Status: Overbooked. I cannot take any more review copies at the present time.
My normal review policies follow.
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I am interested in reviewing the following items:
Novels
I prefer novels that do not take place in the here or now. For that reason, my favorite genres are below:
- Fantasy
- No horror.
- I’m picky about urban fantasy and paranormal romance. No soul-selling, and no vampire, undead, demon or angelic lovers. When I read about romantic relationships, I prefer for both parties to be human.
- I do enjoy contemporary fantasies that fall outside the above categories.
- Science fiction
- I don’t enjoy very gritty science fiction.
- Mystery
- All subgenres, especially historical mystery.
- Historical
- Any historical period.
- Christian
- All subgenres listed above. I will also consider Christian urban fantasy and paranormal romance.
Points to consider before contacting me:
- I am not an appropriate reviewer for novels outside these genres.
- I only review works published by major, traditional publishers.
- I prefer to receive review copies from the publisher, so please be prepared to put me in touch with your publicist, if I so request.
- Publicists: please do not put me on any sort of mailing list for automatic distribution of review copies. I get way too many books for me to ever be able to read them all, and I hate to see good books go to waste.
If you are interested in sending me a novel, please query me at tia dot nevitt at gmail dot com. Please don’t be offended if I turn you down; most of the time I will do so because I don’t think I’m an appropriate reviewer for your novel.
For the occasional change of subject, I also enjoy writing about the following:
Music
I am interested in unknown acts as well as major artists in the following genres:
- Classical
- Any musical period from Baroque to Romantic. I don’t feel qualified to review 20th century compositions.
- I’m especially interested in small ensembles such as wind ensembles, string quartets, small orchestras and soloists.
- I do enjoy opera.
- Please be aware that I am a knowledgeable amateur, not an expert. However, I am knowledgeable enough to know the difference between the major periods. So if you’re playing Vivaldi’s music as if it were Paganini’s, or Bach as if it were Liszt, it will raise my eyebrows.
- Digital, DRM-free copies preferred.
- Country
- Digital, DRM-free copies preferred.
Movies
I watch a wide variety of films, including:
- Fantasy and Science Fiction
- Action/Espionage/Thriller
- Period dramas and Westerns
- Comedy
- Christian
- Musicals and Opera
DVDs preferred
Software and Technology
- I love technology, and I love writing about it. I’d love the opportunity to test drive your gadgets and software.
- Keep in mind that I have an older computer.
- As much as I love video games, but I cannot review them due to time and equipment constraints.
For other types of products, please send a query to tia dot nevitt at gmail dot com.
[...] In an effort to have a more eclectic blog, I promised to review stuff like music and movies in my Review Policies. I thought I’d start by finding out if there are any classical music lovers here. And if not, [...]
Hi Tia,
Would you consider a contemporary fantasy set in the winter wilds of Alaska where the MC was a female vampire running a destination resort for her fellow undead? It’s not a romance but does have a sexual relationship between the vamp wife and human husband so I wasn’t sure if it fell into your ‘no’ category.
Cheers and keep up the great work!
C.J.
Hello, Tia: I got your name from Shaun Duke (arconna@yahoo.com). I am looking for early readers/reviewers/editors for a SF/F book I have written. It is a SF/Fantasy (not gritty) novel. My website is above. Generally, how would you suggest writers of new novels find qualified reviewers and get their work reviewed? Thanks.
I will not bug you to review Gone Away Into the Land. It is taking a leap forward and to have reviewers like you and A.F.Stewart and Erin Schmidt review the book has been an unbelievable boost. Erin put it top book for 2009. When your schedule opens I would be happy to send you a hardback copy.
Here is the description: Thank you for reading.
John doesn’t know whether he is dead or alive.
John is a twelve year old boy. He has a six-year-old sister, Marny, and a mother, Ellie. His father is portrayed, from the very first page, as an overgrown, nasty, angry-at-the-world, muscle man who hasn’t a hairless spot on his body. John describes the fear and oppression he, Marny, and his mother live under.
One day the father returns home early from work and explodes into a torrent of anger and violence. After the horrendous scene, you get the distinct impression something strange has happened to John. Although he has been beaten into a state of delirium, he watches, in horror, his monstrous father wield his dreaded power and smash a hardened fist into the side of John’s mother’s face. Afterward, John either falls into unconsciousness, lapses into a coma, or gradually bleeds to death.
Even John is unsure of his state of being, so the reader is left to sort out the confusion with him. Eventually, you find yourself in a surrealistic land, a parallel world, where sweet things are invented. John loses his connection with reality. He enters the land on the correct assumption it is where his father fled, carrying his baby sister. John resolves to protect his mother, rescue his sister, and kill his father.
Along the route of his journey, there are revelations about his life and the life of his mother that cause the hatred for his father, now referred to as the Beast, to grow more intense. As John’s hatred grows, so does the Beast, until it comes to resemble an ugly, slovenly-drooling giant, hunched over by the weight of its guilt. John’s epic quest to find the answers leads to a climactic showdown between him and his abusive father. The ultimate battle ensues.