Over the holidays, I had modest goals for my YA fantasy novel, Maya and the Book of Everything, and by gum I exceeded them. I had a table at two venues—the Winthrop Christmas Craft Fair and at D.R. Struck’s Landscape Nursery. The books sold well at both venues—I think the beautiful cover draws people in—and I found that I really enjoy the process of chatting about Maya and signing books.
Reviews have started coming in, and I’d like to share one that my friend Beth Clark wrote. She made points that I hadn’t thought of, and it is always fun to discover different aspects of one’s own work.
Here is her review:
“As I began to read this book, I was surprised at how quickly and well I came to know a variety of characters. Laurie Graves has the ability to create interesting and distinct personalities among her characters. Her descriptions provide vivid, visual images of person and place. I was pleased with the sense of gender equality among the characters; boys and girls, and men and women share prominent places in the action as well as their successes and mistakes. The differences between generations become blurred as the characters work together and learn from each other. Graves also has a knack for writing dialog that is interesting, authentic, and flows well from person to person. The plot of Maya focuses on the struggle between good and evil, with room for examining the gray areas in between. There is plenty of action in the book as the characters move between different dimensions of time and place. Graves maintains a nice pace and flow, drawing the reader in without the action becoming frantic or disjointed. The power of a book, in either written and verbal form, to influence people and their actions provides an interesting framework for the plot. Graves brings the story to a satisfying conclusion while leaving some suspense as a segue into book 2. I can’t wait to read more about the adventures of Maya and The Book of Everything in combating the forces of evil.”
Friends and acquaintances have begun recommending Maya to librarians and store owners, and I am ever so grateful for this support. As an Indie author, I don’t have the backing of an established publisher, which means word of mouth is crucial for the book’s success. So many, many thanks to those who have read Maya and have taken the time to write reviews on Amazon and Goodreads.
You can bet that I will pay this forward by writing reviews of some of the books I’m reading, especially those that are written by Indie authors or those that are produced by small publishers.
Onward and upward!
Notes From the Hinterland 
Yay yay yay!! You should be very proud of yourself!!
And Beth, that was a really fabulous review!! 🙂
It’s next on my list and I can’t wait to get to it. I had a stack of books I had committed to before Xmas, so as you say, onward and upward! 🙂
Isn’t it grand to have a stack of books? I have my own stack, and it makes me feel so secure. Happy reading!
It IS security, you’re right!
As we might say in Maine, the finest kind.
🙂
So delighted to hear all is going well. Yes, it is a beautiful cover! My daughter hasn’t yet started her Christmas copy as she is finishing a series so I may grab it from her to read first. Cheers to many more sales and many happy readers!!
Thanks, Melissa. Hope you enjoy the book.
I went in last eve to borrow it from Margaret Maeve and she said she was reading it already, 40 pages in. So there! 😀
Yay!!! Thanks for sharing.
When I finish reading a book and the characters have become my friends – or enemies – that is a book worth reading. I don’t want to give anything away, but I am still grieving the death of one character. Is there room in the next book for reincarnation?
Thanks so much, Beth. Alas, no reincarnation planned.
Great review, I appreciated how informative it was without giving any plot info away. You must be thrilled, Laurie!
Thanks, Carina! I am indeed thrilled.
Oh, excellent review – and she’s right – especially about the gender equality. I appreciated it without really giving it a name until I read that. But it is surely something I would encourage any young person to read, especially girls, because I like that message.
Thanks so much, Jodie! When I wrote the story, I wasn’t especially thinking about gender equality. The characters just came to me, and a good many of them were women. Just like in real life, even though Maya is a fantasy novel 😉
I think that’s what’s so special about it, Laurie – It is your own personal way of seeing the world, and you see a world where everyone can be strong and respected. Very cool.
Thanks so much, Jodie. Another angle that I hadn’t thought of!