Are You Confused About Amazon's Review Guidelines?

A Facebook post from a writing colleague this week suggested that Amazon has again changed its review guidelines, and not necessarily for the better, depending on your viewpoint.

Back in 2015, reviewers (many of them authors) started noticing that their reviews were disappearing from Amazon’s pages. There were different reasons for this. One is that Amazon was trying to clamp down on phony reviews. Two of their strategies were to no longer allow paid reviews or for authors to exchange reviews. It wasn’t a bad idea, but with other Amazon attempts to fix things, this one went awry. Legitimate reviews were being taken down in droves. In fact, I know a few people who simply reposted them and there they stayed, to my knowledge.

I understand why Amazon’s never liked reviews written by the author’s close friends and family members. Based on this week’s comments, however, it’s become clear that Amazon started taking things a step further some time ago.

According to a blog by Michael Kozlowski, dating back to Nov. 2015, Amazon’s new review policies became even more restrictive. In fact, apparently, you can be removed simply by having an online connection with the author you’ve reviewed.

This doesn’t even begin to make sense to me. I have about 4,000 Twitter followers, most of whom are authors. I have another 800 or 900 on Goodreads. Again, 90% of them are people I don’t know and have never interacted with, but since we all love books, I thought why not friend them? It now seems that I could be penalized for this by having some of my 350+ reviews of books that belong to those “friends” deleted. As of today, it hasn’t happened yet, but it’s only a matter of time before Amazon’s bots glom onto my Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads accounts.

What’s really confusing to me is that I pulled a copy of Amazon’s review guidelines and—call me blind—but I don’t see any reference to contacts through an online presence being a factor. So, are the opinions of other bloggers correct or not?

Perhaps at the end of the day, it won’t matter. I have no idea if my reviews are read as I don’t receive feedback. Given that I’ve kept electronic and print copies of every review, I can always post them on my website. So, if Amazon starts deleting my reviews, I may simply exit and rise again, unfettered. Come to think of it, I kind of like that idea.

Debra

Twelve Reasons Why Authors' Incomes Are Dwindling

Last week, I received my annual check from Access Copyright. For those who don’t know, Access Copyright is a national, non-profit organization here in Canada that represents thousands of writers, visual artists and publishers.(There are similar organizations in other countries). Access Copyright licenses the copying of the creators’ works, collects the proceeds, then distributes it among the writers and visual artists. Once a year, all participants receive a base payment. Over the past two years, the payment has dropped from $146.18 in 2013, to $112.75 in 2014, and this year was $79.48. This is possibly due to licensing battles with some educational institutions. Not every post-secondary school wants to pay to copy an author’s work. (I’ll save that ethical discussion for another time).

I’ve also been read interesting blogs from mystery author Hope Clark. She’s been in the writing biz a long time and recently discussed the number of emails she’s received from disillusioned writers who aren’t selling nearly as many books as they’d hoped, and who want advice. In Nov. 20^th issue of her newsletter, Hope makes some great points, all of which address why readers shouldn’t expect to make money.

Overall, writers’s income are dwindling for several reasons. Here’s my top 12:

1)      As Hope states, readers expect to pay less for books. There’s a glut of free books and $.99 books enabling anyone to fill up their Kindles by spending very little.

2)      As a mystery writer, most of my readers are women in their 40’s to 70’s, who are downsizing their homes and learning to live on fixed incomes. Print or full-priced books have become a luxury that an increasing number of readers can’t afford.

3)      Ebooks can be borrowed from the library, and one can now read award-winning fiction from established authors free of charge.

4)       The growing number of published books far exceeds the growing number of readers.

5)      As Hope has also indicated, authors are selling fewer books. Not so long ago, an author could reasonably expect 500 sales. Now, many writers are lucky if they sell a 100 copies.

6)      Some authors are falling into the quantity is better than quality trap. In the rush to increase the odds of making sales, they are writing at a frantic pace without stopping for proper editing. Ultimately, this will harm their reputation.

7)      Amazon’s ever changing and mysterious algorithms changes visibility for some authors.

8)      Authors whose books can be borrowed through Amazon’s subscription service are also  finding that the shared pot is shrinking.

9)      Authors under contract with larger publishers are receiving smaller advances than their counterparts from a few years ago.

10)  Self-publishing, done properly, can be expensive. A good jacket designer and an editor could cost hundreds of dollars.

11)  I can’t speak for other genres, but the number of established mystery reviewers who write for major publications has shrunk. Print space is becoming almost non-existent in Canada, and this has impacted sales.

12)  My final reason will be the least popular, but it’s true. I’ve talked to wannabe authors at workshops who have neither the time nor interest in marketing their work. That doesn’t make them bad people or lazy people, just people with other priorities, i.e. day jobs and family members to care for.

I’m sure there are more reasons than the ones I’ve covered and, of course, there are always exceptions. If you read Kindleboards, you’ll know that plenty of authors appear to be making more money than ever through self-publishing. My advice is to study what the successful ones are doing. Read their blogs and follow their strategy. It takes a great deal of time and energy, but with patience, tenacity, and adaptability, it can pay off.

Debra

How Social Media Helps, and Hurts

A number of years ago, probably after I released my first mystery title, Taxed to Death, I read a piece of advice somewhere that said never respond to a negative review. It was good advice that I’ve followed all these years. I’ve watched famous authors respond to negative reviews and it never ends well. Reputations are tarnished and the scathing comments seem to multiply.

Recently, a company called Mediabridge decided to do more than post a scathing reply to a negative review of their router. According to a piece in arstechnica, they sent a letter to the reviewer threatening to sue him after they discovered that his comment had become Amazon’s #1 most helpful response. The company claimed that the review had cost them money and tarnished their reputation. They also claimed that the reviewer intentionally set out to discredit, damage, defame, and liable Mediabridge.

The reviewer posted the letter and asked readers for any financial assistance they could manage to help with his legal costs. The letter launched a social media brouhaha. The responses were overwhelmingly supportive of the reviewer’s right to say what he thinks and not be bullied by the corporate world.

Two things happened out of this. One is that Amazon revoked Mediabridge’s right to sell products on their site and two, Mediabridge’s Facebook page was inundated with so many nasty comments that the company has now deleted its entire Facebook presence. They said that the whole incident has been distorted and blown out of proportion. They also added that the loss of revenue will likely cost employees their jobs.

So, here’s the thing. Whether the reviewer was accurate in his assessment of the router, or whether the company was correct in their assessment, a lot of damage has been done. I know we in Canada and the U.S. live in societies where freed of speech is honored, but think about it; wouldn’t Mediabridge be better off right now if they had just kept quiet? Like I said, negative responses never end well.

 Debra

Will Exposing a Bully's Identity Stop Attacks?

This week, I’ve been reading a number of articles about authors who’ve been subjected to death threats from people on Amazon forums. Both Ann Rice and Charlaine Harris have been threatened, as have others. In fact, the problem's apparently so prevalent that freelance editor Todd Barselow organized a petition asking Jeff Bezos and Jon P. Fine to remove reviewer anonymity from Amazon reviews. The petition states that there’s been an incredible amount of bullying and harassment that’s taken place. Barselow believes that removing anonymity will prevent much of the harassment, especially by those who are creating several sock puppet accounts and using them to trash an author.

I can see where he’s coming from. I used to participate in Amazon forums all the time. They started out friendly enough, but as more self-published authors starting participating in forums to promote their work, others started to get ticked off. Amazon’s response to the problem was to create specific forums for self-publishers. Of course, some authors still made the mistake of promoting on other sites and thus the attacks ramped up. According to Ann Rice, anonymous bullies have made it their mission to bully, harass, and threaten certain authors.

Bullying has been in our culture for a long time, so much so that here in Canada we have Pink Shirt Day, which was started several years ago to promote anti-bullying strategies. Of all the bullying and harassment stories I’ve seen and heard over the years, anonymity isn’t the issue. In fact, most bullies have face-to-face contact with their victims. Even cyberbullying isn’t necessarily carried out under a cloud of anonymity among teens. If anyone believes that reviewers who are forced to reveal their true names will stop, then I think they’re being naïve. Now, Amazon’s situation may be unique, as it’s a gathering place for people from everywhere who will likely never meet in person, however, exposing identities could backfire.

A piece in the examiner looks at the issue from the reviewers point of view. The author of the piece asked reviewers to speak up about the petition and several responded with good points. One reviewer stated that she reviewed erotica and didn’t want her family and friends to know. Another reviewer said what I said above, it could backfire and trigger more bad blood. Let’s be clear, not all anonymous reviewers are jerks and trolls. Some value privacy while others feel it’s the only way to give an honest review without having the author come back to start threatening them or their families, which has happened. It’s a sticky issue, isn’t it?

Since I left the Amazon forums about four years ago, I’m not sure how bad things really are. I am, however, an Amazon reviewer who uses my own name, but I stay away from discussing or trying to justify my reviews. As far as forums go, I’ve found plenty of good ones at Goodreads, LinkedIn, and Kindleboards, where disagreements arise, but because they’re moderated no one is allowed to threaten, berate, and harass anyone. One can freely agree to disagree without having to worry about threats to their personal safety. Surely, Mr Bezos makes enough money to be able to hire moderators for his forums? Disagreement is fine. One-star ratings are fine, but threats of violence and personal attacks are not. Maybe Mr. Barselow should be petitioning for adequate moderation.

 Debra

Special guest: Bestselling crime author Catherine Astolfo talks about 'How to Write a Review'

Today we've invited bestselling author Catherine Astolfo to share her tips on writing reviews...

How To Write A Review

OR: Apologies from a teacher who misguided you

When I was an elementary school teacher, I assigned lots of book reviews. Depending on the grade level, I had certain outlines created by a committee or an individual teacher or even the Ministry of Education. None of these templates ever considered the Internet world. Why? Well, in my time, it didn’t exist. These days, the Internet is ignored because writing a review in school has far different goals than writing a review on Amazon or Goodreads or any of the other myriad online sites.  distinctly

The goals in school are two-fold. One, the student must prove to the teacher that s/he has actually read the whole book. Thus, a sufficiently detailed summary of the novel is a prerequisite. Two, the teacher focuses on certain skills to be demonstrated, all the way from the ability to predict outcomes based on clues to spelling or grammar.

A review for Amazon (I’m using the monster site to stand in for all the others) is entirely different. Firstly, there is only one major goal, although perhaps the reviewer may have a personal second. The major goal is to tell other readers about your personal reactions to a novel you have read. If there is a second objective, it’s to promote/support the author (more on this later).

Let me wax prosaic on the first objective and make my apologies to students who have followed their teachers’ rules into the present. Here are some entirely new ones. From me. When you do an Amazon review, do NOT summarize the book. All the online sites, especially Amazon, provide excerpts, summaries, or synopses. As a reader, I can check out three whole chapters for free. I don’t need you to summarize. If you haven’t really read the book, you are just cheating yourself, or the author. And if you are a cheater or have an agenda to attack the writer, I’ll be smart enough to see very clearly through your subterfuge. So please don’t bore me with your perception of the novel’s plotline. Leave that to the professionals.

What I am interested in is your reaction to the novel. This is your opportunity to write two or three sentences giving your opinion. You are not bound by the old rules. You are relieved of the summary task and you don’t have to prove any expert literary skill to anyone. (Although you may want to demonstrate correct spelling and grammar to be taken seriously.) Your only goal is to tell other readers what you thought and how you felt about this particular book.

I want to know your reaction to the characters. Did you like them (especially the main ones)? Were you repulsed, yet fascinated, by any evildoers? On the other hand, did you find them dull or unbelievable (e.g. their dialogue was unnatural)?

Let me know if the plot held you spellbound, was based on fact/history/fantasy or whatever, or if it was slow, tedious or implausible. Again, I don’t want the details. I want descriptive reactions from you. “I couldn’t put this rollercoaster ride of a book down for one minute.” “I fell asleep every couple of pages.” “The history was fascinating and informative.” “The fantastical world of Astolfoland was beautiful, sumptuous and believable.”

Speaking of Astolfoland, you might want to focus on the setting. Was the landscape truly phenomenal? Pastoral, bucolic or frighteningly futuristic? Was the emphasis on the surroundings what turned you on or off the book?

Tell me what you thought of the author’s style. Did you enjoy their sarcastic wit? Was the funny, sardonic voice of the character hilarious? Do you like crisp, succinct writing that keeps a plot moving? Did you love the long, luxurious descriptive narrative?

You don’t have to use fancy vocabulary and you don’t, I repeat, don’t have the tedium and difficulty of writing a synopsis. You only have to tell the other readers how you personally reacted to the book.

This template translates into perhaps five minutes of your time. You don’t have to get very technical about each of these categories, but you can if you want to (e.g. search plot types and categorize the book if Amazon hasn’t done it to your liking). If you have more time, go ahead and Google. Otherwise, craft three short sentences about your personal opinion. Write about how you felt about the book and what you thought of the style (pick a focus if you want: voice, viewpoint, technique), setting, plot (thriller, narrative, type of conflict, romance) and/or characters (dialogue, description, actions). Cover all these categories or the one that affected you most and caused you to like/dislike the novel.

As a writer, I would be thrilled if everyone used this technique. Why? Because readers would then submit more reviews. Unencumbered by the difficult task of creating a synopsis or demonstrating a specific expertise, the reviewer knows exactly what to say. After all, their reaction to the novel is personal, unique, and honest, and therefore easy to write.

One last thing: about the honesty. Of course it’s referable to be truthful. But that doesn’t have to translate into mean, vicious and soul-destroying. There is a gentle way to say “that jacket makes you look fat”. A professional, responsible way to state that your reaction to the book was negative. I can say, “I disagree fundamentally with the viewpoint” or I can say, “The author takes a stupidly ridiculous stance”. One accepts responsibility for the opinion; the other blames and demeans. Another way to accept responsibility and be professional is to use your own name when you review a book. Don’t hide behind a moniker. If you are a friend/relative of the author, say so. As a reader, I will take your relationship into consideration. If you are one of my students trying to seek revenge for a low mark on a book report, let me know, and I’ll be sure to put an A on your review.

Come on over to Catherine’s website and visit: www.catherineastolfo.com

Reviews of Lancelot's Lady

Today is my Cherish the Romance Virtual Launch Party for my debut contemporary romantic suspense Lancelot's Lady and I thought I'd share some of the early reviews for my award-winning romance novel.

From the cold rocky shores of Maine to the extravagant mansions of Miami to a lush tropical island in the Bahamas, Cherish D'Angelo takes her heroine through a series of breathtaking romantic adventures that mirror the settings, often in surprisingly ironic ways. A page turner in the best possible sense." ―Gail Bowen, author of the award-winning Joanne Kilbourn series

"Romance, mystery, danger, black-mail, and twists and surprises, this tale contains them all. Readers will not be able to help being captivated while the main character vacations on an island around the Bahamas, while lives change dramatically, while the laws of attraction are fought off, and while danger brews...Despicable intentions threaten every character in this finely crafted tale of sweet tension however. Snakes always lie in wait when around large sums of cash and one camouflages himself as an upstanding individual. His intentions do not stop there. Unknown by Rhianna, her life, and anyone in this character’s way, is threatened. Lancelot’s Tale is a non-stop adventure combined with the agonizing struggle to not give in to the magnetism between them. Enticing. Fun." ―Christina Francine, Midwest Book Review; see Christina's full review at Midwest Book Review

"Another brilliantly crafted novel by Cheryl Tardif [aka Cherish D'Angelo]...a beautiful love story rippling with suspense and just the right amount of sensuality." ―Emily Ross, aka Pauline Holyoak

"Cherish D'Angelo has got that mythical “voice” down to a fine art."―Jennifer L. Hart, author of River Rats

"Lancelot's Lady is riveting. It holds on and won't let you go! Cherish D’Angelo’s descriptive powers are amazing. She summons up scenes like genies from bottles!" ―Susan J. McLeod, author of Soul and Shadow

Prizes & Giveaways: Click on link (left) to view all prizes. Leave a comment here, with email address, to be entered into the prize draws. You're guaranteed to receive at least 1 free ebook just for doing so. Plus you'll be entered to win a Kobo ereader. Winners will be announced after October 10th.

Special prizes: Purchase Lancelot's Lady today from Amazon Kindle Store and email me with your receipt as proof of purchase and you'll be entered into a special draw for a beautiful "Lancelot's Lady" pendant. FOUR pendants will be awarded.

Cherish D'Angelo
(aka Cheryl Kaye Tardif)
http://www.cherishdangelo.com/

Midwest Book Review calls Lancelot's Lady "a non-stop romantic adventure"

An early review for Cherish D'Angelo's upcoming debut romantic suspense release, Lancelot's Lady, has come out at Midwest Book Review under the Reviewer's Choice tab.

Here's an excerpt from the review:

"Lancelot's Lady is a non-stop romantic adventure combined with the agonizing struggle to not give in to the magnetism between two people with troubled pasts. Enticing. Fun." -- Christina Francine, reviewer for Midwest Book Review

To read the full review, please go to the Reviewer's Choice page at Midwest Book Review and scroll down. It's currently the second review.

Lancelot's Lady will release as an ebook on September 27th, 2010.

Warning! Danger! Shameless Self-Promotion Today

I’m not one of those people who visits Amazon.com hourly to see how many copies of my books have been sold or if my ranking has changed. There’s simply too many other things to do. Still, I do pop in now and then to post a blog and make sure my books haven’t disappeared from the pages of Amazon, which has been known to happen. So, imagine my surprise when I discovered three new reviews posted in January, and all of them good. Here’s excerpts from two of them.

From a reader named Betty Gelean:

“A cyber-mystery with a cast of characters many of whom I would like to give a good shake and others whose foibles I find myself laughing and shaking my head over. Debra Purdy Kong is an award-winning author and with this book she has gained another fan. The book is well-written, the characters interact exactly as they should. With three previous computer experts prior to hiring Alex, there are lots of opportunities for diversions, misdirections and straight-out lies. The book picks up momentum as it goes along until a flat out race to the end. An easy and enjoyable read, I expect it will be an interesting and exciting series, This is the second of the Alex Bellamy mystery series. I'll be curious about what he will get himself into next. 4 1/2 stars.”

And this from someone named Susan P.:

“I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes mysteries, computers or perhaps a combination of the two. It is a page turner with more than one surprise coming at the reader, that not only were unexpected, but make one shake one's head in disbelief. The author keeps the reader glued to the book until the final sentence, and to this review, that is reason enough to get this book and immerse yourself in it. Read it and see for yourself what makes Fatal Encryption one electrifying read!”

If you’d like to read the entire reviews, please visit Fatal Encryption’s page at http://tinyurl.com/ddzsxl
Taxed to Death can be found at http://tinyurl.com/czsy5n

I Enjoy Keeping Men Up Late at Night!

A couple of days ago I received an email from Aaron Lazar, author of Tremolo: Cry of the Loon. He said: “I started A Spark of Heavenly Fire last night and am HOOKED, big time! I read 100 pages (usually I fall asleep when reading in bed after a few pages) and dreamed about it all night. Wonderful! Can’t wait to read more, Pat. You’ve got a winner here.” Today he wrote: “Read another hundred pages last night. I’m mad with you! I didn’t get enough shut eye! HAAAAA!”

I do enjoy keeping men up late at night! I like keeping women up late at night, too. During all these years of wondering what it would be like to have people read my published novels, this is one aspect I never took into consideration — how wonderful it would feel to know that I am keeping people up past their bedtime so they could read a few more pages. Such an awesome power!

In November, I posted a bloggery, “What If People Like My Books?” I had been so focused on getting published, that for some reason until then it never occurred to me to wonder what it would be like if people actually enjoyed my novels. After 200 rejections, I was poised to deal with more of the same, but so far I have received only positive feedback. It’s an incredibly affirming experience to have people peek into your mind, to become intimately involved with your creation, and to get what you’re saying. So much of me is in the books that I thought I would feel exposed, but I don’t for the simple reason that the books no longer belong to me. They belong to anyone who reads and enjoys them.

Wanda H. wrote: “I’ve now read both books! They were both spellbinding and kept me engrossed until I finished. It was hard to put them down to sleep and not to pick them up again in the morning and instead go and do things.

My favorite is A Spark of Heavenly Fire. I love the characters and the action and the . . . well, everything. But it only edges out More Deaths Than One by a bit.

I now see what you mean about an unnamed genre. Kind of a big picture conspiracy, behind the scenes machinations and how that affects the little guy (or gal) on the street. You did such a terrific job. I know you’re going to enjoy tremendous success not only with these books but also with the books you’ve yet to write.

Anyway, just to gush a little more…. I love your work! You rock!”

Sheila Deeth, who won the first autographed copy of my book because of her wonderfully imaginative entry for my More Deaths Than One Contest, wrote an incredible review of the book. She starts out: The first three pages of “More Deaths than One” have to constitute a serious contender for the best opening scene of a novel. Two main characters are introduced, a garrulous waitress and a taciturn hot-chocolate customer. They meet. She talks, a lot. He reads the paper. “And Lydia Loretta Stark was dead. Again.” With two such immediately real and appealing characters, and a line like that, I’d challenge anyone not to want to keep turning the pages. more . . .

So . . . what if people like my books? I feel honored, and if truth be told, a bit humbled.

Amazon deletes authors' reviews if book title is in signature

This past week has been a very stressful one as I had to deal with Amazon.com after they suddenly deleted ALL 85 of the reviews I had written for books I'd read.

It took nearly a week to get a straight answer from them, although for the most part, they responded fairly quickly to my numerous emails. And the one customer service rep I spoke with was very kind when telling me that the reviews department wouldn't take calls from reviewers, even if there was a problem.

In Amazon.com's first email, they said ALL my reviews were "inappropriate". That was it. No explanation of why they were suddenly all inappropriate.

The next email said my reviews were deleted because of "the positive campaign", and that they were "inappropriate". When I asked for an explanation of what a "positive campaign" is, they didn't give it. I asked for them to tell me what was inappropriate with each review so I could edit it.

Finally, after many emails, it was resolved. This is the letter that I am now sending to my writer friends and organizations I belong to, in hopes that it will help other authors avoid this problem:

A week ago I found that all 85 of the reviews I've written for other books had been deleted. It has been a very difficult and stressful week dealing with Amazon. They are not very accessible and I was given at least 3 different reasons for why my reviews had been deleted. After numerous emails, this is what it's come down to:

Their final ruling: "Please know that our participation guidelines don't allow customers to promote their own titles in their reviews." If you sign your review with anything other than your name, your reviews could be deleted.

If any of you are in the habit of signing your reviews with something like "..., author of Whale Song", which has been common practice for years, Amazon has deemed this as "inappropriate" and will be deleting them. It seems they're on a campaign to go through reviews posted. They recently made changes to the Amazon Connect program and all our blogs were temporarily gone too. Most are back up.

They also will delete your reviews if you have added the book link (that they supply) and directed it to your own book title's Amazon page. Many authors have used that in their signature line. It can lead to deletion and suspension, according to Amazon's
latest email.

I argued the fact that thousands of authors sign their reviews like this, and that it's common practice in our industry. I was told by my last publisher to sign my reviews like this; he even wanted us to include the ISBN, which I only did a couple of times then stopped. It made no difference to Amazon that this is what my publisher wanted me to do; they aren't accepting signatures with titles.

Amazon is starting to take note of such practices and you'll get no notice; they'll just pull all the reviews you have written. That's what they did with me, even though many of my older reviews were signed with just my name.

So to clarify, according to Amazon, when posting a review, you are not allowed to have a signature of anything more than your name, and NO links to or mention of your books whatsoever in the review or sig line.

I am giving you the heads-up now so you can go in and edit your reviews if you choose. That's what I'd do, to be honest, because fighting with Amazon is not easy. There is no one who will talk to you by phone, and waiting for their response is not easy.

This rule also applies to any comments you leave on a book review. Amazon does not want authors to mention their own books anywhere on the review pages.

I haven't heard from Amazon.ca yet, but I expect this will be funneled over to all the Amazons, so I'll be working on editing my reviews there next week.

I am interested in hearing what others think--both authors and non-authors. Is it fair of Amazon to delete reviews without any warning? Should they give the reviewer the chance to clean up their reviews before axing them? Should authors be allowed to have one book title in their signature line (ie....Cheryl Kaye Tardif, author of Whale Song)? Does it really matter; are you more inclined to buy the book if another author says it's good?

My intention here is not to bash Amazon. I appreciate that they put my reviews back. My intention is to educate authors about this new change in Amazon's policies--and it IS a change since authors have been doing this for years and it's not even on Amazon's review guidelines, even though they argue that it's elsewhere in their many-paged rule book.

Others who have blogged about this:

• http://www.bookmarket.com/tip090405.htm


• http://thewritingmother.blogspot.com/2009/04/amazon-deleting-reviews-online.html


• http://www.marketmynovel.com/2009/04/amazon-deletes-reviews-with-author-signatures.html


• http://www.weberbooks.com/2007/04/amazon-yanks-author-connect-blogs-and.html

I'll update you on this and on more links where this is being discussed.

Note: If you would like to quote me (in whole or in part) regarding the Amazon review issue on your blog or newsletter, you may, providing you include the following information at the end:

Reprinted with permission from Cheryl Kaye Tardif, author and Book Marketing Coach, http://www.cherylktardif.com/

Thank you,

Cheryl Kaye Tardif,
AUTHOR OF WHALE SONG! (so there!) ;-)
http://www.cherylktardif.com/

Review of the iPhone: Finding Bliss on my new iPhone 3G!

☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☻

10/10 happy faces

I bought the new iPhone 3G a couple of weeks ago (the first Apple product I have owned), and I have to tell you--I LOVE IT! It is sheer "bliss". The phone is sleek and easy to hold. More importantly, it is super easy to use. Everything is activated by touch or a quick flick of your finger. And it's FUN! I've never had a "fun phone" before this.

I would recommend this phone to anyone, especially to those who have problems using the regular phone-style keypad to text. It is also the perfect phone to give to someone who may be "technically challenged" because once you comprehend how it works, it is easy to use.

Here are some of the things I like about the iPhone 3G:

Usefulness & User Friendly
In the past, my other cell phones have been used for the calendar, once in a blue moon for the game on it, but mostly as a phone--that's it. With my iPhone, I can:

• download my email contact list in Outlook (or others) so that I have all my contacts on my phone
• call friends just by touching their name in my contact list
• activate the speaker by one touch during any call
• access the internet and enlarge parts of any website or turn the iPhone horizontally for easier reading
• send out a Twitter post in seconds
• plan my schedule in the calendar (I actually use this more now)
• use Google Maps to help me navigate and GPS to see exactly where I am and what's around me (makes ordering pizza a breeze)
• download numerous applications, music, videos etc from iTunes, plus from my computer (did that all on day 1)
• take great pictures; it's a camera too--I can view them separately or as a slideshow
• download photos from my laptop or PC to my phone
• get a TV guide app that will show me what's on TV--great for when I'm traveling (only US for now but they promise Canadian compatibility is on the way)
• get a movie app that shows me what movies are on, where and when (even in Canada!)
• gives me a direct link to YouTube so I can watch clips (get the 6G or higher data package!)
• check the weather forecast for the week--anywhere (great for when traveling!)
• check our stocks (not a pretty picture right now!)
• set world clocks (great for traveling!)
• play numerous games that I can download from iTunes (many simulate the Wii experience)
• use as an iPod, complete with headphones and speaker so I can take calls while listening to music (much like having a bluetooth)
• send and receive email (easy to read and to type)
• easily send text messages*
• type notes and email them to myself so I can save on my PC**

*Texting
I could text on my last phone, but I hated using the tiny numerical keypad. I'm not a teenager that can rapidly fire off a whole paragraph in mere seconds. It took me forever to type a text message. So I rarely used that function.

With my new iPhone, texting is a breeze--and fun. It is made easy by the use of a simulated keyboard that pops up. Since I'm a writer, using a keyboard is second nature to me. The letters on the iPhone keyboard are quite large and easy to tap. When you tap a letter and hold for a second, the letter pops up enlarged, making it easier to read for those of us who have vision issues. I don't even need my reading glasses for this.

All text conversations are stored so you can flick back over a conversation that may have taken place over weeks. You can read both sides of the conversation in colored balloons. Or you can erase the conversation and start fresh.

**Notes

The notes application opens to a legal pad (yellow pad with lines). All you have to do is tap on a line to drop the cursor, then use the keyboard to type. With all typing on this phone, you can touch and hold and a magnifying bubble comes up, helping you to see the text more easily. This way you can move the cursor if you need to correct something. With the iPhone's smart technology, it'll offer you suggestions for words that you accept by tapping the space bar.

Finding Bliss

Two nights ago, I discovered just how much this note app will help me. I write novels--suspense mainly. Because my imagination is so active and is always "on", I am often blasted with an idea for a novel at the least convenient time. Sometimes while I'm driving, sometimes while I'm watching TV. In these cases, I scramble around for paper, write down my thoughts, then end up losing or misplacing the paper if I haven't entered the info on my computer.

Two nights ago this happened. I was watching TV and a commercial came on. It was for Bliss chocolates. First, it made me want chocolate (lol). But the more I looked at the word "Bliss" in its pretty scrolling font, the more I started to picture a young girl--named Bliss.

Then...BAM!

I was blasted with a story that made me sit up in my chair and reach for my iPhone. I couldn't let this idea or Bliss escape. I had to capture her story right away. So I made some notes. When I was done I had a very brief plot outline. I was extremely happy to see that I could email it to myself, which I did. Then I went on my PC, opened the email and copied the text into a new folder with the title of this new YA novel--Finding Bliss.

The following day I told my husband about my new novel idea and about Bliss and my iPhone note feature. While we sat in the mall, another piece of her story showed itself to me. So out came my iPhone, type-type-type send.

As my husband and I talked, he gave me a terrific idea. I am going to write Finding Bliss on my iPhone! A complete novel, using the notes feature. The iPhone will also be featured in my novel; someone will be using it. Marc suggested I contact Apple and let them know what I'm doing and how I'm using the new iPhone 3G. I think that's a great idea. They might get a kick out of the fact that a bestselling Canadian author is using her iPhone to write a novel.

I have already started Chapter 1 of Finding Bliss. My plan is to write it on the iPhone, then edit it on my PC.

As for Bliss chocolates, I bought a bag to celebrate. They're heavenly. :)

And my new novel? It will be a project of love.

Finding Bliss will be an emotional, heartwarming story of a teenager who must fight to survive a world of abuse, lies and loss. As she struggles to find herself, Bliss will discover exactly where she belongs and she'll learn that she is worthy of love after all.

Check out the new iPhone 3G.

Watch a guided tour (video).

~Cheryl Kaye Tardif,

bestselling author of Whale Song

I Liked It a Lot, But It Still Bugged Me

In my work as a reviewer and perhaps because of all the editing I've done on my own books lately, I find myself reading novels and watching movies or TV shows from a more critical viewpoint than I used to. This doesn't lessen or enhance my enjoyment of something, but it does mean that inconsistences, or logic glitches jump out and stay with me.

The other day, I read an entertaining, well-written book, yet I had to stop and think about two events in the story that didn't make sense. Even after I thought about them, I still couldn't figure out a good reason for events unfolding the way they did. Maybe there was one, but I somehow missed it.

And then, three nights ago, my husband and I rented "I Am Legend" starring Will Smith. The story's a remake of a Charleton Heston movie, which I think was called "The Omega Man". The story's about a man's desperate quest to find a vaccine to cure a man-made virus that has turned people into monsters. The monster part was a bit over the top, but the point of the story was timely and scary. Smith's character is immune to the virus, so he lives alone in New York city with his dog. Every day, he works on finding a cure and sends out a radio message inviting anyone who's alive to meet him at a specific place.

If anyone hasn't seen the movie and wants to, don't read on because I'll probably spoil it for you, but if you have . . .

then please tell me why Smith's character, who can broadcast on so many frequencies, wasn't heard by the human colony surviving in Vermont, which we learn about at the end? And if he was heard, why wouldn't they have come to get him? Vermont's not that far away from New York, right? And here's another thing. The virus infects dogs, turning them into rabid, super-aggressive killers, and yet the monsters seem to have the infected dogs on leashes and well-trained enough not to attack them. How do you even get a leash on a rabid dog, even if you are stronger than your average healthy human? Hmm.

I was also disappointed that Smith's character dies at the end when he didn't really have to. After all, couldn't he have just thrown the grenade on the monsters and escaped into the chute with the woman and boy? I mean, the guy worked so hard to stay alive. On the other hand, given that he discovered the serum and his mission was over, and that everyone he loved was gone, this wasn't a logic glitch, so much as a creative choice.

Having said all that, I really liked this movie, but here I am still thinking about it 3 days later and, as a writer, wishing I could have changed a couple of things, so these points wouldn't quite bug me so much.

Tonight we're taking our son to see College Road Trip. With some movies you don't bother looking for glitches and major plot holes. You just sit back, let the brain relax, and have some fun watching.

excerpts for Fatal Encryption
now available at
www.debrapurdykong.com

Whale Song "keeps you interested and turning pages"

Whale Song was reviewed at But You Don't Look Sick? magazine.

Reviewer Christine Miserandino says, "I love books that are a quick read, but don't feel "short"...The story keeps you interested and turning pages."

Read the entire review at ButYouDontLookSick.com.