Want to get crap books off the shelves? Start leaving reviews for good authors!

 I need to say this loud and clear: Book reviews matter.

They not only drive sales, they can pull great authors out of obscurity and effectively launch their careers. Not every author has a big bucks promotional machine behind them, in fact, most do not. That’s why so many mediocre books become bestsellers: It’s the marketing blitz that is driving sales, not the quality of the book itself.

Unfortunately, the only way to counter some of the crap that is out there is through book reviews. On a basic level, reviews alert other readers to good reads and emerging authors. Word-of-mouth can be an effective driver in book sales. Good reviews encourage others to take a peek at books. In addition, the number of reviews received determines whether booksellers choose to feature a new book or author in its promotions. Multiple reviews on Goodreads.com can transform a languishing book into a trending one, while Amazon.com requires that books receive at least 50 reviews to be included in its promotions.

To readers, that may seem to be a small number. To many authors, it is almost unattainable. Here’s the thing:  Even when readers profess love for a book, they are not always moved to leave a review. For example, I get emails from people telling me they like my short stories. I always thank them and ask them to leave a review. About one in 20 actually does.

After a frustrating year of encouraging people to leave reviews, I have finally concluded that the problem lies in overall communication preferences. As an author, it makes sense for me to express my appreciation for good books in writing. After all, that’s what I do. I write. But to others, written expression is not a normal pursuit. People prefer a quick and easy method of communicating—a one-word text, an emoji, a short response to an email, a five-second verbal exchange.

That makes the process of leaving a written review a technical annoyance. First, a reader must seek out a bookseller that sells the tome in question, then they must wade through multiple steps to actually leave a review. Sometimes, there are restrictions on the number of words or actual words used. Some require that the reader craft a headline or meta tags before leaving a review. Others, such as Amazon.com, require that a customer purchase $50 in merchandise before a review can be posted. And after all that effort is expended, some booksellers put readers through a verification process, which can be not only annoying, but also insulting.

That means a reader has to do more than like a book, they have to absolutely love it! Why else would they put forth so much effort?  Your mother or Aunt Minnie or your best friend may be driven by familial love to wade through the steps required to leave a review, but let’s face it, that’s not a motivation most readers share.

What’s the answer? Some authors pay for reviews, a practice I find questionable. Others, like me, try to educate readers about the value of reviews to authors and other readers. However, until publishers and booksellers simplify the review process or find a better way to encourage readers to wade through the bureaucratic  B.S. they have implemented, the good old marketing machine will win and crap books will continue to appear on the New York Times Bestseller List. 

We have become used to “the big easy” and avoid most things that require an expenditure of more time and energy. (That’s one of the reasons products like microwaveable dinners are so popular.) So unless someone creates a device that can be affixed to each book, allowing the reader to instantly record and transmit a review, many great books and wonderful authors will effectively remain on the shelf.

The quality of the writing will matter not at all. And that’s just sad.

Coming February 9 from eXtasy Books!

Kinky Briefs, Quatro!

Take another kinky romp through lawyerland!

Indulge in a walk on the wild side with these sizzling short stories about lawyers in love, with a dash of kink. Whether painting well-hung nudes at a networking event or thwarting terrorists intent on harm, to finding love despite a chronic illness or exploring kink on a train, these lawyers pursue love with a vengeance. And while affairs of the heart may come in all shapes and sizes—a law school ménage a trois, a middle-aged A.G. and a law firm associate, and a new marriage suddenly threatened by a spouse long believed dead, these relationships thrive despite the odds. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and yes, the resultant loin heating might even make you blush, but in the end, you’ll run out and buy a set of handcuffs. Because that’s the only way to defuse the sizzle created by these hot, sexy stories.

Available for preorder January 26!

Check out my thoughts on writing my stocking stuffer!

Finding a suitable topic for my publisher's Stocking Stuffer series wasn't easy. In my guest post on author Delilah Devlin's blog, I share my journey toward crafting a suitable story. Take a peek!

https://www.delilahdevlin.com/blog/2017/11/30/seelie-kay-writing-a-stocking-stuffer/

PIECES OF US is now on sale at Amazon Books!

I am pleased to be a contributor to Pieces of Us, an anthology compiled by the Nu Romantics. Take a peek at this amazing collection of short stories, flash fiction, and poetry by a new generation of romance writers!

Pieces of Us...where light and dark come together in a beautiful mosaic. hyperurl.co/nh350z

Oh, be still my heart! That cover!

There are very few times a book cover leaves me speechless. But this time, I was not only without words, my eyes glazed over with lust and my heart sped up, bouncing with joy. Wow. Just…wow.

Quite frankly, if I saw this cover in a bookstore, I would stop in my tracks, take a few steps back, and grab the book off the shelf. I am speaking of the cover for my latest novella, A Touchdown To Remember, part of Extasy Books’ 2017 Stocking Stuffing series. Although a generic cover is used for the entire series, the gorgeous half-clothed man donning a Santa hat, a man with a bit of stubble, dark hair, and incredible blue eyes, made my imagination take flight. And trust me, at my age, that rarely happens. 

When I showed the cover to a college friend, she said, “That looks like…”  My sister started to laugh and said “That’s a younger version of …”  Okay, I guess that means I have “a type.”  I have known some incredibly handsome men in my life, some of them actors, others influential professionals. And yes, some of them bear a slight resemblance to the cover model—at least when they were much younger.  So my outburst of lust was most likely triggered by some darn good memories. It has been a long time since I was influences more by form rather than substance.  But this guy, wow.  Let me say it again, WOW.

If I saw that cover in a bookstore, I would buy the book merely to keep the cover under my pillow to feed my fantasies as I drift off into dreamland.  While I realize my enthusiasm for a cover model is going to cause concern among some of my man friends, let me make this clear. My reaction to that cover is not only normal, it is an indication that the cover designer knew exactly what she was doing.

Book covers are supposed to feed your fantasies, stir up sensual memories, capture your interest, and compel you to buy the book.  There are all sorts of covers, of course, but romance publishers in particular excel in creating covers that promise heart-throbbing, panty-wetting tales. You know the covers. Hunky bare-chested males bearing six packs, sometimes enticingly entwined with equally beautiful females, males, beasts, or aliens. I would go as far as to suggest that sometimes it is the covers, not the stories, that sell the book.  Because the cover sells the fantasy.

Unfortunately, I am firmly rooted in reality.  If I met that gorgeous cover model in real life now, I just know I would make a fool out of myself. Because sadly, I am now old enough to be his mother.  But I am not too old to remember what it was like to be swept away by lust, by the new relationship energy, that exquisite feeling of attraction. 

So after someone wiped the drool off of my mouth, I would blush and I would stutter, and I imagine, tall, dark, and handsome would smile knowingly, even arrogantly, and walk away. The dude makes a living off posing for romance books covers, after all. He is well aware of the effect he has on others.

So here’s to the cover designer at eXtasy Books for capturing my imagination and stirring my middle-aged heart, for a few moments at least. Thank you!

Love redeemed: Sometimes it's best reserved for fiction

As a writer of romance, I thrive on emotion:  The good, the happy, the bad, the devastated. I want my readers to laugh, cry, smile, scowl, and even, jump for joy or shake with anger. Just not in the same story or with the same character.

I think love can be a step away from euphoria or lead to overwhelming pain. So I do not follow a singular path.  I permit my characters to lead me on a journey of discovery or closure or redemption throughout my books. That is why I write collections of short stories. I want each to tug on different emotions and leave you wanting more. And hopefully, that will encourage you to continue on to the next story.

Some of my stories are inspired by actual events--in my life or others--or by a singular occurrence, such as a walk in the rain or a phone call.  I never know what will cause my imagination to take flight, but when it does, I make sure to get it down on paper.

For example, I recently completed, “The one who got away.” It is the last short story in Kinky Briefs, Thrice. That story was triggered by the sighting of a familiar name in a news story. It was a name I had buried in my subconscious because it held such sadness for me. It was also a name I had not seen or heard in a very long time. The name belonged to the first man I had loved as an adult. We had an all-consuming love affair that ended tragically, in fact, it almost destroyed me. My heart was shattered and I thought I would never recover.   

The name sighting spurred a lot of memories and I began to wonder how I would react if that man suddenly reappeared in my life, begging for a second chance, seeking redemption. As I often do when troubled, I began to write.  This time my characters guided me toward a hopeful outcome. When I finished, I was in tears.

Unfortunately, that was not the outcome I had personally hoped for. You see, if that man reappeared in my life now, I would most likely yell and scream and say all the words I had left unsaid. Then I would dissolve into tears and order him out of my home. I would banish him from my life forever.  He was someone I had trusted unconditionally and he betrayed me in the worst of ways.  I know now—as I knew then--that I would never be able to trust him again. And there was nothing he could say or do that would change that.

Thankfully, the protagonist in my story did not have the same problem. “The one who got away” contains all of my feelings of hurt and betrayal, and even reveals the treacherous journey that followed.  However, I permitted my protagonist to forgive and open her heart to a second chance because I believe in love. I know anything is possible, even if it is not possible for me.

Some wounds are just too deep.