Feedback, Discussion and Reviews
I'm a Salesperson by trade, so, it's my job to use the knowledge that I've acquired about a topic and provide the best of the product that I have to offer to suit the client's needs.
In a single day's work, I'm praised and belittled several times, and the expectation is for me to grin and bear it. Initially this was extremely difficult. It was hard to not take their words personally. But as I continued in the job, the ability to ignore what was said became easier. Now, I rarely, if ever, take anything that's said to heart. It is my belief that this was God’s way of preparing me for becoming a published authoress.
The Bet is the first novel that I've ever completed. It took me from March 2024 to October 2024 to finish writing. I'm not saying that I wrote a bit here and there, took a few weeks off and gingerly came back to it at my leisure. No, I wrote every day, all day, sometimes falling asleep at my computer or not sleeping until the wee hours of the morning then waking up a few hours later and starting again, or simply not sleeping at all.
I wrote while I waited for appointments. I wrote at holiday gatherings. I wrote while riding in the car. I wrote while on vacation. I wrote while visiting family and friends, I wrote, I wrote, I wrote.
Writing, interviewing, explaining, reading, re-reading and re-writing consistently consumed seven months of my life. We won't even talk about the time when I mistakenly deleted the entire book (the thought still causes heart palpitations...YIKES!!!)!
When I first decided that I was going to commit to this endeavor, the only requirement I had for myself was that it be as close to reality as possible. Even though I was sharing the lives of fictitious beings, and although I hadn't figured out the nuances of their personalities at the time, I knew that I wanted Vaughn, Genesis, Myles, Hudson, Tommy, Cid, Pops and all the others to be as real to the reader as their neighbor, cousin, brother or friend. I wanted my fellow bookworms to struggle to put the novel down. I wanted the audience to feel all the feelings I felt as I shared the story that danced through my mind.
FEEDBACK
information about reactions to a product, a person's performance of a task, etc. which is used as a basis for improvement
I had multiple people read this book as I wrote. Initially, I had 4 people all from different walks of life reading. Due to personal issues or needs it dwindled down to 2 beta readers and several spot readers. Each giving me critical information needed to make the book better.
“Hey Janai, this part sounds like a woman wrote it but it’s supposed to be a man speaking. We don’t do all this explaining.”
“Bet! Let me change that.”
_______________
“Janai, I gotta be honest with you, this part was difficult for me to read.”
“Well why, what’s wrong.”
“It hits too close to home.”
“Bet! I’m not changing it. Sorry, not sorry!”
_________________
“Oooh you nasty!”
“Yikes! Should I change it?”
“Hell naw, leave that right there!”
_________________
LOL, when my beta readers read in front of me, I'd watch their faces. According to the way their eyes would twitch, or the way they'd smack their lips or flail of their hands I could tell what part they were on. If they didn’t respond with the level of emotion I needed, it was back to the drawing board for me until I got it right.
I loved how they were able to relate to the characters, and I vowed to not pull punches or try to spare feelings. In fact, I embraced the various emotions that were generated throughout the novel. Encouraging the reader to be annoyed with certain characters and love others. Be advised that the emotions brought about in each pivotal moment were in fact and indeed intentional.
As an Authoress when someone purchases my work of art, I'm truly appreciative. I mean getting folks to buy it was the primary goal. However, when someone takes the time to read it, a huge sense of appreciation overcomes me. While I'm grateful for every ounce of support received, there's something hypnotic about the words "I read your book." Those 4 words are like the sweetest love song, the strongest energy drink, and the most intoxicating smell all rolled into one. They are almost instantly followed by a smile and the words "So, what'd you think?"
Discussion
the action or process of talking about something in order to reach a decision or to exchange ideas
I LOVE DISCUSSING THE BOOK! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE discussing the book. How people feel about the characters is so intriguing to me Though many will see Genesis as the primary character of the book, she wasn’t supposed to be. Each book of The Chronicles of Love, Lust and Revelation Series will highlight one of the Henry clan (Donavaughn, Myles or Hudson). Gen is THAT GWORL!!! Although she wasn’t the intended primary focus of the book, her personality is so big that it takes up a lot of space
Vaughn, Vaughn, Vaughn! Some folks are in love with the youngest Henry brother while others hate him with a passion (that is hilarious and unfounded to me but hey, to each their own). The most common oddity to me that comes when discussing the book is that for some reason everyone visualizes Vaughn as being a dark chocolate brother with a deep voice. When in fact he’s described as caramel complected. Everyone that asks me who I visualized when I wrote the character seems to be shocked when I show them my muse. These individuals have no issues insisting that "I" messed up and they are relentless when telling me how Donavaughn really looks (LOL).
Another theme that comes up is that for some odd reason is people believe that Hudson is a husky, shorter, brown skinned guy despite the fact that he is also said to work out every day and is described as being taller than Vaughn (who is 6’ 3”) and a "Redbone" which for those who don’t know is a term used when describing a light skinned person.
In a few other discussions, readers state that they are eagerly anticipating the next book and are expecting me to make it big (Thank you for your vote of confidence). One person said that she’s looking forward to seeing me discuss the book(s) on Talk Shows in the near future (Forever the planner, I’ve been practicing what I’m going to do in the Spirit Tunnel… can’t let A.P. get all the glory so… get ready y’all)!
REVIEWS
A formal assessment of something with the intention of instituting change if necessary
In the beginning, all the reviews were those of praise. Everyone raved about how good the story is and complimented me on my storytelling abilities while simultaneously expressing shock at how 'nasty' or 'descriptive' I am when writing some of the scenes (Those that know me IRL typically see me as the 'good girl'. The Bet allowed me to pull back that veil just a little bit).
Then came the seemingly strained, "It's good...but" reviews. Typically, these also praise my writing abilities but cite some other issue such as the need for editing (I know y'all but editing costs money that I don't have right now... I'm working on it).
The harshest review received stated that the story was good, but they had a hard time reading it because of the grammatical errors and they hated the MMC = Male Main Character. The reviewer went on to say that they almost put the book down several times… Initially I was shocked, but as I started breaking down the comment, I read “Good Story…” Ok that’s a positive. The reader said that parts of the story ALMOST made them put the book down…several times (well, I’ve always subscribed to the thought that almost doesn’t count and noted that they finished the book within 2-3 days). Then it was said they were looking for an escape from reality. So, I’m assuming the book didn’t offer that which means that I succeeded in making it… REAL.
When I broke it down like that, the review was actually pretty good. Because they basically said that The Bet did exactly what I wrote it to do (grammatical errors excluded… now doggonit, I said I’m working on it).
Conclusion
I said all that to say this; I love hearing, reading or seeing how The Bet (something I devoted a huge chunk of my life writing) resonates with the reader. I appreciate the support shown by purchasing the book. However, I love hearing or reading what my fellow consumers of words think of the novel and what did you see when you envisioned each character.
So, yes of course buy the book but don’t forget to provide feedback and/or reviews. Those actions combined are the best and I absolutely love receiving. Please feel free to share yours (after you read the book of course)!
In a single day's work, I'm praised and belittled several times, and the expectation is for me to grin and bear it. Initially this was extremely difficult. It was hard to not take their words personally. But as I continued in the job, the ability to ignore what was said became easier. Now, I rarely, if ever, take anything that's said to heart. It is my belief that this was God’s way of preparing me for becoming a published authoress.
The Bet is the first novel that I've ever completed. It took me from March 2024 to October 2024 to finish writing. I'm not saying that I wrote a bit here and there, took a few weeks off and gingerly came back to it at my leisure. No, I wrote every day, all day, sometimes falling asleep at my computer or not sleeping until the wee hours of the morning then waking up a few hours later and starting again, or simply not sleeping at all.
I wrote while I waited for appointments. I wrote at holiday gatherings. I wrote while riding in the car. I wrote while on vacation. I wrote while visiting family and friends, I wrote, I wrote, I wrote.
Writing, interviewing, explaining, reading, re-reading and re-writing consistently consumed seven months of my life. We won't even talk about the time when I mistakenly deleted the entire book (the thought still causes heart palpitations...YIKES!!!)!
When I first decided that I was going to commit to this endeavor, the only requirement I had for myself was that it be as close to reality as possible. Even though I was sharing the lives of fictitious beings, and although I hadn't figured out the nuances of their personalities at the time, I knew that I wanted Vaughn, Genesis, Myles, Hudson, Tommy, Cid, Pops and all the others to be as real to the reader as their neighbor, cousin, brother or friend. I wanted my fellow bookworms to struggle to put the novel down. I wanted the audience to feel all the feelings I felt as I shared the story that danced through my mind.
FEEDBACK
information about reactions to a product, a person's performance of a task, etc. which is used as a basis for improvement
I had multiple people read this book as I wrote. Initially, I had 4 people all from different walks of life reading. Due to personal issues or needs it dwindled down to 2 beta readers and several spot readers. Each giving me critical information needed to make the book better.
“Hey Janai, this part sounds like a woman wrote it but it’s supposed to be a man speaking. We don’t do all this explaining.”
“Bet! Let me change that.”
_______________
“Janai, I gotta be honest with you, this part was difficult for me to read.”
“Well why, what’s wrong.”
“It hits too close to home.”
“Bet! I’m not changing it. Sorry, not sorry!”
_________________
“Oooh you nasty!”
“Yikes! Should I change it?”
“Hell naw, leave that right there!”
_________________
LOL, when my beta readers read in front of me, I'd watch their faces. According to the way their eyes would twitch, or the way they'd smack their lips or flail of their hands I could tell what part they were on. If they didn’t respond with the level of emotion I needed, it was back to the drawing board for me until I got it right.
I loved how they were able to relate to the characters, and I vowed to not pull punches or try to spare feelings. In fact, I embraced the various emotions that were generated throughout the novel. Encouraging the reader to be annoyed with certain characters and love others. Be advised that the emotions brought about in each pivotal moment were in fact and indeed intentional.
As an Authoress when someone purchases my work of art, I'm truly appreciative. I mean getting folks to buy it was the primary goal. However, when someone takes the time to read it, a huge sense of appreciation overcomes me. While I'm grateful for every ounce of support received, there's something hypnotic about the words "I read your book." Those 4 words are like the sweetest love song, the strongest energy drink, and the most intoxicating smell all rolled into one. They are almost instantly followed by a smile and the words "So, what'd you think?"
Discussion
the action or process of talking about something in order to reach a decision or to exchange ideas
I LOVE DISCUSSING THE BOOK! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE discussing the book. How people feel about the characters is so intriguing to me Though many will see Genesis as the primary character of the book, she wasn’t supposed to be. Each book of The Chronicles of Love, Lust and Revelation Series will highlight one of the Henry clan (Donavaughn, Myles or Hudson). Gen is THAT GWORL!!! Although she wasn’t the intended primary focus of the book, her personality is so big that it takes up a lot of space
Vaughn, Vaughn, Vaughn! Some folks are in love with the youngest Henry brother while others hate him with a passion (that is hilarious and unfounded to me but hey, to each their own). The most common oddity to me that comes when discussing the book is that for some reason everyone visualizes Vaughn as being a dark chocolate brother with a deep voice. When in fact he’s described as caramel complected. Everyone that asks me who I visualized when I wrote the character seems to be shocked when I show them my muse. These individuals have no issues insisting that "I" messed up and they are relentless when telling me how Donavaughn really looks (LOL).
Another theme that comes up is that for some odd reason is people believe that Hudson is a husky, shorter, brown skinned guy despite the fact that he is also said to work out every day and is described as being taller than Vaughn (who is 6’ 3”) and a "Redbone" which for those who don’t know is a term used when describing a light skinned person.
In a few other discussions, readers state that they are eagerly anticipating the next book and are expecting me to make it big (Thank you for your vote of confidence). One person said that she’s looking forward to seeing me discuss the book(s) on Talk Shows in the near future (Forever the planner, I’ve been practicing what I’m going to do in the Spirit Tunnel… can’t let A.P. get all the glory so… get ready y’all)!
REVIEWS
A formal assessment of something with the intention of instituting change if necessary
In the beginning, all the reviews were those of praise. Everyone raved about how good the story is and complimented me on my storytelling abilities while simultaneously expressing shock at how 'nasty' or 'descriptive' I am when writing some of the scenes (Those that know me IRL typically see me as the 'good girl'. The Bet allowed me to pull back that veil just a little bit).
Then came the seemingly strained, "It's good...but" reviews. Typically, these also praise my writing abilities but cite some other issue such as the need for editing (I know y'all but editing costs money that I don't have right now... I'm working on it).
The harshest review received stated that the story was good, but they had a hard time reading it because of the grammatical errors and they hated the MMC = Male Main Character. The reviewer went on to say that they almost put the book down several times… Initially I was shocked, but as I started breaking down the comment, I read “Good Story…” Ok that’s a positive. The reader said that parts of the story ALMOST made them put the book down…several times (well, I’ve always subscribed to the thought that almost doesn’t count and noted that they finished the book within 2-3 days). Then it was said they were looking for an escape from reality. So, I’m assuming the book didn’t offer that which means that I succeeded in making it… REAL.
When I broke it down like that, the review was actually pretty good. Because they basically said that The Bet did exactly what I wrote it to do (grammatical errors excluded… now doggonit, I said I’m working on it).
Conclusion
I said all that to say this; I love hearing, reading or seeing how The Bet (something I devoted a huge chunk of my life writing) resonates with the reader. I appreciate the support shown by purchasing the book. However, I love hearing or reading what my fellow consumers of words think of the novel and what did you see when you envisioned each character.
So, yes of course buy the book but don’t forget to provide feedback and/or reviews. Those actions combined are the best and I absolutely love receiving. Please feel free to share yours (after you read the book of course)!
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