I’ve seen other authors share their reviews. Honestly, I couldn’t understand why. I remember thinking as I read them, “Gee, do they so seldom get a 5 star review?” or maybe, “Was this review a certain milestone for them?”
If you’ve read my previous posts, then you know how important reviews are for writers. We live and die by them. Numbers matter. Whether you work in an office and have to get quarterly reports out in time or if you work on an assembly line and have a production quota, numbers matter. As a writer…so much weight is put into reviews that…well, it isn’t worth rehashing here. Just trust me when I say, they MATTER.
So, what made this particular review so noteworthy? What made me keep going back and re-reading this review? I’ve received numerous 5 star reviews in the past. I’ve received more than my share of 4 star reviews. I’ve even received a 3 star review. Heck…I even got blasted by one guy who handed down a 2 star review. And the ONLY reason he offered up 2 stars instead of 1 was because the story had solid editing. Of course, of all of his nitpicking, he only had one valid gripe…but is it worth going online and arguing with someone and proving them wrong? Will it change their mind? Will it cause them to suddenly admit they were wrong and raise their rating? No, of course not. Pappy always said, never argue with an idiot. They’ll drag you down to their level and beat you with experience. Besides, reviews are OTHER PEOPLE’S OPINIONS. You can’t blame someone for having a different opinion or for not liking what you offered.
So, back to the point of this blog entry. What was it about this one particular review that had me going back to it time and again, re-reading it and smiling each time I read it? I’ll let you decide.
Whispers – A true masterpiece!
Before I begin, I just want to say that no matter how hard I try to write a deserving review for Heath Stallcup’s “Whispers”, I fear there is no way I am going to be able to do it justice. Read the book and you’ll understand what I’m talking about.
Descriptive writing can be quite the challenge for authors, so I’ve been told. Too much description – too little description; there’s a fine line between the two. Heath Stallcup has without a doubt found his “comfort zone”. In my opinion his descriptions are dead on, creating the perfect imagery for me, the reader, to envision the characters and their surroundings. Speaking of character’s – there are several main character’s, each one is well developed with a personality and voice distinctive to them. As Heath tells his story, switching between the characters is clearly defined. I never found myself confused by the story line or the character’s roles. The dialog between character’s is genuine and flow’s effortlessly.
Without saying too much, told in the prologue, “Whispers” unfolds far back in Western times. The tragic events surrounding Sheriff James “Two Guns” Tolbert and the love of his life Mary O’Dell drew me in and I was hooked, compelled to continue reading. Chapter one sets the scene in present day as local law enforcement personnel, faced with a string of grisly murders, work diligently to solve the crimes. Though I am not educated in the legal field I found Heath’s portrayal of legal behavior and the interactions between these characters believable; true to life.
I strongly recommend “Whispers”. It is so suspenseful it will keep you anxiously turning the pages wanting more, desperately needing to find out what happens next. I had difficulty putting the book down.
Treat yourself, read “Whispers”, you will not regret it, I promise.
Is this review really any different than what others have said? Is it simply a compilation of what others have written, just strung together? I don’t think so. I think she nailed the hammer right on the thumb…well, okay, you know what I mean. I’ve said all along that this was one of my favorite stories to date. I still think this is one of my best works. Although I’ve questioned the quality of what I do, it’s reviews like this that make me think it’s all worth it.
Heath Stallcup Author 