SOCIAL NETWORK UPDATE

HAVE YOU CLOSED YOUR ACCOUNTS?

Yes, I have closed my Wattpad, Goodreads and Facebook accounts.

WHY?

To stop trolls. Thankfully this has now been resolved and those involved have apologised to all concerned for their behaviour.

HOW DID THE SITES DEAL WITH THE TROLLS?

To be honest I don't really know. Having closed my accounts I wasn't privy to what was being said.

STGRB advised me that the main antagonists had been in contact with them and realised the error of their ways. They were regretful and apologised. The trolls promised to remove all their posts including the fake reviews. STGRB site would in turn remove the posts identifying them as bullies and replace it with a post featuring their apology.

GOODREADS sent me an email 'sincerely apologising' for not dealing with the situation effectively in the first instance, they had assumed the reviewers whilst 'biased' were 'entitled to their opinion' as reviews are 'inherently subjective'. They soon realised that was not the case. They have promised that should I wish to open a new account they will monitor it closely. They added this, which was a lovely gesture: 

You have received overwhelmingly positive reviews. Not many authors have works that have achieved an average rating of 4.5 or higher - and you have several!

WATTPAD also apologised for the delay in responding to the issue and my 'being placed into this'. They gathered the facts before going any further. I am told they took the situation very seriously and helped resolve the matter. I did not witness it due to closing my account, but I have faith that they handled it with a mixture of diplomacy and forcefulness in regards to the sites T&C.

WILL YOU REOPEN YOUR ACCOUNTS?

No. The smoke is still clearing and I have other matters to attend to but will keep my blog updated with 'Reviews' and information on my own publishing journey.

Special thanks to STGRB, Anne Rice, Melissa Douthit, Athena Parker etc for highlighting what I was being subjected to while ensuring the situation was resolved amicably, even when they came under attack themselves. Also for supporting my decision to close my accounts in order to prevent other innocents getting attacked. Thank you for your support.

WRITING A REVIEW...TIPS.

I've been asked to explain how I compose my reviews and give some tips, as some people are reluctant to write or post them on their blog, in case they get it wrong or receive backlash. This is how I do it. I have no idea how others do theirs but here we go...

Firstly, you can never get it wrong, it is your opinion. Second, a review can be 20 words long on Amazon. It would take a reader 1 minute to type 2 sentences in the review section e.g. 'I loved this story. It made me laugh, cry, swoon and fall in love with the authors style of writing.' See easy! Anyone can do it. The problem is, they often don't as they assume it has to be in depth and they don't have time. Other assume you need a degree in English or be an expert on the subject matter. Nope, a review is purely what you thought of it. Examples:

'It was good. I enjoyed it. I really like the end as it was action packed. Can't wait for the next book.' 5*

'I liked it but felt there were too many questions left unanswered. I am hoping they get covered in the sequel.' 4*

'It took me a while to get into the story as the first few chapters were a bit like a history lesson as opposed to a historical romance.' 3* 

It can be as simple as that. I am not a review snob. I don't care who the publisher is or the author. When I review a book it is based on the shelf appeal and blurb, whether is be online or in a shop. An author wants reviews, they don't expect you to be a wordsmith. As an author myself I get the best reviews from mums at home with a baby in one arm and an ereader in the other or people sneak reading at work or school. 

NETGALLEY

I also review ARC's via NetGalley which I was invited to join last year as a professional reader. I can request a copy of a story I am interested in but I also receive requests from publishers and authors as me to review a story. You then download as a file or send to your kindle as a 'personal document'. You have a certain number of days or weeks before it is archived by the publisher and you can no longer read it. Sometimes you can request a story and the publisher refuses as you have not got enough feedback from others for them to judge if you are any good at reviews.  

I mainly review at the authors request. When I am sent ARC's by the author or publisher my reviews are more in depth. They are for feedback. I point out plot holes and highlight typos etc. When I write a review I do it honestly with a positive mindset and ensure any feedback is constructive and not destructive critique. If I don't like certain sections of the story I'll tell the author/publisher why. 

I won't review a story I don't find interesting. I will suggest other reviewers as an alternative if I know someone would enjoy reading it. 

I will repeat what I said before 'You do not have to be a professional reader, have a degree in English Literature or be a writer to review a story. Anyone who reads a story can review it.' 

MY RULES FOR REVIEWING

My number one rules is... start out positive. My mindset from the beginning is 5* as the author has taken the time and effort to write a story. It is their baby. They have been through the conception, which is always the best bit. They have carried the story around with them for months, sometimes years and been through the horror of editing labour.

They are finally showing us their baby, dressed in a posh book cover, name blazing across it and asking 'is it beautiful?'. No one wants to be told their baby's ugly, the names stupid and it stinks. Leave that to the trolls, manners cost nothing. 

STARTING WITH 5* IS MY CHOICE

Some reviewers like to build up to it, there is no hard and fast rule. I am basically giving the author a 'high five' for completing a novel. I only take away stars if something really niggles or confuses me and I have to step out of the world they created to get my bearings e.g. flicking back a few pages or google something I know to be factually incorrect. 

Throughout the process I jot notes on a pad of what I love, hate or spot as an error. I remove a star if they lose me e.g. can't work out who is talking or we change location half way though a conversation. Also if they take too long describing something, as it loses the momentum, especially in a battle scene. I hate poorly thought-out sex scenes where it ends up being more like a game of people jenga/twister as opposed to an erotic/romantic scene. You'd need tits on your back and the flexibility of a contortionist to get into some of them. 


I often spot where the editor has removed a scene but referred to it later on, I point those out in a private message. Not in the review. 

A story will lose a star if it's full of plot holes or races to the end for the sake of 'word count' and leaves me with questions. So many try to cram in 50,000 or 85,000 words. Pay attention to the page count as you can review 3 stories in your TBR pile if the page count is e.g. 47 or 56, where as another is 287. Some are just one shorts and 10 pages. Get it out the way. 

HONESTY

I always tell the author the parts I didn't enjoy or where they confused me, in a private message not on the review. If it is published and I will allude to finding areas confusing but I won't be specific in my review as I would have already fed back to the author. Most importantly I tell them the parts I loved and if it is a series, what I am looking forward to reading in the next. I will also explain where they lost or regained a star and why. I give stars back for awesome bits! 

I don't post reviews lower than 3* in public, but I do feedback to the author direct. They have always been grateful and agreed on areas of improvement. I've never had anyone object to my reviews. I am often asked to read drafts to help other authors with document blindness or writers block. That is how I started reviewing. 

PROMOTING YOUR REVIEWS

If I like a story and think it is worth reading I will post my review on Amazon, Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, blog etc but only when the story is published. Not before. If I don't like a story I won't post a review. Simple. 

Enjoy reading the story and only at the end write the review, don't keep stopping. Yes, I note things down but it's nothing more than 'pg89 typo, 3rd line, Out not Our'. Those notes go to the publisher not in the review. 

DON'T POST SPOILERS

You are reviewing a story. Not retelling it. If your review contains a spoiler post a warning on it. 'This review contains spoilers' as there is nothing worse. Don't become a numpty like those who spoilt Harry Potter and Bridget Jones for people. 

5 STARS - WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

You are supporting an author with a review. It doesn't have to be 5*'s to be a great review, people see the scale very differently and it can vary depending on the site you are using. Don't feel pressured to give 5*'s. No matter how popular the book, it will never get straight 5's. In fact the more popular a book gets, the more outspoken the reviewers. Yes it's true that publishers don't often promote a review unless it is 5*'s but that's not important, an honest review is. 

In my mind (1) is poo, (2) is Meh, (3) is 'yeah it's ok', (4) is 'read it you'll like it, (5) can be varying things 'Read it, I want to discuss it with you' or 'I loved the shit out of this book'.

To other reviewers it could be (1) is 'WTF', (2) is 'Absolute Crap', (3) is 'Hours of my life wasted', (4) is 'It was ok but I hated most of it', (5) 'Loved the shit out of this book!'  

So as you can see, you can't go wrong. It's an opinion. Your opinion. Your version of the 1-5* and if everyone liked to read the same thing there would be no need for reviewers. Be your own person, give an honest and fair review. Be conscious that there is a person on the receiving end of the words you type. I use the 'granny rule' don't say something in your review that you are not willing to say to a granny. For the record I know some pretty frisky grannies but if you are rude to them, their cat will scratch your eyes out ;) 

Enjoy reviewing! It only needs to be 20 words.

Strings Attached - Mandy Baggot - Book Review

More Strings than a Baby Grand! 

The minute I started to read the first chapter I was in love with the authors writing style, witty banter and the characters she was creating. As a Brit who is also 30 something and spent a vast majority of my youth outside the chippy with a bag of scratchings and a bottle of diamond white, I could relate to George. I was keen to take my ring side seat in the world the author was creating.

A tip for anyone reading this... you will need snacks to get through this novel! There is so much yummy food referenced in this story as she runs a catering company your tummy will grumble. I gained a pound a chapter just reading about all the yumminess. I consumed two pork pies, three lagers, two ice creams, two ice lollies, strawberries, two peaches, some nuts, half a packet of party ring biscuits and shit loads of tea over the course of reading this book in two days. Mandy Baggot, you owe me a new waist line!

That being said, Mandy wrote a lovely 'flawed' character. I loved that she was a 30 plus who was still single and everyone assumed she hadn't seen a willy in a decade because she hadn't announced it on Facebook or been caught with a half naked man in her kitchen about to do the walk of shame on a Sunday morning. Having a 34 year old, single, not married, no kids, protagonist was like looking in a mirror. It's the age old saying 'You don't want to be left on the shelf', people start to assume there had to be something wrong with her. It's that stage in a womans life where people decide she needs help with her non existent love life (assumption) and all turn into cupids, shooting the shit out of any single person they can find willing to take her on a date. People start threatening to call Cilla Black out of retirement, stage an intervention. They will not let her become a spinster... get her on plentyoffish.com there is bound to be plenty of desperate men on there she can pick from. Ok it like the 'Raggy Doll Reject Bin' but its better than being single.

They don't go to those extremes in this novel but she is still under pressure to not 'look so lonely' or 'single' as it makes other feel uncomfortable. They want her to hook up to ease their discomfort. There are the undertones in this novel of the belief that being single, running your own business is fine if you have a penis but a ladies garden.... no way! So she paves the way to show that is not true. She is happy with her lot in life, she is single, runs her own business and everyone else can mind theirs. Again I can relate.

Part way through this novel I decided that George and Quinn would also work well as a story where the characters were both male and Gay. I had a little chuckle to myself over another party ring and swig of tea.

The memories of how much I loved Metallica and Aerosmith came flooding back with the references to Georges youth and I dusted off my collection too. 'Nothing else matters' was definitely the theme tune to this book.

Reading the all too British conversations where the dialogue flowed easily was like listening to the banter in my own house. The wonderful Marisa character was the embodiment of my nieces who seem to permanently dwell in my house even though my sister was the one who had the joy of making them. She neglects to use her 'mouth filter', drools over celebs, shoes, clothes and everything else teen. Marisa was a lovely addition to the story and lightened some of the dark moment like a rainbow on a really shitty day.

There I was all cosy, giggling at the wit and stuffing my face with food that should be banned and BAM!!! The character makes a choice that would make any soap opera star proud. I was mortified, I had thought better of her, she should be ashamed of herself, said my moral compass. On the other hand the romance reader thought good on her as Quinn is a hot rock star who plays the violin, guitar and piano and I would bet his strumming and fingering technique is enough to make any woman forget her morals.

I sussed out what the twists were pretty early on as I am part Agatha Christie when reading. That just made me even more keen to prove my inner Agatha right. She wasn't disappointed. Every time you think George will make the 'right' choice, and get herself back to rational behaviour, she is led by her knickers into a every growing melting pot. You find yourself really disappointed in her but still feel sorry for her. You know he is being a mega bastard and feeding her lines he probably stole from one of his songs, but you still would shag him too given half the chance and regret it later... or would you?

He is a total dick, and there is no way I would behave like her or fall for his patter. That is the joy of reading. She can make the mistakes, I can cringe and take the moral high ground. However, in retrospect there were moments in this story where I was like 'fuck it, just do it.' Yup I wavered, and had a real life version of Quinn been in front of me at the time I would be singing to his tune too. Sexy Bastard!

All in all, you are not going to get the standard, two people meet, kiss, fall in love, get over a little bump in the road, get married, have babies and live happily ever after in this novel. It is going to turn you into a cross between a mate listening to her friend whose got themselves in a stupid situation, blinded by love and feels sorry for her as it is so out of character. To the other sort of friend who knows she's is doing wrong, doesn't approve but still gets ready to be there when the elephant shit hits the fan, as that is what mates do.

Why four stars: I wanted the end to be embellished. There was the twists, the juicy bit I'd been waiting on, it was all going to kick off... and then it was over. I am nosey reader, I want to be there for the gossip. I felt like I was missing out and there was a scene cut. Like when you rush off before the end of a movie to have a wee as you can't hold it a second longer without ending up in A&E with a ruptured bladder. You rush back thinking you have ten minutes left but the titles are going go up. I can't tell you exactly what it was without it being a spoiler but I want to know what happened. I want to be there for the aftermath! I've earned the right! I demand that a scene be inserted where all that is included.

It's a great read and one that will have you and your mates slagging her off one minute and slightly envious of her the next. Mandy has wrote a story where the character makes taboo decision for a romance novel. Most of them rash, spur of the moment choices where the character knows she is naughty and shouldn't be doing it. It like the minute the sexy bugger is near her, she loses all perspective. Her angel side takes a swan dive off her shoulder like a lemming, whilst the devil side applauds her ability to dust off her fellatio skills so quickly. I loved it. I high fived Mandy several times for having the balls to write certain scenes.

I would, and have recommended this story to several people and I have another of Mandy's novels to read which I am looking forward to. Well done Mandy.