Tag Archives: books

4.5 Star Review

9 Oct

Time has swished by as quickly as the blustery Northwest winds outside have scattered falling leaves. Too fast. I’m nearing the end of my  first virtual book tour with much gratitude to Bewitching Book Tours for making it doable and quite an experience.  This month-long adventure still has an exciting week to go.

I received a fabulous review from Lexi at Book Bliss last week that I wanted to share. She nailed quite a few components of the book and made my day. HGWK is more romantic comedy than typical paranormal and I cheered reading Lexi’s remarks about the hilarious side characters.

A very quirky book with something for everyone to love really from drag queens to romance to sentient ghosts! I thought it was great having a non conventional hero, it upped the book a lot adding different plot obstacles that aren’t always present. The world building for the rules of the afterlife was well thought out and I hope to see some more from it because it was laid out so well. The overall concept was strong.

However there were two elements that threw me out for the perfect 5 star review. The first was I almost felt it was too amusing for the category it is listed in. I loved the comedy but wasn’t expecting it to be such a central focus on the book and to an extent, felt it took away from the rest of the novel in some experience. The other was my strong love of the supporting characters of the main. Now anyone that’s been reading these reviews knows that my number 1 book love formed for a supporting character in book 1 and his book wasn’t until book 10 so it can happen. However I felt these supporting character and their hilarity stole the show and I would’ve liked to feel more invested in the romantic leads, Baillie and Kai, who were both fantastic separately but together I wanted a bit more.

My next virtual book tour will include more chick-lit or light heart, contemporary romance blogs. Focus more on the frolic instead of the super-natural. Any suggestions or blogs you’ve run across that might be a good fit, please let me know. I’d love to see sales soar this autumn for “Her Ghost Wears Kilts.”

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The Importance of Reviews

14 Sep

Doesn’t that sound impressive? So literary and that is the point. It’s hard to believe how valuable reviews become when a book is first launched. It’s a written word-of-mouth opinion that travels across the country and sometimes around the world. I want to encourage you, whether it is my books or others you are reading, that when you are done, you post a review at Amazon, Goodreads or Barnes & Noble. Your fifty to a hundred words may be the catalyst for the next person to purchase a copy of that title.

As an author, there is sweet sensation when the first reviews are posted from readers who purchased a copy and enjoyed the adventure you created. A review is your way of contacting the author and letting them know how you felt about the book. Though I’ve shared this on my fb fan page, here is a copy of my first review:

A fun, romantic romp!,

September 8, 2013

First of all, full disclosure here: I admit my own bias toward any novel that includes a ghost as a sentient character. And in this one, not only is the ghost entertaining, he’s Celtic as well! Bonus points!!

Having said that, let me also say that if the spirit world is anything like the world Kathleen Shaputis depicts here, I think I’m pretty much ready to cross over!

I loved this book because it is romantic without being cheesy or sappy, ghostly without being Gothic, and it never takes itself too seriously.

When Baillie, the goofy but lovable protagonist, is told she has a ghost trying to communicate with her, she tries everything to deny his presence–until the news arrives that she has inherited a castle in Scotland, where she ultimately finds herself face to face with the lord of the castle himself (in ghostly form). For its humor, the book reminded me of the old TV series of my childhood, “Topper,” which I loved.

It should be noted here (for lovers of drag queen hilarity) that the characters of Rafael and T-Cup are especially memorable.

Kudos to Shaputis for offering a fun page-turner with a great sinister villain and several unlikely heroes (including a horse). Charming, quick read!

As an author I am more in tune with the importance of reviews, and find I must take the time to share my thoughts and a few words with the world about the books I’ve read and enjoyed. But just as important is hearing from the working mother in Kansas City or the reader flying to Ireland for vacation and has taken a copy of your book to read on the trip. The only way the author will know your reactions is by reviews.

Make leaving reviews a habit of choice, let the author know their hours of sweat and strain paid off. And let me know who your favorite character of “Her Ghost Wears Kilts” published by Crimson Romance is after you’ve read the book. I look forward to hearing from you.

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Sunday Dilemmas

21 Jul

It’s early morning and an entire day stretches out before me – no errands, no visitors expected. How do I fill the hours from the basket of writing possibilities? I don’t want to reach the end of “60 Minutes” tonight and play the shoulda, woulda, coulda game. That’s a given. But we’re running out of forks, so doing a load of dishes is a must sometime today. Think, think.

Do I block two-hour increments toward marketing for HGWK, which then has a list of subcategories I could block time for? One of which is reading my copy of “Red Hot Internet Marketing” by Penny Sansevieri and highlighting ideas and concepts. Read one chapter and make a to-do list – that’s a feasible goal. One post on Facebook, one tweet on Twitter, check. What about working on the sequel “Murder in the Castle” (working title)?A 72,000 word manuscript doesn’t write itself. The characters are tapping their toes wondering when it will be their turn to dazzle on a blank page. Goal today? One to three pages – a page a day finishes a manuscript in a year.

Baby steps – isn’t that what I always say in my classes? Whether a newbie writer or a well-published author with a new book on deck, don’t overwhelm yourself – succeed at a few things consistently, baby steps.

Now, do I hang a copy of the schedule on my back so that family members will respect my time? Hmm, why bother as they won’t see it from shouting my name from the next room. But I can pin it to the front of my shirt and remind myself of my priorities.  It’s my passion, my books are my dreams and no one is going to magically part the waters of responsibilities and life for me. I must demand the time of myself because I deserve it.

Ready? Begin!

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