Authors & Reviewers discussion

Here's what I do as a beta reader.

I will read and review your novel. If I feel I cannot give it a 5 or 4 star review I will email you before dragging your ratings down. (This has happened once out of three dozen novels.)

If I can catch small misspellings, missing words or sentences that just don't make sense I will screenshot them and send them to you when I'm done reading your book (if you prefer I not do this for you that is okay too and I'd appreciate you letting me know prior so I don't waste the time doing so.) I do not charge anything for it - it's just to help catch small things but I am not editing your novel as that isn't what Beta readers are for :)

I try to get back to an author within 7 - 10 days in the order I receive books for beta reading. Sometimes this may take longer but I will let you know in advance if I have a queue. As of this moment I don't have any.

My preferred genres are: fantasy especially high fantasy, YA. While I will read other genres, I have a hard time getting into erotica and straight up romance novels.

My reviews are thorough but I do NOT include spoilers aside from characters names and a very vague sense of what to expect. I like to review your characters, world building (if applicable) and story speed (did I set it down every thirty minutes or read it in one sitting?) ...that kind of thing. I will NEVER start a review with "I got this book for free in exchange for an honest review..." I don't feel that's fair to the author or looks good on their reviews.

In private (to your email) I will send a Word document or PDF of things I liked and suggestions for some improvement (this is usually one to two pages. Again, if you'd rather not hear that from me just let me know - it will not hurt my feelings :) )

I apologize for the length but at times authors have expected more from me as a beta reader than what I'm willing to give (usually editing). I'm a blunt person and would rather be honest up front.

I know it's hard for some to find beta readers for new novels and I hope to help you towards your goals of publishing your story. Thanks for your time and I look forward to reading!

Hey Texas,

Thank you for your offer.

I have two published books for your consideration.

The Dawn Warrior, an adult fantasy fairy tale retelling.

A fateful birthday. Sleeping curses. True loves kiss? Two kingdoms in the balance. Great destinies shouldn’t be like this. Cursed at her cradle, the exiled Princess Roxana has spent almost five years trying to find the witch responsible. And now her times is running out.

And The Lone Prospect, an adult urban science fantasy novel. Honestly, the most sciencey thing about it is the vehicles float. It's more urban fantasy with werewolves as the main focus.

New rules. New girl. New home. Ex-military and werewolf, Gideon Vonrothe is looking for a place to belong. His first and last hope for a pack to call his own is the Heaven’s Heathen’s Motorcycle Club. Being the new prospect isn’t going to be easy.

If either of these sound interesting to you, please send me a PM and what format you prefer to read in. Thanks so much for offering to do things like this from all of us writers. :)

Hi, I'm currently seeking reviews on my latest release: Fire and Ice (The Aldurian Chronicles Book One). I want to up my review count on Amazon as well as Goodreads and wherever else you're able to post. Fire and Ice is available on all major platforms and I can offer PDF, Mobi, or Epub. Private message me if interested. Here is the summary and a short excerpt:

Blurb: It’s been months since the accident on Asher Creek bridge that nearly claimed Allie's life. She hasn't heard from her boyfriend Phoenix since the fire station went up in flames, and she's no closer to finding the man who saved her from drowning that night. To make matters worse, she's somehow lost the elemental abilities that connected her to Phoenix—something she once believed only they shared. Vivid, unrelenting dreams have kept her searching for answers. Phoenix is in danger—she knows it. But, now they've found her: familiar, official-looking men who act nothing like the federal agents they impersonate. To keep her family safe, Allie decides to leave the only home she’s known since she was two years old and search for Phoenix on her own. But, others have different plans for her. The man who saved her returns, and he isn’t alone. A powerful, evil cult leader is after Allie, and she has no choice but to accept the protection of an unexpected ally who holds the answers to secrets from her past. Every step brings her dangerously close to finding Phoenix and discovering her real identity, but the truth is far worse than she ever could have imagined.

Excerpt: “The Acolytes must have figured out I planned to take the back roads through the small towns,” he said as the inconspicuous, older silver Corolla drove down a two-way paved street. “They’ve set up road blocks. My only advantage is that I can sense them. We’ll have to travel through the major cities. But, we’ll get there sooner.”

That wasn’t his only advantage. I continued to stare out the window in silence, still trying to forget the nightmare in the woods.

“I can read your mind, too. Remember?” His tone seemed annoyed.

I glanced over. “Sorry.”

I couldn’t silence the thoughts that floated through my head. I couldn’t stop thinking only a monster could be responsible for such a slaughter. I couldn’t stop seeing the electrocuted, frozen, and burned bodies over and over again.

“You should have listened to me.”

“Did you have to kill them?”

He looked at me and furrowed his brows. “Are you serious?” His eyes narrowed. “You are.”

“No.” I rubbed my temples. “I’m not sure why I asked that. Sorry. It’s just—did you have to be so cruel about it? A bullet would have worked just fine.”

“So you would prefer I shoot them because it’s less messy? Mercy doesn’t instill fear in the hearts of your enemies. Clean and painless doesn’t discourage others from rising up and replacing the ones you defeated. It’s their mess to clean up, and they’ll think twice before being so bold again.”

I looked up and stared at him. He faced the road as he drove, shoulders relaxed against the seat. His golden hair fell over his forehead and a hint of stubble freckled his golden-tanned skin. Even from the side, his piercing eyes were powerful, commanding attention without effort. I looked down at my wrists as more gruesome images flashed across my mind. Lucifer probably had similar features.

My eyes darted to his clenched jaw and my cheeks flushed. “I’m sorry—”

“No, you’re not.” His sharp tone made me flinch. “I know this is all hard for you to accept. You’ve lived a quiet life in a small town, never even considering having to make choices like this until recently. But, this is normal for me.”

“So you keep reminding me.” I closed my eyes. I couldn’t take it any more. I glared at him. “What are you trying to say? That if you’d had your way, you and Janz would have taken me in at two years old and taught me to ‘protect’ myself—which you still haven’t explained any of that. That I wouldn’t have learned the horrible lesson about the value of human life? That I wouldn’t bat an eye at watching you electrocute a dozen men? That the smell and sight wouldn’t turn my stomach? Wow. Janz really did screw me over by letting me grow up in a loving family away from you.”

“And, how was that working out for you?” He glared at me, his words cold and slow. “What’s your count, so far? Three? Four, if you count Janz. He still hasn’t made contact. Maybe you did kill him.”

I stared back at him. My chest burned more than when the Acolyte had punched me in the stomach. “Maybe I did,” I whispered.

–Fire and Ice, pg. 90

Do you review already published books?

I have three books out I'd love for you to consider reviewing.
Growing Up Neighbors is a coming of age, young adult, sweet love story. Next Door Neighbors and Long Lost Neighbors are both clean, contemporary romances. I have a boxset on Amazon - www.amazon.com/dp/B06XJ4PLPD so you can see them all in one place. Let me know if you're interested! Thanks!

Hello, Texas! My name is Derek Kohlhagen, and I wrote The Footsteps of Cain, a post-apocalyptic story of a nameless immortal who has been tasked with the destruction of the world. It's currently 4.6 out of 5 stars on Amazon, and I've gotten some great feedback on it. Reviews are so critical for independent authors...it's great to have a place to connect with people who are so generous to do them!

Here's the blurb for the book:

He made a mistake. His punishment? Kill the world.

A nameless immortal wanders a desert of his own making, on a planet mostly devoid of life. He is imprisoned to the will of a malevolent spirit...limping toward atonement through a chain of uncountable bloody deeds, and across many millennia. The only thing that keeps him going is the promise of freedom...not for himself, but for a love that he has destroyed.

His ages-long road has led him to the distant future, to the planet's very last settlement of humanity. There, with one final, tired massacre, he aims to end the world.

He will find the last remnant of civilization unwilling to enter the void so easily. He will also find that the world has one final, soul-stirring revelation yet left for him.

The Footsteps of Cain


I'd sincerely be honored if anyone would consider reviewing the book! Thanks, and have a great day!

Derek wrote: "Hello, Texas! My name is Derek Kohlhagen, and I wrote The Footsteps of Cain, a post-apocalyptic story of a nameless immortal who has been tasked with the destruction of the world. It's currently 4...."

Hello,
I would like to read and review your book.
Email: [email protected]
My preferred format is epub but you can also send me a PDF or a mobi file.

Nancy wrote: "Do you review already published books?"

Nancy, sorry for the late reply. I do review already published books that's no problem. Please PM if you're interested in me reviewing it for you. :) I tried to PM you but it's not giving me the option to do so on your profile for some reason.

- Teresa

Hello!

I have a dark fantasy in need of reviews! It's available for free download at Amazon.

http://a.co/aItaZSk

I can also provide the book in a different format, just let me know what you think!

Haunting Weir

Thanks so much!
Emma

Hello Teresa.
Where about in Texas do you live? I lived in the Galveston area many, many....many years ago. If I could, I'd move back there, but family keeps me in AL.
Thanks for offering your beta reader skills. I have one published book I'd like to get some work on; I've fixed all the errors that I've found and some others have found, but you can just never catch them all! And I have a second book in my series hopefully coming out by the end of May that could use some help as well...if you're interested. They are both Christian crime books.

Thanks for your time and consideration,
Nathan