Jane Cafarella’s writing radiates warmth and sincerity, and it’s very welcoming. Readers will feel connected from the beginning – as if the story is being shared over a coffee. – Carol Thompson for Readers’ Favourite

Cafarella’s writing is humbling and fearless…Fans of heartfelt memoirs will fall in love with this must-read from the very first page. – Makeda Cummings for Readers’ Favourite

…poignant and inspirational. …a must-read for readers looking for fortitude to overcome their deep-seated trauma and move out of the darkness into the light. – Richard Prause for Readers’ Favourite

Read the full reviews here:

https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/cleaved

I am thrilled to have received three five-star reviews from Readers’ Favourite – an international book review company especially for self-published authors.

I’ve been very fortunate to receive lots of unsolicited spontaneous reviews from readers via email and Facebook, but this is the first time I’ve actively sought a review from a review company – and paid for it.

So why pay? And are paid reviews legitimate?

More than a million self-published books arrive on the market each year, with a plethora of companies to service them, providing everything from editing and book-cover design to full publishing services.

But the biggest problems for all self-published authors are marketing, distribution and exposure.

Few bookshops will take self-published books, as without the professional services of a traditional publishing company, the perception is that quality is not always guaranteed.

And self-published books are seldom reviewed in the traditional media.

These makes self-published authors vulnerable to scams and vanity schemes offering reviews and awards.

So what should you look for when considering a review service?

I looked at how long the company had been offering the service, author reviews, whether the company was endorsed by others in the industry and an accredited business, and what other services it offered to help market the review.

I also considered the price. Some services, such as Kirkus reviews (established in 1933), offer reviews by professionals, such as librarians and nationally published journalists – but at a higher price, starting at $450.

I considered various companies, including Kirkus, and Literary Titan, which offers one review for $59USD, five for $275 and 10 for $550, and which had many positive reviews from happy authors.

In the end I chose Readers Favourite because it is well established (17 years), is endorsed by traditional publishing companies, and primarily offers free reviews.

Reviewers are volunteers, but a small monetary “gift” is paid for “express reviews”. The paid reviews start at one for $59USD, three for $129 and five for $199.

I opted for the package that offered three reviews for $129USD, as I felt three reviews would be a better test of both my book and the service. I was curious to see what independent reviewers in a completely different market from Australia might say. This option also allowed me to enter the RF 2025 book award into two categories for free.

Of course, there is the question of whether reviewers who are paid even a small amount might feel more inclined to say something positive, but I was reassured by the fact that while the company only posts reviews from books that receive four or five-star reviews, that doesn’t mean a four or five-star review is guaranteed.

As it says on its website, if you receive a poor review, the reviewer will point out the problems to help you improve it. Authors can then resubmit the revised version for another free review.

You also get to review the reviewers, to ensure the review you receive is accurate. You can also read their bios. All are required to write well, and to provide a description of the plot, as well as a critique. Most are ordinary people from all walks of life who love to read, which in my view is the perfect reviewer, as it’s ordinary people who will be picking up your book in a bookshop.

The other attraction for me was that RF creates a “review page” for you on its site and on social media, broadening your exposure.

I found the service prompt and professional and the reviews thoughtful and insightful – even if the superlatives did make me blush and wonder why I hadn’t won the Pulitzer!! And, as you can see, they also provide digital award stickers for those who receive five-star reviews. (Authors can purchase print stickers).

Who knows whether this translates into sales?

That would be nice, but the benefit of a using a review service is not just in the possibility of finding another market for your book: it’s in the value of having an independent reader, who doesn’t know you, giving honest feedback – and, as an author, discovering whether your intention regarding the story you wanted to tell was realised.

Want to read CLEAVED? More information and purchasing options here:

Memoir

Have you paid for a review? Comment here to share your experience.

Want to know more about me and how I wrote my memoir, CLEAVED? If you’re in Ballarat, Victoria, on Tuesday 18 February please join me at 6pm at the Ballarat Mechanics Institute (BMI), in conversation with Alisoun Downing for Northern Books. Can’t make it to Ballarat? Invite me to your book group or social group.

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Are you craving a creative life, but fear it’s too late?

Here’s some inspiration.  

In mid-November, 96-year-old Sylvia Kerckhoff, former Mayor of Durham,  North Carolina, USA, will perform a two-minute monologue for Way Off Broadway, a drama group at The Forest at Duke retirement community in Durham, where she lives.

“Sylvia does one terrific job when you hand her a script in large type,” Way Off Broadway director Rosemary Kitchin said.

And here she is, delivering the monologue!

Sylvia, is proof that it’s never too late to start – or restart – your creative life.

Here’s further proof, closer to home.

The Acting Out Troupe, a community theatre group in Mt Barker, South Australia, comprised mostly of older women, will premiere Breaking Up is Hard to Do, a new short play about book clubs on November 26 and 27, as part of its show, Bookish, a humorous look at libraries, librarians and book clubs.

I’m proud to say I wrote Quite a Sensation, the monologue Sylvia will read, and the book club play Breaking Up is Hard to Do that the Acting Out Troupe will perform.

The play (which is no reflection on any book club I’ve been in, where everyone was lovely) was commissioned by Acting Out Troupe director Anne Marie Serrano, The monologue was inspired by an older woman who is anti-graffiti advocate in my town.

Read BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DO here

One of the fun parts of my own creative life is to provide 10 FREE short plays for people of all ages and more than 50 FREE contemporary monologues for older female actors, directors and drama students who want to enter or re-enter the world of theatre.

The plays and monologues are available free on my website on the condition that users credit me, let me know how and when the work will be performed and send photos and feedback.  

In the three years since I made them available, these have been performed in 47 places around the world – including the USA, UK, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand and Australia.

Most recently, permission has been sought from performers from all walks of life in Canada, Florida, Merseyside (UK) and Auckland NZ.

And Members Only, my most popular short play, which has been performed nine times in the USA, New Zealand and Australia by actors young and old, will have its 10th production at Virginia Wesleyan University in the USA on November 23.

To keep track of where my work goes, I plot them on a map through PinMaps, a custom map creator to pin multiple locations. Here’s a screenshot to give you an idea of what it looks like:

Many of the monologues are written particularly for older women, who often struggle to find relevant material.

As English actress Geraldine James, who played Queen Mary in Downton Abbey, told The Guardian on 16 August:  “Diversity goes in every direction.”We’ve got to keep creating roles for older actresses, because we do represent more and more of society.” 

However, the current fashion for age-blind casting can also provide opportunities, as James found when she made her debut at the Royal Shakespeare Company two years ago as Rosalind in As You Like It at the age of 72.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-13746313/age-blind-casting-geraldine-james-imelda-staunton-theatre-trend.html

The late Maggie Smith, who died this year on September 30, was a huge inspiration for older women in the theatre.

She was perhaps even better known for her later work as an older actor, with such roles as the Dowager Countess Violet Crawley in Downton Abbey, and Miss Shepherd in The Lady with the Van, where she excelled.

It gives me great pleasure to write for older women in particular, who bring such rich life- experience to their work, and I’m always excited when I receive an email from someone who has found my work and wants to perform it.

Making a living in the theatre is always a struggle, made more so since Covid, and this is my way of helping. It also provides me with an opportunity to showcase my work, to learn and improve, and to be part of a worldwide community.

I have other work that is licensed with agents and for which I receive royalties (FULL LENGTH and ONE ACT plays) when they are produced.

Check out my other monologues here.

(Want to suggest a topic? Contact me here).

For more inspiration about discovering your creativity in later life, read the story of UK actor Liz Jones, featured on the blog Late Bloomers, which champions late-bloomers of all genders and artistic persuasions. Late Bloomers is the initiative of Debra Eve – a late bloomer herself.

https://laterbloomer.com/liz-smith/

And for more about the amazing Sylvia Kerckhoff, click here:

http://andjusticeforall.dconc.gov/gallery_images/sylvia-kerckhoff-city-council-member-and-mayor-of-durham/

https://whoswhoofprofessionalwomen.com/tag/sylvia-kerckhoff/

Are you a late bloomer? Tell me your story in the comments below.

Here are six new FREE monologues on contemporary issues for women over 40.

They are available for FREE for actors, directors and drama teachers anywhere in the world – on the condition that you let me know when, where and how they will be used and send photos and feedback.

1. GREY (Two minutes) – SYLVIA, 60s + sits on a park bench, unnoticed, watching a group of young girls. Who is she talking to? The only person who will listen – herself.
2. HAPPY MEDIUM (Three minutes) – KAYE, 40s+, tells a stranger across the table at the airport about her visit to a medium.
3. NORMAL (Three minutes) – NORMA, 40s+, tells her friend Judy about her irregular visit to a café.
4. OLD LOVERS (90 seconds) – LYNETTE, 50s+ is browsing through and old photo album.
5. PAY DAY (Two minutes) – AUDREY, 40+, asks her boss for a pay rise.
6. THE TIME TRAVELLER (Three minutes) – CONSTANCE, 60+ is telling her friend about a recent lunch date.

I have other work that is licensed with agents and for which I receive royalties (FULL LENGTH and ONE ACT plays) when they are produced, but I make these short works free as my way of reducing barriers for women in the theatre and, and as a way of getting my work performed.

Since I first made them available in June 2021, my monologues have been performed in 45 places around the world.

Check out my other monologues here.

They are inspired by my own experiences, the women in my life, women I meet and those in the news. (Want to suggest a topic? Contact me here).

It’s an honor to have women who have lived full and rich lives bring that richness and fullness to my work. I always learn from your feedback.

So, please dive in – rummage around my site. There are more than 50 FREE monologues waiting for you to rekindle or start your career in the theatre.

Want to suggest a topic? Contact me here:

Looking for inspiration: Check out this excellent blog from US-musical theatre-maker Lauren Mayer, published on Maestra in 2022,  titled Can you still be “emerging” in your 60s? Life as an Older Woman in the Theatre – https://maestramusic.org/blog/can-you-still-be-emerging-in-your-60s/   

The answer, of course, is “Yes, you can!”

https://www.northernbooks.com.au/janecafarella

Good news! The print version of my memoir, CLEAVED – A story of loss, legs and finding family, will be available from Amazon and all other outlets from 31 July 2024, RRP $34.99(AUD).

The PDF version of CLEAVED will still be available on this website for $3.99 (AUD) for those who prefer to read on their devices. The PDF version can be downloaded to your computer or other device. (Make sure you move it out of downloads to a file of your choice. Email me if you have trouble.)

Either way, you’ll be helping people with lymphatic disease, as $1 from each purchase will be donated to the USA-based Lymphatic Research and Education Network (LE&RN), the world’s leading organization for research into lymphatic disease.

CLEAVED is the story of me and my sister Juliana, and how we grew up under the same roof, each cleaved to a different parent, foot soldiers in the family war.

The situation was normal, even if I wasn’t. “Just tell them you were born that way,” my mother said when I was taunted at school for having one fat and one skinny leg.

There was no name for my “big leg”, as my mother called it, and no cure, so it was largely ignored, subsumed by the bigger family problems.

The mysterious swelling disease was later diagnosed as Milroy’s disease, a rare genetic form of lymphoedema.

The emotional cleaving became physical when our parents separated when Juliana was 18 and I was 17. I went with Mum and she went with Dad.

Six months later, an explosive discovery blew my mother and me away from my sister and the rest of the family for decades.

“They got the wrong ones. You’re like Dad,” Juliana said when we finally met again 21 years later.

A coming-of-age story and a mystery, CLEAVED is a tale of tender and fraught reunions and partings, and of how my sister and I lost and then found each other.

If you’re in Castlemaine in Central Victoria on 31 July join me for the official launch of the print version at the Tap Room, at The Mill, 9 Walker St.

I’ll be in conversation with Alisoun Downing, friend, neighbour, literature lover and English Language teacher.  I’m hoping my sister Juliana will also join me. She’s been unwell, so fingers crossed she recovers by then.

Want to order a signed copy of CLEAVED direct from me? Contact me at jane.cafarella@gmail.com. (Postage $12). I’m also happy to speak to your book club, in person or via Zoom.

See Book Club discussion questions here:https://janecafarella.com.au/blog/

CLICK BELOW FOR THE PDF VERSION OF CLEAVED

How to download:

1. Click the download button above and follow the prompts to pay.
2. Check your email (and spam) for your receipt.
3. Click the word “download” on the receipt.
4. The PDF will appear in your “downloads” file on your computer.
5. Save it to the file of your choice – e.g. documents. If you leave it in “downloads”, when you open it again, it will regard it as another download and ask you to pay, as there is a download limit of one copy per purchase. If this happens, don’t pay again! Email me at jane.cafarella@gmail.com and I will help you.