It’s funny, I think I…

It's funny, I think I didn't actually expect people to love this book. My erotica, well, people have loved that for a long time. But I've felt like I haven't had nearly as strong responses to my literary fiction, which made me sad. *I* think it's good, interesting stuff, and I hoped other people would, but I wasn't sure that anyone would love it, you know?

One of the nicest things that happened last week was getting the chance to see some early reader reviews. HarperCollins has a program called First Look, in which volunteer readers get free advance copies of upcoming books, in exchange for writing brief reviews. I think it's a neat concept, getting early feedback from regular readers. And I was really pleased to see that all 24 people who got copies of the book liked it -- in fact, mostly they loved it. :-) They said things like this:

Mohanraj weaves the stories of several families intricately, with keen attention to detail. She has an appraising eye for the true voice of the human heart and soul, knowing that either may lead people to places they never imagined. She speaks of love and frustration, breaking cultural stigma and 'fitting in.' Bodies in Motion was a riveting read, not so much for suspense (What will happen next?!), but for individual response (How is she/he going to respond to that?). I want to read it through a second time, and will definitely recommend the book to others.

--Leigh (Asheville, NC)

I was both moved and inspired upon reading this book. The family history was a beautiful blend of people, eroticism, exotics and a delightful blend of cooking along the way. it was inspirational how all the characters had such a strong sense of family. again this was a very enjoyable book. thank you mary anne mohanraj...

--Mark (south milwaukee, WI)

I absolutely loved this book. I liked the dynamics of the family unit and all the changes and challenges. I would recommend this book.

--Anne (Hanford, CA)

That's what I really want, as an author, more than I care about critical response. I just want readers to read and love my book, to fall in love with the characters, to get caught up in their stories. In a lot of ways, these brief reader reviews matter a lot more to me than whatever Publisher's Weekly or Library Journal says. They make me happy, and as I go back to working on the novel, they give me renewed faith in my ability to tell a story that people will care about. Is very good.

You can read the full set of reader reviews if you like. I think I'm going to go read them again. :-)