Opposing Reviews

Readers should think before they give a book a bad review. The goal is to be as truthful as possible and give information that will help others decide if they want to read it. If the story doesn't appeal to you for a very personal reason, take that into consideration. Be as honest as you can from an unbiased perspective and be as reasonable and constructive as possible with all your criticism.

Oddly enough, I've had reviews that fall on both sides of an issue. Take When Winter Is Past, for example. One reviewer complained that the language in it wasn't historical enough: "I enjoyed the story however I found myself frustrated at times. The manner of speaking and expressions were not appropriate for the time period."

First, the reviewer was mistaken. In all my historical novels, I look up any questionable words to make sure they were used during that time period, and I sprinkle it with a few outdated words that are rarely used today but were in that era. However, if I were to write in the exact language patterns used in 1739, the modern reader would not read it. And for those set in an even much earlier time period, like the medieval period, they could not read it.

At the same time, I had other reviewers praising When Winter is Past for its authenticity. "This is an incredible book! Set during the colonial time before the Revolution, it took a bit to remember my education on the customs of the day. There's indentured servants and powdered wigs, use of the word Mistress to mean Mrs. and how one went about finding a wife, to name a few. but what a powerful story!!" Another writes, "Very well written, this book kept my interest the whole way through because the characters are very believable. Since this is set in a time most modern readers know little about, it seems very well researched and uses authentic sounding dialogue. If you like historical fiction, this is for you!"

I guess this just goes to prove the old sayings that you can't please everyone are true. I have a degree in history, specializing in American and British history and have taught history and English for years. I still take courses to stay up on the subject. On top of that, I am meticulous with the needed research and enjoy doing it. I understand that I must balance the archaic language patterns with the smooth flow of the story. All in all, I'm pleased with my historical novels, like When Winter is Past, and thankfully, most readers appear to be, too.

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