The HEA Cafe

How is that you say?

You mean you don’t resent book reviewers even when they say negative things about your books?

Well, I don’t enjoy reading negative comments. But the reviewer took the time to read my book and then felt strongly enough about it to post their comments either on a blog or book review site or amazon or bn.com. That’s quite a time investment of time. And book reviewers unless they are employed by a periodical as a reviewer (which is rare), they are not getting paid for all this time.
And most of all, I’m taken aback by the passionate response to the words I have written. My words provoke strong feelings and after all, that’s one of the main reasons I write.

What I really find interesting not only in reviewers but in readers in general is the marked response they have to what they read.

I truly believe that readers bring themselves into the reading experience. That is why readers will love one author or one book more than others. It’s not the competence of the writer that determines reader response.

After all, it’s very difficult to become published and the bar is set very high. Therefore, any book that is published (except for the occasional fluke) is of publishable quality.

IMHO-it is what the writer chose to write about and what conflicts and theme the author chose to portray. (I don’t mention characters because of course they live out the conflicts the author set for them. And because of who they are, they come to that “dark midnight of the soul,” which brings change and resolution.

If what the author has chosen to write about touches the reader’s heart, then the reader loves the book. If the author doesn’t, then reader remains untouched.
The only reviewer I’ve ever taken offense from was a guy at PW who obviously had been forced against his will to review my inspirational romantic suspense. He ungraciously complimented me and then wasted the rest of the review chastising me for a plot contrivance. I say wasted because if he had bothered to read my half-page epilogue, he would have seen clearly that this wasn’t a contrivance but a continuing mystery, which would play out in the next book of the series.

So I guess my opinion of book reviewers is –You don’t have to like my books, just be sure you read the whole book before you write about it. Otherwise, you are entitled to your opinion.

If you’d like to read two opposing reviews, go to amazon and bring up the review for CHLOE. I have 7 reviews ranging from 5 down to 1 star. All for the same book!

Well, as Bugs Bunny used to say–”That’s all, folks!”