Preacher Man Reviews

  I won!  I won!  I won the EPIC Award for 2010!  It was a fun weekend (here's my trip report) and here's my acceptance speech when I won!

Big news!  Huge!  The biggest!!  Preacher Man is a finalist in the 2010 EPIC Award contest!  I couldn't be happier!

• Romance Studio gave me 5 hearts out of 5! 

Highlights: "... an excellent love story.  The author give us a relationship that isn't easily built. She also shows subtly how God works in mysterious ways .... The characters and dialogue are well crafted to let us look inside the hearts of the players in a way that draws us to them. It's easy to get emotionally involved in many of the scenarios. This is a truly uplifting kind of book well worth the read."   Here's the full review.

Crystal from CK2S Kwips and Kritiques gave Preacher Man 3 1/2 clovers (I'm assuming out of 5, although I'm not sure what that means, exactly).  Here are the highlights:

• Preacher Man had many of the plot elements I love in a good romance.
• I did particularly love the scene at the youth rally when Regan arrives; the testimony there was outstanding.
• This book would be a nice, safe read for a dismal rainy day. (Question from Laurie... is that a good thing?  Ha ha)

I read your book this last weekend and thought it was wonderful! I think it's your best so far, and I'll be looking forward to your next book. :)
   -- Julie R, from Mahomet, Illinois

Joyfully Reviewed gave Preacher Man a very positive review.  Here are the highlights:

• .. something about Preacher Man called to me when I read the blurb and I knew I had to read this book.  I am glad that I went with my intuition because I loved Preacher Man! 
• Laurie Larsen has combined faith with romance to make a winning combination. 
• Josh was unlike any preacher I have ever known and he won my heart the first moment he pulled up on his motorcycle.  His outlook on life continued my love fest of this strong and gentlemanly character.

Here's the whole review.

My first review of Preacher Man was from Between the Lines.  "Andrea" rated it "Entertaining and Engaging" and here were some of her comments:

• Preacher Man is well written and the main characters are finely drawn
• It is an entertaining read. Throughout the book there runs a very strong moral sense of faith and of love, both human and Divine.
• It makes a nice change to read about teenagers who want to help people instead of hurting them, especially these days when criminal youth, drug dealing or taking, etc., are lauded by authors and reviewers alike.
• As I said earlier, this book is well written and it is worth reading.

If you want to read the whole review, click here...

YIPPEE!  The Wild Rose Press offered me a publishing contract for Preacher Man.  The editor had the following wonderful compliments about the manuscript:  "I have read your partial and found your story to be engaging and promising."

After review of the full manuscript, "I have finished reading your full MS Preacher Man.  I found it engaging and absolutely delightful."

And next:  "And let me take this moment to say, that I LOVED your MS.  It was the best written MS I've read lately."

And after her first edits of the manuscript:  "I have only suggested a few changes throughout the novel.  Mostly everything was perfect!  Regan was the ideal heroine you couldn't help but love for her humanness and vulnerability.  Josh -- my goodness -- he is every woman's dream come true!!  I read the entire novel in one sitting -- couldn't put it down!!  5 stars, etc."
 

Preacher Man WON the Golden Acorn contest in the Inspirational category!!  The final round judge was Julie Swarzburg, an editor at Multnomah, and here's what she had to say :

"Great characterization!  I was immediately engaged.  Dialogue -- snappy." 

ANOTHER NEWSFLASH!!  Preacher Man is a finalist in the Golden Acorn contest in the Inspirational category!  Out of a perfect score of 155 points, three first round judges gave it a 145, 144 and 126.

Here are some verbatim comments from the judges!

• The dialogue is lively and helps to reveal character and advance the plot.  The author seems particularly adept at characterization and dialogue.
• This was a truly enjoyable read.
• Your dialogue is excellent.  The conversations were definitely believable.
• This is a very well put together manuscript.  Very clean and easy to read.  I just sat back and read.
• This is a great story!  Get it sent out!  If I found it on the shelf, I would buy it.
• Your voice is wonderful and natural.
• I wish you much luck with this.  You have a really nice story.

NEWSFLASH!!  Preacher Man is a finalist in the Get Your Stiletto in the Door contest in the Inspirational category!!  Out of a perfect score of 135, three first round judges gave it a 134, 115 and 88.

Here are some verbatim comments from the judges!

• I liked Regan's voice a great deal.  I liked her passion, her emotional investment in what was happening around her.
• The dialogue is excellent.  The overall story arc is wonderful.
• I enjoyed this entry.  Good luck!
• I really liked the main character. Good internalization let me get into Regan’s thoughts and get acquainted with her. Liked her upbeat personality, her spunky determination to make it on her own. Her obvious love for her son.  The humor was great and so was the dialogue.

•  Very well written. There were a few awkward places but on the whole very well done. Good humor, good characterization. I enjoyed it very much.

• The story opens with terrific slapstick comedy.  You definitely have a gift for it.  I'm howling even as I'm cringing because I can completely feel Regan's embarrassment.

• I can see the incredible potential of this manuscript.  I hope you continue to polish your craft and develop your voice.

So, now it's winging its way to New York City to meet with an editor from Warner Faith, and a literary agent who represents Inspirational Chick Lit!  Keep your fingers crossed for me!!

Pre-publication:  What a beautiful, spiritual, heart warming book. I predict that it will go far. Chapter 12 is perfect.  I had a box of Kleenex near by to dab at my tears of happiness for Reagan, Josh and Luke. WOW! Congratulations on the completion of it. I know that you said that you have to go back and rewrite, edit, etc., but the book itself is complete and it is majestic and awesome. I love it.

-- Mom (my biggest fan!)

Return to Preacher Man page