Blackmailed Bride (Book) - 3/3/2019 3:49:00 PM
Candice Sabella literally "fell" in love with Ryan Barlow!!! Having learned a deep, dark secret about her employer, Antonio Madera, she is forced via blackmail into an unwanted marriage due to the fact that a wife cannot be forced to testify against her husband. On her wedding day, she send her bride's maids out of the room so she can make her escape. Still dressed in her wedding gown, she crawls out the window and runs! Knowing Antonio will search for her, she climbs a tree to wait until the church crowd leaves to complete her escape.
Ryan Barlow stops by one of his favorite spots to set under his favorite tree to have a smoke. He is relaxing by the tree, smoking his cigarette, when suddenly he discovers a run-away bride in the tree. She drops into his arms and convinces him to take her to his home, helping her to escape Antonio temporarily.
This sets the stage for a very fun and easy read. 'Blackmailed Bride' is a romantic love story filled with crime, drama, jealousy and humor. A very enjoyable book, however, I had mixed feelings about the Christian backdrop of the story vs the very explicit sex scenes. That confused me a bit, but I still recommend the book. It is a well-written story with a lot of twists. Again, it's a fun, easy read. This is my first book by Chris H. Stevenson and I look forward to reading additional works...
The Girl They Sold to the Moon (Book) - 11/26/2018 8:09:58 AM
I agree with the one reviewer who stated this seems to be, "soft science fiction." It certainly deals with an age-old problem, human trafficking of young women, particularly, virgins.
I didn't read the book and probably won't, but there doesn't seem to be much reference to the Moon's 1/6th gravity… Making dancing there an interesting prospect. But living on the moon with that low gravity could seriously impair human health much more quickly than the gravity on Mars. But she may rotate out of the moon soon enough, as well as the miners, to avoid serious injury to valuable "property." Unless of course, that property was throw away. A draconian way to reduce excess population.
The writing in the excerpt is quite good… Enjoyed.
Ron
The Amazon Cannibal (Article) - 3/24/2019 6:05:18 AM
I read it and it's sad. I have been noticing in Amazon that I can type in the title of my book and a whole list of titles that don't even resemble mine by other authors will pop up. To find one of my books I have to type in the name of the book and my name. This is grossly unfair and discouraging. I really don't know what the future of self publishing will be. People can get so many free ebooks that paper books have become almost obsolete. Call me old fashioned but I love the feel of a real book in my hands.
The Amazon Cannibal (Article) - 3/14/2019 9:49:04 AM
It's nothing new. Back around 2007, my small publisher, Booklocker.com and its CEO, Angela Hoy, sued Amazon (and won) apparently because Amazon was busy buying out all small publishers, like hers, creating a monopoly. As a result, Createspace and others are still around.
But Amazon has offered free ways for authors to publish pamphlets and call them books for free. Angela, in her newsletter, Writersweekly.com, illustrates currently how many small indie publishers upsell books and services, making publishing through them very expensive, that authors can no longer recoup with sales. So, everyone is moving to Amazon's "free" services. In addition, Amazon Prime offers endless free e-books. With all these free books to read easily read online, no one needs to buy books anymore and booksellers are going out of business.
I think that almost everyone seems to have an idea of writing a book. Retirees have a chance to do that without going through the ridiculous publishing establishment. Cream rises to the top, and pop culture determines what is hot and what is not. Most indie authors are producing penny novels. No one is buying them, but everyone is writing them. Amazon is becoming the only place to buy for price and will cut off free sales when there is no competition… Nearly there now. I refuse to buy books from Amazon to review unless that's the only place the author has placed the book. My books are available in several places that are not Amazon. I would advise everyone to boycott Amazon to save other businesses. Amazon has driven out Toys "R" Us, Sears, and countless other smaller stores. Let's save Barnes & Noble and the small bookstores in our neighborhoods.
Ron
Debut Authors Lost and Brutal Rejection (Article) - 12/2/2018 10:48:27 AM
Great advice, but not shifty (red or blue). ;-) Early retirement (getting very early for some through layoffs) and the Internet have produced a great number of indie writers. I can easily see why traditional publishers cannot handle the load of new material coming in and agents being overwhelmed by people wanting agents to represent them. But the game has shifted to YouTube hits, Amazon sales/reviews, and anything that has had 15 minutes of TV news air time. There are so many writing awards and best-selling lists, I'm not sure if they mean anything, anymore. Like Kodak and Polaroid before digital cameras, bricks and mortar publishers are rapidly going out of business because they cannot compete with digital producers and sellers.
Rejection is to be expected. I am grateful when someone is honest with me about my writing. And also grateful when someone thinks that it is worth reading.
Ron
Celebrity Blurbs (Article) - 11/30/2018 9:43:52 AM
Great advice. I don't know anyone well-known enough to do a blurb for me, so I haven't. In my sales reflect it. Nobody wants to read a nobody.
Ron
The Beautiful She (Poetry) - 3/13/2019 3:08:57 PM
Your poem is poignant and beautiful.
Her (Poetry) - 3/12/2019 5:18:41 PM
Chris this is so heart touching and beautifully penned. Brought tears to my eyes. She must have been an exceptional woman. So sorry for your loss.
Her (Poetry) - 2/21/2019 9:10:20 AM
VERY SAD, VERY SAD.............. Liana Margiva
Her (Poetry) - 12/23/2018 10:10:35 AM
I can't believe no one is commenting. Too many here have their own little cliques that exchange comments rather than comment on a beautiful poem like this.
Your metaphors and similes describe someone you loved deeply who meant the world to you. My only regret is that you wrote it after she died and not before, when she could bask in your words.
Ron
The Beautiful She (Poetry) - 12/12/2018 10:04:41 AM
I just don't know how to reply to your great comments. So I'm in the review box here, doh! Thank you so much Ron. I did reaaaaach for the words on this poem, a bit too hastily I am reminded. my previous poem before it was posted on several sites and it did not fair well at all. It left nothing to the imagination. So I went deep, kind of transendental on it. Doing such can hobble the reader.
Mystic Rose, aren't you the sweetest thing. Your user name is quite poetic in itself. If you pulled anything out of that poem, then I've done something right somehow. I tried to portray two lost and searching souls that begin to merge. Me and my metaphors and simile---too excess!
The best and most precious holidays, my friends. Live to love.
The Beautiful She (Poetry) - 12/12/2018 4:44:30 AM
One of the best poems I've read in a very long time, Your really good at this, Have a wonderful day dear poet. Keep writing, I think you make hearts listen.
The Beautiful She (Poetry) - 11/30/2018 10:13:23 AM
Forgive me, but as I read it seemed like you were straining to make this poem over the top and by doing so, you seem to miss your intention. The fervent language didn't seem to match the real emotion that you felt at her loss.
I, too, once loved a girl who looked a bit like that… Naturally white blonde hair and light blue eyes from her Scandinavian roots. But she rather put me in a quandary when she announced publicly to a group of people at a church retreat, "All of my boyfriends are conscientious objectors."
I was opposed to the Vietnam War, but because of my disability, my draft status was 1Y… Undesirable. I did have some desire to prove my manhood in the military, but didn't tell her, and glad that I couldn't go to war or I may have come home demoralized like so many. Anyway, she shortly left me for a sculptor who sculpted a bust of her breasts.
Ron
