Sometimes I Like to Take Risks...

Jim McLeod at Ginger Nuts of Horror is a dedicated reviewer across the pond in England (darkest Oxfordshire as he calls it) and he posted in his review policy that books recently offered to him for review were "depressingly bad or average." Maybe Jim's hit a rough patch or maybe he needs a 'tude tweek," but regardless, this is a guy who does LOTS for books and writers and he deserves a LIFT. Reviewers like Jim are the lifeblood of publishing--they are the town criers who tell people what's going on at the grassroots level. So we simply CANNOT HAVE Jim schlumping around feeling awful and like he's wasting his time in a cesspool of mediocrity.

Enter Anonymous-9, ready to rush in where angels fear to tread. (Making me the perfect fool for the occasion.) Anyway, I emailed poor Jim and declared the following:

"If you let me gift you with a copy of my novel, Hard Bite, and you find it depressingly bad or average, I will REFUND you the time it takes to read the first chapter and trade emails at A DOLLAR PER MINUTE."

Jim took me up on my offer. And now I'm wondering what the h*ll I was thinkin' because I could end up with egg all over my face, out a small wad of cash, and a "depressingly bad" rating to boot. But hey, it would be interesting wouldn't it? I mean, a bad review, a really, really bad review (not an average one) is worth getting out the popcorn!

I promise that no matter what happens, I'll tell Goodreads all about it and I won't leave out so much as a comma.

PS Maybe this will teach me not to send emails when I'm at the typer with a glass of wine. On the other hand, I'm so entertaining this way!