Aliana has a hard question for me to answer today…

What is the toughest criticism given to you as an author?

This is a challenge for me. I take criticism very hard. Every review that points out something a reader didn’t like hurts. Every person who tells me they don’t read my type of stories or my heat level or anything like that is tough to hear.

I was at a reader event a few months ago. A person walking past my table picked up a copy of Puffy & Precious. She asked what I write and started reading the cover as I told her about my books. She got about two sentences in and walked away, telling me she doesn’t like books like mine. About a woman rebuilding her life after a divorce. Catching her husband cheating.

I get that it wasn’t for her. My books aren’t going to be for everyone. I get that, believe me. But it was still tough to know she wouldn’t even give it a shot.

Thank you, every one of you, for giving my books a shot. For reading my emails or my blog posts or my books. For following me and friending me. It means a lot that you are willing to read past a few sentences to see the story beneath, and to love my characters as much as I do!

Thanks so much, Aliana, for your question! If you have a question, send me an email (mary (at) maryethompson (dot) com) with Q&A in the subject, or post it in the comments below, and I’ll answer your question right here on the blog!

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