Tears can mean happiness.

It's surprising what will make you cry when you've worked hard on a project and you've finally released it to the wilds of the world's imagination.

So far, my experience has been positive. No trolls have found me yet. No one has intentionally bombed my book to get revenge for a prior slight. People who read my work appear to genuinely enjoy it and that is awesome. It is all a writer could hope for.

Does that mean I'll never get a bad review? Ehhh, probably not. Someone out there will read my story and find fault in it. No matter who you are or what your subject matter is, not everyone will like it. In fact, some may truly hate it.

I've read authors I didn't care for. Generally what happens is I push and push into the story hoping for something more until I realize it's not getting any better. Then I stop. Generally I don't read anything by that person again and that’s the end of that. Life's too short to read books you don't enjoy. If another reader asks my opinion I just say they weren't for me.

The internet culture is different. Now you can go out and anonymously trash another person's hard work with no repercussions. You don't ever have to see the writer you're criticizing face to face. You can vent about that $2.99, .99 cents, or even free book you just read and bash away with impunity. I know its coming and I just have to gird my loins, so to speak.

Now, that said, I actually would like to read a critical review that was well thought out with specific examples. If I can improve the way I write and do it better next time then shouldn't I? Constructive criticism can be a positive thing. I hope that every book I write continues to improve as I learn more from other people’s reception of my work. I don't want to let my readers down. I'd like them happy and excited for the next story!

The cover I have attached is for Book Two in the Weaver Series which I hope to release in September, 2014.