All posts by NewEngland_Muse

I'm a traditionally and self published author. I write in the genre of children and YA at the moment but working my way up to adults. I'm a sports loving, photo taking gal who loves to sing/dance to my own enjoyment. I love to laugh even at myself. I am also owned by 8 birds and 2 hamsters, and yes they know it. :)
A blog about the topics of writing, Uncategorized, Writing tips and ideas

100 Reviews: My Journey with ‘Jasper, Amazon Parrot’

Leave a comment

Jasper and I have hit 100 reviews. Granted, it took a while, but we’ve surpassed the 100-review mark for my book, Jasper, Amazon Parrot: A Rainforest Adventure.

Overall, the reviews were really nice to read. As with everything else, there’s normally a downside. That being said, some reviews are not so nice, and others are written by trolls.

When this book was first released, I received a one-star review. Reading the review, I knew there was no way they could have read the book.


The review was for the hard copy of Jasper. The book was released, and a day later, the review popped up. Amazon is fast with its delivery most days. But the review arrived a day after the book was released. There was no way. This was back in the day when Prime took 2-3 days to deliver.


I contacted Amazon and explained the situation. They took it down. The review showed back up, and Amazon took it down. This happened three or four times.


The person was as persistent as I was. But I didn’t want the first review of my first book to start off with a one-star. Now, if they had read it and that is how they felt, so be it. But Amazon agreed with me. Perhaps behind the curtain, they could research and see if they had indeed delivered the book that quickly. But it came down to it not being possible.


Trolls are everywhere in this world, wanting to bring a person down for whatever reason. Maybe they have nothing else to occupy their time. Perhaps, they are jealous. I honestly can’t think of many reasons why.


But thankfully, Amazon worked with me.

A blog about the topics of writing, My writing journey

One of my publishing house has closed

Leave a comment

This year, one of my publishers closed. Based on what I know, I completely understood the reasons.

I decided to self-publish the books I had with the company as opposed to going with the publisher of my Jasper, Amazon Parrot series.

It did make me pause. I thought of the pros and cons of traditional publishing versus self-publishing. Everyone has their opinion on the topic.

Over the years, self-publishing played second fiddle in the publishing world. Things have shifted, with major players turning to self-publishing. I am talking about already established authors.

But if you are not established and you are a small fish in the ocean, it is not always easy to get noticed, especially when big-name authors enter the fray.

One needs to be persistent with our writing.

A plus to self-publishing is that your royalty is higher. You have more decision-making in the cover, quicker publication release date, and more control over the book, just to name a few. One big difference is marketing. You have to do it all on your own in comparison to a traditional publishing house.

Traditionally, you do give up money since they are doing all the work. Yet you are not forking money in for an editor, illustrator, or to market your manuscript.

It all depends on where you land on the spectrum. Both have pros and cons, and that is when you need to spend time deciding what is right for you.

For me, I have dipped into both baskets, feeling it gives me a better understanding of the industry and a better prospect of where I want my books to go.

The Squirrel Mafia series, I feel good about going the self-publishing route. Quite a few people know about this series, so when I release volume two, I’m not starting from the beginning. Then I can move on to my next project however it is published.

A blog about the topics of writing, Author

Getting back into the swing of writing

Leave a comment

How often do you check your books online to see ratings or read comments? I used to do it regularly, but over time, it became something I did only when I remembered.

When I checked Amazon, I was thrilled to discover that my book, Jasper, Amazon Parrot: A Rainforest Adventure, now has over 100 reviews. Jasper and I are flying higher than ever!

I know it took some time to reach this milestone, but I intend to savor it. There are those who enjoy the book and don’t leave a review for various reasons. That could be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on your perspective.

Every time something positive happens with my books, it just confirms that this is what I should be doing: writing. It brings joy that is hard to contain, well, for me anyway.

It has been a long journey for me with my writing, but the newness of it when I start a new WIP is still there with me, and may that never change.

The self-imposed deadlines to the actual deadlines, the endless editing, which is one of my least favorite things to do, the going over book covers, and so much more. There is a lot to do when you are an author, no matter how many pages or genres. We birth it and watch it unfold and grow, if you are fortunate.

Not everyone is a success, and not every book gets out for people to read. Just another part of the process.

I am back to updating my blog, working with my social media platforms, and reviewing edits for the second volume of my Squirrel Mafia book. Recently, a fan asked if I had started on volume five of my children’s series, the Jasper, Amazon parrot series. That question caused me to pause to consider my next steps.

But having a fan reach out to ask was such a great feeling. It made my day.

Back in the saddle again, I am ready to go once I decide on what project to work on.