Author Joy Gelsthorpe (who writes as Joy Stonehouse) reacts to her best and worst reviews.
The following review was from one
of Joy’s most ardent fans, reacting to her first novel, Witch-bottles and Windlestraws:
"All
Joy’s books are at the highest level—she is a largely undiscovered gem. The
stories are truly immersive with incredible detail and beautifully crafted. You
are instantly transported into the 18th century lives of a group of
people who live in a coastal, rural village. You feel as though you are living
alongside them as they cope with the full cycle of life in conditions and a
society that really come alive through her tales of woe and joy. The quality of
both research and the writing itself are of the highest standard—very easily is
in the top category of ‘Must Read’ and ‘Can’t put down!’ They would make a
superb film or TV series."
Joy says, ‘My first
reaction was wow! I’m realistic enough to know that this review is over the
top, but it gives me hope and the confidence to keep writing.’
Of course, not all
reviews can be as positive as this one, and as a counterbalance, Joy points to
a 2-star review of the same book, where she notes, ‘Worse than the lack of
stars, this one was entitled Boring:’
"Odd little story, and not at all what
I was expecting. Not the best book I’ve read recently and not sure I’d read
anything else by this author."
Joy
was philosophical about this one, saying, ‘Ah, well, you can’t win
them all. Though I wondered what on earth she had been expecting. It was bought
as a paperback from Amazon, and the blurb on the site explains in detail what
to expect.'
Joy has self-published a
series of five novels set in the early 18th century about the Jordan
farming family in Reighton, near Filey. Over the past six years, she has built
up quite a following, men as well as women, who eagerly await the next book.
And when can they expect
it?
Joy says, ‘My next book,
hopefully to be published before Christmas, is a romantic novella set in Filey
in Regency times—The Boy with Mussel
Shell Eyes. It is written entirely through the letters of a young woman, on
a two-week holiday, to her friend in Halifax. Both the research and the writing
were an absolute pleasure. I think of the book as a love letter to Filey.’
Read more about Joy Stonehouse HERE.
We all love to receive 'good' reviews, of course. But even the 'bad' ones can help readers decide whether to read the book, as they provide a sort of balance and show the book has been read by strangers and not just friends of the author or those already followers.
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