Genre Specific Review Groups discussion

In joining this review group you have agreed to review the books assigned to you on a two month schedule. This group is now in the review phase and is no longer open for sign up.

This is Paranormal Review Group 1. As with other review groups, you will be expected to read and give an honest review of the books assigned to you. Assignments will be made after the group sign-up has filled.

Participants are expected to post reviews to Goodreads. The review should be posted to Amazon (US and UK) as well, if the book is available there. This makes having accounts with both Goodreads and Amazon.com a requirement.

Contact the authors you are scheduled to review to arrange to receive a review copy of their work.

Please post to this topic, both when you receive review copies and when you post the reviews. Authors may respond to reviews, but any form of harassment or anger directed at reviewers will be treated as a violation of the terms of service for this group.

If you are going to be late with your review, either post to this topic as soon as possible or message the author and the moderator.

If your book has not been reviewed by the deadline for either round, contact the review group moderator. This is necessary to make certain that the review process is fair for everyone.

Note that any participant who makes no effort to fulfill his or her commitment to this group will have all reviews of his or her work resulting from this group deleted and his or her membership in the Genre Specific Review Group will be terminated.


THE AUTHORS AND BOOKS ARE:

1 J.B. Trepagnier - Flash-A Death Story

2 Scott Spotson - The Strange Life of Brandon Chambers

3 Sanna Hines - Elvira Wonders

4 J.B. Darroch - Reflections

5 Kirsten McKenzie - Painted

6 Chris Keaton - Living Dead Girl

7 K.T. Munson - The Sixth Gate


THE ORDER OF REVIEW IS AS FOLLOWS:

November 17 to December 17

J.B. Trepagnier reviews Sanna Hines
Scott Spotson reviews Kirsten McKenzie
Sanna Hines reviews Scott Spotson
J.B. Darroch reviews K.T. Munson
Kirsten McKenzie reviews J.B. Trepagnier
Chris Keaton reviews J.B. Darroch
K.T. Munson reviews Chris Keaton

December 17 to January 17

J.B. Trepagnier reviews J.B. Darroch
Scott Spotson reviews Chris Keaton
Sanna Hines reviews K.T. Munson
J.B. Darroch reviews Scott Spotson
Kirsten McKenzie reviews Sanna Hines
Chris Keaton reviews J.B. Trepagnier
K.T. Munson reviews Kirsten McKenzie

I'll join with Flash-A Death Story

Scott Spotson
The Strange Life of Brandon Chambers

Please include Elvira Wonders. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...

Flash a death story please

I'll join with https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...

What if you find you cannot give at least a 3 star review? Can you make it private to the author?

Just a note to the mods, I've reviewed Scott before, but not the book he has listed here.

I'll join with https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
Thank you

I’m at work but I’ll post links later if this is approved as paranormal.

The Sixth Gate includes the Netherworld (a form of underworld) and the main character is a seer or spiritwalker. There are soul collectors and lots of more paranormal aspects. This book is always a fine line between fantasy and science fiction and paranormal can be a sub genre of fantasy but I don’t want to over step the genre, because there are others out there with more paranormal plots.

If I can add The Sixth Gate that would be great, but if the group or mod think it is too outside, I’m okay to pass on the group.

Here are the links: The Sixth Gate and K.T. Munson

Thanks!
K.T.

Chris wrote: "What if you find you cannot give at least a 3 star review? Can you make it private to the author?"

I usually do. This is up to the reviewer.

R.

But, if it's anyone's discretion, then whoever posts a lower than three star review would be seen as a bad guy or bad gal because the aggrieved author will always ask, "You had a choice. Why didn't you take the more humane (more merciful, or whatever) choice?"

Two other review groups have very different approaches. The Review Groups one requires mandatory posting, no matter what. The Swap Reviews one prohibits postings of lesser than three stars.

Personally, I think omitting constructive but unfavourable reviews doesn't serve the community. That's what beta readers are for.

R. wrote: "Chris wrote: "What if you find you cannot give at least a 3 star review? Can you make it private to the author?"

I usually do. This is up to the reviewer.

R."

Okay, that's what I'll do. I don't want to get into a revenge review situations. If it's under 3 I'll let them know privately why.

I'll join with 'Living Dead Girl'. YA Paranormal
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
Amanda Bock can see ghosts. She can communicate with the dead and has grown used to helping them move on. Amanda’s finally ready to take a shot at having a normal life like a regular sixteen-year-old. But when a mysterious stranger rips his way into her life and threatens Amanda's loved ones, she’s propelled on a journey to discover the true strength of her own will and the power she has inherited.

Scott wrote: "But, if it's anyone's discretion, then whoever posts a lower than three star review would be seen as a bad guy or bad gal because the aggrieved author will always ask, "You had a choice. Why didn't..."

We used to have a recommendation that reviews below 3 stars be kept private, but some of the moderators were unhappy with this. No one will be considered a "bad guy" for posting an honest review. Authors should accept whatever reviews they get, both good and bad. This is how we learn and improve.

Unless otherwise noted, the review groups here are intended for books that are publish ready. Members can request Beta level review groups in the Review Group Requests folder. All of those reviews would be private no matter what the rating.

R.

" No one will be considered a "bad guy" for posting an honest review...."

Good words, but so many annoyed authors don't feel or act that way...

Anyway, I expect to post honest reviews. I only award 1% or less of the books I read a 1-star rating, meaning very exceptionally unready books would get it (and even so, I don't have a bell curve, I just assign a honest review).

One of those review groups used to allow less than 3 star reviews, but there was some drama with revenge reviews and I guess things changed. Personally, I don't mind if it's posted publicly or emailed as long as it's constructive

The official Review Groups still require mandatory posting, unless the author withdrew from the group and then ended up with nothing gained as all reviews of that book were removed.

It must be that Swap Reviews group that allowed more leniency.

The official Review Groups took some flak too, but they're standing firm on that rule of mandatory posting.

My allegiance is to the author. If the writer has made a good faith effort to create quality work that suits the audience he or she has chosen, I'm satisfied. Not every work is intended for me. My preferences don't make a particular topic or genre illegitimate. The important question is has this writer accomplished his or her goals?

Chris wrote: "What if you find you cannot give at least a 3 star review? Can you make it private to the author?"

I always do. I don't post a review that is less than 3 stars for indie or small press books unless it is at the request of the author.

We have a specific policy against revenge reviews. It is described in the Rules and Tools folder.

Authors:

We have seven participants and are now moving on to the scheduling phase. Please let me know about any conflicts not already mentioned. I will publish the schedule of review in a day or so.

R.

Looking good for me. J.B. already mentioned having reviewed me (but not this book) and K.T. Munson has reviewed this book, I believe. But lots of room. No other conflicts for me.

I think JB has read this book. I am reading Scott’s book in another group and Sanna has read my book before but I don’t think it was this one.

I think that’s my only conflicts.

Yeah, I think the number of conflicts is low enough in this group to match everyone such that no one has interacted before. Not that I am the moderator, smile....

No conflicts for me in the list x

K.T. wrote: "I think JB has read this book. I am reading Scott’s book in another group and Sanna has read my book before but I don’t think it was this one.

I think that’s my only conflicts."

K.T.:

For this schedule to work, Sanna will have to review your book. So we need to know for certain that she did not already review The Sixth Gate.

R.

Don't think I have any conflicts. All authors are new to me except K.T. I've read two of her books but not The Sixth Gate.

Authors:

The schedule of review has been posted in the initial comment of this topic. Please post a comment to this topic when you obtain a review copy and when you publish your reviews on Goodreads and Amazon.

R.

Also note that we have two J.B.'s participating in this group. When obtaining your book, make certain that you are getting the right book by the right author.

R.

My book is currently on KU. I have KU and will pick up any of mine that I can that way. If you're reading me and don't have KU, I pretty much have any format available

lol, I ended up with both J.B.s

Chris wrote: "lol, I ended up with both J.B.s"

Chris is going to end up with some sort of paradox hole in the universe type of thing

Ok, I've added Flash-A Death Story to my Kindle, and will start either tonight or tomorrow (depends on how my dinner out tonight goes!)

Sorry. I completely forgot I reviewed Sanna before in a different review group. I only realized it when I checked my email inbox when she asked me for my book, for this current round.

Can a mini-shuffle happen? Lots of room still. Sorry, R.

Scott wrote: "Sorry. I completely forgot I reviewed Sanna before in a different review group. I only realized it when I checked my email inbox when she asked me for my book, for this current round.

Can a mini-..."

Scott:

No. That is not possible. There are too many conflicts already. Contact Sanna and see if there is another book you can review for her.

R.

She's reviewing me here, though. She hasn't reviewed any of my books, so the one listed would be fine, of course.

I have both of my books...but I’ll wait until this is resolved to start anything.

Thanks,
K.T.

K.T. wrote: "I have both of my books...but I’ll wait until this is resolved to start anything.

Thanks,
K.T."

The schedule is not changing. We had a little confusion. (I apologize for contributing to that confusion.) We try to avoid cross reviews, but sometimes it is unavoidable.

R.

Okay, that's fine. I've already sent Sanna a copy of my book hours ago, before I checked my email history and realized my mistake (one cool thing about private messaging on Goodreads is that it captures everything you've discussed with anyone, person by person, since day one).

Let's get moving! Thanks and sorry for the confusion.

My two reviews. All done, thanks! Living Dead Girl was a pretty short read, so I can post two reads at the same time.

Living Dead Girl

https://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R31EF...

https://www.amazon.com/review/R2TF30Y...

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

Painted

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

Will post Amazon links when ready...

Strange, Amazon U.S. not sending me the link yet.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R3AXH...

But, I did it!

Private review in for Reflections.

Scott wrote: "My two reviews. All done, thanks! Living Dead Girl was a pretty short read, so I can post two reads at the same time.

Living Dead Girl

https://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R31EF...

https://www..."

I appreciate the work you put into the review for Painted. Thank you.

Yeah, I submitted a novella. Wanted to be easy on you all. :)

Scott wrote: "My two reviews. All done, thanks! Living Dead Girl........."

Thanks for the review.

Thank you both Chris and Kirsten for the positive embrace of my reviews. I thought both books had such strong elements to them in their own ways.

Reviews for Elvira Wonders

Goodreads

Amazon UK

Amazon

Final review for J.B.'s Flash A Death- story

Review on Good reads and Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/review/RHSR37U...

My round 2 reviews. Apologies I could not leave a better review

Goodreads

Amazon

Amazon UK