One of the results of free-Kindle days is that more people get
copies of my books and along with that more reviews are posted. That's great as
long as the books get into the right hands. Some people take a book because it
is free and then find it is not the type of book they like. In these cases the
reviews are not so great.
However,
most recently, the so-called bad reviews have been simply the readers' honest
opinion of the books. Yes, the negative ones hurt. Especially when readers
criticize something and I know they are wrong. For example one review for Where Love Once Loved posted on Goodreads
said "POV bounced around too much -- sometimes within the same
paragraph."
This book was written as a romance where point of view (POV) alternates between the male and the female protagonist, but never in the same
scene much less in the same paragraph. I consider myself somewhat an expert
when it comes to POV, having studied under Bonnie Hearn Hill. I felt like
adding a comment to the review challenging the reviewer to show an example of
POV switch in a paragraph But, I didn't, and I won't. Besides, most
readers don't care about POV switch. Just read any John Gresham book. Makes me
wonder if the reviewer is a writer.
The same reader said there were too many
characters and too many subplots, and criticized the actions of some of the
characters. She was even annoyed by the George McCullough character. This
particular character spoke for me, the author. He is my age. He has my
memories. He has my history. The only difference is that he is black and I'm
not. He was also the strong Christian influence in the book. I wonder if that
is what annoyed the snot out of the reader.
Many other readers love the characters and
marvel at the way I was able to include so many. But, still, I know what the
reviewer meant. From a traditional publishing formula romance, the book is a
failure. I worked with a publisher before independently publishing and I know
what they want. I cut some subplots, but I couldn't cut them all. Perhaps the
book would have been better if I had. Or, as the reviewer said, write separate
books for each subplot.
I may do that. That is, write separate books.
The sequel is more about Karen. I thinking of another book about Liz or Josh
and Cindy or Tony. Liz's story is actually continued in The Vengeance Squad and
the unfinished sequel I call The Vengeance Squad Goes to England.
I appreciate every review and every comment.
Good or Bad.
Here are some of the more recent ones for THE VENGEANCE SQUAD:
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars the vengeance squad, December 19, 2012
Very good book. You can almost feel the emotions of this young man. I'm glad it ended like it did. God is always with you!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Great read!, December 20, 2012
Captivating and hard to put down, I could see myself thinking like the main character and seeking revenge. The author does a great job developing the characters and putting them together, as different as they are, to do amazing things.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read!, December 20, 2012
I thoroughly enjoyed this book from beginning to end. I was surprised that it was so good since it isn't a well known book and I haven't found many of those. It kept me reading it all day and all night until I finished it! I could not wait to see what happened from one chapter to the next. I would highly recommend reading this book if you like to be on the edge of your seat!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars A good read. Held my interest all the way to end, December 23, 2012
You need to read this book for a look at what God can do in your life and the test of his will
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, December 27, 2012
This review is from: The Vengeance Squad (Paperback)
Great book. Well Written. Very believable characters. Shows how one can get mad at God after losing somebody and How God can bring you back. Sid Frost might be a new writer, but he is a great suspense writer. God bless you
Here are some of the more recent ones for WHERE LOVE ONCE LIVED:
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars WHERE LOVE ONCE LIVED, December 20, 2012
LOVE FULFILLED - WHAT A WONDERFUL ACCOUNT AND THE ENDING WAS SO SWEET. SIDNEY FROST DID A GOOD JOB ON THIS ONE
1.0 out of 5 stars not so good, December 22, 2012
I am fairly easily entertained, but found this book hard to read, with details coming after the statements - as if an afterthought. The amount of drama sustained by the characters was also brought across not very believably. I like the story concept and the characters, but felt the story was told poorly, as if this was a first attempt by an immature writer.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars Purchased on kindle free, December 23, 2012
It was pretty good. Tasteful. Held my. Interest would a good book for my granddaughters to read. Liked that it was based on scriptural vales.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Good Book, December 27, 2012
This review is from: Where Love Once Lived (Paperback)
Shows the bumpy road to going back to your true love. How our secrets can get in the way How our Lord can always be with us even when we are doubting.
God bless you
about three retired women, Mrs. Annie Feeley, Miss Agnes Tinkham, and Mrs. Erna Rasmussen, who live in Southern California, probably San Diego, during World War II. Mrs. Feeley is a widow who runs a junk yard called Noah's Ark (it has two of everything) with the help of Old-Timer (her working man) after her husband died. She is uneducated and can't read.