One-Star Reviews—Nightmare or Dream?

 

Time to address an elephant in the room, folks: Those one-star (or two-star) reviews, and how authors handle them. (Disclaimer: I am not addressing the vicious, malicious one-star reviews left by ugly, small-minded people. Pretty sure we all agree that those nasty little trolls aren’t worth the air they breathe.)

So, legit one-star reviews…they really aren’t a dream, per se, and to the best of my knowledge not a single author genuinely “loves” them. But, are they all nightmare quality?

My personal opinion is that I’d rather not get any at all, however, when I do, I find that if I detach myself from my initial knee-jerk emotional response, they’re easier to dissect into meaningful, and even helpful input. I can own them.

When I started my author journey, I took to heart some great advice: Not everyone will love your books, and that’s okay! This helped me be more objective when I finally received my first one-star review on Amazon.

Let’s take a look at it. This is from my first book, Prophecy:

“This was a very boring book. The women were in charge and the men were just yes dears. The plot didn't make sense either. Why did one alien from a race of aliens have the right to destroy earth and another alien race? To call for deaths because he wanted to? I was so bored that a skip some parts. Do not waste your time reading this book.”

And here is the second one for the same book, which was posted five years later:

“I didn’t get past the first few chapters, I didn’t finish reading this book.”

Ouch, right?

Or are they?

I appreciate that the first reader took the time to explain why they didn’t like the story. Boring is their personal opinion, which is at odds with 99% of the rest of the reviews. This is one of those readers who doesn’t love my book, but it’s not a personal attack. They might very well love another one of my stories, or not. If not, then they will never be one of my readers anyway.

The women were in charge…. Hallelujah! This is the coolest statement in support of my story! Why?  First, because the women aren’t “in charge.” In this alien culture, they are viewed as equals to the men. They are respected, and hold positions of authority. Not everyone sees this as a good thing, unfortunately. On the other hand, other potential readers might look at this review and think, “Hot damn! Girl power!” and 1-click the snot outta this puppy.

Second, if the men were all “yes, dears,” then the hero would not be the senior captain of an entire fleet, would he? He would have been a she instead, and that would’ve turned this into a completely different story in a completely different genre.

The plot didn’t make sense. What a beautiful red flag that this pantser (an author who doesn’t outline or plan a story) needs to keep an eye on her plots/sub-plots. Even my developmental editor has pinged me on goal, motivation, and conflict issues (GMC) for a couple of subsequent books. Just telling a story is not enough. One of my weak points, I get it.

The right to destroy/call for deaths. Um, conflict? Without it there isn’t much of a story? (Note to reviewer: This kind of thing happens in real life all the time. It’s tragic.) I love this comment because it confirms that the villain’s GMC did not resonate with the reviewer. The underlying message here to me: Work on this, stupid!

Skipping over parts. Yikes. This might explain why the reviewer didn’t understand the roles of men and women in this culture, and found the plot confusing. Skipping parts in any book can be detrimental to the reading experience in general, but more so with an emotional, action-packed 90K word novel. If you skip, you’re gonna miss something important!

That being said, the onus is on me to be alert for other such mentions. If this becomes a common thread in reviews for other books, I need to take a closer look at why, and fix it.

Do not waste your time reading this book. Once again, this is a personal opinion that doesn’t stack up to most of the rest of the reviews. I’d be lying if I said this one didn’t hurt, but it isn’t my job is to please everyone. I could do everything right, and there will always be someone who doesn’t like it. And I’m okay with that.

What’s my take-away from this review, you ask? GMC is a potential weakness, one that I’ve since owed and am working to improve. Now when I start a new project, I loosely outline my chapters, and I write out the GMC for each of my main characters, as well as for the overall story arcs. I’m not a full-blown plotter, yet, but meeting myself in the middle is working for me so that makes it a win.

Sadly, the second review is all personal opinion/preferences. I do wish this reviewer had given me a little more to go on so I could understand why they got through only a few chapters before giving up. But, they didn’t, and to get my panties in a bunch trying to figure it out is bad for my mental health. <Cue Let it Go! here.>

I have found that writing is a learning and growing process. Authors are always trying to improve their writing, and reviews provide an excellent tool to uncover potential weaknesses.

So, readers, has a one- or two-star review ever influenced your book purchases? What are the triggers that get you to 1-click a book?

Authors, my way is not the only way. Do reviews of your books help you, or do you avoid them? Why, or why not?

Until next month!

~Lea

 

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Bonus new release announcement!

Loved by Aliens has landed near you. Prepare to abducted by out-of-this-world heroes from nine popular SFR series. Yes, you read that right: Nine books from nine different series all for the price of one! But only for a limited time, so grab your copy today.

 

This set includes full-length books by:

New York Times Bestselling Author S. E. Smith: River’s Run

USA Today Bestselling Author Grace Goodwin: Viken Command

USA Today Bestselling Author Skye MacKinnon: Alien Abduction for Beginners

USA Today Bestselling Author Demelza Carlton: Ghost

USA Today Bestselling Author Debbie Cassidy: Rogue

USA Today Bestselling Author Lea Kirk: Above the Storm

Becca Brayden: Alien King Crashes the Wedding

Kate Rudolph: Synnr’s Saint

Nancey Cummings: Have Tail, Will Travel 

Aliens, take me away!

Laughter is the Best Medicine

Well, hello everyone! Since my normal post day is the 30^th of each month, I missed you all in February. So much has happened, so much has changed in the world. Is everyone staying sane? Loving on your neighbors? We gotta keep looking out for those who don’t have anyone to look out for them. Be someone’s advocate!

But we also need to take care of ourselves. Like any big, unexpected event, pandemics can take an emotional toll on us humans, which could lead to anger, depression, and anxiety among other things. But do not despair! There are things we can do to help keep our emotional health in check.

One of my favorite ways is through humor. I learned this when going through chemotherapy at the age of nineteen, and it’s helped me through a lot of sad, depressing, and terrifying times since. Like now. Anyone who follows my Facebook author page or profile, knows this is true. I’ve posted so many memes, and shared so many funny personal situations in both places recently. (Note: My author page is now a “covid-free” zone, but I still share funny memes and moments there.)

Why? Because I figure if humor helps me cope, then maybe it helps others. And, as I said above, we gotta keep looking out for each other. So, in that vein, I’m going to share with you some of my favorite COVID-ninememes. (Ninememes…19…get it? Okay, never mind.)

 These are but a handful of what's out there. Share your own in the comments! 

Before I wrap up, I have some great news to share. On March 6^th, the next novella in my Prophecy series, quietly released! Yep, Skylar’s Gift is live almost everywhere. Did you get your copy yet? No? Well, what are you waiting for? Get it here!

One itsy-bitsy favor. It would mean the world to me if you could leave an honest review once you finish. I may feature it on my Facebook, Twitter, and/or MeWe pages.

Also, if you sign up for my monthly newsletter, you’ll receive a free copy of my short story, Space Ranger, which was featured in the first ever Pets in Space® anthology!

Thank you so much!

You all stay well, look out for each other, thank your grocery clerk, and I’ll see you next month.

XOXO,

~Lea Kirk 

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USA Today Bestselling Author, Lea Kirk, loves to transport her readers to other worlds with her sci-fi romances. 

When she’s not busy writing about the blue and green aliens of her Prophecy series, she’s hanging out with her hubby, five kids (the nerd herd), and a spoiled Dobie mix pup.

She is currently working on the fourth book in her Prophecy series, and three new books for a new series to be released this fall. 

For more on Lea's books (past, present, & future), check out her:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | BookBub | Amazon | GoodReads|  Newsletter

The Eternal Message of Hope

Happy New Year, everyone! Hope 2020 is treating you well.

Recently, I was one of several SFR authors who contributed to a blog about our takes on Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Below is my contribution:

BIG FAT SPOILER ALERT!

If you haven’t seen the movie yet, turn away from the dark side!

As one of my besties & I took our seats in the theater to see The Rise of Skywalker, a sense of finality came over me. This was it, the last movie of a surprise franchise that began over forty years ago. I was a skinny, bespectacled seventh grader when A New Hope released. I was also living in Japan, and at that time new cinema releases were out for a year in the U.S. before they were sent overseas. (They did send Mark Hamill to visit his old high school, which was on the same Army base as the middle school I attended, but that’s another story.)

All we could do was wait. As fate would have it, my dad was transferred stateside and we left the week before Star Wars arrived at the base theater. The first thing my mom did after we arrived in California was to take my sister and I to see the movie—a whole week before my friends got to see it! It was awesome, and it seemed like the story (like the lines) would never end.

But, it has.

Did The Rise of Skywalker live up to my expectations? Overall, yes. Do I have questions? Most definitely. Would I change anything? Yes! The most glaring issue to me—which started in The Force Awakens—is the relationship between Poe and Finn. OMG, people! These two should’ve gotten together!

Now, I’m not a Rose-hater…I actually love her character. And since the powers that be did not see fit to romantically link Poe and Finn, then why not let Finn and Rose hook up? All in all, it would’ve been great if they hadn’t even tried to force that relationship to begin with, but to turn around and cover it up in the latest movie like it’d never happened? Messy loose end.

My biggest heartache was that Rey and Ben will never get together. He dies, she lives, minus the greatest love of her life. This is, of course, my internal romance writer soul crying out at the injustice of them not getting their happily ever after. How-e-ver, there is always a price that must be paid, and Ben’s death—his separation from the woman he loves—is his price. And most of me is good with that.

If I could, what one thing would I change in this movie? Simple. When Luke and Leia appeared to Rey (beautiful and touching, imo), Ben should’ve been with them. He found the good within himself at the eleventh hour, much like Anakin did. And, he quite literally gave his life for her. (Tell me you didn’t cry about that! I did. Like hormonal teenager.)

Bottom line: Despite the still unanswered questions, J. J. Abrams did a phenomenal job wrapping up the Skywalker saga. I wish it could go on forever, but after forty plus years, I’m happy.

I wonder if Abrams would consider going back and remaking parts 1-3…?

~*~*~*~*~

Laurie A. Green did a brilliant follow-up piece on this blog yesterday, and really nailed it. (Read here) 

And gang, you REALLY need to see this see this Rey + Ben video!

~*~*~*~*~

This is happening right now in my world!

My next book in the Prophecy series will release March 10^th! Skylar’s Gift is a novella set shortly after Collision, Book Three in the series.

Reserve your copy now for a special preorder price! (Price goes up after release.)

~*~*~*~*~

USA Today Bestselling Author, Lea Kirk, loves to transport her readers to other worlds with her sci-fi romances. 

When she’s not busy writing about the blue and green aliens of her Prophecy series, she’s hanging out with her hubby, five kids (the nerd herd), and a spoiled Dobie mix pup. 

She's currently working of the fourth book in her Prophecy series, and three new books for a new series to be released this fall. 

For more on Lea's writing journey, check out her:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | BookBub | Amazon | GoodReads|  Newsletter

A Book Release, an Eye Surgery, and a Drawing

I tell ya what, it’s nice to be back with my PNRom peeps this month, and with a functioning eyeball. For those of you didn’t know, life dumped me unexpectedly (and rather rudely, I might add) into the ER for eye surgery...the night before my next series short-story released. Nothing Earth shattering, just a detached retina. 

Unfortunately, the doctor did not replace my failing eyeball with a bionic one, this time. I'm still working on him about that. Fortunately, Linda Nightingale kindly stepped up to fill my September blog slot, and for that I’m grateful.

This month my eye is better and I’m back to my usual shenanigans. Let’s start with the release I missed.

Space Ranger--the story of what really happened to Graig that brought him back to Simone--re-released on Sept. 24^th. This is a companion/fan-service story to my novel Prophecy. Companion, meaning while it can be read alone, it will flow smoother if read in sequence after Prophecy. Fan service, because so many readers wanted to know exactly what Alex did to help Graig see the light. Aaaand also because you all keep asking for more Alex and Gryf.

Oh, and "re-release"...well, this story was my contribution to the first ever Pets in Space anthology from a couple years ago.

Check it out:

Graig Roble, Matiran Senior Security Commander for the Guardian Fleet, is an expert weapons specialist and combat master. Protecting others is what he was born to do. So why has his focus wavered since returning to duty aboard the Atlantis? All he can think about is the enticingly brilliant human woman he walked away from.

Simone Campbell uses her experience as a botanist to help Terr recover from the devastating Anferthian invasion. Yet she can’t seem to immerse herself deep enough in her work to expunge the memory of one blue-skinned hunk-of-an-alien. What is it about Graig that keeps pulling her attention, and her heart, away from her job?

One thing’s for sure, their bond runs deeper than either of them realized—but can Graig convince Simone of this before he loses the best thing to ever happen to him?

(This is a revised edition and originally appeared in the first Pets in Space(R) anthology.)

There are two ways to get your copy of Space Ranger:

1) Subscribe to my newsletter and get a FREE complimentary copy**

2) Purchase it from your favorite online store

** If you already subscribe, go to your email and look at the September 2019’s version of Lea’s Letters from Space for the link to get your own copy.

In other news…

Tomorrow’s Halloween! What better way to celebrate than with a sexy vampire? And boy do I know the guy for you! Read on to find out how you could win a Kindle version of my vampire novel, Made for Her….

Racing against time to return a legendary dagger to the land of the Fae, Donnie McAllister must rely on a dangerously sexy vampire to navigate a world she never knew existed. If she doesn’t deliver, it’ll cost Donnie her life and leave the ancient weapon of untold power in the hands of her corrupt, venomous boss.

Mikhail Cherneski’s nemesis is after Donnie, the human woman whose blood calls to Mikhail like no other. When Mikhail comes face-to-face with his enemy, he must risk his immortal life or watch Donnie suffer the same fate as his family.

Another bewitching story from Magic, New Mexico

**THIS DRAWING HAS ENDED. THANK YOU!**

Here are the entry rules:

1) To win, you must have a Kindle/Kindle email address (no exceptions, sorry).

2) Winner will be drawn at noon PST November 6, 2019.

3) The author will contact winner via email; winner will have 24 hours to respond.

4) If winner does not respond in the requisite amount of time, or does not qualify, a new name will be drawn. 

5) With the winner’s consent, the author will post winner’s name in her November 30^th blog.

6) Your entry is your consent for the author to contact you, and your agreement with the author’s privacy policy.

Good luck, everyone, and have a safe and fun Halloween!

 ~Lea

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

USA Today Bestselling Author, Lea Kirk, loves to transport her readers to other worlds with her sci-fi romances. 

When she’s not busy writing about the blue and green aliens of her Prophecy series, or reading about dragons, she’s hanging out with her hubby, five kids (the nerd herd), and spoiled Dobie mix puppy.

She is currently working on a novella and the fourth book in her series.

Brought to you today by the words "free" and "books", and by the number "2"

You know that moment when you realize no matter what you do, you're screwed?

I came out of my editing cave late yesterday afternoon only to realize that the 30^th is mere hours away and I need to do something for my Paranormal Romantics blog—time to throw together something fast, and what’s better than FREE BOOKS?!

BUT, as if karma senses my panic, my internet was behaving badly all evening. It was pushing 11:00 p.m. my time when I finally admitted defeat. After all, no one wants free books, right?

Okay, okay! I'm kidding! Thankfully, this morning the internet is back and all of you get a shot at the free books I have for you.

First book is my short story, All of Me. It’s free through August 31, 2019, so hurry! (Note: The buy links weren't working at first, but they are now. Because of this, I've extended the free sale or All of Me through Mon. Sept. 2, 2019.)

Amazon

(Universal Link)

Books2Read

(B&N, iTunes, Kobo)

Garrison "Gunner" Reed thought the Anferthian invasion of Earth was life-changing, but that was nothing compared to rescuing April Buroski from the invaders' slave ship. Now, he can't get the petite, honey-blonde woman out of his mind. But, April's pregnant with her deceased boyfriend's child, and there doesn't seem to be room in her life for another man.

April will never forget the man she lost in the invasion, her first love, Dave. Yet, when the chips are down, Garrison is there for her and her baby. The emotions stirring in her heart for the former Army colonel war with her feelings for Dave. Can she let go of the past and embrace her future before it's too late?

Second, my short story, Space Ranger, first appeared in the original Pets in Space anthology a few years ago. On September 24, 2019, it’ll make a reappearance as a solo act. However, why wait when my newsletter subscribers can already get it…for free?

Just sign up for my monthly newsletter and receive a complimentary copy of Space Ranger, now.

Yes, please sign me up!

Graig Roble, Matiran Senior Security Commander for the Guardian Fleet, is an expert weapons specialist and combat master. Protecting others is what he was born to do. So why has his focus wavered since returning to duty aboard the Atlantis? All he can think about is the enticingly brilliant human woman he walked away from.
 
Simone Campbell uses her experience as a botanist to help Terr recover from the devastating Anferthian invasion. Yet she can’t seem to immerse herself deep enough in her work to expunge the memory of one blue-skinned hunk-of-an-alien. What is it about Graig that keeps pulling her attention, and her heart, away from her job?

One thing’s for sure, their bond runs deeper than either of them realized—but can Graig convince Simone of this before he loses the best thing that’s ever happened in his life?

See you on September 30^th with a real blog...and a shorter blog title!

~Lea

 <heads back to the editing cave>

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

USA Today Bestselling Author, Lea Kirk, loves to transport her readers to other worlds with her sci-fi romances. When she’s not busy writing about the blue and green aliens of her Prophecy series, or reading about dragons, she’s hanging out with her hubby, five kids (the nerd herd), and spoiled Dobie mix puppy.

She is currently working on two short stories and the fourth book in her series.

Milestones and Things to Come

This month’s post from me is short and sweet. Why? Because I’m neck deep in finishing the first draft of the third book in my Prophecy series, Collision. This, by the way, is the perfect way for me celebrate a certain milestone I reached two years ago on January 12^th. That was the day I achieved my life-long dream of becoming a published author with the release of my first novel, Prophecy, Book One of the Prophecy Series. 

It took over thirty years to write the darn thing. No joke. The premise of the story came to me in high school while day-dreaming during a class when I probably shouldn’t have been. (Okay, I know I shouldn’t have been.) I didn’t know back then that this would be the story that would launch my career. I was too lost in the little world budding in my head. All I wanted to do was find out what would happen to Alexis Bock, her brother Jason, and the blue-skinned alien captain whose original name I can’t remember.

Eventually, I put the story aside only to pick it up again nearly thirty years later after a fevered dream (my muse) told me that I must. (My muse likes to speak to me through dreams.) I searched high and low for my original hand-written notebooks containing the manuscript, but they seemed to have vanished. So, I started over, rebuilding this amazing world scene by scene. Ultimately, Alexis became Alexandra, Jason became Nick (Nicholaus. Yes, it’s spelled correctly for this story), and the alien captain became Gryf Helyg.

If you haven’t read Prophecy yet—or book two, Salvation (Nick’s story)—now would be a good time to start. The first draft of book three will be going to my editor by the end of February. So, it won’t be much longer until it’s also available!

Here’s more about Prophecy:

A nightmare of galactic proportions...

One normal day turns into horror when Earth is attacked. Now ER nurse Alexandra Bock is imprisoned aboard an alien slave ship with no way out. She deems all aliens untrustworthy, including the handsome blue-skinned Matiran captain who shares her cell.

A betrayal from within…

One night of treachery leaves Senior Captain Gryf Helyg a prisoner of his enemies. Because of him, Earth’s inhabitants face extinction and his home world is threatened. But his plans for escape are complicated by his inexplicable draw to the Earth woman imprisoned with him.

​
A chance to save both their peoples…

One ancient prophecy holds the key to free Alexandra and Gryf’s war-ravaged worlds. Can two wounded souls who have lost everything learn to trust and forgive in order to fulfill the prophecy, and find a love that will last for eternity?

Available on:

Amazon * B&N * iBooks *Kobo

Reminder: Only one more day to subscribe to my monthly newsletter and claim a FREE copy of my short story, All of Me. This offer expires at 11:59 p.m. PST January 31, 2018.

USA Today Bestselling Author, Lea Kirk, loves to transport her readers to other worlds with her science fiction romance. She's currently working on book three of her popular SFR Prophecy series. She lives in California with her wonderful hubby, their five kids (aka, the nerd herd), and her "baby", an adorable Dobie mix.  

The New Kid on the Block

Howdy, everyone! My name is Lea Kirk and I’m a new kid on the block, so I thought I’d do a little self-intro and answer some questions about me that you might not even realize you want to ask.

Why “Lea”, and how is it pronounced? Lea is my middle name and it’s pronounced “Lee”, not “Leah”. I was born in the days when Leah was still spelled with an “h” (yeah, I’m that old). Also, that’s the way my mom says it, and I’m not arguing with her. Mom’s always right, you know, and I happen to love the way my name is pronounced. However, if you call me Leah I’ll still respond. I have to because the priest who baptized me pronounced my middle name “Leah”, which means I need to be on my toes so the Pearly Gates don’t close before I get there!

And what about “Kirk”? Now, I know what some of you are thinking: No brainer. She’s a Star Trek fan. Duh. And you'd be right. But, I did not choose Kirk because of Capt. James T. No, seriously! Kirk really is a family name…my paternal grandmother’s maiden name, in fact. My grandmother was one of my greatest influences to become a writer. She was an avid reader, loved writing (never published anything), and was a school teacher. We shared a mutual love of reading, and at some point she planted the seed that I should pursue writing. One day we were talking and I told her when I did become a published author, I would use my middle name, Lea, and her maiden name, Kirk as my pseudonym. I can still picture the way her entire face lit up.

Would my grandma read my sci-fi romances, or my one paranormal romance? I'd like to believe so, especially since I dedicated my first book to her memory!

Why sci-fi romance? We’ll blame my dad for this one. He got me hooked on the original Star Trek at the tender age of six. At the time, I had a two-piece red knit jumpsuit—a tunic-like sweater and bell-bottom pants.  I also had a pair of groovy white go-go boots. (Don’t judge me, it was the 70’s!) I used to wear those boots and the top, which just covered my butt, and run around the house pretending to be Lt. Uhura and having the most amazing adventures in space. I’d love to meet Nichelle Nichols just to tell her that story. She was a profound inspiration to my six-year-old self. After Star Trek came Star Wars, Close Encounters, Battlestar Galactica, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, TNG, Voyager, every Star Trek and Star Wars movie ever made, The Orville, every rocket/shuttle launch by NASA, etc., etc., etc. So, you see, my fate was pretty much sealed the day my dad sat me in front of the rabbit-eared T.V.

What have I written? My first SFR book is Prophecy, and it’s the first book in the Prophecy Series. Book two in the series is Salvation. I am currently working on Collision, book three, and hope to have it out sometime in 2018. Also, All of Me is a short story that happens between Prophecy and Salvation. All of these books are (or will be) available on Amazon, B&N, iBooks, and Kobo.

This past September I released my first PNR novella, Made for Her. It’s a vampire romance and part of S.E. Smith’s Magic, New Mexico Kindle World—which means it’s only available on U.S. Amazon. (And now on KU, too!)

In October of this year I was part of the Other Worlds boxed set, which features a collection of SFR and PNR romances. My contribution, Touch the Stars, is a novella-length SFR that will eventually be reworked into a full-length novel and become book one in a new series I have percolating in my brain. Other Worlds is available on Amazon, B&N, GooglePlay, iBooks, and Kobo.

What’s the best way to follow or contact me? First, let me say thank you for still being with me here! My readers are why I do what I do, and I love hearing from you. You can connect with me on Facebook and Twitter. I also have a newsletter, which comes out on the 6^th of each month…the next one is less than a week away and is chock full of holiday goodness. (Hint, hint.) Also, you can check out my website.

And there you have it, a little bit about me. If you have any other questions, just leave them in the comments and I’ll do my best to answer. I look forward to "seeing" you all here on Paranormal Romantics next month!

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Author Bio

USA Today Bestselling Author, Lea Kirk, loves to transport her readers to other worlds with her science fiction romance and paranormal romance stories. In 2016 she released Prophecy and Salvation, books one and two of her Prophecy Series, as well as All of Me, a short story set in the same universe. Grave Tells Blog named her Debut Author of the Year for 2016. In 2017, she released her first vampire paranormal, Made for Her, and a new story for the Other Worlds boxed set—Touch the Stars. Her third book in the Prophecy series, Collision, is on track to release in 2018.

When she not busy writing, she’s hanging out with her wonderful hubby of twenty-seven years, their five kids (aka, the nerd herd), and a large Doberman mix who thinks she’s one of the “kids”.