'Tis the Season

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PROLOGUE

I pace the floor, my mind going a mile a minute, while the rest of the world sleeps. There is no rest for me because I am not like the others. I have a responsibility. So much to do. So little time. It is all up to me.

I light a candle and the flames make dancing shadows on the walls, in sync with Mozart’s Requiem. Pure, beautiful music: the way life should be. Not like the mindless trash I hear thumping from car stereos these days, screaming words of profanity. Quality has virtually disappeared and in its place? Quantity.

People want more and they want it now. They insist on instant gratification. Fast food. Faster everything. They drive their cars like lunatics, virtually riding the bumper of the car in front of them, urging the driver to go faster or get out of their way. They risk other people’s lives so they can get home two minutes earlier. And for what? To sit in front of the television set staring mindlessly at nothing, nothing of any value. It is sinful!

The world is a terrible place. God should be first! No one puts God first anymore. If they would turn their lives over to Him, they would be saved. But some refuse to be saved. Instead, they go about their pathetic lives, thinking only of themselves. What do I want and what do I have to do to get it? They use sex to manipulate others. Women haunt bars and flaunt their scantily clad bodies to get what they want. They have no family values, no morals. Adultery, abortion: atrocities against God.

Some people don’t deserve to live. They do not even care that their immoral acts, their lack of common decency, their selfishness, harms everyone around them. That has to stop. I have to stop it. It is all up to me. God has spoken to me. He has chosen me to carry out His work and He has shown me The Way. I know what needs to be done and, to honor Him, I will do His will. People have to pay for their sins. I will make them pay.

Actually, the deed itself is almost always so easy. People are creatures of habit. They leave their doors unlocked when they walk out to get the morning paper or take out the garbage, never thinking that someone might be watching them, just waiting for an opportunity. They assume that “it” will never happen to them. But, for some, it will. I will see to it.

I must be the strong one. In the time I have left here, I must do my part to save at least this little corner of the world. And I must be careful. I must plan everything in advance, down to the smallest detail. Timing is of the utmost importance. I must be patient. It all comes down to control: self-control. I must suppress the rage inside me.

I need to play my role perfectly. I must continue to do all the things that are expected of me. Never show anyone the way I feel. I must say all the right words. Do all the right things. It is all up to me. No one must suspect me. No one must ever know. I cannot afford to make any mistakes. That would ruin everything. They would never understand and they would try to stop me. Then, there would be no one to carry out God’s work. It is sad enough that, when I’m gone, there will be no one left to rid this neighborhood of the human garbage.

I blow out the candle, extinguishing its life and pray for a few hours of sleep before dawn. I will not have to wait much longer. I can feel it.

It is almost time again.

My thoughts on book reviews

Writing a review for a book is not the same thing as writing a review for a toaster. A toaster either meets your expectations of toasting bread or it doesn't. But it's a whole other story (pun intended) and there's so much more to take into consideration when you write a review for a book you've read.

As a reader, I will never write a book review unless I believe it deserves four or five stars because, as a writer, I know what it takes to write a book, to see it through from an idea to a published novel.  Months, sometimes even years, researching, developing the characters and the plot, writing, rewriting, editing. . . . The list goes on and on.

And, just because I didn’t like a book, does that mean it isn’t a good book? No! We all have different reading tastes, which means we have different opinions. And those opinions can affect a book’s sales because many readers rely on reviews when deciding whether or not to buy a book.

In most cases, the title, genre and cover are what draw me to a book. I read the synopsis and, if it sounds like a book I’d enjoy, I read it. If not, I don’t. I don’t read the reviews because I don't want to be influenced by what others have written; I prefer to make my own decision about whether or not to read it.

The same goes for recommendations. If another author and/or a friend suggests I read a book, I'll consider it but only after checking out the book for myself. My reading time is precious to me and, if I can’t “get into” a book after giving it a fair chance – several chapters, I put it aside and read something else. I don’t write a scathing review, telling other readers how terrible the book is. That’s not my job; after all, I’m not the reading police.

When my first Malone mystery was published, my publisher decided to do a giveaway on amazon. Lots of people downloaded Mixed Messages and several of them wrote reviews. Some, only a few hours after the book went up for free. How could they possibly have read an almost 80,000 word novel that fast? Well, judging from the fact that a few of those reviewers couldn’t construct a basic sentence nor could they spell, I’m assuming they didn’t. As a newly published author, I was at first devastated because those one and two star reviews significantly affected my review average.

But time went by and, thanks to many wonderful reviews, it all worked out. And, I noticed something interesting. Most of the big name authors get those same kinds of negative reviews. I guess there are just some people out there who, for whatever reason, take pleasure in raining on someone else’s parade. I think that's pathetic and sad.

Like all authors, I LOVE to get positive reviews for my books and I appreciate each and every one of them because, as I mentioned, there are lots of readers out there who rely on reviews to decide whether or not to buy a book. And, of course, I really, really want to reach as many of them as possible.

I’ve given my opinion on book reviews and I would love to hear your thoughts. Happy reading!