Do you remember Christina Crawford’s memoir MOMMIE DEAREST and the dark movie that exposed Joan Crawford as a mother from Hell? Well, in the novella PRECISE, the character Kate could certainly relate to the daughter’s fate. Read on to learn more about this intense psychological drama and enter to win a digital copy.
Guest Blogger Tara Wagg Reviews PRECISE By Rebecca Berto
PRECISE is a debut novella by Rebecca Berto, and a courageous look at mental health and its effects on family. Twenty-two year old Katie Anselin is under the influence of her mentally ill and abusive mother. Katie’s mom, Rochelle, blames her for the numerous miscarriages and stillborn babies she endured resulting in Rochelle’s verbal and physical rage toward Katie. Paul, Katie’s husband and lifeline gives her the strength to believe in herself and feel happy. Katie learns that she is pregnant and is going to be a young mother. Paul and Katie need to work together to protect their child from being a pawn in Rochelle’s desperate need to control and defeat Katie.
From the first page, PRECISE is intense. Rebecca Berto creates a gritty world for her main characters, one in which displays an honest look at the lasting effects of family abuse. I find myself even weeks after reading the novel thinking of Katie and Rochelle and their determination to survive. The subject matter is definitely not light, but the story leaves the reader with a sense of hope.
Q & A With Rebecca Berto
1. Where did the inspiration for PRECISE come from?
I wrote a novel-length manuscript before PRECISE called, PULLING ME UNDER. When that story starts there is so much history that once I started thinking of ideas, a story for the novella, PRECISE came to me. It details what occurs in the years before PULLING ME UNDER.
2. The characters and subject matter in PRECISE are gritty and raw; did you find the writing process for this novella emotionally exhausting? How did you deal with the emotions?
You read my mind! Absolutely exhausting but my emotions, which were as deep as the characters in turmoil, always came out better in the end. When I write stories, I learn a little about my life and myself. Like all bad things that help us grow from the pain, PRECISE stripped me raw, but I came out stronger in the end.
3. Who should read PRECISE and what do you hope readers will gain from the story?
PRECISE is written for a type of person, more so than an age group. Sure, mature teens and adult women are my target, but it’s really for anyone who’s been bullied, belittled, or targeted psychologically. Laws get right onto people who abuse others physically, but so often psychological abuse is targeted on victims so well it can go undetected.
4. As a young, new author, what advice do you have for those of us who aspire to write?
Reading is much more important than trying to write better. This may sound odd, but it was only once I started reading at least 1–2 books a week that my manuscripts sounded less stiff and more like the feeling of closing your eyes and watching a world and people unfold in front of you. My staggered, disjointed, clumsy writing is so much better because I read lots of novels and analyse what I love best and dislike most with a writer’s mind.
5. Please tell us a little bit about your next novels DROWNING IN YOU and PULLING ME UNDER.
My next release will be a New Adult Contemporary Romance, DROWNING IN YOU. This genre has exploded since 2012 and I realized I was reading so much of it, than I wanted to write about it. My novel, DROWNING IN YOU was released on April 12 in eBook and paperback, and PULLING ME UNDER will come at some point in the near future.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rebecca Berto is a new adult contemporary romance author and a freelance editor. She writes stories that are a bit sexy, and straddle the line between Literary and Tear Your Heart Out. She gets a thrill when her readers are emotional reading her stories, and gets even more of a kick when they tell her so. She’s strangely imaginative, spends too much time on her computer, and is certifiably crazy when she works on her fiction. Rebecca Berto lives in Melbourne, Australia with her boyfriend and their doggy.
You can learn more about Rebecca and her novels by visiting her website rebeccaberto.com, follow her on Twitter @RebeccaBerto, and like the Rebecca Berto Author Facebook Page.
BUY THE BOOK
You can purchase a copy of PRECISE on Amazon.ca, Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, iTunes and Smashwords.
On GoodReads you can read an excerpt from PRECISE and check out Rebecca's new novel DROWNING IN YOU.
BOOKALICIOUS BOOK GRAB GIVEAWAY
Rebecca Berto has a digital copy of PRECISE to give away to a lucky Bookalicious reader. To enter the draw leave a comment in the "Click Here To Spill It" bubble below and tell us why you would like to read this novella. You have until June 5, 2013 to enter. You must be a YMC member, and please be sure you've registered your email address in our commenting system so we can contact you if you win.
Yummy Rules and Regs: You must be a YummyMummyClub.ca member to win. Click here to sign up. It's free and filled with perks. One comment per member. Entries accepted until June 5, 2013. This contest is open to international entries. Winners will be picked using www.random.org. See full contest rules.
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