Is one actually allowed to “review” their own book at Goodreads? Well, after a fashion. There’s a space for the author to leave comments, but it’s considered bad form (by most people, anyway) for the author to give the book a star rating. (I’d five-star it, naturally, but I’m biased.)
Here’s my “review,” copied from the book’s Goodreads page:
Adverse Reactions is the only true standalone novel I’ve ever written (although the fifth book in my Waterspell series, The Karenina Chronicles, reads as a standalone). Adverse Reactions: A Novel of the Paranormal began life in 2005 with a 24,000-word partial manuscript that stayed in a file cabinet for 20 years. The story never let go of me though, and finally I’d lived enough life and learned enough craft and gained enough understanding of people and history to finish what I’d started. I would really love for people to read this book. I’m proud of it. 😁
“This novel is immediately immersive, with an opening scene that sucks readers in with vivid sensory detail and a great sense of suspense.” —The Black List
“Thematically rich, as Devin faces constant self-doubt but eventually comes to find empowerment in the unique abilities that have made her an outcast.” —The Black List
“Relevant to the current situation in the world. Ostracizing others who are different out of fear and ignorance. Cruelty and inhumanity.” —ARC Reader
Now that I have a cover for my new book, I can do a cover reveal. Which will have to be on Bookstagram and here on my scattershot little blog since everybody in my personal Facebook world has already seen the whole cover uncovered, along with every draft of the surprisingly difficult process (beginning unsatisfactorily with one designer and ending, much more happily, at a completely different studio) that led to a usable image. Long ago, I learned a maxim, and life continues to prove its truth: Things take longer than they do.
Do you find these teasers intriguing? I would really love for people to read this book. Adverse Reactions is the only true standalone novel I’ve ever written. It began life in 2005 with a 24,000-word partial manuscript that stayed in a file cabinet for 20 years. But the story never let go of me, and finally I’d lived enough life and learned enough craft and gained enough understanding of people to finish what I’d started.
*The short blurb:
In the town of Purity, mental gifts earn you a bullet or a lingering death by mind-torture. Devin Perridin is the Syke who survived the horrors of the psych ward. Now the “One Who Got Away” is back for a reckoning. To defeat her tormentors, Devin must reclaim her shattered mind, aided by a denim-clad desperado and a generous helping of Old Magic. Survival was just the beginning: vengeance is next.
*The back cover copy:
In the remote prairie town of Purity, there are some who possess extraordinary powers of the mind. Their fate, if they are discovered, is death by a bullet to the brain. The wealthy, however, have an alternative way to die: they may submit to “therapy”—torture—at the Peaceful Hills sanatorium. For most of the inmates, it is a worse death than a sniper’s bullet. The asylum is brutally designed to snuff out every spark of psychokinetic power, turning a Syke’s brain to mush. Few inmates survive.
Devin Perridin does. She’s the One Who Got Away. But can she find her way back into her right mind? And bring a long-overdue reckoning to the town of Purity and its house of horrors? To exact vengeance on those who put her in the asylum, and avenge the murders of her fellow Sykes, Devin will need the aid of a denim-clad desperado—and a generous helping of Old Magic.
Release date: March 18
*From a professional evaluation: “Its accessible style of prose and teenaged protagonist would likely endear it to young adults, whereas its mature themes and technical accomplishments would likely go a long way with older readers. Because of the book’s literary merit it could definitely attract readers who would not normally consider themselves ‘genre readers.'” —The Black List on the subject of the book’s “Prospects”
This is a game-changer! Readers who prefer ebooks now have a truly viable alternative to the monopolistic Amazon monster. Ebooks may now be easily purchased and downloaded at Bookshop.org, where every purchase supports a local independent bookstore. Millions of writers, including ME, are absolutely thrilled! We’ve waited and hoped for this breakthrough.
Without further ado, here’s a list of my books and where you can purchase them at Bookshop.org. Did I mention? Every purchase supports a local independent bookstore. You can designate your own favorite indie. It’s a win-win-win for the reader, the writer, and the bravely determined independent stores who fight the good fight against an evil monopoly.
Today I received some personal good news that I NEEDED! An evaluation score of 8 from an industry professional at The Black List!
To explain my thrillment, I must first explain The Black List. It’s a “prominent online platform where screenwriters, playwrights, and novelists connect with film, TV, and publishing industry professionals, allowing writers to host scripts/manuscripts, get feedback from vetted readers, and gain exposure to agents, managers, and producers, originally stemming from an annual survey of best unproduced screenplays and now a major hub for discovering new talent and projects. It helps writers get their work seen by industry insiders, offering services like professional evaluations.”
I requested an evaluation of my latest novel, the not-yet-published ADVERSE REACTIONS, and got a glowing response. “Congratulations on your recent evaluation by our reader,” said the email. “Fewer than 5% of the projects hosted on the site have received an overall score of 8 or above.”
The publishing industry professional who reviewed my book gave it an overall score of 8 (out of 10) and posted this:
Strengths
“This novel is immediately immersive, with an opening scene that sucks readers in with vivid sensory detail and a great sense of suspense. In fact, the sensory detail of the book’s prose is one of its strongest qualities … Adverse Reactions is also thematically rich, as Devin faces constant self-doubt but comes to find empowerment in the unique abilities that have made her an outcast. In some ways, the book feels like an extended metaphor about how mental illness is treated in today’s world and what it means to embrace one’s neurodivergence. There is also compelling thematic commentary on modern psychiatric practices and treatment methods, with the author skillfully exploring the negative consequences of supposedly ‘getting well.’ … This novel has few weaknesses.”
Wow! THAT is the sort of reaction that restores my faith in … well, in myself. I have agonized over this book. I started it in 2005; wrote a rough 24,000 words, then shelved it for 20 years; finally “finished” it in 2026.
Now I wait to see if any publisher or filmmaker shows interest in the book. The Black List is sending my work out for additional evaluations, and if the overall score remains at 8 or above, the book will get featured (top-listed) where more industry pros will see it. I’m not getting my hopes up, but this validation of my writing was a great thing to come home to, on the heels of my grocery run this morning.
Prospects
The professional reader’s evaluation closed with an analysis of the book’s prospects. I’m both excited and frustrated by the evaluator’s conclusion:
“Adverse Reactions would likely perform quite well among adults and young adults alike. Its accessible style of prose and teenaged protagonist would likely endear it to younger readers, whereas its mature themes and technical accomplishments would likely go a long way with older readers. It would certainly make sense to at least start by marketing the book to pre-existing fans of supernatural/fantasy books, perhaps at special conferences or bookstores that cater to these genres; however, because of the book’s literary merit it could definitely attract readers who would not normally consider themselves ‘genre readers.’ For this reason, it would be important to make sure the book receives coverage from reputable book-related publications and/or prominent figures in the literary community.”
Well, OK. I can certainly market the book to pre-existing fans of supernatural/fantasy books, most especially the loyal readers of my Waterspell series. If I self-publish, I might be able to get it into bookstores and possibly hand-sell it at conventions and the like. But how in the world do I get coverage from reputable book-related publications or prominent figures in the literary community? If I had those kinds of insider connections, I’d be enjoying a great deal more financial success in my writing career. It goes back to who you know, and I don’t know many people. I’m an introvert and a bit of recluse. <sigh>
But all of that aside, I’m absolutely delighted to get an enthusiastic evaluation from a publishing industry professional. I long ago gave up submitting my work to agents and editors, who take forever to respond, if they deign to respond at all. The Black List removes the tedium of old-fashioned manuscript submission. Their roster of professional readers will respond in one week, or within three weeks at the latest. It’s not free, nor especially cheap. Evaluations cost $150. But Guild members (Writers Guild of America or The Authors Guild) get a substantial discount. I’ve belonged to The Authors Guild since 1995, and thus I paid $120 for the pro evaluation. And because it scored an 8, The Black List is giving me two additional reviews for free! That’s a pretty great deal.
Here’s my annual analysis of my marketing efforts. This is pretty much all that I do in the way of marketing: I run (or try to run) a promo every month in a different email/newsletter.
The bar graphs are screenshots from my Amazon KDP reports. Each blue bar shows the total number of my books that were ordered that month. Since I have a six-book series, the full-series promo at Written Word Media tends to bring in the most orders. A full-series promo is pricey at $170, but cost-effective for promoting six books at one time.
2025 was a case study in what happens to my sales when I DON’T run a promo. I was so shocked and discombobulated by events in Spring 2025, following the inauguration of cheetolini, I forgot all about scheduling promos. As a result, my March-April-May sales were flat-flat-flat.
To perk things up, I scheduled a short stack in June, running a promo at Robin Reads on June 18, followed by the Fussy Librarian on June 20. July got skipped, but my Full Series Promo at Written Word Media on August 31 continued to produce results into September.
To finish the year on a rising note, I scheduled another double-promo in November: BookRaid and Robin Reads. Then wrapped things up in December with the always-reliable Book Barbarian, a site that specializes in fantasy and science fiction.
Overall, my ebook and print sales were down in 2025. My best results came from audiobook sales. My Featured Audiobook Deal at Chirp was a wild success, by my standards. I don’t know if Chirp (BookBub) was impressed by the final tally of the month-long sale, but it was definitely a boost to my spirits and my income, seeing hundreds of audiobooks sell, and gaining several nice new reviews.
In 2026, I hope to return to a regular monthly promo, adding EReader News Today back into the mix. I missed ENT entirely in ’25, but I’ve submitted Book 1 of my Waterspell fantasy series for a January spot there, in hopes of grabbing a place before their month’s newsletters fill up.
Most of these promos cost $45 to $65. Doable on a budget, even mine.
To compare these results with what I’ve experienced in earlier years, check out these posts:
I hate marketing and I’m really bad at it. Running paid promos in newsletters is the easiest and most effective approach I have found. What promo sites do you recommend? What have your experiences been with pay-per-click ads at Amazon, BookBub, and Facebook? I have tried those, but I’ve found them to be way overpriced and ineffective for my books.
A recent email informed me that somebody who reviewed my Waterspell boxed set at NetGalley had updated their review, more than a year later. Curious to see what had changed, I Googled “NetGalley Waterspell books,” thinking that would be the quickest way to find a web page that I had not looked at in more than a year.
What came up, to my fascinated delight, was a lengthy Google AI Overview of my little publishing empire. I copy-pasted the overview, wanting to save it and, frankly, learn from it. As much as I detest all AI-generated books (a novel should be written by a human, and ONLY by a human), there’s no denying that AI can often do a better job than the author, when it comes to summarizing a book.
For a writer, no question holds more terror the inevitable, “What’s your book about?” We are too close to our own work. We know the nuances. We know that a book is “about” a lot of things. There are subplots, themes, side-quests. Knowing what we know, it’s very difficult for most of us to give a succinct response to the “What’s it about?” question.
Therefore, when AI offers me its take on the matter, for free, I won’t turn up my nose at the help. Here’s how Google’s AI Overview responded to my rather lazy “NetGalley Waterspell books” search query:
“Highlighting the series’ immersive quality and addictive nature”
NetGalley hosts digital review copies for Waterspell, an immersive, cross-genre fantasy series by Deborah J. Lightfoot, featuring the core quartet (The Warlock, The Wysard, The Wisewoman, The Witch) and sequels like The Karenina Chronicles, praised by reviewers for its world-building, characters, magic, and romance. The series is designed to be read in order, following a continuous story, and offers boxed sets for convenience on platforms like NetGalley for reviewers.
Key Aspects of the Waterspell Series:
Genre: Epic Fantasy with elements of mystery, adventure, slow-burn romance, and dystopian undertones.
Story:A multi-generational saga focusing on family, magic, self-discovery, and overcoming danger in a richly detailed world. (Italics added by me. I like this.)
Characters: Compelling, complex, and morally gray characters, with main protagonists Carin and Verek central to the original quartet.
Structure: Originally a trilogy, it expanded to a four-book series (Books 1-4) and continues with linked sequels.
Readability: Intended to be read in order as one continuous story, though the sequels offer deeper dives into new characters like Nina.
How it Relates to NetGalley:
Review Copies: Publishers (like the one for Waterspell) use NetGalley to offer free digital advance reader copies (ARCs) to book reviewers, bloggers, and industry professionals to generate early buzz.
Reviewer Feedback: NetGalley hosts reviews from readers who have received these copies, with comments highlighting the series’ immersive quality and addictive nature.
Where to Find It:
Official Site:waterspell.net for author info, series details, and sales.
Retailers: Available as ebooks, audiobooks, and print on major platforms (Amazon, Apple Books, Kobo, etc.).
My original reason for googling “NetGalley Waterspell books” fell by the wayside — I did not find out what “updates” the reviewer had made, more than a year after the fact. But never mind that: I got something useful out of the search. Thanks, AI summarizer!
The big Half-Price Sale continues at Smashwords through January 1. Get the four-book Waterspell Boxed Set for only $4.47!
Readers call it:
“Riveting”
“Unforgettable”
“Marvelously complex and captivating”
“A must-read”
The Waterspell fantasy series follows the story of Carin, a lost traveler who embarks on a journey to discover her true identity and learn where she belongs. When she falls captive to a hot-tempered, secretive wizard, he draws her into schemes of magical power and possible murder. There’s a world to save, even if it costs Carin her life. The relationship between Carin and the wizard grows increasingly complex, balancing in a tense power struggle as, together, they navigate a world of dangers while yearning for redemption, a sense of belonging, and maybe a little unconventional romance.
Magic, mystery, murder, and romance. Waterspell: An intricate save-the-world fantasy adventure with complex characters, cosmic calamities, and the gothic sensibilities of Jane Eyre.
Since I returned to writing and publishing in 2022, my habit has been to run one promo a month, alternating among sites such as Book Barbarian, The Fussy Librarian, and Freebooksy. In 2025, my pattern fell apart because the world fell apart around me. (Damn you, Nazis and Fascists!) Several months passed with no promotional or marketing efforts at all from me. I was busy trying to save Democracy.
When November-December rolled around, I decided on a year-end push to raise my books’ visibility. Without really planning it, just scheduling whatever promos occurred to me, I ended up with:
A massive sale of my audiobooks, deeply discounted at Chirp
A half-price sale on all of my ebooks at Smashwords
Here’s hoping this flurry of publicity nets some new readers! The big audiobook sale at Chirp ends December 12, but the half-price sale on ebooks at Smashwords continues through January 1. Spread the word, won’t you? In these difficult economic times (people can’t even afford McDonald’s anymore) every reader of books needs and wants bargains.
I’m excited that my books are included in the Smashwords 2025 End-of-Year Sale! This is a chance to get the complete, entire Waterspell fantasy series at a 50% discount.
For more details, check out my double author profiles. I don’t know how it happened, but I’m listed twice at Smashwords, once with an underscore in my name, and once without. Go figure.
This would be a perfect time to stock up on books for your holiday and wintertime reading. You can also give books as gifts. Smashwords makes it easy. See the “About Gifting” page.
In these trying economic times, authors need your help! Keep us writing: please share this promo with your friends, family, and other bloggers. You can find the landing page here: smashwords.com/sale
As if creating an audiobook isn’t challenging enough, distributing it to retailers is a more complicated and unstable process than it ought to be. In June 2022 when the four-book boxed set of my Waterspell fantasy series was ready for release, I went with Findaway Voices as my distributor because I knew the name. At that time, I had not heard of Author’s Republic. Knowing that I wanted to go wide and not limit myself to the evil Amazon-Audible empire, I liked Findaway for its distribution model. It would get my audiobook into Chirp, Apple, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, and a bunch of audio retailers I’d never heard of, like Storytel and Downpour.
(INaudio’s Supposed Distribution Network)
Change Is Inevitable?
Alas, things kept shifting at Findaway. I had hoped to use them for production services, but Findaway dropped that service without even announcing they were dropping it. Their onetime narrator marketplace just disappeared off their website. Very fortunately for me, I then found the Usound audiobook recording service. From Usound’s roster of top talent, I snagged the amazing Simon de Deney to narrate the Waterspell boxed set, and the wonderful Hannah Eggleton to narrate the linked sequel, The Karenina Chronicles. Both of those professionals did excellent work.
But then, Spotify (yuck!) acquired Findaway in 2022, and I didn’t like Spotify’s reputation for paying musicians a pittance. I stuck around, though, because my audiobooks were still being distributed by the merged Spotify/Findaway entity to all known retailers, and I didn’t much care that my sales at Spotify were nearly nonexistent.
But THEN, in Autumn 2025, Spotify disengaged itself from Findaway, and the old Findaway Voices was rebranded once again as Voices by INaudio (led by Findaway veterans Blake Squires and Ralph Lazaro). I pretty quickly noticed a diminishment in the “off-brand” retailers to which my audiobooks were supposedly being distributed. They disappeared entirely from Libro.fm, and some of the links in INaudio’s “Retailer Link Tool” go nowhere. To be fair, however, I saw no disruption in the distribution to the major players such as Audible, Apple, Chirp, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble.
The Future of INaudio … and Me
I’m sticking with Voices by INaudio, for now, because a review at Reedsy.com says:
INaudio executives are reportedly planning to relaunch audiobook production services in the future.
They also want to bring back giveaway codes to help authors get downloads and reviews.
Both of those developments will be very welcome. In the meantime, I’m keeping an eye on my royalty statements from INaudio.
And I’ve said good riddance to artist-abusing Spotify. I have withdrawn my audiobooks from Spotify, to protest that platform’s immoral and tone-deaf decision to run recruitment ads for ICE, America’s racist Gestapo. My audiobooks remain available at other retailers.
(But only at Chirp are they on sale at really low, low prices in Autumn 2025. Such deep discounts will not soon be repeated, so you might want to check out the Nov-Dec sale.)
Making a place for yourself in a world where you don't belong takes courage. So does moving in with a warlock.
“Best audiobook series I’ve ever listened to.” —Google Audio
“Lightfoot has a sure touch with regard to characterisation. Each of her characters has their own authentic and convincing voice. Narrative, description and speech are exceptionally well-balanced.” —Martin Dukes, author of the Alex Trueman Chronicles
“Captivating. I loved this series from beginning to end. Complex characters who mature through the series and unexpected plot twists kept me reading far too late into the night.” —Amy, Amazon
“I absolutely loved all four books! You kept your storyline throughout the four books brilliantly. The characters were all genuine and relatable.” —Carol, Goodreads
“An entertaining, fast paced, and well-plotted fantasy series. The world building is fascinating, and the characters fleshed out. Highly recommended.” —Anna Maria, NetGalley
“A must-read for fantasy enthusiasts who enjoy immersive world-building, well-developed characters, and a storyline that seamlessly blends magic and human emotion.” —Dalton, NetGalley
“In this four-book saga, the author has created an epic fantasy world full of magic, danger, romance, and travel through time and space. The characters are vivid and complex. This is a most enjoyable read for fans of fantasy and fine writing.” —Shirley, NetGalley
“Jane Eyre meets Beauty and the Beast. Amazing story, very original. Great series.” —Emma, Amazon UK
“I was hooked instantly. I willingly gave up sleep and could not wait to get up to read more. I’m reading the whole series, and absolutely loving it.” —Sarah, Amazon
“An extraordinary book, four in fact! I read these over a five-day period and found the storytelling fantastic. See for yourself!” —Michelle, NetGalley
“A riveting series. Well written, excellent world-building with an engaging plot in each book and well-developed characters. I was gripped right from the start with twists I didn’t see and unpredictability.” —Aria, NetGalley
“Complicated characters, plot twists, romance, adventure, and magic — all written in a voice that immerses you in a fantasy world both foreign and familiar. Get the box set because you won’t want to leave this world.” —Beck Digs It, Amazon
“Such a joy to narrate this. It didn’t feel like work. The story and characters take flight so naturally and then soar.” —Simon de Deney
“A great read that features world building with drama and magical characters. Highly recommended.” —Neil, Amazon
“I was HOOKED. I read until 3 am two nights in a row to finish this. The magic system is unique and the characters are as morally gray as they come.” —Megan, Goodreads
“Addictive epic fantasy, with drama and adventure. I binged through the books, eager to see how the story unfolds. Great book. 5 stars.” —Di, NetGalley
You won’t want to leave this world.
Castles in the cornfield provided the setting for Deborah J. Lightfoot’s earliest flights of fancy. On her father’s farm in Texas, she grew up reading tales of adventure and reenacting them behind ramparts of sun-drenched grain. She left the farm to earn a degree in journalism and write award-winning books of history and biography. High on her bucket list was the desire to try her hand at the genre she most admired. The result is Waterspell, a multi-layered, intricately detailed fantasy about a girl and the wizard who suspects her of being so dangerous to his world, he believes he’ll have to kill her … which troubles him, since he’s fallen in love with her. Deborah is a professional member of The Authors Guild. She still lives in rural Texas.
Magic, mystery, murder, and romance. Waterspell: An intricate save-the-world fantasy adventure with complex characters, cosmic calamities, and the gothic sensibilities of Jane Eyre.
Mix environmental fantasy with magic, mystery, and a little slow-burning romance, add dystopian undercurrents, and that’s the Waterspell series—a cross-genre story with too many layers for a single label.
Adverse Reactions: A Novel of the Paranormal by Deborah J. Lightfoot
Which will have to be on 
