Is doing a Q & A today only on the historical fiction forum.  Come on in a join us! http://www.paperbackswap.com/Veil-Lies-Questions-Jeri-Westerson/topic/239431/?#p5085520

Ack, I missed it! I did go back and skim some of the posts...I must say that I was a little perturbed by one of her answers, the one about what she thinks of reviews on Amazon. It amazed me that she "doesn't read any below 4 stars" because they "aren't helpful." I agree wholeheartedly that a review is a subjective thing...one person's great book is another's DNF. But when I write a review about a book I didn't particularly like, I write it with constructive criticism, not just "this book sucks!"

I would have thought as a writer that it would be a lot more helpful to read what people didn't like than just to read the five-star ratings with gushing praise, such as those written by Harriet Klausner. (If I were an author, I would forbid that woman to review my books! LOL) She said, "none of those Amazon reviews are ever going to make it to a book jacket." Well, duh...those are solicited by the publisher and of course they're going to only print glowing reviews on the back of the book...they're trying to SELL BOOKS...which is why, as a book buyer, I never trust those jacket blurbs. :o)

Well, perhaps it was my mood, but that attitude just irritated me. For the most part, if I really don't like a book, I DNF it and move on, and then of course wouldn't write a review. But not all books that I finish can be five-star wonders. Writing a review about a book I loved is easy. Crafting a diplomatic, constructive review about an "okay" book with what I saw as some flaws is hard work. Reading what she wrote about reviews makes me feel as though I shouldn't even bother! I'm curious now about how other authors approach reviews.

Cheryl