I'm Here

by Christy Chafe

It’s the evening of Meg’s husband’s funeral. The grueling day has come to an end, and now Meg is alone in the bedroom she has shared with Ben for so many years. Annie and Willie are upstairs, though probably not at all settled. Their home is empty of people, but full of cookies, coffee cakes, and an exceptionally large ham. Meg has felt like a stranger in her own home all day, but now, with the the lights off and the doors locked, she can breathe a bit deeper. Here, in the master bedroom, she feels a tiny bit normal. Ben had always traveled so much, and Meg is accustomed to being in this room alone. How can she feel any relief, any normalcy at all? With the details of the last few days behind her, exhausted and battling her emotions, Meg takes off her heels, drops her funeral clothes on the closet floor, and finally lies down. After falling into a fitful sleep, interrupted by odd dreams and the light from the muted TV, she is startled awake a few hours later by the chime of an incoming text message. Grasping for her iPhone on nightstand, she struggles to read the screen through bleary eyes. She sees the time first. 2:16 am. And then two words. “i’m here.” The text is from Ben. The story is propelled by one woman's journey to discover answers when she's not entirely sure she wants to know the truth. Meg's quest to understand this funeral-night text, and those that follow, forces her to face much deeper questions about love, loss, and the things we hold on to. Two families, best friends, college sweethearts and young love are tried and tested in "I'm Here," this debut novel that begs the question "what if?" and reminds us of the power of forgiveness and acceptance.

Genres: Fiction

282 pages, Paperback

Published December 17, 2018

About the author

I am so happy to announce the release of my debut novel, I’m Here, a story which explores one woman's journey to discover answers when she's not entirely sure she wants to know the truth. After being awakened in the middle of the night by a text from her dead husband, Meg is forced to face questions about love, loss, and those things we hold tightly. Please click the links in my "Books & More" page to read a sample or to purchase a copy!

I hold a BS in Creative Writing from Miami University and an MA in English from Xavier University. As a stay-at-home mom for many years, the freedom of my writing schedule has always been a blessing, but now I have some extra time and more stories to tell. I’m the very grateful mom of three wonderful kids (ages 24, 21 and 17). I’ve been married for 27 years to my college crush (#MiamiMerger #Love&Honor) who was the real inspiration for this book. The questions of “what if” are ones I’ve always wanted to explore, and I’m thankful for the opportunity.

I’m currently working on my second novel, but I also truly love the art of personal essay. My piece, “Beautiful Girls” was published in Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Magic of Mothers and Daughters, and my article, “Inner Tubes and Daylilies” was published in "Ohio Magazine."

When I'm not writing, you will find me walking Coach the Dog, a fierce 14-pound Maltese, reading, or playing Candy Crush. I love podcasts, documentaries, movies and reality TV (far more than I should admit.) My family adores our hometown of Hudson, OH, but has also fallen in love with our island in the sun, Daufuskie Island, SC.

Please connect with me at www.christychafe.com

xoxo ~ christy

Reviews

[Wendy Gibbons · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent first book by the author. This book deals with death in a suspense filled book.

[Hillary · Rating 2 out of 5]

The main character's husband, Ben, dies and supposedly sends a text from beyond the grave. Okay, that's pretty interesting. But then we're 25% into the story and there is no clear vision as to where it is going. We're getting snippets of Annie's day at school, going back in time to see how Meg and Ben meet, as well as how Elise and Meg meet. I understand the author is just trying to provide some background information, but these passages (plus the creepy ex-boyfriend storyline) could have been removed and it would not have mattered one bit. I really believe this would have been better as a short story. It doesn't get interesting until 60% of the book has elapsed.

Something that really bothered me (and again, something that could have been completely removed from the book) was Annie's interactions at school. Her guidance councilor touches her shoulder and her teacher hugs her. What?! NO! Annie enters a classroom and her friend meets her at the front of the room, takes Annie's binder, holds her hand, walks her down the aisle, and then opens Annie's book for her to the right page. It's just...weird.

I don't know if it has something to do with the Kindle translation, but this novel was chock full of errors. Some examples include: randomly placed periods, commas, spelling "Elise" like "Elyse," years are wrong, saying Willie is in the 6th grade but he is only nine years old, and the formatting/lack of indentation with new paragraphs or conversations. These problems aren't just randomly mixed in...they are EVERYWHERE.

I won this book as a part of a Goodreads Giveaway.

[Lexxi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn't sure if this was a "regular" fiction book or a paranormal-twist fiction book, so it did add an element of uncertainty as I was reading this, since I wasn't sure of the rules to this world. Overall, I enjoyed the book. I liked how the narrators jumped around. My complaint was that there were parts where it was focusing on say, Annie, and seemed like it should be 3rd person limited, but then there would be one line that talked about how Meg was feeling. It wasn't enough to seem like it was 3rd person omniscient (and if it was, then why did the narrator jump around), so that was a bit awkward.

The book did seem to drag. I thought I was at least 65% done but then checked and I wasn't even at 40%. And we found out what was going on with the texts around 85% but the book took another 15% to wrap itself up. The ending was brutally dragged out.

What drove me nuts was the punctuation errors. This book needs an editor, ASAP. Most weren't that big of a deal (2 commas instead of 1, etc) but things where quotation marks were missing or incorrectly added caused me to have to reread paragraphs.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Independently published and the author's first book - wasn't sure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised as it was a quick read and kept me engaged. I was not sure exactly what was happening and whether or not there was something paranormal going on, so in that regard it had me guessing right up until the end. It was definitely not the deepest or most profound read, and the writing wasn't top notch, but it was a good first novel and I enjoyed the characters. I also enjoyed the themes of friendship and forgiveness that the novel took on and that even with those we love, forgiveness can be a tricky and long road. What I thought would be a central theme, grief upon the loss of a central person in life, actually fell a little flat for me in this and the later themes I felt were explored much more deeply and successfully.

[Deb Ristow · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book as part of the Goodreads Giveaway program. This is the story of a wife, children, and friends that are affected by the death of a loved one. Meg, along with her children Annie and William, are lost since her husband Ben died when an unexplainable event happens that seems to give the family hope. This is a well written story with well developed characters that keeps the reader invested until the surprising conclusion that rocks the entire family. I enjoyed this book and would definitely read more from this author.

[Allison · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. I picked this up for basically free with discount coupons as a back-up book on my Kindle for vacation and it filled the gaps in time for me for sure as a really quick read, but I was underwhelmed. I was hooked by the premise and the suspense behind it was enough to keep me interested, but ultimately, it was predictable, redundant, and rather bland, which pains me to say, as I know it's a first book attempt. The writing and characters could have just used some more life to engage the reader. There's a lot of potential here though.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not quite a thriller but leaves you wanting to know what's going to happen next. Having had my father die of a heart attack when I was 17 and a junior in high school, it was sometimes difficult for me to read. The writing really makes you feel for the characters. I wish there had been a better epilogue, I just wanted more to be wrapped up. I really enjoyed this one. Looking forward to reading more by the author!

[Doreen Klein · Rating 3 out of 5]

What to say?

I was intrigued by the description and I was pleased to find that it was available on Kindle unlimited.
Not sure how to classify, as not really a thriller or a feel good book. Well written, however definitely needs a proofreader as they were several grammatical errors throughout the book.

[Mark Thurnauer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I selected this book because it was written by a good friend's sister. I thought that for a first book, it was well written and it was fun that the book started out in the setting of Miami University. It was quick read and it kept me interested, but I would say that, for a mystery, it really did not end up having much of a twist.

[Robert Eppich · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first half dragged a bit for me and it was just about to put it away then I realized this book was self published. As a perennial champion of the underdog, I persevered and finished the book and was satisfied in the end. The story moved better during the second half and the writing improved. Kudos to Christy Chafe. The copy was given to me along with a big stack from a family from Cleveland so must have been purchased close to where it was written.

[Allie Lawton · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s been a long time since a book captured me enough to change my plans, but I’m Here did just that. An intimate look at a family after a tragic heart break mixed with an unexplainable text that makes you hungry to keep reading. Great first book!

[Misti · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was very happy to win this in a Goodreads giveaway! From the description though, I was really expecting something else. I’m sure plenty of people will really enjoy this book, but it just wasn’t for me I’m afraid.

[Kate Stone · Rating 1 out of 5]

Started off strong, but just kept getting worse. Unnecessary characters, loose motivations, and a number of typo errors. I only finished it because I was hoping the end would redeem the middle, but it did not.

[Eileen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book. Built a fire, and took a day off after the holiday to enjoy a book, and was glad I chose this one. Could not put it down. Unexpected turns, which I like in a good book. I could feel her pain and her hope through the pages.

[BookTrib.com]

The sudden loss of a family member is a tragedy difficult for anyone to bear. But what if your loved one wasn’t really gone? What if, despite all other signs of death, a tenuous connection persisted? Insane as the situation would seem, if a text came from your deceased partner in the middle of the night, would you answer? Meg receives one the night of the funeral for her husband Ben containing two words that shake her to her core: “I’m here.”

Meg and Ben were college sweethearts that married not long after graduation. Their kids Annie and Willie completed their tight-knit family and blissfully normal life in the suburbs. Meg befriends another mother in the neighborhood, Elise, and the families become inseparable. When Ben suffers a sudden and fatal heart attack on the plane for one of his business trips, both families are devastated. While Meg is still reeling from the loss of her soulmate, she receives the equally ominous and hopeful text from her deceased husband. I’m here. With this surreal start, Christy Chafe begins an electric tale of grief, mystery and love in her debut novel, I’m Here.

The rest of the review: https://booktrib.com/2019/05/one-fami...