CL Pauwels at Large

For several months now, I’ve been tossing around for an appropriate way to highlight the work of fellow writers. So many great sites helped share my launch of FORTY & OUT (Dru’s Musings, Jungle Red Writers, Pat Gilgor’s Writer’s Forum, Bravebird Publishing) that I knew I needed a way to pay it forward.

And contrary to the lit community’s advice, “Write reviews!” (and with apologies to Meat Loaf), I won’t do that.

A few years ago, I reviewed books on a regular basis for a wonderful site, Metapsychology Online Reviews. I got to read some great books and share my thoughts on their content. But other than free books, it didn’t pay. I found another site which shall remain nameless that paid a modest sum for each book reviewed. Here my too-honest (?) nature got the best of me; when I wrote a reasonably kind (I thought) yet truthful review, I got slammed – hard. Gory details here; enough said.

I’ve learned my lesson: no more reviews. I don’t buy into the “nothing less than three stars” and the societal norm of “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything” doesn’t translate to honest reviews. With those standards, how is the book-buying public supposed to be able to depend on reviews? I always strive to be nice, but I also insist on truthful. Too often those things clash in their reception.

Guest posts are one way I try to share the love: Ed Davis, Sharon Woods Hopkins (yet to come!). Then my friend/mentor/boss, the fabulous Sharon Short, started a wonderful thread: OAT – Other Author Tuesdays.

So I’m stealing borrowing it, and tweaking it to Other Author Thursdays so we don’t both post to our often-lapping circles on the same day. See? Nice.

Plus, to avoid inundating my followers, I’m switching my semi-regular ramblings from Wednesdays to Tuesdays to spread things out.

Watch for my first OAT tomorrow! And pay it forward.