tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26185264.post5392596000449838577..comments2024-02-23T01:35:47.264-08:00Comments on a Fair Substitute for Heaven: Where Rachel McMillan hangs out : Hey Christian Fiction Readers: it is time to tell the truthRachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04256326961775297121noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26185264.post-86591414334244178892009-06-16T08:40:47.899-07:002009-06-16T08:40:47.899-07:00Hey, Rachel, glad to find your blog. And I'm g...Hey, Rachel, glad to find your blog. And I'm grateful for your comment.<br><br>I responded to it but forgot to mention one thing. The more books a CBA author has and the more those books sell, the more likely you'll be to see negative reviews mixed in with the positives. If you have a book on amazon that's reviewed only 6 times, those may be the diehard fans of the author. If the book is reviewed over 50 you're going to be getting more of a variety. I see this on my Dark Pursuit, for example. All in all, with over 50 reviews the book has very high marks. But you'll see a few one stars in there. Of course those people are terribly wrong. :]<br><br>I think this is healthy. I don't like the one stars, but hey, it's that person's opinion.~ Brandilyn Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04771812607327238979noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26185264.post-51289929660447204252009-06-17T14:30:18.206-07:002009-06-17T14:30:18.206-07:00There IS a God. XDI say that because sometimes lif...There IS a God. XD<br><br>I say that because sometimes life seems like coincidence, the way it works out sometimes...<br><br>So, there I am, sifting through Google doing "research" for my book and I come across your blog. I get SO excited that I don't really take a moment to get a feel for things. I automatically decide that we share THE same POV and I begin firing with both cannons. <br><br>Then I get mentioned in a later post. I get a little noticed. For the first time ever (honest!), I was boldly forward in a public place... And it turned a few heads. <br><br>Time to think. I read Lessman's article. More thinking. THEN you post this article, which makes me think even MORE!!! <br><br>All I can say is, unexpectedly, I find myself growing as a person. I didn't realize until now how important it was to separate myself from the emotion of what I think and the reason I think it. I thought that if that's the way I felt, that's the way I should state it. It's honest. It's what I would say to my friends.<br><br>But in the end, it's entirely MORE important to state your opinion and support it with reasons, and leave the emotion behind. You end up retaining honesty, without feeling forced to be fluffy or PC, but you don't hack at a piece of the author's heart with a cleaver, either. It's a good habit in general, regardless of whether the author may someday read it or not. <br><br>So to Lessman: I am sorry. I still have the same issues with your book I had before, and I do have my reasons, but wow, they need to be handled a lot better than at the top of a soapbox with a megaphone. And I'm not arrogant or self-righteous, despite having painted myself that way. Really, I'm not. I just can't help but hold other writers to the same standard I hold myself, and it is indeed a high one. I want to see us all fulfill our enormous potential. <br><br>So I deleted the comment. I wouldn't at first, because it felt cowardly, like I didn't want anyone to see my mistake. But I've owned it here, and I don't want anyone affected by what I wrote. Not anymore.<br><br>God Bless You!kirsteniteleaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06284885690558736340noreply@blogger.com