Series: West Side #5
Publication date: January 19th, 2021
Synopsis:
He's not exactly who he appears to be. But then again, neither is she...
Chase
I've never felt as out of my league as I did when I met Sydney Frost.
Not in the years I've spent starting successful companies or since. Working for a prestigious firm gives me status and power, and I'm already a master at charming my way through a crowd--or into the bedroom. One new office colleague should be a piece of cake to win over.
Ms. Frost, however, is giving my efforts a chilly reception. Time to remind her that I'm not afraid to live up to my name, either...
"Sydney"
On the surface, it looks like I have it all: a new, influential job, a nice salary, and the hottest young executive in the company falling over himself to introduce me to the best New York City has to offer.
It's all a lie.
My name is Sadie Keating, not Sydney Frost, and I'm an undercover agent for the FBI on a case that could make or break my career. Chase Maitlin, my sexy and persistent would-be suitor, is the prime suspect in a major cross-agency investigation.
I'm the rookie desperately trying not to fall for him.
Chasing Frost, the fifth book in the West Side series, is a steamy, enemies-to-lovers, sometimes funny, sometimes suspenseful, contemporary romance featuring a smart, dedicated heroine and the sexy bad boy who steals her heart.
All of the contemporary romance novels in the West Side Series are standalone and can be read in any order.
Available at:
Guest Post
Handling negative reviews
When it comes to handling negative reviews, the going advice is to take what you can from them - to learn from them.
I don't read any reviews until I'm in the right headspace. For me, this is usually at the end of the day - a good day. A day that I'm still holding my head up high and am feeling pretty happy with my world. I pour myself a glass of wine and sit down, suck in some oxygen, and read.
I often say that I didn't write right out of college because I wanted to eat. I imply that money was the leading driver in my career decision. And there's truth in that, but I also think I wasn't strong enough. I think the negative would have sliced right through my youthful tender skin.
When I entered advertising, I chose the account management side and saw myself as a defender of the creative. I knew the art director and copywriter put a piece of themselves on the line. I wanted to defend their art. But at the end of the day, critique improves the product and in the business world makes everyone more money.
When it comes to negative reviews, I always remind myself that reviewers provide feedback to warn fellow readers and to guide them to select a good book that offers a rewarding way to spend their time. Often, I'm sure, the writer isn't even visualized as a human. The review is not personal. Reviewers give reviews for other readers; not for the authors.
In author groups, I've read author comments along the lines of, "I got a 1 and they didn't even get the characters names right. I don't even think they were talking about my book." Eek. Now, that's a bad one. Nothing to be learned from that but to wish for better luck. Then there are reviews along the lines of "Really liked it, but too much sex." Now see, that's a review that might actually attract some readers! And ward off those who don't want to read it. Well done. And it tells the author to pump up some of those adjectives that indicate heat level... you know, steamy, sexy, hot.
When it comes to reviews, I can't help but think of my ad agency days. The most successful advertising agencies value Client's feedback. An account relationship is doomed for failure the moment the agency decides a client's feedback is meritless or some version of 'stupid'.
In the publishing world, the Client is the Reader. It's not an exact comparison, and it's impossible to please every reader (I once had back to back reviews where one said too many plot twists and the next said not enough plot twists), but when reading through the bulk of reviews, some valuable messages can be discerned. And those messages don't all come from negative and positive ratings alike. But the readers voice, our client's voice, shines a light on areas that can be improved. Feedback that can improve the next book, or that helps to refine one's craft.
I'm a reader and I review books too. Admittedly, as a writer, I now only share the positives when I review a book, as publishing is now my industry. It's a make-only-friends mantra of mine I learned back in another life working in the entertainment industry. In this life, I'm thankful to all the readers out there who spend time reading and who take time to review. Reviews, good and bad, are a vital part of our burgeoning community.
Isabel Jolie, or Izzy to her friends, is an Amazon bestselling indie author with an unquenchable thirst for a good, sexy love story. Izzy's heart pumps faster for stories with strong heroines, down-to-earth realism, and an unexpected twist.
When she's not writing or reading, she can be found with a glass of wine in hand relaxing with her husband, daughters, and good friends lakeside.
Izzy fills her Instagram feed with funnies, inspirational "brain candy", and anything that meshes with her mood of the day. #mood.
