I don't understand it, I can't explain it. The first book in the Goose Pimple Junction mystery series, Murder & Mayhem in Goose Pimple Junction currently has 574 reviews on Amazon.com. Great, right? Yes! Thank you and hallelujah! I am so grateful for that response. What am I whining about, right? Well, the problem is: reviews for the other three books have been slow to come in. The second and third books currently each have a rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars, and the fourth book has a 4.9 rating. Meaning, for the most part, reviews have been overwhelmingly positive. But the number of reviews is . . . well, kind of sad:
Heroes & Hooligans in Goose Pimple Junction: 203 reviews. Not bad, but more are needed!
Short & Tall Tales in Goose Pimple Junction: 23 reviews. Considering the book has been out for nine months, that number seriously needs improvement.
Rogues & Rascals in Goose Pimple Junction: 16 reviews. Sixteen reviews in six weeks—yikes! That number makes me want to take up scorpion petting.
Please, Please, Please
So this is my unabashed plea for more reviews.
What's that you say? You don't know how to write a review? Pshaw! What did you like or dislike about the book? Write it down. Write it like you are telling a friend about it. Reviews don't have to be long; in fact shorter reviews are usually preferable because longer ones tend to give away plot lines or attempt to be a synopsis of the book. Once you've read the review detailing the book, you pretty much don't need to read the book!
You want to remain anonymous? Perfectly fine! Just register for an Amazon account under the name of your choice.
Here are some examples of perfectly good (and short) reviews for the three books desperately in need of reviews:
Book 2: Heroes & Hooligans in Goose Pimple Junction
"To say I enjoyed Ms. Metz work would be an understatement, I relished it, adored it, want to marry it. "
". . . be careful drinking while you read. You could be snorting soda out your nose."
" . . . a side-splitting, pee-in-your-knickers hilariously funny cozy mystery, thanks to its cast of colorful characters.
Book 3: Short & Tall Tales in Goose Pimple Junction
"Reading these short tales was like hanging out with friends."
"She still writes each character in a realistic, distinctive, and three-dimensional manner . . . "
"I can truthfully say this book was laugh-out-loud funny and impossible to put down."
Book 4: Rogues & Rascals in Goose Pimple Junction
". . . full of oddball eccentric characters that you just have to love."
"Southern charm meets murder."
"This was such a fun read I really hated for it to end and just FYI it has one heck of an ending."
"Absolutely love this series!"
These reviews are short and sweet yet convey the feelings of the readers/reviewers. Yes, I shortened them, because really, any of these would be fine reviews by themselves. Of course, reviews are really just a person's opinion, and you can be the juiciest, ripest peach in the world, but there will still be people who don't like peaches. But bad reviews are welcome too. They tend to get people talking about the book, or even better, curious about it. And curiosity leads to book sales.
Stars matter
I would ask one favor: if you loved the book, give it five stars. It doesn't mean it's your most favorite book of all time. It just means that you loved the book. If you liked the book, give it at least a four-star rating. Because ratings contribute to ranking, and reaching the top 100 best seller list in a particular genre gives more exposure to the book, which means . . . MORE SALES! Plus, there are some sites that won't promote a book if its rating is below 4.0. So the difference between the number of stars you give a book really does matter.
What's the point?
My point is . . . you don't have to love the book to leave a review. The thing is, Amazon.com pays attention to the number of reviews. After you reach a certain number, they start promoting your book for you. And the more reviews a book gets, the more promo time it's going to get, which translates to what? Yes! Sales! And critical reviews are sometimes very helpful feedback that help an author make necessary changes in future books.
So . . . if you've read any of the four books in the Goose Pimple Junction series but haven't written a review and posted it on Amazon.com, I need your help. I would so appreciate it if you could take just five minutes to leave a short review and rate the book(s) from 1-5 stars. If you haven't read the book(s), why not? They are each currently priced at just 99 cents for a Kindle copy. If that is still too much for your budget, leave a comment, and you may just win a copy.
Go On, Get Goose Pimples!
One more thing: word of mouth really is the best promotion for a book. So if you like a book, tell your friends. Post it on Facebook, Tweet about it on Twitter, Pin it on Pinterest, Google+ it on Google+, add it to a shelf on Goodreads, ask your local library to order it, like and follow the author on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Goodreads, Amazon, etc. Show an author some love and spread the word! We will be eternally grateful.
ABOUT THE BOOKS
In case you're not familiar with the Goose Pimple Junction series, here are the book blurbs for each book:#1 Murder & Mayhem in Goose Pimple Junction
When Tess Tremaine starts a new life in the colorful town of Goose Pimple Junction, curiosity leads her to look into a seventy-five-year-old murder. Suddenly she’s learning the foreign language of southern speak, resisting her attraction to local celebrity Jackson Wright, and dealing with more mayhem than she can handle.
A bank robbery, murder, and family tragedy from the 1930s are pieces of the mystery that Tess attempts to solve. As she gets close to the truth, she encounters danger, mystery, a lot of southern charm, and a new temptation for which she’s not sure she’s ready.
#2 Heroes & Hooligans in Goose Pimple Junction
#3 Short & Tall Tales in Goose Pimple Junction
How did Johnny Butterfield become police chief?
How did Tess and Jack get engaged?
How did Ima Jean come to live with Louetta?
How do you celebrate an Apple Day?
These questions and more are answered in Short & Tall Tales in Goose Pimple Junction. Five short stories, one novella, and three recipes will give you more of life in Goose Pimple Junction, make you laugh, and have your mouth watering. If you want a feel-good read, you've come to the right place. Grab some sweet tea and escape to Goose Pimple Junction.
#4 Rogues & Rascals in Goose Pimple Junction
Wynona Baxter is a master of disguise but is often a ditzy airhead. A hit woman wannabe, when she's hired for her first job in Goose Pimple Junction and things don't go as planned, she's forced to resort to Plan B. She'll also need Plan C and D.
Crooked lawyers, restless husbands, a teenaged hoodlum – it seems there are rogues and rascals everywhere you look in Goose Pimple Junction.
When Caledonia and Wynona's paths cross, they prove there isn't a rogue or a rascal who can keep a good woman down. Mama always said there would be days like this . . .
