5 Stars for the King of Terror (from a stranger)

It's strange how authors keep hoping that someone, somewhere will read their works, like them and write nice big reviews on Amazon and other places, but it seems that ill-will and procrastination are much stronger than good-will and enthusiasm. I know very well from my sells reports that there are people out there buying and reading (I assume) my Assassin Chronicles. And I know that they must have enjoyed them (or else the world is full of masochists) because I am selling copies of Book 15, Book 16 and so on. But where are the reviews? I see other authors on the Kindleboards, Amazon boards and Goodreads posting their latest and 63874th review on their works and yet, when I hazard a peek at my Amazon author pages and such, I see nothing but the same old reviews I've had for ages. (Some of which, I will admit came from family members. Not that I'm opposed to family members writing reviews... I mean what is a fella to say to a family member who posts a wonderful review after reading my book? Hey! WTF?! Stop trying to help me out! I'm an ungrateful, sorry bastard and you have to keep your nose out of my business!) Well, I'm not that kind of family member. I'm just glad that none of them did me any favors by giving me three stars on a review a few years ago that brought my four and five stars down and knocked me out of a competition completely simply because, as he later explained "I didn't actually get to read the book. I loaned it to a friend, but I wanted to get a review up for you." After which, while my jaw was sagging on the floor in disbelief, he smiled and said "I'm sure I'll like it." Please, please, please... what else can we say?

It's not that family and friends are out to get us (most of the time). It's just that they don't understand what it is we do. They don't understand the damage they can do to our reputations and our outlook on life. They don't understand that they can actually give us hernias, heart attacks and ulcers. To them (generally speaking) writing is just something that I 'fiddle' around with in my spare time. A hobby. They do not know that my writing is actually my life and without it, I am nothing.

Now, trolls of course are another breed altogether and I shall leave them for another blogpost.

Another Lazy Saturday

Just sitting around editing my next addition to my Kindle book list which I hope to release in this week, sooner than I expected. I might be able to do it tomorrow if all goes well and I don't get called in to work. I do hate working on my days off, but that is what happens when co-workers are not willing to pull their own weight. I suppose I must be in a rare somber mood today. Drinking Captain Morgan's rum and coke, looking at the bright sunshine through the windows. I'm hoping for a good thunderstorm later on and maybe a good movie. My editor/fan #1/critic/proofreader, Miss Mayellem Sockingfoot, has promised that we would actually try to finish the book off today and tomorrow and get it on line. My fans have requested that I hurry up and put it up there because they don't like to be left hanging, but really, I ask you... if I didn't leave some intrigue unfinished, why would anyone be prompted to read further? I'm currently reading a very interesting romance novel written by Maureen Miller and also available on Kindle. She has a real way with phrasing and description that makes the reader feel present in the scenes she describes. I haven't read a good romance in ages... well, I do enjoy a good romance from time to time... LOL. It's called "Widow's Tale" and it's set in Maine.

Anyway, the continuing saga of the Knight of Death's adventures will travel on in Book XII when he goes in search of the Djinni in the Mountains of the Moon. In the meantime, Happy Reading.