Peggy Jaeger's Blog - Posts Tagged "netgalley"
Something New...
Recently, I signed on with NetGalley, an online book reviewer site. The reason I decided to do this was because I read a lot of books by new authors, and I know – personally!- how hard it is to get reviews. Reviews generate buzz about books to people, and as an author, I appreciate how valuable a good review is to finding new readers to read my stuff. A good review can up an author’s sales. A great review can propel a book and its writer into another stratosphere. Being a reviewer allows me to help the people I know who read my blog find great new and upcoming authors, and writers they’ve never read before.
I made a new page on my website to list the books and their reviews that I think are outstanding and worthy to be read. This is the link: Books I’ve reviewed . You’ll find well known authors in addition to many names many you’ve never heard of before – but should be hearing about!
My standards for review are the same ones I hope other reviewers will use for me. I won’t write a written review for any book that I can’t give a 4 or 5, to. If a book scores lower than that for me, it usually means the story didn’t resonate with me. That doesn’t mean it won’t appeal to others, tho, and I don’t want to post something negative about it. I’ve read two books recently that I gave only 3’s to because there were so many grammatical and typing errors in the copy I couldn’t actually enjoy the story because of it.
I don’t ever want to be one of those mean reviewers who epitomize the haters gotta hate rule. Those are the reviewers who I always think are secretly writer-wannabes who just can’t – for whatever reason -write the story themselves, so they bash others that do. So. Not. Me!
So, if my humble opinion means anything, I hope you will check back periodically and read about the books I’ve given kudos to.
If you need to find me, you can: Tweet Me// Read Me// Visit Me// Picture Me//Pin Me//Friend Me//Google+Me//
I made a new page on my website to list the books and their reviews that I think are outstanding and worthy to be read. This is the link: Books I’ve reviewed . You’ll find well known authors in addition to many names many you’ve never heard of before – but should be hearing about!
My standards for review are the same ones I hope other reviewers will use for me. I won’t write a written review for any book that I can’t give a 4 or 5, to. If a book scores lower than that for me, it usually means the story didn’t resonate with me. That doesn’t mean it won’t appeal to others, tho, and I don’t want to post something negative about it. I’ve read two books recently that I gave only 3’s to because there were so many grammatical and typing errors in the copy I couldn’t actually enjoy the story because of it.
I don’t ever want to be one of those mean reviewers who epitomize the haters gotta hate rule. Those are the reviewers who I always think are secretly writer-wannabes who just can’t – for whatever reason -write the story themselves, so they bash others that do. So. Not. Me!
So, if my humble opinion means anything, I hope you will check back periodically and read about the books I’ve given kudos to.
If you need to find me, you can: Tweet Me// Read Me// Visit Me// Picture Me//Pin Me//Friend Me//Google+Me//
Peggy Jaeger's Reviews > The One
The One
by John Marrs (Goodreads Author)
30426949
Peggy Jaeger's review Jan 16, 2017 · edit
it was amazing
Read in January, 2017
What would you do if there was a way to discover the person you were destined to spend the rest of your life with? Would you want to find out? Would you be willing to risk everything - your way of life, your family, life as you know it, maybe even a commitment you've already made - just to be with this person?
Those are the questions THE ONE by John Marrs asks, and answers.
Told in rotating points of view by five different characters who have all been matched with their ONE true mate through a simple DNA swab, Marrs takes us through a cleverly crafted series of events and emotions for each character.
Mandy, NIck, Christopher, Jade, and Ellie are as diverse as people can possibly be, yet all yearn to find the one person on the planet who will love them unconditionally and for all time. With MATCH YOUR DNA.com, they do.
Or do they?
I hate spoilers, so you need to read the book to get that answer, but I will tell you this: this read is sosososo worth your while.
We live in an era where a simple cheek swab can tell you a million things about your heritage, your health, even your predilections to disease. But what if that same DNA could be matched with the one person on earth who is your true mate? We drop dollars by the bucketful to find out who are ancestors are. Would we be willing to shell out a chunk of cash to discover what our future could look like?
Ask yourself this: if you've already found the person you think you're going to spend eternity with, would you chance that decision not being the correct one by taking the test? And what would you do if you found out you weren't after all, with the right person? Would you leave them? Stick with them knowing in the back of your mind there was someone "out there" who could fulfill every want and need you have? That's heady stuff and Marrs explores it expertly.
I'm giving this book 5 well-deserved stars because it made me think, entertained me, mystified me, and in the end, solidified in my mind what this whole DNA-learning industry can do right --and wrong.
I was given a copy of this book from Netgalley for an honest opinion of the work.
by John Marrs (Goodreads Author)
30426949
Peggy Jaeger's review Jan 16, 2017 · edit
it was amazing
Read in January, 2017
What would you do if there was a way to discover the person you were destined to spend the rest of your life with? Would you want to find out? Would you be willing to risk everything - your way of life, your family, life as you know it, maybe even a commitment you've already made - just to be with this person?
Those are the questions THE ONE by John Marrs asks, and answers.
Told in rotating points of view by five different characters who have all been matched with their ONE true mate through a simple DNA swab, Marrs takes us through a cleverly crafted series of events and emotions for each character.
Mandy, NIck, Christopher, Jade, and Ellie are as diverse as people can possibly be, yet all yearn to find the one person on the planet who will love them unconditionally and for all time. With MATCH YOUR DNA.com, they do.
Or do they?
I hate spoilers, so you need to read the book to get that answer, but I will tell you this: this read is sosososo worth your while.
We live in an era where a simple cheek swab can tell you a million things about your heritage, your health, even your predilections to disease. But what if that same DNA could be matched with the one person on earth who is your true mate? We drop dollars by the bucketful to find out who are ancestors are. Would we be willing to shell out a chunk of cash to discover what our future could look like?
Ask yourself this: if you've already found the person you think you're going to spend eternity with, would you chance that decision not being the correct one by taking the test? And what would you do if you found out you weren't after all, with the right person? Would you leave them? Stick with them knowing in the back of your mind there was someone "out there" who could fulfill every want and need you have? That's heady stuff and Marrs explores it expertly.
I'm giving this book 5 well-deserved stars because it made me think, entertained me, mystified me, and in the end, solidified in my mind what this whole DNA-learning industry can do right --and wrong.
I was given a copy of this book from Netgalley for an honest opinion of the work.
A little #gift from #Lyrical/Shine to you…
If you are having trouble connecting to the links, click on the posting on my blog here:
https://peggyjaeger.com/2017/02/21/a-...
As a promotional gift, my new publisher Kensington/Lyrical Shine is giving you a little sumthin’ sumthin’ to whet your appetite for my 4.4.17 release of COOKING WITH KANDY: the first chapter FREE! Click on the following link and read how Josh and Kandy meet. Then, I’ve given you the link to preorder the entire book!
And if you’re a NETGALLEY reader and honest reviewer, I’ve included the link for you to request, read, and review it as well.
Blurb:
Sugar and spice and everything sexy make the perfect recipe for romance in this brand-new series by Peggy Jaeger. Look for exclusive recipes in each book!
Kandy Laine built her wildly popular food empire the old-fashioned way—starting with the basic ingredients of her grandmother’s recipes and flavoring it all with her particular brand of sweet spice. From her cookbooks to her hit TV show, Kandy is a kitchen queen—and suddenly someone is determined to poison her cup. With odd accidents and threatening messages piling up, strong-willed Kandy can’t protest when her team hires someone to keep her safe—but she can’t deny that the man for the job looks delicious. . .
Josh Keane is a private investigator, not a bodyguard. But with one eyeful of Kandy’s ebony curls and dimpled smile, he’s signing on to uncover who’s cooking up trouble for the gorgeous chef. As the attraction between them starts to simmer, it’s not easy to keep his mind on the job, but when the strange distractions turn to true danger, he’ll stop at nothing to keep Kandy safe—and show her that a future together is on the menu. . .
Free chapter COOKING WITH KANDY
Buy Links: Amazon ///Kensington // Nook // i-Tunes //Kobo //Google
Read and Review on Netgalley
And when I’m not out promoting my books, you can find me here:Tweet Me//Read Me// Visit Me//Picture Me//Pin Me//Friend Me//Google+Me//
https://peggyjaeger.com/2017/02/21/a-...
As a promotional gift, my new publisher Kensington/Lyrical Shine is giving you a little sumthin’ sumthin’ to whet your appetite for my 4.4.17 release of COOKING WITH KANDY: the first chapter FREE! Click on the following link and read how Josh and Kandy meet. Then, I’ve given you the link to preorder the entire book!
And if you’re a NETGALLEY reader and honest reviewer, I’ve included the link for you to request, read, and review it as well.
Blurb:
Sugar and spice and everything sexy make the perfect recipe for romance in this brand-new series by Peggy Jaeger. Look for exclusive recipes in each book!
Kandy Laine built her wildly popular food empire the old-fashioned way—starting with the basic ingredients of her grandmother’s recipes and flavoring it all with her particular brand of sweet spice. From her cookbooks to her hit TV show, Kandy is a kitchen queen—and suddenly someone is determined to poison her cup. With odd accidents and threatening messages piling up, strong-willed Kandy can’t protest when her team hires someone to keep her safe—but she can’t deny that the man for the job looks delicious. . .
Josh Keane is a private investigator, not a bodyguard. But with one eyeful of Kandy’s ebony curls and dimpled smile, he’s signing on to uncover who’s cooking up trouble for the gorgeous chef. As the attraction between them starts to simmer, it’s not easy to keep his mind on the job, but when the strange distractions turn to true danger, he’ll stop at nothing to keep Kandy safe—and show her that a future together is on the menu. . .
Free chapter COOKING WITH KANDY
Buy Links: Amazon ///Kensington // Nook // i-Tunes //Kobo //Google
Read and Review on Netgalley
And when I’m not out promoting my books, you can find me here:Tweet Me//Read Me// Visit Me//Picture Me//Pin Me//Friend Me//Google+Me//
Netgalley Request and Review
My new release COOKING WITH KANDY is up on Netgalley for Request, Read and Review.
Here's the link just in case you'd like to read it and leave a review:
https://s2.netgalley.com/catalog/book...
And thanks for any kind words...they are always appreciated.
Here's the link just in case you'd like to read it and leave a review:
https://s2.netgalley.com/catalog/book...
And thanks for any kind words...they are always appreciated.
#Reviews, #Comments, and saying “Not Nice” things.
one of these days I'll learn how to upload the images to this blog! Today is not that day. CLick the link to see the images.
I posted about this topic a few weeks ago, but it hit home for me yet again yesterday when I was reviewing another book I’d been given through Netgalley.
As I do, I read the other reviews posted that are either listed on the Netgalley page or on GoodReads to get an idea of what other people think of the book. The reason I do this is to see if I’m totally off the mark with my opinion of the work – which I can be, no lie – or if I somehow missed something along the way that would make me not like the book I’m reviewing.
So. The book I read was really pretty weird. The story was told in three voices, all with their own consecutive chapters. Luckily, the names of the person “talking” appeared on the heading of each chapter, so at least I knew whose Point of View ( POV) I was in. The story itself was a depressing tale of family secrets, murder, and abuse. It was billed as a “suspense/mystery.” Well, I didn’t think there was any suspense, and I figured out the “mystery” 50 pages into the book.
Now, when a story just doesn’t resonate with me, I simply give it a 3 rating ( never less) and don’t write a review. This way at least I rated it in the middle of the curve ( 1-5 stars) and I don’t have to write any negative comments.
Not so much the other people who reviewed it – and I say “reviewed it” in the lightest sense. 10 ratings/reviews were posted ( not including mine). 6 people rated it DNF for did not finish, and then went on to explain why they didn’t. Every one of those explanations was….brutal. Really. Nasty, harsh, and on the cusp of bullying-speak. The other 4 rated it between 1 and 2 with equally critical words.
All I could think was this book was published by a big-name publishing house by a moderately well-known author who probably had an agent ( who read the book before sending it out to publishers) and editors who also devoted time to it, thinking it was worthwhile to publish.
Why? What did they think was so publishing worthy about the story that this random sampling of readers did not?
Out of 10 reviews, plus my own rating, no one had anything good to say. What did this do to the books’ sales? What did this do to the author’s ego? Or sense of writing-self? I agonize over those answers because I’m a writer, too. I hate when anyone says anything derogatory or uber-critical about my words. I know I should let it flow – like water off a duck’s back – but I can’t! My ego is so fragile, (and God I hate how that sounds!) but it’s true. I don’t like to hear bad things about my creative babies.
I wonder how the people who write such nasty, negative reviews would feel if someone they didn’t know wrote something really horrible about them, or something they did for a living? I really do.
And that question is what keeps me from writing a scathing review.
So…if you see my name attached to a review with a 3 rating, just know the book didn’t resonate with me as its reader. But it may with you….just saying
When I’m not losing sleep over reviews you can find me here: Tweet Me//Read Me// Visit Me//Picture Me//Pin Me//Friend Me//Google+Me// Triberr
I posted about this topic a few weeks ago, but it hit home for me yet again yesterday when I was reviewing another book I’d been given through Netgalley.
As I do, I read the other reviews posted that are either listed on the Netgalley page or on GoodReads to get an idea of what other people think of the book. The reason I do this is to see if I’m totally off the mark with my opinion of the work – which I can be, no lie – or if I somehow missed something along the way that would make me not like the book I’m reviewing.
So. The book I read was really pretty weird. The story was told in three voices, all with their own consecutive chapters. Luckily, the names of the person “talking” appeared on the heading of each chapter, so at least I knew whose Point of View ( POV) I was in. The story itself was a depressing tale of family secrets, murder, and abuse. It was billed as a “suspense/mystery.” Well, I didn’t think there was any suspense, and I figured out the “mystery” 50 pages into the book.
Now, when a story just doesn’t resonate with me, I simply give it a 3 rating ( never less) and don’t write a review. This way at least I rated it in the middle of the curve ( 1-5 stars) and I don’t have to write any negative comments.
Not so much the other people who reviewed it – and I say “reviewed it” in the lightest sense. 10 ratings/reviews were posted ( not including mine). 6 people rated it DNF for did not finish, and then went on to explain why they didn’t. Every one of those explanations was….brutal. Really. Nasty, harsh, and on the cusp of bullying-speak. The other 4 rated it between 1 and 2 with equally critical words.
All I could think was this book was published by a big-name publishing house by a moderately well-known author who probably had an agent ( who read the book before sending it out to publishers) and editors who also devoted time to it, thinking it was worthwhile to publish.
Why? What did they think was so publishing worthy about the story that this random sampling of readers did not?
Out of 10 reviews, plus my own rating, no one had anything good to say. What did this do to the books’ sales? What did this do to the author’s ego? Or sense of writing-self? I agonize over those answers because I’m a writer, too. I hate when anyone says anything derogatory or uber-critical about my words. I know I should let it flow – like water off a duck’s back – but I can’t! My ego is so fragile, (and God I hate how that sounds!) but it’s true. I don’t like to hear bad things about my creative babies.
I wonder how the people who write such nasty, negative reviews would feel if someone they didn’t know wrote something really horrible about them, or something they did for a living? I really do.
And that question is what keeps me from writing a scathing review.
So…if you see my name attached to a review with a 3 rating, just know the book didn’t resonate with me as its reader. But it may with you….just saying
When I’m not losing sleep over reviews you can find me here: Tweet Me//Read Me// Visit Me//Picture Me//Pin Me//Friend Me//Google+Me// Triberr
Back to normal ( I hope!)
I’ve been radio – or in this case, computer – silent for a few days as I try to get my life back to normal after my week away. Seven whole days to be gone from home is a long, long-ass time. In addition to all the day-to-day stuff I had to catch up on (grocery shopping so we wouldn’t starve, doing piles of laundry so we’ll be clothed and not naked in society, paying bills so our electricity and internet won’t go out) I also had to get my writing back on track.
Deadlines to honor. Editors to appease. Words to put on the page.
I wrote a little in my WIP while in Atlanta, but I mostly just penned my daily blog and did some LIVE videos on facebook in between workshops and networking and traveling. Check out the videos portion of my Facebook page to see what you missed.
But now it’s back to work. Literally. I need to get two books finished by the end of July when I head off to Orlando for RWA 2017 and hopefully have both ready to be presented to my editor. Plus I’m writing a new wedding series and trying to eek a little room in for that on most days. And it wouldn’t kill me to get back on track with getting Planet Fitness every day again. My butt is starting to get chair-spread again. Oh, and I knowknowknow I’ll be getting two books back any day from two editors for final and galley edits.
And please, I don’t want to think about all the books I’ve got to review for Netgalley and Goodreads.
Does this sound like I’m complaining? I hope not. I really love my life. Lovelovelove it!!
I just wish, sometimes, there were 30 hours in every day instead of 24.
Looking for me? Here I am:Tweet Me//Read Me// Visit Me//Picture Me//Pin Me//Friend Me//Google+Me// Triberr
Deadlines to honor. Editors to appease. Words to put on the page.
I wrote a little in my WIP while in Atlanta, but I mostly just penned my daily blog and did some LIVE videos on facebook in between workshops and networking and traveling. Check out the videos portion of my Facebook page to see what you missed.
But now it’s back to work. Literally. I need to get two books finished by the end of July when I head off to Orlando for RWA 2017 and hopefully have both ready to be presented to my editor. Plus I’m writing a new wedding series and trying to eek a little room in for that on most days. And it wouldn’t kill me to get back on track with getting Planet Fitness every day again. My butt is starting to get chair-spread again. Oh, and I knowknowknow I’ll be getting two books back any day from two editors for final and galley edits.
And please, I don’t want to think about all the books I’ve got to review for Netgalley and Goodreads.
Does this sound like I’m complaining? I hope not. I really love my life. Lovelovelove it!!
I just wish, sometimes, there were 30 hours in every day instead of 24.
Looking for me? Here I am:Tweet Me//Read Me// Visit Me//Picture Me//Pin Me//Friend Me//Google+Me// Triberr
