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Publisher’s Weekly Review of Deadly Valentine

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The bad news is that Deadly Valentine didn’t make it to the semi-finals in Amazon’s Breakthrough Novel Award. The good news is that the Publisher’s Weekly reviewer had nice things to say about the book. The first part of the review is a recap of the book, which gives some of the secrets of the book away, so I won’t print that part (in case there is anyone who hasn’t read the book yet). The review finishes with:

Written with precision and care, this intriguing romance/murder mystery is a fun read that will keep readers guessing until the very end.

I was worried about this review. Book tastes are subjective, which makes reviews difficult. Deadly Valentine has 43 reviews at Amazon, some who rave about it and some who are ho-hum about it. Same book. Different reactions. I was happy that I got a reviewer who understood what I was trying to do and enjoyed it. Even if the book didn’t score high enough to get into the semi-finals.

During the contest I received two other reviews from Amazon Vine readers. Since they were complementary, I thought I’d share their feedback as well. I put a couple of comments (in italics) responding to the reviewers.

ABNA Expert Reviewer One:

What is the strongest aspect of this excerpt? : It gets right into the characters. Not too much description. It’s easy to picture the setting. It drew me in and I wanted to know more.

What aspect needs the most work? : It was unclear as to how all of a sudden Tess was feeling so ill. Was something slipped into her drink? (I’ve heard this before and while I mention a 24-hour bug later in the story, perhaps I need to make that clearer in the beginning)

What is your overall opinion of this excerpt? : This was a very good start. The characters were introduced smoothly and the murder was being set up very well.

ABNA Expert Reviewer Two:

What is the strongest aspect of this excerpt? : The strongest aspect of this excerpt is the tension between Tess and Jack. He is from her recent past, a relationship that didn’t last. He is back now in her life but she is trying to resist his charms.

What aspect needs the most work? : It would have been nice to get a little more of a back story on what happened with Jack and Tess in the past. That can sometimes help to get a feeling for the character and how they behave. (This is dribbled throughout the book because the not-knowing is part of what leads to suspicion of Jack.)

What is your overall opinion of this excerpt? : Overall, I think this is a very good story. I would love to keep reading the finished book. It is a story of romance first and foremost but there is also a murder mystery involved and secrets from the past. In this excerpt I was left very interested in knowing what would happen next.

Have you read Deadly Valentine? If you did and you enjoyed it, please leave feedback at Amazon! I’d appreciate it!

award

Deadly Valentine – Quarter Finalist in Amazon’s Novel Award!

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When Deadly Valentine was released in August 2012, I’d hoped that people would like it. The members of my writer’s group and my mom and sister were all positive about the book, but they are biased, right? A few agents said nice things about the book, which gave me hope, but none wanted to take a chance on it. I decided to publish it myself through Amazon and find out what the market thought. After all, it’s the readers who determine a good book. There are indie authors everywhere making good money on great books that traditional publishing passed on (but are now trying to get!).

Most reviews of Deadly Valentine at Amazon are good (4 and 5 stars). Others aren’t so great, but seem to be based on reading preference. A few offer critiques that I’ve studied to determine if I should make changes (so far I haven’t). But the overall consensus is that Deadly Valentine is a fun, little romantic mystery. It’s not Hemingway, but then it wasn’t meant to be.

Bolstered by the book’s success so far, I decided to enter it in Amazon’s Breakthrough Novel Contest. The contest started in January and every month, cuts are made for each round. In February, from a maximum of 10,000 entries, Amazon cut that down to 400 for each category based on a pitch. Today, Amazon released the next round winners, cut from 400 down to 100 in each category based on a 3,000 to 5,000 word excerpt. I was so excited to see my name and Deadly Valentine on the list of 100.

Having readers buy and enjoy Deadly Valentine is awesome, and I’d rather have that than not make sales but win awards. But moving up in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest from 10,000 to 100 entries is a validation. Like I’m a “real” writer. I’m not sure if Deadly Valentine will make the next cut in April, which is from 100 entries down to 5 based on the full manuscript, but I’m thrilled to have made it this far!

If you haven’t read Deadly Valentine, Amazon is offering a free excerpt.