After five years of gestation, Sugar Birds‘s delivery date is a mere five weeks away.

Five weeks. Whew.

For those of you who’ve ever been involved in book launches, you know that during the pre-release phase, marketing ramps up. Marketing teams, publicists, and publishers kick into high gear, and they want their authors to do the same . . . to help get the word out about the book.

Quite a production, book launching . . . a buzzy world of promotions that I find more than a little disorienting and unsettling. How much better to go camping in the woods? Isn’t it enough for readers to simply tell others about the book? You know . . . good old word-of-mouth advertising?

In recent weeks, I’ve seen that it’s alive and well. Word-of mouth, that is.

Here are some advance readers’ words, and I’m thankful beyond words. They’ve been talking about Sugar Birds on GoodReads. You can read their full reviews HERE.

MEANWHILE, HERE ARE SOME EXCERPTS:

“A powerful new voice in literary fiction! Brilliantly imagined . . . beautifully written.”

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“This book will take readers where they’ve never been before. I plumbed my own depths as I followed Aggie and Celia through physical and emotional hinterlands of spirituality, pain, guilt, and redemption.”

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“Wow! Bostrom knocked it out of the park. Sugar Birds is a marvelous story w/ nature scenes and beautiful writing that bring Delia Owens’s Where the Crawdads Sing to mind.”

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“From the opening paragraphs to the final lines, Bostrom’s story shines with language that is breathtakingly fresh.”

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“Cheryl does a beautiful job of drawing us deeper into understanding family, loss, survival, and how to rebuild our lives after tragedy.”

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“I loved that Bostrom touches on mental illness, marital struggles, and abusive behavior in a way that could be a safe entry for conversation for someone who is struggling.”

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“Heartfelt storytelling at its best . . . a harrowing journey through human weaknesses to hope and mercy.”

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“This book brings a glimpse of the importance of the outdoors to children’s development and indeed, to their very souls.”

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“A riveting story with beautifully drawn characters . . . I cannot recommend this book highly enough.”

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“If you liked Where the Crawdads Sing, you’ll love Sugar Birds.”

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“A page-turner that stays embedded in your soul for a welcomed long while.”

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“I loved this book and can’t wait to tell everyone about it.”

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“Reminded me of the classic, My Side of the Mountain. Sugar Birds is one of those rare books that appeal to every age; full of depth, pages that turn quickly, and most of all, ebullient truth.”

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“Bostrom’s voice reminds me of Delia Owens’s Where the Crawdads Sing and Annie Dillard’s Pilgrim at Tinker Creek.”

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“Sugar Birds is the best book I have read in ages, and is a book for all ages.”

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“Bostrom weaves together tragedy, survival, mystery, and redemption in a way that will have you wanting to read more.”

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“This was such a beautiful book. It’s literary fiction with a really well-crafted plot . . . reminded me of Peter Heller and Leif Enger, two of my favorites. Just really, really beautiful.”

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“Sugar Birds is, quite simply, an astonishing tour de force as a debut novel . . . Cheryl Bostrom is a writer of prodigious talent . . . I will recommend Sugar Birds to everyone I know!”

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“This book captivated me from the first paragraph, the first sentence even . . . The language is full and rich, a masterpiece of literary devices . . . It’s a book I’ll think about for a long time!“

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“Beyond the rich setting and endearing characters, Sugar Birds contains some beautiful, surprising moments that attest to Bostrom’s skill as a writer, an observer and naturalist not just of the natural world, but of the intricacies and idiosyncrasies of human animals that, woven together, craft a great story.”

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“Fascinating characters . . . how quickly I fell in love with each of them.”

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“Protagonist Agate [is] as uniquely powerful as The Hunger Games’s Katniss.“

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“Cheryl has insights into human nature as well as nature itself . . . Once I started reading it I couldn’t put it down.”

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“I LOVED this book! Gripping, full of raw and relatable human spirit. I was swept into this beautiful setting and storyline and I didn’t want to leave. This was better than many best sellers I’ve read.”

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“A well-paced, dramatic story of resilience and redemption with memorable characters. If you love nature, layered themes, and concise writing, you will enjoy this rich, well-crafted novel.”

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“One of the most thoughtful reads I have had in a long time. I could not put it down!”

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“Having adopted special needs children, [I recognize how] Bostrom created a work of art in her character of Burnaby, [with] sensitivity and understanding of his character . . . I was brought to tears . . . This book touched my soul.”

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“Feelings, fears and motivations that are as keenly observed and beautifully rendered as is the natural world [that] Bostrom depicts as flawlessly as did Guterson in Snow Falling on Cedars.”

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“This page turner will cause you to forget the laundry, meal prep, yard work and the necessary chores of life until you reach the last page.”

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“I can count on one hand the number of books I’ve read twice back to back. Sugar Birds is one of them . . . It’s a beautifully written story about hope and forgiveness, but most of all it’s about love.”

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“Themes of guilt, sorrow, loss and the wonder of nature abound as the author skillfully pulls the reader and Aggie through despair toward hope, forgiveness and redemption. Found it hard to put down!”

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“A delicious page-turner.”

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“Sugar Birds is the Pacific Northwest’s best offering of an equivalent to Delia Owens’s Where the Crawdads Sing. Believe me–it’s just as good, if not better.” 

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To God be the glory. I’m grateful.

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And now, in posted pics from a punny sort of week . . .

I’m lichen you already, summer.

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Lettuce eat lettuce eat lettuce.

“Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink.”

—Daniel 1:12

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A berry long run.

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— GIVEAWAY—GIVEAWAY—GIVEAWAY !!! To celebrate SUGAR BIRDS upcoming (August 3) release, Goodreads is giving away 10 copies! Click HERE to enter.

SUGAR BIRDS: the harrowing, tender account of young Aggie, who lights a terrible fire and hides in a Pacific Northwest forest, evading those who must bring her home before wilderness claims them all. A riveting story about trust and the search for forgiveness.

Thanks for reading friends. I’m so very glad you’re here!

Watching Nature, Seeing Life: Through His Creation, God Speaks.