self-published

REVIEW:  Feyland: The Dark Realm by Anthea Sharp

REVIEW: Feyland: The Dark Realm by Anthea Sharp

Dear Ms. Sharp, There is a strong stigma surrounding self-published YA novels that suggests that they are all badly written and derivative. Even with authors like Amanda Hocking becoming successes in both print and digital publishing, there is an inherent idea that self-published YA is bad and a constant stream of riffs on the latest(…)

MINI REVIEW: Rock Chick Revenge, Rock Chick Reckoning, Rock Chick Regret

MINI REVIEW: Rock Chick Revenge, Rock Chick Reckoning, Rock Chick Regret

Rock Chick Revenge by Kristen Ashley This is a friends to lovers story and generally speaking I love those. Luke moved next door to Ava when she was eight and she promptly fell in love. Luke stoked those feelings unintentionally by championing Ava. When Luke’s dad dies, Ava and Luke promise to go out for(…)

MINI REVIEW: Rock Chick Rescue, Rock Chick Redemption, Rock Chick Renegade series by Kristen Ashley

MINI REVIEW: Rock Chick Rescue, Rock Chick Redemption, Rock Chick Renegade series by Kristen Ashley

The following are mini reviews of books 2, 3, and 4 in the Rock Chick series by Kristen Ashley.  I read these in lieu of my category books even though they are each about twice as long as an HP.  All the books feature a woman in jeopardy, girl parties with the Rock Chicks that(…)

REVIEW:  A Different Kind of Forever by Dee Ernst

REVIEW: A Different Kind of Forever by Dee Ernst

Dear Ms. Ernst, Once upon a time, in a seedy bar, many years ago, I met a man, fell for him on the spot, married him, and decades later count myself lucky to have and hold him as my own. And yet, as I read your book, the wonderful A Different Kind of Forever, I found(…)

Monday Midday Links:  Musicians Seek Self Publishing Options; Real Data About Ebooks from The BookSmugglers

Monday Midday Links: Musicians Seek Self Publishing Options; Real Data About Ebooks from The BookSmugglers

Musicians Realizing They Don’t Need Major Labels Anymore | Techdirt – ” Jordis Unga, a singer who has appeared on two reality TV shows (Rock Star: INXS and The Voice), has decided that she doesn’t need to sign a label deal. While she didn’t win on either show, she did build up quite a following,(…)

REVIEW:  Her Best Worst Mistake by Sarah Mayberry

REVIEW: Her Best Worst Mistake by Sarah Mayberry

Dear Ms. Mayberry— I think your novel Hot Island Nights is splendid—I love the rapport between Elizabeth and Nathan—and I was happy to learn your new self-published novel Her Best Worst Mistake is a companion/sequel to that tale. Her Best Worst Mistake chronicles what happens between Elizabeth’s wild best friend Violet and Elizabeth’s stuffy ex-fiancé(…)

REVIEW:  Her Magic Touch by Sable Hunter

REVIEW: Her Magic Touch by Sable Hunter

At the end of the Hell Yeah! Book 2 review, I mentioned that a few glimpses of the main characters of Book 3 made me cautiously optimistic that we would finally get a grown-up female worthy of being called a “heroine.” I was wrong. So very, very wrong. I also bitched and whined about the(…)

REVIEW:  Knight by Kristen Ashley

REVIEW: Knight by Kristen Ashley

Dear Ms. Ashley: I was on Twitter a few days ago, and author Carly Phillips mentioned Knight by Kristen Ashley as being “50 Shades-ish”. While 50 Shades did not work for me, I adored Bared to You by Sylvia Day, and I’m a sucker for a serious alpha-hole, so I decided to buy the book.(…)

REVIEW:  The Governess Affair by Courtney Milan

REVIEW: The Governess Affair by Courtney Milan

Dear Ms. Milan: It’s difficult to give a grade to each one of your books because your prose is so fine that my complaints, if I have any, always sound so mean (as in small not cruel). There are some brilliant things in this book, so brilliant that I needed more time spent with each(…)

REVIEW:  Can’t Buy Me Love by Maggie Marr

REVIEW: Can’t Buy Me Love by Maggie Marr

Dear Ms. Marr— I was wary about the plot of your short eBook, Can’t Buy Me Love. Meg Parson, executive assistant to gorgeous ruthless multi-millionaire CEO Cole Jackson, has longed for her employer since the day he hired her.  She has forced herself to ignore her feelings for him because 1) he’s a player and 2)(…)

REVIEW: One Night to Remember by Kristin Miller

REVIEW: One Night to Remember by Kristin Miller

Dear Ms. Miller, You can’t seem to go anywhere lately without hearing about the Titanic. It’s been on TV all weekend and commercials for the 3D movie seem to play every 10 minutes. It must have worked for me, because I went looking for Titanic books online and settled upon yours. The price seemed a(…)

REVIEW:  Kamikaze by Moira Rogers

REVIEW: Kamikaze by Moira Rogers

Dear Ms. Rogers, I saw Kamikaze listed as a free book and an introduction to your new self-published series, Last Call. The cover seemed eye-catching enough and the blurb promised smoking hot action. Sounds good to me. This read did exactly what it promised – it was short and physical. Unfortunately I struggled to connect(…)

Tuesday Midday Links and Deals: Clarifying City Mom’s Authorial Status; Scholarly Papers Regarding Online Reviews

Yesterday, I referred to City Mom blogger, Kim Strickland, at Chicago Now as a “self published author”. According to Ms. Strickland, that is libelous as she is not a self published author as her work was acquired by traditional publishers.  I’m not sure how calling her “self published” is libelous. I asked for clarification but(…)

REVIEW: Herb Witch by Elizabeth McCoy

REVIEW: Herb Witch by Elizabeth McCoy

Dear Ms. McCoy: This book came highly recommended from Reader Shana. It is a fantasy story set in some land with detailed and intricate world building. What’s even better is that there is a strong romance underpinning to the story. Unfortunately, I am not the right type of reader for this book. I find this(…)

REVIEW:  Entwined and Entangled by Colette Gale

REVIEW: Entwined and Entangled by Colette Gale

Dear Ms. Gale, This premise had ‘January’ written all over it. The erotic adventures of Jane (from the Tarzan books)? It sounded like a fun read to me. Unfortunately, it wasn’t what I had in mind. I had imagined this to be an erotic retelling of Jane and Tarzan. Instead, this is a series that(…)