He has a heart of ice...but for her, he'd burn the world.
Alex Volkov is a devil blessed with the face of an angel and cursed with a past he can’t escape.
Driven by a tragedy that has haunted him for most of his life, his ruthless pursuits for success and vengeance leave little room for matters of the heart.
But when he’s forced to look after his best friend’s sister, he starts to feel something in his chest:
A crack. A melt. A fire that could end his world as he knew it.
***
Ava Chen is a free spirit trapped by nightmares of a childhood she can’t remember.
But despite her broken past, she’s never stopped seeing the beauty in the world…including the heart beneath the icy exterior of a man she shouldn’t want.
Her brother’s best friend. Her neighbor. Her savior and her downfall.
Theirs is a love that was never supposed to happen—but when it does, it unleashes secrets that could destroy them both…and everything they hold dear.
As writers, we’re often tempted to explore every character’s perspective, diving into their thoughts and emotions to create a rich, layered narrative. While multiple points of view (POVs) can add depth and complexity to a story, there comes a point where too many perspectives can backfire.
At a meeting of my local writer's group, we discussed one members story. She's writing fantasy and her current manuscript has eight POVs.
When I heard this a bunch of red flags went off in my head. While I'm not a fantasy genre expert, I do know how difficult it is to write a large number of POVs well.
My first story, it had five POVs. While that didn't make it a bad story, it did create its own set of challenges.
One of the biggest issues with having too many POVs is that it can make it difficult for readers to form strong emotional connection. Readers get invested in characters, especially when they're able to be in those character's heads and experience things from their perspective. They're able to experience the character's struggles, emotions, and motivations first hand. Constantly shifting perspectives can dilute that connection.
Jumping POVs, also known as head hopping, can also be disorienting to the reader. Even if chapters are clearly marked, it can create a disconnect which may lead to confusion or frustration.
Managing so many POVs can all so present pacing challenges. If every character gets equal time, chances are some situations will need to be rehashed multiple times. This slows down the progression of the story and could lead to readers skimming over entire sections, or even DNF'ing the book.
Are there stories out there that do have eight or more POVs? Of course. The first one that comes to mind is Game of Thrones. But it isn't the norm for one simple reason: finding the right balance and doing it well isn't easy.
Finding the right balance is key. For most stories, two or three POVs is all you need. This allows for deeper character development, stronger emotional connections, and a more natural flow to the story.
If you're considering writing a book with five or more POVs, ask yourself if all of those perspectives are truly essential. Are they all driving the story forward? If not, it may be time to rethink whether their POV is really needed.
Amazon has gotten a lot of hate over the years with many groups calling for boycotts for various reasons. The latest boycott movement is being pushed and encouraged in many corners of the book world. Whether or not you agree with the reasons behind the boycott, it does hurt independent authors who rely on Amazon to reach readers and generate income.
The Reality Of Self-Publishing
Let's be frank. Amazon is the big dog when it comes to eBook publishing. Like it or not, more eBooks are sold via Amazon than any of the other online retailers. Amazon provided a platform where independent authors can publish their books without the gatekeeping of traditional publishing. Add that to their global reach, their user friendly tools, and the ease of use, and you can't find a comparable online outlet when it comes to revenue generation for those who've chosen to self publish.
Amazon holds a huge share of the eBook market. Most indie authors make at least 70% of their monthly income from Amazon. Those are the authors who choose to publishing not only on Amazon, but on other platforms as well. Kindle Unlimited authors sell exclusively on Amazon. Their incomes are solely dependent on the platform with the exception of a small amount of paperback and/or audio book sales.
If the last week has shown anything, it's that a good chunk of readers aren't willing to migrate to other online retailers. Amazon doesn't just provide a platform for authors. Readers like it as well. They've made everything easy and seamless. While other retailers like Barnes & Noble, Apple, Kobo, and GooglePlay have a share of the market, they don't have the same customer base and it shows in the numbers.
Unlike some other boycotts, books are only a small portion of Amazon's revenue stream. Books aren't the only way they're making money, so the hit they're going to take is not likely to do them much damage. But the indie author who's counting on that royalty check to pay their mortgage or car payment will.
If you feel strongly about not using Amazon for your book purchases, then what should you do?
A Better Way To Support Authors
1. Buy direct. Many self published authors sell paperbacks directly through their website. Some even sell eBooks and audio books directly via Bookfunnel.
2. Buy from other online retailers. If you don't want to purchase your books on Amazon, there are other alternatives. Simply buying your books on these retailers helps boost visibility and signals to the retailer that they might want to put more time and effort into that aspect of their platform.
3. Leave reviews. While this isn't directly related to Amazon or book sells, reviews are extremely important. And if you're choosing to buy your books from other sources, it becomes even more important. Reader use reviews and word of mouth recommendations to decide on what book they buy next, especially if it's an author they've never heard of before. To an indie author, a reader taking the time to leave a review is incredibly important.
Are you participating in the boycott? If so, how are you continuing to support indie authors?
