Our mouthy little fingers striking our keyboards

October 17, 2022

Every day, Facebook sends Group "suggestions" to my mailbox. I generally take a look at those emails to see if there are any new or at least new-to-me promo groups listed. I'm already in a lot of those groups, but getting the word out is pretty important, so I at least give "new" groups a trial run. One of those groups gave me pause this morning. 

Just how appropriate is it to publicly criticize the style and technical prowess, or lack thereof, of another writer?  

Why must we, as authors, find fault with another writer? I don't think we should. I think if we read one of their books and discover there is a major problem in the book, we should privately contact the author (if possible) and beyond that, we should keep our mouthy little fingers off our keyboards. 

There are a lot of books I could cite here that do have a lot of grammar and formatting issues. I've also read some truly bad stories that will forever go unmentioned here. We all were newbies once upon a time. We all had to learn and we'd all better still be learning and improving or else it's time to quit. 

I find it infuriating for someone in a Facebook group, a writer, to pick apart someone else's work. I've been writing for twenty years and I've never read or received a professional review that went so low as that post did. And it got "likes." (No, it was not about me.)

Let's stop casting stones and lift each other up. Sound biblical? Perhaps it does, but it's also a kinder, better, and certainly more professional way to treat our fellow writers. 

  _*_*_*_*_*_*_

 KC Kendricks
http://www.kckendricks.com

My home on the web- Between the Keys: 

http://kckendricks.blogspot.com

Visit my bookshelf at: 

https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html

Social media links:

Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com

My country life at Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com

Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the Keys

twitter.com/kckendricks

pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards

instagram.com/kc_kendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

KC Kendricks, Between the Keys, writers on writing, contemporary gay romance, m/m romance, book reviews, Facebook groups, promotion, marketing

It's 4.5 Nymphs for Deuce of Diamonds

Thanks to Chocolate Minx at Literary Nymphs for her 4.5 Nymph review of Deuce of Diamonds. She gives a short story synopsis and then says, "KC Kendricks has created a splendid as well as an exceptionally enjoyable follow-up to Double Deuce."

Not a lot to work with on the promo circuit, but enough of a snippet to get the job done. I like her review style in that she doesn't use a review to promote herself. A review is supposed to be about the book and this reviewer sticks to business. And that's the highest praise KC will give.

You can read the entire review at: http://literarynymphsreviewsonly.blogspot.com/2013/05/deuce-of-diamonds.html?zx=30eab1e942c3176

And while we're doing a little promo here, Double Deuce and Deuce of Diamonds will be together in a single paperback, Double Diamonds, sometime this summer. I'll give a shout out on Twitter when it's available. Heck, I might even make it over to facebook.



DEUCE OF DIAMONDS
available now at 
Amazon, iTunes, Barnes and Noble, Kobo

DOUBLE DEUCE
Contemporary gay romance mystery
available now Amazon, iTunes, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo.

KC
http://www.kckendricks.com
http://www.twitter.com/kckendricks

R is for Reviews

A to Z Blogging 2012
On Being a Published Writer
Day 18
April 20


Welcome to the 2012 A to Z Blogging Challenge. This year I’m focusing on things I’ve learned, observed and experienced in the nine years I’ve been published. If you’re a reader, I hope to offer an inside glimpse into the writer’s world. If you’re new to writing, I hope I can provide an insight or two. If you’re an established writer, maybe you’ll see similarities to your experience. Whatever path you walk, I welcome you to mine and hope you’ll enjoy the 2012 A to Z Blogging Challenge.

Every review you get is the subjective opinion of ONE person who more than likely got your book for free from your publisher.

I’ve written under a few different names because I write in different genres, and every time I started a new brand, reviewers jumped. You know - fresh meat. I got lots of reviews. But the longer I write under those brands, the fewer reviews I get. Why? I think it’s because I don’t give them enough to find legitimate fodder criticize.

Many review sites are out there for one reason - attention. And they get more attention if they slam an author. It’s more about marketing the review site and its personnel than your book. So what should you do?

Forget about ‘em. Seriously. Let me make a couple of points, in no particular order.

1) Maturity level of the reviewer. An immature reviewer will not understand a mature writer and therefore the maturity of the writer’s characters. Maturity comes from a place they don't know.

2) Writers reviewing writers. Ever hear of jealousy? It’s far too easy for a bad writer to hide behind the persona of a reviewer and take swipes out of jealousy.

3) Reviewers are not necessarily insiders to the publishing industry. Ever read a review where they bash an author over a book cover? Yes, that shows just how little the reviewer knows about how things really work.

4) Some reviewers have romance/relationship rules. Recently there’s been a spate of reviewers using the phrase “insta-love” as if  a) it can’t happen and b) it’s a bad thing. Reference Item 1 and the maturity level of some reviewers. In my world, my partner has yet to go home from our first date twenty years ago. Insta-love? You betcha.

5) Reviewers like attention, and they think tearing a person down is the way to get it. (It certainly is the easiest, isn't it?) Yes, they get attention. If you’re a published author and you talk privately with other authors, you know exactly what kind of attention they get.

6) The Internet is a magnet for unhappy people. Reference Item 5.

7) Some review sites, in effect, sell reviews. Pay for advertising - get a review. So don't forget this basic rule: Money flows TO the author, not FROM the author.

Don’t get me wrong. There are some very good, legitimate review sites out there. The Romance Studio and Literary Nymphs are the two that quickly come to mind. So is Romance Junkies and Coffee Time. There are others, and I apologize to them for not taking the time and space to list them. The four I've named do not encourage any sort of author bashing in a public forum setting, and therein lies the difference.

I’ve been lucky in the review process, but others haven’t. I’ve read some really vicious reviews and it’s been blatantly obvious it was an attack on the author, not a book review. And yet the owner of the review site tolerated it. By the fact it was posted, the owner stamped her/his approval of it. I have to wonder at the purpose behind it, not to mention the character of the people involved.
Kindness is never out of vogue. Politeness is something most people readily respond to. When pointing out the perceived flaws of another, or their work, those two qualities are the proving point to the intentions of the reviewer and the motives for owning a review blog/website. 

When confronted, it’s too easy for a bad reviewer to say, “Oh, I didn’t mean it like that!” My fellow author, you’re not that stupid so don't fall for that line. And don’t for a moment think you must go thank anyone for a review that you know is meant to be damaging to you. That only lets them know you saw their vitriol. Some rules were meant to be broken.

I applaud all the honest reviewers out there. I appreciate all the work they do within the industry and the way they treat the author with respect. I, in turn, respect them. They restore my faith in the goodness of strangers. We need more of them.

KC Kendricks
website at: http://www.kckendricks.com
blog: http://www.kckendricks.blogspot.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kckendricks
mailing list at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/betweenthekeys
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1989106.K_C_Kendricks
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/people/Kc-Kendricks/1439574042
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/kckendricks

Shine A Light favorably reviewed

In the way back time, when I was a neophyte in this writing business, I was told that to succeed, one must promote, promote, promote. If it involved your book, you had to go tell it on the mountain. Coming soon, new release, good review, bad review, reader reviewer, website update, blog update…you get the picture. You’ve seen the promo wheels in action.

I’ve never been comfortable with the promo machine. My definition of success might need a little work, too. Simply finishing a story makes my endeavor a success. What comes after, well, so much of that is out of my hands it hardly counts. No matter how hard I work the machine, people will only buy what they want to buy.

But, with all that said, here I am today touting three very good reviews for Shine A Light. Should I confess to a profound relief over good reviews? Sure. Why not? Especially when I wrote Shine A Light twice. The first draft didn’t satisfy me, which actually feeds back to the need to promote, ad nauseam. Write a good book, and it promotes itself.

Which ties back to where I am this morning, hawking a set of reviews because at least three people think Shine A Light is a good book. So without further author babbling, here are the review snippets, with links, from Joyfully Reviewed, Literary Nymphs, and the incomparable Elisa Rolle.

Go ahead and Shine a Light on this sensual and satisfying page turner. Well written, intriguing characters are the focus. Van is picking up the pieces, stumbling, in shock from a betrayal he never saw coming and Shane, tender and strong, is the perfect match for Van. Well paced, with solid secondary characters and the setting is nicely detailed as well. Shine a Light has steamy moments – hot enough to fog your glasses - and characters you will care about. Seriously entertaining and totally engaging. - Lisa, reviewer for Joyfully Reviewed

http://www.joyfullyreviewed.com/reviews/Apr10/shinealight.kck.html

The characters of Van and Shane are likable and the chemistry between them is obvious from their first meeting. This 32K novella length release is definitely a love story, but the sex doesn’t overwhelm the other things going on within its pages. There’s plenty of time left for our guys to build a relationship and renew Van’s career, all while dealing with Lynn and his crazy determination to keep Van for himself. This contemporary romance is enjoyable, leaving the reader with that happy, satisfied feeling at the end. - Mystical Nymph, for Literary Nymphs Reviews
http://literarynymphsreviewsonly.blogspot.com/2010/04/shine-light.html?zx=efca84f445ea1aa

Sincerely this story surprised me since it’s not at all the light romance I was expecting, it has some deep layers that is a joy to discover….this extended novella was really a nice surprise, [one] that I recommend more people to give it a try. - Elisa Rolle
http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/995650.html

For more about Shine A Light, including an excerpt, please visit my website ,

KC Kendricks
Visit my website at: http://www.kckendricks.com
Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kckendricks
Join my mailing list at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/betweenthekeys
Read my personal blog: http://kckendricks.blogspot.com
Check out the MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/kckendricks

Blogging about Give Me One Night is more fun than working

September 1, 2009

I should be working, but I've given myself the night off. It's budget time at my place of employment, and my brain shut down the moment I walked in my back door. I don't like it when this happens, but I've learned the hard way that writing on nights like this is counter-productive. Better to wait until tomorrow evening to proceed with the new story. Besides, I discovered a new review of Give Me One Night, so I have to tell everyone about it.

It popped up in a Google alert from the I Love Books blog. Lily writes this about Give Me One Night: "The writing is solid, the characters interesting and the story flows well. If you're looking for a nicely done romantic story with a happy ending I think you'll enjoy this book."

Thank you, Lily!

And so I must turn off my computer and turn on my television. That is something you will rarely hear me say, or read that I have written. I'm not a tv watcher. However, a while back a friend sent me the first set of Dexter dvds, and got me hooked. She just sent me the third season set, and I can't wait to view them. I think Dexter is a fascinating study for a writer, even a romance writer. I love how smartly the show is written.

I'm loving the way you can get DVD sets of shows, too. Dexter, True Blood, and The Tudors - I'd have never seen them but for the DVDs. The cost of Showtime and HBO in our area is prohibitive.

So I'm off to my room. Maybe the endless, boring, mind-numbing day joy won't suck the life out of me tomorrow, and I can get some writing done in the evening. I hope so, anyway.

Give Me One Night is now available at 
Amazon, iTunes/Apple, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and other online booksellers. 

Give Me One Night webpage:
https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/give-me-one-night-by-kc-kendricks.html

 KC Kendricks
My home on the web- Between the Keys: http://kckendricks.blogspot.com
twitter.com/kckendricks
facebook.com/kckendricks
pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards
instagram.com/kc_kendricks
My country life at Holly Tree Manor

A great review for Seducing Light, and a few contradictions

July 11, 2009

Getting a book review is a weird experience for me. As a writer, I do wonder what people think of my work. Yet, as a reader, I pay no attention to reviews whatsoever in choosing my next book to read. I'll make up my own mind about what I like, thank you very much. Contradictory, to say the very least.

Literary Nymphs gave Seducing Light a 4.5 (out of a possible 5) Nymph review, but more than the numbers, the reviewer saw into the story. Nick is hardly perfect, but neither is Asher. They're human, with a lot of contradictions, and contradictory emotions. How refreshing for a reviewer to understand that those opposing forces make a great 'character imperfect.'

As a general rule, my partner doesn't like some of the rock music I like, yet there is one AC/DC song he'll always turn the volume up to hear. It's still safe to say the man doesn't like AC/DC.

I have never owned a Dodge vehicle, or even considered looking at one to purchase. Suddenly, out rolls the new Challenger, and I'm seriously looking at it. But I'm still not a fan of Dodge.

If these small contradictions are part of what makes us who were are, why then must our characters be "cookie cutter" perfect? The answer is, of course, they shouldn't be. Mature readers, and reviewers for that matter, recognize that and look for the uniqueness of each individual.

My thanks to Scandalous Minx for the well-written review of Seducing Light, and for letting me know I hit my mark.

***
Seducing Light is available at Amazon. 



KC Kendricks
http://www.kckendricks.com

The best note from a reader, and a few lesser reviews

February 16, 2009
**updated 6/26/17, 4/3/21**

I've gotten several reviews lately, ones I'll share in a moment, but by far the best review came in the form of a reader from Montreal, Canada, who has already finished her copy of A Taste of Victory. I asked her if I could share her comments and she graciously said, 'yes'. **A Taste of Victory is no longer available.**


I wanted to say that I finished your book. It was so nice to see all three stories together. I'd already read one, but it was nice to get acquainted with Micah and Jonas, and then Levi and Stacy. That Levi, what a firecracker LOL! I enjoyed your book tremendously. The sex is hot, yes, but the stories are interesting and filled with such hope. After reading these, you get a sense that anything is possible. Thank you so much!

Praise from a reader is what matters most. Thank you, Roxanne.

For some other reviews:

Shining Victory
I was a little surprised Romance Junkies reviewed one of my stories. I hope it's a good trend. They're a wee bit PG13 on their list, and considering Shining Victory is a love story about two men.... you get the picture.

Passion's Victory
"The compassion and care just flows from the pages. I really enjoyed Passion's Victory, it touched my emotions on so many levels." - Ley, reviewer, Joyfully Reviewed

Passion's Victory was a Romance Studio 2008 CAPA nominee, and while it didn't get the nod, it shows the strength of the story, and I was very pleased with the honor.

Surrendered Victory
"Surrendered Victory is a great story and a terrific beginning to what could be a very loving relationship." Ley, reviewer, Joyfully Reviewed

Well, Ley, could be a sequel coming for Dalton and Reed some day.

_*_*_*_*_*_*_

 KC Kendricks

My home on the web- Between the Keys: 

http://kckendricks.blogspot.com

Visit my bookshelf at: 

https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne.html

Social media links:

Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com

My country life at Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com

twitter.com/kckendricks

pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards

instagram.com/kc_kendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

The Buzz on Passion's Victory

September 17, 2009

Good things seem to come in fits and spurts, have you ever noticed? This week, Passion's Victory has gotten two new reviews.

From Rainbow Reviews: "Passion's Victory is a story with heat and heart."

I don't know about other writers and how they react to things like that, but that got me right in the heart. What a wow! thing for someone to say about one of my stories. Excuse me if I sniffle, but as I said in an earlier post, I just can't pretend I'm not thrilled over reviews like that.

From Literary Nymphs: "Passion's Victory is a touching, thoughtful and realistic love story of two men meeting at very different stages in their lives. KC Kendricks has again created two terrific and very likable characters in Micah and Jonas."

That's like... a double wow!

Thanks to Nikki and Woodland Nymph for the reviews. I'm so glad both of you enjoyed Passion's Victory.

_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_
PASSION'S VICTORY
 
Available at
 
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071Z5YRB4
 
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B071Z5YRB4
 
Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B071Z5YRB4
 
Apple/iTunes: itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1236569692
 
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/passions-victory-kc-kendricks/1017484051
 
Rakuten/Kobo: www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/passion-s-victory
 
Universal link to additional booksellers: https://books2read.com/u/3yPjBn
 
Passion’s Victory webpage: https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/passions-victory-by-kc-kendricks.html

_*_*_*_*_*_*_

 KC Kendricks

My home on the web- Between the Keys: 

http://kckendricks.blogspot.com

Visit my bookshelf at: 

https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne.html

Social media links:

Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com

My country life at Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com

twitter.com/kckendricks

pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards

instagram.com/kc_kendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

Fallen Angel Reviews gives Passion's Victory 4 Angels

August 30, 2008

"Who doesn't love a good office romance story? Passion's Victory...well worth the read." - April, Reviewer, Fallen Angel Reviews

Getting a review is like fishing. You never know what you'll catch. I've been lucky so far, and have had nice things said about my stories. I hope that trend continues.

Please visit my website for more about Passion's Victory.

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PASSION'S VICTORY
 
Available at
 
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071Z5YRB4
 
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B071Z5YRB4
 
Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B071Z5YRB4
 
Apple/iTunes: itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1236569692
 
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/passions-victory-kc-kendricks/1017484051
 
Rakuten/Kobo: www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/passion-s-victory
 
Universal link to additional booksellers: https://books2read.com/u/3yPjBn
 
Passion’s Victory webpage: https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/passions-victory-by-kc-kendricks.html

_*_*_*_*_*_*_

 KC Kendricks

My home on the web- Between the Keys: 

http://kckendricks.blogspot.com

Visit my bookshelf at: 

https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne.html

Social media links:

Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com

My country life at Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com

twitter.com/kckendricks

pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards

instagram.com/kc_kendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

Rainbow Reviews gives Surrendered Victory 5 Stars

July 17, 2008

"Surrendered Victory is a brilliant story...a highly recommended erotic romance story that persuades not just on the erotic part, but also on the romance part." - Rainbow Reviews

Someday, soon I hope, I'll move past the shell-shocked phase of great reviews, crawl back into my office, and go back to writing. In typical fashion, I'm amazed that people like my story. I mean, I LIKE IT, but I'm supposed to like it since I wrote it.

My thanks to shoganrea at Rainbow Reviews for such a wonderful review and so many kind words. 

I hope the next story, one I've titled Passion's Victory, fares as well.

More information about Surrendered Victory is available on the bookshelf. 

_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_

 KC Kendricks

My home on the web- Between the Keys: 

http://kckendricks.blogspot.com

Visit my bookshelf at: 

https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne.html

Social media links:

twitter.com/kckendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards

instagram.com/kc_kendricks

My country life at Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com

Life through the eyes of Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com