Reviews, reviews, reviews

I'm an angsty author. I admit it. I put my titles up on Google Alerts, so when my books are mentioned somewhere, I'll know it right away. And this isn't always a good thing. Well, this morning a review popped up that had me shaking my head.

Most authors would say that at the moment I saw the review link, I should have hit delete (without opening) and moved on. But curiosity drove me forward. Though the reviewer actually read the book (trust me, some don't) and gave it an okay and thoughtful review, sadly, she didn't get the book. The subtle humor passed right over her head.

Now I need to say that generally I stay away from really dark topics in my books, such as abuse of children, rape, graphic murders, etc. Though I am a true crime show addict, and occasionally throw a kidnapping or dead body into my stories, my books are meant to be a lighter read. I shoot for fast-paced, tongue-in-cheek, wry humor...as the examples lifted by the reviewer below show:

 * “Though I appreciate your desire to divest yourself of your virginity on my manly staff….”

* “it had nothing to do with her desire to climb atop his manly frame and ride him all night.”

* “You are despicable,” she wheezed, surprised by his frankness….. “Do you ever think of anything but launching a coup against my drawers?”

He shrugged. “I’m afraid not.”

Truthfully, is there anything serious in those quotes? The only time I ever use 'manly' is in jest and I thought that last quote was amusing. At least to me! Hopefully, it leads the reader to all sorts of raunchy images of how he might use his 'manly staff' to fight his way past the barrier of her undergarments! 

So if someone picks up my books, I hope they like my humor, enjoy the romance, and hang on for a wild ride. Because giving readers a few hours of (I hope!) crazy-fun is why I right romance!