Indies Introduce Interview

“If I read a better novel in 2019, then 2019 will become my favorite year of the 21st century,” said Scuppernong Books owner Brian Lampkin of Vijay’s The Far Field.

Novel’s Nicole Yasinsky, who served on the panel that selected Schmitt’s book, said Speechless “blew me away.”

According to Tyler Goodson of Avid Bookshop, in All You Can Ever Know, “Chung shares her story of daughterhood and motherhood with such thoughtfulness and honesty that it feels like a privilege to read.”

“Your heart will race as quickly as your fingers turning the pages of this smart and captivating debut novel,” said Nancy Baenen of Arcadia Books about Ellen Goodlett’s novel Rule.

Sarah Henning’s debut young adult novel, Sea Witch, is a retelling of The Little Mermaid from the perspective of the girl who would one day become the witch in the classic tale.

Gabriela Alemán’s debut, Poso Wells, is “poised to have a longstanding impression on readers for years to come,” said Rebecca George of Volumes Bookcafe.

The Ruin is “a compelling story that spans two decades and multiple mysteries and examines the ways that public servants can provide resources for those in need or fail them utterly — or worse,” said Maryelizabeth Yturralde of Mysterious Galaxy.

In Beatty’s middle-grade debut fantasy, Heartseeker, Only Fallow has a secret ability to see lies, a power that forces her from provincial life into the service of a king and court she does not trust.

Ely Watson of A Room of One’s Own called Convenience Store Woman “a strong commentary on obsessive work culture” and praised its “calculated, removed prose and unique narrative and characters.”

“This delightful graphic novel is a game of Dungeons & Dragons, a superhero story, and a kaiju match all in one,” said Destenie Fafard of Cellar Door Books.

Louise Marshall of Rakestraw Books calls The Bird and the Blade, Megan Bannen’s debut young adult novel and an Indies Introduce Summer/Fall 2018 selection, “intricately crafted, superbly written, and beautifully tragic.”