Blog Tour: When You Were Here by Daisy Whitney



You might remember how much I loved When You Were Here by Daisy Whitney -- you can read my review here. So I was thrilled to be asked to be part of a blog tour for the book.

Here's what the book's about:
Danny's mother lost her five-year battle with cancer three weeks before his graduation-the one day that she was hanging on to see. Now Danny is left alone, with only his memories, his dog, and his heart-breaking ex-girlfriend for company. He doesn't know how to figure out what to do with her estate, what to say for his Valedictorian speech, let alone how to live or be happy anymore. When he gets a letter from his mom's property manager in Tokyo, where she had been going for treatment, it shows a side of his mother he never knew. So, with no other sense of direction, Danny travels to Tokyo to connect with his mother's memory and make sense of her final months, which seemed filled with more joy than Danny ever knew. There, among the cherry blossoms, temples, and crowds, and with the help of an almost-but-definitely-not Harajuku girl, he begins to see how it may not have been ancient magic or mystical treatment that kept his mother going. Perhaps, the secret of how to live lies in how she died.

My assignment for the tour? To give you more insight into one of the book's characters, Kate.  She was the best friend of Danny's mom and is also the mother of Holland, the girl who dumped Danny with no explanation.

Here's how Danny describes Kate:

"Kate is a tiny person. She's maybe five feet tall, but she's a pit bull, and the muscles on her arms are sick. She works out every day, which is not unusual in Los Angeles, granted, but it's where she works out that's telling. She works out at Animal House, which is this very macho, very old, very broken-down gym without air conditioning. The clientele is mostly Arnold Wannabes and guys just out of jail."

Hi, Daisy. Okay, here's my first question: why does Kate work at the Animal House instead of at a health club? I mean… no air conditioning?

Because Kate is intense! She wants the best trainers at the best gym to get the best workout! She is all about maximizing every moment. Even her gym time!

Kate must miss Elizabeth a lot. What's her favorite memory of her best friend?

When they were in college together they pranked the boys one dorm over by moving all their furniture from their common room down to the basement and replicating their set-up in the basement, complete with posters of bosomy babes and bands. They kicked back on the couch and turned on the TV to watch Splash when the boys walked in and discovered what they’d done. Everyone laughed and Elizabeth and Kate won the pranking contest.

Danny ran off after making a scene at his high school graduation and said Kate probably wanted to wallop him. How did Kate actually react?

She did want to wallop him. Danny was correct in that assessment. The voicemails she left for him were full of piss and vinegar. He deleted them though.

How did a person as take-charge as Kate keep herself from intervening when things got all weird and awkward between Holland and Danny?

As much as Kate feels a responsibility to look after Danny, she is Holland’s mom, and her daughter’s wishes came first. She’d go to the ends of the earth for both Danny and Holland, but she’d travel a bit further for Holland.

Was Kate able to get permission for Danny to bring Sandy Koufax with him to college? Because if not, I will volunteer to dog sit.

She was indeed able to secure permission! But Sandy Koufax likes long walks on the beach and is available during the days on Monday through Friday. Let me know if you’d like to take her! It can be arranged.

My dog and I live on the east coast, but if we're ever in California, we'll give Sandy a call. Or a bark...


Now, as a special treat, here's a video of Daisy in Japan, showing you things you can buy in vending machines…. who knew?





Enter below to win your very own copy of the book, courtesy of Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. They can mail to US street addresses only - no international addresses or PO boxes. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Comments

  1. I can't imagine working out at a gym with no air-conditioning-I guess I'm not hardcore enough!

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  2. Me either! But I loved that video. I'd like to buy flip flops out of a vending machine, for those times when my shoes are giving me blisters..

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  3. I would love to be able to buy antibacterial wipes out of a vending machine. I try to carry them with me, but sometimes run out! I am a germaphobe so that would be awesome. Ohh or lotion. That would be great too!!

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    1. LOL -- I think there should be free Purell everywhere!

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  4. Fruit is a good idea but that banana was too expensive.

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    1. Yeah, when I was in Japan, fruit was crazy-expensive!

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  5. I've actually seen crazier vending machines. East asia is VERY famous for those (i've been to south korea, malaysia, and china) and you can basically buy almost anything. Not just food! There are even ones that sell books!

    - Juhina @ Maji Bookshelf

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  6. Well, this actually exists, but I would LOVE to have Luna Bar vending machine that just magically replenished themselves. Or a book vending machine. That one would be pretty sweet too.

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    1. I love Luna bars too. And Kind bars…..

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  7. Loved this interview! And I will so have to read it now.

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  8. I would love to be able to buy books out of a vending machine. Omg, wouldn't that be lovely..

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  9. I got this book in the mail the other day and can't wait to read it! I love getting insight into characters!

    Kate @ Ex Libris

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  10. That is a cute video. I want to try the jasmine tea in a can, yum :)

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    1. That sounds great…. and the yummy grape soda :)

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  11. Would love to get urban vinyl figures like dunnies, or maybe shrimp chips!

    Thanks,
    Leanne

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  12. I've seen pizza vending machines, so I really want to try to get a pizza from one.

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  13. I could never work out with no AC, I'd freak out. :-) Cool video, I can't believe all the things you can get in vending machines in Tokyo! Thanks for sharing :-)

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  14. Those vending machines are awesome! I'd go nuts trying things out. lol Thanks for sharing! :)

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    1. Oh, and a books vending machine would be nice! I hear those exist. Oh, frozen alcoholic drinks would be another. ;)

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  15. Is there such a thing as a book vending machine? That is just about the only thing I can't get enough of. Well, unless you have very small kids. When my daughter was a baby, a diaper vending machine would have been nice to have somewhere near. :)

    And dang, I just realized I wasn't the first person to suggest a book vending machine.

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  16. Books! Can you imagine?! Omg... How awesome would that be?! :)

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  17. Oh wow, I had no idea vending machines were so big in Japan! I was going to say it would be cool to get books from a vending machine but then I saw that some others said that. I guess I'm going to say FRESH juice, like the REAL thing, just made. I don't think it's possible for that to be in a vending machine though, it would have to be like a real kiosk with a person. Oh well, I tried.

    I want to read this book so bad! And holy cow, a gym in L.A. WITH NO AIR CONDITIONING?! No thank you!

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  18. A vending machine for things that are commonly forgotten like lotion, hair band, etc.

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  19. Stick on mustaches like in The Daughter of Smoke and Bone!!! I really think this should be a thing! :D

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  20. I would love to be able to buy ballet flats. Now that would be AWESOME!

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  21. I would actually love to buy that double chocolaty frappacino that Starbucks makes. I don't drink coffee, so I take mine without, but I feel like I'm just as addicted as I would be if it was in there. ;)

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  22. Books! ;) Now imagine that! I'd love that to be real!

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  23. I've always wanted to be able to buy fast food out of a vending machine...it would be the ultimate fast food! I mean it doesn't seem too hard and a Taco Bell vending machine would be sort of awesome.

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  24. I think some kind of clothing in a vending machine would be so awesome! Tops, shorts...anything

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  25. I want to buy Ben and Jerry's out of vending machines. Or books.... possibly items that exist for the sake of nostalgia, like tamagotchis and snap bracelets....

    Also, this totally sounds like a book I'm going to love. Can't wait to read it.

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  26. A book vending machine! That would be awesome. Also, vending machines for those little items that you don't always think about but need them? Like band-aids, chapstick, etc. A vending machine for those small necessities would be good too.

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  27. A good book! A book vending machine would be TIIGGHTTT. Also, a machine that vended out good men would be awesome!

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  28. Cupcakes!! I seriously just SAW ONE TOO!!!

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  29. There are some weird vending machines nowadays. At Macy's I saw an ipod vending machine and I was like who the heck is shopping for clothes and then is like hey I feel like dropping a hundred bucks on an ipod, so convenient that this is here?! Anyway my friend went to Tokyo and she said it was amazing. The people were super nice and they apparently treat their pets very well because she said she saw a ton of pet salons where they were giving dogs massages and stuff. This book sounds interesting. Very curios about what his moms life was like in Tokyo and what he discovers on his journey there.

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