It's ok to not have strife!

On this rainy Friday, full of laundry, ironing, and paperwork, this review improved my day!

4.0 out of 5 stars Secrets of a Summer Village, August 31, 2012

By 

M. Reynard "kairosdreaming" (Ohio) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Secrets of a Summer Village (Paperback)

*This book was received as a free advanced reader's copy*

This was a charming book. Highly appropriate for middle school aged children and even high school children it tells a very relateable story of a young girl and her exchange student trip.

Rachel is all set to go to Mexico for an exchange program. The only problem, there is no room for her. But then at the last minute a spot opens up for a trip to Turkey. At first she's not sure if she should go, she knows nothing about the country and their customs. But the more she thinks about it the more appealing it is, especially compared to working at a coffee shop all summer. So off she flies to meet her new host family, who has a daughter her age and one a little older. Turkey is nothing like she expects, the women are stylish, the food different but good, and the language hard to learn but worth striving for. She enjoys her new sister Aylin and her family and even develops a crush on Aylin's cousin. The summer is flying by with Rachel enjoying all of her experiences, so much so that she isn't sure she wants to go home.

Rachel is a very nice character. She has a few flaws and seems very shy, but in a way she is also open too. My only complaint about her would be that she is written a little younger seeming than seventeen. I actually pictured her more around thirteen or fourteen years old instead of almost being a legal adult. Perhaps she was just a little too naive. Aylin on the other hand was more believable with her naivete. Perhaps it was just because of her culture, but it seemed that she reacted more in an age appropriate manner to different things. The rest of the characters really fleshed out the story and I enjoyed being "introduced" to each one. Especially the adults as they represented a different side of a culture compared to just the exchange story.

There was no real strife in this book, and that was fine. It was more just a growing up, exploring kind of tale rather than something that had to have an antagonist. It was almost like sitting down with a friend, or reading someones journal on their trip to Turkey and you felt as if you could almost know Rachel in real life. I do think that the language in this book and the writing style is highly appropriate for the younger age ranges. There was nothing inappropriate and there were even some very helpful lessons on Turkish culture thrown in. And the "voices" the characters used were authentic enough to replicate a new learner of English. An adult could read it and enjoy it as well (I did and I consider myself an adult some of the time) but I really do think this book is a prime target for the 12-18 range. Or anyone who is considering a school trip abroad. I do think the ending was a little abrupt though, I wanted to know what was going to happen in the future. Perhaps that means another book coming?

A very nice book, one I enjoyed reading. I can only hope that Akyil continues writing.

Secrets of a Summer Village
Copyright 2011
293 pages

Review by M. Reynard 2012

More Reviews! A lifeline.

One of the best things about writing is reviews.  Obviously, good reviews are preferred, but just the fact that someone is reading the story I wrote and getting feedback - any feedback - is a lifeline.  I am a SAHM.  Stay-at-home-mom for those of you who don't know the acronym.  It makes it sound like I'm always at home, and I'm not, but I do have contact with fewer people than I would if I worked outside the home.  But my novel helps me reach out to the world, and sometimes people reach right back out.  In the past few weeks, I've gotten a few new reviews on Amazon, both from people I don't know.

And the good reviews don't make me think yeah, I'm an awesome writer.  I rock.  They make me think wow, someone took the time to sit down and read the story I wrote.  And it brought them pleasure. And maybe they learned something new.  That rocks.  So, reviewers, thank you!

Here are the two reviews that appeared on Amazon:

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Lovely Gem! August 21, 2012

By alisonw

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

A lovely gem! Secrets of A Summer Village is an innocent and lovely coming of age story revolving around two fast friends, Rachel Guo and her host-sister Aylin, and Aylin's host-family and friends in a summer beach village called Didum, Turkey. Secrets surrounding relationships are the theme of the story as are the customs and language of Turkey and commonalities between Rachel's American-Chinese culture and Turkish culture. This is a well-written, delightful story that brought back some nostalgia about my teenage years. Rachel's involvement with Aylin's cousin, Cem is short and sweet. I would recommend this book to my nieces and for any one interested in a page-turning nostalgic tale of falling in love for the first time in their youth, and to anyone interested in another culture.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Sweet story with an informative twist! July 20, 2012

By cool mom

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book was very nicely written and you start to get into the characters' lives and their growing relationships. It is about an American exchange student who travels to Turkey for the summer and the evolvement of her relationships in Turkey as well as back home.

It is very clean but still interesting so safe for a younger teen to read without worrying about language and overt sexual descriptions. I enjoyed that, without knowing it, you learned a lot about the Turkish culture and way of life as well.

A new review :)

Sweet story with an informative twist!, July 20, 2012

By 

cool mom

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: Secrets of a Summer Village (Paperback)

This book was very nicely written and you start to get into the characters' lives and their growing relationships. It is about an American exchange student who travels to Turkey for the summer and the evolvement of her relationships in Turkey as well as back home.

It is very clean but still interesting so safe for a younger teen to read without worrying about language and overt sexual descriptions. I enjoyed that, without knowing it, you learned a lot about the Turkish culture and way of life as well.

Flamingnet Reviews

There is a fabulous book review website out there in Cyberspace, called Flamingnet.  I think its name is unfortunate, both because it's hard to pronounce and because the name doesn't give anyone a clue what kind of a site it is.  Even so, it has been found.  New books are offered for review on Flamingnet to reviewers - who are adolescents!  I honestly care what adolescents think of my book because I wrote it for them.  Yes, adults seem to really like it, too, but they are my secondary intended audience.  My primary intended audience is aged 12-18.

Here's how it works: a book is offered to Flamingnet for review (they prefer electronic copies, but paper will do).  Then, if a reviewer picks it, reads it, and writes a review, the review is posted.  But it's not as simple as that.  It's also a learning experience for the teen readers, because they are given guidance by adult volunteers as to how to write a review.  It's a wonderful program, something I would have loved to have been a part of as a young reader.

I submitted my book for review by Flamingnet at least nine months ago, and I was a little bit saddened to think that it hadn't been picked.  Actually, I was more than a little bit sad.  Because I want young adults to pick my book.  I wondered what they didn't like about it.  I wondered if the cover wasn't "sexy" enough to compete with attractive vampires and dystopian universes.  And then, when I had all but given up, I got an e-mail from Flamingnet that my book had gotten reviewed!  Not only that, but it got seven out of ten stars, and a smiley face.  Here's their content rating criteria:

 This smiley face stands for general readers, for any age. Our reviewers feel that these books are appropriate for the age level for which they have been written. Books with this designation were judged to contain nothing that would be considered offensive. These books are generally absent of violence, sex, drugs, swearing, and crude comments. The vast majority of books listed on Flamingnet are of this type. Assume that a book on our site has this designation if it does not have one of the next three content ratings.

 A smiley angel rating means that this book is faith-based and the story or content is written from a religious perspective. These books often stress morals and integrity, along with their message about the importance of faith and worship.

 A surprised smiley face rating means that we recommend adult guidance when considering this book. These books may contain some profanity, sexual comments, and can also deal with the issue of drugs and alcohol. Parents, teachers, and librarians may want to read these books before recommending them to a student.

 Books with this smiley face rating are suggested for mature readers only, and contain material that is deemed unsuitable for children to young teens. These books can contain sexual situations, extreme profanity, and extreme violence. 

I was thrilled to receive a smiley face. That's the kinda book I want to be writing.

And now, the review:

  

Flamingnet Student Book Reviewer  AScho
When 17-year-old Rachel Guo learns of an opportunity to spend the summer abroad in Turkey, the opportunity seems almost too good to pass up. She anxiously wonders if she will like her host family and whether she can assimilate to a completely different religion and culture. When Rachel meets her host family, especially her host sister Aylin, her fears are put to rest and she begins to experience a life very different to her own in Washington. As Rachel grows closer to Aylin, she discovers that despite a few differences in culture, the two teenagers are very much the same. As the summer progresses, Rachel finds new experiences, especially in her blossoming romance and Turkey s exciting culture.

Secrets of a Summer Village, a novel by Saskia Akyil, is a culturally rich tale that weaves American and Turkish traditions with love and friendship. I found the book to be engaging as well as enlightening, and I learned about Turkish customs, from reading coffee grounds to the many sayings for good luck. The plot held my attention at first, but could have been more engaging and tended to be slightly repetitive as the action progressed. I enjoyed learning about Turkey, and I could also easily relate to the two main characters. Overall, I would recommend this book to teenage girls interested in becoming more culturally aware, as well as anyone looking for a unique summer read.

Reviewer Age:16

Reviewer City, State and Country: Bayside, WI USA

Here's a direct link to the review on Flamingnet: http://www.flamingnet.com/bookreviews/newreviews/newbookreview.cfm?title=Secrets%20of%20a%20Summer%20Village%20(eBook)

Thanks, Flamingnet reviewer!

Good things happen when you're out of town

I went away for a week, and lots of nice things happened while I was away!  For one thing, I didn't spend much energy thinking or worrying about Secrets of a Summer Village, its sequel, or my other book.  And while I was busy not worrying, there was some minor action:

1. I was a guest poster at a very beautiful expat website: http://www.zurika.com/2012/06/guest-post-so-want-expat-writer.html.  


2. My book was reviewed by a very nice reader who won my book through the Goodreads giveaway.  I believe she's a librarian.  


Secrets of a Summer Village is a perfect summer read for middle school age youth and older. It tells the coming-of-age story of 17-year-old Rachel who ventures abroad to Turkey from her home in Washington state. Rachel lives for one month with her Turkish host family. There she has a 17-year-old "sister" named Aylen and an older "sister," Leyla. The family has moved to their summer home on the sea for their vacation. Most of the action during the story takes place in this summer village. 

The characters bond almost immediatelty and Rachel finds herself feeling like she has been in Turkey much longer than a few days. While there Rachel meets a boy, falls in love, and experiences jealousy in her interactions with other girls. She goes through the brief courtship of the older sister, Leyla, and stays in Turkey longer than the original month in order to take part in Leyla's wedding. 

Both Rachel and the reader learn much about modern family life in Turkey and many of it's customs. The author is able to insert all these facts into the book in a way that is natural and that doesn't detract from the story line.The story itself is told in a more simplistic style, using language that reflects the unsophisticated characters of both Rachel and Aylen. The fact that there is no profanity used and that there is only the mention of physical attraction rather than overt sexual references, makes the book more approachable by readers in the middle school age range. However, older readers might just find the book a refreshing change from other young adult novels being written today.

I enjoyed this book and felt that I learned a lot about Turkey and its way of life. I recommend the story to readers age 11 and up.

(In compliance with FTC guidelines, I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.)



She posted the review on Amazon, too, and gave the book 4 stars :) (note: she spelled the charatcter Aylin's name wrong. But I forgive her fully.)


I've got some more guest posts coming up soon, and will keep you all posted.  


In other news, I've had more rejections of my children's books.  But I have not given up.   I just read our children the stupidest bedtime story last night.  And it was published. It's about underwear.  Sadly, they liked it.  But my books are better. I think. 


I've made zero progress on my audiobook, but will work on that furiously for the next few weeks.  My goal is to have the audiobook 100% done in two weeks, and the editing done before July 25th.  Better get working.....

Review: Midwest Book Reviews

I kinda get now why there has been some criticism of Midwest Book Reviews.  If you look at the reviews, they're almost all positive, and some of them are so short that the "reviewer" might have just read the press release.

They've now reviewed my book twice.  The first review was so flawed (reviewer had not even read the press release correctly) that I complained and requested a new one.  Many months later, here it is:

In "Secrets of a Summer Village", 17 year old Rachel Guo finds herself spending part of a once-in-a-lifetime summer with a Turkish family in a village situated on the western coast of Turkey. This will also be the village where she will begin by not knowing her own mind, and conclude with an unexpected romance and her own coming of age as a young woman. Author Saska Akyil has a natural talent for bringing her characters to life and providing the reader with a true 'mind's eye' experience in a pleasant read which will prove a perfect summer pastime! "Secrets of a Summer Village" is highly recommended for personal reading lists and community library contemporary fiction and young adult fiction collections.


Was it worth all that hassle?  Not really.  I mean, it appears that the reviewer did read at least part of the book this time, and the review is positive and says I have a natural talent... which of course I agree with (hahaha), but I think... I hope they wouldn't have said this without actually reading it.  If you read through their reviews, I think I notice a trend that they don't comment on the writing style at all sometimes - and those might be reviews that were written without any book-reading going on.

I'm going to have those last two sentences put onto Amazon, though.  Maybe someone will read it and like it. Hmmm.

Going International

An awesome blogger and prolific reader and reviewer in India has posted about my book on her blog: http://booksonmyshelves.blogspot.in/2012/05/secrets-of-summer-village.html.  As cool as that is, even cooler is that we have become "pen pals" for lack of a better word, with my book as the catalyst. 

My husband has his regular day job, and also has a side business selling fine wine over the internet.  I don't think we've made back the initial investment yet, but it's enriched our lives because it has helped us meet interesting people we wouldn't have otherwise met, and learn something new that we likely wouldn't have learned. 

The book seems to be life-enhancing in the same way.  Good reason to publish a book, and I'm not joking!

Blog Tour?

A blog tour is like a book tour or concert/album tour, except that the author doesn't actually have to leave her/his living room.  There are sites that organize blog tours for authors, but I haven't had the luck to "go" on one yet.  Instead, I'm slowly organizing guest posts for myself, finding blogs that are looking for guest bloggers via LinkedIn, MyBlogGuest.com, Twitter, and internet searches.  Reviews of my book are also trickling in. 

Today, I received links to my new blog guest post for an Australian writing website:
http://cutecopy.com.au/live-to-write/

as well as fabulous reviews on Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/285433004

and on Flipkart (think: Indian Amazon.com):
http://www.flipkart.com/secrets-summer-village-1463740115/p/itmd3fjggzgudehf?pid=9781463740115
by a reviewer in India whom I have never met in person. 

It is exceptionally hard for authors to get publicity for their self-published books, no matter how great those books are.  The effort does not end when the book is finished - that's when the hard part actually begins.  Every single day, you've got to do something to get and keep your name out there.  I don't know if my random guest blogging can really be considered a "blog tour," but at the moment it's the closest I can get to one!

I am so grateful to all you out there are supporting me, by reading my book, by writing reviews, and by sharing my book with others!

The Kirkus Review

I'm still waiting on the Midwest Book Review corrected review, but the Kirkus review is here. Am I thrilled with it? No, unfortunately. It's not all good, not all bad. There are some quotes I can use from it for promotion, however. To read it, click here: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/saskia-e-akyil/secrets-of-a-summer-village/.

Well, what do you think? Does it make you want to read the book? I'm not sure if it even makes me want to read the book.  What this whole experience of reviews makes me think is that so much of it is the luck of the draw. There are books I hate that others think are masterpieces (examples? Dostoyevski's Crime and Punishment, Dan Brown's The DaVinci Code, the former is well-written and miserable, the latter is terribly written, but a good story).  It's not different with reviews.  The people writing those reviews are individuals with their own tastes and preferences, their own life experiences that create filters through which they interpret the story. 

Is this reviewer an anti-feminist?  He or she seems to have really taken issue with an imagined dichotomy of girls being interesting and strong, boys being either good or bad.  Which is funny, because that was neither intended nor true in the story... the reviewer calls the boys in the story one-dimensional and either "good" (and traditional) or "bad" (and westernized).  WHAT???  Cem, Rachel's love interest, is neither one-dimensional nor traditional nor very westernized.  He is absolutely a mix between "traditional" and influenced by the US.  Aylin and Leyla's father is, to be fair, fairly one-dimensional and he doesn't play a big role in the story.  Rachel's father, however, is very important to the story, and I'd argue that he's not one-dimensional at all.  But that is what the reviewer felt when he or she read the book, and he or she really seems to have felt very strongly about this point to have written so much about the supposed dichotomy. 

But a review is a review.  Kirkus reviews gave me the option of posting the review or not, and I chose to have them post it.  So please go over to their site and rate the book.  Now let's see what the Midwest Book Review says........

ABNA Expert Reviewer #2

Here is my response to ABNA Expert Reviewer #2.   While he wasn't all negative, he was pretty insulting.  And I say "he" rather than "she" because I really get the feeling that a guy wrote this.  I don't know why.  The few males who have read my book loved it...

 

ABNA Expert Reviewer

What is the strongest aspect of this excerpt?

Writing is good and solid. The attempt to portray the thinking and logic of an American teenage is quite good. Dialogue flows well and the idea of introducing Turkish culture through the book should be a good hook. 

Thank you.  I get the feeling that you might think that I'm not American... 

 

What aspect needs the most work?

The beginning sequence at the Izmir airport: The political agenda of the author comes through too easily. did Rachel really lack the intelligence or initiative to pick up a guidebook with pictures? Or to have the confidence in dressing comfortably as opposed to the over dressed, overly made up look of the women at the airport? And where are her parents? no sobbing goodbyes or missing her parents, or being confused by plane transfers for Rachel?
The conversation between her and hannah is good but stretches out a bit too long.
At 17 it seems curious that neither of the girls has a love interest.
Rachel seems a bit too average - not exceptional at schoolwork, not an ambitious girl who is planning for college, not interested in clothes, makeup or researching a place she will be spending a month in. The reader needs to throw their emotions and self into Rachel if she is their way of seeing Turkey. If she seems too ditzy or boring it will be hard to identify with her.

1.  My POLITICAL agenda!!???? I do have opinions about politics and political opinions.  In case you want to know, I started a PhD in political science.  However, in spite of advice to raise politically-charged issues in this book, I very intentionally did NOT do so because there are too many books and movies with political agendas.  So there.

2. Even if Rachel had bought a guidebook with pictures, she wouldn't have truly known what to expect.  

3.  And the confidence to dress comfortably? First of all, Rachel is 17.  She cares what she looks like and cares what people think of her. She wants to fit in.  How dare you insult her intelligence?  It is BECAUSE she is intelligent that she notices that her outfit doesn't seem appropriate for the situation.  Americans who live outside of the United States (as well as people who aren't Americans to begin with) can pick out American travelers in airports worldwide.  It's not because of their American accents.  It's because Americans tend to wear sweatpants or jeans, flip-flops or running shoes, and t-shirts.  And they also typically walk while eating and while holding disposable coffee cups.  Of course not all Americans wear this "uniform," but the ones who do stick out.  

4. Sobbing goodbyes?  Are 17-year-olds about to go on a foreign exchange program for a month all supposed to sob at the airport?  Sorry, I didn't know that.   

 

What is your overall opinion of this excerpt?

Interesting. The idea of introducing Turkey though the eyes of a naive but seemingly not too bright american teenager could be a good one if written well.
However, I think the sequence at the airport needs some work to make the girl not seem quite so ignorant of a culture she has seemingly researched online.

Hahahahahaha!!!! Interesting.  Such an ambivalent word. I find it a bit insulting that you say that Rachel's not too bright, given that you've only just met her.  She is not particularly ambitious and doesn't know what she wants out of life, but I imagine that is not unusual for a 17-year-old.  And do you really think you can learn everything you need to know about a culture by researching it online?  Then why bother traveling? 

ABNA Expert Reviewer #1

  My entry didn't make it into the quarter finals of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest.  For this round, Amazon's "Expert Reviewers" read the first 3-5000 words of each novel and scored them based on four factors:

a) Overall Strength of Excerpt

b) Prose/Style

c) Plot/Hook

d) Originality of Idea

Each excerpt was given a score of one to five in each of these areas, and the 250 excerpts with the highest scores in each category made it into the quarter finals.  Fortunately, contestants in the second round were able to see the reviews of the expert reviewers.  After reading the reviews, I felt a lot better about not having made it into the quarter finals.  I feel as though part of it is the luck of the draw - whether or not reviewers like the kind of stuff you write.  In this post, I'll respond to the reviewer who liked my excerpt.  In my next post, I'll respond to the reviewer who wasn't very keen on it.  

ABNA Expert Reviewer

What is the strongest aspect of this excerpt?

I really enjoyed the lightness of this excerpt. No crazy science fiction characters to remember, no wild names, no underwater cities-just a well written coming of age story. It reminds me a bit of "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants." And Turkey! I don't know if I have ever read a book aimed at young women set in Turkey, so not only are we getting a fun read, but perhaps there is an educational aspect here as well. I really like books, especially for my teens, that teach us something without preaching, and what better way to do that than with a romance/adventure story like this one!

----->my response:  Thank you!  You totally get what I was trying to write.  I was trying to write a light, enjoyable story from which the reader can also learn something.  And the comparison to The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants?  I make the mental comparison myself, but didn't want to be presumptuous in comparing myself to such a famous series.   
 

What aspect needs the most work?

As of right now, I like it the way it is! The one issue I have sometimes with stories like this is that the adults are often written almost as after thoughts. The focus is the younger characters, it is a young adult novel after all, but I don't think that means the parents or other adults need to be one dimensional. Giving the adults believable personalities-quirks and all-only makes this MORE realistic. Just because teens live in their own world, or seem to anyways, doesn't mean the adults around them regress to one dimensional beings. Make sure the adults aren't simply there to create dissension or solve problems.

------>my response: I completely understand your concern.  As you said, it's hard to focus on all the characters, but I did actually attempt to make the parents more than one dimensional.  If you'd had the opportunity to read the whole book, your worries would have dissipated. 
 

What is your overall opinion of this excerpt?

I enjoyed it! Many young adult novels these days are all about vampires, werewolves, or mythological creatures, but this is just a well written story about a young girl seeking a new experience. Turkey isn't a country that we often think of-I don't think it has the allure of France or the adventure if Italy, but it sounds like a beautiful country, and a coming of age story set in a new locale would be a wonderfully light read for the summer. I truly enjoyed this excerpt.

-----> my response: Wow, thank you!  You understand what I was trying to write!  I think Turkey as a destination does have allure and adventure, but because it's such an unknown, these are just not the first things anyone in the US thinks about when they think of Turkey.  I hope you get the book and read the rest! I think you'll like it.   

My #1 Fan

My excellent day started out with an e-mail by my self-proclaimed #1 fan.  I do not know her, but she was given the book by a friend of mine.  Her e-mail made my day.  To think that I provided someone I do not even know with so much joy that she would write me the following e-mail gives me the energy and inspiration I need to keep on writing.  Here's the e-mail:

Hello, Ms. Amazing!

I LOVED your book!!!!!!!!!!!!  Its my favorite book by far!

I'm curious to know if you plan to write a sequel?  If you did, I would be the first one in the store, and read it every moment I get-that's how good The Secrets of a Summer Village was.

And also, where did you find inspiration to write this book?!  Were you inspired by one of your boys? Movie? (If it was a movie please tell me the name I must watch it!)  But if this all  just came to you,  then omg that is astonishing.

And even better- If this were a series, I would die and go to heaven!!!  I would save up, go out and buy a designer shelf saying 'The Best Series Ever!!'  No joking there. :)

Well that is all for now..... except for one thing-

 

YOU ARE THE BEST WRITER EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

If you reply, [omitted for privacy] 

Thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope you consider writing a sequel or making it into a series.

You're the best!

Your #1 FAN,

 

[name omitted for privacy]

Who wouldn't be psyched by such an e-mail?!  Definitely inspires me to keep writing.

Win a copy of my book

Have you ever heard of Goodreads?  If not, and if you like to read, I recommend that you visit the site. Once you've registered, you "add" the books you've read to your bookshelf and rate them.  You can also write reviews, if your heart desires.  Goodreads then recommends books you might like based on how you rated the books in your shelf.  You can also see what your friends have read (social networking, sort-of like Facebook for book geeks) and how they liked it.  It's all very social and nerdy at the same time.  The site will let you know if authors you've liked have new books coming out.

A unique feature of Goodreads is that there are giveaways.  Famous authors and virtually unknown authors (like me) alike offer copies of their new books in giveaways.  You can register to win the giveaways and the only thing you have to do if you win a giveaway is read the book and write a review of it on Goodreads.  Of course, they can't make you do it, but if you don't write a review, you probably won't win a book again.

I've joined the bandwagon and offered 500 3 copies of my book to be given away by March 20th, 2012.  500 people have registered to win.  Of course, people like free things, but it really is cheap publicity because many of them have put my book on their "to read" lists.  And maybe the recipients will actually write me reviews.  It's an exciting way to get the word out to people I don't even know.  If you'd like to register to win a copy, you can find the giveaway here: http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/21621-secrets-of-a-summer-village.  I don't think the link will work unless you're a member of Goodreads, though.

How exciting to think that 500 people I would otherwise have had no access to have read what my book is about!

Begging for Feedback

There's an awful lot of waiting involved when you write a book. Whether you self-publish or not, you have to wait for proof copies, wait for reviews, wait for feedback... But unless you are a famous person, you have to ask for reviews, from readers and from review organizations.  They do not come knocking at your door asking to review your book.  You have to ask THEM to review it, and you also have to send them free copies of it.  And so that is precisely what I am doing...

Midwest Book Review - On the weekend, I finally received a review from the well-respected Midwest Book Review.  The organization only reviews less than a third of the books for which reviews are requested, so I was excited and smiling when I received the review from them.  Without revealing too much, let's just say that it was a positive but problematic review.  It had a major error.  I have the right to use the review, which has some very favorable sentences that would be good for marketing purposes, but it didn't feel right because of the flaw.  So I wrote to them and pointed out the error.  I thought I might never hear from them again, but the next day I received a letter from the editor, who apologized and said he'd look into it with the reviewer.  I don't know if I'll hear from them again.  But given that they are a reputable organization, I really hope that I do.

Kirkus Reviews - Meanwhile, I decided that one review is not enough.  I may or may not receive a review from Publishers Weekly via the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award, and rather than wait for that and for the Midwest Book Review to get back to me, I decided to order a review from Kirkus Reviews.  You have to pay for these reviews, unfortunately, but it in no way guarantees a good review.  It is a highly respected company, and it has to stand by its reviews.  Once I receive the review (probably late April - more waiting), I'll have the option of making it public.  If it's bad, I don't have to have it posted on their website.  I predict it wont' be giving me five stars, but if it's mostly good, I will post it.

IndieReader.com - Finally, I sent my book for review to IndieReader.com.  Their reviews are free, but there's no guarantee your book will get reviewed at all.  With the Midwest Book Review, I knew I had a 1 in 3 chance, but with IndieReader, I haven't a clue what the odds are.  Still, worth a try.

In the end, I care far more what readers think of my book than what professional reviewers think.  However, good reviews from professional reviewers could potentially get me more readers, so it's a necessary evil.  If you have read my book and would like to review it, please do so on the Amazon of your choice.  You can use a secret pen name if you want your review to be anonymous!

More Reviews!

Thank you thank you thank you :)))) Authors love reviews!!

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It is a sensitive expression of true friendship, respect and the difficulties of becoming an adult and a parent, in two, very different cultures. A wonderful read for anyone who appreciates travel and the generational vs. cultural differences in life.
This is the first e-book I have purchased and it was perfect for my daily train commutes. Each chapter brought me to far away places to witness another's adventure in Turkey and learn about myself through my experience of the story. Once finished, I immediately wanted to share it with my teenage daughter. This book was well written and I felt transported the reader not only to Turkey, but also back in time to reevaluate the difficulties of youth. A very enjoyable and refreshing account of a cultural exchange experience. I felt compassion for the challenges of the characters while enjoying my gift of hindsight. It is written through the eyes of teenagers experiencing the world outside of their comfort zone and culture. Embarrassingly naive at times and it reminds one of a time long gone by but not forgotten. Having been to Istanbul, I found the book to be a different experience than the hustle and bustle of a city adventure.
I would recommend every person, who wishes to be a voyeur in a lovely summer adventure and to share that adventure with friends, family or bookclubs, to read this book. It is nostalgia at its best, yet modern enough to actually happen to us, if we are lucky! I wish I could have read this book when I was a teenager and been that much wiser EARLIER!
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This Christmas as one of her gifts to me, my Oma gave me this book. I am 13 years old (using my mom's account for this)and found 'Secrets of a Summer Village' an enjoyable read. I learned a bit about Turkish culture and found the character of Rachel highly entertaining...I had a hard time putting this book down.Now I wish to go on a trip like Rachel and share experiences. I love the cover and was inspired by how Saskia self published the book. Wow.

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As one who travels, I love to read about different cultures. After reading "Secrets of a Summer Village," I found myself longing to be in this delightful place. The book is so descriptive that I could almost feel the sunshine and warmth of the Aagean Sea, as well as the warmth of the Turkish people.

During Rachael's visit, she discovers cultural differences, and also many similarities to the values from which she was raised.

It would be wonderful if more young people could experience a summer of discovery and adventure similar to Rachel's.

The next best thing to actually being there is reading this book.

Because of the extremes portrayed by the news media, the word "Muslim" has become a dirty word.
This book can help to change that stereotype and open one's mind to acceptance of others. For this reason, and also because the story is delightful and entertaining, I would recommend it to young and old alike, and would like to see it on a suggested school reading list.

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I was thoroughly entertained and engaged by Secrets of a Summer Village. The characters are well-developed, particularly Rachel who is literally transformed during her summer in Turkey. Will there be a sequel, Ms Akyil? As an American, I particularly enjoyed being immersed in Turkish culture and glad to see that traditional customs are being carried out. The experiences and friendships of the teenagers present dilemmas that all teens face in any culture. Ms. Akyil has portrayed the challenges in a forthright fashion and I think there is a strong moral backbone. I have given the book to several of my friends who have teenage children and they couldn't put the book down.
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This book is a delightful first book written by Saskia. I always especially enjoy books with an international background, and learning a little about Turkish family life was fascinating. I gave copies to granddaughters, and one immediately sat down to read it and enjoyed it as much as I did. I can't wait for her next book!

A gift from a stranger

If you want to give a gift that costs you nothing and brings great pleasure to its recipient, write a book review of a book you enjoyed.   It doesn't matter if it's a world-famous author or a completely unknown author.  Writers want their stories to be read.  The following is a review of my book that someone posted on Amazon.  I've never met her and never communicated with her - 3 degrees of separation here.  She is a friend of my brother's girlfriend, and my brother gave her the book to read.  She is the first person to write a review of my book on Amazon.com.  Thank you, Susan D. Wylie, for such a kind and thoughtful gift! (I would have been pleased even if I hadn't been given five stars.)

5.0 out of 5 stars Transports you straight to Turkey, January 18, 2012

By 

Susan D. Wylie "dwylie_75" (Miami Beach) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Secrets of a Summer Village (Paperback)

This is one of those books you read in a matter of a few days because you can't put it down. The character development starts right from the first pages, and I immediately felt like I knew Rachel and Aylin. I couldn't wait to find out what happens to these fast friends. It's a great story about friendship, cultural differences (or- more importantly- similarities). It reminds you of how often we, as Americans, misunderstand different cultures, especially Muslim ones; and how friendship transcends it all. Rachel and Aylin are perfectly awkward yet graceful teenagers on the cusp of adulthood, and when the book ends you find yourself rooting for both of them, and knowing that they will stay friends forever in spite of being thousands of miles apart.

Here's a link to the actual review: First review on Amazon.com

Connecting with readers

Someone I have never met and with whom I have no (known) common friends and with whom I have no relationship whatsoever, has read my book.  Even better, she happens to run a large English-language bookstore in Istanbul (Greenhouse Kitapevi), and writes book reviews for an English-language daily newspaper in Turkey.  She reviewed my book a few weeks ago, and even though I have to say that I truly like my book and think that it's an enjoyable, informative read, I was floored when I read her review.  It doesn't lack critique of the book - no book is perfect, and I have to say that I even agree with her criticisms, but the review on a whole is itself is poetic and flattering.  I wonder if the reviewer is an author herself?  Or maybe she can write so well because she reads so much?  I am thrilled that she enjoyed the book, and I hope others will, too. 

Some friends and family are buying it for other friends for Christmas... I do hope that when people read it, they will post their comments on Amazon, so that people who are curious about it can see that others have enjoyed it (hopefully).  And for me - writing can be a very isolating experience.  Since I'm self-published, I do get more contact with people than I probably would have if a publisher were taking care of all the marketing, but still, you write by yourself, edit by yourself, and show it to a few close friends as you're writing.  Once you publish, hopefully your work will be read, but still - how often have you written to an author to tell them how much you liked their book?  I once posted a comment on Amazon to say how much I loved Arther Golden's Memoirs of a Geisha, and he actually wrote me back, thanking me for my comments.  Now I understand that even though he was already famous by the time I read his book, it made him happy that I had read and enjoyed his book.  That is what most authors want.  So I am going to write to a few authors today.  Maybe you should, too. 

If you'd like some inspiration, here's the link to Marion Jones' review of my book:
http://www.todayszaman.com/news-260674-a-dream-that-is-over-each-september.html