Today I have the pleasure of having Author Shannon Phoenix here
at my blog on her tour for A Wolf's Song.
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5829040.Shannon_Phoenix
a Rafflecopter giveaway
at my blog on her tour for A Wolf's Song.
One of the questions that I am frequently asked is about
'how do you handle negative reviews?'. This question is a fair question, and
it's one that applies to everything in our lives, I think. We get 'negative
reviews' in everything from our jobs to our children to our spouses and on
through to when our plants die. I don't think a review gets any more negative
than that one!
I have been fortunate, both in my fan fiction and in my
regular writing, in that I have had just wonderful readers. My negative reviews
are quite few, and I think in part because at least with fan fiction, standards
are pretty low... it's not hard to stand out in some areas just by almost doing
things properly. On the other hand, most people who read my stories are repeat
readers, and they are of a certain high caliber.
That being said, I have gotten a few. I haven't gotten any
"you suck, die in a fire" kind of negative reviews... not in my
writing career, anyway. But I have gotten some that state, for example, that
the book is confusing, that I didn't tell them what was going on, or that the
individual simply didn't care for or find the story interesting this time.
When that happens, it helps me to first take a moment and
ask myself a simple question: Is this about the story, or is this about the
reader? Frequently, I find that there may be merit in the statement, but not
always directly. For example, the criticism that some things aren't explained
in the story had merit. On the one hand, I had forgotten an important detail
that was chopped out with a bad first chapter. So there was merit to the
comment there. I must say, though, that what the reviewer didn't recognize was
that this is partially my writing style in that story.
My stories and writing methods tend to vary greatly from
story to story, and in this particular story, I was writing from third person,
and following one individual at a time. What thoughts they had, how they felt,
and what they experienced. When doing so, however, the perspective was limited
to that person's. So what she knew, the reader could know... what she didn't
know, the reader wouldn't find out until she did.
Furthermore, A Wolf's Song is part of a series. That means
that there will be unanswered questions. It's not the preferred romance genre
'stand alone' series style. It's the first book in a definitive series, in
which A will lead to B, and in its turn, B will lead to C.
There are times, however, that criticism is earned. It's
usually these times that it hurts the most. We all experience embarrassment and
hurt; but I try to do the best that I can to learn from it and apply it.
Politely rendered commentary, be it praise or constructive criticism, is how I
learn. It's how many of us learn.
So those who review rather than simply reading and walking
away have my gratitude. Every time that a person reviews for the better or
worse, in my personal opinion they improve me as a writer. One teaches me and the
other motivates me.
If you ever wonder whether or not to take your time to write
a review, I say to go for it. Perhaps you'll help make their next novel a
greater success. It should go without saying, however, that politely rendered
constructive criticism is always preferable to "die in a fire, ur book
sux."
Two thumbs up for those who take that moment to review. It
takes months to write the book, that few seconds out of your day can make all
that toil and trouble worth it. A smile a day keeps the cat away, or something of that sort.
Shannon
A Wolf's Song
Shannon Phoenix
Shannon Phoenix
Supernaturals Now; Book 1
Genre: Paranormal/ Shifter Romance, contemporary
ASIN: B007WA33AK
Number of
pages: 254
Book
Description:
Hamish hasn't been interested in love since his
beloved wife died four hundred years ago. He knows that it's impossible for her
to reincarnate, but he hasn't been able to let her go. Until now.
When he meets Desiree in Colorado, Hamish can't resist her. When she moves to Vermont to work, she's right in his back yard. He sets about winning her, ready for a future with her.
Yet his past won't let that happen. The mother of his children wants the contract they signed three hundred years before to be fulfilled. Hamish must mate with her and she must bear a werewolf son. Until the contract is fulfilled, Hamish must commit himself entirely to the raising of their child--twenty years without any romantic entanglements.
To make matters worse, she intends to use Desiree to make him even more miserable. She demands that Desiree be the one to sentence him to a fate that will tear Hamish away from her forever.
Even while they face this dramatic mess, Deathwalkers are converging on them for an unknown purpose. Evil, malignant monsters, the Deathwalkers will stop at nothing to get their hands on Desiree. Desiree must confront her own past as well as Hamish's, escape the Deathwalkers, and find peace with herself. Hamish must realize his love for Desiree before he pushes her away forever.
Can Desiree defeat Hamish's past and bring hope to an entire race?
Warning: Contains intense open door love scenes between a woman and her sexy werewolf lover. This book is not erotica with a plot, it is a full length novel that includes sexual encounters. It's primarily a love story.
When he meets Desiree in Colorado, Hamish can't resist her. When she moves to Vermont to work, she's right in his back yard. He sets about winning her, ready for a future with her.
Yet his past won't let that happen. The mother of his children wants the contract they signed three hundred years before to be fulfilled. Hamish must mate with her and she must bear a werewolf son. Until the contract is fulfilled, Hamish must commit himself entirely to the raising of their child--twenty years without any romantic entanglements.
To make matters worse, she intends to use Desiree to make him even more miserable. She demands that Desiree be the one to sentence him to a fate that will tear Hamish away from her forever.
Even while they face this dramatic mess, Deathwalkers are converging on them for an unknown purpose. Evil, malignant monsters, the Deathwalkers will stop at nothing to get their hands on Desiree. Desiree must confront her own past as well as Hamish's, escape the Deathwalkers, and find peace with herself. Hamish must realize his love for Desiree before he pushes her away forever.
Can Desiree defeat Hamish's past and bring hope to an entire race?
Warning: Contains intense open door love scenes between a woman and her sexy werewolf lover. This book is not erotica with a plot, it is a full length novel that includes sexual encounters. It's primarily a love story.
Author Bio:
Shannon Phoenix always wrote stories. She watched the
characters take on their lives within her mind, and began to write down what
they were doing. She would write the stories and then let them go. But a few
years ago, she got caught writing those stories. You know... those stories.
To her surprise, the person who
found her stories loved her characters as much as Shannon did. She tentatively
allowed others to read the stories, as well, and it was from that first foray
into the scary world of letting others read her 'little tales' that Shannon
Phoenix Books was born.
Shannon lives in New Hampshire
with her husband, her daughter, and their family cat. Her full time job is
parenting, her part time job is as a mother's helper to a family friend, and
her passion is letting the characters in her mind out on paper--or keyboard, as
the case may be.
Welcome to Shannon Phoenix's
Books. May you find the magic in your own life.
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5829040.Shannon_Phoenix
A Wolf's Song tour giveaway 5 ebook copies of A Wolf's Song tour wide
Thanks for being here today, Shannon!!
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