Tuesday 5 August 2008

First Review

Another Google alert just in. Romantic Times Book Review magazine has reviewed Café au Lait in its current edition. I think my blood pressure spiked when I saw this because... hell, it's a review. Reviewers have the power to diminish, depress and demoralize even seasoned, successful, acclaimed writers.

I clicked on the link, dread and hope combusting in my head, and to my relief found that they've given the novel three stars out of their maximum of 4 and a half - not stratospheric, but pretty decent. The review itself won't be up on their website for two months, and I've never seen that magazine here, so I can't read what they've said about the story. Don't know if I even want to. But I will - in two months, I suppose.

23 comments:

Yvonne said...

Yay! I think three stars is brilliant, critics never like to give anything full marks after all - well done, I can't wait to read it.

Matt said...

Hey hey! Doesn't that mean someone has had a physical copy of your work in their hands? They've turned your pages!

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

I think that's brilliant too. Good for you, I can't wait to read it and have ordered a copy already.

Jenny Beattie said...

Oh wow, Liane, how fantastic. I can't wait to read it.
JJx

Lane Mathias said...

So exciting! I can't wait to get my hands on a copy!

kim said...

That got MY heart beating fast.

It would be so hard to read what someone else thinks of your work -- nail biter.

I already know I would be so fickle too. The good ones, I'd be, "Oh, they so get me -- intelligence unites!"

And if it were bad, even constructively critical, I'd be, "Stupid moron!"

kim said...

btw -- I really do think it's a safe assumption that your book will be a really good read -- can't wait.

The Anti-Wife said...

Three stars is fabulous. Good for you!

Sandra Cormier said...

Well! You got that milestone out of the way. Congratulations!

It's getting more real every day.

Kaz Augustin said...

From everything I've read, Liane, RT is a tough gig. If you got 3 stars, that's fantastic! Hope you're celebrating.

Flowerpot said...

brilliant news - I am so pleased for you. And can well imagine that sick dread as you clicked on the link...

Anonymous said...

I am looking forward to the book as the release date draws nearer, and nearer :)

Three stars isn't bad at all and I wonder if the local press will have early reviews. Amazon is saying the delivery estimate is 28th August.

PJ said...

Well done, Liane. 3 stars is a very respectful outcome.

KeVin K. said...

Three stars from RT?
Good job, kid.
Proud of you.

Guanaguanare said...

You know it!.. "dread and hope combusting in my head" Congratulations!!

Liane Spicer said...

Yvonne, thank you. It's a bit of a relief, I tell you.

Matt, yikes! They have, haven't they!

Thank you, Debs. That's very sweet of you.

JJ, I hope you like it!

Lane, I'd like to be calm and blase about this, but... yes! It is exciting!

Kim, did it? :) Can you imagine what it did to my heart?

Liane Spicer said...

Anti-wife, thank you! It's so nice to come on here and share this with people who 'get it'. Here at home I get "Hm!" and "That's nice". The excitement quotient is one notch above a yawn. :)

Chumplet, it's out of the way - and thank goodness for that!

Ahh, Kaz, so they're tough, huh? I'm celebrating all right. I've been invited to spend the weekend on the beach with some former colleagues and students - and I'm going!

Flowerpot, thank you! The dread part wasn't fun, but this part surely is!

akalol, I don't have a clue whether the local press will have reviews. I get info via Google alerts - the publishers don't outline their every move for me. I'll be sending out some press releases of my own, though. Don't know if they'll be carried, but we'll see.

PJ, thank you. I think so too.

Liane Spicer said...

Thank you, Kevin. It means a lot that you are.

Guanaguanare, seagull, I knew it! You've walked this road, haven't you? Thank you - and I'll be looking for your brothers in Toco this weekend.

Pat Posner said...

I found my way here from Lane's & Flowerpot's.

Congratulations on three stars; that is really brilliant!

Love the book cover

Here's to many more great reviews...

Karen said...

Ooh that sounds a bit nerve-wracking, but three and a half stars is a good start! Can't wait to read it - I might review it for my local column :o)

kim said...

Yes -- your writing always conveys the moment so well -- I'm having a total vicarious publishing experiece.

Anonymous said...

Just try to keep your heart from beating out of your chest while waiting for that review. Congrats on the stars! We're with you all the way, Liane.

Liane Spicer said...

Pat, welcome, and thank you! I'm rather fond of the cover myself.

Karen, would you? That would be wonderful! Just drop me an e-mail if you'd like an ARC!

Kim, :) That's exactly how I felt when I was following Pat Wood's adventures!

Stephe, thanks to PBW, another Dorchester author, I won't have to bite my nails for two months. She e-mailed me the Romantic Times comments; I'll post them on the blog soon. Thanks for being there - it means a hell of a lot.