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Endorsements
An Atlanta Writers
Club Conference Best Submission Award 2013
“It’s not easy to achieve the beautiful balance of this cover, with
its carefully set type and simple illustration style. Focused and
calm, yet with a clear line into the novel’s story.”
— Joel Friedlander, March ebook cover awards at
TheBookDesigner.com
“Edwards writes superbly. A
delightful and vivid, briskly-moving, satisfying read."
Kirkus
Reviews
“It’s been a long time since I’ve read a book as thoughtful and
captivating as What We Set in Motion. Edwards’ has a way of drawing
you into Nadine's life, to the point that you almost feel you are
next to her for every step of her journey. And what a journey it is.
I’m not a dancer, have never been to New York, and have only visited
South Carolina for vacations, and I still felt each moment as though
I were there. Decisions made years ago come back to haunt and have
the potential of destroying everything Nadine holds dear. However,
the wisdom of Aunt Amelia guides Nadine down the right path every
time. For a debut novel, Edwards has surpassed all expectation; she
has a way of capturing human emotions on paper like few others. I am
eagerly anticipating whatever this author publishes next. "
Linda Thompson, Host of www.TheAuthorsShow.com
“The voice Edwards gave to her protagonist Nadine feels like a
mix between Anne Rivers Siddons and Nora Ephron – feminine,
intelligent, sassy, and definitely Southern. I was hooked from the
first page."
Bibliotica.com
“Right from the start, I thought…this is a remarkable read. This
is one of those books that you don't rush through the story...you
savor it. Every word, every passage, every page takes you deeper
into the tale as it unfolds and the characters as they develop into
something more than you ever expected."
InsatiableReads.blogspot.com
“With masterful narrative control, Stephanie Austin Edwards has
crafted a coming-of-age novel that will appeal to anyone who has
ever risked everything to pursue a dream, or wondered what their
life would have been like if only they had. Nadine Barnwell is a
spunky heroine who learns that no matter how far we travel, or how
many obstacles we face on the way, the search for our true selves is
always the longest and most difficult journey. What We Set in
Motion is an impressive debut by an exciting new voice in
Southern fiction!”
Best-selling author Cassandra King-Conroy,
author of The Sunday Wife
"This passionate and engrossing novel explores the human struggle for
independence — particularly for women, particularly for southern
women from very traditional families. Each page shimmers with a
boundless energy. The author has created a world that is real, which
means there are profound lessons here about life and love that you
will carry away. It’s a book I’m thrilled to recommend."
Judy
Goldman, author of Losing My Sister
"Stephanie Austin Edward’s debut novel, WHAT WE SET IN MOTION,
beautifully explores the tension between a young woman’s need
for freedom and her longing for connection. Filled with a rich cast
of characters—starting with the wonderful protagonist, Nadine, whose
love of dance takes her far from her childhood home — this is a
deeply compelling novel of loss and redemption, secrets and
revelations, connections severed and restored."
Abigail DeWitt,
author of Lili and Dogs
What readers are saying from around the country:
San Jose, Ca.
"Reminiscent of Skeeter in
The Help, Nadine Carter Barnwell, daughter
of a prominent old Southern family, does not fit in with the person
she is expected to become in the 1960’s South. Her unflinching love
of modern dance has her set her sights on more. But as her plans to
study dance in New York City become more complicated and alienating,
she must learn to accept that her choices in life, some in her
control and some not, can eventually, by accepting all the joys and
heartaches, surpass what she had set in motion - a fulfilling and
happy life."
Carol Darcy, Former High School Administrator
South Carolina
"In this richly crafted novel What We Set in Motion, Stephanie
Austin Edwards sets in motion a series of events that are both
heart-wrenching and heart-warming. She has described the choices of
seventies with nostalgic tenderness. Nadine choreographs her life
from fish camp to Broadway, from gracious Southern home to Manhattan
loft with determination, grit and an out of date guidebook. In the
pre-aids world, she might not know a gay man from a Gomba, but she
is guided by her Aunt Amelia’s amulet and the power of her dreams.
If it means shopping in thrift shops and waitressing on the side, so
be it. But there is one choice and one secret that eventually blocks
Nadine from reaching her goal. She must face her past and everyone
she loves to in order to dance, dance, dance."
Joan Fewell
Harris, Educator and Author of Hurricane Sisters
San Diego, CA.
"The novel What We Set In Motion is a wonderful story of a
young woman who tries to make changes in her life story and the
emotional impact it has not only on herself, but all those around
her. This idea of how we can direct our own lives by what we set in
motion hits home to many of us. So often we just dream of what could
be and not realize how we can move toward that goal. Maybe if I had
read this story 40 years ago I would have chased my “dreams”
differently."
Janet E. Darcy, School Board and Non Profit
Volunteer Leader
South Carolina
"A must read for real Lowcountry Folks. This is a tug-at-your-heart
coming of age story for anyone who has a dream. The will and means
to achieve the dream is always inside you; you just have to know how
to access it and let it happen.
The story line is inspirational. It validates that one is in charge
of one’s destiny, and the choices made along the way determine the
outcome. It reminds us that our choices affect those people whose
lives we touch."
Patsy Hand, Educator and Past Chairman Beaufort County Libraries
Chicago
"What We Set in Motion is the story of a young, independent
woman striking out on her own in the big city. Nadine Carter
Barnwell is a Southern woman coming of age in the 1960s and 1970s in
New York City. Along the way, the choices she makes shape not only
her own life, but the lives of those nearest to her. The author
expertly tells the story of Nadine, the characters that come in and
out of her life, and the effect they have on each other. It is a
must read for those who've struck out on their own, searching for
independence away from the comforts of home."
Clay Chapman, Real
Estate Professional and Developer
South Carolina
"What We Set In Motion is about strength and determination. A
well-to-do girl from a strong southern family, Miss Nadine Carter
Barnwell is determined to move to New York City to dance. And in the
midst of disappointments, betrayal, tragedies, and danger she
consistently evidences unmatched tenacity, character and integrity
in a world that’s too big for most people, let alone a sheltered
girl from the south. At one point in my reading I started to envy
the dogged determination and strength this girl shows in challenging
circumstances. I got the sense that she felt she had no choice but
to dance; simply because that is who she was. Sadly, most of us
become who others think we should be."
Gloria Singleton,
Educator, Vocational Coach, Author of Divine Musings
North Carolina
"What We Set in Motion is a multi-themed novel with its
foundation in the Lowcountry of South Carolina and its layers in the
mountains of North Carolina and metropolitan New York City. Nadine
determinedly follows her dream but not without difficult decisions
to make and losses to bear. As I read this down-to-earth story of
following a dream, I realized that all of our actions, regardless of
how simple or sophisticated our lives are, impact to some
unpredictable degree on ourselves and those around us."
Greta
James, MSW Educator Writer
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