Ok between the three minutes that I posted my last post and just now…that Praise and Prey little….
Well, she pissed me off.
Ready?
Here’s her email response to my rather polite ‘I don’t do .pdfs’. And oh, for fuck’s sake…note the sig line this time! Yes, it comes from the same email address.
Hi Lisa,
Wishing you a peaceful and beautiful Sunday. I hope you’re taking a moment to breathe amidst all the busy author life, it’s definitely well earned. 
I completely get it, sending out a PDF of your book isn’t a small ask. The author I’m currently working with said the exact same thing. His book is his heart and soul, just like yours. But then he told me he wanted 100 verified reviews, and I had to be honest with him:
Readers can’t review what they haven’t actually read.
Lisa, I promise you, your PDF is safe with me. I don’t upload, share, or distribute your book. I personally manage every reader assignment, keeping everything tightly controlled and private. No one outside the handpicked readers you approve will have access. I treat your work like it’s mine.
But here’s the reality I want you to consider:
Without real reviews from real readers, your book, no matter how incredible, will quietly sit on the shelf while other less-deserving titles gain traction. Amazon’s algorithm favors books that are consistently reviewed by verified readers. No number of ads can replace that kind of social proof.
You’ve already done the hardest part, writing a story that matters. Now let’s get it in the hands of readers who will genuinely engage with it and share honest reflections.
Would you feel more comfortable starting with a smaller group, say, 25 readers, as a test? That way, you can see how I work without risking anything.
No pressure. Just a sincere offer to help your book grow the way it deserves.
Warmly,
Carmelar Preid
Who the hell is THAT?
Ok, here’s my response and I really hope it shuts her up. It probably won’t but…what the hell?
Hi,
How can it possibly be a “real” and “verified review” if they’re reading a .pdf file? It doesn’t work that way. I know. Remember that “purge” and how wrong you got everything? Yeah. Amazon “purged” a lot of reviews for copies of books that were NOT BOUGHT on Amazon. The books, instead, had been given as review copies in return for ‘an honest review’. They were honest reviews. All ‘heartfelt’ just like you were talking about. That can’t happen in 2025 if the reviewer hasn’t downloaded (either purchased themselves or been gifted a digital copy) the book from Kindle. So, it can’t ever ever ever be a ‘verified review’ with your method.
THAT is SO NICE of ME!
Yes, it is.
If…they…respond…I won’t be so kind.
Now that I’ve held up a lighted mirror to the biggest flaw in their plan hopefully they just go away.
****Update 8/4/2025*** Yep, you guessed it, they came back….again. If you’re of a mind please go to Part Trois of this post. Let’s hope that’s it, hey!
Lisa Beth Darling 