Authors Behaving Badly #1 GN Grayson

Welcome to my new blog message which alerts reviewers to rude and obnoxious authors out there who won't take no for an answer when asking for reviews or who abuse reviewers for what they write or for turning them down etc . I also share stories about authors in the news who have got themselves into a bit of trouble for engaging with fans or critics.


Today I am telling you all about my experience this week with author GN Grayson, author of erotic literature.


Ist email from him/her:(April 15th)

Here is a book that you might consider reading and reviewing for me. I would appreciate it if you blog it as well.  .

I have just published  "Fire and Ice" A Burning Passion at 21000+ of mostly dialogue and very descriptive and erotic in nature.

I am working on another 2 series also ..
 http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00JNYGLOS?*Version*=1&*entries*=0

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JNYGLOS

http://eroticstorm101.blogspot.com.au/?

My reply:(April 15th)

Hi

You didn't mention in your email where you got my details(I couldn't find you on Goodreads) but I'm afraid that your books do not fit into the genres that I read and review. I hate romance and erotic literature and books that are slow and descriptive with no action so I'm afraid I would not be interested in reading them. I also do not put erotic books on my blog as my blog is Young Adult friendly.

2nd email from him/her was a group email sent to everyone he/she knows(April 17th)

Content was the same as above message from him/her.

I was somewhat irate about this message especially coming two days after the first request and I also hate being sent a mass email from authors soliciting reviews. It makes me feel like I'm being electronically carpet bombed and that the author is not taking the time to target the readers who do like his/her kind of book. I told the author that I had already said no once and that I wasn't going to change my mind. I indicated, abruptly, that I was not now going to promote his/her book to my friends who might like it and that I found his/her behaviour rude. This was his/her reply:

Third email:(April 17th)
Well I have deleted you from my friends list so who know how you got a copy I would not have a clue why google still has you there. It must be on your end and as for Rude you are not so bad yourself. Actually I think you are quite good at it you should make a profession out of it. I would appreciate it if you deleted me from your end that way I will not have to put up with your Rudeness. 

Interesting that the author makes it sound like I was the one to bug him/her in the first place! I was happily minding my own business when this person appeared and contacted me with something that I had no interest in.

Fourth email:This was a group email sent out to all of us again.(April 18th)

Thank you one and all. I will be deleting my book and leaving Gmail.

I wish those who are having success much more success and if you have to put up with the demands of what is needed to promote your work instead of writing, I feel for you. There are not enough hours in a day to do both and still have a like. Goodbye.

The phrase 'petulant little child' comes to mind. So he/she friended me on google plus to get my email address to send me his/her book, which I did not want to read. He/She then huffily deletes me from his/her friend list because I won't read his/her book. Then he/she sends more requests for reviews to me and calls me rude for having a go at him/her for bugging me. Then he/she throws his/her toys out the pram with everyone on his/her contact list and goes back to his/her playpen in a dramatic display of sulking. Interesting also that none of his/her links actually work and that I cannot find this person online anywhere. This idiot is going to have no chance of a writing career if he/she acts like a spoiled brat because we don't want to read their bloody book!

I knew that this new google system of allowing anyone on Google Plus to friend you and be presented with your email address was going to be a nightmare for reviewers. I've already had several people get in touch like this to look for reviews though they were all very polite and genuine and didn't annoy me! But there are always going to be the utter morons like this who think that they can behave any way they want and that the world owes them a living.

Take my advice and avoid this person like the plague! 

Hey, good news GN Grayson, you DID get featured on my blog after all! *snigger*

Throwback Thursday #17

This Meme is hosted by Melissa at My World in Words and Pages. Go to her blog and join us!

I blog about great looking new releases, new books sent to me for read and review, book reviews of what I've read and features about exciting new authors to try.

But what about all the books that are already on my TBR, waiting for me to read them? Don't they deserve a mention and a chance to be highlighted? Yes they do!

Welcome to Throwback Thursday, where I will take the time to tell you about some of the books that have been on my shelves for a while and maybe a few of you will add them to your wishlists/tbrs. If you have read them, why not leave a comment to tell me what you thought of it-but no spoilers please! 

DYSTOPIAN CHOICE:

In a ruined and hostile landscape, in a future few have been unlucky enough to survive, a community exists in a giant underground silo.

Inside, men and women live an enclosed life full of rules and regulations, of secrets and lies.

To live, you must follow the rules. But some don't. These are the dangerous ones; these are the people who dare to hope and dream, and who infect others with their optimism.

Their punishment is simple and deadly. They are allowed outside.

Jules is one of these people. She may well be the last.

HORROR CHOICE:
All over the world, brutal animal attacks are crippling entire cities. Jackson Oz, a young biologist, watches the escalating events with an increasing sense of dread. When he witnesses a coordinated lion ambush in Africa, the enormity of the impending violence becomes terrifyingly clear.

With the help of ecologist Chloe Tousignant, Oz races to warn world leaders before it's too late. The attacks are growing in ferocity, cunning, and planning, and soon there will be no place left for humans to hide.








URBAN FANTASY CHOICE:

Fifteen years ago, Teresa “Trance” West was a skilled telepath and a proud member of the Ranger Corps. But ever since the Rangers were inexplicably rendered powerless at the climax of the devastating Meta War, she’s bounced from one dead-end job to another. Now her powers have reappeared just as mysteriously as they vanished— only they’re completely transformed and more potent than ever. And they’re threatening to destroy her.

Trance heads to Los Angeles to track down the surviving Rangers and discover who restored her powers—and why—but a phantom enemy is determined to kill them before they can reassemble. As they dodge his deadly attacks and come to terms with their new role as heroes, Trance and the rest of the team set out to annihilate the sinister madman... only to discover their own powers are his greatest weapons.

Book Blitz: When Lightning Strikes by Sedona Venez

Title: When Lightning Strikes

Author: Sedona Venez
Release Date: April 15, 2014
Series: Credence Curse Series
Genre: Paranormal Romance - due to graphic language and sexual content this book is recommended for readers 18+.

Synopsis:
The steamy sequel to BREAKING THE STORM by Sedona Venez.

He’s flawed like a MF, but I want him.

Ryker Alfero
Wolf-Shifter. Tattooed. Dangerous. Off-limits. Everything I crave — and everything I shouldn’t want.

***WARNING: When Lightning Strikes is an Paranormal Romance intended for mature audiences. Recommended Reading Age 18+***

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18338679-when-lightning-strikes

Purchase:

Kindle / Amazon http://amzn.to/1enctYV

Barnes & Noble / NOOK http://bit.ly/1iIl9VC

-Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=when+lightning+strikes+sedona&rh=n%3A283155%2Ck%3Awhen+lightning+strikes+sedona

AUTHOR BIO

Sedona Venez is the author of the New Adult Credence Curse series, and the New Adult Valkyries: Soaring Raven series. She is a NYC girl (go Brooklyn!) with a slight obsession with her iPad, Pinterest, and television shows Pawn Stars and Face Off. Her love of music, tattoos, rockers, alpha men and wolf-shifters inspires her edgy paranormal romance novels. She also writes Middle Grade/Young Adult under her real name, T.L. Clarke. You can find out more about Sedona and her novels by visiting http://www.sedonavenez.com


“Like” her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SedonaVenez
Follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TLClarke_TLC
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/tlcauthor
GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6535416.Sedona_Venez
Sedona’s website: http://www.sedonavenez.com
Instagram: http://instagram.com/sedonavenezauthor

Book Review: Dead Trees by Eli Constant

Subterranean humanoids, existing since the dawn of man, arose from the belly of the planet. Humanity was unprepared. The undergrounders came with nails and claws and speed to kill people in the night, dragging bodies downward into dark tunnels teeming with rabid life. Civilization is now a ghost of yesterday and the remaining humans fight for survival.

One thing’s for sure- a scientist mommy battling beasties better be handy with a scalpel.

Elise Swanson is a widow and mother. She fights and prays that she can keep her little, broken family safe. She drives and drives, day after day, trying to escape a threat that seems… inescapable. Her hope fades, food is scarce and she watches her eldest daughter’s attempts to soothe the younger babe. Then she meets Jason- a father mourning the loss of his son, masking his pain with bravado and charm. He’s strong, despite his sadness, and love re-grows within him. Weeks pass and Jason’s singular desire becomes the continued safety of Elise and her daughters.

Bloody fights with beasties define the survival-road the companions travel. Even a few moments of safety and relaxation elude the group; time and time again, Elise must kiss her children goodbye, just in case tomorrow never arrives.

Against all odds, they reach a government safe zone. Even there, Elise finds that there’s no rest for the weary.
 
My Review:
Elise is on the run with her young daughters, trying to survive the invasion of the planet by underground humanoid cannibals who are adapting to life above ground and killing everyone they can. She is following broadcasts of safe havens where survivors gather and there is safety in numbers, as she heads north towards Canada, and hopefully safety.

I really loved this book. It was great to have a different kind of monster instead of the traditional zombie, though this story has everything good that you'd expect to find in a zombie tale. Every time Elise stops for gas, medicine, food, change of car, or sleep, she risks being attacked by the beasties. She also has to look after the needs of two very young girls which adds a different element to the story. We see Elise as a fighter when she is attacked, and a mother trying to look after her girls in a world gone mad. I mean, what other book do you have a woman trying to drive as much as she can in daylight with one daughter not toilet trained and the other with the weakest bladder in America? I loved touches like that!

The beasties are brilliant and scary. They might not infect you like zombies but their claws and teeth will rip you to pieces. The beastie attacks really are tension filled as you hope that everyone will survive, and for the first half of the book the beastie attacks come thick and fast. Hotels, gas stations and shopping malls with dark corners all become danger zones even in the relative safety of daylight so every time they stop the car, I was on edge wondering what was going to happen. But I also liked the fact that the beasties begin to adapt to sunlight, grow smarter and start operating in groups. As the book progresses this enemy becomes more dangerous, more chilling, so the author is continually taking the plot forward and evolving her bad guys. That is the mark of great writing. Keep your readers guessing!

The second half of the book switches to life in the safe zone which gave the book an intriguing turn. Thankfully the people in the complex were all good characters and we now see a new side of Elise as she has to let her girls have space, deal with her feelings for Jason and become a scientist again.

I'm not generally a fan of people having relationships during an apocalypse based on my own opinion that I'd have enough to deal with without worrying about men! However, I did like the relationship between Elise and Jason. It evolves slowly, based on shared danger but it is complex and never perfect, giving it more realism. I liked the way the girls characters developed through the book with both having to grow up damn quick is such hostile surroundings but there were a lot of really sweet 'family' moments in there to balance the danger and horror. I also liked other characters like Benson and the scary chef! Meg was an interesting twist. I'll say no more about that!

Niggles? Just one. The few science bits flew right over my head! I got the general plan-engineer a virus that will eradicate the inhuman bits of the beasties which will turn them 'human' or kill them. But when Elise starts explaining HOW the virus is made and works, my eyes began to glaze over. Phrases like vector behavior, oxygen bonded nanotechs, il vivo principle, pulsed field gel electrophoresis, Percoli gradient and isolating chromosomes were too much for me to take in and I didn't understand a word of it. For those like me who don't get science, do what I did-don't try to understand, just remember that the virus is to turn them human or kill them! That will keep you right! Seriously, not getting the science did not in any way spoil the book as you'll see from my star rating, so don't be put off by those bits if you don't get it as there isn't much of it to read.

I found out about this book when I was looking at the blog of another author and took a chance on buying the paperback. I'm really glad that I did and I'll be passing it on to my dad to read. I'm sure he'll love it too! I'm very much looking forward to reading book two!

Book Review: The Vampire Hunter's Daughter by Jennifer Malone Wright (part1)

Fourteen-year-old Chloe witnesses her mother’s murder at the hands of a vampire. Before the vampire can kidnap her, there is an unexpected rescue by a group of vampire hunters. Overwhelmed by the feeling of safety, Chloe passes out and they whisk her away to their small community.

When Chloe wakes, she comes face to face with the only other living relative, besides her mother, whom she has ever met: her grandfather. Chloe’s mother kept her hidden from the family; now, Chloe tries to unveil the family secrets.

Through her grandfather, she learns her mother was a vampire hunter. In fact, her entire family is descended from the powerful bloodlines of vampire hunters. Chloe agrees to join the family she has never known for one reason only: Chloe vows to kill the vampire responsible for her mother’s murder.

With vengeance in her soul, Chloe is even more determined to follow through on her vow when she discovers the true identity of her enemy and how he is connected to her.

The Vampire Hunter's Daughter is the first in a series of short stories by Jennifer Malone Wright.

My Review:
This is just a review of part one as it is the only part I have read.

Chloe awakes in the middle of the night to her mother defending her against violent vampires who want to take her away to her vampire dad. Rescue comes in the form of a group of vampire hunters who take her to safety and explain her heritage.

I liked this short story. It opens with a bang and an exciting fight which sets the scene for what Chloe's future life could be like as a slayer. The book nicely mixes this action with Chloe finding out about the complicated relationship between her vampire father Trevor and her hunter mother Felicia. Chloe is a good character who reacts pretty well to what is happening to her and I think she has the potential to be a good strong female lead, which I enjoy in paranormal books. Drew is very much the mystery man and I am curious to learn more about him and Chloe's grandfather Luke, who she is going to live with. Between plot and character, this book is a promising start to a series and has a lot going for it.

However it is doubtful that I will be continuing with the series, as much as I liked this opening installment. I'm not keen on this new fashion of releasing small 'novellas' of 30 odd pages one at a time where to have to keep buying or downloading the next part. It's hard to get swept away by the book if you have to keep stopping to wait for the next part to come out. For those like me on a book budget it makes more sense to buy complete novels. What a pity!

NB: Since I wrote this review's rough draft I see a completed version is now available to buy. Now I might consider it.