Today's Review is one Of two we will be discussing this week for
"Jack And The Magical Beanstalk" by author Pablo Michaels.
Our Purpose
The purpose of these segments are to help not only authors understand a few things, but for the people who leave book reviews as well. For us to communicate with each other and help each other to understand the power of the review!
Reviews are a crucial element for any book. The more reviews you have on sales channels, the more likely it is that your book will be promoted by that sales channel. Great news right?
But what happens when someone reviews a book and the seller takes the review down? How does that affect your promotion chances? Is this yet another way for the "seller" to control the market?
What about the ratings your book is given? Is it fair to post a review below three stars? If so, should "personal attacks" be acceptable? Is a personal opinion really a qualified as a "critical" review?
These are all good questions, I think. We are going to ask the reviewer what she thinks.
Join in anytime you want, this is not a closed session. We want to help, not limit!
About The Book
In this adult fairy tale young, awkward, young Jack sells their prize cow Pearly White for magical beans to a strange man in a red bikini. Little does Jack’s mother, Lorene, know that the beans grow into a giant, magical beanstalk, high above the clouds?
Jack ascends the beanstalk to a land where a Giant Slave serves his larger Master, Jack begs Slave for food to satisfy his hunger from his long journey. But Jack finds Master hoarding treasures.
Attempting to escape the wrath of Master and Slave with the treasures, Jack encounters a handsome, engaging normal sized human man. Sam lives with others that live naturally without clothing deep in the forest. As Jack ages he becomes a handsome man, just like his father, attracting many men, including the two farmhands, Zeke and Adam.
Even though Jack has enabled the farm to prosper with the treasures he stole from Master and is met with increasing danger, he climbs the magical beanstalk again and again to find more treasures and pursue Sam.
About The Author
Pablo Michaels disguised himself as a shy, friendly heterosexual during his adolescence, fantasizing other males. Falling in love with another man his first year in college, he followed him to another university to maintain their platonic love, while he continued in his in studies. When he had his first sexual encounter with another man, just before turning twenty-one, he exploded into gay life with lust and anger. He attempted to live his new life naturally, seeking love, ignoring the statistics of the books he read on homosexuality in high school, and proving what he had read was wrong.
He wrote poetry and stories since third grade. When he turned twenty-one, he moved to San Francisco to work and write, experiencing more of gay life. In the 1980's he wrote every chance he had, trying and failing miserably at publishing mainstream fiction. He published his first story in 1986 in a literary magazine. read more...
The Reviewer
Reviewer Links
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The Review
5 Stars
The imagery is sublime
By Muffy Wilson on January 8, 2016
Format- Pre-purchase eBook
This piece really reflects Pablo Michaels’ creativity. His string of word choices is clever and wraps the scene in vivid visuals. The imagery is sublime. Who is the old man, the stranger, and what does he have to do with Jack and his mother? Pablo has cleverly added poignant character depth by infusing some of Jack’s genesis, his family, parents and farm life, even expanded upon it to describe the hardship which was the reason the cow was traded in the first place.
We have a strumming and artful gold harp—delightful—a young man running into forest. When they run into the thicket, do they meet all the other naked men? Are they slaves of the Giant? The panic and fright caused by the Giant was wonderfully underscored in his careful descriptions. I love these, ‘rumbles of thunder’, ‘like a fox on a hunt’, ‘where daylight became dimmer’. Also his use of the ‘thump, crunch’ and the cackling hen really added an element of tension and heart pounding pursuit that was so tangible.
This was a cleverly layered piece that I think was a bang on perfect tie-in for the original fairytale story. Pablo adds depth to their situation and tragedy, multiple layers of tension and understanding. I love the fairytale as a child. I love this story as an adult; just love it. It is a well-crafted, beautifully developed, very sensuous taste of adventurous youth that just kept getting better. To the hilt: delicious, decadent and delectable. I gave it a ringing endorsement of 5 stars. Buy it. At $2.99 you will not be disappointed! xo
Don't be shy...Feel free to ask any of us a question: Pablo, Muffy & Margaret.
We are standing by and eager to discuss anything you have on your mind!
Go To The Comments below!
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Good Morning Pablo Michaels and Muffy Wilson! We are so excited to have you featured in this edition of "An interview with a reviewer". Thank you for joining us today!
ReplyDeleteGood morning Margaret. Thanks for featuring this review.
DeleteG'Day!! Havin' a Partay!! Thanks for having me. xo
DeleteI want to start out with a question for both of you if I may. How important is the review/rating for a book when it comes to making a decision to purchase a book?
ReplyDeletePersonally, I don't pay attention to most reviews when I am looking to read a book. I go but the description and most of all the author and his/hers reputation. But I know they are important to the writer and how others may perceive the book.
DeleteIf you were asked to read a book and leave a review: Would you post a review for a book that you felt wasn't deserving of a 3 star review or would you rather contact the author directly?
DeleteI would rather contact the author. I would also ask if they would still want me to post a review under 3 star, which I doubt they would. But in any case, I would contact the author.
DeleteTo answer your first question, reviews are very important to an author. They are important to me. Positive reinforcement is essential to my life-force. It is like getting all dressed up for a party looking your best, and no one notices if I don’t get reviews. And it is crushing. You know, shameless self-promotion only goes so far, and that’s usually with your family! As in anything, word of mouth is the best form of advertising—and so it goes with books. Oddly enough, while I don’t particularly care for average reviews, they do not bother me. You cannot please everyone and one really never knows a reader’s points of reference. Anyway, I am harder on my work than anyone else could ever be.
DeleteMargaret, I would never post a review less than 4 or 5 stars. We authors plenty of bad reviews. It just comes with the territory. You can't please everyone...Hell, my husband isn't happy with me all the time! But, I believe we owe one another a private message about the 'why' the book will not be reviewed. And I have done that many times, even with simple things like spelling and editing. We have to remember that our written reviews reflect on us, as authors, too. Quality work always deserves lifting up so others will enjoy it. On the down side, if a piece needs work, then we owe it to one another to discuss why it did not resonate with us.
DeleteTo My Visitors: How do you feel about reviewing books?
ReplyDeleteI like reviewing books. It gives me an opportunity to comment on the author's story and their skills.
DeleteTo My Visitors: Have you ever posted a review and had it removed from Amazon? Barnes & Noble? Kobo? i-Tunes? Anywhere else?
ReplyDeleteI know Muffy has. I have not had a review rejected.
DeleteI have, all the time. They have my IP address linked to all authors I usually review. So, they have the popped me. Or something. And I am referring to Amazon. I will be using a proxy server and pre-paid GC from now on to review. It's a pain. And very frustrating.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeletePablo and Muffy, thank you for taking the time to stop in today. I hope you'll stop back and visit with us again.
ReplyDeleteThank you for letting me comment. What a great idea. I love it.
DeleteMuffy, what is your biggest struggle as an author?
ReplyDeleteFinding new ways to elevate the language in erotica. I prefer to think of my work as Literotica, more substance than groin-grinding. But in the end, trying to avoid repetition about body parts is futile...and a little childish. Unless I am trying to be funny like in Cheerleaders in Heat by using the term "eroco-throbber'....I think we know what that is!!
DeletePablo, Did I hear rumors that you are working on a sequel to Jack?
ReplyDeleteHello Muffy, Pablo and Margaret, great blog and interesting discussion on a very topical subject. The review policy at Amazon is not only causing debate, but also confusion and acting as a deterrent for readers/reviewers in general. Fans who would normally write a review on Amazon and share to Facebook fan pages now send the review/feedback by email or write a review on other online stores for fear of being classed as a friend of the author and risking having the review taken down or their Amazon account blocked. Maybe, therein lies the answer, we should encourage reviews on other retailers and give them more kudos. Why are the Amazon rankings the ones we chase when sales and royalties on some of the other channels are not only more lucrative, but are able to be shared for increased exposure on social media?
ReplyDeleteSarah, that is a really good point. My royalties are good on iTunes which is second to Amazon, but still very good. Why not drive traffic to the retailers that support us the best?
DeleteI think that is a good plan to start doing. I would be happy to post my reviews with other retailers. The competition would be good for Amazon to change their ways, maybe. At least advertising with other retailers who are more hospitable would possibly increase our sales.
Delete