Nenia Campbell's Blog, page 12
July 9, 2022
How I review books on Goodreads
Every so often, I like to do a little reminder about what I'm all about, since I am conscious about my platform on here, and I know that sometimes people side-eye authors who review others' works. I'm also a mood reader who tends to go through periods of reading only the same types of books for long periods of time, only to switch it up after a few weeks, leaving some people confused.
So here are some informational tidbits about how I review and use my platform.
1. If I think I won't be able to separate the art from the artist, I won't review their work. Period. I won't review or support Orson Scott Card or J.K. Rowling, because I dislike their personal stances on issues that are important to me so much so that I feel like it would color how I view their stories. Likewise, if I see an author subtweeting me or people who I care about, I won't review their work. I do not revenge-rate or get into petty internet fights, but I won't read the books of people who get in my bad books. It's probably for the best.
2. I try not to punch down. I used to write way more negative reviews when I was younger, but that was when I was not in the best place in terms of mental health, and I have regrets over how vicious and brutal some of my reviews were back then (even though they did come from a place of honesty). I really try to curb myself now. And I try not to make fun of authors who are just starting out and don't have a lot of traction, yet. I don't write reviews wanting to upset people. My primary goal on Goodreads is to have fun and entertain.
3. I am amenable to learning and doing better. Recently someone called me in about some language I had used in one of my reviews that was insensitive. Even though the language I used hadn't been intended that way, I realized how it could be perceived, and that it was my own fault for being so careless in my word choices. So I revised the language in my review, and I appreciated that the person who contacted me wanted to help me do better. They didn't have to do that, but they did, and I learned from that and ultimately really appreciated the experience.
4. That said, I do read a lot of "un-PC" books. I try to look at these objectively, considering when they were set and when they were written, but I do try to point out the slurs and triggers that might offend readers who really aren't into those sorts of things (for totally valid reasons). I don't believe that the books people read or write necessarily define them as a person, but I do think that how people consume and talk about what they read and write do. It's important to allow criticism of what we love, and understand that if we consume media with toxic elements in it, that it is really important to allow people to discuss why those things are problematic without shutting them down or making apologies for those things.
5. Even though I'm an author, I never rate out of jealousy. Do I feel jealous? Fuck yes. All the time. But if an author writes a story so good that I wish I thought of it first, then they get a five star review. Period. I really don't see other authors as "the competition" because books aren't a "this or that" scenario. Readers consume vast quantities of books, and there is room for many people at the table. It's always exciting when I find an author more talented than I am, because it means I have someone new to learn from and appreciate and that is invaluable, and worth way more than the price of their book.
6. I really try to make this site a better place than I found it. I want to be nice. I know I can come across as an arrogant dick sometimes, but for the most part, I try to be welcoming and inclusive. I really am grateful to be part of the book community and I think there are so many wonderful voices who give this site the power that it has, for authors and readers alike. Sometimes people know me from one of my negative reviews only, and I think that can make them think that I'm a bitter, negative person. I've had people reach out to me from that standpoint, but after we've had a discussion, it often ends up becoming pretty positive for both of us. I'm brutally honest, but I don't think I'm mean (and I really try hard not to come across this way). At the end of the day, I'm a reader who just wants to have fun and scream about books with other readers.
7. I will read almost anything, but only when I feel like it. I'll binge science nonfiction for several weeks, only to veer into feminism or bodice-rippers or mysteries. I like everything from YA to fantasy. I joke about having trashy taste, and I do. I don't have anything to prove with the books I read. I just want to have fun. Maybe you think that invalidates my opinion, and that some books aren't meant to be enjoyable. That's OK but it's not how I review, and I'm not really all that interested in having people tell me how I should have read a book. Life is short, and if I'm not feeling something, I won't read it.
8. Which is why I rate my DNFs. I won't tell people how to read and write their reviews, and I think it's sad how many people seem to feel it's in their rights to do so. If you want to waste hours and hours slogging through something that makes you miserable, that's on you. But if I called it quits at 15% and decide to rate and review, that's my choice. You don't need to finish a crappy meal to decide it sucks, so why do I need to finish a crappy book to decide the same?
9. I love book friends. Please feel free to add me. I'm absent-minded and not the best at engaging (haha what an endorsement), but I try to respond to all my comments on here and like the reviews of my friends as much as possible. I've been told I can seem intimidating or snobby, and I'm sorry if I come across that way. I'm basically a marshmallow covered in prickles, okay? Beyond all those pretentious spines is a quivering, gelatinous mess of insecurity and wanting to please.
10. I will never attack someone for not liking one of my own books. I won't unfriend people who are friends with me who end up not liking my books, either. Sure, negative reviews don't always feel the greatest, but I understand that there is a place for them and I'm happy that someone gave one of my books a try. Not all books are for all people, and I get that.
So hopefully this makes it a little clearer where I stand with regard to books and reviews. I think I've posted something like this before, but I like to post periodic reminders as I get new friends and followers, since I value transparency and I think it's important for creators to make it clear what they are using their platform for and what their intentions are.
Have a great day!
So here are some informational tidbits about how I review and use my platform.
1. If I think I won't be able to separate the art from the artist, I won't review their work. Period. I won't review or support Orson Scott Card or J.K. Rowling, because I dislike their personal stances on issues that are important to me so much so that I feel like it would color how I view their stories. Likewise, if I see an author subtweeting me or people who I care about, I won't review their work. I do not revenge-rate or get into petty internet fights, but I won't read the books of people who get in my bad books. It's probably for the best.
2. I try not to punch down. I used to write way more negative reviews when I was younger, but that was when I was not in the best place in terms of mental health, and I have regrets over how vicious and brutal some of my reviews were back then (even though they did come from a place of honesty). I really try to curb myself now. And I try not to make fun of authors who are just starting out and don't have a lot of traction, yet. I don't write reviews wanting to upset people. My primary goal on Goodreads is to have fun and entertain.
3. I am amenable to learning and doing better. Recently someone called me in about some language I had used in one of my reviews that was insensitive. Even though the language I used hadn't been intended that way, I realized how it could be perceived, and that it was my own fault for being so careless in my word choices. So I revised the language in my review, and I appreciated that the person who contacted me wanted to help me do better. They didn't have to do that, but they did, and I learned from that and ultimately really appreciated the experience.
4. That said, I do read a lot of "un-PC" books. I try to look at these objectively, considering when they were set and when they were written, but I do try to point out the slurs and triggers that might offend readers who really aren't into those sorts of things (for totally valid reasons). I don't believe that the books people read or write necessarily define them as a person, but I do think that how people consume and talk about what they read and write do. It's important to allow criticism of what we love, and understand that if we consume media with toxic elements in it, that it is really important to allow people to discuss why those things are problematic without shutting them down or making apologies for those things.
5. Even though I'm an author, I never rate out of jealousy. Do I feel jealous? Fuck yes. All the time. But if an author writes a story so good that I wish I thought of it first, then they get a five star review. Period. I really don't see other authors as "the competition" because books aren't a "this or that" scenario. Readers consume vast quantities of books, and there is room for many people at the table. It's always exciting when I find an author more talented than I am, because it means I have someone new to learn from and appreciate and that is invaluable, and worth way more than the price of their book.
6. I really try to make this site a better place than I found it. I want to be nice. I know I can come across as an arrogant dick sometimes, but for the most part, I try to be welcoming and inclusive. I really am grateful to be part of the book community and I think there are so many wonderful voices who give this site the power that it has, for authors and readers alike. Sometimes people know me from one of my negative reviews only, and I think that can make them think that I'm a bitter, negative person. I've had people reach out to me from that standpoint, but after we've had a discussion, it often ends up becoming pretty positive for both of us. I'm brutally honest, but I don't think I'm mean (and I really try hard not to come across this way). At the end of the day, I'm a reader who just wants to have fun and scream about books with other readers.
7. I will read almost anything, but only when I feel like it. I'll binge science nonfiction for several weeks, only to veer into feminism or bodice-rippers or mysteries. I like everything from YA to fantasy. I joke about having trashy taste, and I do. I don't have anything to prove with the books I read. I just want to have fun. Maybe you think that invalidates my opinion, and that some books aren't meant to be enjoyable. That's OK but it's not how I review, and I'm not really all that interested in having people tell me how I should have read a book. Life is short, and if I'm not feeling something, I won't read it.
8. Which is why I rate my DNFs. I won't tell people how to read and write their reviews, and I think it's sad how many people seem to feel it's in their rights to do so. If you want to waste hours and hours slogging through something that makes you miserable, that's on you. But if I called it quits at 15% and decide to rate and review, that's my choice. You don't need to finish a crappy meal to decide it sucks, so why do I need to finish a crappy book to decide the same?
9. I love book friends. Please feel free to add me. I'm absent-minded and not the best at engaging (haha what an endorsement), but I try to respond to all my comments on here and like the reviews of my friends as much as possible. I've been told I can seem intimidating or snobby, and I'm sorry if I come across that way. I'm basically a marshmallow covered in prickles, okay? Beyond all those pretentious spines is a quivering, gelatinous mess of insecurity and wanting to please.
10. I will never attack someone for not liking one of my own books. I won't unfriend people who are friends with me who end up not liking my books, either. Sure, negative reviews don't always feel the greatest, but I understand that there is a place for them and I'm happy that someone gave one of my books a try. Not all books are for all people, and I get that.
So hopefully this makes it a little clearer where I stand with regard to books and reviews. I think I've posted something like this before, but I like to post periodic reminders as I get new friends and followers, since I value transparency and I think it's important for creators to make it clear what they are using their platform for and what their intentions are.
Have a great day!
July 6, 2022
AMA Video Is LIVE on Instagram!
Hi all! I made a video answering the questions you asked on Instagram! ♥
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cfrvdiqq1NC/
Please enjoy! And thank you so much for the questions, and for your interest in my work! :D
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cfrvdiqq1NC/
Please enjoy! And thank you so much for the questions, and for your interest in my work! :D
July 3, 2022
THE OTHER WOMAN Is LIVE on Amazon!
Hi all! As you may know, my mom and I wrote a book together. It's called The Other Woman. It's a bit different than what I usually write, because it's not villain smut (lol), but there's a neat story behind this book. It's based off an outline for a story that my mom wrote about twenty years ago but never did anything with. She wanted to see other people reading it, though, so she gave it to me to polish up and flesh out, so she could realize her dream of seeing it in the hands of other readers.
We're both very excited to share it with you today and would be honored if you bought a copy (although it's free on KU too!). Here's the link for the US store: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B5PWP8KV
-
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0B5PWP8KV
Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0B5PWP8KV
Amazon AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0B5PWP8KV
Amazon DE: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B0B5PWP8KV
Amazon IN: https://www.amazon.in/dp/B0B5PWP8KV
Amazon FR: https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B0B5PWP8KV
Amazon IT: https://www.amazon.it/dp/B0B5PWP8KV
Amazon NL: https://www.amazon.nl/dp/B0B5PWP8KV
Amazon JP: https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B0B5PWP8KV
Amazon MX: https://www.amazon.com.mx/dp/B0B5PWP8KV
Amazon ES: https://www.amazon.es/dp/B0B5PWP8KV
Amazon BR: https://www.amazon.com.br/dp/B0B5PWP8KV
We're both very excited to share it with you today and would be honored if you bought a copy (although it's free on KU too!). Here's the link for the US store: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B5PWP8KV
-
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0B5PWP8KV
Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0B5PWP8KV
Amazon AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0B5PWP8KV
Amazon DE: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B0B5PWP8KV
Amazon IN: https://www.amazon.in/dp/B0B5PWP8KV
Amazon FR: https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B0B5PWP8KV
Amazon IT: https://www.amazon.it/dp/B0B5PWP8KV
Amazon NL: https://www.amazon.nl/dp/B0B5PWP8KV
Amazon JP: https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B0B5PWP8KV
Amazon MX: https://www.amazon.com.mx/dp/B0B5PWP8KV
Amazon ES: https://www.amazon.es/dp/B0B5PWP8KV
Amazon BR: https://www.amazon.com.br/dp/B0B5PWP8KV
June 30, 2022
~ASK ME ANYTHING~
A while ago, I did an AMA post on this blog and got lots of really neat questions. This time, I thought it might be nice to do an AMA video.
So if you have any questions about my books, upcoming projects, me, or my blogging, please feel free to ask them here! Within the next couple weeks, I'll gather up questions and answer them in an Instagram video. <3
So if you have any questions about my books, upcoming projects, me, or my blogging, please feel free to ask them here! Within the next couple weeks, I'll gather up questions and answer them in an Instagram video. <3
June 14, 2022
Writing updates!
Hello everyone,
I've actually been pretty productive lately and have been making reasonably good progress on my current WIPs, which is a refreshing change from Batter My Heart, which took me over a year to finish and edit.
Here are my current projects that I am currently working on and the order in which they are likely to be finished.
I'm almost done with Rent Girl, which is going to be my upcoming mafia/cartel book. To speed up publishing, I've been trying to edit as I go. I'm probably about 85%-90% done with the book as of now and it will likely be about 100,000-110,000 words long when finished.
I AM done with the work I have written with my mother, The Other Woman, which is a gentle-ish domestic thriller with some triggers (like abuse or grief) that give it some edge. The heroine is also in her 40s, so she's a little older than the heroines I usually write (I think the second oldest was Jay, from Quid Pro Quo, who was 31). I'm in the last pass of final edits and it's taking me some time in between other projects but I really am hoping to have it out within the next month or two. This will be a novella.
As for upcoming words, I am planning a Gothic romance (Little Deaths (still in planning/research stages), Wildscape (wrote part of the prologue this week-- it's about Gavin's fucked-up younger brother, Luca!), and Untitled friends to enemies to lovers book (which is already thirty-something pages long and is going to be just as toxic and epic as QPQ).
Thank you so much for supporting me as a writer! It's a lot of fun to write the trashy smut I love to read as well and see other people reading them and recommending them. I'm excited to hopefully share even more twisted and fucked up stories with y'all soon. ♥
I've actually been pretty productive lately and have been making reasonably good progress on my current WIPs, which is a refreshing change from Batter My Heart, which took me over a year to finish and edit.
Here are my current projects that I am currently working on and the order in which they are likely to be finished.
I'm almost done with Rent Girl, which is going to be my upcoming mafia/cartel book. To speed up publishing, I've been trying to edit as I go. I'm probably about 85%-90% done with the book as of now and it will likely be about 100,000-110,000 words long when finished.
I AM done with the work I have written with my mother, The Other Woman, which is a gentle-ish domestic thriller with some triggers (like abuse or grief) that give it some edge. The heroine is also in her 40s, so she's a little older than the heroines I usually write (I think the second oldest was Jay, from Quid Pro Quo, who was 31). I'm in the last pass of final edits and it's taking me some time in between other projects but I really am hoping to have it out within the next month or two. This will be a novella.
As for upcoming words, I am planning a Gothic romance (Little Deaths (still in planning/research stages), Wildscape (wrote part of the prologue this week-- it's about Gavin's fucked-up younger brother, Luca!), and Untitled friends to enemies to lovers book (which is already thirty-something pages long and is going to be just as toxic and epic as QPQ).
Thank you so much for supporting me as a writer! It's a lot of fun to write the trashy smut I love to read as well and see other people reading them and recommending them. I'm excited to hopefully share even more twisted and fucked up stories with y'all soon. ♥
May 18, 2022
Meet the author/reviewer!
So I have a number of new fabulous friendos (friendorinis?) and I thought it might be nice to do a little about me on here. Especially since people tend to know me for That One Thing (a positive review of mine they saw, a negative review of mine they saw, or a book of mine that they read and liked). So if you know me from That One Thing, HELLO. I'm glad you liked That One Thing, but I also do many other Things, some of which I will talk about here.
🌷 I am in my thirties. Which will either surprise you in a good/bad way, or make you go, "That explains a lot." I'm pretty immature for my age but I like to think it keeps me young. Or it means that I fail at adulting. YMMV.
🌷 I AM AN AUTHOR. I write smutty villain erotica that contains all the triggers. I'm not trying to be edgy, my work is seriously messed up. If you're not eighteen, you probably shouldn't read it. If you're under eighteen and you're going to read it anyway, make sure you add a tag to your review or your TikTok or whatever that says "NENIA TOLD ME NO BUT I DID IT ANYWAY YOLO." I don't want to get any angry phone calls. (Like I'd pick up the phone anyway lmfao.) Let the record show that I said, in all seriousness, don't fucking do it, kids. On the other hand, if you're over eighteen and you like dark romances, I've done it all. Psychotic witches, assassins, stalker murder bois who like chess, bullymances, and obsessive stepbrothers. Soon I'll have mafia to add to the list. Woohoo.
🌷 During the day, I work in tech. My hobbies include gardening, thrifting, and rolling my eyes at the idiots on Nextdoor. I'm actually incredibly boring. Maybe that's why I write such disturbing stuff lol.
🌷 I have an Instagram where I post regular updates about my vintage romance collection. Please feel free to follow me on there @alwaysbeebooked. It's mostly just me getting excited over my mail and laughing at Fabio. Also, someone just taught me how to do reels, which was a mistake, because now there are lots of reels about me getting excited over my mail and laughing at Fabio. ALSO, if you read one my books and do a post on there and then tag me in it, there's like a 99% chance that I'll add it to my stories because I just figured out how to do that, too.
🌷 I love doing buddy-reads! Especially of weird books that nobody is reading. I feel like it's like going to a hole-in-the-wall restaurant with someone. That obscureness feeds into the experience and makes it really special. Feel free to jump in if you see me reading something you have.
🌷 My reading taste is trash. I'm not ashamed of it. I'll read Fabio on the train. Romance can be good or trashy and tbh, I prefer the trashy. Why be literary when you can just be airy? I always feel bad when someone adds me over a literature or a nonfic review because that makes up about 1% of what I read. The other 99% is bodice-rippers and lizard men. I consider myself quite the sophisticate when it comes to trash, though. A real gourmand of trash, if you will. *holds book pinkie-up*
🌷 I'm Californian, which is why most of my books are set there. I can also tell when a book set in California is written by someone who doesn't live here, because real estate will be reasonably priced, the wine they drink will be shitty and clash with the food the characters are eating, and they'll have a character making a living wage by working in a flower shop or something. I can't tell you how many times I've read a book set in "San Francisco" where the part-time heroine has a studio apartment in the Marina district and still has enough money to shop. Nine times out of ten, I'll go to the author's profile and see that they live in the Midwest. Presumably in a real house. MUST BE NICE. Sucks about the bad food, tho.
🌷 I honestly feel so grateful to be part of this community. I've made so many friends in all the micro communities I'm a part of, whether it's the bodice-ripper community or the diverse fantasy community, and it's really cool to connect with readers of my own work as well as some of my favorite creators.
🌷 Don't let my sarcasm fool you. I'm actually really nice. It's just the coping mechanism I've developed to comp for the supremely unjust amounts of awkward that life chose to deal me.
🌷 I am in my thirties. Which will either surprise you in a good/bad way, or make you go, "That explains a lot." I'm pretty immature for my age but I like to think it keeps me young. Or it means that I fail at adulting. YMMV.
🌷 I AM AN AUTHOR. I write smutty villain erotica that contains all the triggers. I'm not trying to be edgy, my work is seriously messed up. If you're not eighteen, you probably shouldn't read it. If you're under eighteen and you're going to read it anyway, make sure you add a tag to your review or your TikTok or whatever that says "NENIA TOLD ME NO BUT I DID IT ANYWAY YOLO." I don't want to get any angry phone calls. (Like I'd pick up the phone anyway lmfao.) Let the record show that I said, in all seriousness, don't fucking do it, kids. On the other hand, if you're over eighteen and you like dark romances, I've done it all. Psychotic witches, assassins, stalker murder bois who like chess, bullymances, and obsessive stepbrothers. Soon I'll have mafia to add to the list. Woohoo.
🌷 During the day, I work in tech. My hobbies include gardening, thrifting, and rolling my eyes at the idiots on Nextdoor. I'm actually incredibly boring. Maybe that's why I write such disturbing stuff lol.
🌷 I have an Instagram where I post regular updates about my vintage romance collection. Please feel free to follow me on there @alwaysbeebooked. It's mostly just me getting excited over my mail and laughing at Fabio. Also, someone just taught me how to do reels, which was a mistake, because now there are lots of reels about me getting excited over my mail and laughing at Fabio. ALSO, if you read one my books and do a post on there and then tag me in it, there's like a 99% chance that I'll add it to my stories because I just figured out how to do that, too.
🌷 I love doing buddy-reads! Especially of weird books that nobody is reading. I feel like it's like going to a hole-in-the-wall restaurant with someone. That obscureness feeds into the experience and makes it really special. Feel free to jump in if you see me reading something you have.
🌷 My reading taste is trash. I'm not ashamed of it. I'll read Fabio on the train. Romance can be good or trashy and tbh, I prefer the trashy. Why be literary when you can just be airy? I always feel bad when someone adds me over a literature or a nonfic review because that makes up about 1% of what I read. The other 99% is bodice-rippers and lizard men. I consider myself quite the sophisticate when it comes to trash, though. A real gourmand of trash, if you will. *holds book pinkie-up*
🌷 I'm Californian, which is why most of my books are set there. I can also tell when a book set in California is written by someone who doesn't live here, because real estate will be reasonably priced, the wine they drink will be shitty and clash with the food the characters are eating, and they'll have a character making a living wage by working in a flower shop or something. I can't tell you how many times I've read a book set in "San Francisco" where the part-time heroine has a studio apartment in the Marina district and still has enough money to shop. Nine times out of ten, I'll go to the author's profile and see that they live in the Midwest. Presumably in a real house. MUST BE NICE. Sucks about the bad food, tho.
🌷 I honestly feel so grateful to be part of this community. I've made so many friends in all the micro communities I'm a part of, whether it's the bodice-ripper community or the diverse fantasy community, and it's really cool to connect with readers of my own work as well as some of my favorite creators.
🌷 Don't let my sarcasm fool you. I'm actually really nice. It's just the coping mechanism I've developed to comp for the supremely unjust amounts of awkward that life chose to deal me.
May 16, 2022
What the Actual Fuck Wednesday on temp hiatus!
Hi all! I've had some people ask about WtAFW and I am not discontinuing it! But I'm probably going to go on hiatus with that side project until July because May is AAPI heritage month and June is LGBT+ Pride month, and I want to focus on reading books that fit those categories instead since diversity is more important than laughing at tentacle penises and sentient horny puppets! :P
In the meantime, I hope you find discover fun new recs by Asian and queer authors over the next two months and please feel free to suggest books to me. ♥
In the meantime, I hope you find discover fun new recs by Asian and queer authors over the next two months and please feel free to suggest books to me. ♥
April 29, 2022
Writing and anxiety
Every time I write and publish a book, I end up going through a lot of the same cyclical doubts. "What if everyone hates this book? What if I've already peaked as a writer and everything I write after this book is trash? Maybe I should just scrap everything and start over. Why do I suck?"
I usually end up pushing through but sometimes it makes the book take a lot longer. I ended up hating the original draft of Batter My Heart so much that I rewrote all 100,000 words of it from scratch, giving the three main characters a complete overhaul and changing several elements of the plot. I felt so awful by the time I'd published it that I had convinced myself everyone would feel frustrated with it, and with me, and I was shocked when some of my readers actually preferred it to Quid Pro Quo, a book that I had, with the rosy lenses of hindsight, convinced myself that I would never surpass in terms of quality.
I'm not sure there is any way of silencing these voices completely-- and to be honest, I don't think I want to, because I think the fear of failure is what pushes me to want to succeed and do better. Even though all the advice people say "don't read your negative reviews," I read all my reviews-- positive and negative-- because I feel like a lot of them actually have really valid points on areas where I didn't do so well in a book, which gives me something to focus on in all subsequent works. But I do think that constantly beating yourself up can result in having a toxic relationship with your writing.
It's important to be able to be honest with yourself as a creator and say, "This is affecting my productivity and my mental health and I need to step back right now." For a while, I did not have that ability to set those boundaries, and I feel like my mental health and the quality of my work both suffered. There were days in my late teens and early twenties when I didn't eat or sleep because I spent all day writing, and that was not a good thing for me to do. Self-care is so important.
ALSO, and this is very important-- I see a lot of creators try and guilt their audiences into feeling bad about writing negative reviews because they are using their books to talk about trauma/mental health and therefore feel that their creations should be above reproach. While I also use my books as a platform to discuss things that upset or bother me, as well as mental health, I think it's wrong to use these to guilt your audience. If you're writing a blog post or op-ed that's one thing. But once you put a price tag on your work, it becomes a commercial good that you are selling to the public, and it's unfair to try to silence or criticize people for expressing opinions about what they paid money for.
Anyway, this is something that I have been thinking about a lot. I am very passionate about reading and writing but in the fast-paced NOW NOW NOW era of the internet, it's easy to get wrapped up in what you're doing and forget about your physical and psychological well-being. Sometimes it helps just to know you're not the only one going through whatever, you know?
I usually end up pushing through but sometimes it makes the book take a lot longer. I ended up hating the original draft of Batter My Heart so much that I rewrote all 100,000 words of it from scratch, giving the three main characters a complete overhaul and changing several elements of the plot. I felt so awful by the time I'd published it that I had convinced myself everyone would feel frustrated with it, and with me, and I was shocked when some of my readers actually preferred it to Quid Pro Quo, a book that I had, with the rosy lenses of hindsight, convinced myself that I would never surpass in terms of quality.
I'm not sure there is any way of silencing these voices completely-- and to be honest, I don't think I want to, because I think the fear of failure is what pushes me to want to succeed and do better. Even though all the advice people say "don't read your negative reviews," I read all my reviews-- positive and negative-- because I feel like a lot of them actually have really valid points on areas where I didn't do so well in a book, which gives me something to focus on in all subsequent works. But I do think that constantly beating yourself up can result in having a toxic relationship with your writing.
It's important to be able to be honest with yourself as a creator and say, "This is affecting my productivity and my mental health and I need to step back right now." For a while, I did not have that ability to set those boundaries, and I feel like my mental health and the quality of my work both suffered. There were days in my late teens and early twenties when I didn't eat or sleep because I spent all day writing, and that was not a good thing for me to do. Self-care is so important.
ALSO, and this is very important-- I see a lot of creators try and guilt their audiences into feeling bad about writing negative reviews because they are using their books to talk about trauma/mental health and therefore feel that their creations should be above reproach. While I also use my books as a platform to discuss things that upset or bother me, as well as mental health, I think it's wrong to use these to guilt your audience. If you're writing a blog post or op-ed that's one thing. But once you put a price tag on your work, it becomes a commercial good that you are selling to the public, and it's unfair to try to silence or criticize people for expressing opinions about what they paid money for.
Anyway, this is something that I have been thinking about a lot. I am very passionate about reading and writing but in the fast-paced NOW NOW NOW era of the internet, it's easy to get wrapped up in what you're doing and forget about your physical and psychological well-being. Sometimes it helps just to know you're not the only one going through whatever, you know?
April 17, 2022
Follow my book updates on Facebook!
Hi all,
So as you may or may not know, YES, I am an author. And one of the struggles of the independent author is "how do I post updates about my books without annoying the fuck out of everyone I'm friends with?" A question with an answer I have yet to figure out.
(A moment of silence for all the friends I've lost every time I post a self-promotional status update. RIP friendships.)
But if you'd like to stay on top of my sales and new releases, please feel free to follow my Facebook fan page: https://www.facebook.com/aficionenias
I JUST got all the pictures and links up to date (don't ask how long that took) and I'm pretty good about posting links to sales and promos on there, so if you love my books and want to find out what's coming out and when, follow me there! I don't post that often, so you definitely won't be inundated with updates.
♥
So as you may or may not know, YES, I am an author. And one of the struggles of the independent author is "how do I post updates about my books without annoying the fuck out of everyone I'm friends with?" A question with an answer I have yet to figure out.
(A moment of silence for all the friends I've lost every time I post a self-promotional status update. RIP friendships.)
But if you'd like to stay on top of my sales and new releases, please feel free to follow my Facebook fan page: https://www.facebook.com/aficionenias
I JUST got all the pictures and links up to date (don't ask how long that took) and I'm pretty good about posting links to sales and promos on there, so if you love my books and want to find out what's coming out and when, follow me there! I don't post that often, so you definitely won't be inundated with updates.
♥
April 11, 2022
Wanna read my books for FREE? BIG 4/12 PROMO!!!
So I'm doing another author takeover with Drethi Anis to celebrate the release of her new book, Lust. As part of my contribution to her group, I'll be giving away three of my best-sellers on Amazon for FREE.
By which I mean, anyone and everyone with an Amazon account can download them. WOOHOO.
The eligible titles will be:
Fearscape - The story of a girl who gets more than she can handle when she falls for the wrong guy. Bad things happen.
https://www.amazon.com/Fearscape-Horr...
Quid Pro Quo - Boy falls for older stepsister. Boy becomes obsessed with older sister. Bad things happen.
https://www.amazon.com/Quid-Pro-Quo-s...
Batter My Heart - Girl moves to shitty town full of shitty rich people. Turns down advances of a sexist douche, only to end up capturing the attention of Sexist Douche's hot but mentally unstable older brother. Bad things happen.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09...
I've been told my works are like a mash-up of an old skool bodice ripper and a 90s Point Horror novel, and since those are the two types of books that have shaped me most as an author, that makes me really super happy.
Definitely check these out if that appeals to you! I'd love it if you wrote me a review, too (good or bad). Reviews make me super happy and I'm not going to lose my shit if you hate my stuff, and I'm also not one of those authors who blocks or unfriends people who don't like her books. Oh, and don't forget to check out Drethi Anis's new book and some of her other stuff, too. ^_^
By which I mean, anyone and everyone with an Amazon account can download them. WOOHOO.
The eligible titles will be:
Fearscape - The story of a girl who gets more than she can handle when she falls for the wrong guy. Bad things happen.
https://www.amazon.com/Fearscape-Horr...
Quid Pro Quo - Boy falls for older stepsister. Boy becomes obsessed with older sister. Bad things happen.
https://www.amazon.com/Quid-Pro-Quo-s...
Batter My Heart - Girl moves to shitty town full of shitty rich people. Turns down advances of a sexist douche, only to end up capturing the attention of Sexist Douche's hot but mentally unstable older brother. Bad things happen.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09...
I've been told my works are like a mash-up of an old skool bodice ripper and a 90s Point Horror novel, and since those are the two types of books that have shaped me most as an author, that makes me really super happy.
Definitely check these out if that appeals to you! I'd love it if you wrote me a review, too (good or bad). Reviews make me super happy and I'm not going to lose my shit if you hate my stuff, and I'm also not one of those authors who blocks or unfriends people who don't like her books. Oh, and don't forget to check out Drethi Anis's new book and some of her other stuff, too. ^_^
