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Reviewers, Retaliation and Real Love

In episode 23 of Bluebonnets, Bagpipes and Books, Mistress Suzie from MistressOfTheDarkPath.com joins Deena & Mark Rice to give some insight on reviews. As many of you know, Deena has been very vocal about reviews and she practices what she preaches, leaving reviews after reading a book. Mark, as well as being a best-selling author, is also an Amazon Vine reviewer ranked in the top 1,000. These three share their experiences, Suzie even recounting the harassment she received on her blog from friends of an author she’d given a 3-star rating.

Goodreads is discussed. Does it have any literary credibility? Do reviews there carry any weight? Mark makes no secret of his opinion that, while the site is a useful platform for authors, it is run by amateurs who need to learn professionalism. Yet again, Amazon is a topic of conversation and controversy. Between failing to post reviews and removing legitimate reviews, Amazon is pissing off authors and reviewers alike. Do you think that Goodreads fails to exert any control while Amazon imposes too much? Has Amazon become Big Brother while Goodreads is the Bratty Little Sister who refuses to be toilet trained, defecating in her diaper despite voices of experience instructing her to grow up? Do you think these sites provide user-friendly platforms via which to express your opinions?

Mistress Suzie mentions her blog post “Is BDSM The New Bodice Ripper“, which asks if the erotica sub-genre has taken the place of the popular genre of the 70s and 80s. The conversation moves on to steamy historical romances, Virginia Henley and Susan Johnson (who thoroughly research the time periods and sexual attitudes of the time). While Suzie and Deena are talking about romantic novels, crickets can be heard coming from Scotland. At one point the women think Mark has fallen asleep but it turns out that he is merely in a catatonic state, his eyes having glazed over.

When Deena mentions a review she wrote recently for the E-BB website, Mark springs back to life and thus ensues a discussion of how alpha males regard the thought of sharing their mate with another lover – “not gonnae happen.”

Do you think it’s acceptable to leave a review for a book, service, product, movie or album that you do not finish in its entirety? Listen in to hear what the co-hosts and guest think about that. Once again, Mark doesn’t pull any punches.

If you are an author and ever wondered why people (who take writing reviews seriously) rate or review the way they do, this is a show you should listen to. If you’re not an author or reviewer, listen to the show anyway. Just listen to the friggin’ show. Enjoy.