Hello, SEers, and Happy Hump Day! Mae here, inviting you to pull up a chair and sit a spell.

A recent post I did on Story Empire generated great discussion about entering book giveaways and/or downloading free ebooks. Many agreed the only time they did either was when they were truly interested in reading the book. An offshoot of that discussion led to a few comments about reviews—the dreaded “R” word.

I know this subject has been debated high and low, and discussed ad infinitum. But one of the comments on my original post made me consider reviews in a new light. As authors, we naturally hope for the best when it comes to star ratings. Inevitably, sooner or later, we’re bound to collect a few on the lower rung of the ladder. I’ve had my share. It’s part of being an author. Even big guns like Stephen King, J.K…