wrenching & so well written.”
“Keep Me Afloat is a rich ebb and flow of human emotion, offering an intimate look at a young marine biologist’s journey to finding herself. Set against the extraordinary backdrop of the Pacific Northwest coastline, this engaging story will leave readers buoyant with hope.”
“Thoughtful, absorbing, and emotive! Keep Me Afloat is a beautiful, uplifting, moving tale.”
“Emotional, heartbreaking, yet ultimately uplifting.”
“Gold delivers a beautiful story about life, relationships and forgiveness. Wonderful characters and strong narrative drive this story. ”
Awards
Keep Me Afloat is a 2021 Book Excellence Award Winner!
Keep Me Afloat is a 2020 CIBA/Somerset First Place Winner!
Keep Me Afloat is a 2021 International Book Award Winner!
Keep Me Afloat is also a 2020 Best Book Award finalist.
