Catch It Spinning: (1 The Twirler Quartet)

It's 1969. Teenage boys didn't scare Yvonne. A beautiful girl like her had her pick: the jock, the party animal, the hippie, the poet. But she wasn't finding true love like her baton-twirler girlfriends. Was it because she'd kept her boyfriends wanting more like a good girl? Or had she craved control too much to let anyone get so close? Daniel, the boy-next-door, was the least of her worries. He came as part of a twin set with her lifelong best friend, Debbie. But what happens when the gawky egghead she used to play games with starts looking at her differently? Teetering on the brink of fulfillment a decade later, a medical problem threatened Yvonne's perfectly manicured marriage. There was a treatment for her malady, but the serious side effects took a toll. Her happiness kept spinning out of reach just like that baton she once tried to master. Catch it Spinning is the first of the Twirler Quartet. The turbulent late 1960s and early 1970s provide the social unrest that simmers in the background even in a sleepy Midwestern city.

About the Author :
Claudia Johnson Severin lives on a farm in Southeast Nebraska, where the Severin family homesteaded in 1869. History is literally in the soil where her house stands. The land was once home to cows, horses, chickens and children. They have all moved on but she stayed to tell the tales.She grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska, in the Eastridge neighborhood. She went back to her high school twirler days for the Twirler Quartet series. Like her main characters, she found hours of practice together developed friendships which led to many adventures outside of school.Like Yvonne, she graduated from the University of Nebraska with a journalism degree. She also worked at Lincoln Telephone Company. Like Debbie, she met her husband at a dance. Like Nancy, some of her boyfriends chose a military career during the Vietnam conflict. Like Linda, she never wanted to be pigeon-holed.All four books have been published in the Twirler Quartet series: Catch It Spinning, Twirling Fire, Learning To Twirl, and Spinning Sideways. She previously wrote Her Side of History-Finding My Foremothers' Footprints, a compilation of historical fiction about four of her family's female ancestors.Writing about past decades gives her a chance to rewrite history and gives the characters a chance to benefit from lessons learned in the meantime. She loved the 1960s but wouldn't trade her smartphone for a teen line or her SUV for her old Volkswagen Beetle.

Review :
I absolutely loved Catch It Spinning. The period of time (1960's and 70's) was so well depicted; teenagers in the Midwest doing what teenagers did, the sexual revolution, and their transition to young adulthood were beautifully weaved into the characters' personal stories. I grew to love each character and reading about their ups and downs. Claudia Severin is an amazing writer who has taken her own experiences, used her own ancestry in her first book, Her Side of History, and written wonderful memoirs that capture your mind and your heart. I recommend Catch It Spinning for an amazing trip down a memory lane. "Though just a decade apart, the women before me lived such different lives. I do remember the 60's and 70's, though, through the eyes of a child. I loved "Catch it Spinning," by Claudia Severin. The story centers on Yvonne Edison and then, her love, Daniel Adams. She brings these characters to life, problems and all, with such realistic actions and dialog. The secondary characters are featured so that it's easy to find interest in them, and ensuing novels. I wanted something a little different from what I usually read - you know, where everyone has model good looks, are swimming in money, and their lives shift out of orbit, by meeting "the one." With "Catch it Spinning," you can expect drama, angst, humor, humorous situations, social issues, unrest, health issues, character growth, romance and love. A very memorable read." "Catch it Spinning is a very engaging and enjoyable book. I stayed up way too late reading it the day I received it. The descriptions of the settings are rich, and the imagery was vivid. The characters were likable, especially Yvonne, who feels deeply and loves her friends. Altogether, it's a great book. Fun to read, satisfying and charming. "The love between Daniel and Yvonne is amazing and keeps you guessing. The subjects touched on in this book are so relevant and kept me riveted throughout. I truly appreciate the detail covered and love the insights into so many women's issues."