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Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later. I got my first ONE STAR review on Amazon! After entitling his review "Garbage!", the reviewer wrote this:





"A horrible piece of Christian fiction that flat out lies on almost every page. Why would someone even bother writing trash this bad? Run on sentences, made up science, historical events that never happened, what is the point? I have read some BAD christion fiction but this is the WORST BOOK I HAVE EVER READ. Only buy this i...f you are trying to prank someone."





OK, the run on sentences I'll own up to. I always tended to make my sentences too long. However, the man has a hard time with the concept of "fiction" apparently! As for "historical events that never happened," while the actual Testimonium of Pilate and the Will of Caesar Augustus are fictitious, they are based on primary source documents, and all the historical and apologetics background is pretty carefully researched.




But there is this: he still paid for my book - so I WIN!!! LOL





Anyway, I feel like a real author now, "street cred" and all. But, if you have read THE TESTIMONIUM and think it merits more than one star, feel free to log in at Amazon and leave your own review.






http://www.amazon.com/The-Testimonium-Lewis-Ben-Smith/dp/1632130440/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top (http://www.amazon.com/The-Testimonium-Lewis-Ben-Smith/dp/1632130440/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top)

if it's any consolation (and I know yours is a book not a movie) I've lost count of the number of big name, well respected movies on Amazon where some reviewer somewhere has decided it's literally the worst movie they've ever seen. its almost like there has to be one person that says it, regardless of what movie t is. That probably goes for books as well, so I guess now you've got your token 1star Amazon review!

that's outrageous.  no way that thing deserves a full star  :wink:

If someone can't spell the word Christian properly, he/she/it has no business reviewing a Christian book and calling it 'garbage'.  :smile:














http://www.amazon.com/The-Testimonium-Lewis-Ben-Smith/dp/1632130440/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top (http://www.amazon.com/The-Testimonium-Lewis-Ben-Smith/dp/1632130440/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top)
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My only one-star Amazon review reads:

"Big Time Amature Job!

Looks as if were the project of a high school student for his final project. Teacher gave him a C. Many words misspelled, absolutely no style to speak of when considering layout. Lousy job. Not worth the paper it is printed on."

Hard to take spelling advice from a guy who misspells a word in the title of his review, but whatever. I've dished it out before, I can take it.

If that word was spelled "armature", I would guess that he was trying to wind you up, Rev.  :wink:

Or maybe reflecting how well endowed Rev is.  It sounds like a good porn movie title.

Mazel tov, my son, you are now a man. Have an Israeli savings bond!

Send me a link to your Amazon reviews, I'd be interested to read them.  I have several myself. 

It's actually similar to some of the one star reviews for The Da Vinci Code, who completely attack it for historical/religious reasons, not for its literary qualities.  Not the nuanced ones that took issue with what they considered offensive portrayals, the ones that were one star and basically had, all in caps, "JESUS DIDN'T DO THAT!".  People are the same all over.

By the way, it's interesting reading the plot summary on Amazon...  I've heard the basic concept of a testimony of Pontius Pilate being tossed about, usually in the context of "If testimony of Pilate was found, and it contradicted/confirmed Jesus and the Resurrection's historicity, would this change your views?".  Is that where you got the idea?  I like the idea of a novel built on this, sounds nifty.   :thumbup:

There actually was a report from Pilate - Justin Martyr referred to it about a hundred years after the fact as being still extant, and it did, apparently, support the Gospel narrative to some degree - he told the Emperor Antoninus Pius that he could verify  "that these things did happen" by referring to it.  There are two other Pontius Pilate novels that I know of; one is called "The Gospel According to Pontius Pilate" and the other, simply "Pontius Pilate."

I was fascinated enough by his character that I wrote this book about archeologists finding his report; my second book is actually a biographical novel about him called THE REDEMPTION OF PONTIUS PILATE.  It's coming out May 19 - about six months from now.

You should read LARRY NIVEN and JERRY POURNELLE's novel INFERNO.  Ultimately it is about unexpected redemption and acceptance.  It's one of the great fantasy or speculative novels written. 

I remember years ago reading Robert Heinlein's JOB: A COMEDY OF JUSTICE.
It was very thought-provoking.

Heinlan is an aquired taste.He's a very-I dont know-ever notice all his books treat women like things to f**k? Dont get me wrong-I like Heinlen-but he really can be a misogynist.
Gee-I'm glad I dont write books-I can barley spell my own f**king name.
Indy-the shmuck dont like yer stuff? You are a member of the BAD movie forum,right? BAD? Be proud!  :cheers:

Getting a bad review is the author equivalent of "street cred".  It proves that someone other than your family members and best friends are reading your stuff.

Or it just means you really suck.
Im gonna buy your book Indy-I am gonna read it-if it DOES suck-Ill be honest. But the fact that you wrote a book and got it published-well-I think that is awesome in itself. :cheers:

Gee-everytime I try to write something nice it comes out being mean.
I really need to read your book-if it is awful-I'll be honest.
But I like HP LOVECRAFT-and if you read his stuff enough-Its really dry-it took me a couple readings to get what he was thinking. Lovecraft-well-it was more about a FEELING. Writing a GOOD story-not about the story itself-its the MOOD you need to convey.. Poe is worse. i can do Lovecraft-he takes you into strange places.
Not a big fan of Poe. I like Shirly Jackson.

I know what you meant, Ronnie, and I appreciate it.
My own opinion is that THE TESTIMONIUM does not suck - it does have some flaws (it's my first book, after all!),
but it's a good fun story overall with some pretty likable characters.  It may not be your exact cup of tea because
it is a Christian story with a strong Christian message, but at the same time, there are exciting archeological
discoveries, a blossoming romance between two of the main characters, and a really nasty villain who is plotting
to blow them all up.
I hope you enjoy it when you get your copy!

You think that's a scathing review? You should see my My Little Pony fan fiction!




...
(Don't Google it, it doesn't exist. It was a joke.)

In all the reviews I've written here, I don't ever remember getting an unkind review of that review. Constructive crit, yes but no nonsense.  :smile: