Stray Voltage arriving September 22, 2026

Karen Garloch is the author of Stray Voltage, winner of the 2024 Petrichor Prize for Finely Crafted Fiction. The novel arrives Sept. 22, 2026, from Regal House Publishing.

Stray Voltage is the story of Midwestern dairy farmers struggling to understand what is killing their cows and threatening their livelihood. When farm wife Hillie Schumacher realizes stray voltage from electric lines could be the cause, no one believes her. To save the farm, she must defy her husband, Fred, and confront other powerful men in her church and community, putting both her marriage and their farm’s reputation at risk.

Like Erin Brockovich (without short skirts, salty language, and deep cleavage), Hillie takes the lead in exposing the electric company’s denial of responsibility for the environmental hazard. With newfound courage, she then paves the way for women to challenge tradition in their male-dominated church.