I've kept out of this thread until now, firstly because reviews are always subjective and secondly because I've had my say, and Mike is perfectly entitled to have his.
On the topics of inspiration and inaccuracy, however, there follows a copy of the press release which Mike sent to one of my colleagues when the book first came out. Hopefully, this clears matters up but if you still want your letter to go in the magazine, Mike, just let us know.
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I'm NOT going to get into a spat with you Jeffrey on a public forum, but you really must read again what I have written. Your review was about my book for which I thank you. The above cropped photocopy is NOT the Press Release as you well know. You have quoted the short PRIVATE covering letter of the Press Release I sent to Steve Fitzpatrick of the Angling Times. I also sent a copy to Russell Hill of Trout Fisherman.
The following is the text of the Press Release that you have folded out of view.
JUST ME AND THE FISH
PRESS RELEASE
Published by Mereo Books 25th March 2019
Available from:
Our Books Selfpublishing Mereo Books Priced £20.00
As a 7 year old boy, Mike was infatuated with nature. When, one day, near his home in Petworth, West Sussex, he noticed someone fishing the local brook for minnows.
Unbeknown to him at that time, it was to be the beginning of a lifelong obsession with angling.
A journey of now more than 50 years of angling encounters applying self-taught skills, led Mike to becoming a qualified Level 2 coach in angling and the environment. His dedication to the sport extended to the successful delivery of a coarse fishing environmental restoration project prior to a change of direction in the pursuance of game angling.
Visiting many rivers and still waters across England, Scotland and Wales, Mike engages the reader into his world of angling. This book is written by Mike in his own style with some satirical humour, including a selected anthology of experiences, supported by amusing photographs within. The book is a light hearted, easy reading memoir of an average angler, concluding with a delightful poetic composition written by the late Frank Sawyer, inventor of the Pheasant Tail Nymph.
'Tell Me and I will forget, Show Me and I will remember, Involve Me and I will understand'
END OF PRESS RELEASE
I clearly stated at the top of this thread that "inspiring" is never mentioned within my book of which I understood the review to be about. I had no idea your review would include a quote from a PRIVATE statement used as an initial introduction. I have to ask, would this be normal practice for you to make public a PRIVATE statement between two others without their knowledge? Surely a review of any kind should be accurate and not an invention!!
I would be very grateful if you will publish my letter within the 'LETTERS' page of your magazine. You should, by now, be in receipt of a hard copy sent in the post.