lyndseyhall

Why authors love reviews (even the bad ones!)

(That’s negative reviews btw, not bad authors!)

Do you write reviews? What was the last book you left a review for? Tell me in the comments. Mine was Court of Bitter Thorn by Kay L. Moody.

I’m asking, because reviews are one of the biggest ways you can support your favourite authors. Not only do they help other readers decide if they’ll pick up a particular book, but they also tell the almighty Amazon algorithm which books to promote and show to readers (and it works the same way on Barnes & Noble, Google Play, Apple Books, etc.).

For example, once a book hits 50 reviews, Amazon may choose to include it in its email newsletters. That’s a whole lot of subscribers seeing a book they may otherwise have never discovered.

And reviews can be as short as “Fantastic!” or “Loved it”, or even “Poorly written” if that’s how you feel.

Why negative reviews are still good

With negative reviews, we all know it’s subjective and 100% opinion based – somebody else might think the book you hated was phenomenal. So if you can include a reason as to why it wasn’t your cup of tea, that’s really helpful, to both readers and writers.

For the author, if several reviewers have an issue with one plot twist or character, or an element of the writing, then chances are they’re not (entirely) wrong, and the author can work on that in their future books. Or even rectify it in a later edition.

For other readers, the reason you didn’t like a book (too steamy, too much swearing, darker than you expected, etc. etc.) could be the thing they’re really looking for in their next read, and your review might even convince them to buy it!

Five places you can leave your book reviews

Where you bought it (Amazon, The Book Depository, Barnes & Noble, Waterstones, Apple Books, Google Play etc.)
On your book blog
Goodreads
Bookbub
Social media

And always remember the GOLDEN RULE of sharing book reviews online. NEVER tag the author in a negative review. Even a mostly positive review but with some criticisms can be devastating for the writer. Authors are humans too, and many protect their mental health and wellbeing by avoiding reading reviews, unless someone trusted sends them the good ones.

So, just try to be kind. Reviews are for readers, once a book is out in the world the author has little control over it, and if it wasn’t your cup of tea that doesn’t mean it was the world’s worst book and everyone should avoid it.

(Obviously there are some exceptions, there are definitely problematic books out there that could damage some individuals, but it might be better to warn those communities rather than directing your comments at the author. Or you could possibly send a private message to let them know of their mistake, but be careful with this one, some people don’t appreciate unsolicited DMs.)

Happy reviewing! And don’t forget to review my books if you’ve read and enjoyed them!

Lyndsey

Review: Court of Bitter Thorn by Kay L. Moody

I just finished reading book one in the Fae of Bitter Thorn series by Kay L. Moody and I need to talk to someone about it.

Have you read it? Did you love it? Tell me what you thought in the comments.

Haven’t read it yet? Maybe my review will convince you…

Title: Court of Bitter Thorn (Fae of Bitter Thorn #1)

Author: Kay L. Moody

Link: https://www.amazon.com/Court-Bitter-Thorn-Fae-Book-ebook/dp/B089KT96RF/

Rating: 4/5

Blurb

Faerie wasn’t supposed to be real.

Tricked by a fae prince, Elora is stuck in the Faerie realm far from her young sisters who depend on her for survival. Under the terms of her bargain, she can’t go home to the mortal world until Prince Brannick becomes the next High King.

Or until he’s taken out of the running…

Sabotaging Brannick’s chance at the crown will be much faster than helping him win. The fae prince may be charming, powerful, and wickedly handsome, but that won’t stop Elora from selling his secrets to the highest bidder.

By day, she uses her master sword skills to train the prince. By night, she conspires with a rival king in a nearby court whose plans could destroy half of Faerie.

Soon, lives are at stake that she never expected. She’ll have to choose who to save: her beloved sisters or half the inhabitants of Faerie.

The choice would be easy… if a certain prince weren’t digging his way into her heart.

Court of Bitter Thorn is Book 1 in The Fae of Bitter Thorn. Don’t miss the other books in this enchanting fantasy series!

Prequel: Heir of Bitter Thorn (available on author’s website)
Book 1: Court of Bitter Thorn
Book 2: Castle of Bitter Thorn
Book 3: Crown of Bitter Thorn
Book 4: Queen of Bitter Thorn

This is a fun, fast-paced YA romantic fantasy and a brilliant beginning to the Fae of Bitter Thorn series.

I read the prequel novella Heir of Bitter Thorn first, and I’d recommend it if you can, as there were quite a few hints in this book at the events of the prequel, things I really appreciated understanding (it’s free when you subscribe to the author’s email list, but it’s not essential reading).

I loved Elora and Brannick, the chemistry and slow burn were brilliantly done, and I can’t wait to see more of their relationship develop in the next three books. They were really well-written, three dimensional characters whose motivations and characteristics were revealed slowly throughout the story, making it really satisfying to watch them be uncovered bit by bit.

The world building was fantastic, the author included lots of classic faerie folklore, and the modern updates just added to the richness of the setting.
It was a quick, enchanting read and I’m excited to continue with the series!

Lyndsey

One Fair Eve: a Goblin Market inspired short story

Hello lovely bookish humans! How are we doing this fine October day?

I spent this weekend watching some of the Escape the Plot Forest summit, especially Kristen Kieffer’s seminar on narrative potential and the three act story structure. Kristen is one of my biggest and earliest inspirations as a writer, having stumbled across her blog She’s So Novel way back in the day, before it became Well-Storied.

As a thank you for signing up to the summit, the organiser sent out a really handy guide to plotting short stories with impact, and I spent some time going through it and compiling my thoughts and ideas for One Fair Eve into a coherent outline. I plan to draft it in November while The Solitary King is with my editor, and I’m really excited about it now I’ve got a strong outline. I really think you guys are going to enjoy it!

So, shall we find out a little more about this Goblin Market by Christina Rossetti-inspired tale?

One Fair Eve by Lyndsey Hall

Hartwood, 1880

Pip is an accomplished harpsichord player, but his dreams of travelling the world, playing with an orchestra, are dashed when his application to a prestigious musical fellowship is rejected.

On the Spring Equinox, Pip visits Hartwood market to buy a new string for his instrument and discovers that old Master Dobson sells more than just instruments and sheet music at his stall. He offers Pip the chance to achieve his wildest dreams and ambitions, in return for one thing…

On the day Pip turns eighteen, he must return to the market and accept his fate. Pip must take the place of the current Goblin King when the time comes.

Will Pip take the chance for fame and fortune, sealing his fate with the hobgoblins? Or will he resist the temptation to cheat his way to success?

Find out in One Fair Eve, a short story set in the world of The Fair Chronicles, in the Enchanted Forests anthology, coming July 2022!

What do you think? Are you a fan of fantasy stories that feature musicians and unnatural pacts that promise to grant your deepest, darkest desires? If you loved Wintersong by S. Jae Jones, then you might like this goblin king origin story.

Preorder Enchanted Forests for just 0.99 for a very limited time! This price will be going up in December so don’t hang around, and next July you could be diving into not only this story, but eleven other enchanted tales of woodland creatures and forest-dwelling witches, faeries, dryads, unicorns, and even a talking raccoon.

Lyndsey