Words from Joe Perrone, Jr.

NCWN-West member, Joe Perrone blogs and today I thought his post was especially good.
Many of our members are senior adults and Joe is speaking to them today.

Last-ing Memories

https://joetheauthor.wordpress.com/2019/03/02/last-ing-memories/comment-page-1/#comment-5930

Learn more about Joe, the author, here .

Do you like mysteries? Do you like police mysteries?

A Meth dealer often has many enemies, so it's no surprise when one is found murdered in the cab of his pickup truck in a parking lot frequented by fishermen.  There are lots of potential suspects and motives galore, but, after all have been thoroughly examined, Roscoe Chief of Police Matt Davis finds himself at somewhat of a dead end - that is, until he encounters the Trentweilers.

Ron and Winona are a pair of Pentecostal preachers with cloudy pasts, who have made their way from Alabama, north along the spine of the Appalachian Mountains and into Matt's "backyard" in the Catskills.  To make things even more intriguing, they have lately begun to incorporate venomous snakes into their religious "act."  What secrets are this ex-convict and his spouse hiding in their respective closets? Is Brother Ron exactly what he appears to be?  Is he a religious convert or just a con man?   And what about Winona?  Who is she and where did she come from? These and other questions confront Chief of Police Matt Davis in Twice Bitten, as he once again comes face to face with murder in the sleepy village of Roscoe, NY.

Does this sound interesting to you? This is a description of a mystery novel, Twice Bitten, by Joe Perone, Jr.. He is one of the NCWN-Reps in Henderson County, NC. 

Joe worked as a sportswriter for the Passaic-Clifton, NJ, Herald News. He also worked as a freelance advertising copywriter. Joe has a passion for fly fishing and worked as a professional fly-fishing guide for ten years in the Catskill Mountains of New York. He has had several fly-fishing short stories published in the Mid Atlantic Fly Fishing Guide. Combining both his work and his hobby produced a number of books that you can see on his blog or author website.

At least once a year, Joe heads back to his favorite fishing spot in the Catskills to fish his beloved Beaverkill, Willowemoc, and other trout streams; and he uses the time to recharge his batteries and conceive new plots for his books. Visit his Author Page to see his Matt Davis Mystery series and other books by this prolific writer.

Joe posts once a week on his Wordpress blog.

Joe is an author who does all the things needed to promote himself and his writing. He has an online presence with website, blog and author’s page on Amazon. When new writers ask me what they should do to advertise their books, I will send them to Joe Perone’s online addresses.

Joe tells us the simple way to write a review. Anyone can do it.

This post by NCWN-West member, Joe Perrone, Jr. is one we need to read if we are readers and writers. I am re-blogging this.

Writing a Review 101

Posted on January 6, 2018 by AuthorJoePerroneJr

Like playwrights of Broadway shows, authors of books live and die with reviews.  It has always amazed me how reluctant the average reader is to post a review for a book that they have read (and hopefully enjoyed).  What amazes me even more is how someone can accept a free Kindle book, read it, and never post a review.  Hey, you got the book for free, the least you can do is show your appreciation by posting a review.
How exactly should you write a review?  That appears to be a common question.  In my opinion, there are only four criteria for writing a review:

1. Did you like or dislike the book?
2. If you liked it, why? (Interesting characters, good dialogue, strong storyline,etc.)
3. If you didn’t like it, why not?  (You found the characters lacking in dimension, or the dialogue was unrealistic, or the story was not believable.)
4. Would you recommend the book to a friend?

One need not be a literary genius to write a competent review.  If you follow the criteria listed above, you should have no problem.  One thing a review should not be is mean spirited or confrontational.  Here is an example of a review I posted for a book I enjoyed:

“As a lover of mysteries, I am drawn to books with substance. Redemption Road is solid, with characters fully fleshed out, not perfect, but believable. Mr. Hart leads us on journey that is at once complicated yet straightforward, with a skill that is studied and sure. Be prepared to spend long chunks of time with this book. It deserves your attention.”

Be concise; tell what you liked or didn’t like about the book, and whether or not you would recommend it.  Case closed.  Simple.  It’s not rocket surgery (to use a mixed metaphor).  If you really didn’t like a book, write a review anyway.  I believe there is always something nice you can say about a book (maybe you just liked the cover).  Don’t be afraid to say it.  Do not use the review as an opportunity to completely tear apart someone’s work.  Authors don’t produce their books overnight.  Each book involves a lot of hard work. I have written six novels and two non-fiction books.  Each one took between twelve and eighteen months of work to complete. As the late comedian Rodney Dangerfield would often say: “I don’t get no respect.”  The same is true for authors.  A review is a way for you to pay an author respect.
I recently gave away 381 free downloads during a promotional campaign for the latest Matt Davis mystery, Deadly Ransom.  Amazingly, not one person who received the book for free took the time to post a review. With that in mind, I am asking anyone who took advantage of that free offer to please post a review.  Obviously, I am not soliciting reviews from those who absolutely abhored the book (I hope there aren’t many of you), but rather from those who enjoyed it and just forgot to post a review.  Make it your New Year’s resolution to treat authors with more respect.  I’m counting on you!  Here’s a link to post your review.
Many thanks, and Happy New Year!

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If you enjoyed this post, please feel free to share it with a friend, or reblog it on your own site. If you’d like to follow my blog, just click on the “follow” button at the lower righthand corner of the page. You’ll be asked to enter your email address and you’ll receive a confirmation email in return. I only post one per week, and I never share email addresses. To learn more about me and my writing, please visit my website at: www.joeperronejr.com.

Also, check out the pocketbook editions of the Matt Davis mystery series.  They’re only $9.95 each from Amazon.com.