Hi. I'm Kate and I DO pay attention to reviews

God knows I try not to. As a writer, I usually manage to almost ignore the reviews of my own books. It takes effort, but I've learned to just skim and see if there's anything I can use as a quote.

But as a reader?

It's just one person's opinion, I tell myself. Don't base choices on someone's disappointment in a wimpy heroine. I sometimes LIKE wimpy heroines.

Despite the self-talk, it seems like I'm avoiding books that get bad reviews and am buying books that get good ones.

I realized this just now as I was about to check out of an online store.

Edith Layton has been an autobuy for me forever. But was her latest in my virtual shopping cart? No. It got a couple of meh reviews. However I was buying Stephanie Rowe (mrs giggles likes her latest book. And what do we say about mrsgiggles? hmmm. . . . mrsgiggles.com hates Balogh because of wimpy heroines----see above. I love Balogh.) Karen loves Pamela Clare's latest (I tried a Clare and wasn't crazy about it)

So what's in my shopping basket? No Layton. But there's the Rowe and the Clare. Gack.

Enough kvetching and meta-whining. I'll compromise. I'll tab back to my cart and buy all of the above AND the Layton. OH! And Loretta Chase's latest. Good thing it's not real money. I'm using a gift certificate I found in a boy's drawer left over from Christmas. Eventually I'll give him cash. No really, I will.

Hey, there're no Corvidaes at Borders online. They have publishamerica books and no Mundania? That sucks.

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