Authors have a lot of fantasy scenarios, some of which are even printable. (Insert 50 Shades of Grey joke here.)
A definite fantasy scenario is having one of your favorite authors read your manuscript and like it enough to blurb it. The chances against such a thing happening are pretty huge for many reasons, not the least of which is that authors are busy with work of their own.
But my editor, Arthur A. Levine at Scholastic, has taken special care with The Game of Love and Death. The result is something I wouldn't have dared dream of. A long list of some of my very favorite authors not only took the time to read my book, they liked it. I've been having a Sally Field of a time processing it.
I've linked to each of these authors' sites, so do check them out if you haven't read their work. It's an incredible slate of writers—so great I've been almost too embarrassed to say anything.
“Martha Brockenbrough’s sense of time, place and youth is devastatingly evocative. This exquisite, elegantly original fable of young love smashing convention to smithereens is so beautiful I wish I’d written it myself.”
“Strikingly original, richly atmospheric, and impossible to put down. I read this book with my heart in my throat, desperately rooting for Henry and Flora’s fated true love over those master manipulators, Love and Death.”
“Smart, haunting, and entrancingly magical…”
“Marvelously original, engrossing, and deeply humane. It’s the kind of book you never forget.”
“THE GAME OF LOVE AND DEATH is an exquisitely nuanced novel that plunges readers into an inescapable ache of forbidden longing. Before you enter this game, be forewarned. Martha Brockenbrough has beautifully crafted a contest that punctures our perceptions, and forces us to question the rules of evil and benevolence. A beautifully rendered achievement.”
“THE GAME OF LOVE AND DEATH weaves a complex tapestry of love and longing, destiny and hope. Daringly conceived and brilliantly executed, it is not only an intimately human story, but one that encompasses the very nature of love and death. Rich, wise, and deeply satisfying—the story will linger in your heart long after you’ve turned the final page.
”
“I couldn’t refrain from gushing about The Game of Love and Death. It’s rare when a book comes along that seems to transcend categorization but I have to say this is one of those novels. Everything from the richness of historical details to the racial ten- sion to the psychology of the players themselves was expertly choreographed. I stand in awe, and I am not a fan of hyperbole.”
“THE GAME OF LOVE AND DEATH is a unique love story, and yet, it is also the love story of all humans through time. Martha Brockenbrough is a compassionate observer of many worlds—airfields, jazz clubs, baseball diamonds, newspapers, and Hoovervilles to name a few—and the beautiful, doomed human types that dwell in them. This is an exceptional novel.”
“THE GAME OF LOVE AND DEATH is a sweeping tour de force of imagination and heart. Entire passages begged to be reread both for the startling insights about life and for the sheer pleasure of basking in masterful language. A bold statement about the games we play and all the life—and love—that’s possible when we stop. Shelve this one next to THE BOOK THIEF.”
““Martha Brockenbrough has a musician’s ear and a lover’s heart. This terrific and beguiling novel is one of my favorites of the year, and while I’m reading it for a second time, I’m absolutely certain you should join me.””