6 May 2011

Great Review from Good Book Alert

I had this wonderful review from Good Book Alert that  I had to share with you. Heartfelt thanks to Cindy!

Maddie Chambers reports shocking news about other people – until the emotional disturbances she normally broadcast make her a front-page story. Maddie’s mum is alive and well living in town – problem is Maddie’s mum walked out on her family ten years earlier. Maddie’s brother has Asperger Syndrome, and she fears his reaction to dear mum might devastate him. Her father’s heart has never mended, and Maddie’s heart has long since turned to stone.
On top of this explosive drama Maddie becomes involved with another journalist, one with dark unruly hair and a naughty boy air. An office affair may be just what she needs, except this naughty bloke has more than his share of problems. Maddie needs one more thing to send her over the edge – so, her dear mum gets diagnosed with a life-threatening illness.
Review:
This is an emotionally packed drama that will have you turning pages faster than you can blink. Immediately, I bought into the character of Maddie, a woman with unshaken courage to move forward despite being abandoned by her mum. She is focused, and self-sacrificing. Maddie’s emotions and choices she makes in this book are completely in character, and inline with how most people might react to her situation.
However, Mum is not heroic, or easily forgiven. I often saw Maddie’s problem with her. Her father, brother, and Grandmother’s behavior doesn’t help Maddie, and her office romance becomes more complex. Maddie is her biggest antagonist, and the author, Tirraoro really pours out the inner turmoil. There are extreme moments of inner dialogue that pulled at my heartstrings. From the beginning, this story has a bittersweet solution that provokes tears and laughter.
The story telling web was woven with a careful balanced sequence that kept me on track. I never had to question my place in the book. Tirraoro did that for me. My only draw back in the book was the plausibility of the Mum’s actions. I had trouble understanding how someone could continue to make the choices she did after abandoning her family. On the flip side, the main protagonist, Maddie made up for her mum in so many other ways.
Tirraoro puts her years as a TV reporter and her experiences as the parent of sons with Asperger Syndrome into the heart of this novel. If you are looking for a tearjerker, with romance, this is your book, and it won’t disappoint.
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2 May 2011

The Ebook Survey RESULTS!

The results of the recent ebook reader survey are in! Some are quite surprising. When asked what the most important factor was when looking for ebooks, the strength of the blurb was top. Ebook authors take note - no matter how good your book, 31% of people say if your blurb isn't up to scratch, you're likely to miss a sale! Just as important it seems and not far behind is good reviews. 29% of respondents said a review was a key indicator in their ebook buying process. Readers pay attention to reviews, especially if by an unfamiliar author, it seems. Price and genre are not too far behind.
Conversely, what actively puts people off buying an ebook? Price here is key again followed hard on the heels by poor reviews. Not far behind is a blurb that doesn't grab the attention.
So at what price should you pitch your ebook? A third said it needed to be under £1 or $1.50 with another third saying they would pay up to £3 or $3.50 for an ebook by an unfamiliar author. 15% said it just needed to be under £5/$6 while 12% said price wasn't a leading decision maker for them.
When it comes to genre, crime and thrillers were way ahead in this category, followed by Sci-Fi/Fantasy. There was a reasonably even spread of people who cited women's fiction/romance, literary fiction, action/adventure and paranormal with other genres less popular. This surprises me as I read that romance was the biggest selling genre but maybe that is due to the profile of the survey respondents. Respondents could pick more than one genre but it is still a good indication of what people are prepared to read.
Is a price of 99c/70p off putting? A third say they would buy at this price as it seems like a bargain but more people - 40% say they would use the same critieria whatever the price. More than a quarter of people would download a sample first - so those opening chapters are crucial!
So, what does this all tell us? Firstly that reviews are key and price is just as important. And while crime and thrillers seem to stand a greater chance of big sales, genre isn't everything - individual blurb is more important.-So make your book blurb sparkle to stand a chance of that all-important sale!
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