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. :)
Author Sharon C. Williams, Book Reviewer, Books

Book Reviewer: Me

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2014-04-28 11.52.25

I have been reviewing for Booksneeze since 2010. Since I started, I have reviewed quite a number of books. Some from BS while others from authors who have heard that I offer this service for free. That’s right, for free. I now review for three sites and on my own.

Over the years the rules on how I place a review has changed as I come across people who give me reasons to do so. The rules are very specific, and only after an author agrees to the rules, and if I have time, will I say yes.

-I had one author send me an email and it said,” Where do I send my book?” What the heck? Manners would be nice, it is truly not asking a lot to be asked I think.

-I have had a person, after I read her book, say that if the review was going to be less than a three to not place it at all. I was pissed. I had taken time to read this book and to be told this made me see red.

– I have had authors ask for me to review all their books.

-I have had authors want to see the review and when seeing it have asked for me to change it.

– Last week I had someone ask me to not only review their book but would I purchase it so it be a verified purchase on Amazon. I had to admit I was taken back. The price was under a dollar so I did the purchase. But it was the first and will be the last time I do that. I broke my own rules. I receive all books for free. But considering that a review is coming out of it, I consider that a fair exchange.

Recently I found out my site has been placed on a listing for people who review. I was not asked but I didn’t mind. That was before I received an onslaught of people asking for me to review, and some of them not wanting to play by the rules. Some of the authors got down right mean when I refused to review three of their books in a row on my site. I said I would review their books but one at a time so the other people asking would get a turn. They were not happy. But we all know we can’t make everyone happy.

People are funny. I get it. Reviews are important to writers. Their important to me as well. But there is this little thing called courtesy. Use them people. I have the right to say no when you ask me to review for you. I am a writer myself and my time is hectic like everyone else. Courtesy is repaid with courtesy.

These are my rules for how I review a book. Am I being fair? I believe so.

About:

http://mainemuse.wordpress.com/about/

Reviewing:

http://mainemuse.wordpress.com/reviewing/

"Squirel Mafia", Author Sharon C. Williams, Writing projects

Topics for Writers

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chap13

My editor has been working on my novel “Squirrel Mafia” for a small while now. It will be a book that I will self publish instead of trying for a publisher. The story started a few years ago when I observed the squirrels in my back yard. While I use to think squirrels were cute and even adorable, I no longer feel this way. They are evil little rodents who love to plaque Jasper and me.

What will be a bit different from my other writings is there will be pictures in each chapter. Ones that I shot myself in the area I live in. I am super excited to get it on the market and for people to learn about these creatures in a way they may never have heard off.

The joy of being a writer. We can write about anything that comes in our path or in our mind. The small and the big and the in between can all be wrapped up onto pages between a book. Isn’t that great? I surely think so. My list of ideas of things to write on grows just about every day. Some are ideas that probably won’t see the light but that’s okay. So long my brain is thinking, plotting and wondering on what to write next that is the best part.

So yes I wrote a book about squirrels and how they are not what they seem. It is dark humor, no one gets hurt in the book, but I hope people will enjoy the sarcasm that is placed inside. I had a lot of fun writing it especially since the motivation was definitely there. Who knew when I started writing this would end up as one of my story lines? I surely didn’t. All it took was for me to look outside my window and the idea came on its own.

Lesson learned. Look around you, pay attention, get out and see what is going on outside your four walls. The ideas will come in boatloads if not more. It is so much fun when an idea comes that I just want to stop and write about it. The only problem is having too many ideas that I can’t possible get it all done in a decent amount of time. But it is a good thing to have more ideas than not enough, right?

“Squirrel Mafia” will be out in a bit but while I wait I am working on my apocalyptic YA book, “Lost Faith” and my third book in my Jasper series. If I only knew how much fun it would be to be a writer, I would definitely have started sooner.

 

Family, Hectic life, Multitasking

Our hectic lives: Slow down

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Chilling

 

I hit the ground running. Are you familiar with this phrase? It seems this has been my life lately and especially for 2014. By the time I go to bed I am exhausted. When did we get so busy? When did life rule our lives to the point we are just going round and round in circles like a dog chasing his tail? But yet we do.

I am a wife, mom, sister, daughter, daughter-in-law, a writer, a housewife, treasurer of my community watch group, organizer of my book club, run a writer’s group, freelance writer and photographer for a magazine in our county and a host of other things. I am sure you all can relate. The list is way longer then what I just wrote.

As cliché as this line is, take time to smell the roses, do we? We are so busy trying to multitask and getting so much done in a shorter time that not only do we hurt ourselves mentally and physically but we also hurt those around us. We spend so much time either online, on our phones or in meetings or going to meetings if someone came up to me and went boo I would scream. Being exhausted can become a state of mind if we are not careful. We need to slow down people. A time for us to recharge, rest and enjoy what is around us before it is too late. We already have regrets in our lives do we need to add more?

It is easy for us to say oh we will do it later. I can take care of that after this and this is done. But do we do that? Or do we just add more to our plates, striking three things off our to do list but adding four or five?

My son graduated from college this past Saturday and surprisingly I didn’t cry. I did for his high school graduation. I was so proud of my little man. There was a time we did everything together, he was my sidekick. But as we grew older and both our lives got busy that has weaned a bit. Having one child I can’t afford to let opportunities get wasted for before I know it, he will be away by miles and not be nearby.

Wake up call everyone. Slow down. Take a walk, enjoy a cup of tea, go for a walk, hit a movie in the middle of the day, or whatever suits your fancy. We are not getting younger in body but I hope to stay young in mind. I hope to be here a while. But not only for myself, but for my family and friend as well.