Award noms
This year has been great for Dodging and Burning! It’s been nominated for five awards: The Anthony for Best First Novel, The Strand Critics Award for Best First Novel, The Lammy for Best Gay Mystery, The Barry Award for Best First Novel, and the Macavity Award for Best First Novel. Keep your fingers crossed—and thank you for all the love you’ve given this book.
If you don't have the hardback yet, you can buy it at your local indie bookstore, Barnes and Noble, or Amazon. The audiobook is available at Apple, Amazon, and all the usual places. The paperback is coming in August!
-John
“A riveting debut. The intricate plot melds a coming-of-age story, a coming-out tale and a mystery with realistic characters who want to be accepted for themselves. The brisk pace is augmented by the character studies and an in-depth look at gay rights. Gay and lesbian mysteries have been published for decades. Columnist and short story writer Copenhaver brings a new voice to this genre with Dodging and Burning.”
“Copenhaver makes a powerful debut with this unconventional novel that mixes a coming-of-age tale with a puzzling mystery and a haunting portrait of the experiences of the LGBTQ community in the 1940s. Admirers of William Kent Krueger’s Edgar Award–winning stand-alone, Ordinary Grace, may appreciate this candid story.”
“Complex and multilayered, Copenhaver’s outstanding debut combines a murder mystery with a coming-of-age tale. [His] darkly lyrical exploration into the consequences of war—and prejudice—in small-town America will resonate with readers long after the last page is turned.”