I had to post this new review for Deadly Enterprise (below) that I received this afternoon. I contacted the reviewer, Lisa Haselton, almost two months ago after seeing her address on one of the Muse on Writing boards and sent her a copy of the paperback for review. For other online writers seeing this, I'll mention the timelines here, since I know only one e-book publisher that makes an effort to get out review copies ahead of release date, the way the hard copy side of the business works.
DE was released in July, as an e-book download with a link to Lulu for POD paperback. The publisher provided me with a copy of the final pdf file to send out to e-book reviewers. I sent out a few at that time and one review transpired. I didn't send out Lulu copies for review, not being a millionaire yet. When I persuaded my publisher to put my novel on LSI as well, I received a batch of paperbacks costing about half as much. I sent out two copies for review on October 15th. The first of those reviews arrived today, six and a half weeks later, and nineteen weeks after release.
Since the first six months after release of an e-book are the prime promotion times, you can see that the system needs a bit of supercharging. If you are fortunate enough to be a brother-in-law of someone high enough up in one of the NY publishers to be published there, (cynical? Who, me?)you can see that their system, that starts sending copies for review and other promotions months before release date has a far better chance of getting an optimum buzz going. Of course, their system also has the dreaded 'Return' syndrome that cuts in about three months later, when half of the books sent to booksellers come back unsold -- for shredding.
If you have an idea what e-book authors can do to duplicate the ARC, you might post a reply. And don't forget the new availability of Deadly Enterprise -- as a Kindle edition on Amazon for $4.89 -- it's at http://tinyurl.com/35rlrz . Besides that, take a look at the review below, and note Lisa's site address in order to look at other reviews she's done.
Chris.
Deadly Enterprise
Written by: Christopher Hoare
Science fiction / Fiction / Time travel
Rated: Very Good (****)
Review by: Lisa Haselton http://lisahaselton.tripod.com/index.html
Lieutenant Gisel Matah is resourceful, daring, and from a future earth. She’s also beautiful and rebellious–a wild cat. At 20, she’s the Iskander’s top operative. She thrives on the adrenaline rush of each assignment. Able to stay focused, in character, observant and determined, Gisel may not always follow orders to the letter, but she always gets the mission accomplished.
Iskander technology is well-advanced of Gaia, the older earth which the Iskander’s find they must adapt to. With battles raging between the Emperor and other factions, the Iskanders are interested in finding peace and making allies. To that end, they choose to approach the Felgers, a successful merchant and banker family, to assist them with their trading and production plans. Gisel must convince Yohan Felger of the benefits to him and his family business if they join forces. It’s not an easy task. She has to share enough information about their technology to convince him of their worth, but not too much information which he could use against them.
In a world where women are required to be under the care and supervision of men, Gisel must remain disguised as a man in order to accomplish her mission. Complicating matters are rumors on Gaia about a female agent named ‘Wildcat’ who is nothing but trouble, and who is being sought by Zagdorf, his troopers, and hired local forces.
The story is intriguing and entertaining. Deadly Enterprise is a page-turner. The reader is naturally curious to see how Gisel will manage to keep her identity and heart disguised while escorting and protecting Yohan through the warring territories in order to make alliances for a peaceful and prosperous future for everyone. Logic can sometimes be overruled by emotions and plans don’t always go as expected, especially when innocent people are put in harm’s way. Gisel must make a lot of tough decisions.
Christopher Hoare’s strong female protagonist in Deadly Enterprise is well-crafted. The descriptive scenes and tight writing keep the reader engaged and turning the pages. Deadly Enterprise contains elements of time travel, past worlds, future worlds, politics, battles, strategy, survival, and a small dash of romance. After all, Gisel may be a soldier, but she also has a heart.
I solidly recommend reading Deadly Enterprise for the pure enjoyment of a well-written novel containing strong and clearly defined characters, clear, crisp details that propel the story forward, and an enticing glimpse into a new world. I look forward to more novels from this writer, especially if they include Gisel Matah.
DE was released in July, as an e-book download with a link to Lulu for POD paperback. The publisher provided me with a copy of the final pdf file to send out to e-book reviewers. I sent out a few at that time and one review transpired. I didn't send out Lulu copies for review, not being a millionaire yet. When I persuaded my publisher to put my novel on LSI as well, I received a batch of paperbacks costing about half as much. I sent out two copies for review on October 15th. The first of those reviews arrived today, six and a half weeks later, and nineteen weeks after release.
Since the first six months after release of an e-book are the prime promotion times, you can see that the system needs a bit of supercharging. If you are fortunate enough to be a brother-in-law of someone high enough up in one of the NY publishers to be published there, (cynical? Who, me?)you can see that their system, that starts sending copies for review and other promotions months before release date has a far better chance of getting an optimum buzz going. Of course, their system also has the dreaded 'Return' syndrome that cuts in about three months later, when half of the books sent to booksellers come back unsold -- for shredding.
If you have an idea what e-book authors can do to duplicate the ARC, you might post a reply. And don't forget the new availability of Deadly Enterprise -- as a Kindle edition on Amazon for $4.89 -- it's at http://tinyurl.com/35rlrz . Besides that, take a look at the review below, and note Lisa's site address in order to look at other reviews she's done.
Chris.
Deadly Enterprise
Written by: Christopher Hoare
Science fiction / Fiction / Time travel
Rated: Very Good (****)
Review by: Lisa Haselton http://lisahaselton.tripod.com/index.html
Lieutenant Gisel Matah is resourceful, daring, and from a future earth. She’s also beautiful and rebellious–a wild cat. At 20, she’s the Iskander’s top operative. She thrives on the adrenaline rush of each assignment. Able to stay focused, in character, observant and determined, Gisel may not always follow orders to the letter, but she always gets the mission accomplished.
Iskander technology is well-advanced of Gaia, the older earth which the Iskander’s find they must adapt to. With battles raging between the Emperor and other factions, the Iskanders are interested in finding peace and making allies. To that end, they choose to approach the Felgers, a successful merchant and banker family, to assist them with their trading and production plans. Gisel must convince Yohan Felger of the benefits to him and his family business if they join forces. It’s not an easy task. She has to share enough information about their technology to convince him of their worth, but not too much information which he could use against them.
In a world where women are required to be under the care and supervision of men, Gisel must remain disguised as a man in order to accomplish her mission. Complicating matters are rumors on Gaia about a female agent named ‘Wildcat’ who is nothing but trouble, and who is being sought by Zagdorf, his troopers, and hired local forces.
The story is intriguing and entertaining. Deadly Enterprise is a page-turner. The reader is naturally curious to see how Gisel will manage to keep her identity and heart disguised while escorting and protecting Yohan through the warring territories in order to make alliances for a peaceful and prosperous future for everyone. Logic can sometimes be overruled by emotions and plans don’t always go as expected, especially when innocent people are put in harm’s way. Gisel must make a lot of tough decisions.
Christopher Hoare’s strong female protagonist in Deadly Enterprise is well-crafted. The descriptive scenes and tight writing keep the reader engaged and turning the pages. Deadly Enterprise contains elements of time travel, past worlds, future worlds, politics, battles, strategy, survival, and a small dash of romance. After all, Gisel may be a soldier, but she also has a heart.
I solidly recommend reading Deadly Enterprise for the pure enjoyment of a well-written novel containing strong and clearly defined characters, clear, crisp details that propel the story forward, and an enticing glimpse into a new world. I look forward to more novels from this writer, especially if they include Gisel Matah.
posted by Christopher Hoare at 5:24 PM
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