Paula Hillman, author

I am grateful to anyone who reads and reviews my novels. If they love the stories and give me a great review, or if my style of writing and my plots don’t resonate, I’m happy to accept their views. The worst thing would be if no one noticed, one way or another. There are already some fantastic reviews coming in for Halfmoon Lane, though it’s not published yet; there is already someone telling me they disliked the second half of the book when the men came in!

Here’s one review for Halfmoon Lane:

‘Paula Hillman is fast becoming one of my go-to authors. This is the fourth book of hers I have read, and each one brings something new and fresh. As ever, the characters are exquisitely drawn and their complexities and vulnerabilities are exposed as the story weaves its tale. From an enigmatic busker, to a sudden death, the backdrop of Walney Island makes for the perfect backdrop.‘

Makes me feel proud of my writing journey, and that someone has bothered to read and thoughtfully comment on one of my stories.

Here’s another review of the same book:

‘I really enjoyed the first half of the book, I liked that the female characters were strong, and self reliant, and the crime that is committed was very intriguing, the area around half moon lane sounded intriguing and somewhere I would like to explore, I liked that the main character were well rounded with interesting hobbies too. My issue was that when the men came on board it all went a bit downhill and the women went a bit soppy.’

This reviewer makes some fair points with regard to their reading likes and dislikes. I’ll take that. The worst reviews simply slate your writing or your story without any justification. I want justification, want to learn something if I’m going to accept a review. Nasty for nasty’s sake is pointless, and makes you think it’s personal. When I haven’t enjoyed a book I’ve bought, I simply don’t rate or review it. This is someone’s work. Just because I don’t like it, doesn’t make it bad. We are told, as writers, not to look at reviews of our work. I don’t agree with that. Look, consider, chuck out the reviews which show no intelligence, and value all the others. End of rant.