Amazon contest - pleading for reviews

happywritermom

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I'm not sure whether this is the appropriate board for this post, but I just learned that I made the quarter finals of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award and I'm pleading for reviews of my excerpt :D. The contest is decided primarily by editors and a few famous authors, but reviews help in a big way.

If you wouldn't mind taking the time to help a fellow Absolute Writer, I would greatly appreciate it. Here is the link:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001UG3D7K

The odds can't be any worse than the odds of getting an agent, right?

If anyone else is a quarter finalist, please post here or PM me and I will gladly review your excerpt as well.

Thanks in advance, you awesome people!
 

Soccer Mom

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First, major congrats to making the quarters! Second, I'm going to move this to Goals and Accomplishments (but I'll leave one of those cool little redirect linkys so folks can easily follow it there.)

Good luck!
 

kafeinuhai

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Thanks so much for starting this thread, PastMidnight! I'm super (super) excited to make the first cut; more than a little shocked. However I am feeling mildly like a bozo, as I sent it in before I made a big ole' set of revisions that I think actually helped. Oh, well... a learning experience.

Anyways, here's the link to mine, a college-age YA. I would appreciate ANY input from anyone, even the wacky kind (because I do enjoy the wacky).

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001UG3CAS/?tag=absolutewritedm-20

I can't wait to read some of the others!
 

Shalanna

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Paranormal screwball coming-of-age novel made the cut

LITTLE RITUALS, my book about the slightly compulsive woman whose luck turns bad, made the cut. Daphne Dilbeck (and you know she's a screwball because of the name she's stuck with) experiences weird life events and decides there's a curse/hex on her; she spends time trying to get the hex off of herself, but finds that she has to make her own luck.

Editorial reviews, pretty good, I suppose. The second reviewer is obviously in my target audience. *grin* The first reviewer doesn't like chicklitty stuff or the kind of inner voice that Daphne has, but still recommended the book. (There are a lot of funny asides--but that's because Daphne's inner life IS the story. The book wouldn't be worth reading without all the funny asides, because it IS the asides--there's not that much "real" action. Not to dismiss the reviewer's thoughts on this, but I think the inner monologue is the whole point of this story, so I can't compress it too much! So be warned that it's not all about action if you decide to help me out and review--but please DO if you are at all a fan of introspective-type novels with magic and leprechauns! Be kind, be kind. . . .)

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001UG3AB4

The main page for checking out everyone who placed is at

http://www.amazon.com/abna

If you have LOTS OF FREE TIME and want to read stuff for free, that is!
 

happywritermom

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This is wonderful! I'm glad to see that so many from this forum have made it. It'll take me a while to get to the reviews with four kids (especially the 2-year-old twins), but I'll be working on them for all of the next week.
Congrats all!
 

heyjude

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Happywritermom, you rock. Spring Melt had me from the get-go. Wish I could read the whole thing. :)
 

happywritermom

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Thank you Heyjude! That means a lot coming from a fellow writer, especially one who writes crime. Are you in the contest? If so, what is your link?
 

heyjude

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Nope, not in it this year. I couldn't stomach it. :) Good luck to you!
 

kafeinuhai

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Little Rituals

Shalanna: I just read and reviewed Little Rituals. I loved it!! Personally, I think chic-lit and magical realism *should* be together. ;-)

I wrote one suggestion, just from my experience reading (I am trying my very best to write something constructive with each review), but I think you kind of already addressed it in your post.

Now on to some of the others...
 

Shalanna

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Oh, kafeinuhai!! I just now came by the board and saw that you had reviewed _Little Rituals_ for me! Hate to be this late in acknowledging and thanking you! I've tried to keep from thinking about that contest and all that mess so I won't be sitting here fretting.

They say that customer reviews won't matter so much until we get to the next round, but you never know. Thank you so much for taking the time!

Going over to read your LiveJournal now! Thank you again!
 

kafeinuhai

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Shalana: no problem at all! I've just been trying to read and review ones from other AR'ers or ones that look like I'd be interested in. For fun, mainly, and just to see what's out there.

But I know what you mean about avoiding thinking about it--it's been hard to not compulsively check results! But it is good to hear that the reviews don't matter too much. I've read some that had really good reviews that I didn't care for (I don't write bad reviews since its a contest...) and some that I really loved that had little or no reviews. I guess as all the agent-rejection emails say... it's all subjective.

I know the whole thing moves fast, but MAN I wish it were over with already...