New review for Sleep then my Princess

Hi All
Just wanted to share my newest review for Sleep then.

http://bookviral.com/sleep-then-my-princess/4591414960


Sleep then My Princess is an emotional thriller set in Arizona. While mourning the death of her husband, Senior Tissue Engineer, Stephani Robbins, is plagued by recurring visions of a child being locked up in a chicken coop. Meanwhile, someone is sending her creepy love poems, roses, and photos that have been taken without Stephani's knowledge.

As more photos appear, the police suspect that Stephani has hired someone to take these photos. Before she can convince the police to take her seriously, she is kidnapped. While imprisoned she discovers why she has been having these visions and it is more chilling than she ever imagined. Can she make it out alive?

Our Review......
A dark edgy thriller, author O N Stefan takes us on an electrifying journey in new release Sleep Then My Princess. A gratifying and often graphic page turner Stefan demonstrates a fine eye for nuance and there’s no doubt the thinking part of her narrative works well to deliver a real sense of authenticity. In the main this comes from Stefan’s acerbic rendering of Stephani Robbins. There's a well-worn familiarity to her character’s vulnerabilities and yet she remains unburdened by the usual genre tropes. The plot is intelligent, thoughtful and piercing with an emotional clarity that makes it hard to dismiss and yet it’s a long way off the trite excesses of far too many thrillers where shock value is favoured over the mechanics of good writing. Stephan knows how to strike a nerve and handles gradations of momentum well as readers are swept towards a cracking denouement.

A thriller deserving of your undivided attention, Sleep Then My Princess certainly bodes well for future release from O N Stefan and is strongly recommended.

LINK TO THIS BOOK ON: Amazon.com. Sleep then my Princess
Amazon UK Sleep then my Princess

Review for Sleep then My Princess.

My first review. I'm over the moon.  Thank you my readers for supporting my efforts.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Walden DiCaprio Carrington Review of Sleep Then My Princess by O. N. Stefan

By Walden DiCaprio Carrington on November 1, 2015

Format: Kindle Edition

The element of suspense is present from the very beginning. This is an unusually creepy scenario and you convey Stephani's fear very well. It would cause anyone alarm to have a stranger send them photographs they took without consent. I can see you draw the reader of this type of fiction into the narrative very well as I could hear the characters speaking in my imagination and sense their alarm. It certainly is a page-turner as the reader is unaware of what danger is in store for Stephani and there is good reason for her to fear this unknown photographer.

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A journey of 10000 steps is over.

I can breathe again. 

I can sleep again.

I hope you enjoy my latest thriller. Authors rely on reviews. Please leave a review if you can. Thanks.

Sleep then My Princess is available on PRE-RELEASE @ $0.99


Link: Sleep then My Princess AMAZON KINDLE.

Sleep then My Princess

Big brother is looking and monitoring you

I've copied and pasted this from another blog because I couldn't believe that this could be happening. 

http://imysantiago.com/2015/07/02/amazon-a-virtual-marketplace-or-big-brother/

Amazon… A virtual marketplace, or Big Brother?

JULY 2, 2015 / IMYSANTIAGO

A couple of weeks ago I read the third installment of a series I really loved. I will refrain from sharing the name of the novel and its author.

Like any reader, as soon as I finished reading, I wrote my review. When I tried posting it on Amazon (I did buy the eBook, just like any normal and decent human being would), I received a rather concerning email.

I will not share the screenshot of the email as it does contain the title of the book and name of the author. In its place I have copied the body of the email below.

Dear Amazon Customer,

Thanks for submitting a customer review on Amazon. Your review could not be posted to the website in its current form. While we appreciate your time and comments, reviews must adhere to the following guidelines:
http://www.amazon.com/review-guidelines

Here I was, thinking I had included an expletive, or mentioned a brand name within the review. I went back and cross-referenced it against the review I posted on Amazon’s sister site Goodreads, and didn’t see anything wrong with it. I tried to upload it again. Immediately, I received the below message.

Sorry. You’re not eligible to review this product. For more information, read the Customer Review Guidelines.

I thought for a minute, and figured maybe there was an issue with their website… So I tried to input a review for another book by another author, and received the same system message I shared above.

I wrote an inquiry to Amazon regarding the issue. To my surprise, this is the message I received the following day.

Hello,

We cannot post your Customer Review for (book title deleted) by (author name deleted) to the Amazon website because your account activity indicates that you know the author. 

Customer Reviews are meant to give customers unbiased product feedback from fellow shoppers. Because our goal is to provide Customer Reviews that help customers make informed purchase decisions, any reviews that could be viewed as advertising, promotional, or misleading will not be posted. To learn more about this policy, please review our Customer Review Guidelines (http://amazon.com/help/customer-reviews-guidelines) and FAQs (http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/?nodeId=201077870).  

We encourage family and friends to share their enthusiasm for the book through our Customer Discussions feature or Editorial Reviews feature. To start a Customer Discussion visit the Meet Our Authors forum and enter your discussion title in the Start a new discussion box. You’ll find the forum here: 
http://www.amazon.com/forum/meet%20our%20authors/&cdForum=Fx2UYC1FC06SU8S

To have your Editorial Review posted to the detail page, e-mail it directly to the author so they can add it for you. 

If you believe you’re eligible to write a Customer Review for this book, send additional details to review-appeals@amazon.com. 

We hope to see you again soon.

Best regards,

Harm J,

At this point I am dumbstruck. “I know the author.” That is quite an erroneous and quite presumptous assessment, so I went through the painstaking process of escalating the issue to their Review Appeals Department. At this point, I’m pretty upset.

Greetings,

I am appalled with your recent email message stating a review I wrote could not be posted because my “online activity suggests I know the author.” (Online purchase: X by X eBook.)

This response is ludicrous. I am a writer and published author. I understand the Indie Community is a small one, and among our circles, rubbing elbows with peers is not an uncommon occurrence. I am also a blogger and reviewer who also buys books. When I’m not writing, I am reading and reviewing. My reviews are one hundred percent unbiased, regardless if I have rubbed elbows with peers online. I would like to know who is providing you the information that suggests I may know the author.

That’s a two-edged sword; knowing of an author online, and personally knowing an author in real life are two different things. By your definition it would mean that bloggers such as myself are being barred from reviewing books they legitimately purchased, which in turn contravenes with the notion that reviews for a verified purchase are highly encouraged.

I am left speechless as I don’t know any authors on a level you are suggesting. I merely follow authors on Social Media: Twitter, Facebook, Google+, tsu, and on your partner site Goodreads. I interact with these authors during takeover events. I am an avid reader and I buy my books like anyone else does.

Your claims are unfounded, and as a paying consumer, I demand my review be posted. It is unfair to the authors whose work I love, to be punished for a claim that simply cannot stand. I don’t know any authors on a personal level.

Expecting your prompt response,

Ms. Santiago

(Amazon user: x@x.com)

Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone

I was hoping for a better outcome. It took them a week to answer back. To my dismay, this below screenshot is the response I received today.

Amazon has crossed the line. 

I pay for my eBooks. I take the time to read and review books I love. The Big Brother mentality Amazon is employing is appalling, and crosses an ethical line of unfathomable proportions. They are not God, and are censoring my passion for the written word. Because of them, I will not be allowed to write and post any further reviews on their site, regardless if I paid, or not. It is a disservice to readers, and a back-handed slap in the face of all authors across the board.

What quantifiable and verifiable ways is Amazon using to determine if I know the author of a book, or not? The fact that they refuse to elaborate as to how I “know the author personally” is highly concerning. 

This is what happens when you are a published writer, and write reviews for the books you paid for.

This is wrong, and it has to stop.

It  is censorship at its finest. I have interacted with a couple hundred authors over the past year; from events to signings, authors and writers rub elbows during networking sessions. This does NOT mean I know you personally. Knowing someone personally is bearing knowledge about them, from say… their favorite color to their social status.

Amazon, you have spat in the face of those authors and writers whose work deserve praise and recognition. I am shocked and appalled. At this time, I will discontinue writing peer reviews. I will complete my list of pending reviews, and will cease from posting them on Amazon.

I’m truly sorry, but my wings have been clipped.

Don’t hate me for it.

Blame Amazon for their questionable business practices.

Feel free to post your comments below. I’m eager to read your thoughts.

-i

Please share this blog post if you think this business practice is unfair.

#ExplainYourselfAmazon #Censorship #QuestionableBusinessPractices #AuthorsDependOnReviews #ClippedWings

Prescription for murder

In the current thriller (Sleep then my Princess) which I'm editing, I had to find a way to murder someone without doctor's and pathologists becoming suspicious. My background is pharmacy and I love to research. I looked in to a combination of medications for a way that would work for this scenario. I came up with something that I knew could happen in real life. Please don't do it to your relatives.

Sleep then my Princess will be out in mid 2015.

Subscribe to my blog or my website www.onstefan.weebly.com to find out how my villain did this.

I'll be posting exerts here when Sleep then my Princess is almost ready to be published.

Have an interesting and eventful day.

O.

Fruit chain cholla cactus from the Arizona Desert.

Some of these hook spikes anchor themselves in the villains boot after he covers the body of the child he's just murdered with branches. He goes crazy trying to dislodge them.

Sleep then my Princess - due for release mid 2015

Hi All
I'm happy to say that The Deadly Caress is selling reasonably well. I'm pleased so many people are finding my book entertaining. Thank you to those that have left great reviews.

My next thriller 'Sleep then my Princess' is due for release in about two months. I'm nearly finished the last round of edits. My writing buddy Victoria Chie was kind enough to go through the story with a red pen and outlined many flaws which I have now corrected. Hopefully, it's a coherent story now. If not, then it's all my fault.

I'll shortly send the manuscript off to an editor. Then it's back to me for another round of edits till I feel happy with it. I'm waiting for my cover designer to get back from holidays so he can create a great cover. This book has taken a lot longer to complete than I anticipated. Nevertheless, I've enjoyed the process. I ask myself what else would I be doing with my time? Shopping, enjoying the garden and more. Let's not go there.

All the best.
O.

I've decided to post chapters of The Deadly Caress on Wattpad. Please read, enjoy and share with friends.

http://www.wattpad.com/library/OlgaOlha

Thanks for dropping by.

O.

2014 in Review

2014 went too fast for me. I published the Deadly Caress early in 2014. Being a first time author was a steep learning curve for me. Marketing is only one aspect of writing I'm learning as I go. 

There are so many people I want to thank that helped me put that book onto Kindle. The first one is Victoria Chie, Max, Chris and Nicole and all my friends who helped with marketing.

I have to thank my readers for their reviews and encouragement. 

The Deadly Caress wasn't an easy book to write and to hear that it was an easy read was heartening for me. It took many revisions to get it that way. Writing a book isn't a singular task. It takes a team of support people to assist along the way from editors, proofreaders and cover designers.

I plan to release my next thriller early 2015. I've been bogged down with scientific research on this one but loving it all the same.

On the reading front, I've manage to churn through many books this year. Some were amazing tomes and others, not so.

One of note is: Bloodgifted 
Bloodgifted


Another is: 

Agency Rules - Never an Easy Day at the Office

Agency Rules

I hope you have a happy and prosperous 2015.

A new review with four stars...yipee.

This made my day. Posted on Amazon Kindle by a top 500 reviewer. Wow.

The Deadly Caress is the first novel by Australian author, O.N.Stefan. When celebrated Australian nature photographer, Amanda Blake travels to California to meet Jean Campbell, the birth mother she has only just learned of, she is apprehensive but hopeful. She wants to find out why Jean, widow of Campbell- Beare Pharmaceuticals founder, Murray Campbell, gave her up for adoption, and she hopes she will finally form a real mother-daughter relationship. What she is certainly not expecting is a twin brother and a step-brother. Her twin, Brian, seems a stereotypical Aussie male: friendly, laconic and rather casual. Her step-brother, Dorian, is prickly and antagonistic. But before she has more than a few hours to connect with the real mother, Jean is found dead in her ensuite bathroom. The police suspect murder and the Campbell family lawyer, Lionel Cohen reveals that Jean was preparing a new will that left the bulk of the estate to her daughter. Amanda finds herself in a houseful of strangers, all of whom seem to have their own agenda, and is unsure who she can trust. A clue that the police seem uninterested in following up sends Amanda back to Australia to see if she can find her mother’s killer. But this is a move that puts her in more danger than she ever imagined. Stefan has crafted a murder mystery that is fast-paced, full of suspense and action-packed. The plot has quite a few twists and turns and none of the characters is what they first seem to be. Amanda starts off a bit precious, but eventually finds her metal. Everyone, it seems, even the staff and the lawyer, might have a motive for murder. Stefan manages to include plenty of excitement: assaults and murders, as well as kidnapping, shootings, car chases, a suicide and a bomb scare, with organised crime bosses, a stolen drug formula, adultery and quite a lot of money in the background. The dialogue is sharp and realistic and readers familiar with the Australian location will appreciate the chase down the mountain. It will be interesting to see what Stefan produces next. A gripping read.

The Deadly Caress is #free in Amazon Kindle Unlimited.
http://getBook.at/B00I0DI0MY

My sixth five star review

My sixth five star review. Wow. Sooo excited.
It's nice to get some great feedback.

P.S. Now on promotion: UK £0.92 US $1.55.

"When I chanced upon an early edition of "The Deadly Caress," I was caught up
in its brisk pace from the get go with Amanda meeting her mother Jean for the
first time after many years. The backstory surfaces rapidly, Amanda and her
twin Brian adopted out in Australia when Jean was seventeen and penniless,
but is now a rich widow in California able to call them back together. And
then the sudden twist, their time for catching up is cut short by her murder.
It is a busy plot around diverse characters eyeing a huge inheritance while
a murder takes place and suspicion is rife, giving investigators a puzzle to
unravel. The prose is clear cut and to the point in both narration and
dialogue, making the story easy to follow. It is definitely a captivating read
worthy of the five stars I've given it."
The Deadly Caress

#Brad Pitt

My latest review

My latest review for The Deadly Caress.

'Great cover and curiosity drew my attention to this book. A quick peek into the book on-line and the quoted poem "On Seeing a Sheep .." sets a scene of life, fate, innocence, death so I decided to buy it. The story quickly grabbed my attention and it was difficult to stop reading. An intriguing tale of an adopted baby growing up in Australia and having a successful career as a freelance photographer. A surprising turn of events when Amanda Blake is summoned to America by her birth mother! The unexpected twists kept drawing me on, even through the fear, horror and evil. The book draws you quickly to the final chapter. At the end I was wondering what lay ahead in Amanda's life? Thank you O. Stefan and I will keep an eye out for your next book.'

The Deadly Caress

The Deadly Caress Web site