Reviews

I met this lady by the name of Naomi in New York when I went to the 2010 BEA Book Expo. She is a book reviewer, and of course, I took her advice. So I decided to add this to my blog because this is where it all started, two years of frustration and disappointments that finally come together as I struggled to redo both my books, they will have a new cover, the original spelling of my name, and be edited. Thank you, Naomi, for the excellent advice, I hope you approve of my changes.

Hi Loretta,
I'm sorry it has taken me so long to get back to you about your book.
Let me start with all that is good to very good about your book:
The basic storyline and sub-stories are wonderful.
The flow is pretty good
I like your voice and style.
Now for what I think would improve your book and make it a much better more marketable book:
Get the book edited by a professional editor. The large number of spelling and grammatical errors will turn off many people. (One you frequently use incorrectly is Their and There)
The book can use some tightening. That is there are parts that don't move the plot or develop characters that could be trimmed.
You finished and published a book - congratulations! This is a terrific accomplishment in and of itself. Now you can refine and polish your book and have a great book.
Good luck and keep us posted.
--
Naomi Giroux
Starting the buzz about your book
www.Stimulating-conversation.com
www.ijustfinished.com

First review recieved after book changes to the White Buffalo (New Beginnings) Series

This is my very first PA

 Second PA (both by US publisher)                 

Canadian publisher 

Amazon.com: 5.0 out of 5 stars 1 review
5.0 out of 5 stars Smart and Sexy Reading
Feb 1, 2013
By M.N. Prather - Published on Amazon.com
Format: Paperback
Passionate Alliance
by: Lauretta Beaver

Rarely are readers of romances privileged enough to find those that contain intriguing plotlines, solid and accurately drawn characters all set in a sound basis of historical fact. Lauretta Beaver's Passionate Alliance is just such a unique Western Romance. A quick glance at the listings in this category yields the usual cookie-cutter characters that follow the same tired stories of Western Romance's past. Beaver's book starts with the legend of the white buffalo, a figure that is sacred in many American Indian cultures. As the story unfolds, Jed Brown, who is also known as Grey Wolf, is burying his Indian wife and son. Giant Bear, a chief in the area, joins Brown in avenging the killers of both men's wives. With each step of their journey, more mystery unfolds and romance! Their path leads them straight to firecracker Melissa Ray, a small town sheriff clearly ahead of her time. On their adventure to see justice done, there are shootouts, cowboys and Indians, everything you would expect from a Western Romance.

Like any good romance novel, the work does contain well-drawn and true-to-life sex scenes, but they never feel either overly sleazy or too frilly as readers will recognize in most romance novels. Character coupled with the story are always the hallmarks of good writing no matter the genre, and Beaver manages to bring to a life a smarter, truer Western Romance for readers of the genre to explore. There are some deviations from strict historical timelines that Beaver rightly shares with readers, but this in no way takes away from her story. Traditional fans of romance are sure to find all of the escapism that they crave from such novels while those who do not typically read the genre will find themselves pleasantly surprised how Passionate Alliance does not fall into the same old moulds of traditional romance. Truly, Beaver's works are smart and sexy reading.

› Go to Amazon.com to see the review 5.0 out of 5 stars

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New review for Raven and the Golden Eagle, book #2 in the White Buffalo (New Beginnings) Series
Strong Characters, Smart Story-telling May 20, 2013
By M.N. Prather - Published on Amazon.com
 Raven and the Golden Eagle
by: Lauretta Beaver

In Passionate Alliance, Lauretta Beaver introduced readers to her cast of characters in her sweeping historical romance. In Raven and the Golden Eagle, readers will pick right back up with Chief Giant Bear, and Jed and Mell Brown, and their latest adventures. Although the story takes place several years in the future, readers will be relieved that the characters, a little older, are still the same individuals that they came to know and love in the first book. That same sense of strong characters, well-drawn and realistically painted prevails in Beaver's second book. Readers will appreciate that same old sense of familiarity, which will easily bring them back into the world and lives they enjoyed exploring previously. Raven and the Golden Eagle is every bit the smart, sexy, and intriguing Western Romance that the author's first book was.

However, many times an author will stumble in their second book. Either they will not go far enough and produce a book that is too similar to their first or they will go so far in creating something new that the work feels hollow, empty. Beaver has done neither. In fact, in Raven and the Golden Eagle, it is not only the characters who show a maturity and growth that they lacked in the first book, so too does Beaver. Beaver's prose is more controlled, terse and clean, lending an easier and more enjoyable reading experience with her second effort. Make no mistake, Raven and the Golden Eagle still has all of the intrigue, romance and adventure that fans loved about the first book, but by growing as an author, Beaver will not only keep her old fans but also gain many new ones.

› Go to Amazon.com to see the review 5.0 out of 5 stars
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I just got the most awesome review from one of my readers who has just finished reading book #1 Passionate Alliance, and book #2 Raven and the Golden Eagle; his name is Orvel Isaac, and he is from Rycroft Alberta, Canada:

Lauretta's first literary foray Passionate Alliance will appeal to readers of both genders, although it has a romantic and emotional bent it is far from a "chick flick" It is set in the Dakotas and dabbles in the wild west and in the Cheyenne nation. It builds on the relationship between the white man and the Cheyenne and ventures into the mystical; it sets the stage for the sequel Raven and Golden Eagle which takes place 2 generations later. Her characters become more developed as does her writing style. Lauretta is a descriptive writer who goes into great detail about the daily life and traditions as well as the emotions of her characters. The second book leads to a new visionary character Dream Dancer and leaves you waiting for the rest of the story when the venue shifts dramatically to the English shores. If you enjoy fantasy with a historical twist you will enjoy Lauretta's unique writing style; it is well worth the read and hard to put down once you embark on the journey with her.

You almost need a box of kleenex beside you when you read Lauretta's books because her descriptions of the feelings of her characters evoke an emotional involvement.

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Amazon.com: 5.0 out of 5 stars 1 review

5.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing, Heart-Pounding Tale Filled with Romance June 5, 2014
By Miranda N. Prather - Published on Amazon.com
Format: Kindle Edition
Dream Dancer & The Celtic Witch: White Buffalo (New Beginnings) Series
Lauretta Beaver

In Dream Dancer & The Celtic Witch: White Buffalo (New Beginnings) Series, Lauretta Beaver takes a decided turn in her works' main theme and feel. Although Beaver opts to turn away to some degree from a strictly Western novel, to one that has more of the feel of Fantasy, she remains committed to telling intriguing, heart-pounding tales filled with romance. It is that familiar blending of action and romance that fans of Beaver's work will recognize and appreciate, and the author puts it on display right at the beginning of her latest work, as she takes readers on a harrowing ride with the heroine of her book. What Beaver manages to do in this third book in her series is unique. She takes two very disparate genres, Fantasy and Western, and merges them into a new whole along with the romance, for a pleasing read that is sure to appeal to a wide audience.

Also apparent in this third work is that Beaver has dedicated significant time to her craft as a writer. Readers may well not notice the care that Beaver has put into the tasks of craft, but that is overall a good thing because it shows that Beaver is doing her job well. Sentence construction, attention to grammar and spelling details, and intelligent word choices make the story flow effortlessly from the page to the reader's mind. Through this careful, hard work, Beaver allows readers to simply enjoy the tale, free from any of the side distractions of trying to determine what the author might mean in a particular passage. As a reader, it is truly enchanting to see a writer come of age, not only as a story-teller but as a competent practitioner of her craft.

› Go to Amazon.com to see the review 5.0 out of 5 stars

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My new Twin Destinies is now released and will be the second book in my new series called:
The Curse of the Dragon Medallion
No review as of yet but hoping to get one soon :)