Misty Dawn Pulsipher's Blog, page 2

Why This 2-star Review Made My Day!

Hello. My name is Misty Dawn Pulsipher and I am a Clean Romance Author. I kind of feel like I need to put this as a disclaimer at the very beginning of my book. I actually love this review I just read on Amazon for Pride's Prejudice: "OK, First off, the cover is deceiving as all get out. The book is modern day set in Wyoming. But none of this I have a complaint about. It starts off a bit weak but then it gets really good. The characters are not Pride and Prejudice per se. This would be better off as a chick lit book then saying it has anything to do with P&P. Yet again, no complaints though because the story was interesting and the writing was good. What I do have a problem with is 4/5 through the book, it suddenly becomes absolutely stupid. To think that with all the sexual tension throughout the book, suddenly virginity becomes and issue made me check the back in two seconds flat to see if the author was a religious fanatic. Sure enough, that's exactly it. Here's the complaint because it's NOT THAT SHE'S A VIRGIN, it's that the author didn't carry that thread throughout the story. She threw it in as a preachy piece. It felt weird and changed the whole story to absolutely unbelievable. People this age have sex and people in this book are having sex. Are we thinking the other characters aren't doing it. Oh please, that part made this book maddening and I didn't like the unbelievability in it. If you want to write a christian P&P book, then carry that the throughout the book. Take the time and energy to introduce a reader to that idea early on so it doesn't feel like a preachy slap in the face." Normally anything below a 4-star review kind of sends me into a funk as an author, but lately my writing skills have been praised while my personal morals are the issue. According to this reader my stance on sex outside marriage makes me a religious fanatic. I'm pretty sure the only place religion is mentioned in my book is the author bio. It's sad that our society has slipped so far as a whole. But this review honestly made me happy, made me feel like I am doing something right. Thank you to everyone who has given my book a chance, and taken the time to do a review. Even if the bad reviews are one more bad mark on my self-esteem, they help me become a better writer and give me a lot to think about!

Fallen Angel by Lisa Swinton

Fallen Angel  Antonio does not believe in love at first sight until he sees her fall into a street in Milan and get hit by a motorcycle. Compelled to know if she can return his affection, he becomes Renatta’s hospital volunteer only to learn that the accident erased her memory. Together they must discover her past, present and future. In the way of happily ever after stand her opera career, tyrannical mother, and fiancé.  Antonio must win Renatta’s heart before she bends to the will of her mother and marries Marcello.  Failure means a lifetime of loneliness, for love at first sight never happens twice.  You can buy it here: http://www.amazon.com/Fallen-Angel-Lisa-Swinton-ebook/dp/B00HX4L38E/ref=la_B00HXNXDCO_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1390338367&sr=1-1  About the Author Lisa Swinton caught the romance bug early by way of fairy tales and hasn’t been able to cure it since. Instead, she feeds her addiction with romance novels and films. In between being a doctor’s wife and mother of two, she occasionally puts her B.A. in Musical Theater to good use via community theater, church choir and teaching the art of singing. In her elusive spare time she enjoys researching her family tree and baking (especially with chocolate). She loves to travel, Jane Austen, and all things Italian. In her next life, she plans to be a professional organizer    Social Media Links: http://lisaswinton.blogspot.com/https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLisaSwintonhttp://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00HXNXDCORafflecopter Giveaway:        a Rafflecopter giveaway This was a fun, sweet, clean read set in Italy. It really made me crave gelato! Swinton's knowledge of the Italian culture and language was evident. If you are looking for a story about love at first sight, this one is for you! Four stars!

Uplifting Review

This one was on Amazon.  "P. Romance" from Philly, USA.  Totally made my day, made me want to keep writing, made me remember why I started in the first place.

"No matter how many times writers recreate Pride & Prejudice, I always end up falling in love with the story over and over again.
"Beth Pride did not like William Darcy after the awful he treated her at a charity ball. But when the ball brought her roommate and his best friend together, they have no choice but to see each other all the time. However, William's feelings for Beth weren't as antagonistic and he soon found himself falling for her wit and intelligence. As she got to know William, Beth realized maybe be she needed to rethink her first impressions.
"Pride's Prejudice was amazing! Definitely a new favorite. I could read this book over and over again. The author did a wonderful job of incorporating all the major pivotal plot points but still adding enough of her touches to make the story her own. And I sincerely appreciate the fact there are plenty of fan service scenes of Beth and William. Don't worry. The scenes were sweet and clean. This made their attraction for each other more believable and why there was room for their love to change and grow. The cast of side characters were quite enjoyable and did not add any extra strife. But what about "Lydia"? I have to say this has to be my "favorite" version of Lydia. I always considered her an unnecessary nuisance in most retellings but in this one, the author made use of her carelessness as a good life lesson of what can go wrong and she actually learned from it!
"I've read many variations and this one has to be one of the best modern versions out there. Great cast of characters, a clean story, lots of sweet Beth and William scenes, a more agreeable cast of characters and a wonderful plot made this book a winner. Even if you have never read P&P, you will still enjoy this story if you are fan of romances. Pride & Prejudice fans, get this book now!"

Coming Soon!

"Persuaded"by Misty Dawn Pulsipheran adaptation of Jane Austen's Persuasion
What's worse than never getting over your first love?How about watching him fall for someone else . . .

Coming in 2014

Great Review of Pride's Prejudice!

http://my-book-diary.blogspot.com/2013/08/prides-prejudice.html

The Adventures of Pocket Edward at Barnes & Noble.....

My friend Jeannie posted this on Facebook.  We are both huge Twilight fans and needless to say, I had to go change my pants after seeing this.  Her caption was:  "No, Edward - for the hundredth time I'm sure you are more handsome than William.  Don't be so absurd."

My captions were:
 
"Wow, great dress!"
"I wish Bella had that rack....."
"Don't even think of picking up this book - Paranormal Romance is two aisles over."

What's yours?!

Maddeningly Unhelpful.....

Warning:  This is not going to be a positive post!  I am always so anxious to read new reviews from readers.  I love hearing the little things they enjoyed about the story, and I appreciate suggestions for how to better my writing.  But do the bad reviewers have to be so MEAN?  It's like you're in high school all over again, getting shoved into a locker (not that this ever happened to me....)
Anyway, I always want to respond to bad reviews on Goodreads or Amazon, but I really don't think this is going to help me as an author.  So I've decided I will vent about them here instead.  The people who give bad reviews aren't likely to be following my blog anyway, so I'm confident it won't cause any problems in that corner.  Let me preface this by saying that I don't expect all positive reviews, and I do want people's honest opinions.  The people who have commented on grammar and spelling errors have actually made me more careful about the way I use words, and this has been a positive thing for me as an author.  But to those who criticize for the thrill of it, I give you the "more than less than unhelpful" award from Captain Jack Sparrow himself.  If you have criticism, at least make it somewhat constructive instead of just trying to tear others down for their hard work.  This one, for example - a three star with some constructive criticism:
"Well structured and takes care to hit all the important corner stones of the original. Yet the story never really took off for me. At points I would have liked to get even more background story on some of the characters and there emotions. Nevertheless a good afternoon read."
There.  That wasn't so hard, was it?  Contrast with this one star that really got me today:
"I am tired of books that tout a connection to Pride and Prejudice just to gain a wider audience. Who were these characters? Darcy's personality was flat..... It was a disappointment and clearly not worth 5 stars!"
First of all, this person has no idea why I write what I do.  Yes, there is a readymade audience for Austen spinoffs and sequels, because she was amazing!  But marketing definitely wasn't my first thought when I wrote this.  Second, I wouldn't ever claim Pride's Prejudice had anything on Pride and Prejudice.  If you are so tired of retellings, maybe you should stick with the original!  Does this person have any idea what a challenge it is to do your own version of any of Austen's novels, LET ALONE the most popular, which has been redone countless times?  Does she have an inkling what it takes to make your story your own, while staying true to the feeling of the original?  How to make it interesting and modern without crossing lines?  I daresay she does not, and she has never tried.  So, to this person I say:  "You have been weighed....you have been measured....and you have been found wanting.....See me when you are worthy!"  (Courtesy of A Knight's Tale - I'm sorry, but by now you know how much I love good movie one-liners).  When you finally publish a novel after five years of blood, sweat, and tears, you can knock other people for getting it wrong.  Heck, maybe you'll even do it better - good luck with that.
A couple other readers have knocked it for being "hokey" or not getting details right about New York, etc.  It's fiction, people!  No, I have never lived in New York City, and I have no idea if there is a music studio on 12th street, Tiffany's around the corner, and Macys down the street, but use your imagination!  Isn't that why we read/write fiction - to forsake reality for a spell?
One review on Goodreads said she hated it because it was overly descriptive.  As my good friend Jeannie Mineer pointed out, this person wrote a mini novel about how overly descriptive it was.  I say her energies would be better off writing her own books instead of critiquing others'!
Wow, I feel a whole lot better.  To end on a positive note, here are a couple of my favorite reviews so far:
Four Star by Nastassja Loots:
"Beth and William are wonderfully entertaining characters, and personality wise they are very true to Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy. The verbal sparring between the characters is no less entertaining than the original Lizzie and Darcy, and their interactions are also a pleasure to follow. Beth and William are like magnets; they constantly find themselves drawn to each other even though they find it difficult to get along. I appreciate the fact that while William’s personality and actions are very true to Darcy’s character, William is a bit more open than Darcy, and once he realises he likes Beth he makes a move. I also appreciated that Beth and William get together before the very end of the story and that the author gives the reader the time and opportunity to appreciate them as a unit. The supporting characters are also interesting and very true to their original counterparts.

"While this version sticks closely to the original storyline, there are enough changes to make the book refreshing and interesting to follow, and while lovers of Pride & Prejudice will have a general idea where the story would end up, certain aspects are unpredictable and it is a joy to see where the author will take you next. I love the many ways the author spun events from Pride & Prejudice to make it realistic in modern times, and she did a wonderful job of portraying the progression of Beth and William’s relationship. Beth and William have great chemistry… and I can’t help but wonder what Ms Austen would say about the sexual tension! The author took great care, though, to not overdo anything and she cleverly managed to stay true to Austen’s sense of propriety while keeping a modern romance realistic and giving the readers some passion.

"Pride’s Prejudice is a fresh take on a classic that respectfully portrays events in a modern light. Any Austen fan will enjoy this take on the beloved classic."
Five Star by Christine H:
"Totally loved this modernized,yet clean, version of the Classic favorite
I was a little leery of reading a "modernized" version of the Jane Austen classic-Pride & Prejudice which I love, because so often in the case of remakes of "classic" films that means taking the innocence of the era completely out, and instead filling the remake with the profanity and sexual immorality so common in today's society and giving it a 'R' rating!

"I was thrilled to find that this author did not resort to that.It was also a huge plus that it was kept clean without having to be a 'Christian/Inspirational'novel.

"Just a wonderful,clean,realistic,fun read.The verbal sparring between the heroine and hero are often LOL funny."
Four Star by Brittany Bowman:
"Completely took me by surprise. I'm not ashamed to say I am a die hard fan for erotic novels. I love erotic and kinky books with graphic details & even though it didn't have any sex scenes I was still hooked with this book. I appreciated the flirting & sexual tension, it kept me coming back for more."
Five Star by Jennifer:
"I didn't want it to end! One of those "sorry family, cereal for dinner" books! It's a clean read and you can't help but love the characters. Love anything Pride and Prejudice and so glad I read this modern day take on it!"
Now that I have that out of my system, I'm going to go work on my next novel!

Review of Pride's Prejudice by L.C. Lewis

by.htmlhttp://laurielclewis.blogspot.com/2013/07/book-nook-review-prides-prejudice-by.html

FREE!

Free Kindle Edition Pride's Prejudice for the next five days:

http://www.amazon.com/Prides-Prejudice-ebook/dp/B00CYQDTVK/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_t_1_D12V

And One More Thing.....

While you're so absorbed with things like margins, page breaks, chapter headers, and indents.....don't forget to check the spelling of your OWN NAME on the COVER.