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Dr Who? Please don’t tell me.

amazon review request 1
I haven’t read it yet -I think it’s pretty important to do that before writing a review.

I tried so hard not to find out who the new Dr Who is going to be.  I really did. I avoided websites and FB and twitter – but alas, to no avail. So now I know and I hate that I know.

I hate spoilers.

And have suddenly developed an overwhelming fear – that someone is going to post a spoiler for Flight To Coorah Creek.

How did this start?  Amazon e-mailed me the other day – inviting me to review some books I had recently purchased.

I don’t do a lot of Amazon reviews – I tend to put my reviews here on the blog (which reminds me I haven’t done any for a while – next week – promise. Or maybe the week after).

Anyway – I waffle. Back to the topic of reviews…

As previously mentioned, we writers are insecure souls. We love good reviews (who wouldn’t) but a bad review can send us into a depression that can be cured only by heart attack inducing quantities of chocolate. I personally don’t mind bad reviews too much (she says, lying through her clenched teeth). I don’t like every book I read, and not every person who reads my books is going to love them. It would be nice if they were gentle in their dislike, but everyone is entitled to their opinion – and if they want to put that on Amazon. Well, that’s their right too.

But what I really fear is that some people tell the story of the book in their reviews – including any surprise endings or …. other things that happen in the book.

As writers, we do our very best to keep our readers guessing about who dunnit, or how the characters will escape the evil witch; who is the father of the baby or where the treasure is buried. We want our readers to keep guessing right until the last minute.

And then …. Ta Daa….  the secret is revealed. What an emotional payback that can be.

But the “I am your father” announcement loses some of its punch if have already seen Luke’s birth certificate. (I figure that’s no spoiler – unless you are one of the three people on the planet who have never seen any of the Star Wars films)

So here’s my plea to people who post reviews. I really hope you will like my books. I work very hard at my writing, trying to give my readers a good journey. But whether you like the book or hate it – please don’t spoil it for others. As both a writer AND a reader – can I please request – no spoilers. Or, if you really must, please put SPOILER ALERT in big friendly letters at the top – so those of us who don’t want to know the surprise ending can hurry on before reading any further.

Thank you for listening to my rant –I’ll be more cheerful next week. I promise.