Tag: Rivals ON AIR

Rave reviews!

June 12, 2014     scarlettfinn     Blog post

Egg timer

The title is perhaps somewhat optimistic but that’s what I’m blogging about today – reviews! I’m talking about them for two reasons, well three reasons I suppose, but the last one isn’t so specific.
Before I get to that let’s take a minute and think about reviews. Whether they are good or bad, reviews have an affect on the creator. It’s inevitable. When it’s a bad review some might sulk, or cry, or shout… ok, maybe that’s extreme, but it’s a negative impact. A positive review causes a positive reaction… thank goodness I’m here to point out the bleeding obvious, eh?
Us creative types have a flair for the dramatic at the best of times. But reviews aren’t about us. Reviews are about you, the reader, the consumer of our creative outcomes. The creator can learn from constructive reviews, improve on weak points highlighted, so reviews can actually help us. I know I’ve paid heed to some of the reviews I got for Mistake Me Not in my new work Explicit Instruction.
But it’s you. When you read a negative review either it makes you more eager for the product, or turns you off entirely. If there was a magic wand to wave that would make everyone like everything I’m sure someone would wave it. Though I imagine that would make for a rather dull world, what are we without debate?
But enough with the existential, I’m supposed to be preparing for launch.
That’s right, you heard me, the countdown for Explicit Instruction has begun. I’ll be releasing the ARC’s next week, so I’m looking forward to seeing what my reviewers think of Explicit Instruction – especially after I’ve been waffling about it all this time.
Rivals ON AIR is in need of reviews, and I’ve been sending out free copies for those who guarantee a review. If you’re interested go to my website and fill out the contact form with your email and preferred format. There are excerpts there on the website too if you want to read the Rivals ON AIR excerpt before you commit to reading the whole thing.
So reason one was the ARC’s of Explicit Instruction to highlight how close I am to launch. Reason two was about the Rivals ON AIR freebie to those who will review on Amazon. And the last reason is this, Mistake Me Not will soon lose its free status, so if there’s anyone who would like a copy of that to review please grab it off Amazon before the price goes up. If you’re reading this after that date please go to my website and ask me directly for it.
Last reminder – XY Factor is free on Sunday, don’t forget! You could never tell I’m not in this for the money, could you? :p

Good luck on your adventures,

xSx

Roll with it.

June 2, 2014     scarlettfinn     Blog post

betterluck

 

The technology gods hate me. It’s official. I’m eternally optimistic – but don’t tell anyone – that no matter how bad things are in your life, someone has it worse. Which is probably why I’ve spent a large portion of this weekend laughing with an, “are you kidding me?” expression.
Who remembers the mess up with Amazon last weekend with MMN? Doesn’t matter if you do. But I have to remind you in order to illustrate my point. So because of that mess I decided to make Rivals ON AIR free on June 1, anyone remember? You’d have to, because there was no other way you would have found out, certainly you wouldn’t have come across an advert, why? Because there weren’t any!
I’ll get to that in a minute. On Friday night I was seriously lacking motivation, so I redesigned the Rivals ON AIR cover, which has been overdue for a revamp. I got no writing done, but I was productive.
Except when I got to my computer on Saturday I decided I didn’t like the cover, being that I was half asleep when I finished it, lol. So I did it again. I created the cover, posted, did final rounds on the promo of Rivals ON AIR… Oh and that night I finished the changes to Explicit Instruction. Check me out! On fire! On the ball! Everything done.
Sunday, and this is where it gets interesting, as I usually do in the morning, I run a quick pass through all the websites I am expecting changes on. There are none. I email around. There are no ads, and my new cover hasn’t loaded – as of posting this it still hasn’t, but whatever. I’m banging my head against the wall with the ads, it’s a Sunday, these things are automated, there is little chance of a substantive response before Monday.
So I pack my boy in the car, we’re going out. Nothing I can do at home. Halfway to where we were going it starts lashing rain, it’s pouring down. Quick diversion, we’ll go shopping! “Yes, I’ll buy you that DVD”. He’s up for it. I get to the shopping centre and everyone, and I mean everyone, has had the same idea. Almost half and hour later we’re still trying to find a parking spot. I’m ready to sack it and leave, but no, Starbucks, coffee will make it all better.
We get a spot – yay! – coffee first, then mummy will buy you anything you want. Get to Starbucks, “coconut frap”, yes it is still raining but I’ve been waiting a decade for this drink to reappear.
“We’ve no syrup left.”
Now it’s busy, I know that, so they’ve probably run out of a lot of things. But seriously the cherry on my cake. I literally laughed in the poor girl’s face.
Anyway, bygones and all that.
Today I get my answer, are you ready? Why did nothing work with Rivals ON AIR on June 1?
“My sincere apologies, there was a technical glitch at Amazon over the weekend that meant that free book sites were unable to retrieve book listings.”
Honestly, you couldn’t write this shit. I love life. I love how even when everything is going wrong your memory banks store it away. Finding a smile in the face of rotten luck is something we all have to muster. All of this is a story for another day, I’ve certainly had characters with a run of bad luck. We are the sum total of our experiences.
This is not a tragedy, it’s a comedy. How do you like your irony served? Rivals ON AIR was free as a consolation for the Amazon mistake the previous week, and they made another mistake meaning that no one knew about the giveaway! I hope that when Amazon finish taking over the world they hire a few decent software guys, maybe Apple could lend you a couple (oh, controversial, lol).
Maybe it’s been easier for me to find my smile because I got a couple of good reviews on MMN, and I finished my amendments to Explicit Instruction, I like to feel productive. But I have to say my motivation is waning today… maybe I should go to Starbucks.

 

Good luck on your adventures,

 

xSx

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