Something Sensitive
Being a writer is hard. This isn’t news, it’s been hard from day one. Hard in so many ways. Some ways I’d never considered.
I’m a bit of a sensitive person, for my faults, and some of the hard ways directly impact me alone.
Being sensitive doesn’t help.
Lately there’s been an uptick in negativity. I’m used to negative reviews, that comes with the territory and they are expected. But personal messages to me have grown more negative, and that affects me.
People tell me to ignore it. People say I can’t please everyone. People say reply to them, people say don’t, people say all sorts of things. Me? I’m an apologizer. Unnecessarily so at times, but it makes me feel better.
So this is going to make me feel better. I hope.
I’m sorry if I or my books have disappointed you. I’m sorry if they weren’t what you expected. I’m sorry if something in them offended or angered you. I’m sorry if you didn’t enjoy them, didn’t approve of a character, or thought something ought to be different.
All I can say is I’m sorry, and, as with everything, I hope to be better in the future.
When I write, I can only write what I feel is best for the story and what I feel is appropriate. I can’t consider anything else, or I will be paralyzed by all the things to consider. I only publish something if I am pleased with it.
It hurts when that pleasure isn’t returned by the readers.
But everyone is entitled to their opinion.
I’m sorry if those opinions don’t match.
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My heart goes out to you! I have loved your books wholly, without offense or complaint! Thank you for putting yourself out there and trusting us with your work. Keep writing! Thank you for the smiles and the laughter you’ve extracted from me!
I also have loved all your books wholly without feeling any offense or having any complaint about content. All of your regency romance titles have always been an auto-buy for me! I am currently reading a contemporary romance by you that I voted for and that won to be published on the now defunct Kindle Scout titled Love Out of Focus. It is my first contemporary by you and I am enjoying it as well. I am very disturbed by the fact that you are receiving personally sent to you negative to angry messages about your work. Like you said reviews is one thing, but to expend the effort to send a personal message to the author is both morally and legally bullying and persecution. It crosses a line! Like Jessie said, keep putting yourself out there and writing what you feel is best for the story and trusting us with your work. Do not let adversarial forces stop you from the gift you have been guided to use. Like we have been taught, we will never know all the good that we do.
I love your books and have never been offended by their content.
I also want to say I very much enjoy reading your books, and usually, when I see them I know that I will. I don't feel that way about every author I read, but you have a style that I could say if I'm going to auto-buy any author you would be on that list. I hope you will preserve through this even though it's not right what is happening.
As a reader, I feel like I should apologize to you for what other readers are saying and doing. I am SO sorry that this is happening to you. It is uncalled for and you should not have to deal with such negativity. There is NO reason for you to apologize for YOUR creations! These characters and books are yours and yours alone. They do NOT belong to anyone else. You need to be true to yourself and your characters. How dare they expect you to write what they want. If they aren't satisfied with the books they read, then I dare them to write their own book, put themselves out their and deal with others treating them the same way they are treating you and other authors. In my opinion, they are miserable human beings who have no life and nothing better to do than bring anyone and everyone around them down to their miserable level. For some reason it makes them feel better about themselves.
Please don't feel like you should apologize to people because your books don't match their reading preferences. They need to stop being childish and act like adults. Not everyone is going to love all the books they read. I know I don't. But I was raised to respect the people around me. So if I know a book or author is not for me, then I just avoid their books. There's absolutely NO reason for people to do what they've been doing to you.
I, personally, haven't read any of your books but I have a lot of bookish friends who LOVE your work! I have several of your books on my TBR list and it looks like I need to bump them up to the top of the list. I hate bullies and that's exactly what these people are. You keep being you and being amazing!
I’ve have yet to read any of your books, but I know many who are pleased with your book. I can’t stand when readers are insensitive to an author’s “baby” so I’m apologizing for those readers who must be unhappy creatures and have to say mean or unnecessary negative remarks. Unfortunately, not everyone had a good person in their life to teach manners. The books are yours....so you have the freedom to write what you feel needs to be written. May your future be a bright one, and I hope my TBR bookcase has a book or two on it by you at some point. Right now it is crammed full.
Unfortunately, toxic people (or at the very least, verbal individuals who type before considering the effect of their words) lurk in every corner of society. Thanks for being so brave in sharing your creations with the world!I was late to the party and was able to binge-read seven of the eight Arrangement books back-to-back-to-back, and then found the London League. Do you know how frustrating it is to be nearly all caught up and have to wait for the next installment? It's PAIN! Absolute pain! In all seriousness, you truly are in my top five insta-buy authors. Well, okay, top two. Someday I'll read the eighth Arrangement book, but just can't quite feel comfortable in not having ANYTHING to look forward to ....
You are an amazing person!!! Do not worry about those who are negative or who do not like the way a book may be written. There are to many people in this world that want things there own way. If they are not happy about one of the stories they should try writing there own!
