Issue #46 * Blog #8-2017 * Read Time: 5 minutes * Section: Author Joseph Clay’s Writing Tips
As you know after I read a book I write a review and rate it for ThunderHorse Publishing. Well after that is written and posted I go back through my notes and review what the particular author did different.
Was the writing technique different from what I had seen before. Did I found the formatting to be different and/or the way they set a scene? Was the book edited?
What I learned about people from G. Michelle
G. Michelle taught me not to judge a book by its cover. This applies to people as well as books. Keep reading you will see what I mean.
I meet G. Michelle in an unusual way. I had taken my mom to the local funeral home to pre-plan her funeral. We were led into a room and had a seat at a long conference table. The door reopened moments later and I young woman stepped in.
The first thing I noticed was her smile, it was bright, wide and genuine. The second thing that grabbed my attention, her eyes, they sparked and were full of life. That caught me by surprise after all she worked in a funeral home.
We had several meetings with her over the next several weeks and G. Michelle and her husband attended my book release party.
Another month passed, it was now between Thanksgiving and Christmas, I had some questions about the Queens burial plot so I made an appointment to see her.
We covered the concerns I had and once again in a professional manner she explained everything to me. As the meeting was coming to a close I asked G. Michelle how she liked the book. She was honest and told me she had not had a chance to read it, but her husband was. I smiled and told her I hope he didn’t mind sex scenes in a book.
“He shouldn’t he has read my book and it’s full of sex. I write mommy porn.” she said with a smile.
We had known each other for almost six months before she told me she was an author! Proving never judge a book by its cover.
What I learned from the book Promise Me Always, by G. Michelle
First off, Promise Me Always, is G. Michelle’s first book. The plot, story line and writing along with editing were impeccable. However G. Michelle did make many of the mistakes new independent authors make.
Next, although this book has more back story than most it is appropriate and enhances the story instead of bogging it down.
That is the way back story is supposed to be used, and Phillip Margolin is a master at it and I use the same approach in my books. What I Learned About Writing from Reading Novels by: Phillip Margolin.
Usually if an author, especially a new one, writes too much of a back story it ends up not relevant to the story at all and slows the tall down, that is not the case in Promise Me Always.
G. Michelle changed point of views in the same chapter, buy using a line break technique that is unique. G. Michelle justifies left and inserts the name of the character the point of view is coming from.
I liked this as we all know the lovers who are tangling in the sheets are not thinking or feeling the same thing. I can see where both techniques can come in handy during sex scenes.
I also learned to keep the sex scenes real, they don’t have to be pulled off while hanging from a cliff one-handed.
I found it refreshing that you could tell Gabe and Evie were normal people who were making love but at other times having raw sex. They never came across as porn stars or contortionists, as not once did I stop and think, there is no way in hell you can have sex in that manner.
The majority of the mistakes made were not in the writing but with formatting, Exterior and Interior. Here are some examples:
- Several different book covers (non really matched the genre)
- This book was to be part of a series. The name of the series was different on different covers.
- Table of Contents, page numbers incorrect.
- The were more chapters in the eBook than the printed version.
- The chapters were not in the same order from eBook to printed version. This may be due to chapters being added or deleted.
We review a book from cover to cover, not just the writing. The above mistakes killed the star rating of Promise Me Always. The story deserves a least 4.5 stars. But due to the mistakes which brought the overall rating of the book down to 3.0 Stars out of 5.
See we can learn something from other Indie Authors. Thank you G. Michelle for the lesson’s you taught me in life and in your writing. I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book in this series, I just hope that G. Michelle gets the formatting issues worked out.
A bit about this talented young author.
G. Michelle writes contemporary romances and is unapologetic about giving her characters not only a happily ever after, but also snarky comebacks and playful banter along with sexy males and hot steamy action.
“I myself am an avid reader of ‘smutty’ romance and like to include a little in my books. What’s a good read without it, right?” G. Michelle admitted with a a grin.
She gleefully admits her addiction to coffee, depressing indie music, and Netflix.
When she’s not at her daytime job working as a Family Counselor—or, if you prefer, being a responsible adult, you can find her driving her family crazy with promises that she’ll only be ‘a few more minutes’ at the computer!
As you can see in her photo above she is strapped in for the ride. Trust me you too should buckle up as well and hang on when you read Promise Me Always, as the romance is a steamy trip down a bumpy Bayou road.
Connect with G. Michelle on Facebook
Book Review – Promise Me Always – Author G. Michelle
Other blogs in this category:
- What I Learned About Writing from Reading Novels by: Patricia Cornwell
- What I Learned About Writing from Reading Novels by: Catherine Coulter
- What I Learned About Writing from Reading Novels by: Elmore Leonard
- What I Learned About Writing from Reading Novels by: Ava Bell
- What I Learned About Writing from Reading Novels by: Phillip Margolin
I hope you picked up a few pointers from my blog on what I learned from G. Michelle.
NOTE: What I Learned By Reading Novels By: G. Michelle was original written and posted on February 24, 2017 to Author Joseph Clay’s Official Blog. The blog was transferred to this site on September 12, 2020.
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