SHOUT OUT TO IND’TALE MAGAZINE by Rolynn Anderson

“Everything stays in Las Vegas,” except for this important ‘tale.’ Before I leave glittery LV, I have vital information to share with the world of Indie writers.  InD’Tale Magazine, a sponsor of the 1^st Annual Romance Novel Convention in Las Vegas (August 7-11), is changing the world for those of us self-pubbing or contracted with small presses!

TJ Mackay, dynamic founder of the magazine, realized more than a year ago that Indie writers needed a voice, a review site and a source for information.  In one year, working out of her home in Santa Barbara, California, she has completed the herculean task of delivering a fabulous magazine, leading her staff to write thousands of professional reviews, and co-sponsoring the RomNovCon.  On August 9^th, she announced the winners of the very first RONÉ awards for authors of novels and novellas, books that earned four or five stars as well the interest of the public, then were judged further by people in the writing profession.  Winners of Best Covers for 2012 also earned recognition from InD’Tale.

The energy and optimism of TJ Mackay and her staff is something to behold, giving us all hope that our efforts as Indie writers will earn the respect of readers all over the country.  Take a look at the site: http://www.indtale.com  Consider sending your book to be reviewed by their able crew. 

Viva Las Vegas and InD’Tale!

Here's FADEOUT, which was runner-up in the thriller/suspense category for  the RONÉ.  Yahoo!  Check out other details on http://www.rolynnanderson.com

Jan Solvang has spent her life avoiding conflict and commitment. Six months ago, she left a marriage proposal and a job in Seattle to care for her dying mother. Now she's stuck with her mother's California house and her mother's dog, filling her mother's shoes as a memorial planner with her estranged father.

Roman Keller thrives on conflict, writing documentaries that reveal the flaws of the famous. Jan’s challenge is to help him write a positive eulogy for a grandfather he disliked, but Roman is more interested in her other client: a powerful attorney with a dark past his family wants buried with him. If Jan stands behind the family and Roman goes for the exposé, who’s in danger and who wins?

The tension between them pulls tighter as each discovers the other is keeping secrets.  But if they tell the truth, will they destroy any chance for love?  

Reviews - Love them or Hate them?

"From my close observation of writers... they fall into two groups: 1) those who bleed copiously and visibly at any bad review, and 2) those who bleed copiously and secretly at any bad review." Isaac Asimov

It would be not a far stretch to say writers as a whole are a bit schizophrenic in how they react to a review. On one hand, you have those copious bleeders who splatter one and all when they get a bad review. Or you get those who glow so blindingly over a good review that it's hard to believe.

My favorite quote about negative reviews is by Max Reger, German composer, who pithily offers, "I am sitting in the smallest room of my house. I have your review before me. In a moment it will be behind me." It might take a minute or two to register, but you may agree with me that his sarcastic response to a bad review is quite funny. We're probably fortunate that he wrote music and not books.

Even Danielle Steel has this to say about reviews, "A bad review is like baking a cake with all the best ingredients and having someone sit on it." You can probably guess that she was having a bad reaction to a less-than-warm review. Let's face it. Some reviewers seem to look only for what's wrong in a story or they're taking out some personal vendetta against the author. They appear to think their role is to rip to shreds all books except for the crème de la crème. Walter Kaufman, German philosopher, offers that "The first function of a book review should be, I believe, to give some idea of the contents and character of the book." I wonder what he might have made of all the review sites popping up on the Internet

People like to offer their opinions. It's almost as if there is some monetary value in being able to tell someone what you like and having them buy into you enough to believe that your opinion is what they should believe as well. If you find a reviewer who consistently likes what you like as well as consistently dislikes what you dislike, then you've found a match made in heaven. But how often is that? I know I go to movies that professional reviewers trash simply because I, like so many others, want to determine if I like something for myself.

Still, I do agree with Kenneth Koch. "It's enormously cheering to get a good review by someone who seems to understand your work." When I get a good review, I want the entire universe to know. I've had reviewers who saw into the hearts of my characters. They seemed to know my characters as well as I did. And I loved it. When a reviewer tells me that I've moved them to tears, it does my heart good. My job is to tell the best story that I can as consistently as I can. I am trying to touch my readers on several levels, especially on an emotional level. So to hear that a reviewer has been touched? Oh yes, it makes me a glowingly happy author.

How do you deal with bad reviews? What about good ones? And if you review someone else's work, how to you approach it? Do you rip the books you don't care for to shreds or do you try really hard to find something, anything that you can talk positively about, even in books you don't want to read again?

I like to put links to reviews I’ve received up on my website – curious? Check some of them out on my

Unofficial interview of a famous reviewer

“A review is NOT a critique,” the lady sitting next to me said in a firm tone as I listened with the utmost interest.

You see the lady I had the privilege to chat with, is a well-known reviewer who has reviewed NY bestsellers before I even started writing novels, hence every word coming out of her mouth about books --yes every word-- was worth listening, understanding, pondering, and applying. Considering the number of participles—ing words--I am glad this post is not a submission to be reviewed.

“So how do you compare critique and reviews?” I asked eagerly.

“You don’t.”

“Ah.” I wasn’t going to argue and ask silly questions.

“A critique is done on a work-in-progress. The critique partner is expected to carefully read the submission, analyze it, dissect it, and point the author to the things that need corrections. A critique is not about flattering your best friend, it’s about being honest and helping an author improve her writing. No one except you and your CP is going to read the comments. But a review is a very different thing.”

“So what exactly is a review?” I said to encourage the famous reviewer to elaborate on reviews.

“Remember a review is done on a book already published. A reviewer cannot change the book by giving advice, therefore a reviewer should abstain from saying negative things about a published book. A good reviewer should restrict herself to highlight the points she likes in a book.”

“Do I understand you right? A review should always been good?”

“Yes, a review is supposed to help sell the book. Therefore a good reviewer will abstain from mentioning things she doesn’t like. Remember, reading and judging a story is so subjective and will depend on the reader’s taste. What I don’t like as a reviewer, another reader may like. A good reviewer should never destroy a book with nasty comments.”

“Interesting. You have a good point here. So what do you do if you really think the story is poorly written?”

“If I have nothing good to say about a book, I don’t review it.”

“What if you have committed to review it and discover mid-way, you don’t approve of the writing?”

“If I am already committed to review it and my employer is expecting a review, I will grade it, give it a 2 or a 3, but I will still say something good about it. Let’s face if there was absolutely nothing a reader would like about a book, the publisher wouldn’t have published it.”

“So you have never trashed a book?”

“Never. By trashing a book, one would trash not only the author, but also the editor and the publisher. Trashing a book means that the reviewer is a bad reviewer who has a streak of nastiness and should not be allowed to review books.”

“Wow, I like that. I wish you could review my books.” It never hurts to try to get a review when one is guaranteed good review.

“Nope. I never review authors I know,” the lady said with a peremptory tone and a sweet smile.

Have you ever received a bad review? In that case, remember your book is good but your reviewer is bad.

Some of my reviews:
BABIES IN THE BARGAIN:
Romance Junkies~5 Ribbons. BABIES IN THE BARGAIN is one novel that pulls you into the story and holds you captive to the last page.
Joyfully Reviewed~ Romance blooms amidst tragedy in BABIES IN THE BARGAIN. It tugs heart strings and stirs emotions.
WRDF Review~ This was a great read, romantic and at times bittersweet.Enjoyable from beginning to end, Babies in the Bargain sports believable characters, an ultra romantic story line, and a thoroughly satisfying ending.
Readers Favorite~ 5 Hearts This is Mona Risk at her best. The story will bring tears both sadness and joy. The characters are easy to relate to. The plot is excellent. Fans of romance will love this story.

PRESCRIPTION FOR TRUST:
Night Owl Romance: Prescription for Trust was a fantastic read. The plot was also very well thought out and the pacing on target. The wonderful healing that took place in this book also made it a very sweet read.
Got Romance! ~ 4.5 Diamonds Mona Risk writes a charming story. Keeping the reader entertained with the twists and turns in the plot. With great characters like Luc and Olivia the reader will enjoy the world that she has built.
The Long And The Short Reviews~ Mona Risk’s writing sweeps you into the story from the first page, and keeps you turning the pages.


TO LOVE A HERO:
SIMPLY ROMANCE REVIEW: Outstanding Read. Mona Risk's TO LOVE A HERO is a wonderful love story... I definitely recommend TO LOVE A HERO , and while you're at it pick up a bottle of vodka! Nazhtrovia!!
Two Lips Review: Mona Risk tells a poignant yet beautiful and sweet story of two people falling love, who must fight their attraction... This is a story readers will enjoy.
The Romance Studio: Sweetheart of the Week. ~ Ms. Risk is one of those authors who puts together a tale that’s captivates from first page to last. I’ll have to look for more of her work in the future.

FRENCH PERIL:
Night Owl Romance: Recommended Read Mona Risk will pull you in with her amazing characters and in-depth twisting suspense... Travel has never been this suspenseful nor this cheap!
Review Your Book: In French Peril, Mona Risk creates a swirling air of mystery around the excavation of a chapel ruin... French Peril is a great contemporary romantic read.
The Romance Studio: This is a wonderfully exciting romantic suspense novel. The characters are appealing and the setting is very romantic, a chateau in the Loire Valley.
TWO LIPS REVIEW: Pick up French Peril, a sweet mystery romance you’re guaranteed to enjoy.
Coffee Time Romance: French Peril is a great romance with an excellent mystery. Ms. Risk writes outstanding dialogue and this, combined with the lushness of the Loire Valley, are the final elements that make French Peril an excellent story.
Publishers Weekly Saturday Blurb Barbara Vey's Special Beyond her Book Blog ~ Who wouldn't want to lose themselves in Mona Risk's French Peril? Traveling to the beautiful French countryside, staying in a marvelous, ornate chateau, eating fine food and drinking the chateau's wine, and let's not forget the charming and handsome host. Sign me up, Ms Risk, I'll be looking for your next foreign escape.

All books available at Amazon.con

If you like to travel and love to read, come and enjoy my international romances. I will take you around the world through stories that simmer with emotion and sizzle with heat.

Notes on a train

The Italian countryside flies by as our train smoothly moves from Venice to Florence. A while back we passed through Padua of Taming Of The Shrew fame and before we get to Florence we’ll see Verona. Or at least I hope we’ll see Verona, at least a little bit more than what we saw of Padua. All I saw there was a distant hint of towers and the dome of some kind of big church.

We just spent three days in Venice, a city where cars are replaced by boats on narrow canals, but since the place really is walking distance no matter where you are going, we spent most of our time wearing out our shoes. This is our yearly “big” vacation and we’ll spend most of our time on our feet when not on trains or planes or in the rare automobile. In two weeks we’ll visit Venice, Florence, Rome, and Naples. All romantic destinations with just my husband and myself. A fine recipe for some cozy times together. I won’t get a lot of writing done but then again sometimes you need to recharge the batteries on your own relationship rather than write about the ones in your head.

On the other hand, I will have several hours of train travel to write… if I can tear my eyes from the lovely green fields rushing past. In the meantime I can tell you I got a great 4.5 star review/Top Pick from Night Owl Reviews for Bad Dog and the Babe.

Wait a minute… is that a CASTLE on the top of that hill?

Sorry to make this short, but I have to go now.

Ciao!

Janet Miller/Cricket Starr

http://www.janetmillerromance.com