Writing Reviews "Right"

 Last week, I got an email from a reader who had just finished CALL ME DADDY which said:

I just wanted to let you know, I loved this book! I love how you can make something serious so funny and make the characters seem like real people. I know I should post a review for it, but I'm not very good at writing them and don't know what to say, so I thought I'd email you instead...

What this reader doesn't realize is that she just wrote an awesome review, one that any writer would be proud to receive, and yet sent it to me instead of posting it where other readers could see it.

I get it. When you go on Amazon and look at reviews, many are two paragraph, complex analyses of the book and most readers, while they appreciate the in-depth review, feel they can't write something like that, and therefore, shouldn't. But reviews are very important for authors, and the truth is, while those long reviews are very helpful and great to see, the shorter ones, the ones that are from the heart and written in everyday language, are just as important.

I'll be honest. Rarely do I write long reviews for books unless I see that an author has only a few listed (because, again, I DO realize how important reviews are for authors). Does that make mine less valuable to someone who might be considering the book? I don't think so, and just for fun, I thought I'd give you the "short and dirty" on a few of the books I've recently read.

BETTER IN THE MORNING by Fern Ronay: I loved this sweet, romantic comedy. It made me miss my grandparents, and I'll never look at a penny on the ground the same way again.

Cheryl Douglas' PERFECT STORM: This is the first book in a series of standalone hot novels.  I love how this author has such memorable characters in every book. And unlike others series I have read,  the sex scenes are never the same and never boring!

DESPERATELY SEEKING SIXTY-NINE by J.D. Frettier and R.E. Hargrave: This is a short, sexy book that also made me laugh. The best thing, however, about this book is the interesting way the author depicts life-after-death. I'd like to think we all have our own heaven, and I've been thinking about it ever since I read the book.

Justin Bog's WAKE ME UP: This book made me cry. It was disturbing to me because it was so real, and hit too close to home. It's a true artist who can use their words to evoke that kind of emotion.

What do you think? I didn't really tell you anything about the books in any of the examples above, but I told you what struck me, personally, about each one. But I did say enough to hopefully spark an interest and make others want to read more.

Back to my original example. Would I be proud to have a review for Call Me Daddy that said:  I loved this book! I love how you can make something serious so funny and make the characters seem like real people.

ABSOLUTELY!

So please, as an author, I'm asking you to review every book you read. Honest reviews. From the heart. They don't have to be long, or detailed, or even written using proper grammar. Because all reviews are important, and they keep us all writing.

And check out the four books I mentioned above. Click on the book title to go straight to their Amazon page, where you can read all about them!

Dark Designs

Magic calls out to other magic, and the Grant sisters are about to find out they’ve drawn the darkest kind to their doorstep. Twins Ivy and Violet Grant are opposites. Ivy, a hot-tempered redhead, couldn’t wait to get off the farm and see the world. Violet, a quiet brunette, was content to stay home and help their grandmother with the family business. The one thing they have in common is their magic. Charlie Logan’s sinister obsession with Ivy Grant has ruled his life. When he discovers a book of dark magic during a burglary, he decides to return to Oak Hill and use his newfound power to gain control over Ivy. Ivy and Violet, with help from their grandmother, need to practice their magic to overcome the evil seeping into their lives. A battle is coming, and Ivy’s life is not the only one at stake. Buy it now: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07123MWW7

Excerpt

Slowly, Ivy became aware of another presence in the barn. Her eyes roamed away from the kitten cradled in her arms to the boots standing just beyond the stall door, next to her discarded sandals. Eyes wide, she sprang to her bare feet as fast as she could without trampling the kittens. Charlie Logan was blocking the way out of the stall. The sunlight that slipped in through the gaps in the barn’s wooden planks cast his face in mottled stripes. She knew him because Grandpa Jack had always let his granddaughters roam the farm freely, and Charlie had spoken to her many times. Never alone, though. She stood awkwardly, her eyes darting around the dimly lit solitude of the barn. “Nice kittens you got there.” He nodded cheerfully toward the kittens then smiled. His hand twitched as if he might reach out and touch her. “Yeah,” she said quietly, looking back and forth between Charlie and the kittens. “None of them are sick or anything. Sometimes there are sick ones…” Ivy rambled nervously until her eyes settled on Charlie’s face, and then she stilled, wishing she could disappear. Charlie moved in closer, trapping her in the corner of the stall. “They’ll all be good mousers, I bet.” His tone was friendly, but Ivy’s guts tensed up. She desperately wanted to be away from the stall that had, without warning, become too dark and far too secluded. If she shouted, someone would likely hear her and come, but Charlie had always seemed nice enough. Maybe he did just want to talk about kittens, and she didn’t want him to get in trouble for not being busy at work. When she made a move toward the door, his tall frame shifted. She jerked back, away from his body, pushing herself tighter into the corner of the stall. He was close enough that his scent of stale cigarette smoke and sweat forced its way into her nostrils and stomach. When he exhaled, his breath smelled of strong coffee. In slow motion, Charlie reached out and touched her hair just over her ear. Heart in her throat, she froze. Charlie Logan had not come to discuss anything good. He smiled at her affectionately as he stroked her hair. Stefanie Spangler has always loved books and reading, and one day, she decided to write a book of her own. Stefanie lives in central Illinois with her husband and daughters. When she's not reading or writing, she’s usually editing someone else’s book. But she also enjoys gardening, knitting, and forcing others to read her favorite books. https://twitter.com/StefanieAuthor https://www.facebook.com/StefanieAuthor/ www.stefaniespangler.com https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16792649.Stefanie_Spangler