Well, It looks like the good times are over!

[RyanM]

For starters:
Dale, don't stop writing and don't throw away what you've written. You have a loyal fan base that obviously loves your ability to tell a story and engage the reader in your worlds.

YA: I love the mix of stone age, iron age, space age, and modern age technologies interwoven with magic. It's a vibrant world with tons of spin-off potential.
Gwen: I like how the alternate histories shaped the world and how the presence of magic retarded technological and social development.
Keelyverse: The demons are interesting and varied; they aren't caricatures of evil. Each demon has a purpose beyond just being a bad guy. I *LOVE* your version of vampires. Using blood to build energy links to animate their bodies is a far more interesting idea than simply drinking blood because it's creepy. Even in the Alternate Places world, I like how it's used to appease a tiny spirit.
Infected: One of my pet peeves is in super hero genre is how there are few detractors about having a power. The First Mode idea neatly gets around that problem. Someone can be super powered, but that power comes at a high cost. Case-in-point: Lauren/Level

Most of the criticisms some of us have identified are technical in nature and are easily handled in the editing process if you so desire (I'll gladly volunteer to suggest edits the next time you're ready for editing). In the end, they are YOUR books. Do what you feel is right. I can't see you losing any of us as readers.

Now onto the Amazon-centric stuff:
Why would someone pay another to write bad reviews?
What's to gain by hurting another author?
Wouldn't you WANT another author to do well especially if it's in the same genre so it could offer up automated suggestions that send people to you?
Something to keep in mind is that some people are just assholes. They're looking for reasons to give a bad review. Also, ratings me different things to different people. For example, I almost never rate something as a 5 because, to me, a 5 means I can read a story multiple times, not get tired of it, and find something new every time I read it. Few books can meet that standard, nor do I expect them to.

I think the Kindle Unlimited program might be interfering with numbers a bit. I read a ton of books through that program, but it doesn't always track that I've read the book since it's not an active purchase.

[David]

Money....

The better rated and the more copies sold means more people see your work in searches and lists.

I'm a voracious reader and easily read around 300 if not more books a year, and that is still a tiny insignificant percentage of what is published.

If you Sabotage others, you can keep your book on the list longer.

In short, it's done out of greed, just like a lot of other things are done in our world.

Some people are just jerks, but that doesn't mean other people do not have planned attacks.

I really hope Dale doesn't quit, I'll keep buying if he keeps writing, but I can understand his frustration with the system. It needs to be tweaked I think, but there is no real solution, people will always find a way to cheat and knock the other guy down.

[PS Power]

The trick is near the beginning. If a book doesn't have at least a four star rating, and isn't selling in the top 100 (Over all. that's the one that counts. The rest are nice, but don't mean very much.) Think about it, how many new, two-star rated books do you ever see when browsing on Amazon? You can find them, but it does so much damage that most will never see them at all.

Why would someone pay to knock down their competition? Well, everything David said, plus raw fear. There are even rumors (which are only that, until they have facts behind them) that some of the worst offenders aren't even authors, but are the big five publishers. It costs them a lot less to keep a series down than to lose sales if it pushes some of their works off the top 100. Really, you only see it when a book is in the top thousand or so, over all.

*Which doesn't mean that people with grudges, angry ex's, or just people that don't like you,personally being successful might not push in for the some fun.

I'll try to do some writing in a few days. Right now it's just not happening.

[willallen]

Well, darn it. Dale, sorry I just now saw this thread and I am horrified some jackleg came gunning for you with a poison pen review. Personally, I though the Eve stories were even more entertaining than the Keeley books. This is just because she is so damaged and weak in some ways but driven by a steel will in others.

I have heard of this kind of hit work being done but never seen it in action until now. My deepest sympathies, Dale. Now, run outside and dig up that disc with the Gwen chapters. Pleaseeeeeeee. I'm really starting to get that itch from going too long without my "medicine".

[iamentropy]

I haven't read the ratings in question, so I'm heading there next to read them and post my own. Personally, these were incredibly entertaining books and I've read the trilogy three times since they came out. Granted, I was sick for the first to reads and did them back to back, but still.

Dale, I know platitudes are worse than useless most of the times and don't really help, but you DO have a ton of followers that love your books if that helps any. Maybe those of us that are loyal readers that enjoy the stories should promote them to our circle of friends too and we can overshadow the one-star raters.

Anyway - I'm off to Amazon. Good luck Dale, we're all on your side even if some folks in the forum may not seem it at first read.

[iamentropy]

Okay, my reviews should be up soon. I read the 1-star reviews and I can POSSIBLY see some of their comments, but only if I'm being unfair in my thinking. I can't tell you how many books I've started reading only to realize that I just wasn't into them. I didn't rate the book though! I've only rated books that I've enjoyed to some degree or read fully and thought...holy crap, I have to warn people about this.

As for the 1-star ratings...they just make me want to punch people....

[rdyer36]

Hello,

I don't normally sign up for forums, but I wanted to say as a first time reader that I enjoyed your style. Your Eve Benson trilogy is the first work by you I've read. I was looking thru the forums hoping to find that Eve and what is happening to her would be in future releases.

I saw that a negative review was causing you some distress and just wanted to tell you, this story was amazing.

I'm an avid reader Anne Rice, Robert Jordan, and now PS Power are among my favorites. I found you via Kindle Unlimited.

I started reading Eve's story this past Friday at around 8am. I finished book 3 at 3:36am on Sunday. I couldn't stop reading, There were times where the anticipation of events had me physically shaking. That hasn't happened to me in a book since I was in High school. The shaking could have just been the cold, but I don't believe it.

Anyway thank you.

I'm starting Keeley's story after dinner tonight and totally expect to read non-stop until that world is opened for me as much as is possible now.

Please don't get discouraged and continue the world you've created I find your take on vampires, demons, supernatural etc to be unique and addictive.

[PS Power]

Thanks. I'm trying to get back to things. I know, it's stupid, but there you have it, little things can throw you at times. (Well, throw me. I know that everyone else is steely of mind and body all the time. Because you're awesome.)

[RyanM]

[lenoirdenantes]

Little things are just that! Writers block is never fun. Add anyone saying bad things about good books and authors can go into a tailspin.
Grab your guns and a plot that you love and sit down in front of your word processing choice de jour and get to it.
I cannot remember a time when you took the easy way out!

Your bud Karen