Review Policy

The main point of this blog started out being a way to share my enjoyment of books I’ve stumbled across on my own. However, if you’re an author who is interested in my review, leave me a comment with a URL pointing to your most recent book, and I’ll get in touch with you to see whether I have enough time at a given point in my schedule. I won’t make any promises, given my other commitments, and I won’t be a simple mouthpiece for your self-review; I would be open to an author interview, however, if you feel I missed the point of your work.
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(My journalism professors would be proud, eh…?)

I also moonlight as a professional editor, so have developed relationships with certain authors. In the cases where I have that relationship I will share it with my readers to avoid the perception of a conflict of interest.

I prefer ePub versions (though I can also manage most other formats on my iPad) and, naturally, also printed versions, should you elect to undertake that cost and hassle. The tags on past reviews form a reliable guide on what I’m likely to read.

Now that I’m published, too, I won’t be able to cross-post any reviews in the fantasy or scifi genres on Amazon, to avoid contravening their terms of service.

Update 3/2016: I’m glad to help new and indie authors find a new review spot, but I’m overwhelmed at the response, since I’m getting up to 5 requests per day. Please be concise in your requests and patient in your expectations. If you don’t hear from me within a day or two, it’s likely I won’t be able to add your book to my list since I tend to prioritize books I find through Netgalley or the book tour groups I belong to.

Authors, publicists, and publishers who are interested in a review, who have initiated contact with me and received the go-ahead send me their books free of charge in exchange for my review. While I benefit from getting a free book, I am careful to be honest in my reviews and do not receive any other compensation for my reviews. That said, I belong to Amazon’s affiliate program, and use income from that source to help defray some of my costs (including my own book addiction, and hence the purchase of additional books).

😉

These policies are likely to evolve as traffic to /interest in this blog increases, so I will keep this page updated to keep pace.

22 thoughts on “Review Policy

  1. Hi Tonya

    Let me know if you are interested in reviewing Ghosts of Tsavo (historical paranormal mystery) – it is available as Mobi, ePub and PDF.

    To read an extract: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SYWOK84

    Blurb:
    Armed with Victorian etiquette, a fully loaded walking stick and a dead husband, Beatrice Knight arrives in colonial Kenya desperate for a pot of tea and a pinch of cinnamon. But she’ll need more than that if she’s to unravel the mystery of the Ghosts of Tsavo without being eaten in the process. All this while surviving the machinations of her best friend’s dashing godfather and the efforts of her safari guide to feed her to any lion willing to drag her away. What is a ghost-chasing widow to do?

    This is Case 1 in “Society for Paranormals”: A series concerning dead husbands, African legends and the search for a perfect spot of tea. For those readers who adore “Pride & Prejudice” and would love to experience “The Parasol Protectorate” set in colonial Africa.

    Thanks

    Vered

  2. Dear Tonya,

    I was wondering if you would be interested (and could spare the time) to have a look at my recently published debut novel, “Match Games”. It’s a mystery thriller set in Northern England.
    It would be wonderful if you would consider writing a review.
    It has some adult themes, non-graphic.
    On the surface it aims to be a ‘Nordic Noir’-style, hard-hitting, real life, dark and gritty thriller. Beyond the surface it describes the struggle of one man against virtually every evil today’s society has come to accept as the norm, where the bully wins every time, where the masses are so dumbed down by the dilution of culture and so called freedom of the press that true values are in danger of being lost forever.
    It’s an adventure, even an odyssey for the protagonist, set against a background of matchfixing in football, though this is just the vehicle that delives the main man into difficulty.
    Here is some of the blurb:
    “Slightly disheveled, self-proclaimed investigative journalist Lukas Novak inadvertently disturbs a hornets’ nest when following up a mysterious blog’s match-fixing allegations at football giants Mancunia FC. When the wrong people start getting hurt the hunter becomes the hunted and Lukas finds himself a non-person, on the run from a GBH charge. Unsure who and what to trust Lukas stumbles upon answers that he hasn’t been looking for and that change the course of his investigation and his own life forever.”

    More can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/mubnphm
    I will send you a pdf, mobi, or whatever you prefer!

    Please let me know if you’re interested!

    Thanks for reading this and congratulations on your fab blog!

    With best wishes,

    Bea Schirmer

  3. Dear Tonya,

    I’d like to request your review of my novel The Kura, which will be released April 19 by Uncial Press. The book’s basic genre is alternate-world science fantasy (although it’s set in part in the contemporary U.S.), and it’s a combination of adventure, coming-of-age, and romance. It is approximately 125,000 words in length, and it deals with serious themes. The major characters’ ages range from late teens through early 20s, and although it has sexual content (not graphic) I consider it suitable for anyone age 14 and up – Adult, YA, and NA.

    My publisher’s blurb is quite long (300 words), so I’m sending you a shorter version:

    What if you could go back in time to a beautiful world, a real world without stress and pollution, a place to build a future full of hope and love?

    Alyssha Dodson visited such a world when she was twelve. Now, six years later, she’s going back. She plans to study with a village kura (teacher and healer) and to reconnect with a boy she met then and has daydreamed about for all these years.

    But very little goes according to Alyssha’s plan. She becomes involved in violent political upheaval – and in romantic relationships with two young men.

    The Kura will be published as an e-book, formatted for all e-readers and apps. If you’re interested in reading it for review, I can send you an advance review copy in one of three formats, html, mobi, or PDF. The ARC contains about eight minor punctuation errors, which will have been corrected when the book is released. I don’t yet have buy links, but can let you know when those (and the Amazon pre-release link) are available.

    Thanks for your time and attention. I look forward to hearing from you!

    Best regards,

    Mary Patterson Thornburg

  4. Hi Tonya,

    Well, this feels somewhat peculiar but I’ve volunteered to seek reviews for Tales from the SFR Brigade. I don’t know how snowed under you still are, so I hope it’s okay to post the request here.

    Experience love and adventure among the stars in ‘Tales from the SFR Brigade,’ a free digital anthology of eight Science Fiction Romance stories.

    Thanks,
    Pippa

  5. Hi Tonya,

    I don’t know if you’re still snowed under with pending reviews, or if you’re still accepting reviews on this page, but if you are, I’d love to offer you my novel, Reckless Rescue, for review. It’s a Sci-Fi Romance, about 95,000 words.

    Blurb:

    What would you risk for love?

    Marlee’s people are dying—the valuable anysogen gas that covers their planet is making the entire population infertile. When the council tells her she must leave her partner and choose another to improve her chances of having a baby, she’s devastated. She swears she’ll never love again—it hurts too much.

    Tyris thinks he has everything he wants, despite his world suffering from overpopulation—until his wife leaves him because he is forbidden to have children.

    In an attempt to convince his world, and his wife, that he’s worthwhile, Tyris goes hunting for a lost planet said to contain untold riches in the form of anysogen gas.

    When he crashes on her world, Marlee and Tyris agree to pretend to live together while they try to repair his ship and escape from the planet. But as they battle the harsh winter on the planet together, keeping their distance becomes even more challenging than the snow, the council and the risks of a real relationship…

    If this is something you might be interested in, please let me know, and I’d be happy to send you an electronic copy for review.

    Thanks for your time,

    Rinelle Grey

  6. My name is Tracey Sinclair and I’m an author and blogger (with two small press books published, but now trying epublishing). I’d love to either be considered for a guest post or review. Obviously I’m also open to cross-promote things on my blog, or to host guest posts on bodyofageekgoddess.blogspot.co.uk

    My book Dark Dates is available on Amazon (US and UK) at:

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dark-Dates-Cassandra-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B007RH5PF4/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1341315028&sr=1-1

    Dark Dates by Tracey Sinclair
    All Cassandra Bick wants is to be left to get on with doing her job. But when you’re a Sensitive whose business is running a dating agency for vampires, life is never going to be straightforward – especially when there’s a supernatural war brewing in London, a sexy new bloodsucker in town and your mysterious, homicidal and vampire hating ex-lover chooses this moment to reappear in your life…

    Witty, sharp and entertaining, Dark Dates is a heady mix of vampires, witches and werewolves – with the occasional angel thrown in – and introduces Cassandra Bick, a likeable heroine destined to join the ranks of fantasy’s feistiest females.

  7. Tonya,

    EVEN VILLAINS FALL IN LOVE is a 30,000 word superhero novella published by Breathless Press.

    If you believe the rumors you know that Doctor Charm, the wickedly sexy super villain, retired in shame seven years ago after his last fight with the super hero Zephyr Girl. The fact that the charming Evan Smith—father of four and husband of the too-beautiful-to-be-real Tabitha—bears a resemblance to the defeated Doctor is pure coincidence. And, please, ignore the minions.

    Everything is perfect in the Smith household, until Tabitha announces her return to work as a super hero. Evan was hoping to keep her distracted until after he rigged the 2012 presidential election, but—genius that he is—Evan has a backup plan. In his basement lab, Evan has a machine whose sole purpose is keeping Tabitha hungry for him.

    But children and labs don’t mix. The machine is broken, and Tabitha storms out, claiming she no longer knows him. World domination takes a back seat to meeting his daughters’ demands to get Mommy back right now. This time his genius isn’t going to be enough—he’s going to need both his evil alter-ego, and the blooming super abilities of his children to save his wife. But even his most charming self might not be enough to save their marriage.

    Let me know if you can squeeze it into your schedule.
    Liana
    http://www.lianabrooks.com/p/even-villains-fall-in-love.html

  8. Hello,

    I would very much appreciate your reviewing my e-book, Heaven Again (a literary novel of 70,000 words/230 pages).

    My name is H. C. Turk (Harold). Born in Michigan, now living in Florida, I’m a writer, visual artist, and recording artist. I have novels published by Villard and Tor, two novel excepts published in the Chicago Review, my images have appeared in numerous magazines and web-sites, my album, Thenever, is available at iTunes, and my music vids are some of the most unusual you’ll ever see (for better or worse).

    Synopsis:
    A child is murdered. Her father kills the murderer. These sad, disastrous deaths cause the parents to split. Then the murderer’s sister seeks revenge by tormenting the parents with a child who resembles the dead girl. But the father is convinced his daughter still lives, and is willing to kill for her again. Death, despair, and revenge are the three evils that Glenn and Janet Alden defeat in Heaven Again, a story that ultimately is ingratiating and uplifting in depicting the profound reunion of husband and wife.

    With prose as compelling as its themes, Heaven Again is a story that will startle readers with its originality and utterly convincing voice.

    Thanks for your time!

    HCT

  9. Would you consider an E-Book with an unusual delivery?

    Time of the Awakening is unlike anything in the E-Book crowd. As for delivery, I hand crafted a physical copy (I’m an artist of many years) and captured it digitally, during the process. Think: easy on the eyes, high quality paper, runic language on the borders, singed edges and stellar artwork where appropriate. But what sets me apart is more than fine presentation; there’s no short description for the Gestalt Effect. So if you’ve a moment with a tasty beverage in the morning, stop by my site and read about the method that sets my book apart.
    http://www.GenerationsOfLegends.com [general info]
    http://www.generationsoflegends.com/a-book-and-series-unlike-any-other/ [specifics on the gestalt effect]

    If interested, drop me an email and I’ll be glad to set up a secure download through my site.

    Thanks in advance,

    Kirk

  10. My name is Jim Murdoch. I’m a Scottish writer living just outside Glasgow. I found your site via a link on Simon Royle’s website.

    The book I’m hoping you might review is The Whole Truth. It is an omnibus edition of my first two paperbacks, Living with the Truth and Stranger than Fiction. It will only be available as an e-book.

    Here’s the basic blurb:

    Jonathan Payne is a jaded bookseller at the end of a wasted life which has been spent in a dull north England seaside town. He could be an everyman, but seems to have missed the boat somewhere. He’s both distastefully pathetic and oddly sympathetic. A passive character, he has been happy to read about life without experiencing either great joy or great despair. If Death were to knock on his door it wouldn’t trouble him greatly.

    The knock comes. Only it’s not Death. It’s the truth. Literally. The human personification of truth.

    Truth proves to be a likeable, if infuriating, character with a novel mode of expression: “glib dipped in eloquence and then rolled in a coating of irony,” to quote one reviewer. He knows everything and has no qualms revealing intimate details of lives of the people who cross his path while he’s with Jonathan. He’s quite indiscriminate. The same reviewer described him as “one of the most endearing antagonists I have come across.” Comparisons with Peter Cook’s devil in Bedazzled are not unreasonable.

    Jonathan learns what he’s missed out on in life, what other people think and the true nature of the universe which is nothing like he would have expected it to be. At the end, having learned far more than he ever wanted to know, he finds out that it’s usually never too late to start again. Only sometimes it is: no Ebenezer Scrooge or George Bailey-esque turnaround for poor Jonathan.

    The genre is a hard one. This quote from the author Kay Sexton, talking about the first novel probably nails it:

    “[T]his is one of those novels that bookshops must hate: not ‘hard’ enough to be spec fic, not ‘weird’ enough to be fantasy, too realistic for the humour section and yet too humorous to shelve easily with the lit fic. And that, I suspect is going to prove to be its charm; for those who do read it, it’s a singular take on the world, and it will either resonate with you or leave you cold. […] But I can recommend that you try it — if you like distinctive fiction that rings no bells and blows no whistles but creeps up on you with its absurdities, this book will satisfy you, as it did me.”

    She did slightly better with the sequel:

    “I tried to come up with one of those pithy one-liners that you are supposed to use to encapsulate a project for the movie industry (which is popularly supposed not to be able to cope with more than a sentence of information at a time) and what I decided on was Alan Bennett meets Douglas Adams! […] I loved it.”

    Lengthy excerpts can be found on my website: Living with the TruthStranger than Fiction.

    The paperbacks have been out for over two years now. Both gained favourable reviews but although Living with the Truth is a standalone novel it really is only part of a longer story that takes two books to tell. The original novels were not long and so The Whole Truth clocks in just shy of 100,000 words. I’m keen to see reviews that talk about the complete arc which most reviewers struggled with because of how I end the first novel; basically I leave no room for a sequel.

    Any questions the website doesn’t answer drop me a line. Thanks for your time.

    Website: http://www.jimmurdoch.co.uk/

  11. My name is Joe Rinaldo, and I have published an ebook entitled A Spy At Home. I would be most grateful if you would review it for your blog. I’ll provide a free copy for you to read in Word, pdf, or html format, whichever you prefer.

    Garrison’s story begins when he retires from the CIA. In retirement Garrison shares the pain he inflicted on his family during his life abroad. Noah, Garrison’s adult son with Down syndrome, a form of mental retardation, doesn’t trust dad when he returns home. Experience has taught Noah that dad always leaves again. Over time they grow closer.

    Louisa, Garrison’s wife, gradually accepts her husband back; however, accepting him as her husband and trusting him with her child present two separate obstacles.

    Tragedy strikes, and Louisa dies. Garrison becomes solely responsible for Noah, who has developed Alzheimer’s, common in aging people with Down syndrome. This disease tears at Garrison’s heart. Noah ceases to be himself and relives a life his dad knew nothing about.

    Thank you for considering A Spy At Home. I look forward to hearing from you.

    Joe Rinaldo

  12. Hi

    Stumar Press have just (August 2011) published the Derby Scribes 2011 Anthology on Amazon (for Kindle) and Smashwords (other eReader formats). The anthology includes short stories from Simon Clark, Conrad Williams and Neal James, plus short stories from Derby Scribes members Stuart Hughes, Richard Farren Barber, Christopher Barker, Victoria Charvill, Jennifer Brown, David Ball, Peter Borg, Alison J. Hill. Eleven short stories in total plus an Introduction by Alex Davis.

    We wondered if you’d be interested in reviewing the eBook. If yes, where should we email a review copy and in what format? We have .prc (Kindle), .epub, .mobi, .pdf readily available but can provide other formats.

    Further details about the Derby Scribes 2011 Anthology (including ISBN (print), ASIN (Amazon), ISBN (Smashwords), authors, genre, summary and trailer can be found here: http://stumarpress.webs.com/derbyscribes2011.htm

    We look forward to hearing from you.

    Stumar Press
    http://www.stumarpress.co.uk

  13. Greetings,

    I am writing to request a review from you for my Smashwords bestseller Toonopolis: Gemini. It is a YA humorous fantasy set in a cartoon universe.

    Here is the pertinent information:

    Title: Toonopolis: Gemini
    Publisher: Portmanteau Press LLC
    Release Date: 5/30/11
    Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook (all major retailers)

    Novel Summary:
    Toonopolis is a cartoon city that is home to the thoughts and ideas of all sentient beings in the universe. As the center of the Tooniverse, it acts as an other-worldly rest stop for these creations.

    Gemini is a teenage human boy who is thrust into Toonopolis through his father’s scientific research program. He loses part of himself in the process and immediately begins a quest to regain his lost memories with the help of his Tooniverse guide named Jimbob the Talking Eggplant.

    After an altercation with a mysterious Shadowy Figure, Gemini’s mission is changed, and he begins a new quest to defeat Shadowy Figure and protect Toonopolis from his nefarious destruction. Along the way, he meets new friends, discovers just how diverse and strange Toonopolis is, and learns lessons about compassion, forgiveness, redemption, and being true to oneself.

    Author Biography:
    http://www.toonopolis.com/about-me/

    If you have any questions or would like a copy of the eBook (any format), please let me know. Thank you.

    -Jeremy Rodden
    Buy My #1 Selling Smashwords YA Fantasy Novel, Toonopolis: Gemini, at Amazon: http://amzn.to/r523Ik
    Author/Cartoon Blogger: http://www.toonopolis.com
    On Twitter: @toonopolis

  14. Hi, I’m the author of 2 books. I’d like to know if you’re interested in reviewing them. Both are available at Amazon.
    JOURNEY ACROSS THE FOUR SEAS is a memoir of my mother’s life in China. She was one of the first Chinese women to go to college. But wars and revolutions upended her life and turned her into a refugee in search of a home. She eventually brought the family to the U.S. http://tinyurl.com/43ycrkj
    NIGHTFALL IN MOGADISHU is a historical novel and spy thriller set in Somalia. It weaves the country’s history, politics and culture into a tale of international intrigue. Susan Chen, a CIA agent is sent to Mogadishu to thwart a plot to overthrow the government. She finds a nation that has lost its soul and is whirling into a vortex of violence and terror. http://tinyurl.com/672d7t6
    For more info, please go to my website http://veronicali.com. I enjoyed reading your site.
    Veronica Li

  15. Hello,
    My name is Amanda McNeil, and I am the publicist for a new novella-sized memoir Orchids and Memories: 3 Stories of Hawaii by Robert Soares, illustrated and edited by Erin Soares released on July 10th (details below). It is currently listed for just 99cents. As you know it’s extremely difficult to get off the ground as a new author, so I’d love to have you review the first work by Robert Soares and/or offer a giveaway on your blog. Please do let me know if you are interested, and I will send you a .pdf for review. Thanks so much for your time.

    Best,

    Amanda

    Orchids and Memories: 3 Stories of Hawaii

    These autobiographical short stories are snapshots in the life of a native Filipino Hawaiian man, growing from childhood to old age. Born and raised on Molokai, Robert Soares depicts his love of Hawaii and its natural beauty with striking nostalgia and a poignant sense of the flowing movements of life.

  16. Hello,

    As a fellow reviewer (for Bookpleasures) and writer, I realize your time is limited, but I think you might enjoy my whimsical YA sci-fi thriller The Secret Lab. It’s my fifth book (not counting a serialized sci-fi thriller on my website) but my first YA novel. It’s a bargain Kindle download but I can gift you a copy if you decide to review it.

    Thank you.

    r/Steve Moore

  17. Good afternoon,

    I was wondering if you’d be interested in reviewing a PDF copy of my new Urban Fantasy/Horror novel titled Fractured Time on your site. The book will be available in print and digital formats in the days to come everywhere online.

    You can find the relevant info on the book on my author blog: http://bitternest.blogspot.com/

    Thank you and have a great weekend!

    Cheers,
    Alan

  18. Hi there,

    My name is Nadine Rose Larter and I am a new author. My first book will be available in print very soon and I am looking for a few book review bloggers who would be willing to accept my ebook in exchange for a review.

    I know you must have a ton of books on your nightstand already (I know I do!) but if you would just consider what a hugely good karma inducing act of good will this would be I would be forever grateful and massively in your debt.

    Please contact me if you are interested.

    Thanks for your time,

    Nadine

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