Weekend Ramblings

Hey party people! Are you ready for another Weekend Ramblings a la KJ?!

Well then... let's get ready to raaaaammmmmbbbbbllllleeeee!!!!!

This week's rambling topic is...

** Negative Reviews **

This week I've tried to stay off social media. I did come on a couple of times to post to my Facebook page but other than that, nothing. 

Staying off social media gave me a lot of time to do other bookish things. Researching some new books to try happened to be one of them. I shouldn't have been surprised when researching gave me my next Weekend Ramblings post. Negative reviews. But not the negative reviews you're thinking of. I'll have to do a part 2 on this topic.

So what did I discover while researching books? Something that might alienate me from some authors. But I feel like it's something that needs to be said. 

If you think that there is nothing worse than negative reviews, think again. What's worse you may ask? Other authors leaving the kind of negative reviews that not only tear the books apart, but the authors as well. Sadly, I figured out who a few of the authors were, while others I could just tell they were authors themselves. I was disgusted by some of the reviews I saw this week. A saying from Bambi comes to mind... If you can't say something nice, don't say nothing at all. 

I know this is probably not new to authors, but it is to me. It makes me extremely sad to know that this is even going on. How can some authors do that to other fellow authors? Does it make them feel better about themselves and their books that they would be willing to throw such hatred around at other authors' expense? What is the reasoning behind it? The only reason I can think of is jealousy. One would hope and pray that authors would be lifting each other up, not tearing each other down. For crying out loud, they know the creative process. They know what it takes to put books out there. They know how much blood, sweat and tears go into each and every book they write. They know how they feel when people leave them bad negative reviews. So why do it? This seriously breaks my heart.

To all the authors out there who have been victims to the bad reviews from fellow authors, I'm sorry. I know that doesn't make things better, but I am truly sorry that the people who should always have your back, are responsible for trying to tear you down. But you listen to me. Chin up Buttercups! You got this! Don't let them win. You are AMAZING! You are BRAVE! You are LOVED! And you are APPRECIATED! Reading has helped me through some extremely difficult times. I would honestly be lost if it wasn't for authors, like you, who are willing to put yourselves out there and lay everything on the line so that I can have those much needed breaks from reality. 

You guys, life is tough for everyone right now. Let's all be a little kinder and do our part to help lift each other up just a little bit higher.