In this podcast episode, Lisa reviews a science fiction novel from indie author, Doug J. Cooper.
This episode is dedicated to the indie review of Crystal Deception by Doug J. Cooper and an indie publishing Tip of the Week - A word about starred reviews.
First, Lisa and I chatted about our week. Lisa seemed to be in a good mood because of some great client progress because of our Indie Chicks Checklist!
Speaking of the Indie Chicks Checklist, if you're struggling, it really can be a game changer. Just ask him...
I was also in a great mood because my brand new Fireflies Trilogy Special Edition Gift Set will be available for purchase on September 1st! I'm over the moon about it. :)
In other news, Lisa and I are about to wrap up our first season of the Indie Chicks podcast! Only two more episodes left! We can't believe it! The time has flown by. But, don't worry, we will continue to help you guys out, and we'll be back for season two before you know it!
Next, Lisa reviewed Crystal Deception by Doug J. Cooper. Here's the description of Crystal Deception from the book description on Amazon:
Juice Tallette believes her latest creation holds great promise for humanity, yet she hesitates to release him into the world. That’s because Criss, an AI with the intellect of a thousand humans, is too powerful to control. Days after his awakening, Criss alarms Juice with news of his impending abduction, and pleads for her protection. He claims that the Kardish—alien traders with a ship now lurking in orbit—have a kidnapping plan already in motion. But is Criss telling the truth, or is this a scheme to gain his freedom? Can Earth even protect Criss from the Kardish, or should we sacrifice him to avoid confrontation with technologically dominant aliens? One government agent promotes turning the hyper-intelligent AI into a doomsday weapon and confronting the aliens in space. But can Criss be trusted to co-operate? And what becomes of humanity if an interstellar battle among titans starts to rage?
I had a ton of questions for Lisa about the book and may have sidetracked her. Oops, sorry girl! There was also a sidebar about the new Mission Impossible movie. I loved it, and Lisa didn't. We agreed to disagree (I will secretly try to change her erroneous opinion). But back to Crystal Deception! Here's Lisa's much more concise review:
You can tell Crystal Deception was written by a scientist. And I don't mean that as anything bad. No, quite the contrary. Doug J. Cooper has built a very believable world. From building crystals to various spaceships, everything makes sense. The protagonists are as believable as the antagonists are not. The "aliens" Cooper has created are eerily fantastical. Which is probably a good thing. If they were as believable as the rest of the story, the overall feeling of the book would be a lot different...it would be terrifying.
And Crystal Deception certainly is NOT terrifying. It's suspenseful and action-packed, but not scary. Cooper does an excellent job of building suspense, and his characters have nice depth. A great read!
Time for the Tip of the Week!
My tip of the week was about 3- and 4-star reviews. We love the five-star reviews, and we loathe the 1-star reviews. BUT- one thing that readers will typically do is read the 3- and 4-star reviews to gauge if they will enjoy a book. I know, I know, those reviews might not be accurate, but readers DO believe that they will be the most honest assessment. Lisa even added that sometimes readers check out the 1- and 2-star reviews. Ouch! Am I right? Anywho, the point is that sure, reviews can hurt, but they can also be helpful. Celebrate those 3- and 4-star reviews. They can actually lend some credibility to your book from a potential reader's perspective. And just to be clear, I did mention my favorite 3-star review. <NO SARCASM HERE> I really do love it. A reader said that my book wasn't rotten by a long shot, but it needs a little work. I asked for your thoughts too. Please feel free to comment on your thoughts about 3- and 4- star reviews. We'd love to hear from you!
On our next podcast, we will be talking about marketing (Lisa can't wait!!!) and Lisa will have a Tip of the Week. So, remember, we’re an indie author community, be kind and review your fellow indie authors’ books!
And…
Indie Chicks out.