A few weeks ago, we published a blog post about the value of reviews to both readers and authors. The post received a large number of views, so given the apparent interest, we decided to ask our own authors what they gain from reading reviews of their books. The response was so interesting, we are now presenting the first in a series of blog posts from our authors giving us their reactions to their readers' opinions
Our first post is from Stephanie Parker McKean:
Every
author loves reviews, especially 5-star reviews, but if they are honest – all
reviews are valuable. Of course, all authors wish that all their reviews would read like
one posted for the first Texas Miz Mike mystery-romance Bridge to Nowhere.
“This only allows you to give five stars, but I would give it 100 if I could!”
You can imagine how good that made me feel!
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Stephanie Parker McKean at a real life 'Spanish tile', the Three Prongs restaurant featured in her books |
Sadly for
the author (me, in this case), not all reviews are complimentary. While reviews for Bridge to
Nowhere, and the second Miz Mike, Bridge Beyond Betrayal, have received four or five-stars – I got saddled with a one-star review on another book. Some of the
criticism seemed senseless, but after reading it, I accepted part of
it as constructive criticism and changed the Amazon blurb.
Another (positive) review that I found helpful was one for Bridge Beyond Betrayal,
which stated that the reviewer was in love with imaginary Three Prongs, Texas,
and its just as imaginary zany characters and wanted to read more about them.
Since the Miz Mike series had moved from Texas to Scotland, that review
inspired me to bring Miz Mike back home in Bridge to Texas.
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Scenes from Bandera, Texas, the inspiration for Three Prongs |
Here are
a few extracts from some of the reviews I've received. I've picked them because
they've helped me appreciate that for some people at least, I've achieved some
of my writing goals.
One goal
was to write humorous books with memorable characters as imperfect and complex
as real people. “What a fun and funny mystery adventure. The cast of characters
is unique, each rich and strong, and the story flows at a fast pace. I love a
book that makes me smile.” Bridge to Nowhere
“How to
describe Miz Mike? She is not young, not the perfect weight. She is capable of
great bravery, but also often makes misjudgments. Her imperfections and warm heart
make her seem believable. By the end of the book I really cared for her.”
Bridge to Nowhere
It was
also important to me to share my Christian faith without preaching. “Jesus is
quite a personal friend to Miz Mike, and while I’m not a practicing Christian,
this was not a problem. It fits Miz Mike’s character perfectly.” Bridge to
Nowhere.
For those
out there who have read and enjoyed a book but never written a review, please
do. Reviews need not be long. Consider these two, both for Bridge to Nowhere. “I
loved the character Miz Mike and can’t wait to see what she’s up to in Book
Two.”
“Stephanie
Parker McKean tells a good story while bringing along an inspirational
message.”
When an
author writes a series, he or she wants each book to be as compelling as the
first. Boring, dragging, or disappointing is simply not an option. Therefore, I
was delighted and humbled to find good reviews for the second Texas Miz Mike
mystery, Bridge Beyond Betrayal.
“A
protagonist who is flawed, emotional, funny, and human.”
“This
author’s Miz Mike stories have a unique voice and are full of laugh-out-loud
dialogue and wit.”
“The
author does a wonderful job of lacing her mystery with healthy doses of humor
and interesting, quirky characters. I found myself laughing out loud.”
“I liked
it there were no swear words and no sexual scenes, things that ruin a book for
me.”
“Grabbing
a Miz Mike adventure is more than fun. It’s like sitting down with your best
friend, who although off her rocker, you still love.”
Okay, all of these were complimentary and to be sure, I like that more than anything negative, but I do find the reviews help me to gauge whether I am going in the right direction with my books. So to
readers, I would urge – please leave a review when you finish a book (especially if you have something constructive to say).
To
authors, if you ever feel as if writing a book is not worth the physical and
emotional slogging – go back and read your book’s good reviews and be
encouraged and empowered.
And for
authors who have received a bad review, remember that sometimes this can be a positive
indicator for a different reader. So as Miz Mike would
say, “Keep on keeping on. Make that rodeo an eight-second ride.”
Thank you very much Stephanie. An inspiring post for both readers and authors!
Click on the titles here for the links Stephanie Parker Mckean's Bridge to Nowhere and Bridge Beyond Betrayal