Chain_34 “General” (Jan-Apr) -OPEN- > Likes and Comments

This is a "General" chain.
Any & all types of books, both fiction & non-fiction, are acceptable here. This means you might be reading anything from a book about tax returns to creative nonfiction to horror or erotica & anything in between. ARC files are fine, as long as your book can be reviewed in at least one other place in addition to Goodreads.

Sign-ups for this chain are open! For 4 months, through April.

Please post your review no later than four weeks from the date you're added to the chain in message 2. You can always post reviews earlier & that's encouraged.

In Review Chains, participants post reviews to two places: to Goodreads & at least one place elsewhere as requested by the author, such as BookBub, LibraryThing, IG, Twitter, B&N, FB, Kobo, Amazon, etc. Posting the review to more than two places can be arranged between reviewer & reviewee, if they like.

When posting a review to places like IG, Twitter, etc., create a new post on your own account, in which you review the book. Don’t go to the author's account & paste your review as a comment on one of their posts - that comment's too easily lost in all the activity there.

Any indie/SP author may join a chain & you may join a chain even if you’re currently involved in a read/review round.

Before you sign up, please make sure that:

1. You’ve thoroughly read & understand How Read/Review Chains Work (The Rules). Participating in the chain indicates your understanding & acceptance of the rules & compliance with them.

2. You’ve claimed your Goodreads author page.
If you’re on a regular Goodreads user account, rather than an author account, you need to do this before joining a chain. Find the directions for claiming your author profile page here: https://www.goodreads.com/author/program.

3. You’ve completed any current commitment for any other read/review chains in this group (including a prior commitment in this one). Note: you can join a chain without having yet completed any current commitment for a read/review round.

4. Your book is fit & ready to be reviewed.
If it’s not, due to editing or other issues, you risk poor reviews.

5. You're ready to get started reading & have enough time to read & review a book within the chain timeframe.

6. Your book fits the chain theme.

7. You can provide — & accept — at least PDF files.
You’re not expected or required to buy the books you’re scheduled to read, although that’s a nice gesture (you certainly may buy or borrow the book, if you want). Each participant is responsible for getting a review copy of their book to their reader in the chain & must be able to provide — & accept — at least PDF files. Many provide & accept other formats as well. Please ask your reader’s preference if you can provide files in a variety of formats. And many authors have books available via KU; others might provide Smashwords coupons.

Note that International Copyright laws apply: you cannot sell or give away material you’ve received, without the author’s express permission.

8. If you are signing up to review a book whose author has requested a review be posted to Amazon, you must be able to submit reviews to your local Amazon store.

(On Amazon, only people who have spent $50 in the last year can leave reviews in each of their stores. If you're uncertain about your Amazon reviewer status, try to post a "test" review before you sign up for the chain. If you're unable to post reviews on Amazon, please don't sign up to review someone who's requested that their second review be posted to Amazon.)

9. You have NO conflict with reviewing the person in the chain before you (see message 2 of this thread), i.e. they have NOT previously reviewed you, nor are you from the same household, or an editor, relative, or close friend of the author.

The first part is to avoid reciprocal reviewing. The second is because it’s a more-professional practice to avoid reviews from people in those relationships to the author.

To check for reciprocal reviews:
Go to your reviews through your profile (the link is under your portrait) & search for the other author’s name. Check if someone has reviewed you in the same way… through their profile, searching for your name.

To sign up for this read/review chain, please reply to this thread with the following details:

1. Your Goodreads Profile link, including any additional names/profiles under which you publish, to help the other participants check for & avoid reciprocal reviewing.

2. Your Goodreads Book info link for your preferred book to get reviewed

Note: if you have other books, you need to be open to having one of them reviewed instead, to help keep the chain from stalling, since someone who has already reviewed that book can sign up & review a different book of yours.

3. Confirmation that you haven't been previously reviewed by the author you'll be reviewing (the one who'll be directly above you in the chain when you're added to it).

4. The second place you'd like the reviewer of your book to post their review, such as BookBub, LibraryThing, IG, Twitter, B&N, FB, Kobo, Amazon, etc. (Note, you're already set to get a review on Goodreads by joining the chain)

And if you're open to reviews in other locations, feel free to list those as alternates, for example: "2nd review location: Amazon (or LibraryThing or BookBub)".

By joining this chain, you agree to accept for reading & reviewing whatever book you are scheduled for. Please note that it’s possible that the book you’re scheduled to read may contain material you find upsetting or offensive. You are expected to finish the book — that’s only fair. If you can't commit to this, please don’t sign up.

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Each author will review the book of the person who signed up directly before them on the chain, with the author in position #1 being the only exception... so person 2 reviews 1, person 3 reviews 2, etc. Because you'll have just 4 weeks from the time you sign up to post your review, please begin reading/reviewing as soon as possible upon being added to the chain. Authors please get your book to your reviewer as soon as you can manage, to facilitate this.

The chain, showing participants & book links, is in message 2 of this thread. (Mods try to keep this updated as expediently as they can.)

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Chain Parameters:

-Complete reading the book(s) & post your review(s) no later than four (4) weeks from the date you're added to the chain in message 2.

-If you're buying the book you're reviewing, or reading it through KindleUnlimited, post in the chain that you've got a copy of the book as soon as you have gotten that copy.

-If you need to get a review copy of the book you are to read & review, post in the chain requesting a review copy from the author of the book you're to review. Then you & the author will coordinate to get information exchanged & that review copy to you - using one of two options (see Getting a review copy). These options are recommended for exchanging email addresses - to avoid the chance of spammers getting your email addresses from this open forum. Don’t post your email in the chain - it’s an open forum.

Note, if you are signing for position #2 & the book in position #1 came from The Book List, that author might not be visiting the group regularly. You may post in the chain to try to coordinate for a review copy, but because it came off that list, the author isn’t required to provide a review copy. If they can’t/don’t, you might need to buy the book or read it via KU (if available).

Post in the chain that you've got the review copy of the book as soon as you have gotten that copy.

-Please make sure your reviewer has gotten a copy of your book as soon as possible so they can start reading.

-Read the entire book & write your unbiased & honest review of the book, making every attempt to avoid spoilers if possible, & post it.

For what constitutes a book review for this group (& for reviewing tips), please see Reviewing in RWR Club.

Note that if you are going to be late posting your review, you need to post to the chain topic about the delay.

-After your review is posted, please reply to this thread with the links to your reviews (not the book page) so you can be "signed off" for reviewing. Please shorten the links (always a good practice for any social media). See Finding review links to post them in the group for specific tips.

-If you've completed your previous chain-reviewing commitment(s) & it doesn't put you at the end of more than one chain, you may join an additional chain. (The only exception: you may be at the end of one "Audible" chain & one of the "non-Audible" chains at the same time.) Or you can sign up again in the current chain. So you can join a specific chain more than once.

- The chain is open for sign-ups for four months, at the end of which it will close & a new one will open.

Additional Notes:

-Note that if the second review is going on Amazon, it can sometimes take days for the review to show up there. So you might want to wait until the Amazon review appears, then review the book on Goodreads, and then post both links together in one message in the chain. If you don't have the Goodreads and Amazon links on the same date, please don't edit your original post to add the second link as it's unlikely the Mod will see that. Create a new post with the link.

-You can leave a disclaimer in your review, if you want. Just note that reviews stating you received a copy "in return" or "in exchange" for a review might be removed/disallowed by some retailers. If you wish to add a disclaimer, the following would be more acceptable: "I received a free copy from the author without an obligation to review".

-Your Goodreads details & chains you participate in may be recorded by Mods on a database. We don’t retain details of email addresses, etc. For the good of all, participants in any type of chain who persistently fail to post reviews, or DNF reviews, will find Mods less than willing to allow them in subsequent chains.

Questions? Please review How Read/Review Chains Work (The Rules) & check Questions about Review Chains for an answer. Still have questions? Please ask before signing up. If you need to talk to Mod about a sensitive subject (i.e. privately), post a message to that effect to be invited by that Mod into a secret group - to keep that communication just between you & the Mods.

Chain #34 “General”

Participants, Book Links, & Requested Review Location
You have 4 weeks to post your review from the time you’re signed up, so please begin reading/reviewing as soon as possible upon being added to this chain. To facilitate this, reviewers and authors please coordinate to make sure the reviewer has a copy of the book as soon as possible.

Also be sure to check back periodically, so you don't miss out on posts in the chain (note that Goodreads notifications aren't reliable).

1. Sunset Gardens {from end of closed Chain #32} (Peter J. McKenna)
2nd review @ Amazon

2. Lester Frederick {reviewing #1, due Feb. 2 }
book: Guiding Principles For Success: GPS Map
2nd review @ Amazon

3. Terry Birdgenaw✍︎ {reviewing #2, due Feb. 8 }
book: The Rise and Fall of Antocracy
2nd review @ Amz

4. Peter J. McKenna✓ {reviewed #3}
preferred book: Sunset Gardens
2nd review @ Amazon

5. Sotto Voce {reviewing #4, due Feb. 9 }
preferred book: A Scarred Drifter
2nd review @ Amazon

6. {reviews #5}
preferred book:
2nd review @...

etc.

(Symbols key:
✓ participant is completely done with that review commitment
✍︎ participant has provided one review link but hasn't yet posted the other link )

Note: all books will be reviewed on Goodreads. The 2nd review is an additional place to post the review.

Here’s another try.

Profile: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Preferred Book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

2nd review @ Amz

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FTTBSK89
1 days ago

Lester wrote: "Here’s another try.
Profile: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Preferred Book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
2nd review @ Amz..."

Welcome to the chain, Lester. Please post your review of book #1 no later than February 2. Thank you!

Also, since Goodreads notifications aren't reliable, please be sure to check back from time to time, so you don't miss out on anything posted in the chain.

(And note that your profile link didn't work. It's this whole link: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... )

Lynn. I didn’t see an option to edit my post but thanks for informing me about the link. I’m adding it here also.

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Lester wrote: "Lynn. I didn’t see an option to edit my post but thanks for informing me about the link. I’m adding it here also.
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show..."

Thanks!

(Under your post, before the next one in the topic, there should be "reply | edit | delete | flag" that are each clickable, letting you do various actions that relate to that post.)

Lynn wrote: Please post your review of book #1 no later than February 2.

Will do!

I'd like to join with The Rise and Fall of Antocracy. I have no conflicts with Lester.

Terry wrote: "I'd like to join with The Rise and Fall of Antocracy. I have no conflicts with Lester."

Terry, I'm happy to add you to the chain, but to be able to do so, I need to know, please the second place you'd like the reviewer of your book to post their review (#4 under "To sign up for this read/review chain" in message 1). Thanks!

If Terry is added, I would like to rejoin the chain.

Goodreads Profile link https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Goodreads Book info link for book to have reviewed https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

2nd Review: Amazon

Terry has not reviewed any of my books.

Amazon please

Welcome to the chain Terry and Peter!

Since Goodreads notifications aren't reliable, please be sure to check back periodically, so you don't miss out on anything posted in the chain.

Terry, please post your review of book #2 no later than February 8.

Peter, please post your review of book #3 no later than February 8.

@Terry. Thanks for your willingness to review my book!

Lester, I bought your book on Kindle.

Hi Lynn,
Can I join with A Scarred Drifter?

I have reviewed or been reviewed by Peter.
My second preferred place is Amazon.

Thanks in advance.

Sotto wrote: "Hi Lynn,
Can I join with A Scarred Drifter?
I have reviewed or been reviewed by Peter.
My second preferred place is Amazon.
Thanks in advance."

Certainly! Welcome to the chain, Sotto. Please post your review of book #4 no later than February 9. Thank you!

Also, since Goodreads notifications aren't reliable, please be sure to check back from time to time, so you don't miss out on anything posted in the chain.

Terry. I’m glad you were able to grab the 99 cent promo! Please keep in mind that the primary audience is from 18-30. Thanks!

No worries. I'll channel my inner twenty-something!

Sounds good Terry. Regardless, it has a broad appeal for other audiences including those who are in their 50s like me. Enjoy!

My GR review of Lester's book:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Amazon review is pending.

Terry wrote: "My GR review of Lester's book:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Amazon review is pending."

Thank you for that review link, Terry. Whenever the amazon review shows up, please post its link in a new comment.

My reviews for The Rise and Fall of Antocracy. Thanks for sharing, Terry!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-re...

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Peter wrote: "My reviews for The Rise and Fall of Antocracy. Thanks for sharing, Terry!
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-re...
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."

Thank you for those review links, Peter. You're all done with that reviewing commitment for the chain.

Everyone please note that the rules in message 1 have been updated (due to Goodreads' pending changes to messaging).

Be sure to read through them to stay current.