COMMENTS
AND ACCOLADES FROM
WRITERS AND PUBLISHERS
More Accolades for 2023
Lou Earle, Author, The Typhoon Affair: "As always,
Diane demonstrates a genuine interest in digging into the details of the works
she evaluates. You can readily observe that care when you see how she even
identifies specific dialogue to support her positions, something that I find
rare in most reviews. Diane is a real credit.”
Sheri Graubert, Author, Molly Shipton, Secret Actress: "Diane is
attentive while staying neutral. She acknowledged my emails in a timely manner.
She stated her goal to have the review complete by a certain time and she
delivered. She is highly professional, her review is well-written and thorough.
She has clearly spent time with my book. I truly appreciate her focused
attention to detail. ”
Yana Lambert, The Human Effectiveness Institute: "We just
received Diane's reviews of Bill Harvey's books, Pandemonium: Live to
All Devices (a tome at 504 pages) and The Message -- and
are absolutely delighted with Diane's brilliantly insightful and thoughtful
critique of both books. Additionally, she turned out her reviews in less than 2
weeks from receiving them -- very impressive and much appreciated! And she's a
pleasure to work with, very responsive and personable. The author, Bill Harvey,
noted that Diane made salient points in her reviews that none of the other
reviews we've received (including BookLife) had mentioned. We'll
be delighted to have Diane review our future works.”
John E. McNellis, Author, O'Brien's Law: "I’m writing to
both thank you for your too-kind review and to say that, of the 100+ reviews
I’ve received thus far (both professional and Amazonian), you alone got it. At
heart, O’Brien’s is simply a coming-of-age story about a—hopefully—charming,
but woefully misguided young man who may be finding his way by book’s
end.”
Mara Purl, Author, Why
Hearts Keep Secrets: "My
publisher and I just received Diane
Donovan's review of my new book, "Why Hearts Keep Secrets." Wow,
we are so pleased and impressed with her thorough read, her
in-depth grasp of the characters, themes, ideas and style, and her
mentions as
to why both readers and libraries will enjoy the book. All of this will
be
incalculably helpful to us!”
'Deji Ayoade, Author, UNDERGROUND:
A Memoir of Hope, Faith, and the American Dream: "I wanted to
drop a few lines for the outstanding work and review by Diane Donovan. Her
detailed and thorough review showed she delved deep into my story. She's
patient and flexible with the review publication options she sent me, showing
she wasn't in a hurry or trying to rush the service. I appreciate Diane's work
and give her 5/5 for her outstanding work.”
Roma Cordon, Author, Betwitching a Highlander: "Diane made the
process seamless, and explained everything thoroughly to me at each step. And I
can tell you I had a lot of questions! I am absolutely blown away by her
thoughtful, detailed and well written review for Bewitching A
Highlander.”
Brian Storm, Author, The Struggle: "I am 100%
satisfied with the honest book review I received from Diane Donovan. Diane
was very responsive and transparent through the entire process, and the
review itself was very well written! She also gave me multiple opportunities to
make sure the details of my book were accurate, and to make any last minute
changes to pricing and/or links to my website.”
Andrew McAleer, Co-Editor, Edgar and Shamus Go Golden: "Book Reviewer
Diane Donovan is responsive and thorough. Qualities not often seen today. She
recently completed a review of an anthology I co-edited Edgar and Shamus Go
Golden.”
Natalie Wright, Author, Season of the Dragon: "Not only was
Diane professional in her communications and timely, but her review was
thoughtful and well-written. Reading her review, it’s clear that she not only
read the entire book, but that she took the time to digest the book before
penning her review.”
Ron Jensen, Author, Death of the Antagonist: "I wanted to
let you know how much I appreciated the work done by Diane Donovan on my
submission of Death of the Antagonist for review. I read through some of her prior reviews before
interacting with her, so I knew that she could be honest, yet very tactful. I
agreed with an expedited arrangement since I have an upcoming release date of
4/1/23 and she worked amazingly quickly. Her review was very clear, and showed
meticulous attention to both the large plot picture and the nuances of chapters
and sentences within the story. I was very impressed.”
Rosilyn Seay, Author, Colors Carter Carver's Way: "For my latest
book, Colors Carter Carver’s Way, Ms. Donovan’s analysis was thought provoking
and perceptive. I appreciate that she intuited what I was trying to accomplish
with the book, and her review comments highlighted some of the less obvious
aspects of the story.”
Diana Fedorak, Author, Children of Alpheios: "I recently had
my debut novel, Children of Alpheios, a science fiction and fantasy novel
reviewed by Diane Donovan, and I had a wonderful experience with her. Because
this was my first book, I wasn't sure what to expect. I found Diane to be very
professional and accessible, explaining to me how the review process works. She
contacted me promptly when her review was completed. Most importantly, she gave
my book a very insightful and honest review that I believe will really help my
book's visibility to libraries and for sales. She's the consummate book
expert.”
Jean Hackel Wulterkens, Author, Theresa, et al: "Ms. Donovan's
thoughtful review means a great deal to me. It was clear from what she wrote
that she gave my novel her full attention and carefully analyzed what made it
meaningful to her. I'm hoping others will respond to her review by choosing to
dedicate some of their own valuable free time to reading it too.”
Patsie McCandless, Author, The Secrets of Windy Hill:
Becoming Jesse: "Diane Donovan is a star! From our
first meeting – cyberly speaking – she welcomed with her amiable good humor;
and she clearly laid out every detail for our next steps together. I felt
an immediate impact of supportive wisdom and understanding that her years of
experience and expertise afford. I recently received her first draft review,
and I am overwhelmed with how wonderfully she understood my character, and the
lessons of Light imbued within his story. Her first attempt – and it is
perfect! Diane Donovan exceeded my expectations, and, as an author
and publisher, I am so grateful."
Michael Caduto, Director, Green Heart Books,
for Eye of the Ocelot by
Volta Rose: "Diane Donovan was a pleasure to work with, and
professional throughout our communication. Notably, Ms. Donovan took the time
to thoroughly read and consider the novel from a number of perspectives. The
result is a thorough and in-depth review that truly reflects the nature of the
writing, as well as the development of the story, plot and characters. Ms.
Donovan's review is insightful in its regard for the originality of the story
and how it draws from several genres, as well as its connection to larger life
issues.”
David J. Muchow, PLC, Author, The 7 Secret Keys to Startup
Success: "Diane Donovan nailed the significance of the book and how
it’s different from the 2,000 or so other business books that come out each
year, and captured the key elements of the book in an easy to read way. As to
prompt – she was right on time as promised and even when I offered her more
time because of the Holidays she stayed on the original schedule!”
Gregory Hill, Author, Sister Liberty: "Diane Donovan
is a pleasure to work with. Further, the review she wrote for my latest novel,
Sister Liberty, is a rare and precious thing: it's perceptive, well-composed,
and clearly the product of someone who knows what she's doing. After blowing
$800 on a couple of cookie-cutter sub-high-school-term-paper reviews from
Kirkus and Booklife, it's a relief to read someone who can make a point
elegantly and concisely...and all without--miracle of miracles--relying on
Grammarly to hold their hand. ”
Rodney G. Miller, Author, Communication Essays and Communication & Beyond: "I would like
you to know how much I appreciate Diane Donovan's thoughtful reviews. For both
Communication Essays and Communication & Beyond, she put a spotlight
on the larger issues that these somewhat different books address. It's
refreshing to interact with someone with her grasp of a wide range of subjects
who offers quality insights--coupled with such professional courtesy. She
certainly evaluates both the forest and the trees to headline what
matters. ”
Jennifer Welborn, Author, Dr. Rosie Helps the
Animals: "Diane Donovan clearly read my book, understood its
messages, and conveyed that understanding through her eloquent, thoughtful, and
comprehensive review. She wrote from her expertise as a book reviewer,
(not a content reviewer), which is professional and honest.”
R.L. Dean, Author, Writing for
Happiness: "Just a word regarding Diane Donovan's recent
review of my novel Waiting for Happiness. I have had two other
editorials done for this novel from competing agencies- both were shallow and
quick. Ms. Donovan was able to capture what I was looking for- the
permeation of the faith element in the novel- I'm very pleased that it shown
through in the life of the main character and that it was a highlight in the
review.”
Brian Kaufman, Author, A Shadow Melody: "Writing to
comment on my review experience with D. Donovan - I submitted a fairly complex
novel with interwoven themes. I don't expect reviewers or readers to
"get" everything - the story works as an adventure, too. But the
review I got was amazing. D. Donovan misses nothing. I am astounded
by the careful reading and analysis.
First rate experience. I needed to let someone know.”
Charlotte Stuart, Author, Moonlight Can Be
Deadly: "Just wanted to let you know how pleased I am with
Diane's review of Moonlight Can Be Deadly. Not just because it was
positive, but her analysis focuses on things that I believe are my strengths as
a writer. She goes beyond the usual plot summary review to speak to specific
attributes of characters and motivation.”
Ruth Bush, Author, WAVES on the Potomic: "Not only were
Ms. Donovan's directions for submission clear and comprehensive, but her love
for her work pervades her communication. My interaction with her was a
joy from start to finish.”
Shel Danielson, Author, The Bell Tower
Ghosts and Other Stories: "Diane was a delight to work
with: gracious and professional. Her review was not superficial. She got inside
the stories and made important comments. That her review was positive and
encouraging added extra value to our experience. Then she followed up with a
question about information that I had not provided initially. This is a
big Thank You to Diane Donovan for the great work! ”
More Accolades for 2022
Linda Yoshida, Author, Requiem
for a Queen: "Diane Donovan creates an excellent review and did
so for my latest book, Requiem For A
Queen. There are so many quotes in the well-written review that I can use
for promotional purposes. She is an exceptional reviewer and hard-working,
outstanding writer, and I love working with her.”
Turner Grant, Author, To
Venus and Back: "A quick note to let you know how
pleased I was to work with Diane Donovan and of her review of my just released
memoir. Communication was timely and complete with all the information I
needed to know, and she was exceptionally quick with the minor revisions I
requested (within an hour). From beginning to end it was a great
experience (I can't say that of other review services I dealt with).
In addition, her review was the most thoughtful and in depth of all the nine
pre-publication reviews I received and is featured on my recently
completed website.”
Kristen Culpepper, Author, The
Lonely Toadstool: "Diane Donovan's review was
thorough, touching on a variety of points. It was clear that she
actually allowed herself to experience the book and didn't
just rush through it or only read it at a surface level. As an author, that
means so much! The last two "points" especially hit home with me as I
believe that reading aloud with our children and healing at the heart level are
critical to their (and our society's) well being. I was thankful Diane
saw this in the messages of The
Lonely Toadstool.”
Lloyd Jeffries, Author, A
Potion of Malice: "Miss Donovan’s review was honest and
thoughtful. I receive many reviews and always relish the ones where the
reviewer thinks about the many things that combine to make a story come to
life. Miss Donovan took the time to digest my story and chose her words
carefully before writing. As an author, it means the world that her thoughts
were carefully crafted and well-written. She has a knack for providing a
“picture” of the story. I was most impressed by her ability to tell about the
story in an objective way. I felt her review was free from personal opinions,
true to the story, written with careful consideration given to every word, and,
above all, honest.
A true professional review is hard to come by. Most reviewers
just blast through the story while failing to capture any part with
deliberation or precision. I felt Miss Donovan’s review was surgically precise
and showed a talent for themes, concepts, subtleties, and nuances of language.
Miss Donovan is an exceptional reviewer. She writes well, expresses thoughts in
clear, yet resonant, language and has the rare ability to capture and relate
all aspects of a story.
In short, I’m thrilled my book received due attention, due
thought, and due process. Miss Donovan is an exceptional reviewer whose talent
shines. I’ve no doubt that readers follow her recommendations with a glued eye.
She is a gem, an honor I don’t bestow easily, and my book is better for her
having reviewed it.
Susan Kraus, Author, When
We Lost Touch: "From my perspective, the book was 'seen' and
understood as a whole ( and the review was not just a plot summary lifted in
part from the back cover.) So, a thoughtful and holistic review.
Gratifying to me after two years of research and writing. One I can provide to
libraries when I contact them about When We Lost Touch. Diana
Donovan got it, and WWLT is a BIG one to 'get.' It does not fit
into any genre box.”
Michael J. Brooks, Author, Republic
Under Siege: "The review for my book, Republic Under Siege:
Threat from Within, has been completed by Diane Donovan. It was an
excellent, well-worded review. It was one of the best written reviews of
my work that I have read.”
Lena Bean, for FastFlight 540: "Words can't
express my gratitude for the incredible review written by Diane Donovan for the
book FastFlight 540. Diane is the perfect combination of "highly
professional" and "sincerely kind". Her review was very helpful,
and we're using it in multiple places.”
Benjamin Harnett, Author, The Happy Valley: "I just wanted
to write to tell you how pleased I am with Diane's review of my book. I am, of
course, happy she liked it, but I also believe she has done a terrific job of
teasing out the themes and qualities of the book that I have had a hard time
myself articulating. I think it's an absolutely terrific and well-thought out
and useful review.”
Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD, Author, Wolf: "I hired Diane
to review my new memoir, “Wolf: a Memoir of Love and Atonement.”
She wrote a very meaningful, in-depth and insightful review,
indeed. She noticed subtleties from the story, that I (the author) had not even
noticed. She grasped a main point. Her review also broadened my thoughts about
possible audiences for the book."
Lance Lee, Author, Family Matters: "Just received
the review for FAMILY MATTERS from Diane Donovan.
I think she is a superb reviewer, frankly, and not simply
because she’s liked my books! What impresses me is her insight both into an
author’s intent, and into his execution, without approaching things with a
mindset of: this should be a Romance … or this should be a Hollywood Memoir …
or…. It’s her ability to see a book’s real virtue or failing outside of these
categories that is so refreshing.”
Julie Aydlott for J.A. Publications Ltd, Crow Country: "I just wanted
to give a huge shout-out to Ms. Donovan who reviewed our upcoming release of
“Crow Country”. The book in itself was over 400 pages, and I had to
review not only the book but the audiobook as well which was almost 12 hours.
The fact that she was able to complete it during the time period was most
impressive, and, that she sent the review on the publication date – October 9th,
2022 – which was very much appreciated. Her communication during the
process was outstanding, her review was detailed and articulate (and awesome!)
and I would highly recommend her and use her again for pre-release reviews.”
E.M. William, Author, Polaris Coyote: "The day Diane
was assigned my title, she e-mailed me detailed information regarding the
process, including key dates and links. She was also quick to write back
with informative and helpful responses whenever I contacted her.
Diane sent me her review of POLARIS COYOTE right on schedule a
couple of days ago, and I was delighted by how eloquently she captured the
spirit of the book, and her thoughtful, perceptive analysis.
I could not be more pleased with my experience with Diane.”
Lou Earle, Author, Apogee: "Everything
about my experience with Diane has been first rate, Diane was very easy to
communicate with and when I had questions she responded quickly and clearly. In
my opinion her review was fair, honest and credible. It was clear that she took
the time to not only understand the details, but also articulated accurately
the underlying issues the book postulates that go beyond the story and apply to
today’s world.
I have had a number of firms review my work and I can honestly
say that Diane’s review was at the top of the list.”
Debra Westgate-Silva, Author, Bethlehem Barn: "I wanted to take a moment to let you know how pleased I am with my experience with Diane Donovan. She clearly explained the directions and timeline for the review of my picture book Bethlehem Barn, and the process went just as she said. It’s clear to me that she took the time to read and reflect on my book and to write an accurate, honest, and well-written review. I am deeply appreciative and would recommend her to others seeking a high-quality review.”
Malia Arries, Author, Dad Died, Then Mom: "I was honored
to have Diane Donovan review my book. Diane is wonderful. She responded to my
messages quickly, her review was ready two days before she said it would be,
and the review was incredibly professional and well done. It was challenging
sharing such a personal story with the whole world until Diane gave my story
credibility and captured my purpose in writing it.”
Sarah Beth Martin, Author, In the Vanishing Hour: "I wanted to
write and tell you about the wonderful job Diane Donovan did reviewing my
novel, In the Vanishing Hour. Her review was beautifully written,
and included just the right balance of commentary on plot, writing style,
quotes, and reader recommendations. I'm honored and thrilled to use her review
in my future marketing of the book. Diane was also professional and communicative, and
delivered the review before the deadline. I would highly recommend her to my
fellow authors, and hope to use her services again in the future.”
Kevin Kuhens, Author, Terror's Sword: "Ms. Diane
Donovan just finished a review of my recently released novel titled Terror’s
Sword. Ms. Donovan’s review was positively terrific in every word! To say that
I am thrilled would be an understatement—it’s what I’d hoped for and more. One
aspect of her review took me by surprise: I found it amazing that she captured
in her own words precisely what I was trying to convey to readers. That skill
is a gift. All authors think we have provided material worthy of outstanding
reviews. However, as you know, authors sometimes fall short. Ms. Donovan’s
critical analysis validated that I achieved my goal of writing a good novel
that people will enjoy reading. Her unintentional message is as important to me
as her review.”
Ben Abelow, Author, How the West Brought War to Ukraine: "Thank you for
your beautiful review of my book. I so appreciate a thoughtful, positive, and
ultimately supportive discussion of a work that, in the current zeitgeist, is
too easy to paint with biased and unjust criticism. As an author who is
understandably eager for positive reviews, I am not exactly a disinterested
party. But even when read "at arm's length," this review clearly
reflects a deep, thoughtful, analytical engagement with the material. A
wonderful review.”
Douglas Whipple, Co-Author, When Universes Bleed: "Diane wrote a
fantastic review, was always amazingly responsive (I mean, better than I am,
and I think I'm pretty responsive), and as helpful as could be. I couldn't have
asked for a better person to work with during this review process. If I were
asked, I would recommend her highly, completely, and unconditionally.”
Adria Batt, Marketing Strategist, Ike’s Journey and True
North, Down South: "It’s been great working with Diane
Donovan on two Reader Fee Reviews for Ike’s Journey and True North,
Down South. She’s been easy to work with and on time with her finished
reviews. Diane’s reviews were very thorough and both authors were very pleased
with what she wrote and how she highlighted the unique aspects of each of their
books."
Margaret Porter, Author, The Myrtle Wand: "As she has done
for a prior title of mine, Diane Donovan offers not only a detailed and
accurate but a highly perceptive assessment of the characters, plot, and
setting. I'm naturally relieved and gratified that her opinion of The Myrtle
Wand is so positive, but I also respect the quality of her writing. And as
a book reviewer myself, I'm well aware of the time and effort required to
produce a skillful review."
Susan Hamilton, Author, Stone Heart: "I got my first
look at Diane's review today and I'm very pleased. Of course, I am happy that
she enjoyed it and gave it a positive review, but she's been great to work with
as well. Very responsive to emails and always pleasant. I especially appreciate
that she used some excerpts from Stone Heart to illustrate her points. I've had
reviewers sometimes just use a book's back cover copy, and you wonder if they
ever read the actual story. Based on her selections, I have no doubt that Diane
read it."
Bonny Fawn, Author, The Clients: "Diane Donovan
did an exceptional job. Her review was beautifully written and she quoted
several key lines in my book taken from the beginning, middle and end of my
story. She definitely read my novel, and even better she understood the deeper
issues I was attempting to relay. My book is thriller and I tried to insert
some emotional angst beyond just the typical mystery and murder themes. To her
credit Diane picked up on that which I love."
Spike Adams, Author's Father, The Mask: "I’m contacting
you about Diane Donovan’s review of my son’s book, The Mask. I have
received many reviews by magazines, such as as Kirkus Reviews, Story Monster’s
INC, BookLife, Feathered Quill, and others, but Diane’s review was
one of the best, if not the best, that my family has received.
The opinion is not based upon the fact that the review was
quite positive. Apart from being very well written, my opinion is based upon
her extraordinarily thoughtful understanding of and keen insightful into the
themes of a multi-layered allegorical fantasy.
My wife has been a teacher for 22 years. For the past 12 years,
she has taught literacy to the fifth grade. Over five years ago, she won
teacher of the year in her school. After reading Diane’s review, she said,
“This is great! I think this is the best review yet!” My younger son had a similar
reaction.
One aspect of the review that my wife deeply appreciated is how
Diane pointed out the intrinsic value of the Mask not only to readers,
but to teachers and librarians, too.
Diane has reinforced my belief that the impact of Clayton’s
story upon the lives of others can be significant and meaningful in a world
obsessed with physical appearance and “ being different”."
Jane Hopkins, Author, Cemetery Reflections: "Diane
Donovan’s review of my book Cemetery Reflections is thoughtful and
beautifully expressed. It reflects a sensitive understanding of the
issues I am trying to address and of the approach I am taking. It is
particularly helpful in identifying types of readers who would be most apt to
welcome having access to the book. Only a writer with long experience and
deep empathy could convey an appraisal so succinctly and effectively."
David Hopkins, Author, A Slow Parade in Penderyn: "Book review
publications enable authors (both known and unknown) to find their audience and
provide readers fair warning on whatever book they dare to open.
Truthfully, everything we do—from the writer, to the editor, to the reviewer—is
in service to the reader. That's important. But also, a professional review
enables me to have a better idea of how my work might be received. That's an
invaluable gift.
In particular, Diane Donovan is a true professional, accessible
and easy to work with. I thought her review of my book was insightful without
pandering, informative without spoiling. It was very well-written. Most
importantly, anyone who reads the review should have a good idea if this is a
book they'd enjoy."
Christy Hui, Author, Flying Fillies: "My experience
with Diane has been top notch, from her responsive and clear communications to
insightful and well-written review. She exudes professionalism in her work.
It couldn’t be in more capable, honest hands. On top of that, she’s a
wonderful writer. "
Winn Taylor, Author, Dawn of the Watchers: "I wanted to
take a moment to tell you how fortunate I feel to have been matched with Diane
Donovan for the review of my novel, Dawn
of the Watchers. I'm thrilled that she enjoyed the novel, but even
beyond that, she delivered a very thoughtful, rich review. It was clear she put
time and intention into crafting a well-rounded perspective for readers."
Fred Gracely, Author, Misfit's Magic: The Last Halloween: "Diane did a
fantastic job reviewing my debut novel, Misfit's
Magic: The Last Halloween. I can tell she took it as her mission to help
potential readers, librarians, and other consumers understand the nature of the
book, who would enjoy it, and why it might be right for them. She detailed the
plot and characters and summed up her recommendations and thoughts clearly and
succinctly. It was an honest and thoughtful review."
Jerry Aylward, Author, The Scarlet Oak: "Diane's review
of The Scarlet Oak was a thorough and insightful review capturing the essence
of the story line and characters that make the book a fascinating and
compelling read. Diane's professionalism as an editor/reviewer in delivering an
in-depth review in a timely manner is a most rewarding achievement. "
Harry Groome, Author, Giant of the Valley: "I’ve just
received a review by Diane Donovan of my collection of novellas, Giant of
the Valley. Diane’s review was on time and captured the stories in both
novellas very adroitly. I was most impressed by her thoughtful comments about
the book and the audiences that she thought would be best served by reading it.
All in all, a high-level approach to reviewing my book that provides all that
readers need to know when considering buying it."
Joe Rothstein, Author, The Moment of Menace: "My new book is
The Moment of Menace, a political thriller that is somewhat out of the usual
thriller framework in that it pushes hard for world nuclear disarmament and
more rational control of emerging science. I don't expect every reviewer to
appreciate mixing issues with story lines, but Diane Donovan, who reviewed my
book, certainly did. I appreciate her insight and professionalism in focusing
on the core of my message as well as its value as reader
entertainment."
Susan Roosen and John Roosen, Authors, Dead Man's Pose: "We wanted to circle back around to you for helping us
obtain the very professional review by Diane Donovan. First, of course,
is Diane's extraordinary review capability over the past 40 years. Having
someone like Diane review your book is like the 'gold standard' for
reviews. She takes time to thoroughly read the book, to understand the
various themes, overt and covert activities, and delights in the writing
itself.
It is
always important to remember that an author makes a contract with the reader at
the outset. The reader is investing valuable time to look at what the
author has written. Time is a valuable commodity, so the author must use
everything in their power to make that investment worthwhile.
Not
only did you enjoy the book, Diane, but you delighted in the small things we
embedded everywhere. (And even caught the Opera we squeezed in here and
there!) We mentioned we used a lot of care in the creation. From two
Editors (from 2 countries), 3 proofreaders (though must say you must have
enjoyed the Aussie spelling too!), a talented team for the book cover, and
experts from everywhere to ensure we had accuracy including having a NZ science
institute review the plausibilty of the murder weapon!!!"
Micheal E. Jimerson, Author, White
Gold: "Diane Donovan reviewed my novel, White Gold. I’ve
learned that writing an excellent review is an art. A well-written review
demonstrates a thorough knowledge of the book’s structure preferably without
sounding like a synopsis. If the writing is tolerable and the reviewer
competent, then there is a meeting of the minds resulting in a review setting
forth the premise and themes of the novel. A gifted reviewer pulls the author
into her viewpoint and opens his eyes to something he couldn’t see from his
vantage point. White Gold is a mystery/thriller. I feared White Gold
would prove formulaic and contrived, but without knowing my concerns, Diane
described the novel as “refreshingly different.” So I write to commend not only
because I loved the review, rather because she treated my work with great
dignity and respect."
Krista Ehlers, Author, Daze
of Isolation: "I have just completed the book review process
with Diane Donovan, and I wanted to take a moment to let you know what a
pleasure it was to work with Diane.
The book review itself was professional and uplifting! After 6
months slogging it through self-publishing, I found her insights to be very
encouraging. In addition, she really knows her stuff! As a former IT
professional, I'm used to working with people who have trouble managing file
transfers and electronic payments and such, but Diane knew as much or more than
I did. This made it very easy to work with her. She was also very quick to
respond to my questions, and completed her review just when she said she
would.
Overall, this was a great process and well worth the effort."
Rich Merritts, Author, Birds
& Things to Ponder: "Diane Donovan's reviews are
exceptional, and she does not miss any detail within the reviewed material. She
must read a tremendous amount to be able to accurately and effectively review
books with amazing detail about the subject matter in such a short amount of
time. Which brings me to schedule. Diane consistently gives a timeframe of
completion of the review and has consistently beat her own deadline, in my
experience."
Mark Ortman, Author, The
Secret to Everyday Communication (Without Argument): "On March 29,
2022, Diane was assigned to read and review my latest title, The
Secret to Everyday Communication (Without Argument). I sent the notice to
Diane, and she responded within an hour with all the details for submission and
the timeline. I followed up with her requirements, and she quickly acknowledged
receipt stating everything was received and in order.
The day before her promised completion date (May 10th), I
received a 300-plus word review draft with a note to reply to any corrections
(spelling, etc.). I had a couple of minor punctuation questions, mindful of not
influencing her review writing style. She returned with the modifications
within an hour!
My book is a thin yet dense title that attempts to unravel the
complexities of everyday communication uniquely and practically. What Diane
captured in her review was a deep understanding of what my book was trying to
convey and why it is of value. I appreciate her insights!
Diane Donovan was prompt, efficient, insightful, collaborative,
and professional."
J.T. Michaels, Author, Jimmy
Chartron and the Lost Keystone: "I just received my review from
Diane Donovan and she absolutely killed it! I wasn't expecting such an
in-depth, well-thought review that dissected my story to its barebones and
messaging."
Ryan Neely, Ahr Publishing: "I wanted to
drop a line to express how satisfied and grateful I am for Diane's services. I'm
often experience trepidation around reviews for some of the books we work
with because we often see a polarizing response from their subject matter.
Diane returned some a fantastic review for the two novels I submitted to her
and I couldn't be happier."
Rodney G. Miller, Author, Australians
Speak Out: Persuasive Language Styles: "Diane Donovan
wrote an insightful review of Australians Speak Out: Persuasive Language
Styles, which captures the essence of the book so well. She also
incorporated valuable perspectives for US readers. I'm delighted with the
positive response to excerpts of her review that I've put out in publicity.
Her professional and personable approach, in which her pride in
producing an accurate, honest, well-written review is so evident, made contact
with her an absolute pleasure."
Troy Knowlton, Author, Seekers:
The Winds of Change: "Diane Donovan, did an amazing job with
the review. It was insightful, detailed, and took the time to reference quotes
directly from the novel to provide examples of points made during the review."
Margaret Spearman, Author, Yesterday
Calling: "Diane Donovan recently sent me her review of Steven W.
Horn’s new novel, YESTERDAY CALLING: A SAM DAWSON MYSTERY. This is her
fourth time to review one of the Sam Dawson mysteries. Her reviews are
well-written and provide an accurate summary of the books without giving away
the key secrets or ending. Her ability to select passages from a book to capture
the true spirit of the book is uncanny. That she has reviewed three other Sam
Dawson mysteries gave her insight into the new thriller that allowed her to
review it not only as a stand-alone book, but as a chapter in the series and
assess if the author was able to maintain and grow the Sam Dawson character.
Diane’s review was all encompassing and well-done. I also appreciate that when
she gives you her timeline for the review, that she meets it.
I’ll be using parts of the review as well as the full review to promote Steve’s new novel—not only prior to the release, but for years to come. Portions of the reviews are part of the previous books’ covers as well as on the back cover of the upcoming Yesterday Calling with a comment from her review on No Good Deed. In addition to the back covers of the books, portions of the Midwest reviews are used by my publicist on posters, sell sheets, media releases, social media, and the Granite Peak Press website – where the reviews are included in their entirety)."
Rebecca Taniguchi, Author, Hiro's
War: "I want to commend the efforts of Diane Donovan, who wrote
a sensitive and cogent review of my novel, Hiro’s War. She
accurately comprehended the way I had structured the message of my book,
recognized and appreciated the evolution of my main character, and identified
the myriad challenges that he and others faced in the many phases of the novel,
from the internment of Japanese Americans and their outstanding military
service to their country through the post-war years of continued obstacles and
triumphs, ending after their participation in the bicentennial celebration of
American liberty and justice for all. Diane’s communications to me throughout
the review process were clear and thorough, and she was true to her projected
schedule of completion.
Writers and publishers can be assured of a reading that is full
of intelligence, integrity, and understanding when Diane Donovan is at the
helm."
Don Hurzeler, Author, Suddenly
Retired: "Diane told me exactly what she needed and what to expect.
She then completed her work exceptionally quickly and did a very complete job
on the review. I love it and it will be very useful in my marketing and
awareness around my new book. Wish I was reviewing her...I would give her
Five Stars and a great write up.
I had an experience with one of your competitors that made me
want to tear out what little hair I have left. Delay after delay...lots
of changes in requirements...took forever and the review was worthless...the
reviewer all but called me a liar about photographing salt water crocodiles in
the water with them with no cage or safety equipment...when it is clearly
documented that I did just that....called other adventures I was on...one where
another party compound fractured his leg and another died as
"tame"....if you can call hiking five miles out to running lava that
is flowing over a cliff at 3am "tame". The reviewer did not get
me nor grasp the subject matter and his review went right in the trash...not a
scathing review, just completely off point.
Diane clearly got the book and understood the important
parts...and writes so well that it makes me think I should have paid better
attention in class."
Krys Call, Author, In the
Neighborhood, Seagull Lane, and Here and Away: "The reviews
were so conscientiously done and much better written than most reviews that I
have seen on the backs of books of all genres that I feel very fortunate indeed
to have gotten a reviewer of such expertise. The books that she reviewed
required careful reading because they were written by a first person narrator
with a point of view which reflects 1% of the population according to most
personality surveys such as the Myers-Briggs test, and the DSM-V.
corroborates the rarity of this atypicality. Therefore, the books
required a thoughtfully analytical and open-minded perspective on the part of
the reviewer. I was so relieved that Ms. Donovan aced it! "
David H. Rothman, Author, Drone
Child: "Diane Donovan has been a pleasure to work with. She met
her deadline for the first draft and promptly sent in the next version. Best of
all, she understood and carefully explained my book rather than just whipping
off a plot summary and not much else. Her genuine enthusiasm came through in a
very persuasive way."
Sarah Branson, Author, A
Merry Life: "Diane has been a consummate professional.
After I initially emailed her, she responded promptly and gave me a
timeline that she stuck to precisely.
The review itself was thorough and insightful and went far
beyond simply stating what happened in the book and whether she liked it. She
looked deeper into the text and brought out points that will definitely guide
readers as they choose books. Her recommendations for libraries and book clubs
will be invaluable in my marketing. I couldn't be happier with her work."
Kirsten Marion, Publisher, for Lucy & Dee, The Silk Road
and The Math Kids, The Triangle Secret: "Diane Donovan
did a stellar job reviewing the titles above. She grasped the essence of each
story and has given readers of each review an excellent indication of what
they can expect from each title. We are very pleased with her
work!"
Jack Hanrahan, Author, Traveling Freedom's Road: A Guide to
Exploring Our Civil Rights History: "From the
outset, Diane's communication was clear and timely. Her review accurately
captured so much of what I put into the book; in fact, she is the first
reviewer to mention how the book is as valuable to the "armchair
traveler" as it is for those who get out on Freedom's Road. I think
her invitation to authors to give her any post-review feedback shows an
open-mindedness that is the hallmark of a real pro...someone who cares about
getting it right."
Ellie Alexander, Author, Lost Coast Literary: "I just
received a draft of the thoughtful and well-crafted review by Diane Donovan for
my novel Lost Coast Literary. As a traditionally published author,
my publicist has handled reviews for previous book releases. This is my first
independent standalone novel and I’ve been so impressed with the process and
with Diane. From prompt response times to a carefully crafted, honest review
with plenty of pull quotes, my expectations have been exceeded. "
Danielle Dayney, Author, When Love Sticks Around: "I'm incredibly
pleased with my book review. Diane Donovan is a gem. She read my memoir and
wrote the most beautiful review, and she returned it even sooner than
she promised. I really and truly couldn't be happier."
Donald Levin, Author, Savage City: "I just wanted
to take a minute to let you know how satisfied I was with Diane Donovan's
recent review of my novel, Savage City. She wrote a fine review of the
book, with a keen appreciation of my purposes in the work. I was also very
impressed with her professionalism; I heard from her right away, she let me
know what her schedule was, and she followed that schedule exactly. All in
all, it was a very positive experience for me and, I hope, for her."
Jonathan Geoffrey Dean, Author, Salt & Light; The
Complete Jesus: "I just received my review, Salt &
Light; The Complete Jesus, from Ms.
Donovan
and I wanted to compliment her on a great job. She
provided a complete and accurate portrait of the book and I was
particularly pleased to see that she has picked up on the broad
appeal of the
book, something other reviewers seem to miss. She was also very
easy
to work with. I am completely satisfied."
Elizabeth Engstrom, Author, The Itinerant: "What I love
about this review is not that it’s a good review (although I love that part),
but it’s a smart review, and clearly you read the whole book. This is not the
case with some reviewers, so for that I’m grateful."
Ellen Dee Davidson, Author, Wind: "I wanted to
write you a quick email and let you know how thoroughly delighted and pleased I
was with both Diane Donovan's review of my book, WIND, and the professional way
she shared information and correspondence with me. Her review was actually my
favorite one of the 6 professional editorial reviews I have received. Several
of the reviews were equally positive and glowing, but Diane's stood out because
I felt she really captured the essence of the story and what I was trying to
say. I had the, "She nailed it!" feeling."
Stephanie Cotsirilos, Author, My Xanthi: "Just a brief
note today to tell you about my excellent experience with Diane Donovan, who
recently reviewed my novella, My Xanthi. She was promptly responsive,
gracious, and clear throughout the review process, and I believe she read the
book completely, sincerely, and with expertise and insight. Those qualities can
be hard to come by."
Per Olav Verås, Author, The Syphilis Artist: "I just
received Diane Donovan's review of my debut novel, The Syphilis Artist. As I
mentioned to her in my email, she captured my heart with her fine review. It
struck at the very soul of my novel with it's fine portrait of my main
character, and indeed, she captured the thoughts that motivated me to write
what for me became an obsession.
Thank you again for your literary service. It is essential that
we, as writer's, have services like yours that so professionally treat our
material and writing with the same deliberation that we used
in writing our work."
Joe Byrd, Author, Monet & Oscar: "I’m very
pleased with working with Diane Donovan. She was extremely professional and a
pleasure to work with. She highlighted a number of interesting points about my
book, “Monet & Oscar,” that other reviewers haven’t."
James Hailey, Author, The Memory of Sydney: "I note that Diane
is a senior reviewer, and I guess I was just lucky to draw her, especially for
this book, as it is so off the beaten track that only someone with a lot of
professional reviewing experience could deliver a balanced viewpoint.
I have received Diane’s draft review, and I must say that it is
most satisfying, and not merely because it is a positive review. For your
information, this book already has an absolute rave editorial review.
What makes Diane’s review hold so much value is that it covers
many of the points that I am hoping the average reader will get. Whoever reads
this review first, and then reads the book, will find whatever the review made
them expect in it. And that, guiding readers in the right direction, would
surely be the definition of a well-written review."
Madeleine de Jean, Author, And the Stars Began to Fall: "But every word
in a review is worth its weight in gold to the survival of the words of
writers. And Diane Donovan herself certainly has a way with words.
Wow. Wish I could write as well!
Because this novel is not easy to pin into a neat category, as she well says, is one of its difficulties for reviewers and for libraries and bookstores. BUT, as she also says, this lack is one of the pleasures of the story."
Martha Cornog, Author, Paradox: The Attack on the Ladies
Room: "Diane Donovan sent me a draft of her review of my book, Paradox:
The Attack on the Ladies Room. I am very pleased with her review.
First, her review emphasizes the nature and appeal of the
story's way-out science, which isn't something that just anyone would choose to
mention in a review. Yet describing that makes sense for a review of a science
fiction story, for which potential readers are going to want some kind of clue
as to what the "science" element might be like.
Second, she also describes how the science is tangled up
entertainingly with the mystery and action elements. And her choice of
"sassy" strikes me as excellent."
Brad O'Hagan, Author, Scoundrel in the Thick: "I have just
received the review of my novel, Scoundrel in the Thick, from Diane
Donovan, and wanted to let you know how much I appreciated her professionalism,
responsiveness and timeliness during the process.
For most of the past two decades I worked as a
ghostwriter for Fortune 100 CEOs and national political figures, from a former
Director of the CIA to the CEO's of companies like Exxon and Boeing. 22 books
in all. And, while I was pleased with most of the reviews, it seemed that none
of the reviewers could get past their own personal political biases simply
because of the name on the cover.
So, it was very refreshing for me to work with an objective pro
like Diane who clearly reviewed the book for what it is.".
Cheryl K. Johnson, Author, Box Lunch Lifestyle: "As a
first-time author, many of the systems, deliverables and relationships I'm
wrestling with are pretty murky. My experience with Diane Donovan, though, has
been a true bright spot.
While I'm thrilled that she liked my book, I also deeply
appreciate how clearly and promptly she communicated the review
process and expectations. And what a delight to actually receive my review
earlier than expected. (I certainly won't expect this from
other--paid--reviews!)
Diane seems to really love her work. So despite her
extraordinary book/publishing credentials, she's warm and accessible. We
newcomers are pretty lucky to have an opportunity to learn from someone like
her."
More
Accolades for 2021
Emilia Rosa, Author, Finding
Christina: "I
just received a copy
of Diane Donovan’s review of my novel. I was apprehensive,
because I
never had experience with professional reviewers.
I
need not have been: Diane was very
professional and courteous. Her messages very clearly
outlined the
process.
But
the most surprising thing was how
much she was able to capture from my story; not one of my readers, who
let me
know their thoughts, got even close to the depth of detail she was able
to
grasp. But I guess that is what differentiates a regular
reader from a
professional reviewer."
Michael
Alvear, Author, Grand
Theft Weight Loss: "Diane
was a
pleasure to deal with and most importantly, that she understood the
concepts in
the book and effectively communicated them. I’ve gotten other
institutional
reviews that were positive but they seemed not to “get” the concepts
the way
Diane did."
Michele
Kwasniewski, Author, Rising
Star and Burning Bright: "I
had a great experience with my reviewer, Diane
Donovan. She followed through on the reviews of my books in a timely
manner.
Her reviews were thoughtful, thorough and well-written. I have had
experiences
in the past with reviewers who did not give me their review in a timely
manner
or who wrote reviews based solely on the blurb written on the back of
my book
cover. I am grateful for this professional experience."
Caroline
Brickley, The Friendly Bookshelf: "We
are very happy with our experience with Diane. She was
very prompt and clear throughout the process, and also gave our book a
thoughtful and well-written review. We just received our review
yesterday and
it's clear she put in a lot of time and consideration when reading and
reviewing our book."
Michael
Snarr, Author, The
Wolcott Circus: "Diane
Donovan just finished the review of my book, and she did a very
thorough job in
the process of writing a wonderful piece. I can tell she read the book
from
cover to cover, which I didn’t expect. I was also very impressed with
her
writing style as well as her interpretation of the book, capturing the
essence
of it in her review."
Linda
Lee Blakemore, Author, Entrenched:
A Memoir of Holding On and Letting Go: "I
wanted to take a moment and let you know what an outstanding
job Diane Donovan did on the review of my book, Entrenched: A Memoir of
Holding
On and Letting Go. The book has been reviewed by several
highly regarded
and more expensive agencies, but Diane was, by far, the most
comprehensive,
thoughtful, and professional. In several short and
easy to use
paragraphs, she set my book apart from others, and captured the
storyline, the
theme, the importance of the topic, and emphasized my target
audience. I have recommended her to my writing
friends as well as to my
publisher, Leonella Press. And I would jump
at the chance to
use her again."
Aaron
Zevy, Author, Not Book
Club Material: "Needless
to say, it is
always easy to praise someone who gives you a good review but what
distinguishes Diane is that she gets it. Her reviews are so well
thought out
and professional and get at the heart of what I, as a writer, am trying
to
say. Hers was the
first review I
received for Almost the Truth and it gave me confidence to know that
the work
transcended the my circle of friends and family and those with
knowledge of
Jewish culture. That book went on to get a great review from Kirkus and
my
next, which Diane also liked, gotba starred review from Blue Ink. In
short. She
gets it. I was lucky to have her as a reviewer."
Clinton
Harris, Author, Shenendoah
Dreams: "I
just wanted to send you a
note to give you feedback on my experience with Diane Donovan. First,
she
delivered before schedule, which was absolutely amazing. Secondly, her
review
was concise, eloquent, and captured the essence of what I was
attempting to
purvey within the story to a point that her review brought one of my
editors to
tears. Diane not only made my day, but helped me to feel that my
efforts in the
writing of this book were worth it."
Van
Fleisher, Author, Final
Chance: "I
have just received my review from Diane Donovan for my
third book, Final Chance. Diane had previously reviewed books one and
two of
the trilogy. In each interaction with Diane I have been impressed with
her
professionalism, in all respects. She is prompt, courteous, thorough
and she
really gets to the essence of the story, or at least mine. She is an
asset to
authors who have the opportunity to work with her."
David
Yurkovich, Author, Let's
Say Jack Kennedy Killed the Girl: "I
received
Diane Donovan's review of our upcoming novel, Let's Say Jack Kennedy
Killed the
Girl. She wrote a really great, in-depth review, and it was obvious to
me she
really took her time to read the manuscript."
Eric
Peterson, Author, Sunshine
Chief: "Diane
was prompt to contact me, clear in her
communications about the process of working with her, and extremely
professional to deal with. As far as meeting her promised deadline, she
beat
the deadline by more than a week, which is most appreciated on my side
of the
table as we prepare our book covers for our November 1 publication date. Her attention to detail is
impressive. She
meticulously confirmed with me the book's title, ISBN, price, character
names,
and story line, and she presented our options for how and where the
review will
first appear."
A.J.
Massey, Author, Fever
Dreams and the End of All Things: "I've
commissioned a few reviews over the past few months, but the
one Diane
just finished was the best of them all. Her review was well-thought-out
and
extremely informative. Her attention to detail is
impeccable and she was
able to identify some of the key underlying themes
throughout. Anyway,
really happy about this review."
Thomas
Reilly, Author, Chasing
Time: "From
the start, Diane was clear and exact about the services and
timelines such that I had
no doubts about my expectations. In addition, she
crafted a
detailed review of my book that indicated she took it very
seriously.
Diane did a great job for me."
William
Burke, Author, Primeval
Waters: "I
just wanted to take a moment to praise Diane Donovan,
who recently reviewed my novel Primeval Waters. I’m
certainly happy that she enjoyed the book,
but also by how well written the review was. More than one person I
shared it
with pointed out how on point, concise and well structured her review
was.
Professional and intuitive. I
will seek
out her reviews in the future and tailor my reading list accordingly."
Ruth
Hull Chatlien, Author, Katie,
Bar the Door: "I
just wanted to let you know how pleased I am
with the book review that Diane Donovan did of my novel, Katie,
Bar the Door.
I thought she understood and encapsulated what I was trying to say in
the story
quite well and even added a clever insight of her own when she
said, "Katie rewrote a history paper when she realized that
her facts
and sources were outdated. Can she rewrite her life?" It's such a
delight
as an author when a reviewer makes a connection that you weren't even
aware of.
I also appreciated the care she took not to give away too much of the
story."
Kathleen
Rapp, Author, The
Unseen and the Unwilling: "Recently,
I submitted my book, The
Unseen and The Unwilling, to Diane Donovan for review. Diane
accepted and
detailed in her replied email that there were no guarantees for a good
review,
only an honest one. She also informed me when to expect
an advanced copy of the review and when it would be
posted.
Everything came to fruition and on time, exactly the way
Diane said it
would. Diane wrote a thorough review, pulling out quotes and
highlighted
why the modern reader might want to read it. Her review demonstrated
her
meticulous and thoughtful work ethic. Fortunately, my review
was a good
one. Be that as it may, even if it weren’t, I would still
write the
above. In this day and age, it is gratifying to find someone, like
Diane, who
is professional and conscientious about her work."
Nina
Navisky, Author, The
Fortune Cookie Writer: "As
you know, independent authors have
few options when trying to procure legitimate editorial reviews for
their work.
It was clear that Diane had read my novel in full (regrettably, not a
given
with all review services), and that she had contemplated its themes.
She was
accommodating in terms of scheduling, quick to reply to emails, and
wrote a
review that is useful for both readers and the author."
Paulette
Hampton, Author, Of
the Lilin: "The
eloquence and thoroughness of Diane's review
blew me away. After reading it, I felt as though she knew my book
better than I
did. It thrilled me to have been able to share my story with her. She
took time
and care in reading my book, and I'm most appreciative."
CK
(Kas) Sobey, Author, Musings, Woolgathering, & Ghosts: "As
a newer
writer, (this is my second book but quite a different genre than my
first), it
is so very important to receive a review like this. It makes me sit up
and hold
my head a little higher and continue writing with a smile, a dash of
inspiration and confidence! She
not only
patiently answered all my questions along the way, but has taken the
time to
honestly read and view my book with heartfelt and thoughtful
words. "
Dan
Fallon, Author, Love’s Legacy: Viscount
Chateaubriand and the Irish Girl: "I’m
writing
just to put in a good word for Diane Donovan, who recently completed a
review
of my soon-to-be-published book, Love’s Legacy: Viscount
Chateaubriand and
the Irish Girl. The review showed not just a
conscientious attention
to my book, but also revealed Diane’s love of literature, and her
careful
treatment of authors. Some reviewers, of course, do give an
author a
chance to correct factual errors, but not all do. In Diane’s
case, she
accompanies her "draft review" with a message that conveys her
concern for honesty and fidelity. Obviously, a reviewer is
not going to
change the judgment rendered in a review just because the author
objects, but
for a reviewer to acknowledge that there might be a factual error, or
even a
serious misunderstanding, is rare. Diane makes clear that
integrity is
foremost in her consideration and thus wins the author’s confidence
that a fair
review has been rendered."
Daryl
Potter, Author, Blind Man’s Labyrinth: "Diane has just reviewed my historical fiction
novel Blind Man’s
Labyrinth, and I was very pleased with her work. Getting a
positive review
is always nice, but more importantly, her review told me three things:
That is not always the case with
editorial reviews where the resulting work sometimes leaves an author
wondering
if the reviewer only skimmed over the piece and didn’t understand, or
perhaps
they were misassigned to a writing style less suited to their reading
preferences. Neither issue was apparent here. As an author, it’s a
breath of
fresh air to read a review that is as thoughtful as this one. "
Lance
Lee, Author, Orpheus Rising: "I
just received a fine review
from Diane Donovan of my children’s middle grade fantasy novel, Orpheus
Rising. The book has drawn a series of exceptional reviews,
like hers,
which is in keeping with that general tenor of its reception— by way of
example, just recently it received one of the rare Kirkus star reviews.
Unusually, Ms. Donovan took on the way the book escapes easy
categorization,
although presented as middle grade. That’s normally a problem, but here
she
indicated the story elements are so well interwoven it means the book
will be
enjoyed across categories by readers of a variety of ages and tastes. I
think
that’s quite smart. "
Ruth
Thompson, Author, Quickwater Oracles: "Of
the several
editorial reviews I have now received, Diane’s is by far the most
perceptive
and thoughtful, and gives the clearest picture of what a reader can
expect."
Linda
Gruenberg, Author, Hummer: "I
wanted to
let you know how pleased I am (even thrilled) with Diane Donovan's
review of my
children's novel, Hummer. The review is
well written, smart, and
compassionate--toward the characters, I mean. She clearly took the time
to
engage in the story and understand its pieces and the complexity of
characters
brushing against each other. Her summary was succinct and right on the
money. She analyzed Hummer on a
whole-story basis, then zeroed in
on some favorite parts to shine light where it made best sense,
enthusiastically creating selling points along the way. Her
review is
sure to help me sell copies and encourage the story out into the world
where
(like every author) I so long for my work to take flight. Her review
feels
invaluable. "
Will
Lonergan, Author, The Wanderer: "I'm
writing as
a follow up, to thank you for your guidance, and to share what a
wonderful job
Ms. Diane Donovan has done as our reviewer for The Wanderer. Her insightful
and thoughtful review will
be posted in October; we are delighted with it, and with her wonderful
service. You really "knocked the ball out of the
park" by
connecting us with Ms. Donovan. She was so helpful, courteous and
professional
in every way, and she delivered the review for our approval sooner than
promised. "
Lisa
Roles, Author, Ninety-Five: "I
wanted to
tell you how pleased I was with the book review Diane Donovan wrote of
my
upcoming thriller, Ninety-Five. Not only was the review favorable, it
was
insightful, well-crafted, and she really took the time to understand
the story
and its deeper mythology."
Michael
Cole, Author, The Zodiac Revisited, Volume 1: "The
review is
thorough and nicely written. It's clear from reading it that Diane read
the
book and invested considerable time and effort into sharing her
thoughts."
Ethan
Burroughs, Author, Messianic Reveal: "Diane
Donovan
kindly drafted a review of my first political/historical thriller
Messianic
Reveal. Her review was well crafted, insightful, and alluring
(which I
especially appreciated!). It provided just the right blend of
content and
reflection to inform and attract readers. I especially
appreciated
Diane's professional approach, regular communications, and predictable
timetables, all essential to me as I enter into the publishing
business. It's
not easy from a pride standpoint to allow someone to review and
criticize one's
work, but from the get go, I felt I was in good hands with
Diane."
Glenda
Carroll, Author, Dead Code: "I
wanted to
let you know that my experience with Diane before, during and after she
reviewed Dead Code, the third mystery in the Trisha Carson series was
more than
I could ask for. She was efficient, professional and met her
deadlines.
The review is extremely well written. But beyond that, she understood
the book
and the protagonist completely."
Jerry
Gold and J. Cartales, Black Heron Press: "I
just wanted
to let you know how much we at Black Heron Press appreciate Diane
Donovan's
reviews of our books. She is always on target, and always worth
reading."
Leonard
Krishtalka, Author, The Body on the Bed: "A
quick note
to commend Diane Donovan's literary review of my novel, The
Body on the Bed,
which is scheduled to be published in the September 2021 issue. Ms.
Donovan's
review was smart, extremely well-written, insightful, incisive, and
sensitive
to the interplay of themes, plot and characters. She is a terrific
asset, one I
would trust for an honest, professional review of any of my
novels."
Dina
Greenberg, Author, Nermina’s Chance: "I
wanted to
let you know that I received Diane Donavan’s review for my novel Nermina’s
Chance. Both the review and her interactions with me could
not have
exhibited a higher level of professionalism, insight, and expertise.
Please
know this is not always the case!"
Natalie Graszewicz and
Dominik Socha,
Authors, For Victims Yours and Ours: "we
are very
pleased with the review we have just received from Ms Diane Donovan. Ms Donovan is a
very sensitive, insightful observer and therefore has been able to
comprehend
our intellectually demanding work. We believe she did a splendid job
with her
thorough analysis."
Scott
Behrens, Director, Zenith Book Team, for The Final
Yen: "We
wanted to thank you for Diane Donovan's excellent
review of THE FINAL YEN (a novel by R. Sebastian Bennett),
upcoming in
the September issue. Diane Donovan's review was insightful
and
compelling. It provided just the right blend of analysis and
summary,
supported by appropriate quotes from the novel. The review has an
intriguing
introduction and a fine conclusion. Diane Donovan is a true
professional
and a gifted writer. Clearly, her review will benefit
readers, as it is
an accurate and engaging report on THE FINAL YEN."
Rosilyn
Seay, Author, Just My Luck: "I
recently
submitted my latest book, Just My Luck, for review.
This book project
holds special meaning to me. My sister and co-author, Lelia Coles, died
before
it could be completed. I just want to thank you for accepting the book
and for
putting me in contact with Ms. Diane Donovan. She not only completed
the review
in the time she predicted (actually a few days early), but she also
took the
time to understand what my sister and I were trying to
convey. Her review
was truly inciteful and comprehensive."
Mr.
Ameya Pandit, Author, Impressions: "Diane
provided
an accurate and wonderful description of my work. Her prose is
objective and
complete. I am very happy with my interaction with her. Her
professionalism
from the beginning to the end is worthy of this note. I am moved by the
fact that
she delved into the finer aspects of my work, the difficult essays in
the book;
and provided a clear and thoughtful feedback in her editorial feedback.
The
examples she has chosen, the words she has portrayed are
nothing more I
could have asked for from any reviewer. Her due diligence, her
attention to
detail, and her ability to grasp the philosophical depth of my
notes is
both laudatory and praiseworthy. I plan to use the review (along with
some
others), in prominent outlets for distribution."
Sharon
Dukett, Author, No Rules: A Memoir: "I
would like
you to know that I am pleased with the review, insights, and
accurate response time offered by Diane Donovan with her book
review of No
Rules. I can tell she took the time to not only read the book,
but also to
consider the story and its message. Her review offers some
fresh points
that I have not seen presented by others."
Susan K. Hagen, PhD, Author, Shall We Dance?: "I just want to follow-up on the review of Shall We Dance? by senior reviewer Diane Donovan. The review artfully characterized the book. Donovan obviously has a firm foundation in literary history and poetics, knowledge which I especially appreciated. She was also prompt and professional. I am very pleased with her review."
Charles
"LC" Fiore, Author, Coyote Loop: "Diane
Donovan,
who recently reviewed my new novel, Coyote Loop,
for the August issue.
Diane was thorough and thoughtful and
carefully considered my
themes and the story I hoped to tell. It was really an honor
to be read so
carefully. My novel presents a lot of potential
stumbling blocks for a
reader, but Diane navigated them with style and
grace."
Leona
Francombe, Author, The
Universe in 3/4 Time: "Diane
Donovan was a pleasure to
interact with: meticulous and punctual, but more than that, she truly
seemed to
get to the bottom of what I was trying to say with my story. This
required
insight, patience, intuition and hard work on her part, all of which
would seem
indispensable for a gifted reviewer, and which were reflected in her
comments
and approach."
Betty
Fudge, Author, Norm
And Ginger Enter The Hidden: "I
wanted to reach out and
express my appreciation for her professionalism. She communicated with
me very clearly
what the process would look like as well as the timeline for completion
of her
review. In addition she let me know what I could expect after she
completed her
review. The Hidden is my debut novel and the learning curve from first
draft
all the way through publishing has been filled with unexpected twists
and
turns! My experience with Diane has been wonderful. Clearly Diane took
the time
to read my middle grade adventure book! She wrote a review that
demonstrated
that she had taken time to read and understand the plot as well as the
character quirks that as the author, I feel make my book special. Her
review
communicates that to readers."
Bill
Wood, American Media Legacy, For Malice
and Mercy: "Among
the many reviews we've
received so far, we're thrilled Diane's review is more than just a
simple
summary. She offers some compelling insights that address the indelible
impact
of war on the lives of innocent people. Unlike most reviewers who
overlooked
many of these intended nuances, she was able to recognize them, and
explain how
they helped to tell the overarching story of this novel. We're grateful
that
she took the time necessary to thoroughly read and understand the book,
not to
mention submitting such a well written and powerful review."
Matthew
Cost, Author, Love
in a Time of Hate: "I
just wanted to let you know that
Diane at Donovan Literary is professional and fantastic. Her intro
email was
detailed and thorough and she has followed through on meeting the dates
set. More
importantly, she writes a
marvelous review. It certainly helps that she liked LOVE IN A TIME OF
HATE, but
beyond that, it is the most thorough review I’ve gotten on anything.
Better
than Kirkus or many other big names. She digs into the guts of the book
and
shares it without giving away anything crucial."
Tricia
D. Wagner, Author, The
Strider and the Regulus: "Diane
just completed a review of my
soon-to-be-released title, The Strider and the Regulus.
In receiving and
reading it, I was floored by how thoughtful and insightful Diane was in
providing the review. She really captured the heart of my book, keying
in on
the places that I’ve always felt would be most meaningful to present to
readers."
Bill
Amatneek, Author, Heart
of a Man: "I
just received Diane Donovan’s review of my anthology,
Heart of a Man. Her insightful review showed that
she understood and
appreciated what the anthology is trying to do and say. Her
close reading
of the book, her accurate and honest review, extremely well written,
made my
day. She did an outstanding job."
Pete
Obourn, Author, Women
Are Hard to Figure: "Diane
Donovan was my reviewer and she
was superb. She responded promptly, explaining the process, which was a
great
help and comfort to me, as this is my first book and i am
self-publishing.
Communication with her was a joy. I can compare that to other reviewers who turned out to be
frustrating to work
with."
Elizabeth
Gauffreau, Author, Grief Songs: "I
am writing to let you know how
pleased I am with the review of my debut poetry collection, Grief
Songs,
by Diane Donovan. The time, attention, and care she put into the review
were
truly gratifying. What impressed me most was that she approached the
book on
its own terms, rather than preconceived notions of what such a book
should
be."
Jenny
Jaeckel, Author, Boy, Falling: "Diane's
reviews
were in-depth, insightful, thoughtful, and I was very honored by her
words. In communicating with Diane throughout the process of
both reviews
I found her to be prompt, clear, friendly, and professional. Simply a
pleasure
to interact with."
JoDee
Neathery, Author, A Kind of Hush: "I
am so
pleased with the quality of the review on my new novel provided by
Diane
Donovan. It was so professional, insightful, timely, and on
point...she's a
keeper and an asset to authors and publishers seeking a well-written
honest
review. She's flexible and accommodating to the unpredictable whims of
publishing and it was a real joy to work with her. She clearly loves
what she
does."
Carole
Marsh, Publisher, Gallopade Books: "Diane
Donovan’s review of my new Epidemics, Outbreaks, and
Pandemics—Including
COVID1-19 accomplished
something far more than making me happy…her
spot-on comprehension
of how important it is for kids 9-and-up to hear
and “get” the truth about important matters that affected
them so
gravely
is essential. Kids needed to know more than the facts, they
needed
to know
adults screwed up! I did not say it that way of course, but
that
DD cottoned right
to the fact that I had been so earnest and honest just stunned me.
That
teachers and librarians will have a tool that does more than just share
the
facts will be so helpful to them. EVERYTHING
today is so fraught with one thing or another…so I really appreciated
your
reviewer’s wisdom in pointing out the added value of my
book."
Joan
M. Hellquist, Author, Piki Goes to College: "Not
only is
Diane very professional, with a lot of experience, but extremely polite
and
friendly in her email interactions with me. I'm new at this and she
explained
everything to me so well that I didn't have to ask for any explanations
at all
as to how the whole review process works. I am also very pleased with
Diane's
review as she mentions that not only will children enjoy the story,
Piki's
personality and the colorful drawings, but both the children and adults
reading
it will learn a lot about service dogs, making it both entertaining and
educational."
Linda
Long Radosevich, Author, The Bethlehem Boy: "Just
a word of
high praise for Diane Donovan as a reviewer. She was thorough,
professional,
and timely—even in contact with me by email on a Saturday! She gave me
far more
coverage than I ever expected as a first-time author. Given the length
of my
historical fiction, she responded in an extraordinarily timely fashion
and then
addressed my every concern. I deeply appreciate her communications."
Jane
Elzey, Author, Dying for Dominoes: "I
found Diane
to be easy to reach, easy and professional to work with, and she met
all of our
expectations. She set a clear time frame and met it, and both the
author and
publisher were pleased. It was apparent she read the book with earnest
and gave
it an honest review. She set the review out in the passage such that we
might
use her comments whole or in part without losing the gist, which is
much
appreciated for venues where brevity is required."
Bedri
Cag Cetin, Ph.D., Author, Sacred Life: Healing from the
Virus in Consciousness: "The
ultimate reward for any author,
who has literally devoted his life to a single book, must be more than
10
5-star reviews, just 1 review that shines so bright that in a single
page it
leaves the author in awe with its literary beauty, wisdom, and wonders.
It is a
very humbling experience for me, and this is such a review!
Sincerely, it
is the most thorough, profound, and beautiful review I have received
out of
over 10 editorial reviews I have received within the last 2 months,
including,
Chanticleer, IndieReader, U.S. Review of Books, Online Book Club, etc.
Almost
all of these reviewing companies gave the book a perfect rating, but
truly, Ms.
Donovan’s review is the most valuable & special for me, and
thus it will be
the PRIMARY editorial review, I will be quoting on my book’s
Amazon site,
Goodreads, Apple iBooks, as well as on all future book and promotional
sites."
Lennie
DeCerce, Atmosphere Press: "I
just wanted
to take a moment and gush about the work Diane Donovan does with book
reviews!!
I've never read reviews like hers -- she takes such time and such care
with
them!! I know any time she is reviewing a book that she will consider
the
author and the audience and that just doesn't happen. She is absolutely
phenomenal!"
Bill
Cotter Sr, Author, A Collection of US Army Unit Crests: "Ms
Donovan
informed me on the many steps involved with reviewing a book and kept
me
informed on the process along the way. The due date for her draft
review to me
was the 10th of May. To my amazement, she finished early and sent me my
draft
review early. I'm overwhelming happy with her
review. Having buyers
write small reviews on what they thought of my book is one thing, but
having a
professional like Ms Donovan say even better things about my book is
heartwarming and humbly. Being a new author, I'm
blushing over the review. Ms
Donovan's words are well written and covered my entire book."
Charlotte
Stuart, Author, Shopping Can Be Deadly and President, Puget
Sound Sisters in Crime: "Just
wanted to let you know how
pleased I was with Diane Donovan's review of my book Shopping Can Be
Deadly (A
Discount Detective Mystery #3). I was pleased not
just because she
said she liked my book, but because she clearly and thoroughly
explained the
essence of the multilayered themes I tried to capture. I believe anyone
reading
the review will know what to expect from my mystery.
And I
appreciate that."
Joel E. Lorentzen, Author, Proles: "Ms. Donovan provided a review of my recently-published book Proles. Based on my experiences thus far, I feel compelled to share that I was highly satisfied with her work, as well as her professional approach. Regarding the review, she accurately captured the essence of the book and, while critical in spots, her review classified the genre and target audience more clearly than I had on my own. More importantly, immediately upon engaging her, she let me know exactly what to expect – then exceeded each of those expectations. My experience with most reviewers is the opposite. Ms. Donovan will be my first call for my next book."
Sophia
Wilhelm, Marketing Specialist,
Mascot Books: "Diane
Donovan has
written many reviews for us in the past few months and we are delighted
with
her work! She is responsive, kind, and overall easy to work
with! Her
reviews are also thoughtful, honest, and beautifully written."
Manny
Williams, Author, Listen
Mama: "I
was extremely pleased by
the professionalism, attentiveness, and communication skills throughout
this
process by Diane Donovan. I had no idea what to expect going in as this
is my
first book, and was surprised at how seamless she made the process
seem. She
just delivered a draft of my review and it caught me by surprise with
how she
really seemed to get what I was going for with the book, and explained
it in an
effortless way that I really believe will intrigue potential readers."
Margaret
Porter, Author, The Limits
of Limelight: "I've
received many
reviews over the course of my career, but few have provided as thorough
and
accurate an assessment of my story as the one for Midwest
Book Review. I
am, of course, pleased that it is so positive, but what I appreciate
just as
much is the reviewer's effort to provide a prospective reader with an
array of
information about the book, without revealing excess detail or
spoilers.
As a book reviewer myself, I know the time and effort involved to
produce a
quality review. And I am very appreciative of Diane's abilities, and
the
quality of her writing."
James
Sulzer, Author, Writ in
Winter: "I
wanted to tell you how
satisfying an experience it was to work with Diane Donovan as she
reviewed my
novel on John Keats, WRIT IN WATER.
From
the first contact, she made it easy to process the modest payment and
gave me
clear instructions on submission.
Her
review itself showed a real knowledge of the subject, a sense of
literary form,
and a masterful ability to marshal facts and reactions in the context
of a
well-modulated narrative review. Though it was a positive review, I
have the
sense that her reactions were honest and clear, and that she would have
been
willing to express reservations about the novel had she felt they were
warranted. In other words, I sensed the work of a reviewer with skill
and
integrity."
Bonné
Bartron, Author, Whispers: An
American Legend: "I
am the author of
Whispers An American Legend, which was reviewed by Diane Donovan. I
wanted to
take a moment to send you a note to express my gratitude for such a
beautifully
written review. I bought a review from Kirkus that was NOWHERE near as
well
thought-out, well digested or evening close to as well written as what
Diane
produced in about three months shorter time.
Diane was extremely professional every step of the way,
and I can not
say enough about how impressed I was with her."
Rowan
Leo, Account Manager, 8ThirtyFour: "My
name is Rowan, and I'm the Account Manager at
8THIRTYFOUR. Our team recently had the pleasure of working with Diane
Donovan
to organize a review for Incentives: The Holy Water of Free
Enterprise by
our client, George Franklin. I just wanted to reach out to
you and let
you know Diane was wonderful to work with, and she wrote a stellar
review for
George. In all of her interactions with our team, Diane was responsive,
attentive, and personable."
Pat
Jurgens, Author, Falling
Forward, a Woman's Journey West: "As
an author, I found her review thorough, thoughtful, and fair.
It was
positive without overblown superlatives, and brought out universal
themes in
the historical narrative. This will appeal to a wide range of readers.
She was
also easy to work with, responding quickly and in a timely manner."
Sharon
Hoisager, Author, The
Cornmarket Conspiracy: "Diane
was
so professional, efficient, and delivered her review in exactly the
timeframe
she had promised. What’s more, I was pleased that while my
novel enjoyed
a terrific review, she captured some of the more nuanced plot points
that some
other early readers have missed. All in all, I am so happy
with my review
and am looking forward to using it in some of my book’s marketing
materials."
Marianne
Pestana, Literary Publicist
& Consultant: "I
wanted to reach out
to you to let you know how amazing our experience with Diane was!
She was
very professional, assisted us with finding the perfect time for our
client’s
review, and was extremely timely in delivering her well thought out,
and insightful
comments. It was easy to see that she not only read our
client’s book,
but really understood the genre, which is something we don’t always
find.
She is a jewel, and we look forward to working with her in
the
future!"
Sunny
Lockwood, Author, Cruising from Boston to Montreal: "I
recently asked her to review our new book, and she was equally easy to
work with, and gave us a rich review. One of the sentences in her
review was good enough to make it on the front cover of our book. We
work with a number of editorial reviewers and are especially pleased
with Ms. Donovan's ability to capture the essence of our work."
Cam Lang,
Author, The Concrete Vineyard: "I
am very pleased with the content and quality of the review itself. I
felt Diane captured the essence and depth of my novel without focusing
on a regurgitation of the plot. So far, this was the only
review
delivered ahead of schedule."
Steven
Grant, Author, Late, Late in the Evening: "The
review was completed at lightning speed in comparison to other
organisations offering a similar service. I also felt the review itself
identified exactly what I had been trying to achieve with the book, and
offered a fair and insightful consideration of the content."
Helena P.
Schrader, Author, Where Eagles Never Fly: "I
have received an excellent review from Diane Donovan. What impressed me
most was that Diane was very clear about when the review would be ready
and when it would be published. She delivered ahead of schedule.
Obviously, I’m delighted that she also liked my book, but unlike too
many “reader reviews” she provided reasons for her assessment and
highlighted features of the book. I believe her review will encourage
some readers who might otherwise not have been interested in a book
about a “Battle” (the Battle of Britain) to take a look at my book. I
greatly appreciate that."
Sherman
Miles, Author, Freedom Sex and a Meat Cleaver: "Diane
Donovan did an amazing review! I have to admit, that at first, I was a
little hesitant since the book is geared more towards the male reader
so I really didn’t know how she might react. The review was not only
thorough but she elegantly captured the essence of my writing. Very
insightful. "
David P.
Madden, Author, The Constitution and American Racism: "Diane
was thorough and prompt, and wrote an excellent review of my book. She
captured the book's narrative and described its thesis clearly. Her
review was well written and designed to invite readers to pick up the
book and read it. She did an outstanding job and the review will help
in the sale of the book. I am very grateful. What an asset she is. "
James
Hockenberry, Author, Send the Word: "Diane
was fair and balanced in her comments, and her review clearly showed
that she did her homework and invested the time to understand the book
and its characters. Her review summarizes the book clearly and
concisely and will be helpful to perspective readers. She was always
professional - she said up-front what and when she would do things and
did them just as she said she would do. She was always positive and
respectful and a pleasure to work with. "
Scott G.
Hibbard, Author, Beyond the Rio Gila: "Diane
did a very good job and was great to work with. Her review comments
were incisive, summed up the book well, pointed out highlights of the
book, and should be useful to readers. She was timely, responsive, and
clearly vested in her work. She’s a pro."
Cameron Finch, Atmosphere Press: "The staff and authors at Atmosphere have been so impressed by Diane's reviews. No matter the genre, she is able to draw details from a book that really lure a reader in. Her reviews have a warm, positive tone that encourages both readers and authors. She highlights each author's unique skills and triumphs and intentions in a way that I have not seen very often in reviews. I wish more reviewers read and wrote like Diane. "
D. Lieber, Author, The Treason of Robyn Hood: "Although all authors are pleased to get a good review, it is rare that someone truly gets what we are trying to say. It was clear from her review, that Diane had really paid attention and thought carefully about all the themes, context, and undertones of my work (The Treason of Robyn Hood). And there is nothing I appreciate more. "
Oby Aligwekwe, Author, The Place Beyond Her Dreams: "I received the review for my book, The Place Beyond Her Dreams, done by Diane Donovan and wanted say thank you so much for this detailed and thoughtful review.
Like I expressed to Diane, I didn't find anything that needed to be changed as everything was accurate. Her review even provided detailed insight into the story. She also offered ways to give further exposure to my book, which I found of great value. I'll be using the results of this review on Netgalley, Amazon, social media, marketing, etc. "
P. David Temple, Author, Five Times Lucky: "In addition to it being a very positive take on my book, Diane's review is also a strong endorsement of my writing style. This is going to be an excellent promotional tool going forward. I have two book groups coming up and I have already found that Diane's review is creating excitement."
Harper Woods, Author, Privilege Secrets Book One: Seeds of Eden: "I could tell from Diane's review that she contemplated the social, political and religious topics and challenges raised in this fictional novel based on facts. I appreciated her take on them, and also her honest opinion on how the plot grabbed her attention."
Doug Congdon, Author, Above Sea Level: "Diane Donovan sent me her review of my novel, Above Sea Level, earlier this week. It was fair, accurate and well-written. I intend to post it on the Amazon detail page for the book in the next few days.
Diane was quick to write me after she was assigned the review. And quick to acknowledge the receipt of the book and to provide the schedule for reviewing it and publishing the review. And she delivered the review before the date she gave me. I couldn’t be more pleased with her services."
Deborah Fox, Author, The Man Who Beat Death Valley: "I just wanted to write to let you know how pleased I was with Diane Donovan's review of my graphic novel, The Man Who Beat Death Valley.
I was happy with how she saw my work, evaluating it not just on its visual appeal, but how words and sound effects brought to mind an auditory appeal. Her point of view was thorough and original and Diane summed up the piece in a way that gave it excitement."
Dr. Barbara Koltuska-Haskin, Author, How My Brain Works: "This is the best editorial review I have received. It is comprehensive, thoughtful, kind and really very nice. Thank you for noticing the “lively tone”. Brain problems scary people and I wanted this book to be informative but also “on the sunny side of the street."
Wicked Run Press, for The Hobgoblin of Little Minds: "I just wanted to comment on how happy I am with the review i received from Diane Donovan on The Hobgoblin of Little Minds, and not because it was full of praise (that part was nice) but rather how thorough and well written it was. It was insightful and clearly took a deep dive into the book's content.
I compare this to the Kirkus review (my first time taking the expensive Kirkus plunge) and while it also offered praise, it was mostly a plot summary, with major elements of the plot completely miscomprehended, and it seemed they had not even read the book."
Ralph Webster, Author, The Other Mrs. Samson: "I just wanted to tell you how impressed I am with the professionalism of her work and the process she follows. As an "aspiring" author I have become accustomed to the types of reviews written on Goodreads, Amazon, and the like. What Diane has written stands far above that - a serious professional critique - one that is honest, balanced, fair, and complete."
Randall McNair, Poet, Make it a Double: "Diane was quick to reply to my queries and always let me know what to expect next. But, beyond just being a professional in a field that is often not, Diane showed a true interest in my book and its message, and that came through in her review. She actually read me, not just my work, and conveyed an understanding of what I was trying to do that no other reviewer to date has fully grasped—namely that I am writing for the down-but-not-quite-outer, the man on the brink of losing everything and, ultimately, for the disenfranchised male reader of poetry. She could easily have read my first poem, “Disclaimer,” or my “Ode to Tits” and closed the book. But she did not, and for that I am grateful."
More Accolades for 2020
David J. Andrae, Author, The Friends of Allan Renner: "This is the best review of the book yet. I really do appreciate you taking the time to read it and delving into its themes and nuances. Simply put, you nailed it! "
Keri-Rae Barnum, Publisher, New Shelves Books: "I’ve been working with Ms. Diane Donovan on several reviews and she is a joy to work with. Her communication is prompt and she is a professional in all she does. Further, her reviews show that she actually read the book – a “small” detail that is overlooked all too often. "
Mike Moore, Author, Tater Cat and the Missing Necklace: "Diane was a real pleasure to work with. Her review went beyond a simple "this was good" and really worked to explore some of the themes of the book and the parts that helped make it (in our opinion) unique and special. It was lovely to see those points called out so well. "
Sonia Frontera, Author, Relationship Solutions: "I couldn't be more pleased! Diane's review is comprehensive, well-written and insightful. It will be an asset, not only for my title, but for the people who will benefit from reading it. The review underscores the points that make this book different from the thousands of books on the subject."
Michael Duda, Author, Spectrum: Short Stories of Science Fiction, the Unusual and the Unpredictable: "Diane Donovan did a great job of reviewing my book, Spectrum: Short Stories of Science Fiction, the Unusual and the Unpredictable. Using a deft economy of words, she summarized my book and provided good insight into the nature of the work. On the book’s exterior are sci-fi and genre elements. Diane dug deeper and uncovered thematic elements that run throughout the story threads. I was impressed."
Kevin Abreau, Editor, Hunting Snipes +four: "We appreciate Diane Donovan’s prompt and professional review of our soon-to-be-released ‘Hunting Snipes +four’ by author David Martin Anderson. Diane nailed the details/style of the book collection and had some wonderful things to say about the author. She apparently has a gift for writing, herself, and the review was both succinct and insightful. Because of her review, I think any prospective reader will be better drawn to the book and we appreciate her luring praise."
John Hazen, Author, Beyond Revelation: "Diane’s review is insightful and brought out a couple facets that I hadn’t considered that will be extremely helpful to me as I move forward with promotion. In addition, the review was very prompt, which is always appreciated. "
Christian Fennell, Author, Fiddler in the Night: "In my experience, it is rare to find a reviewer that not only understands what the book is about, but also, offers valuable insight into the essence of the work. Diane Donovan is such a reviewer. She clearly took the time to read the work, and think it through. She then articulated this in her review in a clear and meaningful way. She was both professional, and insightful. In short, it was a pleasure to work with her. "
J. Cartales, Black Heron Press for Sex, A Love Story: "This note is to commend Diane Donovan on her review of our book, Sex, A Love Story. I am familiar with Ms. Donovan's work, as she has reviewed a number of our books over the years, in various venues. I have consistently been impressed with her close reading of the books she reviews and her thoughtfulness. So when I learned that she would be the reviewer for Sex, A Love Story, I was delighted. I didn't know whether or not she would like it, but I knew that she would be fair in her assessment. Please let her know of the esteem with which we regard her (even if she pans our next book). "
John Elie, Author, Try Moving Yourself: "I wanted to write to let you know how pleased I am with my professional book review experience for my first ever professional review. Diane Donovan did the review and it was timely and responsive. I appreciated being able to review the draft and make minor edits. I was also impressed and very pleased with her insightful review."
Debra Thro and Elisabeth Walter, Authors, Pay Less for College: The Must Have Guide to Affording Your Degree: "What a pleasure it was working with reviewer, Diane Donovan, concerning our book, Pay Less for College: The Must Have Guide to Affording Your Degree. This was a new experience for us and we appreciated how clearly and promptly she explained the process on the front end. And, on the back end, when we received her review, we were very grateful for her keen, clear, well-written summation and insights regarding our material, particularly considering the subject matter. "
John Kerwin, Author, Talk Big: "I wanted to express how happy I am with the entire experience of submitting my book for review. Naturally I'm happy and grateful that it was positive. However, I believe it's important to point out that the work was handled in a highly professional and prompt manner. There wasn't one hiccup. And that's due to Diane Donovan. Diane is that rare combination of someone who is precise, professional, yet at the same time, pleasant and nice...Considering her years working with you, I'm sure that you're aware of that. Hopefully this serves as a reminder. For a first time author, this review has given me confidence."
Ann Campanella, Author, Celiac Mom: "Diane Donovan was extremely professional, apprising me of timelines, letting me know exactly what to expect and when, and she delivered! I was impressed and grateful for her beautifully written review. It was thorough and thoughtful. She clearly took the time to gain a deep understanding of Celiac Mom, and her writing was accurate, descriptive and polished. "
Valerie
Luhman Anderson,
Author, Donald J. Trump's Imperial Presidency EXPOSED through
Rhyme: "Diane
responded to all emails, and I had great confidence she would give me
a comprehensive and thoughtful review. The draft review she
sent did indeed reflect the intent of my book. And I was most
grateful to be given the chance to make suggestions/changes to her
review, showing she wanted me to be satisfied with the end
result.
I have a lot of respect for her for this.
Allowing me to contribute was most gratifying, and I did make some clarifications that were incorporated into her final draft. We both had a mutual goal of a review that would work for both of us. I was always aware that she was focused on maintaining high standards. But she was very open to my changes, which she felt adhered to the original intent and spirit of her review.
I heartily recommend Diane as someone who is sensitive to the author while upholding her own high standards for reviewing books. My overall experience with her was excellent! "
Jennifer G. Edelson, Author, Between Wild and Ruin and Wild Open Faces: "I just received my second book review — the first was for 'Between Wild and Ruin,' the second for 'Wild Open Faces' (both part of a series) — from Diane Donovan, and just wanted to tell you how lovely and professional Diane is and how much I've appreciated her work and reviews. I've received reviews from places like Kirkus and Clarion, to name just a few, and have actually wondered at times if the reviewer even bothered to read the book they reviewed (even when it's a great review), plus they often take forever. Diane's reviews, however, make it clear she not only reads my books but reads with an attention to nuances and detail, and really cares and pays attention to what she's writing. Diane is also quick to respond, communicative, and reliable — when she says she'll have something by a certain date, she does! — and I really, really appreciate that."
Michael Bellusci, Author, The Sailor from Lampedusa: "All reviews are not equal. Some, in fact, are downright incompetent, as I have discovered by reading reviews regarding some of my favorite authors on popular review sites, which I won’t mention. In view of such a dilemma (faced by most authors), I thank you for a well-written and honest review that informs the public with the key elements of the story."
Vincent Panettiere, Author, The Music of Women: "I thought you might want to know how much I respect and appreciate Diane Donovan as a reviewer. Her reviews are always succinct and honest, adding insight for the reader's understanding."
Cat Michaels, Author, Just Between Sam and Me: "My co-writer, Rosie Russell, and I wanted you to know that we are beyond thrilled with our recent book review from Diane Donovan. Diane turned it around in lightning time and picked up on nuances we hoped to convey to our readers. Her critique was exceptionally thorough and professional in every way. In fact, we are already pulling quotes from Diane’s work for newsletters and social media platforms to promote our book launching on 2 December."
William L. Kovacs, Author, Reform the Kakistocracy: "Diane Donovan captured the purpose and tone of the book perfectly. While her review was positive, which is appreciated, it was also very thoughtful in its openness to my different views of the current political culture.
Diane performed the review in exactly the time-frame promised. She outlined all future dates for publishing the review. Every aspect of the review process was handled with proven professionalism."
Liz Merton, Stoneman House Press, L.L.C. for The Venturi Effect: "I just wanted to thank you for a thoroughly enjoyable review process. Diane sent a draft of her review for The Venturi Effect yesterday. Great review. Great process. Smooth, efficient. We’ll be quoting from the review extensively.
(Coincidentally, I recently discovered another book Diane had reviewed, and I’m purchasing it, in part, on the strength of her review.) "
Jerry Masinton, Author, Wrong Man Down: "A few days ago I received the wonderful review of my novel, Wrong Man Down, from Diane Donovan. I think that it’s a model of good book reviewing. Naturally I was pleased that she liked my work, but she accomplished things that most reviewers don’t. She made sure that readers of the review would know exactly what the book is about, and she offered generous quotes from it to illustrate both the main action and to focus on the central characters. I was especially impressed by Diane’s grasp of the unique qualities of my protagonist and the quirky humor of the novel. Diane completely captures what I tried to accomplish. Moreover, her writing is clear and inviting—a real pleasure for the reader.
I read a lot of book reviews. And for many years I reviewed fiction for The Kansas City Star. It’s an art to write a good review, an art that Diane Donovan has mastered. She’s an acute critic, an excellent writer, and a first-rate reviewer. Getting reviewed by her is a real honor."
Brendan Mirthy, B. Mirthy & Sons, for Bikini Cowgirls of the Urban Legion and The Urban Legion: "We just went over the upcoming reviews from Diane for the two Urban Legion books and wanted to let you know we’re pleased with her work. She gets the quirky blend of fun and intrigue, and that comes out in the reviews, no easy feat."
C.G. Fewston, Author, Little Hometown America: "You're an amazing and talented reader & writer. Your review is smooth, elegant, and yet profound. You make me want to read the book, and I've read the damn thing a thousand times. Thank you for all your help."
Robin
Murarka,
Author, Rone Isa: "I
have received Diane's review of
Rone
Isa, and despite it being overall a positive one, I wanted to
commend
her insight into what has proven to be a book whose main
thematic
depth seems to evade many other readers. Her presentation of
her
experience is thoughtful and thorough, worded very well, and does
not
give away too much to the reader."
Sarah Dietz, Author Assistant to Phillip B. Chute, Stocks, Bonds & Taxes: "We recently got a review from Diane Donovan for Stocks, Bonds & Taxes by Phillip B. Chute and we were very satisfied. Her review concentrated on the tax side of the book while all our previous book reviews only concentrated on the investing side. We had one revision in regards to Mr. Chute's stockbroker licenses and Diane quickly added that it to be sent it back the within a few hours. We recently got a Kirkus review and they couldn't add in his licensing (due to word count) so Mr. Chute was very happy that Diane was willing to make the modification to the review."
Charlotte Whitney, Author, Threads: "I was extremely pleased with Diane's insight. She clearly understood what I was attempting to achieve in the book and she expressed it oh, so well.
Rather than being scared off by the Michigan farm dialect I used, she embraced it. I used it to create an authentic voice for my characters. (Think Huckleberry Finn.) I labored long and hard setting up spreadsheets for each of the three characters to ensure it was accurate. Not surprisingly, I appreciate when the reviewer "gets it."
Next, she understood the dichotomy of the adult and child voices as each of the three sisters experienced events differently. I wanted the reader to understand that being a seven-year-old in 1934 was significantly different from being a seventeen-year-old. Also, she mentioned appreciation for the details of the Depression. (Lots of research there).
Finally Ms. Donovan appreciated the "threads" metaphor. Yes, the sisters do make and mend their own clothes and use a treadle sewing machine, but the threads of the sisters' lives coming together is what I was aiming for and she clearly pointed that out."
Gary E. Midkiff, Author, Busville: "The journey of a first-time self-published author has many surprising twists and turns. One repetitive, and distressing, pattern is people and organizations literally not paying any attention to me because I am..... a first-time self-published author. "Busville" published July 24. During August I contacted a variety of people and organizations in the publishing world and ~2/3 never even responded. Not once.
Diane is a pleasant exception. She has always responded the same day to all of my inquiries, even though I expect some were banal. She gave me her task timeline in detail and ended up exceeding it. It is nice to work with a professional like her.
When I first saw her review I was pleased, of course, but I am far from objective on the topic. I took her review and sent it to my "5-Star Rating Club". This club consists of those people I know who gave "Busville" 5-star ratings on Amazon. Their responses started to arrive this morning and summarizing them into a single sentence club members said "She captured the story and made you want to read it."
RD Palmer, Author, The One Singularity: "My book release strategy was to leverage three Editorial Review services to help drive book interest and sales. And while all three review services say nice things about my book, Diane’s analysis and articulation were heads-and-shoulders above your competitors. Specifically, she encapsulated the book’s entirety, which I might say, was difficult considering it addresses a multitude of technical, philosophical, religious, economic, military, and humanitarian views. Diane is the best of the best."
MK Deppner, Author, Photographs of October: "D. Donovan was a delight to work with. She was prompt in her responses, delivered my review in the agreed upon timeframe, and was kind and courteous. I was feeling rather jaded after an unprofessional review from a big name review "business," so I was very pleased with the professional quality and thoroughness of this review. I will very happily recommend both her to any other authors who are in need of fair reviews for their books!"
Matthew E. Wheeler, Author, Falling into Cotton: "I just wanted to drop a quick note about the review Diane wrote for my novel Falling onto Cotton. It was fantastic and extremely well written. All of my dealings with her were professional and when so many NetGalley reviews are just a regurgitation of the back jacket, it was so refreshing how deep into the book she got."
X.H. Collins, Author, Flowing Water, Falling Flowers: "Diane is very professional, very prompt and clear in her response, and delivered the review draft a day before the deadline she promised. She obviously has read my book thoroughly and has given it thoughtful analysis, as I see she has a great grasp of the details, writing style, and the messages of the book. She has given me a kind, generous, and honest review that I can't wait to share on my website."
B.T. Polcari, Author, Against My Better Judgment: "All I can say is “WOW”. From start to finish, Diane has been a top tier professional and clearly takes pride in what she does. Every communication I received was direct and set clear expectations for steps to come. Not only did Diane meet those expectations, but far exceeded them by delivering a brilliantly constructed review a day early. I’m thrilled that Diane enjoyed the read, but even setting that aside, I am struck at the level of attention to detail Diane put into her review. Every word served a purpose. Diane was able to concisely capture the plot, characters, and essence of the book while delivering her honest thoughts on the read. I feel confident in saying that anyone who reads the book based on her review will not be disappointed."
Lynda McDaniel, Author, The Murder Ballad Blues: "Diane's review shared with potential readers interesting connections and nuances, not just a recap of what the book is about. And she delved into emotional components of the characters, which is really important to me. I could tell she put a lot of thought and care into the review. In addition, Diane was so pleasant to work with, answering emails professionally, promptly, and courteously."
James
J. Elleyby, Author, How to Become Extremely Wealthy:
"Diane
Donovan
has written an outstanding review of my book. It’s unbiased. It’s
professional.
It’s easy to read and understand. But most importantly, it accurately
depicts
the intended message of the book! priceless! I
take my hat off to Diane Donovan, as she is
brilliant at what she does."
Let
me elaborate:
·
Diane
was articulate in her communications
·
She
was clear in what was needed from me in the way of
the book, a check, where to send
·
She
explained her overview and process and, most
importantly I appreciated a “timeline” of when to expect a draft,
finished review, when it would run and where it would be
posted. I
can’t tell you how much this makes me look good to my author and
publisher
Valerie
Taylor, Author, What's Not Said:
"It
was obvious
that Diane actually read the book, which not all reviewers do, and that
she
quickly identified who my target audience is. Her synopsis was right
on, and
she deftly incorporated her professional opinion within her text.
It's
wonderful, certainly, that she liked the story and
recommends it, and I'm grateful there are several quotes I'll be able
to pull
and utilize to promote the book.
Robert
Roseth, Author, Ivy is a Weed: "Diane
is a
superb reviewer. As a longtime reader of reviews, including decades of
the New
York Times, I found her comments to be insightful and comprehensive.
Readers
will gain an accurate impression of the work, as well as learning her
valuable
opinion concerning the book's quality. As a reader, I would trust her
reviews
in making my reading choices."
Dr.
Jeff Duffey, Author, Search: A Guide for College and Life: "Every
author
is happy when a reviewer approves of their work, but it is a particular
pleasure when a reviewer shows you something about your book you did
not
appreciate or gives you another take on what has, as the writer who has
written
multiple drafts, become invisible to you."
Kevin
E. Buckley, Author, The Secret Sign of the Lizard
People: "This
is just a short note to express my
appreciation for your reviewer Ms. Diane Donovan, who has to be one of
the most
professional, courteous and efficient persons that I have encountered
in the
publishing world. She is that rare breed of person that does what she
says she
is going to do and does it within the stated timeline. If only
everybody worked
with such professionalism, this world would be an easier and more
pleasant
place in which to do business."
Cynthia
L. Clark, Author, Boulder Girl, Remember Me When the
Moon Hangs Low: "Diane
Donovan completed the review of
my book, Boulder Girl, Remember Me When the Moon
Hangs Low, yesterday.
I wanted to let you know how pleased I was with the review.
Not only did
she review the story content, she was able to see and to comment on the
way I
developed the structure of the plot and development of the
characters. It
was greatly appreciated since I constructed the story so carefully. She
thoughtfully gave my book a thorough review. She is a true
professional."
Kenneth
W. Harmon, Author, In the Realm of Ash and Sorrow: "I
just wanted
to let you know how pleased I was with the service I received from
Diane Donovan.
She is the epitome of what a professional editor and reviewer should
be. Diane
is prompt and delivers outstanding reviews. I would not hesitate to use
Diane again
and plan to recommend her to all of my writer friends."
Claire
Youmans, Author, The Eagle and the Sparrow: "I’d
like to
commend Diane Donovan for being a serious professional who is timely,
who
actually reads the books she reviews carefully, and writes top-quality
reviews.
She is friendly and personable, too, without giving rise to any
questions at
all about her impartiality as a reviewer.
As it happens, she likes my books, but I know I can trust
her to tell me
if she doesn’t, and tell me what she doesn’t like, too. She’s one of
the best
reviewers I have ever run across."
Daniel
Hryhorczuk, Author, Amerikana: "Hers
was the
most thorough, most thoughtful review I've ever received from you
folks. She
not only outlined the relevant plot characteristics of the novel, but
also
illuminated the subtle politics, cultural and social issues that
"contribute
to depth and complexity of the story line." She
is a real jewel in the book review crown."
Dennis
Koller , Author, The Rhythm of Evil: "I
am writing
to express my respect and gratitude to Diane Donovan for her excellent
review
of my new novel, Amerikana. While I am
very happy that she enjoyed
my novel, I am even more impressed with her thoroughness, insight, and
the
quality of her writing. She not only summarized the plot, but also
delved into
the major themes of the novel and the depths of the characters. She was
also
very easy to work with. As a writer it is very rewarding when my work
is able
to connect with a reviewer of her caliber."
Oscar R. Nordstrom, Author, Situation Normal A.F.U.: "I’m writing to convey my deep appreciation for the thorough and inciteful way Diane’s review captured the essence of my third book. Diane’s comments were accompanied by quotes from the book that amplified her perspective on various events that were depicted. Discounting the fact that I might have some skin in the game, if I were grading her review as part of a thesis for a PHD, I’d have to give it an A+ (of course I’m also discounting the fact that graduate classes only give a pass/fail grade)."
Have shared the reviews with the authors. One of them, a distinguished writer now in her 90s, was so pleased she wrote back that she felt like starting writing something new!"
Claire Fullerton, Author, Little Tea: "It was my pleasure to work with Diane Donovan regarding my book review for Little Tea, which releases May 1st.
What a bonus to have had her send me her book review before it was posted. That was a gift, for allowing an author to contribute, with an eye toward any salient points they'd like to see in the review is fantastic!"
Linda Naseem, Author, Eden: "Before I published Eden, I spent a great deal of money on a review from a well-known company whose name I won't mention. They called the book racist, the main characters dead-beats (even though they had jobs), and in general slammed my writing style. I was quite nervous about what kind of review I would get from Ms. Donovan. What she wrote is in keeping with what most readers have written, and her style put everything so beautifully---thank you so much!"
Michael Guillebeau, Author, Don of the Q: "I just received the review of my book, Don of the Q, from Diane Donovan. I’ve always been pleased with Ms. Donovan’s reviews, but this is far and away the most insightful and best written yet. No one has ever done a better job of picking up on what I was trying to do, or described it better. "
Theresa Brooks, Meditation Farm, for The Silent Path: "I just wanted to take a moment to let you know how pleased we are with the recent review of "The Silent Path". Diane did an amazing job of expressing the character and intent of the book to give readers a real insight as to what the book is about. We're excited about using the review to promote the book!"
Linda Stephen , Author, The Day We Went to the Park: "I greatly appreciated Diane’s clear communication throughout the entire process including:
-
How to submit a book for review by mail or ebook
-
Acknowledgement that she received my book
-
How to pay for the speedy review
-
Planned timeline for review completion and pub dates
-
Opportunity to look at the review before she submitted (I changed one letter (in a word) and one comma). She incorporated changes immediately.
She finished her review ahead of her original planned timeline, too.
We appreciated her insights and clever phrasing in her book review, too."
Michele Poague, Author, The Broken Shade: "Diane is a great communicator and a wonderful writer. Her review of my book is lively yet clear, with specific snippets of narrative and dialogue from the book that illustrate points of interest. It is such a joy to read."
Dan Whitney, Marketing Assistant, Skyhorse Publishing for The Fifteen Percent by Terry Giles: "I am writing to let you know what a pleasurable experience I had working with Diane Donovan regarding her review of The Fifteen Percent by Terry Giles from Skyhorse Publishing, Inc. She was easily reachable and was quick to respond to any emails I sent her. Diane was also thorough in her work and produced a wonderful review for our title. The turnaround time was great - it was finished and sent to me much quicker than I thought it would be (especially considering that the USPS lost the first copy of the book I sent)! I would highly recommend Diane to any author or publisher looking for a reviewer to work with."
R. Lane, Author, The Elizabeth Walker Affair: "Just a note to let you know that I have been pleased with the reviews that Diane Donovan has done on my work. Not necessarily because of the favorable tone, although that is pleasant, but in all cases she has shown an understanding of the subject and themes of my work. That is not often the case when writing mysteries—where readers are overly focused on the plot—but essential to understanding my effort."
Yasmin Azad, Author, Stay, Daughter: "I was pleased with the review of my book, "Stay, Daughter," by Diane Donovan. She had read the book closely, and made thoughtful comments about it not only as an individual work but also within the context of other books in the same milieu. I also appreciated the opportunity she gave me to give feedback, before the review was posted. After I pointed out an aspect of the book she had missed, she willingly revised the review to include it."
G. Elizabeth (Gail) Kretchmer, Author, Writing Through the Muck: "Yet again, I’ve appreciated working with Diane Donovan—this time for her review of my book Writing Through the Muck: Finding Self and Story for Personal Growth, Healing, and Transcendence. She is prompt and reliable. Her reviews are well written. And unlike other reviewers I’ve met elsewhere, she’s willing to send an advance draft to writers for input. While I’d never tell a reviewer what to say or think, I find it helps to be able to point to areas where more clarity or context might help the ultimate reader, and Diane is open to that, which means a better experience for everyone.."
Paul W. Papa, Author, Maximum Rossi: "Of course all authors are happy with a positive review, but what I am happy with is not that the review was positive—of course that is great—but the fact that Diane Donovan, first of all actually read the book, but then took the time to really write a very thoughtful review of the work. I’m very pleased with the points she touched on and overall I believe she did a wonderful job of capturing the “feel” of the book and conveying that feel to potential readers. The review comes across as honest, not scripted, and very sincere. There is nothing more an author could ask for. Mark me as satisfied. "
Cami Murdock Jensen, Author, Second Earth: "I just wanted to follow up and say how thrilled I was to again work with Diane on my second book in my Arch Mage Series - Second Earth. She really does a wonderful job and understands my themes and characters so well. She is also very professional and shared some wonderful advice on my cover when I asked her. Please know that I think she is a gem!"
Merida Johns, Author, Blackhorse Road: "Diane nailed it! In her review she captures the essence of what the book attempts to convey: a picture of the human experience that shows how ordinary people tackle challenges, live though sorrow and betrayal, struggle with doubt, and act on their aspirations to achieve positive relationships and flourishing lives. I could not have been more pleased with how Diane picked up on the salient points of interfamily relationships, family generational issues, and challenges to the foundations of beliefs and values that lead the heroine to navigate obstacles to happiness through hope and self-examination.
A positive psychologist colleague of mine who read the manuscript and Diane’s summary said: The reviewer obviously read with a very close eye to the thread that runs throughout the book… What stood out for me was the exceptional self-awareness the characters show…
The Review process was easy to navigate, exceptionally timely, and Diane produced on her promised deadline. "
Eric T. Reynolds, Author, The Artifacts: "My experience working with Diane Donovan was very positive. She answered my questions and concerns promptly. I was happy that her review pointed out an aspect of my novel missed by other reviewers, Other parts of her review showed that she read the book in depth, which I really appreciate (that was questionable with another professional reviewer who missed the point and gave away spoilers). "
Catharine Leggitt, Author, The Way to Go Home and In Progress: "I have received my reviews for two books from Diane Donovan and I am very happy with both – in both cases they were honest, careful, insightful, fair and well written. As the author, it always surprises, enlightens and delights me as to how others will read the work, and her comments freshened my views and informed me! She promised the work within a specific time frame and she delivered. Thank you for sending her name to me: this was a happy experience."
Monique Faison Ross, Author, Playing Dead: A Memoir of Terror and Survival: "Diane Donovan quickly completed the thoughtful review and is extremely responsive to emails. I just wish getting a professional review was this easy everywhere."
Mary Sheeran, Author, A Dangerous Liberty: "I've worked with several reviewers in the past year, and one frustrating issue that keeps emerging is that so few seem to read the books! They seem to skim the beginning and call something out (usually something trivial that shows they haven't any notion of what the book is about). From this review, and that for another book of mine, Banished From Memory, it seems that that is NOT the case with Ms. Donovan. I just wanted to mention that Ms. Donovan's review of my novel was done promptly when she said it would be. She also provided an insight I hadn't thought of!"
Michael G. Harpold, Author, The People We Wanted to Forget: "I received a draft of Diane Donovan’s review of my book last week and am very pleased. Diane contacted me immediately upon her assignment, outlining what she proposed to do and setting a timeline that I’m pleased to say was accurate to the day. I count as a good review one that I can learn something about my story and myself from the reviewer. That is indeed true in this case, and I will be proud to see it in print."
Kurt Partridge, Publisher, Argive Press: "Ms. Donovan just completed reviews of two of my company’s novels (both comedies), and I cannot overestimate her perspicuity and professionalism. At Argive Press we do not produce cookie-cutter genre books. We produce serious fiction that is meant to challenge the reader, in addition to making him/her laugh. I have had several reviewers of late, and Ms. Donovan surpasses them all intellectually, having an apparently broad knowledge of literature, history, and comedy. Moreover, her thoroughness puts all other reviewers to shame. It is apparent from her comments that she not only read the novel itself, but also the (not inconsiderable) front and back matter. Contrarily, there’s evidence that other reviewers read a few chapters and then just skimmed. For example, I had one reviewer state that one of the characters was a prostitute, when in fact she was a goddess! I wish to work with Ms. Donovan in any and all further reviews and will so request it. "
Frances Richardson, Author, Not All of Me Is Dust: "I would like to tell you how very pleased I was by the review written by Diane Donavan for my novel Not All Of Me Is Dust. Diane has an engaging, reassuring personality which makes dealing with her a pleasure from the start. Her review of my book was sincere, authentic, thoughtful, insightful and thoroughly professional. I highly recommend Diane, and would be happy to promote her reviewing in any way I can."
Joanne Easley, Author, Sweet Jane: "I want you to know that my experience with Diane Donovan, who reviewed my novel SWEET JANE, was outstanding. She was professional and clear about what to expect in our initial interaction and delivered a review that captured the essence of my novel."
Len Murphy, Author, Druids are from Outer Space, Aliens are from England: "I wanted to let you know that I received my fantastic draft review of Druids are from Outer Space, Aliens are from England from Diane Donovan. Diane did a very nice job. She clearly put much thought and time into the review which is very much appreciated. Note that I liked that Diane was very good with her communications. She responded promptly to all messages, and she established a schedule for completion which she met."
Ken Tentarelli, Author, The Advisor: "I just received a draft copy of the review of my novel The Advisor done by Diane Donovan. Beginning with our initial email exchanges she kept me informed of the process steps. The review itself is extremely comprehensive. It discusses various aspects of the book including historical context, challenges faced by the characters, and plot. It even includes two quotes to give readers of the review a sense of my writing style. As you can no doubt surmise, I am very pleased with Diane's thoughtful review."
Richard Wills, Author, 77th & Broadway: "Richard Wills here...just wanted to express my appreciation for you assigning my book to your reviewer Diane Donovan...I think her evaluation exemplifies the fact that she's a talented professional and very meticulous. I will gladly recommend her to others on my website as a viable resource."
Cassandra George-Sturgess, Author, Jungle Beauty Goddess Book Series: "We live in a culture where many people have come to believe that honesty and cruelty are synonymous concepts. I am so grateful that Ms. Donovan’s critiques were very truthful, yet thoughtful and respectful. I am commending her for having the utmost integrity and sensitivity in how she handled the subject matters of religion, race relations, and human sexuality all in one book! She understood the spiritual and philosophical depth of the JBG Book Series and her constructive critique left me feeling inspired—knowing exactly what I need to do to improve my writing and how to enhance what I am already doing correctly. Ms. Donovan submitted all documents to me prior to its due date, and it has been such a pleasure working with her. On a scale of 1 to 10-- I would rate Diane 100 stars."
Darren Dash, Author, Molls Like It Hot: "I just wanted to comment on what a great job Diane Donovan did on reviewing my latest novel, Molls Like It Hot. Diane's communication skills are excellent -- she stayed in touch all the way through the process, and was very clear in what she wanted from me, and when and where the review would be published, etc. I wish all reviewers were as well organised and good at their job as Diane!"
Joseph Pofus, Author, Treee: "Diane Donovan does excellent work in her reviews . In addition to communicating professionally and reading and reviewing quickly and carefully, I would say that she reads a book in the way it wants to be read. Many reviewers don't. I suppose it's a justifiable difference in approach, but I've always been disappointed in reviewers (of anything, movies or appliances as well as books) who seem mostly to express a personal taste: 'This book is strawberry, but I prefer chocolate.' That has always struck me as unfair to the product and unhelpful to any reader who doesn't happen to share the tastes of the reviewer. Donovan, by contrast, will write, 'This book is intended to be strawberry, and here's why it's good or bad strawberry.' Now it certainly helped that she liked the flavor of my book, but her review convinces me that she appreciated it because she studied it and understood it on its own terms. "
More
Accolades for 2019
Amy Wolf, Author, Woman of the Road: "Just wanted to let you know how pleased I am with Diane's latest review for me. She had also reviewed a book of mine several years ago, and in both cases, has done an exemplary job. Her reviews are literate, right on the money, and, IMHO, better than Kirkus's, Brava!"
Scott Grusky, Author, Zero Percenters: "Diane Donovan, the reviewer assigned to my novel, Zero Percenters, has completed her task and done an exemplary job. She was easy to work with, dedicated and thorough... and on top of that, she was extremely kind every step of the way."
Julie Rogers, Author, The Rain Belongs Here: "Diane has provided me with her review of the Rain Belongs Here and I couldn’t be happier. DIane laid the process out very clearly, provided the review on time and was forthright in asking for corrections. Her comments were insightful and comprehensive. Her review provided sufficient quotable material. "
Rabbi Bruce Forman, Author, Smokescreen: "Diane Donovan completed the review of my book Smokescreen: A Jewish Approach to Stop Smoking. She did a remarkable job of honing in on the main points of the book and prepared a review my mother, of blessed memory, would be proud of".
Mary Wark, Author, Days of Future Found: "I wanted to send a note of appreciation for the articulate and thoughtful services of Diane Donovan. In her recent review of my debut novel, she was able to capture the entirety of some complex issues that I wanted to convey through my main character. There are several themes running through this work and she was able to evoke and layer them out beautifully. She saw past the dystopian framework and highlighted my future forward vision of hope and purpose. "
Michael Polelle, Author, The Mithras Conspiracy: "I just wanted to drop you a line about how pleased I am with Diane Donovan's review of my novel, The Mithras Conspiracy. Her summary of the interwoven plot lines was crystal clear. She also did an excellent job of divining my goals and intentions in the novel. Very professionally done."
Susan
Fleet, Author,
Payback: "Diane
Donovan has reviewed several of my Frank Renzi crime thrillers and
it's always a pleasure to work with her. My most recent book,
Payback, has many characters and flips back and forth between New
Orleans and Boston, but Diane managed to capture the essence of the
book very well and with a very fast turnaround. Kudos to her!"
Bruce M. Perrin, Author, Mind in Chains: "I have completed work with Diane Donovan on a review for my next book (Mind in Chains), and I am very happy with her support. She explained everything thoroughly before we started. She kept to the proposed schedule and produced a thorough and thoughtful review. She was readily accessible to discuss it and responded to my thoughts in a positive and timely manner. I couldn't ask for more."
Cami Murdock Jensen, Author, First Earth: "Diane has corresponded professionally and quickly, giving me the opportunity to give input on any mistakes about my book. I am grateful for the positive review, and what pleased me most is that Diane obviously read and understood my main character and her development throughout the story. That is important for me as that development is what I hope is the deepest connection young readers will have with my story, and provides hope to young readers."
Richard Robbins, Author, Panicles: "I received my review from Diane Donovan, and was quite pleased. I felt like she gave it a thoughtful, thorough review, which accurately reflected what I was trying to convey in my book. It was a pleasure dealing with her from beginning to end."
John Molik, Author, Victoria: "I received my review by Diane Donovan for my book Victoria. She did an excellent job of digging deep into the narrative and pulling out some key concepts. I also liked how Diane used lines from the prose to back-up ideas presented. Great work. I'm well pleased."
Margaret Spearman, Author, No Good Deed: "Diane has a talent for reviewing mysteries. She is able to give a fair analysis and not give away the plots. The fact that she is able to provide a positive review is something that Horn works toward as he writes. We do think readers value her reviews."
Rozsa Gaston, Author, Anne of Brittany Series: "Diane Donovan delivers truly well-written and conscientious work. Her reviews show a careful reading of the text and she hits the most important points for readers about the book she is reviewing (for example, letting readers know that “no prior knowledge of the era or French culture [is needed] to prove satisfyingly engrossing to newcomers—even those who rarely read historical fiction.”) She has reviewed two of my books, Anne and Louis, and Anne and Louis: Rulers and Lovers. I am extremely pleased with her work."
William Harry Harding, Publisher, Garden Oak Press: "Diane Donovan's thoughtful approach to a wide variety of styles and subjects carries an enormous amount of good will toward the authors, yet she's able to focus on the unique qualities of each effort."
Desmond Mascarenhas, Publisher, Lone Think Press (for Beyond Olympus): "I wanted to write just to say how happy I am with the work Diane Donovan did in reviewing our novel, "Beyond Olympus". She captured the essence of a very complex story and wrote beautifully about it. The book is extremely cerebral and, in our experience, few who have read it have grasped its content to the degree that Diane clearly did. I should mention, parenthetically, that the book has been read by some extremely bright academics in over a dozen professional fields."
Jeannie Burt, Author, Come the Morning: "A few days ago, Diane Donovan sent me her review of my upcoming title Come the Morning. I wanted to let you know how much I appreciated the work and professionalism she put into the review. It was well written, thorough, and showed a much-appreciated deal of thought and effort."
Greg Bahora, for Centerlife: "I want to thank Diane for her quick turnaround and most importantly to me—taking the time to immerse herself into the book and its concepts. It’s a real treat for me when someone takes the time to learn Centerlife’s ideas and in Diane’s case, reflect and articulate those ideas in print. Thanks so much for the progressive, positive, and highly insightful review. I really appreciate when someone takes the time to understand the ideas to the extent they’re able to reflect and articulate them—a rare treat for this eternal dreamer! You nailed it."
N. Reece Ho-Sheffield, Author, Reece’s Vintage Tales: "Diane Donovan is a gifted top-notch professional whose penetrating insight coupled with thirty-five years of invaluable experience into book reviews is par excellence and second to none. She’s honest yet gracious, and constructive yet generous and so giving me a marvellous impetus to continue writing in the genre of children’s fictional books. Diane Donovan also offers customised marketing plans and pre-publication critiques. I thoroughly recommend her services to any author seeking a high quality professional review and fruitful means of promoting their work."
John Arvai, Author, Neat Freaks: "This is just a quick message to recognize Diane's superb work by providing another very impressive review for my latest title called, Neat Freaks. This is my second time using Diane to review one of my books and she does an outstanding job with her summaries and always exceeds her promised delivery dates. My first book that Diane reviewed has gone on to win twelve independent book awards (and has even been adapted into a school play) so hopefully Diane's positive words will contribute to similar successes for this one. ;)"
Andrew Diamond, Author, To Hell With Johnny Maniac: "I just wanted to tell you how pleased I've been with Diane Donovan's work over the past few years. She writes thoughtful, balanced reviews that give readers a good sense of a book's flavor and appeal, as well as its strengths and weaknesses. One of the jobs of a reviewer, in my opinion, is to guide readers toward books they may enjoy while steering them away from books that will waste their time. I write in the mystery/thriller genre, and I've found that readers who favor classic crime and noir really like my books, while readers who like cozies and technical procedurals don't like my books at all. Because Diane's reviews are descriptive and informative, providing concise overviews and illustrating the tenor of the writing with well-selected quotes, she's helped guide new readers toward my work, and has probably saved a good number from wasting time on books they wouldn't like. I've also taken a few of her criticisms of my past work to heart to improve subsequent works."
M.N. Snow, Author, Monkey Man: "Once again I am pleased with the quality and professionalism of Diane Donovan. She reviewed my latest novel Monkey Man. She returned her review in a timely manner and her follow-up was exemplary. She previously reviewed my novel The Helper and I was so impressed with her work that I asked for her again with Monkey Man."
J. M. Huxley, Author, Milk and Honey Land: "I was quite pleased with Diane's perspective! She noticed details about my writing that I had assumed would be overlooked. She was thorough and positive and I am grateful for her effort on my behalf!"
David Laszlo Conhaim, Author, All Man's Land: "It is truly challenging to find open-minded reviewers for Westerns these days, even for those which push the genre. Diane’s receptivity to this high-concept tribute to Paul Robeson—which, regrettably, even the African American media has so far passed on—and her favorable and deep reading of it, has already provided its author with a decisive building block with which to market his novel. Moreover, Diane was graciously open to my feedback in a way that made the review all the sounder."
Harvey Havel, Author, The Wild Gypsy of Arbor Hill: "The review was expertly written by Diane Donovan, who really did cover all of the important themes of the book and also really honed down the book’s strengths as well as the several aspects of it that careful readers of literary fiction would take immediate interest in. The review was exceptionally well-written and suggested her significant prior expertise and experience in reading contemporary literature and being knowledgeable enough to write near-flawless reviews about that literature. I am very happy with Ms. Donovan and the work that she did, and because of that, I will return to her whenever I publish any other work in future."
Hy Brett, Author, The Hitman of Avenue U: "For years I was a journalist at a NYC newspaper where the famed book columnist gave short shrift to her reviews and even boasted of how little she bothered to read and of how many books she could knock off in a short period. Happily, Ms. Donovan takes her mission much more seriously, and it shows in her thorough and insightful reviews."
Zoe Tasia, Author, Kilts & Catnip: "I am delighted with Diane's review. She covered many aspects of my book including the treatment of the Scottish accent, the romantic and paranormal elements, the first-person point of view, and the role of family in the story, to name but a few. Ms. Donovan was prompt in responding to my emails, and professional."
Grace Allison Blair, Author, Einstein's Compass: a YA Time Traveler Adventure: "Diane responded to my inquiry to review my novel immediately and requested my book and author details. I received her review of Einstein's Compass yesterday with the schedule of when it would be released to the public. Diane took the time to understand the theme of darkness and light, the motivation of each character as well as their intricate nature in the story. I love Diane's honest review !"
Fiona Harewood, Author, I Did It . . .You Can, Too!: "I must confess, I was very nervous when the library requested that I obtain a review from a professional reviewer. I didn't know what to expect. Now I am happy. Diane Donovan did my review and I just want to let you know what a great job she did. Coming from someone whom I don't know, it were as if she just read my mind in her review, but then again, she read my book. I had no doubt about that. My experience with her was also very professional and timely also."
Antonio Simon, Jr., Esq., Head of Business Development, Darkwater Syndicate, Inc.: "I would like to express how wonderful it was working with Ms. Diane Donovan. We've worked together in the past, and her diligence and honesty in book reviews are truly valued by our publishing house. She pulls no punches, but delivers key insight and well-reasoned reviews of books."
Harold Thorpe, Author, Strawberry Summer "Diane Donovan just completed a review of my manuscript, “Strawberry Summer.” She was a pleasure to work with and wrote a thorough and comprehensive review of my manuscript, focusing on the story’s main theme. I highly recommend her for future work."
Anna Minte, Author, Q1: A Survival Guide to Adulting: "After having worked with Diane, I have to share my satisfaction with her service.
Diane was prompt in her responses to my inquiries and very concise in her timing and delivery of the final review. She covered, in a short yet admirable review, every aspect of the book. I will be delighted to work with her in the future and do recommend her services to upcoming and established authors."
Lawrence J. Epstein, Author, The Dead Don't Talk: "I am writing to let you know how pleased I was with the perceptive and intelligent review. It will be useful for readers to decide if they wish to read the book. I've had reviewers who clearly hadn't read more than a book's summary, but Ms. Donovan had obviously read through the entire book and that showed in the review. I appreciate her efforts."
Elle Lewis, Author, The Dark Touch: "Ms. Diane Donovan was such a pleasure to work with. She provided a wonderful review of my debut novel, Dark Touch. She was professional, timely, and just a dream to work with. Her review was personalized and detailed. It was truly an incredible review and an overall great experience."
Matt Michel, Author, Strxia: The Odds Are Against Us: "I felt Diane's written review was fair, factual, and well-written. I think the thing that impressed me, though, was that it seems like she STUDIED the book as opposed to just reading it. She has managed to arrive at all of what I consider the crucial features of the book during her study and has written a review that puts forth those features. Her review is frank and to the point on both positive aspects and points a book buyer may want to be careful with, which I think will lead to people respecting the review. I liked that she gave an option for me to fact check and look for typos in the review before it posted. This added a touch of professionalism I really appreciated."
Cherie Kephart, Author, A Few Minor Adjustments, The Healing 100 and Poetry of Peace: "This is my third book being reviewed by Diane Donovan and I wanted to reach out and tell you what an excellent job she did. For each of my books, she has constructed a thorough and well-written review. I appreciate her time and attention to details and also to communicating so clearly to the readers what they can expect from each book."
Twilah Hiari, Author, Regression: "I’m writing to let you know I was incredibly happy with Diane Donovan’s review of my book. I appreciate how she discussed not only the broad thematic points of my book, but also how readers may respond to it. I’m better at writing books than I am at writing reviews of reviewer performance, so I’ll sum it up to say I'm very pleased and would recommend D. Donovan’s services to any author or publisher."
Michael Winn, Author, The Curing Room: "I wanted to write you a short note to let you know how pleased I am with Diane's review. The service was fast and professional. The review was smart, insightful, and very well-written. I wish all book reviewers had such vast knowledge and experience. "
William Harry Harding, Publisher, Garden Oak Press: "Diane Donovan just delivered both reviews. These were two entirely different projects -- one a memoir, one a poetry collection (The Warrior and What Luck, respectively) -- and the reviews were thoughtful and thorough. And delivered so quickly. Diane is a first-rate professional."
More Accolades for 2018
Stephan von Clickerhoffen, Author, Stig’s Flight of Encounters and War of Chaos: "It was a refreshing change to see a Reviewer take so much time and effort to read the story from start to finish as Diane obviously has due to her complete understanding of the books. She has even picked up where many have not about the transmission of thoughts in colour and of how the reader is embedded into the main story and not just fed the plot of a new world. Diane has simply been a pleasure to work with and shines above others."
Maureen Aitken, Author, The Patron Saint of Lost Girls: "I was most impressed by the depth of Diane's review, where she quoted the most significant parts, and including a line that was so striking. What a wonderful interpretation of the book."
Rozsa Gaston, Author, Anne and Louis: "I’d like to thank you for the review of Anne and Louis. You did a terrific job. I was blown away by the amount of detail and precision you put into the review. "
Lance Crossley, Author, A Child is a Piece of Paper: "All an artist really wants is for someone to receive their work in an authentic way. To really absorb its essence. Even if Diane wrote a negative review, but still absorbed that essence, I would still be writing this accolade. The very first extract she quoted from my book was the very essence of the novel. So out of 70K+ words, she took the exact needle from the haystack of what it was all about. I really appreciate that sensitivity and how attuned she was to the message. Every artist puts him or herself out on the line. And positive or negative, we just want to have a competent receiver on the other end of the line. Diane is one of them."
John McNeil/Al E. Boy, Author, The Adventures of Fawn: 'Til the Last Snowflake Falls: "I’ve been very lucky in that, for a ‘first-time’ author, my book has garnered very favorable reviews from everyone. What I truly appreciate about Diane Donovan’s ‘take’ is that she delved into the philosophical questions posed throughout the tale, understood and took note of the dynamic between the many characters, and still gave due attention to the story line and the gist of what it was truly all about. Not to mention…I have had reviews which seemed to follow a “Thirty words or less” philosophy, and still left me wondering if they’d actually read the book. (One reviewer said it was an enjoyable ‘quick read’. It’s over 300 pages) I knew beyond any doubt she had read every single page! Kudos to Ms. Donovan for her expert perspective, professional approach, and the lovely manner in which she writes! I am much, much more than impressed!"
Belo Cipriani, Owner, Oleb Books: "I am delighted with Diane's work. She is detailed oriented, and delivered all communication on time. In an industry where book reviews requests regularly get ignored, working with Diane was a refreshing experience."
Troy Tyson, Author, The Yankee Way: "I was very pleased with the review services provided by Ms. Diane Donovan for my book, The Yankee Way: The Blueprint that Created America. Her review was balanced, fair, and showed that she had done her homework."
Rosemary
Davis, Author, Before They Left Us: "I've
enjoyed
working with Diane Donovan. She is prompt, a wonderful writer and uses
fresh
language. Mostly, she understood my book and gave it a fair and
detailed
review!"
Don
Grant, Author, The Singularity Witness: "I
just wanted
to express my appreciation for Diane Donovan's review of my debut
thriller, The
Singularity Witness. Diane proved to be professional,
thoughtful and
insightful, and provided a good turnaround of her
review. Her review
covered the context and essentials of the story and its lead
characters,
and provided fair representation."
Carroll
Green, Author, Almost Heaven: "Ms.
Donovan
accurately and poignantly captured the essence of my work. Her
keen
analysis and evaluation of my work is greatly appreciated. Diane
Donovan, in my
opinion, is the consummate professional."
Darlene
Chan, Publicist, for The
Light in His Soul: "I
had a recent wonderful experience
with Diane. She reviewed a client's book (The Light in His Soul).
She
instinctively understood the book and her review is articulate and
well-written. When I pointed out a few issues with phrasing, she was
quick to
correct them and they never compromised the integrity of the review. I
would
not hesitate to work with her again."
Reena Kumarasingham, Author, Shrouded Truth: "I just wanted to let you know that the Italian rights for Shrouded Truth has been picked up by a publisher.... and this is largely due to your lovely review. They have been hanging back from making a decision and when I sent the review to them, they offered to pick it up. So thank you so much for the wonderful review again. I truly appreciate it."
Michael Craft, Author, Flabbergassed: "Diane Donovan was a pleasure to work with. She’s a perceptive reader and a well-organized writer. I especially appreciated the back-and-forth she allowed, encouraging tweaks and assuring factual accuracy."
Bill Mesce, Jr., Author, Four Days to Trinity: "Just wanted to drop a line of appreciation regarding Ms. Donovan’s coverage of my e-novel from Endeavour Press, FOUR DAYS TO TRINITY. Granted, I’m biased since she did give me a lovely review, but I was impressed that she managed, in her description of the novel, to do justice to what I think is a challenging construct. Her judgment aside, it’s a well-written, succinct piece."
Bill Harding, Author, Three Women and the River: "Diane Donovan did a thorough job and got to the heart of the book, which is all any novelist can hope for."
Shaun, Publisher at The Mantle, for Sweden: "Diane Donovan is highly communicative and sets clear expectations for her work. I also just saw a draft of her forthcoming review. I'm pleased to see she gave the book a serious reading, and was pleasantly surprised she zeroed in on an aspect of the book that other reviewers haven't passed over. "
John Schroeter, John August Media, LLC, for Moonshots: "What a wonderful experience it was having our book, Moonshots, reviewed by Diane Donovan. I am always intrigued by the observations, takeaways, and interesting connections readers make in the context of such content, and Diane's were particularly insightful -- and actually helpful in how we will talk about the book."
Linda L. Keenan, Author, The Journal: "I recently received a review by Diane Donovan of my novel, The Journal. It was a pleasure working with her. She was professional, straightforward and communicated clearly regarding what she needed in order to write her review. She performed everything that she said she would do and within the time that she said she would do it. Diane's review captured the essence of my novel and offered examples of what she liked about it. She also pointed out the audience who will enjoy my book. Her review will serve me well in my marketing and social media posts."
Linda Nielsen, Author, Because I'm Worth It: "Diane Donovan was professional, kind and considerate when she reviewed my book, Because I'm Worth It. My publisher had some questions and Diane answered them with ease. She is knowledgeable and easy to work with. She was willing to make adjustments that didn't pull from her integrity as a reviewer yet kept everyone happy."
Maurice A. Williams, Author, My Career as a Book Reviewer Defending the Faith: "Diane Donovan just finished a review of my book “My Career as a Book Reviewer Defending the Faith.” She sent me a draft of her review as a courtesy to show that she did read my book and to give me a chance to correct any errors. I could not be more pleased with her review. She is a real professional, and she is fair in her review of my book. She says she takes pride in producing accurate, honest, well-written reviews. She certainly did it with her review of my book."
Barry Boyce, Author, Astronomy & Natural History Connections: "Yes, Diane gave the book high marks. But it was much more than that. There was a lot of interaction regarding some of the details, and the way it was handled was extremely professional. Compared to other companies, one of which didn’t even read the book before reviewing it (it’s easy to tell), she did a great job."
Carroll Green , Author, Almost Heaven: "Ms. Donovan accurately and poignantly captured the essence of my work. Her keen analysis and evaluation of my work is greatly appreciated. Diane Donovan, in my opinion, is the consummate professional."
Matthew
LeRoy, Author, They Must Be Monsters: "Diane
has been
terrific and not just because she enjoyed our book it was her timely,
professionalism and insight in capturing the essence of our book better
than we
could do ourselves. Honestly, I was a little
apprehensive at first
of which book reviews were considered the most prestigious and
respected and
Midwest Book Reviews were time and time again mentioned to
us. Now I know
why: it’s because of reviewers like Diane."
Christopher
Cooper, Author, From Hell to Happiness: "I
just wanted
to take a moment and compliment my reviewer, Diane Donovan. She was not
only
complimentary of my book, but more importantly, I got the sense that
she
actually read it. Her review was both thoughtful as well as insightful,
and I
would be happy to recommend her to other authors if I had the chance."
Madhi Mason, Author, Earth Healing: "I recently had my book ‘Earth Healing’ reviewed by Diane Donovan and wanted to let you know how happy I am with the service. Diane promptly replied to all correspondence, was very professional, and I’m over the moon with the review. I’d use her services again in an instant."
Tim Brown, Author, Squatter's Gold: "I just wanted to take a moment to let you know how pleased I am with the prepublication review of my novel by Diane Donovan. Her timely and thorough review really got to the core and context of what I was trying to do with the novel."
Steven Burgauer, Author, Moon Beam: "I have written more than a few books in my time, the most recent being "Moon Beam." I work hard to write a credible story and have it properly edited before presenting it to the public. My books extend from historical fiction to science fiction and Diane Donovan reads carefully for content and writes a beautiful, sincere, and quality review."
Kelly Huddleston, Publisher, Open Books: "Wanted to write a short note letting you know how pleased we are with Diane Donovan's fantastic reviews of three titles in the Open Books catalog, The 13 by Lorin R. Robinson, In An Empty Room by Stephen Spotte, and Beneath the Same Heaven by Anne Marie Ruff. The same enthusiasm for the quality of Diane's reviews is shared by the authors. We are pleased to include snippets of reviews in our online promotions, on back cover texts, and we enjoy republishing Diane's full reviews in our adjunct book magazine, bookglow.net. We look forward to working with her in the future."
Margery Walshaw, Author, Billions Lost: "I just wanted to drop you a note to let you know how pleased I am with Diane Donovan’s review of Billions Lost. It was insightful and she obviously took a lot of time to carefully read the book and craft a review. It isn’t a fast read, and she certainly absorbed the subject matter. I couldn’t be happier."
Andrew Diamond, Author, Gate 76: "I received a thoughtful and well-written review of my forthcoming book, Gate 76, from Diane Donovan. This is the second title of mine she's reviewed (Impala was the first), and in both cases, I've been pleased with the concision and quality of her reviews, as well as her courtesy and professionalism."
P. Anastasia, Author, Fates Aflame: "I am very pleased with my experience with Diane Donovan and she was incredibly courteous and prompt with her emails, as well as thorough with attention to details in her assessment of the book."
E.B. Mann, Author, Karina: "If my book was as well written as Diane's review, I would already be a bestseller."
Joe Lewis, Author, Caught in a Web: "I can't tell you how pleased I was with the review written by Ms. Diane Donovan, and how easy she was to work with. Her review was one of the most thorough I have ever received on any of the five books I've written. I just want you to know what a true professional she is. She cares and works to get it right."
Michael Goddart, Author, In Search of Lost Lives: "She was very professional and prompt. Her understanding of this challenging spiritual memoir was astute and mature."
George Rothery, Author, A Summer Again: "Diane Donovan was the nicest and most pleasant person to deal with. I am very pleased with my review, and even if it was bad I still would be writing you to tell you that you are lucky to have someone with her knowledge and ability to make an author feel comfortable. My Kirkus review was good but it was a cold transaction."
Vera Burris, Author, Obedience: "I just received the draft review from Diane Donovan for my book Obedience and couldn't be happier. She had told me to expect it early this month and that's when it came. It was clear she gave it a lot of attention and thought and she "got" what I tried to convey. I don't think anyone could have done better."
Bruce Hartman, Author, The Devil's Chaplain: "It’s very gratifying to have a seasoned publishing professional show such appreciation for what I was trying to accomplish in this book. In fact I can’t think of any review of any of my books that captured my own intentions so accurately."
David Gittlin, Author, Microminum: "Diane is always timely in her responses to my requests, completely reliable in her follow-up, and always on deadline with the edits of my manuscripts. In a word, Diane is exemplary in everything she does."
Craig N. Hooper, Author, The Greatest Good: "I appreciated her well written review of my book and the timeliness in which she completed it. She was incredibly professional and attentive to my email questions. I’ve had two other industry reviews completed for my upcoming novel, The Greatest Good, and Diane’s was the most thoroughly written. It showed me she took great care in reading the novel and crafting an accurate review. I’m delighted with Diane’s work."
John Eidswick, Author, The Language of Bears and The Rabbit Skinners: "Ms. Donovan has reviewed two of my books and has been in my dealings with her remarkably prompt and professional in her summaries and honest reviews of my novels, The Rabbit Skinners and The Language of Bears. Also, she has been quite willing to interact with me to confirm with me that the information she provides about my novels has been rigorously accurate. This is a quite a pleasing contrast with other reviewers I have encountered."
Sebastian Bendix, Author, The Stronghold: "I just wanted to let you know what a great experience I had working with Diane Donovan. Diane was very communicative throughout the process and met all proposed deadlines – a true professional. It was a pleasure working with her and I would gladly recommend her services to other authors."
Nikki Stern, Author, The Former Assassin: "Diane reviewed my forthcoming novel, The Former Assassin. In addition to giving the book what is obviously a careful reading, she was patient and flexible as I sent her several iterations of the ever-evolving cover. Moreover, she treated me, a traditionally published author going “indie” for the first time, as respectfully as I could have wished. I can’t tell you how pleased I am with the experience."
Kiana
Wilson, Author, Too
Sharp to Fail: "It
was a pleasure working with reviewer, Diane Donovan. She
was professional and efficient at all times and kept
me in
the loop on what to expect during the review process.
Additionally, I enjoyed the honesty and depth of her review.
Whereas other reviewers may simply provide a short paragraph, Diane
went into more detail regarding the value that
readers can
gain. This is especially beneficial to me as I continue to
market and promote the book."
Colonel (Ret) William C. Haponski, Ph.D, Author, Autopsy of an Unwinnable War: Vietnam: "I have sent several book manuscripts to Ms. Diane Donovan and have found her to be a superb reviewer. She reads, understands, and analyzes manuscripts well and captures the contents and tone in her reviews, a trait sadly lacking in some reviewers from other review services. I will continue to use her services and highly recommend her to other authors."
Beverly Diehl, Author, Sex, Drugs, Rock 'n Roll and a Tiara: "I have received and was very pleased with the review of my work by editor Diane Donovan. While she liked the book (always something that makes an author's heart happy), her review was very well-written and extensive, but also pointed out in tactful ways that some readers might object to the content and my sometimes vulgar language. (Because #fuckingcancer). This is extremely helpful, as the readers with wibbles aren't the readers I am seeking."
Curtis Seltzer, Author, The Point of the Pick: "Just a quick note to say thanks for giving my book, The Point of the Pick: A Novel of the 20th Century, to Diane Donovan. It’s a long, involved story. She turned it around quickly, got the points (in a manner of speaking), summarized well, flagged what needed a flag and did it all honestly."
BP Coach, Author, Spiritual Living for Busy People: "I just wanted to drop you a note to let you know how pleased I was with my review experience with my reviewer, Diane Donovan. She was very accommodating and easy to work with, and I thought she was very fair and thorough in her review of my book. I'm certain potential buyers will get value from her review when deciding whether to purchase the book for themselves or not. Her communication was excellent as well! I knew exactly when to expect the review to be completed, and when it would be published. Her advice in this regards was invaluable. I really appreciate her candor and her assistance!"
More Accolades for 2017
Gerald Everett Jones, Author, Choke Hold: "This isn't the first time Diane has reviewed one of my books. Her prompt and insightful review of Choke Hold: A Novel is very much appreciated."
David Alan Carter, Author, The 12% Solution: "Diane did a great job reviewing my book The 12% Solution. This is a financial book that gets a little deep into the stock market while defining a strategy that generates a 12% average annual return. It's clear that Diane did a thorough read, and fully absorbed the crux of the strategy. She made a case for the product without giving away the store. I could not have asked for more."
Lou Del Bianco, Author, Out of Rushmore's Shadow: "I just wanted you to know how thrilled I am by Diane’s review of my book, “Out of Rushmore’s Shadow: The Luigi De Bianco Story”. It is so thoughtful, thorough and speaks right to the heart of the book’s intent. Diane’s passion for my grandfather's story jumps right off the page. You have a gem here in Diane."
Mike Avitabile, Author, The Whale in the Cave: "I just wanted to drop a quick note to tell you how pleased I was with the attention that Diane gave to my novel, The Whale in the Cave. Her review was well-written, clear, and struck the right balance of plot description without giving away too much. She even took the time to respond to a couple of questions of mine regarding the overtness of some of the subtext in the manuscript. In contrast with some of the other reviews I received, Diane's analysis and critique of the work reflected that she put serious thought into her words. I received a couple of other reviews that, while still being positive, did not exhibit much more than a cursory analysis of the first few chapters. Diane's review was thoughtful and thorough and I am very happy."
Cheryl Bazzoui, M.A., Author, Pressure Cooker Christmas: "When Diane was so prompt, professional and friendly, I felt assured that I was in good hands. It is refreshing to work with true professionals in the cut-throat business of the publishing world."
Richard Due, Publisher, Gibbering Gnome Press: "Her reviewing skills are top notch, and she’s been a pleasure to work with. A true professional in every way."
Ed Myers, Publisher, Montemayor Press: "Just a brief note to say that I'm very pleased with the two recent reviews that Diane Donovan has written for books I'll be publishing through my independent company, Montemayor Press. One of these books is my own current novel; the other is a collection of essays by an author named Caroline Sutton. Both of Diane's reviews have been thoughtful, perceptive, and well balanced. I'll be quoting from these reviews in promotional materials for the books once I release them in a few weeks."
D.V. Berkom, Author, The Last Deception: "Diane was professional, friendly, and did a thorough job, always keeping me apprised of where and when the review would be posted. All in all, a great experience! "
James Houston Turner, Author, Greco's Game: "I wanted to pass along my appreciation for Diane Donovan's exceptionally professional review standard. So many reviewers consider authors a real nuisance -- and many cases, we are -- but Diane's efficient way of letting me know how the process works and then communicating with me regularly as to where things stood took the anxiety completely out of the process in that regard. It was so refreshing to work with her. "
Terry Schurter, Author, Dark Web Rising: "I do need a "fiction circle" and you've entered it whether you really wanted to or not. I like your perspectives, honesty, and experience. I don't find those qualities a lot. You should also know you are the ONE REVIEWER who actually got the deeper meaning and philosophy in the book. That quote from the book is one of most powerful lines in the whole story! Blew me away when I read your review and you'd grabbed it. Felt a little thrill run down my arms... (the entire review was really insightful)."
Michael Hill, Author, War Poet: "Diane Donovan just posted a review of my book WAR POET and I couldn't be more thrilled with her work. It was a thoughtful and well-written review and, most gratifying to any author, she got what I tried to convey! She was a delight to work with and was timely and responsive in every way during the process. She is tops!"
John A. Brennan, Author: "Ms. Diane Donovan has reviewed 3 of my books so far and I am very happy with her assessments of my work. Her reviews are no-nonsense appraisals and right on the mark. When she reads a book, she READS it."
Alexes Razevich, Author, The Girl With Stars in Her Hair: "I wanted to drop you a line to tell you how pleased I was with Diane's review of my book, The Girl with Stars in her Hair. It was clear from the review that she'd carefully read the book and considered the story's merits--exactly what any author wants from every reader and doesn't always get."
Peggy Lampman, Author, The Welcome Home Diner: "I've had experiences with other professional reviewers and my experience with Ms. Donovan has been different. Reviews of my first novel, THE PROMISE KITCHEN, seemed formulaic, as if the reviewer had a word quota to fill. This particular review got to the essence of what, at least this author, was trying to impart with her story."
Katrina Shawver, Author, Henry – A Polish Swimmer’s True Story of Friendship from Auschwitz to America: "I wanted to pass on my compliments for Diane Donovan's thoughtful and prompt review of Henry – A Polish Swimmer’s True Story of Friendship from Auschwitz to America. It's clear from her review that she thoroughly read the book and its content, as opposed to a quick scan. Her comments were specific, thoughtful, identified key points in the message, and also explained what distinguishes the book from all others in the genre. I, of course, appreciate it's a very positive review, but also that it's genuine, thorough, and put together with much thought."
Charles Levin, Author, Not So Dead: "Just wanted to drop you a note to tell you how pleased I am with the review Diane did of my book, NOT SO DEAD. Her attention to detail, compelling use of language and of course, her conclusion were terrific. She obviously spent plenty of time with the book and it shows in the thoroughness of her work."
Aadil Farook, Author, Inspired Discourses: "I have had the privilege and honor of getting 2 books reviewed by Diane. Professional integrity, intellectual credibility, literary acumen, friendly communication and honesty are her hallmarks. On a personal note, for an author who has always felt misunderstood at home, it was simply a wonderful experience to be known at a microscopic level by a stranger."
John Arvai, Author, Off the Hook: "I want to take a moment to let you know how pleased I am with Diane’s coverage for my book, Off the Hook: A Christmas Ornament Adventure. To say I’m extremely pleased with her review would be an understatement; however, what has really impressed me is how thorough she is. Not only did she recommend postponing my published review from January to September to maximize the exposure for my seasonal book but she also remembered to email months later and allow time for revisions. This has been key as the book has done well in some national contests since we last spoke which she has now incorporated into her review. I must also point that Diane was first to recommend this book well before any contests weighed in. Clearly she knows this business."
James McCrone, Author, Dark Network: "Diane just sent me her draft review. It's concise, well written, informative, and it gives a nice flavor of the work without giving away spoilers. Obviously, I'm very pleased she produced a positive review, but she's been professional and thorough throughout the process. She was in contact about the process, guidelines and timing. And she delivered within the timeframe she originally stated. A few too many of the big reviewers are opaque--glaucous!--about their process, timing, whether they'll review a title...even if they've received a title. Ms. Donovan was transparent, clear-eyed and professional."
Iris Dorbin, Author, An Epiphany in Lilacs: "I just received the draft of Diane Donovan's review of my book "An Epiphany in Lilacs: In the Aftermath of the Camps" and have to write to express how impressed I am with how thorough, detailed and insightful Diane's review is. Too often professional book reviewers write reviews that are nothing more than exercises in banality or minimal effort--a synopsis and maybe two lines and that's it. But Diane's review goes beyond that--she offers a perceptive and eloquent analysis that even references actual quotes from the book! I'm a very pleased author."
Lori Robbins, Author, Lesson Plan for Murder: "Diane Donovan reviewed my mystery novel, Lesson Plan for Murder, and I wanted to let you know how much I appreciate the time and care she took in reviewing the book. Diane was precise, thoughtful, and insightful. She quoted specific passages and provided a depth of analysis and an attention to detail that any writer would appreciate. I'm grateful to have had her as my reviewer."
Margaret Spearman, Author, When They Were Young: "Ms. Donovan did a thorough read and her written review was balanced and explained a complex storyline without giving away its ending. She did an excellent review. I will be using her review on the back of the paperback and in marketing efforts leading up to the October 26th release as well as afterwards. This is the second time that she has reviewed a Horn novel. While her first review was very well done, this review by Ms. Donovan excels in explaining her rationale for her favorable review of the book."
Rick DeStefanis, Author, Valley of the Purple Hearts: "Diane Donovan did a very good job reading and reviewing my most recent novel. She showed a high degree of analytical insight into the book’s deeper and more meaningful intent.”
Jason F. Boggs, Author, The Devil's Dragon: "An author's dream reviewer is someone who has a full appreciation of the story and the messages that it conveys through its characters and even if its a negative review, at least the reader was taken on the intended journey; which I've always regarded as a movie between the ears. I think that your review pretty much nailed it and I am so pleased that you enjoyed my space opera - Thank you!"
Joanne Meredith, Editor at Glyphus, for The Happy Chip: "It was a delight to work with Diane. She clearly stated what an author could expect from her review, her time-frame was exactly as she said it would be, and the review was honest and thorough. It was a wonderful experience to be working with a professional reviewer and a well-run organization.”
Roxanne Bland, Author, for The Underground, 2nd Edition: "I just wanted to say how much I appreciate Ms. Donovan's review of my book, The Underground: Second Edition. Ms. Donovan's review was clear and well-thought out. It shows she took the time to actually read the book, instead of just skimming through it. Her insights were amazing--she saw things that I didn't realize were there. For example, she called it part murder mystery. Thinking on it, I suppose it is, but that never occurred to me while I was writing it. I think Ms. Donovan is a keeper, a real asset .”
Dada Maheshvarananda, Author, Cooperative Games for a Cooperative World: "My publisher, InnerWorld Publications, and I are very pleased with the review of my book, Cooperative Games for a Cooperative World: Facilitating Trust, Communication and Spiritual Connection by Diane Donovan. She really understood the essence of the book and connected the dots to write an essay that goes to the heart of the themes. Very professionally done..”
Judith Petres Balogh, Author, The Reluctant Trophy Wife: "Diane Donovan has gone out on a very fragile limb to read and to write about a self-published book but she did it and has done an unbelievably good job of it. Not only is her style fluent, lucid and thoroughly professional, but she fully understood the spirit of the novel and her attention to the structure as well as to the details is a shining example of good and useful review writing. Reading it anyone would know what the book is about, and yet she did not give away the story line. Perfect! I do not know who else works on your staff, but I am sure she must be Number One. I am not the only one who feels this way about Ms. Donovan's review: within twenty-four hours I received this note from one of my readers, a retired teacher to whom I sent Ms. Donovan's writing: "THAT is a wonderful review by a professional reviewer ... The review is so good...it says much more than I could have written and she is "spot on" as the Brits say." Those, who read the book liked it, were downright enthusiastic about it, but not one of my readers understood it as you have."
Simm McCord, Author, The Deuce: "I could tell from her review that she looked deeper into my book, The Deuce, than I had expected out of someone who has so many works to review.”
Jeff Gunhus, Author, Resurrection America: "Thanks to the professional and pleasant experience with Diane Donovan, I couldn’t be happier. I just received Ms. Donovan’s review this morning. She clearly expressed the plot and theme in a succinct and interesting way that, frankly, left me a little jealous as I’m terrible at such things.”
Mike Stewart, Author, Keep in a Cold Dark Place: "Diane's review was exceptional. I know I may be a bit biased because she enjoyed my book, but I really felt she went above and beyond to ensure the readers understood the type of book they'd be getting, which can only help me attract the right sort of reader.”
T.R. Lloyd, Author, Watercolours Revealed!: "I believe
that Diane does an incredibly good job with her reviews. She tells it like it is, pure and simple. To me, her reviews support the concerns of readers/buyers, authors and her affiliates."
M.N.
Snow, Author, The
Helper: "I
found Diane's piece to be a thoughtful, well reasoned review that
captured what was going on in the book very well. She really
seemed to get the gist of what I was hoping to write. To my
mind it was a truly professional review and I appreciate the effort
she put into it! Her correspondence with me was also first
rate
and helpful."
Denis S. Hurley, Author, Delia and Reid: "Speaking as objectively as I can, Diane's review hit the nail on the head perfectly. It’s no mean feat to describe a 460 000 words book in under 700 words so well. I keep reading the review trying to see where I should suggest something to be added but I can’t find that place. For those who know me, this is a big compliment to her professionalism and experience. Her points on flux, non-linear presentation, and keeping the reader unsure about ‘what’s round the next corner’ were intentional aspects; she picked these points up without any communication by me—others haven’t. She delivered on time and clearly communicated what she’d be doing."
Larrita Browning, Author, I Believe in Butterflies: "The review completed by Diane was professionally done and conveyed the essence of the book and its message. So often, book reviewers don't actually take the time to read the book in which their expert opinion has been sought. I am thankful this was not the case with Diane."
Shari Staunch, Publisher, WhereWritersWin.com, for Gradle Bird: "I work with a LOT of authors and publishing professionals; it becomes quickly apparent who just goes through the motions and who genuinely loves what they do and their contribution to the publishing world. Ms. Donovan’s a gem."
Heather Murray, Author, Among Friends: "Diane provides extremely professional service. She’s serious about providing useful book reviews to potential readers and institutional buyers, and she’s fair to authors."
Aimee Oswald Sellars, Author, Faete: "Diane Donovan recently reviewed my Young Adult Paranormal novel, FAETE. Working with Diane was a pleasure from start to finish. I found Diane to be prompt, professional and responsive to any questions or concerns I had. Her communication skills are excellent. I felt Diane was really able to convey the essence of the story, without
Alvin
R. Brown, Author, Native
American Action Stories: "As
the author of Native American Action Stories, I could not have
written a better review of what I intended the book to convey. You
understood the nuances of this work from the unusual formats (plays
and narratives in not special order throughout the chapters) and the
lack of bows-and-arrow clashes on every other page. But most of
all....for your understanding the mindset and feelings of a
15-year-old boy living in those times. Good Job!”
Olivia Kate Cerrone, Author, The Hunger Saint: "I recently received Diane Donovan's review of The Hunger Saint (Bordighera Press, 2017), my historical novella about the child laborers of Sicily, and I wanted to express my deepest gratitude regarding Ms. Donovan's fine work. I really appreciate the smart, thorough and honest insight that she provided. I deeply appreciate how easy Ms. Donovan made this process and I feel very lucky to have her generous insight regarding her review of my work.”
Melissa Mastro, Author, The Waterfall Traveler: "These were the things I think Diane did really well:
1. She was very prompt to send me her review, and delivered it when she said she would. She is clearly a very organized and dependable reviewer.
2. She included excerpts from the book, which helped me understand what types of passages a reader may find gripping. This will be extremely helpful during my marketing initiatives.
3. The review was incredibly well written with some great phrases I can add to the back of my book, sell sheet, and editor review sections on online retailer websites and my own.
4. She was very informative about the process, the archiving of the review, and the issue it would appear in."
Aaron-Michael Hall/Newland Moon, Author, Rites of Heirdron: "Diane Donovan is extremely courteous and professional. She kept me informed regarding every aspect of the review process and produced an exemplary written review ahead of schedule. It was a pleasure to have her reading and reviewing my novel.”
Richard Barager, Author, The Atheist and the Parrotfish: "Diane Donovan's review of my novel was thoughtful and thorough. She clearly did not simply go through the motions, as some volume reviewers are inclined to do, but rather took her task seriously and put real effort into the review process. Book reviewers play a huge role as curators of our work and Diane should be commended for her willingness to serve.”
Susan Fleet, Author, Natalie's Dilemma: "Just a quick note to tell you what a fine job Diane Donovan did with her review of Natalie's Dilemma. She has reviewed other books of mine, but Natalie's Dilemma is a crime thriller with a particularly complex plot and two complex characters. However she captured my intent perfectly."
Rolynda Tassan, Author, Lucy Finds a Home: "I recently had my book, Lucy Finds a Home, reviewed by Diane Donovan, and I wanted to let you know what a great experience I had from the very beginning. When I sent her emails, she was very prompt letting me know she had received them and confirming that she had received any attachments that I may have had. She worked with me, in a very professional friendly manner, when I had to delay sending my manuscript, due to some illustration changes. Her review was very thorough and completed in the time frame she promised.
This is the first book in the Lucy's Tale series and I am looking forward to working with Diane in the future."
Susan Wilcox, Author, Bullies, Coasters, Hermits & Heroes: "Three books that I have written were assigned to Diane Donovan for review. I'm writing to let you know how pleased I am with her work. She was prompt, efficient, and helpful. She went out of her way to answer questions and to make sure I understood the review process. With respect to her work, I am sure you are aware of her keen ability to highlight aspects of books that many might overlook. Her reviews are fair in that she both calls attention to items needing correction and that she outlines, in convincing detail, why a book makes for good reading. As for her writing style, it is impeccable. I'm grateful that I had the opportunity to have my work reviewed by Diane Donovan.”
More Accolades for 2016
Betta Ferrendelli, Author of the Award-Winning Samantha Church mystery series: "I just wanted to take a minute to let you know that I have worked with Diane Donovan for nearly the last five years, as she has read and reviewed all of my releases. She has read all three books in my mystery series featuring reporter Samantha Church and the two books I have in the contemporary fiction genre, include my newest release, Last Things, which she just read and reviewed. I have always been so pleased with her work. I feel as though she really does understand what my books are about and her reviews truly reflect that (and she reads and reviews quickly, which is also a plus!). I have always been most appreciative of her review for Revenge is Sweet, the second book in the Samantha Church mystery series. Some readers have given me poor reviews on that book because they don't like some of the decision my main character has/had to be make. What I liked most about Diane's review of that book is that she understood that there are often many times we make decisions/choices simply because we have to and sometimes they aren't always the best."
Loralee Evans, Author, Felicity and the Fire Stoppers: "I wanted to let you know how pleased I am with Ms. Donovan's work. She has reviewed my last two books, and has done a great job with each one. I appreciate that she is thorough in her review without giving away spoilers. She has been very professional in our correspondences, and has always gotten the reviews back to me in a timely manner. It has been a pleasure having her review my work.”
Mia
Kerick, Author, In
a Gilded Cage: "I
am very happy with Diane
Donovan’s reviews of my books. Her reviews are consistently honest and
detailed, and she always finds the deeper meaning in my books, and
presents it
in a timely fashion. Her language is expressive, and she provides
researched
background information on the themes that I write about to enhance the
meaning
of her words. I have come back to Diane time and again for reviews, and
I will
return to request a review for my next book… and the one after that.”
Christine
Z. Mason,
Author, Weighing the Truth: "Diane
Donovan did a superb job reviewing my legal thriller, Weighing the Truth. As
a former death
penalty attorney, I can say without reservation that Diane's review
accurately
reflects the legal complexities of capital litigation, while at the
same time
discussing the themes and deeper personal issues of the characters. And
she
does all of this without giving away too much of the plot, which isn't
easy to
do.”
Michael
Cuddehe,
Author, The Politics of Unity: "it
has been a pleasure working with Ms Donovan. She has been responsive
and
professional, stating clearly what was expected of me, and delivering
exactly
what was promised in a timely manner. How refreshing! I am really
happy with the review, which was
much better than I had hoped for. The
Politics of Unity deals with a complex array of
issues, and she took
the time to really absorb it, and produce a well written review that
reflects
the spirit as well as the substance of the book."
Vincent Panettiere, Author, These Thy Gifts: "It is lovely to receive a favorable review, but so much more satisfying
to read that the reviewer has taken the time to get into the meat of the story, to see and to explain in terms I could not. Without question it was the most incisive review the book has received. For me, whether the reader/reviewer "likes" or "doesn't like" my book matters less than if they find more than just beginning, middle and end of the story. Diane, better than anyone else got thru the story to find the subtext and expressed it better than I ever could.”
Carla D. Bass, Author, Write to Influence: "Write to Influence!, a specialized book on the art of writing powerfully, is difficult to review -- but Diane Donovan nailed it! This task required an inherent understanding of the written word and how it can – or cannot – be effectively applied. Diane displayed that critical insight. She immediately grasped the shortfalls inherent in contemporary business writing, those same shortfalls that also impede talented individuals from successfully competing for selective opportunities such as scholarships or job vacancies. She succinctly summarized the essence of the writing tools and strategies the book conveys by which to make each word count and every second of the reader’s time play to the writer’s advantage .She found – and understood – the heart of the book. I am so very grateful that Write to Influence! found its way into Diane’s hands.”
Lonnie Ostrow, Author, Poet of the Wrong Generation: "Diane provided a timely and thoughtful review of the book which I will be most proud to circulate to my reader base upon it's posting. Ms. Donovan clearly took the time to read and digest the novel, recognizing the nuances of the characters and identifying many of the key moments from the storyline. I am most appreciative.”
Tomasz Chrusciel, Author, Fast Tracy to Glory: "Diane is an outstanding reviewer, and I consider myself a very happy man because my novel was sent just to the right person. The review is accurate and thorough. Diane doesn’t repeat the comments the book gathered from other editorial sites; it’s so important to me that she goes much further into the essence of the story. She not only sees action and adventure aspects of my novel but beautifully and honestly emphasises its complexity and attention to detail – the very elements in my writing I’m very and humbly proud of.”
Javier Perez, Page-Turner Publicity: "Diane Donovan consistently writes concise, fair, and thoughtful reviews for our clients. She’s also extremely organized and always gets things to us on time. She’s truly a professional.”
Leeza Carlone Steindorf, Author, Connected Parent, Empowered Child: "Just this week, Diane Donovan produced a review of my work Connected Parent, Empowered Child: Five Keys to Raising Happy, Confident, Responsible Kids. I’ve read hundreds of reviews in my line of work and they are not all worth their weight. This review, of my own work even, I found to be clear, fair, informative and comprehensive. Ms. Donovan truly grasped the expansiveness of the subject matter and nailed the core of the book at the application of lessons wed to consistent modeling.”. ”
Terri A. DeMitchell, Author, Chelsea Creek to Bunker Hill: Spring 1775: "Diane’s review was very thoughtful and thorough and she was extremely professional and responsive during the process. So, when I needed some assistance with my soon to be published middle school mystery, Faking It, I didn't hesitate to contact her regarding her literary services. She provided suggestions to strengthen the story, copy editing and wrote a review. Once again, she exceeded my expectations regarding quality of services and all work was completed in a very reasonable time frame and at a very reasonable fee. I will definitely use her services again and will recommend her to others.”
Flo
Selfman, PR
Consultant, WordsaLaMode.: "
Alex Siegel, Author, First Circle Club, et.al.: "I just wanted to let you know how great a job Diane is doing as a reviewer. I've published 22 novels, and she has reviewed them all. Her work is always on-time and professional. She doesn't have a personal agenda like so many other reviewers. She actually reads the books instead of just the previews. It's been a pleasure working with her for the last several years. ”
Adam Collins, Author, Obsidian/The Bloodthorn Series.: "Diane is a wonderful and generous reviewer and a complete professional. Asking her to review my book was the best decision ever!”
Saurabh Kikani, Chief Creative Officer, Super Amazing Princess Heroes: "My team and I were assigned Diane Donovan to review our upcoming children's book "The Gift of Gift: A Super Amazing Princess Heroes Adventure". Diane's review was well-written and truly appreciated (always nice to get a good review!).
Additionally, she was extremely professional, timely, and warm through every step of the review process. We appreciated it to no end! We look forward to working with Diane again.”
Tom Holt, Author, Oblique: "I just received Diane Donovan’s review of “Oblique.” She absolutely nailed it — the theme, the variations on theme, the characters, and the underlying (oblique :-) intent of the book. I am especially appreciative and encouraged because hers was an independent review without prior knowledge; that she understood the book, as expressed in her review, is wonderful. She and I corresponded several times via email, and she was a delight: helpful and encouraging.”
Hunter Murphy, Author, The Curse of the Bridal Chamber: "I wanted to let you know how wonderful Diane Donovan did with my book review! Not only because she gave it a positive review but she REALLY read the book, unlike some of the other reviewers who have picked up my book. She is a really conscientious reader. I could not have asked for better.”
Judy Penz Sheluk, Author, Skeletons in the Attic.: "Too often in this world we only email or call to complain. I try to make it a practice to praise good work and effort, in this case, the review by Diane Donovan of my mystery, Skeletons in the Attic. From the very beginning, Diane was professional and easy to work with, and her review of my book far exceeded my expectations. I would happily hire Diane again, and would be more than willing to provide a reference, if requested.”
Michael Benzehabe, Author, Unassimilated: "Well, that was painless. Diane Donovan was fast, intelligent, and helpful. What more could I ask for?”
Ed
Cobleigh,
Author, The
Pilot.: "Ms Diane Donovan
recently wrote a review of
my novel, The
Pilot: Fighter Planes and
Paris, and did a wonderful job. She
was a delight to work
with, hit the deadline on time, and communicated
well. Most
importantly, she took the time to read the book carefully and comment
intelligently on it. The plot of the book is somewhat
layered and
complex, yet she was able to capture this in her review.
Unlike other reviewers of other books, she did not fall into
the trap of
merely recanting the narrative, but offered insight and depth. Well
done, Diane.”
Ginny Shaddock, Author, My Million Dollar Donkey: "Just wanted to extend my thanks and appreciation for the review written by Diane Donovan and sent to me today. She truly captured the essence of my book's message, and the combination of her intellectual and emotional response to my book made me feel she read it with care and thought, and reviewed it in a professional, well trained way.”
Diane Dettmann, Author, Courageous Footsteps and Yasu's Quest: "I'm so glad I connected with Diane Donovan and she agreed to review both of my books: Courageous Footsteps:A WWII Novel and the sequel, Yasu's Quest a Tale of Triumph. Diane did a fantastic job on the reviews. Her specific detail and insights into the stories created an engaging lens into the the character's lives, the WWII setting of the books and clearly revealed the messages of the books. Her work was professionally done, she was efficient and her feedback very helpful. Diane was a pleasure to work with!”
Shawn Inmon, Author, The Unusual Second Life of Thomas Weaver: "I want to tell you what a pleasure it was to work with Diane. She impressed me immediately by responding quickly and professionally to my initial email, then did a wonderful job of telling me what would happen and when. I actually thought her initial schedule was a bit optimistic, but she hit it bang on. The review itself was clever, well thought out, and insightful. I just wanted you to know what a pleasure she was to work with and what an asset she is.”
Taylor Ytuarte, Book Publicity Services: "I just wanted to drop you a note and let you know what a pleasure it has been to work with Diane. She has been consistently prompt, eloquent, and professional. We at Book Publicity Services as well as our clients have thoroughly enjoyed our experiences thus far in working with Diane. ”
James Marshall Smith, Author, Silent Source: "I just wanted to pass on to you how delightful it was to work with Diane Donovan on my novel that I submitted to her for review. She was quick to turn it around, efficient and clear in her email with me, and is an exceptionally talented reviewer and writer.”
Tyson Cornell, Rare Bird | Archer: "I hope I mentioned this before, but you're the first reviewer that the author says "gets it." ”
Edward Galluzzi, Author, Mirror, Mirror at 1600 D.C: "I want to let you know of my positive, professional experience in working with Diane Donovan, Editor California Bookwatch, who reviewed my book, Mirror, Mirror at 1600 D.C. She was clear about the steps in the review and the information she required from me. Ms. Donovan completed the stages of the review in a timely manner and provided me the links to her review to inform others about my book. It was a pleasant experience working with Ms. Donovan.”
James Arthur, Publications Director, New Research LLC for Tutankhamun's Curse SOLVED.: "We have just received Diane Donovan's draft review of our latest book, "Tutankhamun's Curse SOLVED" and we are well-satisfied with the quality of her work and with the process of working with her. We found her to be very professional and competent and would be happy to have her review future releases.”
Tyson Cornell, publicist, Rare Bird/Archer for Bitter is the Wind: "Diane's review and feedback was spot-on. The publisher, Scott Davis from Cune Press, as well as the author, were very thrilled and impressed by Diane's take on the book."
Lawrence J. Epstein, Author, The Gallery of Missing Husbands: "Thank you, thank you (and add a few more thank yous) for such a kind, perceptive, and well-written review. I really appreciate it!”
StellaMarie Alden, Author, How to Seduce a Queen: "It is a wonderful review. I wouldn't change a thing! Truly, it is a joy when people, 'get me.'For isn't that all that artists want? To be understood? Thank you so much, on so many levels.”
Jendi Reiter, Author, Two Natures: "Thanks for connecting me with Diane Donovan for my forthcoming novel, Two Natures. It was a pleasure to work with her. She grasped the essential goals of my book and wrote beautifully about them. Diane was also great about letting me know the time-frame for the review, and giving me the chance to proofread before it went live. I've been using her review in my marketing copy.”
William Graham, Author, Martian Darkness: "This is a quick note to let you know that as an author how much I appreciate the thoroughness and professionalism of Diane Donovan. She has reviewed several of my books during the past year and I have been impressed by her insightful writing. In other words, she gets the themes and point of the work and conveys it clearly in her reviews. She clearly loves a good story and I am glad that she has read and commented on my work..”
LA Jamison, Author, Self-Publishing Safari: "It was pleasure working with Diane Donovan. She helped me with my book "Self-Publishing Safari: Navigating the Publishing Jungle for Authors". She wrote a good review, very timely and her communication with me was excellent."
Ram Muthiah, Author, Tell My Dad: "I want to let you know that I am very pleased with the review. The process is well defined and my reviewer (Diane Donovan) is systematic, honest and kept me updated in every step of the way. I thank you for the services you provide for authors.”
John Jaegers, Author, Astrologer's Apprentice: "I am very pleased with Diane's timeliness and professionalism. In addition, I feel that her review of Astrologer's Apprentice in the June issue is thoughtful and engaging, accurately capturing the essence of my story. "
DB Michaels, Author, Song of the Blackbird: "Diane Donovan is a fantastic reviewer and so pleasant to work with. Not only is she very readily available by email, she read my book very promptly and finished the review for me early, with weeks to spare. She was the first professional reviewer I worked with and I'm very impressed with her work. Her review was honest and very well-thought out and inspiring. It gave me a huge boost of confidence for my book and I’ve used her quote in a lot of my sales promotions as well as on the back cover of my print book.”
Deborah Hawkins, Author, Dark Moon: "I wanted to compliment Diane Donovan on her very insightful and professional review of my book, Dark Moon, A Legal Thriller. The review was published today. Ms. Donovan can be relied on to produce reviews as promised and on time. Moreover, she does much more than merely summarize the plot of a novel. She always offers specific examples of what she finds compelling in plot, theme, and characters. I very much enjoy working with her and I am looking forward to her review of my next book, The Death of Distant Stars "
Chand Svare Ghei, Author, Prasvapa: "I am extremely pleased with the book services which Lady Diane Donovan has provided me. Only the best quality service is good enough for her."
E.J. Chadwell, Author, How the Mighty Fall: "Diane Donovan is the consummate professional, who takes her job as a reviewer seriously. She expertly tells the reader what the story is about without revealing any spoilers or plot twists. Diane focused on her thoughts and feelings about how the story was told. Diane presented my story fairly, and she made the case why the book is good. She gave the reader good service by providing some basic information about the book, and offered the reader a sense of the style, tone, and essence of the book, without giving anything away."
Pamela Palmer, Publisher, Smart Heart Publishing (for Carmen Fox's Bound): "Diane Donovan's use of quotes in the review, plus her careful choice of words, give a balanced view, which is exactly what we hoped for from an editorial review. Both my author and I were thrilled with the review and with Ms Donovan's professionalism."
Kim Siegel, SPBRA: "It was a pleasure to work with Diane Donovan on her review of “The Devil Knows” by Janet Holt-Johnstone. She was extremely professional and gave a thorough and fair review of Janet’s book. Janet was thrilled to receive her review and is very eager to use it as a resource in getting the word out about “The Devil Knows.” This is a wonderful service and we are looking forward to using it again."
Susan DuBosque, Author, Good Morning Diego Garcia: "I wept tears of joy while reading youramazing review of my book. I can’t imagine changing a single word. It’s a beautiful, from the heart, review! Thank you so much for your time and energetic review!”
Kelly Pellatt, Author, Rise of the Good Wolf: "Diane Donovan is a gift to all those who seek a reviewer who not only reads ones work thoroughly but internalizes it, feels its essence then presents this experience back to you. I feel I have a review packed with integrity that piques the curiosity of the potential reader.”
Michael Pronko, Author, Motions and Moments: "Big thanks for this! It's perfect. I loved Diane's review and really appreciate the great work you do.
Judy Alter, Author, The Gilded Cage: "I wanted to let you know how much I appreciate Diane Donovan’s book reviews and how pleased I am to be working with her. Her reviews of my work so far have been favorable, which I assume is honest, and she is spot on in her interpretations, gives me lots of quotable lines. A great advantage in this day when indie and ebooks have a hard time getting notice.
M.L. Spencer, Author, Darkstorm: I am writing to let you know how pleased I am with Diane Donovan’s recent review of my novel, Darkstorm. Not only was Diane’s review very favorable, but it was also extremely elegant and delightfully quotable. Diane actually took the time to give Darkstorm a good, hard read. Unlike some reviewers, she noticed the depth that was there in the social and moral commentary beneath the plot and did not just pigeonhole the novel based upon genre stereotypes. Diane was also very personable and professional in all email correspondence. I am both thrilled and humbled by Diane’s review.
Jeremy Bates, Author, Island of the Dolls: Diane Donovan has reviewed several of my books, and she has been a terrific reviewer. She has a great ability to get a book down to a few paragraphs. The reviews sum up the books better than I can - all the while managing to touch on everything from theme to characterization etc wonderfully.
Rumer Haven, Author, What the Clocks Know: Diane Donovan recently reviewed my latest book, What the Clocks Know. I am over the moon with Diane's feedback and very proud to share it. Her insights are both intelligent and beautifully expressed, and she's been wonderful to correspond with as well. I'm so delighted that my novel was assigned to a reviewer with such an affinity for this genre, and I just want to thank you, Diane. I will certainly query again in future.
T.J.
Roberts, Author,
Fairalon: "I was really
lucky to get a review
from Diane Donovan.I'm new to this, and there are a million review
sites all
willing to take a fee, but not necessarily read the book. I don't mind
paying
for the job, it takes time to read a novel so it's completely fair.
Diane did a
great job. It didn't hurt that she liked the book, of course, but the
big thing
was that you could tell she read it and got it. Many thanks from a
newbie
author. I will recommend your service highly to anyone who asks."
Marjan Sierhuis, Author, Pardon Me While I Close the Door: "The process was a new experience for me, and I wasn't sure what to expect. But Diane informed me of the steps involved. And kept the lines of communication open at all times. I felt she "understood me", what I was trying to say, and why I wrote the book. I mentioned Diane on twitter, since I now have a few followers. And hope she doesn't mind. Thanks once again."
Jules Mitchell Bailey, Author, Champion Bubbler: "When Diane Donovan was referred to me, I had no idea what to expect. With this being my first published novel, I am new to the publishing industry and so was curious as to what her review would entail. Also since my novel, Champion Bubbler, is based in the Caribbean and is infused with its culture and language, I questioned whether she would even understand what it entails. I must say that I am truly astonished at how well she summarized my novel and even more amazed at some of the key points she pulled out. Working with Diane has been a great experience and I look forward to her reviewing many more of my novels!"
J.G. Maggio, Author, The (First) 4 Maxims of Social Conservatism: "I wanted to compliment the job that Diane Donovan did in reviewing a book I had written along with others, titled, "The (First) 4 Maxims of Social Conservatism." Ms. Donovan's review appeared in the February edition. In my opinion the review was very well written and organized. It was fair, and did an excellent job of capturing the essence of what we tried to communicate in the book. I have started to spread the word to others. Thanks."
Len Lamensdorf, Author, The Murdered Messiah series: "After decades of involvement with a project, I can't help wondering--will readers "get it?" Your splendid reviews demonstrate beautifully that you do. Not only that -- you are able to convey the meaning, the sense of awe I feel now more than ever that I have something(s) valuable to share with readers on a subject that everyone believes they know and on which it would be difficult if not impossible to find someone who doesn't think they totally understand this incredible person. Beyond sectarionism, beyond cult, beyond passion, there is a transcendent quality to the very existence of Jesus of Nazareth. I say that in every sense--past, present and future, for if there is anyone who remains vibrantly alive after thousands of years, and who still has a message that resonates through the corridors of life now and in the future, it is Jesus. You have helped me convey this reality, and for that I will be forever grateful." And, separately: "…thank you for recommending Diane Donovan as a potential reviewer for my Murdered Messiah series. She provided me with 5 absolutely brilliant, evocative and compelling reviews. Her insights were spot on and the words she used to express her thoughts were absolutely lovely. When writing a long, complex, and possibly controversial series such as this, one wonders if one's work will be understood, let alone appreciated. Ms. Donovan gets 5 stars on every subject, every issue. She has also been prompt, responsive and accurate in all of her communications. I could not possibly have asked for more."
Jennifer Morse, Author, Fairy Godmothers of the Four Directions: "What a wonderful review. Fairy Godmothers of the Four Directions is a compilation of a lifetime of study rolled into adventure and fun. Thank you for seeing in the book the layers of perception I hoped would emerge."
Rob Couteau, Author, More Collected Couteau: "Your review was amazing and, once again, I cannot thank you enough. The piece is so filled with keen insights and perceptions about the subject matter and provides such a warm, heartfelt introduction for readers. Even the quotes you chose provide essential keys for understanding the book. I’m just so deeply grateful! Publishers Weekly BookLife just reviewed it and, although it was a positive piece, it came nowhere near your depth of comprehension and passion, or your delightful prose style. I will include an excerpt with your name on the back cover of the next edition."
Jennifer Wherrett, Author, Lady of the Lake: "Diane Donovan reviewed "Lady of the Lake" (my book) for me, and she did an outstanding job. I was more than happy with it. In fact, I would recommend her to anyone wanting their book reviewed."
Anna Castle, Author, The Widow's Guild: "Thanks for the helpful service! I just wanted to let you know how helpful Diane Donovan has been in my efforts to build a reputation for my books. She’s always on schedule, which is aid to planning, and writes a long, considered review. Book reviewing has always been a useful service. It has become an essential one in the new glorious age of open publishing. Diane is a champion of books. Thanks for everything."
Sepember 2015 Issue
- C.
W. Schulz, author, A Book About a Film : “I
just wanted to give Diane Donovan a kudos for her review. I
was quite pleased with her honesty and feedback.”
- Margie Mack, Author, My Ship Has Sails: "My name is Margie Mack and I have had the extreme pleasure of working with Diane Donovan not once but twice and it has been a wonderful experience! Being a writer, or trying to be, any help that I can find is like wining the lottery or discovering a treasure. Self publishing a book is such uncharted waters that once you are finished you just sit back and wait for the applause to begin, but, that doesn't happen in the real world. So after finding Diane and the wonderful services that were offered I jumped on the opportunity to have her review my boo, "Through The Woods." At the same time I had Kaiser do a review and when I received that review it just about broke my heart. And what was worse was that I paid a lot of money to be insulted. But then came the review from Diane and it made it all go away. I decided to invest my money in the marketing program that Diane offered to me and another service for teaching me how to get the audience that I need in order to be a successful author! I am so happy that Diane and her programs are for me to use! I am spreading the word to everyone in my writing club as well as family and friends. Thank you for giving me the confidence to move forward in my quest to be a successful writer. “
-
Steven McCarthy, Author, Physical Literacy: : "Your review service is vital for publishers and authors and everyone needs to know. For me I was able to correct inconsistancies in the editing stage simply from your honest review...Thank you Diane Donovan again for your literary services"
-
Jeri Parker, Author of Unmoored: ”You don’t miss anything. Any author would be not just lucky but completely blessed to have you review her book. You have such a sensitivity and you found a wonderful way to present this: illustrating your point with a quote from the book. It was one of the profound moments of my life to read your review, to think someone was out there who didn’t miss anything.”
- Christopher
Paul Meyer, author of I Was a Champion Then:
“Just wanted to drop you a line to tell you how great Diane Donovan
was. She reviewed my book, I Was A Champion Then,
promptly and then delivered a well-worded review. Thanks for
providing the service with outstanding reviewers like her.
- Gene
Del Vicchio, author of BetterNot!
And the Tale of Bratsville - Teaching Morals and Manners:
"I am very pleased with Diane Donovan's review of my book, but
more importantly, with her helpful advice, amazing responsiveness,
and endless professionalism. She cares about writers and their
works, and it shows."
- Katy Pye, author of Elizabeth’s Landing: “Ms. Donovan’s kind review of Elizabeth’s Landing was the beginning of our association. I was delighted she understood the niche it attempts to fill. I went on to engage her “Posting Report” service. She was prompt, thorough, and available to graciously and clearly answer questions at every step. What she said she would do, she did on time, and went beyond. In the future, were I to need her other literary services, I wouldn’t hesitate to contact her.”
- Gene Del Vecchio, author of BetterNot! And the Tale of Bratsville - Teaching Morals and Manners: "Diane, thank you for your Book Review Report. It's extremely valuable. Though my marketing plan already included a considerable number of venues for reviews, your listings shed light on dozens more that I had no idea existed. The moment I reached out to your sources I received interest in review copies. I can't thank you enough."
- Charol
Messenger, author of Humanity 2.0 and The Svengali in
My Bed: “I
just want to let you know how very pleased I am with Diane Donovan's
reviews. She has done two for me. She has a full grasp of all the
nuances, start to finish, and shows a true sensitivity to the topics. I
will be using her again.”
August 2015 Issue
July 2015 Issue
June 2015 Issue
1. Cori Tadrus, author of Flawed Happiness: “I was very pleased with my book review from Diane Donovan. She responded very quickly to all my questions, and has been quite helpful throughout the review process. Overall, it was a great experience working with her.”
2. Dianna Skowera, Happy Wanderer Press, regarding Drea Damar’s The Weeping Books of Blinney Lane: “Ms. Donovan's review read like a poetic synopsis that draws the reader into the story in a unique and intriguing way that we had not yet captured in our own synopsis. She accomplished this without divulging any spoilers, while also highlighting specific assets of the story and the author's writing style which bolstered the review in its own right. We are pleased to have found and utilized your services and were happy with the turn-around time..”
3. Yonason Goldson, author of Proverbial Beauty: “Ms. Donovan provided a thorough, accurate, and fair description of the book, completed her review ahead of schedule, and was most accommodating in every way..”
May 2015 Issue
1. Michael H. Davison, author of America’s Suicide: “I thank Diane Donovan for her very favorable review of my book. She clearly grasped the central issue.”
2.Claire Nana, author of LEVERAGE: The Science if Turning Setbacks into Springboards: “I recently obtained a review for my book LEVERAGE: The Science if Turning Setbacks into Springboards, from Diane Donovan and just wanted to express how pleased I am with her work. I will definitely use her again for my future work.”
April
2015 Issue
1.
Bradette
Michel , author of For Their Own Good:
“I
want to express my appreciation for the review provided by Diane
Donovan of my
upcoming debut novel, For
Their Own Good.
I was delighted that her thoughtful review showed her understanding of
what I
was trying to do in the book. Diane has been very professional and
helpful as I
work my way through the somewhat bewildering publishing process. Her
thoughtful, timely responsiveness is greatly appreciated. I
would not
hesitate to recommend her.”
2.
Meghan
Reynolds, project manager at Mascot Books: “I
just wanted
to take a moment, reach
out, and let you know that working with Diane Donovan has been a
wonderful
experience. She is an excellent reviewer and has made the process
stress-free
for us at Mascot Books.”
3.
Terry
Bazes, author, Plot Fiction Like the Masters: “Diane
Donovan did a fine
job of
reviewing Plot
Fiction like the Masters and has been a pleasure to work
with.”
March 2015 Issue
1. Joe Roper, author of The Hunter Awakens: “My experience with Diane Donovan has been spectacular. She is prompt, communicates well, and has kept me fully informed along the way. It seems so rare to find a well respected review organization that treats small press authors so well. Thank you Ms. Donovan for a great experience.”2. Deborah Davitt, author of The Goddess Denied Diane Donovan provides swift, courteous service, always responding promptly, and with far more friendliness than I have received from other venues.
I appreciate the fact that the reviews are far more thorough than those provided by, say, Kirkus (I just got my Kirkus review on the first book of mine that Diane reviewed, and they spent half of their 500 words recapping my plot and quoting my work, rather than describing what they found effective about the book and what they enjoyed. :-/ ). I also appreciate that this review service is available for only a fraction of the price that Kirkus charges, and that there are no unexpected surcharges when the book proves to be "longer than average." Your turnaround time is also much better; three weeks, as opposed to three months.
Last, I'd like to note that Diane has a gift for prose herself, and sometimes verges on the poetic in her reviews. I loved one of her phrases about my recent offering: "Exotic spells . . . sorcerers and sisters, stolen lives and fragile forms, all interwoven. . . " makes my work sound so enticing, I almost want to go back and read it for a tenth time myself. “
3. Jack Roberts, author of Unsung Heroes: “I just wanted to take a moment to tell you what a pleasure it has been to have Diane review one of my non-fiction books for middle school readers.
She has been very professional and supportive (responding immediately to my emails), and her review was extremely thoughtful. (I got some terrific quotes that I can use in my marketing efforts.)
Diane currently has another one of my new non-fiction titles and I look forward to her review.”
4. Deborah
Hawkins, author of Ride Your
Heart 'Till It Breaks: “I
wanted to express my appreciation for the fine work of
Diane Donovan who recently reviewed my new novel, Ride Your Heart 'Til
It
Breaks, 2015 winner of the Beverly Hills Book Award for Women's
Fiction.
Ms.Donovan's reviews are thoughtful, insightful, and
well-written. She
gives a prospective reader not only an excellent summary of the plot
but also
the important themes of the book She does so much more than
merely
summarize plot as I have found the reviewers at Kirkus often do.
Ms.Donovan
provides a prospective reader with a concrete reason to read the book,
which is
a great marketing tool for an author.
Thank you for the opportunity to express my gratitude for Ms.Donovan's excellent skills as a reviewer, her communication with me, and her very professional adherence to her promised deadlines."
5. H.G. Wallace, Press Manager at Anu Esoteric Press: “Thank you for your time and your kindness. It is not easy being new in this field and trying to get exposure for a new author. We truly appreciate the time you took to request the book, read it, and give it such a wonderful review.
After dealing with some less than stellar individuals, it has been a treat to converse with you and have the opportunity to use your services. As a business run by women and seeking to promote authors and works that help bring understanding, equality, and peace, I am very glad the universe made a way for our businesses to connect.
All of us at Anu Esoteric Press certainly look forward to working with you in the future. "
6. Jean-Pierre Dorléac, Author of The Naked Truth: “I am so PLEASED with your review for The Naked Truth. You really captured the spirit I was trying to bring to the chronicle. I can't thank you enough. "
February 2015 Issue
1. Michelle B. Assor, author of Snaygill: Slippery Temptations: “I approached MBR in mid-December 2014 for a book review. I was referred to your Senior ebook reviewer, Diane Donovan. Diane immediately notified me of her reviewing services. She also included details of when the review would be ready and when she would plan to publish it in her newsletter. Her manner was extremely professional, yet warm and welcoming, not intimidating, especially for an inexperienced, debut indie writer like myself.
Diane emailed her review to me in mid-January 2015, the exact date she had specified. I was impressed with her punctuality.
As far as the review is concerned, I did not know what to expect. I had worked on my novel for seven years, through high's and low's in my life. I lost my husband last year. I recently overhauled the novel, editing it several times. My previous literary agent was unable to get it published. Yet I always believed in the book and I never gave up.
Diane's insight is quite incredible. I felt as if she had crept into my skin and had picked up on details that few reviewers would have perceived. Perhaps I can describe her as an octopus, with each tentacle reaching out to discover hidden treasures, nuances in the book, undetected by others. Her review was simply wonderful, genuine, and I believe the novel will succeed. I will have Diane Donovan to thank, hopefully one day, if it does succeed. She fulfilled my dream and made me realize that my hard work and perseverance had paid off. Following Diane's fine review, thereafter I received a great review from Kirkus.
Once my novel is available on Amazon, I will be contacting Diane again to move forward with the 'postits' on ten sites. I might even proceed with the marketing plans that MBR offers to authors.
I have the utmost respect for Diane Donovan. In a world where personal service does not exist, where people have no morality, honesty or loyalty, Diane stands out as a rare gem!!"
2. Warren Firschein, author of Out of Synch: “I thought I'd drop you a quick note to let you know how pleased I was with the recent review of my book, "Out of Synch," reviewed by Diane Donovan. The whole process went very smoothly, and Ms. Donovan was courteous, timely, and professional. Thanks so much for providing this service--I would definitely use it (and Ms. Donovan!) again in the future."
3. Barbara Ebel, author of Collateral Circulation: a Medical Mystery: “I'm just giving a shout-out for Diane Donovan's work. She recently reviewed my "Collateral Circulation: a Medical Mystery." Diane's review was thorough and insightful of this novel. It gives an author great pleasure when a reviewer 'gets' their book!"
4. Jeffrey B. Burton, author of The Lynchpin: “Diane has been extremely helpful every step of the way, and provided a very thoughtful review of the novel. I really appreciate all of her help.
5. Tanya Robertson, author of Tears of Innocence: “I am writing to let you now how pleased and grateful I am to Diane Donovan for:
1. Her thorough insightful review of my book 'Tears of Innocence'.
2. Posting the review to various sites via her Postits service.
3. Her professionalism.
4. Her availability i.e. readily dealing with any inquiry I may have had.
5. Her overall courtesy, help and understanding.
It has been a real pleasure to work with Mrs Donovan. I can only say I wish everyone worked to the same level of competence."
6. Tom Lucas, author of Pax Titanus: “I'd like to review a reviewer, if I may. Diane Donovan did a bang-up job with her review of my ribald space opera, Pax Titanus. Well-written, balanced, and fun. I have two books out thus far. I couldn't be more pleased. I need to hurry up and write another one for you."
7. Natalia Zelder, publisher, Cow Eye Press, for Cow Country: “I just wanted to confirm my appreciation for Ms. Donovan's review. She did a professional job and we appreciate the consideration. It is not easy for a new publishing house to get meaningful reviews for our independent authors, so we are grateful for this opportunity and especially for her professionalism and care."January 2015 Issue
1.Matthew Heines, author of My Year in Oman, et.al.: “Sharp, accurate and thorough- the only three words that describe Diane Donovan’s Reviews. Example: Ms. Donovan was the first person to see the complete American Experiences in Arabia During the War On Terror series after it was published. Immediately, she picked up on the fact that My Year in Oman has all of the background information on Arabia, the culture and the geography, so that it is not necessary to keep re-iterating that information in the other two books.
Ms. Donovan also pointed out that she enjoyed reading my books and that she couldn’t wait to start the next book once she finished one. In all of the years of gathering information and writing, I hoped and prayed that someone, somewhere would have that same reaction. I am so thankful that my books ended up with Diane Donovan. One caveat- If you don’t think your books are first rate, do not send them to Ms. Donovan! She is only going to tell you what she thinks of your book. If you have any doubt, try someone else.
2. Karen Burns, author of Rules for the Perpetual Diet: “Just a note to say how much I enjoyed working with Diane Donovan, who recently reviewed my newest book, Rules for the Perpetual Diet. Diane was a delight to do business with. She was prompt, responsive, cheerful, and thorough. She answered every question, and even anticipated questions.”
December 2014 Issue
1.Ron Ames, author of METAL HORSES: “I am an amatuer in the literary world, but I can tell you that with the 2 books that I have managed to publish, I have dealt with four different reviewers and you are by far the most efficient and professional. The review you composed for my book is the most in-depth I have ever received.”
2. Carolyn
Haley,
author of AURORA
AFFAIR: “My novel
was assigned to Diane
Donovan, and she gave me my money's worth -- and then some.
As a writer, editor, and reviewer, I've been involved in many
conversations
about the value and ethics of buying a book review. The topic is pretty
darn
hot among these communities, and I've received my share of vitriol for
supporting the position that reviewers are entitled to payment for
their time
and expertise if they want it, and that the majority have integrity and
courtesy, and give honest reviews.
This is an awkward position, since I review gratis for a major journal,
and for
a year reviewed for pay for with another major review publication.
Thus, I
thought long and hard before ponying up for a review of my own work.
Ultimately, the difficulty in obtaining reviews through the freebie
network
moved me to take my chances. I chose MBR because (1) I consider it one
of the top
review sources and wanted that quality applied to my book; (2) the
print
version of my title didn't get selected when I submitted it to MBR, so
I wanted
another chance when I released the e-version; and (3) the cost is
better than
competitive -- it's the lowest that I've found, by a significant
margin. Like
so many writers (and self-employed editors) I operate on a tight budget.
Diane justified my expectations by returning a thorough review that
came out
positive without sounding like a pay-for-praise deal. She kept her tone
neutral
and personality in the background, talking just about the book and its
notable
features. What surprised me was being offered a chance to see the draft
and
respond to it prior to release.
As for dollar value, Kirkus charges over $400 for a template-style review of 300-350 words; PW (last I looked, a few years ago) charges $125 for a blurb that might not get posted or published anywhere; and of the others I looked into, the lowest price was $70 for a Kirkus-type package. Yet through MBR I got over 800 freestyle words that not only highlighted the novel's qualities, but also showed that the reviewer had indeed read the book, looked at the supporting materials about it available online, and done her best to emphasize what makes it different from other novels.
I learned about your service from one of my indie-author clients, who was similarly satisfied with his experience. So I think you've got a winner here!
3. Irene
Woodbury, author of A DEAD END IN VEGAS: “Diane Donovan …did a wonderful job
with the review--and with the posting of it on multiple
sites. I was
impressed with how well written the review was, and how thorough,
pleasant, and
professional she was. As you know, book promotion is a hectic
process
these days, so I really appreciate the chance to work with someone like
Diane.”
4. Sean
DeLauder, author of THE LEAST ENVIED: “Diane has completed a timely and
articulate review of my book, The Least Envied. It’s clear to me that
she
read the entire story and put some thought into her reaction to it. I’d
like to believe this is due to the quality of my story, but this is the
second
time Diane has come through for me in this manner, so I’m willing to
believe that her reviewing ability also plays a large part.”
5. Martin
Hill, author of EDEN: “Diane
Donovan’s review of my
book Eden: A
Sci-Fi Novella was exceptional.”
November 2014 Issue
1. R.C. Binstock, Author of SWIFT RIVER: "
2. Antonio Simon Jr., Publisher, Darkwater Syndicate: "I'm writing to let you know what a fantastic experience it was working with Diane. She is indeed a distinguished professional - it shows in both the quality of her work and her exceptional client relations. Her review was thorough, balanced, in-depth, and delivered promptly."
3. Vivian Hwang, Author, CHASERS and DAYS OF AMBER: "Diane Donovan did the review on my 2 ebooks, Chasers, and Days of Amber, and they were lovely. This is a great service for independent authors such as myself, and I hope that you will continue promoting it. "
4. Leza Lowitz and Shogo Oketani, Authors, JET BLACK AND THE NINJA WIND: "We just wanted to take the time to thank Diane Donovan for her insightful and intelligent review of our Young Adult novel, Jet Black and the Ninja Wind. Of course, we were thrilled that she liked our effort, but beyond that, the best kind of review is one in which even the author learns something new about their own book. Ms. Donovan is that kind of a reader and writer, and we just wanted to take the time to let you know how grateful we are that she was able to review our book."
October
2014
Issue
2. M.J. Winn, author of DEAD SOUL MARY: "Thank you very much for the excellent review of my novel, Dead Soul Mary. I am very impressed by how well written and insightful the review is. You obviously put a lot of time and thought into reading and writing, and I am very grateful. And you realized the many things I was trying to do within my novel. I can't wait to use your wonderful review as part of my novel's future promotions!"
3. R.C. Durkee, author of RUM RUN: "Ms. Donovan is very professional while coming across as a warm, accessible reviewer. She informs you when she receives your book, and gives you a date that she will complete the review. She does not leave you "in the dark" like most reviewers. She is very prompt and in fact, I received the review earlier than the date she promised. I never had to wait long for an e-mail response as her e-mail responses were same day. Of all my reviewers, she has been the most prompt and efficient and accessible. It was a pleasure to do business with her, and I hope to do so again in the future."
4. Warren Albrecht, author of NEITHER CHILDREN NOR GODS: "You have grasped the essence of what I am trying to do with my novel. I could not be more pleased with your viewpoint. It is gratifying to have a professional carefully read and then actually like the story."
5. Melissa Mahle, author of UNCOVERED IN ISTANBUL: "I wanted to provide feedback on my interaction with Diane Donovan, who reviewed my children’s book, Uncovered in Istanbul. The publishing industry has become a rather unfriendly world, with publishers, editors, agents and reviewers under time pressure, tight budgets and have almost zero room to take risks. It is wearing to hear in so many conversations or see in email exchanges excuses as to why something didn’t get done or could not get done because of lack of time or lack of demand. My experience with Ms Donovan was exactly the opposite.
Ms. Donovan was positive in her communications, exact in doing what she said she would do when she said she would do it. Very professional and refreshing. The review she wrote was well written, but more importantly, interesting. I am so pleased MBR selected Ms. Donovan as the reviewer."
6. Rebekah, Publisher of THE BLOOD LINE: "Wanted to send you a quick note and let you know how pleased we are with Diane Donovan's review of our author's new novel Blood Line (John J. Davis). Diane's review is insightful, informative and her analysis of the underlying psychology of the book is spot on. She was actually the first reviewer to truly understand the character dynamics. Our author appreciated her opinion as did we."
8. Becca Hardy, author of Severxance Living Legacy Saga, Book 1: "I was very happy with the professionalism and attention to detail Diane Donovan gave my book. Not only did she provide an accurate review, but I really feel she has an excellent grasp of the science fiction genre as a whole."
9. Elena Maria Vidal, author of The Paradise Tree: "I just want to express my appreciation of Diane Donovan's review of my novel The Paradise Tree. She reviewed it in a timely fashion even though she was one of the last reviewers to receive a review copy. I am very impressed with the quality of her work."
September 2014 Issue
1. Betta Ferrendelli, author of REVENGE IS SWEET: "All I can say is wow! I think I told you this last time when you read and reviewed The Friday Edition, you are the first true reviewer who really gets it. That is exactly what Revenge is Sweet is about, there are many levels to the book and I think you touched on every one."
2. Joseph Hirsch, author of KENTUCKY BESTIARY: "I just wanted to thank you for the timely and professional manner in which my book was reviewed. I have passed on word of this good experience to my fellow authors at Paragraph Line Books, and I hope they will also avail themselves of your services."
3. Stanley A. Riggs, MD, author of BUILD WEALTH & SPEND IT: "Diane Donovan completed her thorough and informative review of my book Build Wealth & Spend It All in a timely fashion. It is clear she took the time to completely read the book (some reviewers do not). Readers will appreciate her and her in-depth analysis and intuitive review style."
4. Javier Perez, Page-Turner Publicity for JOSH'S WALL: "Just want to let you know what a pleasure it is to work w/ Diane Donovan. She recently reviewed one of my client’s books, JOSH’S WALL, by Cliff Ashpaugh. The author was thrilled with her review! I’ve worked with Diane before and look forward to sending her other titles written by my clients."
5. Joanne Sundell, author of ARCTIC STORM: "Please allow me to thank MBR and reviewer, Diane Donovan, for her "spot-on" review of my YA crossover, ARCTIC STORM, from Five Star, Gale/Cengage Learning. My editors were happy, too; so much so a copy of Diane's review went out to all in the company. Diane's insight into my story and her analytical expertise ... blew me away."
6. Diane Ketterman, author of A CHILD OF ROYALTY: "I am very satisfied and pleased with the work Diane Donovan did for me in reviewing my book, "A Child of Royalty". I sent out an email to some friends and her review clarified for them an outsider view of my story. The feedback was great! I will keep Diane in mind for future writings and friends who have submissions as well. She did a wonderful job!"
7. Scott Pinsker, author of THE SECOND COMING: A LOVE STORY: "I wanted to express my sincere appreciation for the professionalism & personal care of Ms. Diane Donovan, who recently reviewed my debut novel, The Second Coming: A Love Story. Since my June 6 release, I’ve been fortunate enough to receive 20 reviews on Amazon (4.9 overall stars), plus some very kind accolades from various bloggers & reviewers. Of all the folks who took the time to critique my novel, Ms. Donovan stands-out. She truly took the time to read, review & consider the consequences. As an author, you simply couldn’t ask for more than that."
8. Nanci Rathbun, author of CASH KILLS: "I'm dropping you this note to tell you about my positive experience with Diane Donovan and her review of my mystery novel, Cash Kills. Diane was extremely prompt in getting information to me for the review to proceed. She kept me informed along the way and was both easy and professional to work with. I really appreciated her sharing information about the review process for my future reference. I'll be using her review in publicity releases."
9. Martin Halliday, author of MYSTERY AND MISADVENTURE: "I have used the services of Diane Donovan three times now. The last two times for two books that are part of a series: Mystery and Misadventure; Mystery and Misadventure – An Old Acquaintance. Whilst I have yet to see the review for the latest book (not due until your October release) I can say that her views on the first accord with with everyone who has read it so far, save that she has demonstrated an ability to put into words what a number of them could not. She has managed, in her review, to capture the essence of the stories (they are anthologies ... think of Roald Dahl. J.G. Ballard and the Twilight Zone). As a reader I would feel that she had summed up the book perfectly. In passing, I would add that she has remained highly professional throughout the process. I am very impressed."
10. Joseph Hirsch, author of KENTUCKY BESTIARY: "I think your previous review helped me secure retail deals for my prior novel, Kentucky Bestiary."
1. Nikos Vlachos, author of THE BED: "I've had many reviewers of my book but yours really captures the essence of what I'm trying to do, i.e make, "a play" a more unique and intimate experience for the reader than they might have if the story were written as a novel. ..after reading your fine review several times, I realized that you were giving me the extreme complement of doing just that--creating a work, in a play format that is quick and easy to read, that flows through an entire lifetime almost effortlessly, and takes the reader to live theater, which is the most intimate of the performing arts followed by movies, TV and radio. Good reviews do that. They get better each time you read them."
2. Yolanda A. Reid, author of THE HONEYEATER: "Diane Donovan, was thorough and insightful, concise and so prompt! Moreover, the review distills the essence of THE HONEYEATER without over-revealing."
3. Clyde Hedges, author of The Boys of Chattanooga and Evergreen: "Diane Donovan recently did two reviews for me, "The Boys of Chattanooga," and "Evergreen." I really liked her reviews. I'm going to use both to great advantage in marketing my books. She gave thoughtful, incisive comments, wrote them well, and even pointed out a few things that I hadn't realized about the books. Diane did an excellent job for me."
4. Foley Western, author of THE GAME PLAN: "Diane Donovan is very thorough and on time and I am very pleased with her service."
5. Dustin D. Romney, author of RULE OF LAW: "I was very pleased with a book review I received from Diane Donovan. She very accurately and fairly captured the tone and thesis of my book and was very accommodating and helpful throughout the process. "
6. John A Brennan, author of DON'T DIE WITH REGRETS: "Ms. Diane Donovan recently reviewed my new book titled, "Don't Die With Regrets." She gave it a serious and very helpful assessment. Very professional, Ms. Donovan's review encompassed all that I desired to impart to the reader."
7. Michelle Kamhi, author of WHO SAYS THAT'S ART?: "Just a word to say how grateful I am to Diane Donovan for her appreciative review of Who Says That's Art?. I especially valued the opportunity to offer suggestions for clarifying certain points to ensure that the review accurately represented the book's thesis. Diane was graciously responsive to all my suggestions, and it was a pleasure to work with her."
8. Larry O'Brien, author of WHY NOT WOMEN PRIESTS?: ".Your review of Why NOT Women Priests? is remarkable--nothing short of a keen display of professional excellence. The review highlights the most significant messages I wanted to convey, and my appreciation of that skill is without limit."
9. Patrice Hamilton, author of MAKE ME: "I just wanted to send a quick note expressing my appreciation for the review of my ebook, Make Me, created by Diane Donovan. I was impressed by her insights and her writing style. She was also a pleasure to work with."
10. Alix Nichols, author of WHAT IF IT'S LOVE?: "I just wanted to let you know how happy I am with the Diane Donovan's review of my book "What If It's Love?". It's thoughtful, detailed and relevant. It gives sufficient information about the book, but avoids spoilers. Diane is a great reviewer."
11. Claire Pickering, For and on behalf of Richmond Pickering Ltd, publishers of MY GUIDE titles: "...we have been extremely happy with the serviceDiane Donovan has given us. Her reviews are professional and in-depth. She has an excellent eye for detail and we would highly recommend her services."
1. Max Timm, author of WISHKEEPER: "I received a very well written, nicely structured, and all around thoroughly positive review from Diane. My book's title is The WishKeeper (YA age range) and I'm delighted with not only how all received the book was by Diane, but how well written the review was as well. "
2. Christine Rivas, publicist for LAURA'S JOURNEY TO THE STARS: "...working with Diane has been an absolute pleasure! She was very responsive and has been easy to work with throughout the entire process of the book review. I look forward to working with her again!"
1. Valerie Clay, author of THE 7TH TAROT CARD: "In reviewing my book, The 7th Tarot Card, Diane Donovan was efficient, timely, and very professional. As a debut novelist, I was a little worried about the outcome, and didn’t know what to expect, but her friendly correspondence and wonderful review turned my fear of a difficult process into a pleasant experience. "
2. W. Stone, author of CONFESSIONS OF A SELF-HELP WRITER: "Thank you so much for your great review! I wanted to let you know its the lead review in our press kits! The writing was crisp and wonderful and great for potential readers. Drew Carey, johnny depp, and a few other famous people asked to see the book after reading it. I wish I would've had you write the jacket copy."
3. Philippa Rees, author of INVOLUTION: "This has not been an easy work for which to find reviews, simply because of is breadth; poetic science through the history of Western thought, which does not easily identify specialists across so many fields. Scientists do not read poetry and poets are rarely scientists! Her grasp of the book's essence and the speed with which she worked was extraordinary. I have referred many who know the book to her review, and they too have been impressed. She managed to make clear the difficulties the cross genre work would face, which I hope will register with those likely to be suspicious of it."
4. Leylah Attar, author of 53 LETTERS FOR MY LOVER: "I found Diane to be efficient, professional and courteous. She communicated with me every step of the way, and provided an accurate timeline so I knew exactly what to expect, and when. I received the links for my review on time, and was satisfied with her insightful and fair review. I felt she had taken the time to read my novel, and that she understood the major themes, characters and plot line."
5. Lorrie Farrelly, author of TERMS OF SURRENDER: "I appreciate the reviews Diane Donovan has done, and is continuing to do, of my novels. Her reviews are thorough, professional, well-written, and perceptive. She is a careful reader and an insightful writer. Many people have told me they respect her opinion, and that it was instrumental in their choosing to buy and read my books. I’m very pleased and honored to have my novels featured in Diane’s reviews."
6. William Andrews, author of DAUGHTERS OF THE DRAGON: "I'm very pleased with the review done on my book, DAUGHTERS OF THE DRAGON by Diane Donovan. I feel she was very objective and insightful and I"m thrilled she gave it a positive review. I've posted the review on my website, FB page and Twitter and I noticed sales have ratcheted up."
7. Dale Bridges, author of JUSTICE, INC.: "My name is Dale Bridges, and my book, Justice, Inc., was reviewed recently by Diane Donovan. I just wanted to say that I am very pleased with her review. I thought it was insightful and well-written."
8. Jay Klages, author of MEASURE OF DANGER: "I appreciated the care Diane put into the review of Measure of Danger. She discussed some aspects and subtleties of the novel I thought have gone unnoticed by regular thriller readers. While I wouldn't classify the novel as full-blown literary fiction, there are a lot of extras in there to discover, and she certainly had a very keen sense of those themes and details. I'm sure that all authors will respect and appreciate this thorough of a review, regardless of the review outcome."
9. Gloria Kury, Periscope Publishing Ltd. for THE RENAISSANCE: "Diane Donovan wrote an astute (and lively) review of our book, The Renaissance Revised Expanded Unexpurgated
for your June issue. We are impressed with her ability to assess a long, ambitious book and the way she conveys a zest for reading."
10. Rainer Kohrs, Marketing Director, Stonehorse Publishing for TOBY: "Working with Diane Donovan has been a great experience for us. Her review is well-written and succinct, with a few good short quotes we've already made use of at BEA. She is a keeper!"
11. Leigh Goodison, author of WILD ONES: "I just wanted to let you know how pleased I was with the review I received from Diane Donovan for my YA novel, Wild Ones. It was immediately apparent that Ms. Donovan had not only read the book very carefully, she also understood the characters, plot and theme. So many 'reviewers' just rehash the text on the cover copy and call it a review. Having a review from the Midwest Book Review provided me with a valuable marketing tool, and is a great service to the writing community. I would not hesitate to use and recommend the MBR, as well as Ms. Donovan's, services in the future."
1. John Lindberg, author of THE BALL CROSSING: "I worked with Diane Donovan and she was very responsive and met all expectations with regard to schedule and effort to thoroughly read my book. Her review was thoughtful and well written."
2. Nelly Cotto, author of HER TURNING POINT: HER DIVINE, GLORIOUS, HAPPY DIVORCE!: "I've had the most wonderful experience and feel motivated to keep going with the professional review process. She was able to fully capture the essence of my story, and then retell it with a wholesome perspective. I loved it!!! Obviously she's very experienced."
3. Thomas Morison, author of THE UNORTHODOX OX: "the recent review by Diane Donovan of the book The Unorthodox Ox by Thomas Morison was an especially fine review. Certainly it is a tricky business to pull in elements from a long tale and relate in a few words what the possible point of the story is after--then reflect on what the story of the book is driving at. So Ms. Donovan's review absolutely got to the nub of what this book is about. Her review made a case for why the book, why its story as related, would be of interest to its specific target audience. "
4. Roger Carrier, author of FINDING SARGADO: "I wanted you to know how pleased I am with Diane Donovan's work on my novel. Her writing of the review of "Finding Sagrado" was artful and her
insights very helpful to those looking for more than a three-line review. If I were coming at the novel cold, I would definitely be intrigued and want to at least try the first few chapters."
5. Kelly Ward, author of THE NOTE HUNTER: CASE OF THE HAUNTED SWAMP: " .We were assigned Diane Donovan as our reviewer, and we couldn’t have had a happier experience. Diane has been very instructive and helpful to us on this, our initial foray into the world of self-publishing. It didn't hurt that she gave us a wonderful, quotable review that will help us make forthcoming books in our series sharper and more entertaining. ..We are over the moon!
6. Samuel Finlay, author of BREAKFAST WITH THE DIRT CULT: "Ms. Donovan... not only read and reviewed my book far sooner than I had expected, but offered an opinion that clearly considered the words and what I was trying to convey with them. All the while, she remained in contact and promptly responded to anything I sent. "
1. Luis Gonzalez, author of LUZ: "I am so pleased with the review I received from your reviewer, Diane Donovan. Ms. Donovan did such a great job of capturing the main ideas and themes of my book, and I was especially delighted that she quoted twice from my work. There is no better feeling for a writer than to know his words have had an impact of some sort on a reader, but what is also nice is the surprise to the writer of which words those are, and her use of quotes from my text really validated my writing and gave me a great boost of confidence about it. I have received several reviews thus far, even from Kirkus, and hers is far superior to the Kirkus review, which in my opinion was cursory and formulaic, given that they know it's just an indie work, and completely rushed just to fit in within the framework of their word count. "
2. Mike Stewart, author of THE TERMINALS #1: SPARK: "I'm so glad Diane enjoyed the book and I was very pleased by the depth of her review. It not only provides some great quotes to excerpt from a marketing perspective, but also gives readers the ammunition to decide if it's a book for them. Well balanced!"
3. Kenneth G. Eade, author of AN INVOLUNTARY SPY: " I am dropping this note to express to you how extremely pleased I am at the speed, the depth of understanding, and the skill with which Ms. Diane Donovan conducted the review of my first novel, "An Involuntary Spy." I will highly recommend her and Midwest Book Review to my fellow authors."
4. Ken Kirkeby, author of RED STICK ONE: "I just wanted to let you know how pleased I am with Diane Donovan's review of my new novel Red Stick One. Of all the reviews I received I can say that Diane was the most professional and paid the most attention to detail in putting it together. She was an absolute pleasure to work with and picked out the essential thrust of the novel better than anyone."
5. Anna Castle, author of MURDER BY MISRULE: "I especially want to commend my reviewer, Diane Donovan. Unlike many in this business, she was always courteous and helpful, keeping me informed with the status of my review. This is important for self-published authors and small press editors alike, since we wear many hats and have many balls in the air (while riding unicycles, of course.) Naturally, I'm gratified that she liked my book. It means a lot."
6. Grace Mattioli, author of DISCOVERY OF AN EAGLE: "I was very pleased with Diane Donovan's service in reviewing my novel, Discovery of an Eagle. Her review was extremely thoughtful and well-written and she was very prompt and thorough in her communications with me. In fact, I will be mentioning her in the Acknowledgement section of my book."
7. Ed Gomez, author of GATEWAY TO INTIMACY: "Diane Donovan has recently completed the review of my book, Gateway to Intimacy and I have to say that she not only did a great job with the review by communicating her observations well, but I can see that she actually read it!!
By the detail she introduces, I can see she actually read and not skimmed over it, which seems to be the case from the way some of the reviews I've received, have read. The other thing I've noticed is that she took the time to find out what I was trying to say and did not simply assume or react to what she read. She took a deeper look at it to find out what it had to say. I'm very impressed with the care and detail she brings to her work.
1. Lorrie Farrelly, author of TIMELAPSE: "I want to let you know how pleased I was with the care and professionalism shown by Diane Donovan in her review of my novel TIMELAPSE ...Diane’s insight, high-quality writing skills, and timely responses are very much appreciated, and I was proud to share her comments with readers."
2. Barbara Ebel, author of SILENT FEAR: "My latest book was a medical mystery, Silent Fear, and it was reviewed by Diane Donovan as an Ebook. She gave a thorough review, it was fair and balanced, and more importantly, she understood the meat of the story and my main character. As you may know, reviewers sometimes just don't 'get it' - perhaps they 'skim' the book. But Diane was insightful and did the review in a timely fashion."
3. Michael McCann, author of THE FREGOLI DECISION: "I'm very pleased with Diane Donovan's recent review of my novel The Fregoli Delusion. It's obvious from her review that she read the book with care and attention to detail, which is always appreciated by every novelist. Her descriptions of plot, theme and character are accurate, and I'm grateful for her kind appraisal of the book. I'd welcome her reviews of future publications of mine without hesitation."
4. M. Dolon Hickman, author of 13:24: "My novel deals with child abuse and the complex religious, psychological, political, and personal impacts that it had on individuals and society. Ms. Donovan really surprised me with her ability to pull out many of these threads and highlight them for potential readers. I redid my back cover text to include a snip from her review at the very top, and am using the same snip on the top of all of my internet marketing and retail descriptions."
5. Andrew H. Armacost, author of THE POOR MAN'S GUIDE TO SUICIDE: "
Ms. Donovan was both honest and thorough in her review. Not only was it clear that she gave the text a close reading, it was equally clear that she 'got it,' and she provided insight, not merely a summary or some kitschy blurb. As for follow-on actions, she provided an advanced copy of the DRAFT review along with a brief period during which I was free to ask questions or raise concerns, though I had neither. Additionally, she communicated when the review would be available, how to access it and, when she left the area for a vacation, I was given an advanced notice followed by a link to the review upon her return. At any rate, in any service industry, and especially one whereby so many emotions (and ok, egos) are involved...I wanted to share with you what a positive experience I had."
1. Chris and J. Bean Palmer, author of ELSBETH AND THE CALL OF THE CASTLE GHOSTIES: "Diane was prompt, accurate, reliable and a pleasure in all our communications. Far more important, she recognized and called to the fore what was most important to us and what we most wanted others to know about our book."
2. Harrison Lebowitz, Esq., co-author of CONNECTED TO GOODNESS: "Diane recently reviewed Connected To Goodness, a book I co-authored with David Meltzer. I just needed to tell you what a fantastic job Diane did. She was a true professional to deal with - prompt, informative, responsive, and insightful. All I can say is what a great experience."
3. Jeff Hennelly, author of THE POWER: "just wanted to drop you a line to let you know what an excellent job Diane Donovan did in reviewing my book. Diane was prompt, professional, and fantastic to work with. I’ve had several people review my book, but Diane’s review was hands down the best. I could tell that she was engaged in reading of the book, based on the breadth and depth of her review. She really took her time and put forth a quality effort!I’d recommend Diane to anyone and hope to work with her again soon."
4. Lewis Lambert, author of JUSTICE SERVED: "I want to let you know that I am enjoying working with Diane. She is fast, thorough and is a pleasure to work with. I will recommend her to anyone who wants a professional book review. If my books are successful, I will give all the credit to her."
5. R.C. O'Leary, author of HALLWAYS IN THE NIGHT: " just wanted to drop you a quick note extolling the professionalism and responsiveness of Diane Donovan. She was extremely thorough in her review and her responsiveness was excellent. I had a couple of questions in the process and she answered them quickly and clearly."
6. Linda Yoshida, author of BURIED THREADS: "I just wanted to send you a quick note of appreciation for Diane Donovan's excellent review of Buried Threads. There's nothing better or more rewarding for an author than finding out a reviewer "gets" your story and thoroughly enjoys it. "
7. Kim Cano, author of ON THE INSIDE: "I just wanted to say I'm very pleased with both book reviews I've received from Diane Donovan. Sure it's nice to get customer reviews, but they often aren't as thorough as Ms. Donovan's. Using portions of her reviews on both my book's editorial areas has landed me some decent ads with leading companies like Book Bub, and that has led to increased sales."
8. Ken Derby, author of HARLEY P. DAVIDSUN'S LOONY BIN: "I just wanted to let you know that it was a pleasure having Diane Donovan review my book entitled Harley P. Davidsun's Loony Bin. She was prompt and professional, and thorough with her review."
9. Max & William Shoaff, Publisher, Ascent Releasing Entertainment for The Yellow Wallpaper: "We wanted to thank you for Diane Donovan. Her professionalism, speed, and diligence was excellent, as well as her work. She was a great reviewer and we would highly recommend her, as well as Midwest, because of her. She is a reviewer worth keeping."
10. Aric Cushing, Editor The Yellow Wallpaper: "I wanted to thank you for reviewing my book. Your review was so incredibly well written and thought out. The points you made were so succinct and wonderful, I just couldn't believe it. Bringing new ideas to old contexts (I feel) is one of the hardest things to do when so many readers have a 'certain' idea about what a writer/individual is all about (even when they usually have only read one or two pieces by the author). I don't know what else to say except that I am so happy... all that work! Researching and travelling to discover those lost pieces was such a labor of love. By no means was it for the money, that is for sure. It was something I felt I had to do to honor Gilman. I really wanted to shed light on the other aspects of her work.
When a reviewer 'gets' what you are trying to do, and not just 'gets it', the way you have, but REALLY UNDERSTANDS, it is an author's greatest triumph (and editor). Reading your article was one of those moments that I will remember for the rest of my life. And NOT just because it was a good review. "
1. Gary Lawrence Sheerin, author of DIJI: "I just wanted to take a moment to let you know how happy I am with the review I received from Diane Donovan. Her analysis of the book, on such a deep level; digging past the simple conclusions of a quick read, was extremely gratifying for me. I cannot thank you enough for your choice for her to critique 'digi'. Whether from her life experiences or readings, her understanding and rational of the plot makes her more then the typical thumbs up or down reviewer. Very rewarding to see her thoughts on my work - perfect!"
2. Mara Quigley, from Steve Allen Media Re: WHOLE HEALTH: "I wanted to thank you for connecting me with book reviewer Diane Donovan. She did a fabulous job reviewing Whole Health by Mark Mincolla- very prompt and professional."
3. Geraldine Evans, author of DEATH DUES: "I just wanted to write to express my delight in the review written by Ms Donovan. It was fair and balanced and I'm so pleased she enjoyed reading Death Dues...With so many trolls actively writing so-called 'reviews', it's good to have dealings with professionals."
4. Darby Karchut, author of GIDEON'S SPEAR: "I wanted to let you know what a thoroughly professional and well-crafted review Diane Donovan wrote for my latest middle grade book, Gideon’s Spear. Diane captured the essence of the book’s theme, while pointing out elements that would resonate with readers. I am eager to share her review with the fans of the series (as well as my editor and publisher). And you should know that Diane’s enthusiasm for books was very refreshing to this author who has been in the industry long enough to see “reviewer fatigue.” "
December 2013 Issue
1. Waima Williams, author of HELLO, MOZART: "Both Diane and Midwest Book Review cover an impressive range of books, and have a high quality of criticism. This is a pleasure to discover now that so many newspapers and professional reviewers have declined or disappeared. It’s also a relief to know that a group of dedicated reader/reviewers is still active, and able to judge fiction according to traditional standards,
meaning much more than the current “customer comments” style found on amazon. Diane and your staff are the real thing. All the best to Midwest Book Review and its efforts to support writing."
2. Michael McCord, author of THE EXECUTION CHANNEL, A POLITICAL FABLE:"
Wanted to let you know how much I appreciate the review of my e-book in Midwest Book Review. It was a joy working with Diane Donovan and I appreciated her thoughtful review -- more importantly, I appreciated how she 'got' the book (it's a very wicked political satire) and communicated that in the review. Her blurb went to the top of review comments on the home page for the book."
3. Eva Pohler, author of THE GATEKEEPER'S SONS: "I just want you to know how pleased I am with the review written by Diane Donovan of my novel, The Gatekeeper's Sons: Gatekeeper's Saga, Book One. Diane's review is well written, and it pinpoints key insights into my story with flare. I teach writing and literary analysis at a local university and am always thrilled to see it done well (especially after reading so many student papers). "
4. Liz Lewinson, author of RAMA GAZE IN MY DIRECTION: "thought Diane not only enjoyed but became engaged with the subject matter. Many book reviewers only read the opening pages and the closing pages and the result shows. I'm sure Diane read the book cover to cover. I really appreciate the quality of her work."
5. Johanna Harris, author of USE PROTECTION: AN EMPLOYEE'S GUIDE TO ADVANCEMENT IN THE WORKPLACE: "Diane was extremely prompt in her response. She made me aware of the time table at each step and sent me relevant drafts and links to the review. She was also helpful in making suggestions for using the review. She was supportive and encouraging. The review itself was thorough, accurate and helpful, and I immediately posted it in the places Diane suggested. I am writing to you to let you know that I will recommend Diane to other authors who are trying to publicize their books."
6. Claudette Marco, author of SATCHEL & SWORD I: THE SEARCH FOR THE SALUKA STONE: "My name is Claudette Marco and I wrote Satchel & Sword I: The Search for the Saluka Stone. When my editor suggested Midwest Book Reviews to write a review for my book, I must admit, I was hesitant. You must understand why. I had been through years of rejections through the query process until one literary agent expressed interest. He read my manuscript and had nothing positive to say about it, criticizing it to the point of absurdity. That experience led me to self-publishing. I cut ties with that agent, but the effects yet lingered deep inside of me. But, I proceeded with gaining an MBR review, because I knew it was a reputable reviewing company. I felt... worried, to say the least. I arrived home one night and found Diane's review finished. As I read it I began crying. It was so detailed, so eloquent, and so positive. It gave me the confidence to know that people might actually like my book! I posted her review on my website and a link to the MBR page where it is posted as well. Sometimes words go beyond the air in which they are spoken or the paper onto which they are written. Thank you so much for your help and your time, Mr. Cox!"
7. Erin Emerson, author of WHAT WOULD OPRAH DO?: "I just wanted to send you a quick note to let you know how please I was with Diane's review. Her turn-around time was impressive and the review made it clear that she fully understood the tone of the book and all of its nuances. I really appreciated Diane's work."
8. Michael J. McCann, author of THE RAINY DAY KILLER: "I'm sending you this quick note to let you know how pleased my publicist, Lynn Clark, and I am with the recent review by your reviewer, Diane Donovan, of my novel The Rainy Day Killer. We found the entire process extremely easy to coordinate, we found Diane easy to work with and very helpful, and I was extremely pleased with her review of my book. It was obvious she'd not only read the book carefully, which many reviewers obviously do not, but had also researched the rest of the series and was familiar with my work overall."