Call Me Suspicious

I haven't been back to Instagram in a while, not because I hate the site--I've watched a few fun reels, especially those that feature music from the 90's and before; they're a nice "takes-me-back" moment. What I hate is checking out my many new followers, which one has to do before following back, unless she wants to be spammed with solicitations for "services" or be hit on by old men (no offense to old men; just the lecherous ones). Then there are the DM's, which kind of go hand in hand with the new followers. It's all too much research for zero reward.

But since I have something I can legitimately tout in a post (my Kindle Unlimited page reads), I thought maybe I should put something out there, just so all those Instagram users who don't even know I exist won't forget me. Then I remembered I'd DM'd a couple of book reviewers I'd paid, to find out where my reviews were. One said, oh, I just posted it today. Coincidence! The other did point me to her review link, which naturally had neither comments nor likes. Big time, baby! That's me! These people's fees were minimal, but that doesn't excuse my stupidity. A mistake I won't repeat.

Then there are the reviews themselves. The reviewer whose link I could see (I still have to search for the other one's) really, really liked the book. However, I was disappointed that she didn't touch on anything that wasn't found in the blurb. It's eerie how all my Instagram book reviewers never delve into other plot points, many of which are really good. They all mention that Leah's record company changed her name, for example, but repeating that in a review is really unnecessary, since it's clearly stated in the blurb. Oh, wait...

I thought I'd done my due diligence before laying down my money. I did read other reviews this most recent reviewer had done, but I never bothered to find the books on Amazon and compare the reviews to the blurbs. (Is there a forehead smacking emoji?) Plus, she has 27,000 followers, but I've since learned that a follower number can be manipulated. 

And now she wants to do an interview and a book giveaway. Oh. How much would that cost me? No one even reads her reviews, so I think I'll politely decline. 

📚Book Review📚

Running From Herself

By : April Tompkins

Edition : Kindle / Paperback

Greetings Dear Readers ,

Dropping down is the review of the book “Running From Herself” by April Tompkins, it is a book that surprised me in the best possible way. At first, I thought it was just going to be another “small town romance with music” kind of story, but it turned out to be so much more.

The protagonist seat in the story is captured by Leah , a layered character stumbling into a town that she wasn’t even supposed to stay in, and then slowly finding herself again through heartbreak, second chances, and music.Her romance with the lead singer was sweet but also complicated — and when it fell apart, it wasn’t just drama for the sake of drama. It was rooted in real emotions and believable mistakes.

I could feel the tension, the fear, but also that spark of something bigger waiting inside her. This kept me intrigued throughout the story .The excitement of her big break quickly turning into disillusionment was both frustrating and eye-opening. The way the industry tried to strip her down and rebuild her as someone else — even down to her name — was heartbreaking.

I really found myself not just reading about Leah but actually feeling her struggles — the tug-of-war between who she is, who people want her to be, and who she might become if she’s brave enough to hold onto her own voice.

This story is more than just about music; it’s about identity, resilience, and finding the courage to be real in a world that wants you to be something else. I would definitely recommend this book to everyone out there . Go and grab the copy of this book as soon as possible .

Happy Reading

Here's my other review:

 

Again, there's not one facet that isn't found in the book blurb. Do you really "just want her to sing on her own terms"? And how does the story depict that? How do you know she doesn't get to sing on her own terms?

I, too, could write reviews for a living, and lots of them, since I wouldn't have to waste my time actually reading any books.

I decided to practice on my own novel. Here's the blurb:

When Leah Branch quit her band, she quit music for good. It was time to find a new life, even if that meant leaving her hometown behind and leaving the only thing she was ever good at. A last-minute stay at Chance, Wyoming’s only hotel had Leah ready to call the town her new home-for-life. She wrangled a job as a server in the town’s saloon and fell in love with the house band’s lead singer.

Then it all fell apart. One little omission doomed their romance for good. When her ex-flame dissolved his band, the saloon’s fortunes quickly soured, and if Leah was going to stay in Chance, she had to step up—to the microphone. And that’s when her big break finally arrived.

But once in Nashville, Leah found that the record label was eager to change everything about her, even her name. She wasn’t a soon-to-be star; she was a commodity.

Now Leah once again has a choice—live her life as a fraud or discover who she really is.

It’s not going to be easy.

Fans of Daisy Jones & the Six will love this deep dive into the inner world of the music business.

"At first I thought, this story was going to be boring as hell, but guess what? It's not! It was very poignant when Leah quit her band—and quit music for good. What was she going to do, I wondered? Then she discovered the town of Chance by accident and she decided to stay there. The scenes in Chance, where she worked as a server in the town's bar really captured that small town essence, but then her relationship with the bar's band singer fell apart—and all due to one tiny mistake; one could say, an “omission”. It didn't seem fair. They (the unnamed guy) and Leah seemed like the perfect couple.

But things began to look up for Leah when her big break arrived. Was she going to be a big star? I couldn't wait to find out. But, of course, things didn't work out so smoothly The record label even changed her name—to something. They treated her like a product or another synonym for "commodity".

How long would Leah put up with it all? It wouldn't be easy, but she knew she had to find out who she really was.

This book reminded me so much of Daisy Jones & the Six, it was eerie. The writing is great and the story is full of surprises. Buy it today."

This was easy! I could advertise reviews for...maybe $25.00 a pop and be rich in no time! Beats trying to sell books!

In total, since I published Running From Herself in March, exactly one "professional" reviewer actually read the book. And she liked it! 

Authors, if you only want vague blurb summaries as long as they contain positive words, sure, take these guys on social media up on their offers. Call me cuckoo, but I prefer a real review, good, bad, or in between. And don't be fooled by someone's follower numbers. They're likely fake. Social media reviewers or influencers or whatever the hell they want to call themselves are but one more quick-buck scheme. Regardless of Google claiming that these people really do help to sell books, they don't. Nobody sees their posts, and even if they did, why would anyone buy a book based on a total of two likes (one of which came from the author)? That literally screams, "popularity". 

Chalk this exercise up as one more boneheaded move on my part. I've got a long list of them.