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Writing in a Void: Why Reviews Matter

I live on a creek. At any time during the work day, I can turn from my computer and look out over the expanse of water and refill my beauty-hungry soul. Granted, today it’s all slate on slate with the gray broken by splashes of white, because even our shallow body of water can form whitecaps when the wind pushes hard through the creek’s mouth.

Toward the west
Toward the west, clouds but no wind

But even with the beauty, even with the blessing of marriage to a best friend who encourages me (as does my dear mama who has been my cheerleader forever), writing can be a lonely pursuit. I mean, husbands, children, mamas, and good friends are supposed to support us, aren’t they? So you write, I write, and we send our words out…

Will they touch anyone at all? Will our book(s) be found? Be read? Be loved–or hated?

 

Will our words hover or land gracefully?

 

 

 

We shouldn’t be so insecure. But I don’t know a single writer/artist/musician who sits in a void, untouched, uncaring.

We care. We care.

 

Open Book

Which is why readers who leave reviews are so very, very important. You nurture the place that remains wary in every writer. No matter how many books we publish, no matter how many accolades we receive, there’s always the fear that this time, no one will care. This time, no one will want to read our story. This time, the void will swallow our words. iStock_000002803956XSmall

 

With that fear real in my heart, I have waited for reviewers’ words.

 

 

 

And then these first reviews came from the TLC Blog Tour (still ongoing):

Sharon’s Garden of Book Reviews: “…Part romance, part mystery, and all fast-paced, this novel is a fabulously spun tale that will reel in the reader and keep them hooked to the very spine-tingling end…”

Patricia’s Wisdom: “…An excellent read…”

Queen of All She Reads: “…Part literary romantic suspense and part coming of age story, Ms. Fischer’s story grabbed my attention from the first page.  Likeable characters, good dialogue, an intriguing mystery and just the right amount of tension, kept me turning the pages to see what would happen next.  If you like exotic locations, good food, and romantic suspense, this is a book you won’t want to miss….” [Emphasis mine!]

Redhead with Book :  “…This story will keep your heart thumping…a fast-paced, believable and intelligent read…”

Reading Is My Superpower: “… Two From Isaac’s House reads like Southern fiction but is very much a novel of international intrigue. You will want to curl up with it and absorb the delicious way the writing lilts across the page, but at the same time Fischer’s command of international suspense will keep you on the edge of your seat. And then there’s the new romance and the new friendships – sweet in a way that wraps you in an old & comforting quilt but never so saccharine that it makes your teeth hurt. In a book that could go political in a heartbeat, the plot stays just outside that line and instead whispers a few subtle hints toward the spiritual that both surprised and touched me with their presence. Normandie Fischer’s latest book is definitely a dichotomy of genres, but I loved the result!

“The author’s writing style is so beautifully descriptive (without over-telling) and immerses readers in the scenes – the sights, the smells, the sounds, the emotions.  Wry Southern humor subtly peppers each chapter, providing delightful relief in the midst of suspenseful tension.  Fischer’s words lilt in a pleasing meter that, as I mentioned earlier, makes you want to curl up and settle in….”

And from Romantic Times Magazine:

 


NormandieFisher

 

I am so grateful. Grateful for the time to write. Grateful for the friends my writing has given me. Grateful that I can, from the isolation of our creek house, travel the world, share tea or coffee (or even a glass of wine) with new friends, and be part of something that feels so like a gift from God.

 

Would you consider becoming part of my community of reader-friends? If so, will you send me a note and let me know? If you do, I’ll certainly return the favor with a reply.

Reaching out. Touching hearts. Getting to know strangers. Finding common ground. Becoming friends.

light in trees

 

Encouraging one another to be a light — or to find the light — in the darkness.

I look forward to hearing from you!

 

 

 

 

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A Romantic Times Review Top Pick!

Thank you for this lovely review!

ROMANTIC TIMES Review

4.5 STARS **** Top Pick

Fischer’s recent romantic thriller is replete with awkward encounters that eventually turn into romance amid Palestinian-Israeli terrorist activity and a flurry of mysterious disappearances. Complete with a well-defined cast set within alternating parallel-narrative chapters that zero in on two principal characters—he, an engineer, and she, a history teacher wanting more out of life—Fischer’s novel is nothing less than thoroughly gripping!

A recipient of an unexpected windfall soon after the death of her tight-fisted and domineering father, Rina Roberts leaves her North Carolina environs for the very first time and sets off without her fiancé on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure to Italy. A train ride suddenly turns Rina’s excitement into fear, especially when she learns of a murder. But while en route, Rina sees Tony, an American-Israeli who’s in her language class. As Tony pursues her, what began as an awkward encounter turns into a full-blown love affair. Yet Rina is unsure if she can trust Tony, especially when she gets caught in an unexpected crossfire. (SLEEPY CREEK PRESS, Nov. ’15, 414 pp., $13.95)

* RT Review Source *

Reviewed by: Anita Lock

 

 

Two from Isaac's House
Two from Isaac’s House
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Who Doesn’t Love to Read Accolades?

I mean, really? You don’t? 

I get it. Maybe you don’t like to read accolades about other people’s books.

I do. They let me know what a reader (at least one reader) thinks — and they usually prompt me to zip over to Amazon to see for myself what all the hoopla is about.

I hope that this reviewer’s words will have that affect on you. (Of course, I do. I wouldn’t be human if I didn’t hope that.)

Here’s what the blogger with this delightful signature had to say

Empress-DJ-signatureon Books and Bindings.  She read my book for a blog tour (with TLC Book Tours). Et voilá!

“Five Stars is not a high enough rating for this marvelous book – quality writing of this caliber calls for at least a double rating of 10.  It was breathtaking.  I adored every sentence of this meticulously crafted story, and there was not a wasted word on the 403 superbly written pages.  The narrative was so descriptive and enthralling, I could hear the dog’s bark, see and feel the lightning in the sky, and smell the water in the bay…”

She picked out her favorite quotes and just kept on going. I savor her choices and am so very grateful that my words touched her enough that she could speak of it so. Thank you, thank you.

Click here to read the Full Review on Books and Bindings

Heavy Weather 2

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Breaking My Rules: Writing a Review

I decided a few years ago that I would no longer review books here, mostly because I didn’t want to hurt feelings or neglect anyone. But sometimes rules need to be broken. And this is one of those times.

I met Barbara Claypole White (online, but we’re going to fix that soon at the WFWA Writers Retreat) when both of us were about to see our debut babies sail forth into readers’ hands. Her brilliant work, The Unfinished Garden, shared a release party with Becalmed. 

Barbara’s niche in the world of literature has evolved because of her own struggle to raise a son with OCD. We’ve seen the movie versions of this illness and tried to find the humanity in it, the place where we might be comfortable in its company. But Barbara gave us James to challenge all of our preconceptions–and we loved him. No, we fell in love with him.

Her sophomore novel dealt with other issues and did it well, but it’s her third book, The Perfect Son, that firmly establishes Barbara as an author who is going places.

MY REVIEW

In a world filled with cries for perfection, be it of body, performance, or mind, Barbara Claypole White brings us a story of the imperfect. And then she makes us fall in love with her messy crew.The Perfect Son

I consider this nothing short of brilliant. BCW began this journey into the world of flawed characters in The Unfinished Garden, and I fell in love with James as he battled OCD. In The Perfect Son, she explores flawed people of differing ages dealing with other flawed people—and doing it badly—until a crisis forces them to grow or to fold. The title works on so many levels.

Some stories push you to accept characters in spite of their issues. The Perfect Son made me long to meet Felix, Harry, Max, Katherine, and Eudora—and, of course, Ella—because of their issues and their triumph of spirit. Managing that, my friends, takes a gifted author.

 

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The Ripple Effect: A Word Gift to This Writer

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A stone plopped into water formed ripples, creating concentric circles that moved out from the center and subsided gradually if nothing impeded their progress. Whether or not they ever came to a full stop, Teo wasn’t scientist enough to know. It looked to him as if the molecules touched by movement became propelled in an infinitely wider arc, slower perhaps as they achieved distance, but still there, still moving, still affecting other molecules and pushing them to confront whatever lay in their path. (from page 335, Sailing out of Darkness)

A writer sends her work out like that stone plopping on water, hoping the ripples will touch readers. Rarely have I read a review of my work that showed just how deeply someone had been moved. I hope you’ll indulge me as I share them with you. I am humbled.

From a Goodreads reader came this five-star review:

“Our favorite literary characters are written indelibly into our hearts as we experience them living out the very pains and hopes which have been written deeply onto our souls. Normandie has a gift of writing wounded characters to life, characters who publicly reflect the wounds we keep private. As I read of Sam and Teo’s relational struggles I began to recognize the same struggles in my life. With the turning of each page I saw more and more how my present relationships are dictated and even defeated by my past rejection. Actually, as I connected with Sam I realized that I most likely became a “water person” due to past relational rejection. My boat is my safe refuge from destructive people and pain, but Sam story encouraged me to put my past fears and failures behind me and to step out in faith! This book has restored a hope to my heart, a hope for new and exciting relationships with unexpected people in unplanned places! Normandie, thank you for writing Sailing Out of Darkness!”
I am so very grateful.
And now Happy Resurrection Day to each of you.
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He is risen!

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Wonderful Review: Sailing out of Darkness

I admit it: I’m a terrible blogger. There’s so much else I’d rather do, like work on my next book or read or spend way too much time on social media, checking in with the world on that huge, huge time-hole called Facebook.

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And, no, the picture above has absolutely nothing to do with a review or with wasting time. I just like it…and can’t wait to get out on the water again.

Anyway, back to the review. The first words made me giddy:

“Normandie Fischer is at it again–illustrating the complex heart of the mature woman. Hers aren’t the novels of first love and high hopes for the future. They aren’t aimed at fresh-faced youngsters looking for romance–and a husband, children, and a house with a white picket fence. They’re aimed at women who have already been there, and wear the tarnish to prove it.”

So writes author and editor Linda Yezak. Isn’t it a great beginning?

Yes, I write about tarnished folk. Women such as I who need a bit of buffing every so often to bring out the shine.  You can read the rest of her kinds words on her blog:

77 Peppermint Place

Check her out.

(Oh, and the last words of her review took my giddiness to the next level.)