Released This Week! TROUBLE THE WATER by Nicole Seitz

TROUBLE THE WATER
By Nicole Seitz
A Lowcountry tale about the search for freedom, the healing of souls, and the mysterious powers of sisterhood.

Set in the South Carolina Sea Islands, Nicole Seitz's second novel once again blurs the fine line between life and death, following the stories of an eccentric widow and two middle-aged sisters. When their lives collide in a secluded Gullah community, each woman will discover what threatens to destroy her. One will seek healing in the face of dying, another will be forced to re-examine all that she knows to be true, and one woman will choose to keep hidden the long-buried ghosts of her past--just a little while longer.

Trouble the Water is a story of two sisters’ undying devotion for one another, of the magic of finding God in the most unexpected places, and of learning to truly live again. Narrated in three distinct voices, Trouble the Water is all at once heart-wrenching and humorous, giving glimpses of island life and unique Gullah/Geechee culture. The title is based on an old African-American spiritual about healing and freedom, “Wade in the Water”.

Reviews

"compelling." -- Publishers Weekly

"Hilton Head native Nicole Seitz sets her new novel in a Gullah community of the Sea Islands, where a wise elder helps two sisters come to terms with their troubled past. Inspired by the life and death of her aunt, Trouble the Water (Thomas Nelson, $14.99) is Nicole’s second book, following The Spirit of Sweetgrass." -- Southern Living Magazine

"The South Carolina Low Country is the lush setting for this poignant novel about two middle-aged sisters' journey to self-discovery. Strong female protagonists are forced to deal with suicide, wife abuse, cancer, and grief in a realistic way that will ring true for anyone who has ever suffered great loss. Seitz's writing style recalls that of Southern authors like Kaye Gibbons, Anne Rivers Siddons, and Sue Monk Kidd, and this new novel, which the publisher compares to Kidd's The Secret Life of Bees, surely joins the ranks of strong fiction that highlights the complicated relationships between women. Highly recommended, especially for Southern libraries." -- Library Journal (Starred Review)

Praise for Trouble the Water

“Please read this heartfelt exploration of the timeless mysteries of life and death, and the healing power of true friendship. Talented author Nicole Seitz makes the reader a part of this very special sisterhood of island women whose wisdom and courage linger in the mind long after the book is closed.” — Best-selling author Susan Wiggs

“Nicole Seitz gets it all right—the people, the setting, and the message. Trouble the Water is a story of hope and healing that captures the heart, calms the spirit, and comforts the soul.” — J. L. Miles, author of Divorcing Dwayne, Cold Rock River and Roseflower Creek

“Seitz has served up a sumptuous feast for the soul. Trouble the Water is an unforgettable novel about sisterhood, salvation and miracles.” — Karin Gillespie, author of Dollar Daze: The Bottom Dollar Girls in Love

About the Author:
Nicole Seitz is a South Carolina Lowcountry native and the author of The Spirit of Sweetgrass as well as a freelance writer/illustrator who has published in numerous low country magazines. Pat Conroy sings her praises: “Nicole Seitz joins a long line of distinguished novelists who celebrate the rich culture of the Lowcountry of South Carolina. Like most of us from around here, she grew up watching the sweetgrass basket weavers who ply their ancient craft from Beaufort all the way up to Georgetown.” She joins Josephine Humphreys, Anne Rivers Siddons, Sue Monk Kidd and Dorothea Benton Frank in her fascination with the Gullah culture."

A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's School of Journalism, she also has a bachelor's degree in illustration from Savannah College of Art & Design. Nicole shows her paintings in the Charleston, South Carolina area, where she owns a web design firm and lives with her husband and two small children. Today she is working on her next book.

Trouble the Water
Nicole Seitz
Released March 11, 2008
Thomas Nelson
Trade Paper, ISBN-10 1595544003
See http://www.nicoleseitz.com/