I know it’s inevitable. Every author gets their share of bad reviews. You know, those one-star postings and half-baked opinions of “chosen” readers, indicating that you, as an author, haven’t got a clue how to write a simple phase, how to plot a mystery, or create a believable story. Obviously, we can’t all be as talented as Agatha Christie, John Steinbeck or F. Scott Fitzgerald. We’re simply members of the Homo sapien writing tribe with more than our share of weaknesses, imperfections, and fragile reactions. Quite often, we find ourselves typing non-stop for days on end, allowing trapped emotions and caged creativity to escape in equal portions. We offer ourselves up to the world’s judgment, begging for acceptance—for someone to see the merit of our artistic efforts. But then it happens in an instant, even to the best of us. Critics and wannabe writers take careful aim, releasing venomous words, killing a novel purely for the pleasure of doing so.
I understand that not everyone appreciates the written word and the painstaking effort that goes into fully developing an idea. However, for an author, it’s tedious, time consuming work, and the act of writing can become an obsession in the art of perfection. Every word, scene and character on the page has value, and the ability to bring a story full circle can feel like a miraculous achievement at times. And yet, a single insult has the ability to take down not only an individual’s self-esteem but also their ability to write…at least for the time it takes to recover.
The solution to this madness? I’ve been told the most powerful action you can take to neutralize your brain’s wiring is to prove it wrong. Your brain fears being cast out of the “qualified” author circle, so calm it by connecting to your personal tribes—family, friends, other struggling writers. See brain? I’m not being thrown to the dingos—I have love, talent and the ability to carry on. Once the brain calms down, you can use reason and logic to center yourself. You can also talk to authors who have drifted in the same boat, bordering on the brink of despair.
Writers, like myself, fall into two groups. Those who bleed copiously and visibly at any bad review and those who hide their reactions well. Usually, I fall into the second group, holding my breath and looking away until the shock value wears off. But when a new book is released, it becomes a balancing act between elation over great reviews and irrational anger for the vicious ones. Some of Stephen King’s latest novels received up to 500 one-star and two-star reviews on Amazon. Was this done out of spite for his success as an author or simply a way to demonstrate powerful opinions?
Book stores are packed with best sellers that have a lot of bad reviews. Prove it to yourself. Do this: Go to idreambooks.com, the “Rotten Tomatoes” of the book world. They aggregate book reviews from important critics like the New York Times and rank best selling books according to the percentage of good reviews they received. Notice anything? Almost all the best selling books have a significant number of bad reviews. Imagine that.
Now think about this. How much could bad reviews affect sales if they’re all best sellers? I’m not ignoring the aftermath of cruel intention—bad reviews are undesirable. But they’re not necessarily the deal-breakers you think they are. Well, that’s what I continue to tell myself anyway. And even more interesting…bad reviews can actually help sell books.
What do you think of a book that has nothing but five-star reviews? I don’t know about you, but I’m a bit suspicious. Just like restaurant reviews, if you see nothing but 5 stars, I’m thinking the author or restaurant owner got all his friends, family and associates to write the vast number of reviews, delving out glowing praise. In a twisted way, bad reviews give a book legitimacy because their very presence indicate that the good reviews must be genuine. Right?
Well, I have to admit that all this venting has helped a wee bit. The sting of the cursed one-star review has eased a bit, and I’m reminded that the toughest critics are often the worst writers. That’s why they criticize, don’t you think? So now it’s time to laugh, enjoy a glass of wine, and move on until the next zinger comes along, and then maybe I’ll have the commonsense to look away.
Let me start with SILENT JUSTICE by Brian Roberts. This high-energy book has an interesting, diabolical cast of characters and provides a great voice for the imagination of debut author, Brian Roberts. Crime and corruption run rampant and Lead Detective Robert Jenkins has his hands full in this action-packed novel set in the underbelly of South Central L.A., and no one appears to be safe or unaffected by the dealings of ungoverned gangs. The President needs to bring an end to all the violence or lose his shot at a second term in office. But no one can foresee the powder keg about to erupt and the aftermath that results. RATED 5 out of 5 STARS
Next, THEIR GREEK KEY by Pamela Harstad. I love reading about complex romantic relationships that are destine to fail but don’t. This is a fun, compelling read with interesting characters and a well-thought out plot that pulled me in immediately. Will keep an eye out for more books by this talented author! RATED 5 out of 5 STARS
as I hate worrying about gloom and doom and the future of this country, which many of us trouble over on a daily basis. But I have to admit, once I started ready this crazy amazing book, I couldn’t put it down. The plot is well thought out, the characters are complex and real, and the tension is racketed to a breaking point. The author obviously spent a great deal of time researching this story because it shows on every page and in every word. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for an explosive story! RATED 5 out of 5 STARS
On to THE FINAL REALITY by Stephen Martino. Usually I’m not a huge fan of doom’s day sci-fi stories, but I have to admit Martino captured my attention and held onto it in this intriguing, action-packed story – pitting good against evil with the future of the world at stake. I haven’t read the other books in this series but found the Final Reality easy to follow with its rotating points of view, complex characters, and stirring plot…and this Indiana Jones-like adventure is definitely strong enough to stand alone. RATED 5 out of 5 STARS
GOOD DOING EVIL by Wilde Blue Sky. Although this spy/terrorist thriller is one of the shortest book I’ve ever read, it was none the less intriguing due to the fact that the main character is dull, insignificant and an extremely unlikely hero. His battle against the evil forces he contends with was entertaining and unexpected, keeping my interest from beginning to end. Kudos to the author! RATED 4 Stars out of 5
Followed by BEHIND FRENEMY LINES by Cele Pedersen Smith. I was pulled into this story immediately and had a hard time putting it down. Galaxy and Lee were complex characters and proved intriguing in the area of romance and as mystery solving agents. There were some light moments and plenty of twists and turns in the cleverly conceived plot. I highly recommend Behind Frenemy Lines to anyone who loves action-packed romantic suspense and look forward to reading more books by this author. RATED 4 out of 5 STARS
Finally, BUBBLEGUM by Sari Taurez. 
I also promised to give THE RIP by Andy Ben a look-see this week and will report on my findings very soon!
