IT'S SO EASY!

It is crazy how much a book review improves the life of an independent writer. One review and BAM! You've given that writer a great deal to think about, or courage to keep writing, or helped more readers discover them.

Most traditionally published authors don't read their reviews. They couldn't care less, really. Most publishing houses buy reviews for their authors anyhow, so who cares what they say or that they have hundreds and thousands of 5 star reviews if most aren't even real.

But as an indie author, I don't buy my reviews. I give free books all the time, but I don't get anything out of it. I just like giving them away. It does hopefully, increase readership. People who have reviewed my books are normal people who have graciously taken time out of their day to do me a great honor. And Amazon.com has made it that much easier to review books.

Back in the day, you had to write some twenty words and there were a bunch of rules... Now, you don't have to actually write anything save for maybe a title, maybe a word or two.

As an example:

 Five Stars, April 27, 2015
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This review is from: Fatal Retribution (Raina Kirkland Book 1) (Kindle Edition)

Very good

WOW, it really is that easy! So if you've read a book and you really want to improve someone's life for the better, don't think you have to write an essay. Though, the more feedback the better. ^_^ 

D HART ST. MARTIN'S LISEN OF SOLSTA SERIES

I've been reading this award winning series for the past couple of years and I've got say that these books are of the up most quality. If you love supporting authors, but you're so tired of finding errors throughout their work, this is the series for you. Not only are these books seriously thought provoking and well plotted, but there are zero grammatical or spelling errors.

Seventeen-year-old Lisen Holt only begins to realize that her life is fractured after a sorcerer abducts her from a California beach and brings her home to Garla. She awakens at Solsta Haven, a refuge for the spiritual members of Garlan society known as hermits. The sorcerer, Hermit Eloise, has returned Lisen?s body to its true form?a human-like marsupial with no visible breasts and a fuzzy pouch just above where her bellybutton once was. She then restores Lisen?s memory of her first ten years in Garla, leaving her earthly existence behind but not forgotten. Although she is Lisen of Solsta now, questions haunt her, questions Eloise refuses to answer. Who are the parents who left her at Solsta? Why did Eloise send her to Earth? And what is so important about her that Eloise has manipulated so much of her life? The answers will propel Lisen into a quest for a throne, and all that will stand between her and her birthright is her matricidal twin of a brother.

 A Whole New World to Explore, July 3, 2013

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Amazon Customer

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This review is from: Fractured (Lisen of Solsta Book 1) (Kindle Edition)

I love authors who create whole new worlds and fill it with new beings and cultures. It's the height of creativity. Lisen is a wonderful three dimensional heroine who is torn from earth, the only life she's ever known and forced to her home world, Garla. There she must learn the culture, rule the people and come to terms with not only the loss of her Earthly life, but her Earthly body as well. It's a terribly descriptive, imaginative and intriguing book. Well written with great flow. Highly recommended for lovers of fantasy!

In Fractured, Lisen Holt, Valley girl, beach lover, learned she doesn't belong on Earth. Re-adapting to Garla, the place of her birth, proved difficult, but the greater challenge was learning that she is the Heir-Empir and must confront her brother for the throne. Witnessing her only friend's murder, defending her own life with forbidden power, and succumbing to possession by her friend's soul left Lisen fractured, with little hope she'd ever recover. 

The story grows darker in Tainted with Lisen and her guardian companion, Korin, traveling to the great desert of Thristas. They hope to find safety in the anonymity of the barren wilderness, out of the range of Garlan spies. There, Lisen learns the ways of Thristas and its fierce people who view Garla's Empir as a tyrant. In an effort to prove their sincerity, Lisen and Korin participate in the Farii, the spring fertility ritual which changes everything for Lisen. She returns to Garla with a brilliant but damning plan that she believes will ensure her victory against her brother.

 Amaz-balls, December 23, 2013

By 

Amazon Customer

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This review is from: Tainted (Lisen of Solsta Book 2) (Kindle Edition)

Reading this book has been one of this years highlights for me....I've had a pretty crappy year. :-P I don't have much time to myself, as most don't, but I looked forward to those little moment when I could just sit and read this beautiful story. ...Like when I'm warming my car. Should have just taken a few minutes, I'll sit and read a bit...an hour and a half later...I'm pretty sure my car is all sorts of warmed up and I'm still reading, wasting gas, but it's so worth it. LOL

Tainted is the second book in the Lisen of Solsta series, and by reading them in order you'll get all the amazing benefits of knowing each and every character that much better and appreciating their growth and all the subtle nuance. HOWEVER, Tainted is also a great stand alone novel. It has an easy flow and beautiful imagery. You'll find yourself sucked into the world Hart builds and expands around you. Her imagination is astonishing. For just one example: In this series the people of this world have pouches, like kangaroos. In the first book I thought that was an interesting change, but now in the second book it seems so fantastic a thing. I wish I had one! Could you imagine as a parent (male or female, since in this series both have pouches and can hold their child) touching, caressing, holding the miniature hand of your developing baby while their still growing inside you!? Like I said, Amaz-balls!

From the award-winning author of Fractured and Tainted comes Blooded, the finale to the Lisen of Solsta trilogy. After committing an act that terrifies her in its calculated coldness, and losing Korin, her valued companion, as a result, Lisen shuts down emotionally, allowing her to perform her duties as the Empir of Garla. But the arrival of a child, an abduction culminating in captivity and a drug called gryl provide Lisen with new insights, and faced with a civil war, she opens up to startling perceptions which offer a unique solution to the conflict. 

Will Korin relent and reveal the secret he’s kept from her? Will Lisen come to forgive herself for her self-perceived sins? Will she recover the sense of family support that she once felt on Earth? Will she ever feel anything but alone again? Or will the nightmare of reality overwhelm her as the story concludes in this final volume? In a story that brings traitors to justice and two opposing lands to an inevitable confrontation, Blooded completes the Lisen of Solsta trilogy.

 An Exciting Finale, January 23, 2015

By 

Amazon Customer

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This review is from: Blooded (Lisen of Solsta Book 3) (Kindle Edition)

The first thing I must say is that this book is a huge emotional roller-coaster. Sometimes I wanted to throw my phone, other times I had to stay up all night to read as much as I could.
In the previous books Lisen is stolen from Earth and has to struggle through a plethora of challenges until she is finally able take on her brother, who is the evil king of this new world, Garla. During her adventures she gives birth to a baby without her knowledge. Korin, the romantic interest from book one steals away the baby, keeping it secret because he doesn't agree with how Lisen won her throne from her brother. This is where Blooded begins. Lisen is queen, Korin is hiding her baby and not everyone is happy with the change in power.
Lisen has to master the political landscape of Garla, and she's doing a great job of it until an old enemy and a new one combine forces to take her out! Lisen is forced to embrace her psychic gift, which is not looked on fondly, in order to save her own life, but in saving herself she dooms her world to civil war. She's on one side, and Korin and her secret baby is on the other side. And both sides have only months to raise their armies, turning farmers into soldiers.
It's an exciting book to be sure!

Fifteen years after the One-Day War, Lisen, now Empir Ariannas, has developed into a just and capable leader. Together she and Korin have created a union of two souls based on respect, commitment and love, and their family has grown. In addition to Rinli, their daughter who made her first appearance in Blooded, two more children have joined the family, completing their complement of three complicated adolescents. 

Now the sixteen-year-out Rinli prepares to take on the mantle of Protector of Thristas, a title destined for her in the treaty that ended the war. The Empirs of Garla have carried this title for hundreds of years, and Lisen anticipates changes once she hands this single title on to Rinli at the girl’s investiture. But the prophesy of Mantar’s Child, upon which Lisen and Korin depended in the treaty negotiations fifteen years earlier, refuses to remain but a convenient myth, and with the advent of the fulfillment of the prophecy, an epic begins. 

Although Protector of Thristas includes the familiar faces and settings of the young adult Lisen of Solsta trilogy, it begins a new adventure for an older and often wiser Lisen and her allies. Looking at their world through their matured eyes, the book takes on the heroic tragedy that the trilogy could only hint at. Return to Garla. Enter its mystical environs for a new encounter with Lisen and her world’s gender-free culture. The adventure awaits.

 I just wanted to scream "Say I LOVE YOU!", June 11, 2016

By 

Amazon Customer

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This review is from: Protector of Thristas: A Lisen of Solsta Novel (Kindle Edition)

I've read and loved the original Lisen of Solsta trilopgy. You should totally check them out! Fractured (Lisen of Solsta Book 1)
This book is a great continuation of that story. It's 15 years later and our main characters have all grown up and got married with children. Life is more complex and all the drama that we thought was solved after three grand novels, was actually just the beginning of the story. This book has a very steady pace, a thoughtful plot and a crazy dramatic ending that you don't really see coming. I'm glad to say that the characters that I've come to love over the previous three books are very well developed, but at times these very real, very flawed characters can be very frustrating, which is likely a testament to just how real they are. So many times I just wanted to scream "Say I LOVE YOU!" Those simple words could help so much....But people are stubborn.

If you buy this book, you will surely not regret it...but best to read them in order.

YOU WILL NEVER WRITE THAT BOOK

I don't know how often I've heard the words, 'I want to write a book.' So many times. Everyone seems to want to write a book, and usually about themselves...I guess that's why those silly Facebook quizzes are so popular. Which Ninja Turtle are you? I don't know...  Guess we're all a bit narcissistic, or maybe just self curious. Most of the people I knew in College were getting their degrees in Psychology because they had a tragic sort of past, and wanted to understand themselves better. But, I'm getting a bit off topic. I wanted to talk about why so many people want to write a book, but don't. Why will you never write that book?

Right off the top of my head I can think of four reasons. The four horsemen that will end your book before it starts!

1. Where do you start? How exactly do you write a book? How do you tell a story that flows well, with an attention grabbing beginning, a captivating middle and a satisfying ending? 

Really, the answer is simple. Dive in. Just start typing. Once everything its out, you can fix it, but there's nothing to fix if you haven't typed it out...  Even if it doesn't quite make sense...that's were editing comes in.

2. Time! Who has the time for writing? 

Answer, no one. Not even published writers; between life and social media and obligations. But, a page here and there add up over a couple of years. You carve out minutes or hours. Whatever you can. No pressure, just persistence.

3. Lack of faith in yourself.  The road to a finished masterpiece seems so riddled with obstacles, that it kills your faith in the project altogether. You can see so clearly what you want, the characters, the events, the goal...but then you think of the time and the structure and the everything and then Blah, you no write. 

The only way around this is a little magical thinking...by that, I'm referring to the human brains fantastic ability to lie to itself and see only what it wants to see, at least for a little while. It took me a whole decade to finished the Raina Kirkland Novels. Most of the time I doubted myself and felt I couldn't finish the series. Heck, I went months without writing a single word. Years even!  But, when I sat down at the computer to put fingers to keys, I lied to myself. I told myself to just type away and see what happens. Every time  I was absolutely stunned that it worked. Magical thinking, tell yourself that it's simple, that it's easy, that there is no rush, no deadline, nothing standing in your way!

4. Fear of Judgment. What if people hate it? What if you just embarrass yourself?

There is no way around. If you put anything in the public's eye, the public will tell you what they think of it...if they care enough to, that is. You have to be okay with that, or at least lie to yourself that you are okay with that. There is a saying. Dance like no one is watching. The rule is the same for writing. Write like no one will ever read it. Write for yourself.

In the end, books get written because writers ignores their fears, lie to themselves about how hard it is, just dives right in there and write whenever they can.

BOOK 1.FATAL RETRIBUTION
BOOK 2.MORTAL SENTRY
BOOK 3.GRAVE OMEN
BOOK 4.DEADLY ENCOUNTERS
BOOK 5.TOXIC WARRIOR ... Available Fall 2016

RAINA KIRKLAND SERIES IS COMPLETE!

It has been written...now I need to fix it up real nice you'al.
When I'm done editing it to the best of my abilities, I'm going to need some awesome beta readers to tell me what you think. Message me on Facebook if you want to be one of them. 

The other books can be found on my Amazon Author page. You can buy them one at a time, watch my twitter feed for sales (usually Fridays), or all at once in the Paranormal Washington Bundle Pack! The cool thing about the bundle pack is that if you update the book after Toxic Warrior is published you automatically get the book for FREE!!!

^_^

Bad Reviews Blocked

I don't write a lot of 1-3 star reviews mainly because, well. I'm an author and I don't want retribution reviews! Yikes. Nothing scarier. But I read a book a couple years back that tots earned a bad review from me because of the giant gaping plot whole it had...there were also too many errors to count throughout all her books, but as a dyslexic writer with too little pocket money for a good editor, (I rely on the kindness of the smartest beta readers) I can't and will never throw stones for mixing the odd theirs and theres and it and is in a novel...it's the horrible reality for too many starving artists. Hopefully the book outshines it's flaws.

The Hell Hound Series by Rue Volley seems smart at first glance. The story is clever but...well you can read my reviews below. I must say one thing, I love her covers! Also, you can't find these books for sell anymore. She's taken them all down. Hopefully for editing! I would love to read this story over again if it were edited. ^_^

Hellhound (Hellhound #1)

One ROMAN

One VAMPIRE

Two VIKINGS

and one PISSED OFF CHICK.

Meet the HELLHOUNDS.

Earth's only defense against the rising tide of HELL.

Beaten down and broken, HALO BAY has spent her life at the feet of abusive men.

One fateful night she fights back, but when she awakens from her battle she finds herself at a crossroads.

She can be damned to purgatory forever, or train to become a Hellhound, a defender of humanity and demonic assassin.

With righteous intention on her side, she joins in the HOLY WAR 

between Lucifer and God. 

Two angelic SIBLINGS who have yet to settle the ultimate score.

Every LEGEND has a DARK PAST. 

Unlock your HELLHOUND today.

 The Good and Bad of it, August 24, 2014

By 

Amazon Customer

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This review is from: Hellhound (Hellhound Series Book 1) (Kindle Edition)

Honestly, I enjoyed all the books.

GOOD:
The risky sexiness of it all.
The world building.
The fast pace.
The story itself was so darn interesting and original.

BAD:
Many editing issues.
Repetitive phrasing. Much hissing of words....LOL
Overusing the word 'as' and using 'as' as though it were 'and'
And lastly, a plot hole involving the mother of the main character, who during the first two books saved the main character from her abuser and ended up in heaven after dying form cancer. And in the last two books killed herself, abandoning the main character to her abuser's mercy and ended up in Hell, where she became an evil demon lady.

All in all, I enjoyed the story. Good job. ^_^

Hellhound: Dogs of War (Hellhound #2)

  

In 'Dogs of War' we rejoin Halo Bay and the Hellhounds as they adjust to an unexpected loss. Weakened and feeling as if they may be losing the battle, the Hellhounds reach out to the most unlikely of creatures...that of the vampires. At Ari's insistence, two very powerful vampires are called upon to help them. Hunter, who has a sordid past with Dorin and Vanessa, Queen of the vampires and daughter to Dracula himself. As they struggle to solidify their new alliance, Halo finds she has to barter with the only thing she truly owns. Herself. This is a deal that Lucifer is eager to seal and, blinded by love, Halo may be stepping into a plan set in motion centuries before she even existed. Will she restore the balance between Heaven and Hell? Or will be become the final seal?

 Not Bad, September 23, 2014

By 

Amazon Customer

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This review is from: Hellhound: Dogs of War (Book Two in the Hellhound Series) (Kindle Edition)

Same grammar issues at the first book, but not bad...however the spoiler for the 3rd book at the end boiled my blood, as it contained a HUGE plot hole that was carried on throughout the rest of the series. Very annoying. And sadly, as much as I want to know how the story ends...I simply can't bring myself to read the 4th book.

Hellhound: Prince of Fire (Hellhound #3)

 

In 'Dogs of War' we rejoin Halo Bay and the Hellhounds as they adjust to an unexpected loss. Weakened and feeling as if they may be losing the battle, the Hellhounds reach out to the most unlikely of creatures...that of the vampires. At Ari's insistence, two very powerful vampires are called upon to help them. Hunter, who has a sordid past with Dorin and Vanessa, Queen of the vampires and daughter to Dracula himself. As they struggle to solidify their new alliance, Halo finds she has to barter with the only thing she truly owns. Herself. This is a deal that Lucifer is eager to seal and, blinded by love, Halo may be stepping into a plan set in motion centuries before she even existed. Will she restore the balance between Heaven and Hell? Or will be become the final seal?

 A PLOT HOLE YOU COULD DRIVE A TRUCK THROUGH!!!!!, September 5, 2014

By 

Amazon Customer

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This review is from: Hellhound: Prince of Fire (Book Three in the Hellhound Series) (Kindle Edition)

I bought the first book and it was a mix of horrible and delightful. I loved the unique story and steamy scenes, but the editing killed me. The way the author used the word 'as' as though it meant 'and' drove me up the wall....exp: I made a rude comment AS he got mad at me....should be AND he got mad at me...whatever. The plot jumps around a lot. Sometimes it's written in first person. Sometimes it's written in third person. Sometimes it's past tense, sometimes it's present tense.

Okay, those sorts of blunders usually earns a 3 Star review from me....But there was more!

SPOILER ALERT:
Besides all those errors I mentioned, I still bought the second and third book ONLY because I felt invested in the characters and I was utterly curious about where the story would go, but I cringed and screamed my way through the 3rd book because there's a plot hole so huge, so massive and glaring. 1st book, Halo's mom took Halo and left her father as soon as she found out her dad was sneaking into her bedroom at night and beating her up. Later her mom died of cancer. It was a big part of Halo's personality and quite possibly the reason she had a bit of saving grace....2nd book, God himself shows Halo her mom chilling in Heaven. I thought that was really cool....3RD book, Not only is Halo's mom NOT in heaven, Halo's mom did NOT die of cancer, Halo's mom did NOT save Halo from her abusive dad. She committed suicide, abandoning Halo with her dad, and went straight to HELL where she became a totally evil demon whore and a huge plot device for the 3rd book....Very Annoying.

~~~~~~~

Like I said, none of these books are available anymore and the 4th book is completely gone from the internet entirely...wonder why. Back when I first wrote my not so great reviews, I was in the vast minority. All three books were swarmed with over a hundred 5 star reviews! So much so that I could only assume most were fake or bought. Rue has a great imagination, but tots needs an editor and maybe a smaller ego...international best seller? I hardly believe that.

I started writing this blog because I logged onto my Amazon account to review some books I've read recently, good books ^_^, When I noticed that my reviews for this series showed that they had been reported and blocked!  How rude. 

Jim Proctor's Phoenix Series

Recently I've read these two amazing books by Jim Proctor. He has such a way with story telling. I'm quite envious of his ability to spin such a thrilling and compelling story.

Carl Wilkins, a successful man with a thriving business, loses everything and has to start over from scratch. His dogged determination quickly deteriorates when he finds that even his reputation is gone. With barely enough money to buy a cheap bottle of booze, and no prospects for employment, things look bleak until he receives an unusual job offer from a stranger who turns up just as Carl hits rock bottom. The perilous space salvage job is more than just a chance to rebuild his broken life. It is also a chance to strike back at SACOM, the people who ruined him. Carl, the best space salvage operator in the star system, bets his life that he can complete the job. Setting out in the Phoenix, a specially modified space freighter, Carl begins a dangerous mission to find and collect missing cargo pods from the dense asteroid belt. Struggling to remain alive in the belt while avoiding detection by SACOM ships, Carl learns that he may have as much to fear from the people who hired him as he does from SACOM. His chance to rebuild his life turns into a desperate race across the galaxy in hopes of finding a safe haven where no one will ever find him.

My Review:

 A very Enjoyable Sci-Fi Adventure, June 6, 2015

By 

Amazon Customer

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This review is from: Veronica Phoenix: Phoenix Series Book 1 (Kindle Edition)

I fully enjoyed the entire feel of this book! It was a great sci-fi adventure. The characters were really well written. Is it weird that I related best with the hologram? LOL.
The story line was written in such a way as to give you a 360 degree experience of the world and the people in it, bad and good. You would think that kind of writing would kill the suspense, but it does the exact opposite. Jim gives you just enough of a view behind enemy lines to get the gist of what's going on and a taste of the baddies attitude without giving up too much. As a whole, I'd say very well done.
And, I must add how much I love the cover.

Reading the second book was a real treat. As a writer and a reader, I love seeing a story line come together. These books should really be read back to back as one Epic Novel!

Fighting to remain one step ahead of SACOM, Nolan Peters and Megan Carson investigate the mysterious disappearance of their friend, Carl Wilkins. During the investigation, Nolan struggles with his growing affection for Megan, while she tries to cope with the recent death of her husband. Will the strain bring them together, or drive them apart? 
When the pair uncovers evidence of a treasonous conspiracy that threatens the stability of all human worlds across the galaxy, they reluctantly put their trust in a SACOM investigator and a hard-nosed Army general to root out the conspirators. Will their trust prove to be their undoing... or prevent a galactic-scale military coup? 

 Thrilling Twists and Turns, May 26, 2016

By 

Amazon Customer

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This review is from: Search for the Phoenix: Phoenix Series Book 2 (Kindle Edition)

The basic premise of this novel is an evil government space entity did some bad stuff, and people died. They blamed it on a guy named Carl, who disappeared shortly after they ruined his life. This novel starts after Car;'s coworker and friend Nolen is brought in by the government and tortured because they thought he might know something about Carl. When Nolen is released, he's stricken by a hunger for the truth, which mean he has to find Carl, where ever he is.
First off, SACOM (Strategic Aerospace Command) is a scary as s*** government type entity. They are greedy, crooked and supper powerful; unlawful arrests, torture, murder and espionage...
There is some subtle romance between Nolan and the widow of his old friend, Megan. It's a sweet and slow romance that is built at a steady comfortable pace that respects the com plexity of their relationship and shared tragic loss.
One of my favorite things about Proctor's writing is the sciency imagination. I love sciency stuff. I have been known to watch Neil Degrasse Tyson's Cosmos over and over and over again...love that business. Both books in the Phoenix series is chalk full of this sort of stuff, like jumping into or out of hyper space too close to a solar system could mean coming out of it inside a planet, or the freaking star! Wow. I never thought of that...
There are so many thrilling twists and turns, especially about 50% in. Big twist. It's a fun ride.

SNOW ANGEL