Calling all Early Reviewers

Hey everyone,

My publisher just posted my book for the May Early Reviewer batch (The Quickening). I've been so impressed by the intelligence of our discussions here and would love to make sure that some Midwesterners grab up this book for review. It's truly a Midwestern story: two Iowa farm women battling to save their families and their land during the Great Depression. It's also based on my own family history in central and southern Iowa. If you're interested, take a look. And if any other authors in this group has an Early Reviewer book available this month, let us know. Thanks everyone!

Michelle,

Your book was the only one I requested from this month's list. I hope that the ER Gods smile on me, as I'd love to read and review it.

My fingers are crossed that they'll smile on you too. I hope you like the book if you do snatch it up. Thanks so much for your interest!

I also requested it, Michelle. It's kind of fun to be scanning the books available and to see a name you recognize!

I requested it too. The description was very enticing!

I have yet to read and review an ER book (Chef) that I received a while back. I didn't even go to the ER list this time. I look forward to reading your book at some point!

I requested your book too Michelle. It does sound like a book I would truly enjoy.

Thanks everyone. Hope you enjoy it if you win it (or whatever the verb should be).

*happy dance* I'll be getting The Quickening!

Congrats, Lisa! Sadly, I didn't snag anything this month.

I snagged a copy of it, too!!! Looking forward to getting it. And I'll move it to the top of the list.

I received a copy and finished it this evening. It's a beautiful work. I connected with it immediately coming from a Missouri farm family where my great-grandfather valued the beauty of flat land. You described the scents and sounds and feel of farm living so eloquently and accurately. Thanks for sharing it!

Nope, I haven't requested it. Instead I pre-ordered it! I hope yon make it to Prairie Lights, Michelle.

Michelle,

I thoroughly enjoyed your book. Most everyone notes in their reviews that it is your debut novel, but the writing is evidence of a lot of hours spent creating. I posted a review this morning.

There are some strong religious themes running through the book and I wondered whether you had doubts or concerns about that as you were writing.

Yes, I just wrote a personal note to thank you. So glad you enjoyed the book. I come from a very religious family, but I also have pretty stubborn ideas about how religion can act as both savior but also destructor. I suppose I'm worried that people will think I'm against religion, which is not at all the case. My problem is people who abuse religion for their own self-righteous purposes. For me, Enidina's kind of faith is more my own.

Thanks for the interesting question, by the way. No one has asked me about that yet.

I suppose I identified with your story quite a bit, the ideas of faith and strength more than the farm and Midwest pieces, though I enjoyed the latter a great deal. I too come from such a religious family and have spent a great deal of my adult life searching for my own identity in the religious arena. And, now that I have started writing, I find that most of what I write is about people who are searching or are questioning their faith. So, as I read your book, I felt like I heard some of that in the story also.

I would never have seen the story as anti-religious, and you pet peeve about religion being mis-used for selfish interests is really a story that has been told an re-told since the beginning. I'd agree that Enidina is a good measuring stick for a rooted and practical faith.

I'm glad you liked the review.