Filled with humour, honesty, an abundance of movie references, and starring a diverse cast of perfectly imperfect characters, TIES THAT TETHER will resonate with modern audiences and convince them that love is worth speaking up for.
We had the pleasure of chatting with debut author Jane Igharo about her novel, Ties That Tether, her publishing journey, book recommendations, and more!
Hi, Jane! Tell us a bit about yourself!
I immigrated to Canada from Nigeria when I was twelve. Having always loved writing, I studied journalism at the University of Toronto. I worked as a communications coordinator after graduating while also pursuing becoming a traditionally published author.
When did you first discover your love for writing?
Sometime in elementary school. I actually wanted to be a poet. Writing novels wasn’t on my radar until I picked up Some Nerve by Jane Heller from the library. It was a romance, and I was obsessed with it.
With the current state of the world, what are you doing to cope with the changes we’ve had to make with our day-to-day?
I’ve been listening to audio books for the first time in my life, and I’ve really enjoyed them. They’ve been such a great escape. One audio book I really enjoyed was The Right Swipe by Alisha Rai. I’ve also been watching The Greatest Showman on repeat. Singing along always puts me in a good mood.
Your debut novel, Ties That Tether, releases on September 29th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
A heart-warming, gut-wrenching culture-clash romance.
Now tell us a little more! What can readers expect?
Ties That Tether is a contemporary romance about a Nigerian woman who promises her dying father she will marry a Nigerian man even after immigrating to Canada. But when she meets and falls for a man who is Spanish, she’s caught between her family’s wishes and her own. As a result, she tries to reconcile her identity as a Nigerian woman and her identity as an immigrant.
What inspired you to write this novel?
With what I had experienced as a Nigerian woman living in Canada––dealing with my identity as an immigrant, dating men within and outside my ethnicity, and dealing with my family’s expectations––I wanted to write a story about a woman who looked like me and shared similar experiences. Telling this story came very naturally because of the parallels between myself and Azere, the main character.
Did you face any challenges while writing? How did you overcome these challenges?
Writing Ties that Tether gave me the opportunity to explore my experiences as an immigrant and that wasn’t always easy. I had to take a closer look at myself and my family and ask important questions and confront internal and external issues in a way I never had before. It was often challenging, but it was an important thing to do. And I like to think that I grew along with my character.
Can you tell us about your publishing journey for Ties That Tether?
I wrote two books in two different genres––literary fiction and paranormal romance––before moving to contemporary romance. I learned a lot from those two novels that didn’t get published, and in 2016, I started writing my third novel, Ties that Tether. I knew this one was something special, but I knew it wasn’t perfect. In 2018, I entered Pitch Wars, a mentorship program for writers. I was selected to be mentored by someone who completely understood my book. We worked together for four months. It was very intense. On February 12, when my novel was in great shape, I queried agents. On the same day, a few agents asked to see the full manuscript. On the morning of February 13, I checked my email and saw that I had an offer of representation from an agent who read my book within hours of me sending it. I was thrilled. I accepted her offer, and about a month later, I got a book deal with Berkley.
Is there anything that you hope your readers will take away from your novel?
Immigrants sometime forbid their children from dating or marrying someone outside their ethnicity. While people might label this as being prejudice, I wanted readers to understand this instead as fear. Moving to another country is exciting, but the possibility of losing one’s culture in their new environment can be frightening, and often, that’s the sole reason behind a parent forbidding their child from dating outside their ethnicity.
What’s next for you?
I’m currently working on a women’s fiction about a dysfunctional and unconventional family with secrets and a few identity struggles. The majority of the book takes place in Lagos, Nigeria.
Lastly, are you currently reading anything and do you have any book recommendations for our readers?
I just started reading Queen Move by Kennedy Ryan. I’ve been hearing such wonderful things about it, and it’s definitely living up to the hype. Early this year, I read The Secret Lives of the Four Wives by Lola Shoneyin, and it was an exceptional book. It was captivating, heart-breaking, thought-provoking, beautifully written, and incredibly funny. I highly recommend it.
