Lauren Dawes : July 2013

Cover Reveal: Half Cast by Lauren Dawes

, by Unknown

93 5-star reviews...really?

I’ve been told never to write in anger…that a lot of problems can come from a hastily written opinion piece. The advice it to write it then come back to it again the following day to make sure you really want to say what you’ve committed to paper…err…keyboard. But do you know what? I’ve waited the required 24–hours and I still want to say this. So here it is…

Alright, so it’s rant-o’clock here on my blog, and that's perfectly okay because this is my blog, my personal corner of the Internet where I can say what I'm thinking and feeling without a lot of fallout.

I’ve been biting my tongue for a long time now about the amount of Indie authors who have a new-release book and within a few days of it being available for downloads, they already have 50+ 5-star reviews. Okay, so great they have + 5-star reviews. That’s not where my issue lies. My issue lies with the fact that ALL the reviews are 5-star. Surely at least 10% of all those people would have had some issues with the book to give them a four-, maybe even three-star review.

I think a lot of these problems come from a couple of places. One is the blogger involved in a blog tour organised by either the authors themselves, or a third party who puts it all together. Why you ask? Well, it’s simple. When an author chooses to conduct a blog tour, it is essentially a week’s/two week’s/three week’s worth of guaranteed positive spin. I have to admit that I have fallen into the trap of doing this. Let me just say that I didn’t do this to get all 5-star reviews for my books. I simply did it to test out how well my book will be taken by people who are not my friends, who are not my family, who are simply people who love to read and will give their opinions honestly.

I simply don’t think this is the best way to go about getting honest reviews. Yeah, I mean you might get half a dozen glowing reviews, but what does it really mean? Does it mean the book you’ve written is as amazing as all these bloggers are saying, or are they simply giving you what you asked for—half a dozen glowing reviews??

Honesty is what you want. But how do you get it? The only real way is to put your book onto Amazon/Kobo/iTunes/B&N and wait until perfect strangers who have absolutely no ulterior motive choose to buy, read and review your book. That is the only way to get an honest review for your books.

I guess my real issue is with authors who think that all those 5-star reviews are actually honest, they actually mean something. They don’t. They’re essentially paid-for-by-free-copy-of-book kind of honest. After all, what kind of blogger is going to review your book then tell you it’s crap?

No blogger at all. That’s who.

So, from now on, I won’t be participating in blog tours where I’m expected to give a 5-star review when the book is 3-star at best. I don’t like every book I read. Sometimes I see flaws and plot holes as big as the Grand Canyon, and I will talk about them along with all the positive things. When I review, I will give a well-rounded explanation of the book’s merits and flaws.

I guess that’s my rant over. As an Indie author, I’ve made mistakes along the way, but I believe I have enough integrity to admit my mistakes and learn from them. To those authors out there who believe in what they write in, do yourself a favour and don’t seek out reviews before the release of your book. The average reader is not an idiot, and they will see through everything the blogger is not saying in their 5-star reviews.

I'm fully aware that I'm going to cop some flack for this...if you have an issue/counter point/agreement/encouragement to what I've said, leave me a comment. Let's talk about this like adults, but at the end of the day, this is my opinion and someone's opinion is never wrong.

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, by Unknown

Cover Reveal: Close Remembrance by Anna Zaires

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Selkie by Brandi Kennedy - Cover Reveal

"Annie Jacobs' marriage fell apart, leaving her heart and her trust broken. Even her friends couldn't ease the pain of betrayal and eventually, Annie packed up her life and moved on.

In peaceful Bar Harbor, Maine, Annie is finally able to find solace. She makes new friends, she finds a new routine, and she begins to pick up the shattered remains of her confidence. Just when Annie thinks she's found contentment once again, a series of chance disasters threatens her new life and nearly ends her life entirely.

When the man who saves her turns out to be something more than Annie ever would have expected, her life is thrust once again into turmoil. A near-death experience takes Annie into an entirely new world, one she would never have believed existed.

It seems like DEATH has its sights set on Annie for sure this time, and war is closing in.

Even immortality may not be enough to save her now."

A message from Brandi…

Many of you know that due to popular demand, I've been going through the process of re-editing and extending my first title, which was "To Love A Selkie." The first part of this was simply to re-read it and refresh all the details of the story in my mind. Annie and Malik are always there in the back of my thoughts, but it’s been some time since I wrote the original “To Love A Selkie,” and I wanted to get all the details spot-on. During that process, the story gained about five thousand words of fresh writing sprinkled throughout, as well as a bit of restructuring.

The Prologue of 'To Love A Selkie' was absorbed into the first part of the story, and is now the first scene of 'To Love A Selkie', which is now part one of the upcoming release, "SELKIE." The Epilogue of 'To Love A Selkie' has also been extended and re-named 'Annie's Interlude.' And there begins the truly fresh material.

After 'Annie's Interlude,' you get a little peek at how things look from Malik's perspective in 'Malik's Interlude,' which leads you right into the second half of “SELKIE”, which is called 'To Become A Selkie.' This is where we get more into the fantasy element of selkie life as I imagine it to be; this is where the real fun begins.

This is the part that readers of “To Love A Selkie” were wishing for, the part that has been anticipated for months. This is the continuation of the story, the return to life, the building of a family, the beginning of a real adventure. Book one of the upcoming Selkie Trilogy, I give you “SELKIE”.

About Brandi…

Brandi Kennedy is an American writer who is finally living her childhood career dream. As a child, books were her world and through adulthood, that love of words has never changed. A woman of varied interests, Brandi loves photography, music of all kinds, knitting, crochet and of course, mothering her two young daughters.

Currently, she finds her home in the heart of Knoxville, Tennessee, among the mountains and the members of her extended family, where she spends her days at the computer, bringing fresh and incredibly real characters to life.

Where to stalk her…

On Amazon, http://www.amazon.com/author/brandikennedy

On Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/AuthorBrandiKennedy

On Blogger, http://authorbrandikennedy.blogspot.com/

On Twitter, https://twitter.com/BrandiKennedy84

And On Goodreads, http://www.goodreads.com/AuthorBrandiKennedy

Brandi’s other titles…

Kingsley Series:

‘Fat Chance’ (Book #1)

‘Prescription for Love’ (Book #2)