Reviews... Love 'em or Hate 'em?

Reviews… It’s a known fact that most authors worry about how their books will be received. Will readers like them? Did you get across everything you felt inside? Was the book you loved writing loved by someone else? When a book is published, we anxiously await news of reviews. Once they come in, we hover the cursor over the link, asking ourselves: Do I really want to read this? Of course we do, but there’s that little part of us that is filled with dread. What If I wrote a doozy? What if…what if…?

I’ve been following Daisy Dexter-Dobbs’ recent Facebook and blog articles where she discusses how she handles reviews (funny posts!). She used to get upset when she got a “bad” one, but now she’s able to use humour to brush them off—that and the realisation that what she writes isn’t for everyone. We have no control over who reviews our books once they’ve been sent out or bought, and that’s one of the many nervy aspects of being an author. People have the right to express how they feel about a book because, after all, it’s their opinion. We just have to take the hits as they come and move on, aiming to do better next time. I like cream cheese, you don’t. I like slices of apple drenched in salad cream, but many, many people will most definitely not!

Which brings me to what I’ve been doing this week. (No, I didn’t eat apples and salad cream, lol, but now I’ve written about them I want some.) The kids went back to school—college-aged son starts back Monday coming—and I took the time to create a blog I’d been asked to do. It still has a few things I must do, and there will be touches added along the way as and when they’re needed, but for now it’s as ready as it will ever be. It’s a review site, so I was able to point some of my friends out to the reviewer in the hopes she’d review their books (Howdy Regina, Kit and Lily!). She did, and with more of my friends on her list, she’ll have plenty to read. She won’t be reviewing mine—I know her too well for her to remain objective—but she may have guest reviewers starting if she can persuade them to join her, so maybe I’ll get reviewed then.

If you’d like to see what I created, go HERE, and if you’d like the assurance that your book is in safe hands should you send it in, you can rest easy that she won’t be mean. I’ve known her a long, long time. She’s done something a little different to other review sites. If she reads your book, you’re guaranteed a 4/5, 5/5 or a Top Pick. The rub is “if” she reads it. All is explained on her blog.

So, back to reviews:

Q: As a reader, if you were to give a review on a book you hated, would you be totally honest and say it like it is, or would you use more restraint?

Q: As an author, do you have to strongly resist leaving a comment on one of your bad reviews because you don’t want to appear unprofessional?

Also, I'd like to have a little squeal and show you my new cover. I love it, got exactly what I'd asked for and envisioned in my head. And I want to own a bottom like hers. Well, I can dream, can't I? LOL

A New Review & A NEW Contest!!

Imagine my smiling face this morning as I woke up and found this terrific review waiting for me!

Dark Diva Reviews gives "What She Wants" 5 delightful divas and a recommended read!

Deb says: "Ms. Rainey has yet another hit on her hands with her new book What She Wants. This fun, sexy book flowed so smoothly that I didn’t realize I was at the end till I noticed it was the last page." Read the full review HERE

Lately, I've been really depressed. Haven't felt like smiling much. The kids are going back to school next week and I'm really not looking forward to it--not even a little bit. So, when I saw that review it made me feel extra good! I needed the boost! (Thank you, DEB!) I don't know what it is about this time of year, but it's definitely not my fave. Last night, as my husband and I sat out on the deck sipping a glass of wine, we talked about this problem of mine. We sort of came up with a solution. We plan to take a winter vacation. A mini one. Something to break up the monotony. Where we live winter seems to go on forever. Gray skies. Dreary, cold weather. Icy roads. No freaking end in sight! The plan? We're going to find a nice little cabin somewhere, maybe Tenn., and take off for about three days. Just go off the grid completely. Enjoy some family time, drink hot chocolate, wake up late, catch up on some reading (bringing my ereader!). Hell, I'm already looking forward to it!

On another note! Mt first release with Ellora's Cave, Ride of Her Life, is coming out next Thursday, August 26th. I'm psyched! To celebrate--early--I'm having a contest today. All you have to do is leave me a comment. Tell me all about your ideal vacation. Is it in Hawaii with a hot hunk and lots of margaritas? A toasty cabin in the Smoky Mts. with your honey and zero interruptions? Or something completely different? You tell me! Winner to be announced HERE tomorrow. The prize? One ebook from my current releases AND a copy of Ride of Her Life (once it releases, I'll foward a copy to the winner).

That Happy Place

I've been thinking about happiness a lot lately. Personal and professional. On the personal front we're getting there considering all the crap we've dealt with lately but today I want to talk about 'that happy place' as writers. When I first started this whole writing gig I though happiness would be landing an agent who would sell my work to a publisher in New York. Now, I've penned my little tales for a long time and it didn't take too many years of pounding my head against that hard brick wall for me to give it up. I'm not that into self-punishment. Sending manuscript after manuscript off to print publishers, after awhile, made me depressed, anxious and an all-around unhappy camper. During those years, I continued to write but never sent anything out for consideration. That was okay. I realize now that what I wrote had no market at the time. I was writing erotic romance and didn't realize it. Yeesh! I had years to work on stuff, learn my voice and all those other necessary things. So the time wasn't wasted. It took those years to help me evolve to the point I found my 'happy place'.

Now my stories are published at Ellora's Cave. I wake up in the morning with a smile on my face, writing what I love and you want to know the BEST part? Ebooks are gaining in popularity every day. The publishing world is changing at the speed of light. I'm so happy to be part of it. Respectability is a mighty fine thing, I'm thinkin'.

I've realized lately that life is short and frustration is something I just don't have time to deal with. Plenty of writers will not give up the dream of NY publication. They want to hold their books in their hands and see it displayed in a brick and mortar store. To them I say, go for it, reach for it, and, if it's your dream don't give up. As for me, I like my happy place. Think I'll just sit here awhile.
Last night I got a great review from Dark Diva Reviews. Thanks Deb!

When Callista Hill settles in tiny Morgan’s Creek, she vows to make a better life for herself. She never figured lust and screaming-hot orgasms were part of the equation. One look at the local bar owner and she’s flooded with the need to have him in her bed. He burns her to ash with every erotic touch, bringing her sex-starved body achingly to life.

The instant dark, moody Mac Moreno claps eyes on Callie, he knows he wants her. Her lush curves turn him inside out and have his libido racing from zero to sixty in three seconds flat. Burning up the sheets with this sassy, sweet lady brings him back to life. But when her stalking ex hunts her down, will Callie run?

Not if Mac can help it.

Deb’s Review:

Eagle’s Refuge by Regina Carlysle is a pure heart stopper!

The suspense and awesome characters helped this short book flow smoothly. I always enjoy when the characters in the other books connected to a series show up in the current book. The reader then gets to catch up with the others, as well as the two billed characters starring in the book.

Mac, oh lord, how could you not just want to eat him up. With his looks and passion, he’s quite a package. Learning of his past, with his father is heart wrenching and after all we see him go through, I am happy to see him have fun with Callie.

Callie has her own Demon to deal with. On the run from her crazed ex, she decides enough is enough. She is done running. But what will these two do when Doug shows up to get Callie back?

The plotline is a fast, intense builder that’s extremely informative. The reader will never feel as though they are missing something. Ms. Carlysle knows how to pen a hot, spicy story with an added kick, which is a sweet addition to an amazing series!

So if you are looking for something to heat up your days, visit Morgan’s Creek, Texas, and the town in which the “Texas Passion Series” takes place because Ms. Carlysle knows how to write smokin’ hot passion!

Rated 5 Delightful Divas by Deb!