(all reviews greatly appreciated!)
Use of Bold and Italics; yes. Just yes. There is a difference between me using bold and me using italics. It just feelsdifferent. You know what I mean? Bold feels more like a statement, a fact, an emphasis. Italics feel fluid, stressed, an emotion laying within the words. It may just be me, however, and, in which case, ignore me.
Forms of poetry I didn’t know; This was nice for the simple grounds that I like learning new things and I learned of two poetry types: Abecedarian and Pantoum.
“We’re making angels out of monsters / in the dark.” – pg 6 (Please Don’t Sugar Coat This For Me)
“If You Don’t Like Me Now / Then You Never Really Liked Me / I haven’t become anyone / who I wasn’t already.” – pg 137
To read the full review visit Marlena’s site here
Where I Ache is a beautifully written collection of poetry. Each poem in this book really made you feel what the author was feeling. I could feel her pain and sorrow, her love and heartbreak. I can’t remember the last time a poetry collection made me feel so much. There was just so much emotion in every line of every poem.
I bookmarked so many while reading it, because of how much they moved me. I was stunned by how many of the poems really stood out to me. I just related to so many of them, in so many different ways. I fully expected this book to just be another Milk And Honey, but for me personally, it was much better.
Read the full review here via Book Review: Where I Ache by Megan O’Keeffe
In terms of the poems themselves, I did enjoy reading them. They offered an insight into the human experience, they were easily understood and easily able to relate to.
I recommend it to others who need a hand to hold, who need to see that what they are going through is not something that you have to deal with by yourself, that there are others who feel and have felt the same way.
read the full review here at Alliee Reads
I can seriously say, “move aside Rupi, because Megan O’Keeffe is here to give you a run for your money.”
With intricate lines, and intimate detail, Megan leads us through an emotional roller coaster of a journey filled with love, self-doubt, desperation, the grief of losing a loved one, and self-reconciliation. The words are written with the sort of emotion that bleeds through and is felt on a real and relatable place of solace.
read the whole review here via #review #5stars Where I Ache, by Megan O’Keefe
When you work really hard on something and make yourself vulnerable by putting yourself out there, it really rains on your parade when someone doesn’t like it.
The first thing you have to remember is that art is subjective and many different people will have a wide range of perspectives about your work. Since reviews are so subjective you can really take them with a grain of salt.
If you look at any of the top sellers you’ll see they still get bad reviews even though their books are so popular and well liked by the masses. Plus more thought provoking work is usually more controversial so it’s not always a bad thing that your book entices debates.
You of course want to defend your book but you need to allow everyone to feel comfortable to voice their opinion. Responding to a poor review rarely ever puts you in good lighting. Bad reviews aren’t always a bad thing either. Some reviews are constructive and will get you thinking with a new perspective and knowledge. You may approach your next book differently or after thinking it over, you’ll stick with what your gut tells you.
Reviews have the potential to drive an author mad. It’s something that could easily turn into an obsession and hurt your creative process. When your thoughts are constantly whirling around if a reader will like it then you’re no longer truly telling your story and creating the best possible work you’re capable of. Sometimes it’s best to just turn off the notifications and stay off the review sites and just keep writing.
When I received my first poor review it actually made me feel more like a real poet/author. For starters it was one of the first reviews by someone I didn’t already have a connection with so they had no rose colored glasses on. I was getting honest feedback from a reader instead of the compliments from my friends who were potentially lying just to be nice.
The important thing is to keep putting yourself out there because just around the corner is a positive review from a different stranger. No bias and no potential lies and they loved it!
Even the best sellers get bad reviews
It’s normal, there’s no need to respond to it
See if the review holds any insights
Ignore reviews entirely to keep your sanity
Keep putting yourself out there!
And hey, make sure to leave a review for my books Cracked Open and Where I Ache
I know most bloggers probably went into the New Year will goals for their blogs. I have to imagine a lot of those goals included increasing engagement and view/follow numbers so I figured I’d try to help out!
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Have a great weekend!!! ❤
Debatably Dateable 