FIRST REVIEW OF "SHADOWS BEYOND THE FLAMES"

The first review of “Shadows Beyond the Flames” has been posted on Goodreads.

A person's work being reviewed is always nerve wracking,

and we all know it, so I won't bore you with the agony's suffered. I'll simply say I'm rather pleased with what Sanelso2 Nelson wrote:

"First off, I need to give my thanks to Good reads for sending me this book. I appreciate it very much.
At times I wondered if the author was crazy sometimes bordering on mentally unstable. There were moments I loved the book and moments I felt somewhat lost. However, I found one common theme throughout, he is very good with how he can describe the situation. I thought he was quite witty in some of the stories. I just didnt enjoy them all, which is to be expected seeings as the book runs from the future space travels to fantasy to abusive fathers. On average it was a good read, I would be more interested in a novel (which he says is to come) than a collection of short stories.”

Nelson's review is fair and honest. Yes, I appreciate the ego boosting lines--I'm human after all. I also appreciate Nelson's honesty in mentioning being lost at times. Such comments force me to re-examine what I'm doing and make it better. But I wonder if Nelson knew my favorite quote from the review would be: "At times I wondered if the author was crazy sometimes bordering on mentally unstable." I'd like to say, "No!" but only crazy people say they're not crazy. Plenty of days have passed in which I'm left scratching my head over what I had written, wondering how things could have gone so horribly wrong for those poor, poor characters. Instinct says to stick with the ick, so I do; even when the events in Shadows Beyond the Flames left me disturbed. But it's fun. Roller coaster through the pits of Hell sort of fun. . . Okay, not that extreme.