In Which an ARC from the States Finds Its Way to Italy (And Why It Hardly Ever Happens)

Hello sweeties!

So...as you might already know if you follow me on Twitter, I'm the proud owner of a physical ARC coming from the United States 💗. My VERY FIRST physical ARC. Every one of you who, like me, doesn't live in America, knows how hard it is to get one. As I have witnessed firsthand (because I've seen the receipt - I'll explain in a moment), sending stuff from the U.S. to Europe is a rip-off. This is why we never get anything, unless some generous author sends the package our way at their own cost. This is the story of how I got mine (but more than anything, an excuse to steer your attention towards this precious little bundle of words so that you get psyched into adding it to your TBR pile, preferably at the top 😉😂). Complete with the ugliest pics anyone ever took of an ARC...or anything else 😳😂.
(Please note: the cover of the ARC is not the final cover. Actually, it changed a bit, with regard to the lettering. You can see the final cover on Goodreads).

The sweater is a little more on the blue than on the green side, but it don't have one that matches all the way...Also, shadows 😱

Me and the author, Erin Callahan, go a long way. Here is the story of how we (virtually) met, and the recap of my experience as a beta-reader for her first solo book, The Art of Escaping itself. So, Erin was adamant that I had to get an ARC of TAOE, as a thank-you for the backstage work I had done for her (just my pleasure) and my campaigning for her book even before it had a publisher (same). She was in Denver for a signing on February 11th, and sent me the book from there. It arrived in Milan, Italy, on February 19th...and that was when the shit hit the fan. After a few days of anxious waiting, when I was about to phone my postal service and ask where the hell my ARC was, I got a registered mail from them (ON FEBRUARY 27TH, THAT IS, 8 DAYS LATER 😡), complete with the original receipt by Erin and the package info, in which they asked me to fill a form and send it back because the mailing details were incomplete (that is, there wasn't any invoice. Duh, it was a GIFT. And a PROMO copy of a book 😒). Basically, since the stuff was coming from a non-European country, there was a customs issue...I would have to pay customs rights unless such package contained goods whose value was under 45 euros. Now, of course an ARC is a promo copy that doesn't have a price tag or anything, but they wouldn't take "0" for an answer, so I wasn't sure how I was going to certify its value. A little worried, I called the number on the letter and explained the situation to a very professional lady, who told me to put a symbolic value on the form (like 10 euros), and advised me to call again in a couple of days to make sure it got accepted. I faxed them the form, waited, called again (on March 3rd, a Saturday), and they confirmed that my book would be on its way on Monday, and I would get it a day or two later. Which proved to be true, since my stray precious little ARC came home on March 6th - more than 3 weeks after it was sent 😲.

Now this one is a SLIGHTLY better pic...😉

 

Now...Erin had told me in advance that I had made the acknowledgment section...but picture my face when I read this:

Sorry I wasn't able to take better pics of the pages...I swear I tried. I hope they're readable...

Plus there's a short and sweet manuscript signature on one of the first pages, that I decided to keep private for no particular reason other than it's not PART of the book, and I didn't want to come across like I was shoving stuff in people's faces.

So, that's the story of how I got an ARC and made a friend 😊. The one thing I was afraid of when it came to authors, because I didn't want people to think I'm biased in my reviews. I still don't, of course - but some things we have no control over 😉. Now, I know of some bloggers who beta-read for authors they're also friend with, and have chosen not to review their books anymore - only to showcase them in some form. I do think they're wise, and have probably made the right choice. I'm also sure that they would be able to write unbiased reviews, but I do understand where they're coming from and respect their decision. I've been pondering about what I should do with TAOE long before I was told I would get an ARC. And I hope you'll understand if I tell you that I'm going to review it, rating and all, because it feels unnatural to me not to. The key words are "to me" here. As I said, I do believe my more cautious friends are right - but I can't bring myself not to canonically review a book. It would feel like a hole in my read list not to. Of course, there will be a huge disclaimer on my part, and I will be honest because heck, that's what I am - and what Erin would want anyway. I wouldn't be of any help if I let myself be biased. What I do - the books I proof or beta-read, the authors I reach out to, the promo posts - I do out of love...as the Doctor would said, "Without hope, without witness, without reward". (This is especially true in this case, since I beta-read TAOE when it didn't even have a house yet...). And I know that, if someone like Erin Callahan sends me an ARC, it's for the very same reason - not in order to bribe me into being biased. Back when I started blogging, never in a million years would I have imagined that someone would ask me to beta-read for them one day. I was reviewing books bought with my own money, just because I thought they were worth it. And that's what I want to keep doing, even with the ones I somehow help shaping or I'm being given in any form. That's why you'll read my review of The Art of Escaping soon. In the meantime, enjoy these ugly pics of my ARC, and thank the heavens above I don't get many of these, because I would feel compelled to treat you with more horror shows...😂