
The First Ten Focus Group Feedback for Manifesting Miracles: True Stories of Extraordinary Coincidences
Because Manifesting Miracles was Book of the Day, some of our most trusted members have carefully looked over the cover, the description, and other aspects of this book as a part of purchase-intent focus group. We then asked each participant in the focus group if they planned to buy and read the book, and why they planned to buy and read the book or not. Their answer to that question and reasons are displayed below. We call this awesome feature The First Ten Focus Group.
Keep in mind, the responses from the members are not reviews. This is purchase-intent focus group which means the participants are people who have NOT yet bought or read your book. A purchase-intent focus group is an important and extremely useful marketing tool for any product, not just books. For other products, you might walk on the street and show people an item in a package and poll them about whether they would buy if or $X or not. These kind of focus groups are one of the ways big marketing companies find the ideal price points for products and test the effectiveness of different packaging. The focus group can help you identify your market so you how to target ads of your book, and it can (but may not) provide you new useful info about your "packaging" (e.g. your book cover, your book synopsis on Amazon, etc.). The point of the focus group comments is to give you information from people who have not bought or read your book about why they plan to buy your book which will help you in marketing the book. These are not reviews or critiques of your book because they are not from people have read the book. This is a marketing tool, not reviews. The trick of book marketing and book advertising is that you have to convince people who have not read your book yet that your book is worth buying and reading. For marketing, it doesn't matter much if people love your book after reading it if you cannot convince potential buyers before they read it that they will love it.
IMPORTANT: Any score over 10% is considered very good. And any score above 0% is acceptable. This is because we only poll about 20 or so readers, and all readers have to say "no" to almost all books. Over a million books are published each year. Even a very active reader cannot come close to even reading 1% of books out there.
This is also why publishing books is such a tough industry.
Nuel Ukah

If I had not actually sampled the first ten pages as part of this program, I would have chosen to read or sample this book based on the title and genre because I am interested in the miraculous. I am going to buy and read the whole book because I'd like to read more of the author's personal account of the miraculous. Reading the first ten pages did not change my mind from my original guess.
Based on what I read, the book seems like it was professionally edited as I found no error. What I like most in the bit I read is the explanation of the term 'synchronicity'. What I know about the book is that it's a personal account of the author's miraculous experiences. I didn't notice anything that could be improved in the bit I read.
There is an Official OnlineBookClub review, which affected my decision by providing a brief, detailed overview of the book.
First Ten review added on November 1, 2019, at 4:50 am by Nuel Ukah.
Aubrey Lewis

The overall appearance of the book is quite pleasing to the eyes. When I read through the official OBC review, I became interested in the concept of the book since I've always been intrigued in real stories about miracles or "coincidences". When I finished sampling the first ten pages, I decided to read the rest of the book. The author's writing style was easy to follow and was fast-paced enough for me to enjoy. The details she put in were very interesting, and I especially liked the parts about Joan of Arc as well as the "sign" Mother Mary gave her on the windows at Clearwater. So far, I only spotted one typo: [That evening I tentatively broached the subject of going to Clearwater with Chip I told him about the people claiming to be a version of Mary and learned that he had already heard about it on the car radio.] There is a missing period after "Chip". Aside from this, I don't think that there are any improvements necessary.
First Ten review added on November 1, 2019, at 3:52 am by Aubrey Lewis.
Gravy

Would I have sampled this?
No. No, I wouldn't have. Mainly because I don't go looking for religious/spiritual books. If one falls in my lap, especially one that appeals to me for other reasons, I read it, but this one just didn't have that little something extra.
Sadly, the sample did not change my mind about it.
I did not notice any errors, and I appreciated the tone of the writing. The author's opinions on reincarnation (and inclusion thereof) would be the only thing to possibly tempt me into reading this. Unfortunately, the rest of it just didn't appeal to me, so I will not be adding this to my list.
I have no notes on improvements as I don't believe it needs improving.
I believe there was a review for this book, but that has no impact on my opinion.
First Ten review added on November 1, 2019, at 2:51 am by Gravy.
va2016

The title and the cover are indicative of the theme of the book. There are 30 Amazon customer ratings, which is good. The Amazon summary provides a clear description of the content of the book. I would have sampled the book based on the Amazon summary even if not for the First Ten program. As I sampled through the book, I found the narration discussing "synchronicity". As I found the book relating to religion in a certain way, I am not going to read this book in full. I found the sample professionally edited. I didn't any grammatical or mechanical errors. I didn't like anything specifically about the book. I could not find anything that can be improved in the book. Although I found one OBC review of the book, my decision to not to read the book in full is based on my own sampling.
First Ten review added on November 1, 2019, at 2:13 am by va2016.
Annelore Trujillo

I wouldn’t have sampled this book based on the genre, blurb, OBC review, cover, and title. After reading the first ten pages, I won’t be finishing this book. I know the author said to be open minded while reading, but I don’t know that I can be open minded enough to enjoy this book. She talked about “God tapping her on the shoulder” and about past lives. I generally don’t read books that involve any type of spirituality, and this one falls into that category. I did like the suspense at the end of the first chapter. She says “it would take major events to get my attention”, which leaves the reader wondering what these major events are. However, I still wasn’t drawn in enough to continue reading and find out. The book did seem to be professionally edited.
First Ten review added on November 1, 2019, at 1:35 am by Annelore Trujillo.
ritah

Based on the cover and genre, I wouldn't have sampled the book because it did not appeal to me. I read the official review and sampled Manifesting Miracles. I liked the quote by Nikola Tesla about investigating non-physical phenomena. However, I think the quote can be interpreted in many ways other than what Nikola may have intended/meant. In short, how I interpret the quote is different from the way the author has. I did not find any errors in the pages I read and I saw no areas that needed improving. I will not be reading the rest of the book because the content is not for me.
First Ten review added on November 1, 2019, at 1:28 am by ritah.
Lorraine De Vos

I would have chosen to sample this book based on the cover and the title. I like the positive tone of the book and how the author seems to have taken her time to ensure the book delivers the right message at the right time. I think the human spirit is nothing less than miraculous and our resilience baffles me on a daily basis. Barbara’s experience in the movie theater whilst watching Joan of Arc gave me chills and I remembered feeling the same way when I watched the movie a few years ago. There was nothing about this book that I did not like and I don’t think it requires any improvements. The official OnlineBookClub review was excellent and had I not sampled the book, I would have done so based on this review. The book does appear to be professionally edited, as I didn’t notice any errors in the sample pages. I am definitely adding this book to my reading list.
First Ten review added on November 1, 2019, at 12:46 am by Lorraine De Vos.
Fu Zaila

The cover is pretty. The blurb and reviews were impressive. The writing is also edited professionally from what I read of the sample. The foreword by the author's husband sparked my curiosity as to what unlikely events he was talking about. I liked how the author saw the positive in being presented with a nursing scholarship even when she was interested in being a doctor. The way she passionately describes about the 'spiritual' path is uplifting. But most of it seemed like coincidences to me. Also, counting the twenty buttons on the director's dress? That was funny. There wasn't anything I disliked, but I wasn't blown away by it, so I won't be reading this book.
First Ten review added on November 1, 2019, at 12:19 am by Fu Zaila.
KendraRobinson

If I had not read the first ten pages of the book I would not have picked it up. The cover art seems too textbook-like for my liking. The synopsis, however, did grab my attention and the OBC review I had read made it seem very interesting.
After reading the first ten pages I would love to finish this book! The book starts off
by discussing extraordinary coincidences and near death experiences. These topics intrigue me! I liked the topic of discussion and the authors easy-to-read writing style. I liked that it seemed to be well edited too, as I did not find any errors. I would suggest improving the cover art, though, since it does not catch the eye immediately. I cant wait to finish this one!
First Ten review added on November 1, 2019, at 12:07 am by KendraRobinson.
AA1495

Had I not sampled the book, I would not have read it, since I usually read pure romance books. I do not normally read non fiction or inspirational books. However, the image of the birds on the cover caught my attention. Further, the book has a 3/4 OBC review, which gave me a good impression. Having read the sample, I liked how elaborate the introduction was, with a dedication, an acknowledgement section, an index and a foreword. Further, I liked how there was consistent and enough spacing between paragraphs. Since the paragraphs were of even length, the indentation of the first line of every paragraph also seemed elegant. In terms of language, the book was easy to read and follow. I felt like the author expressed thoughts and emotions well (specially for the Clearwater trip mentioned in the first paragraph). I did not find any major grammatical error in the sample. I do not usually read this genre, and hence, I do not think I will read the rest of this book.
First Ten review added on October 31, 2019, at 11:33 pm by AA1495.
lavellan

I probably would have not read Manifesting Miracles if it had not been a part of the First Ten program. While the Book of the Day review was positive, I don't agree with the subject matter. The book seemed liked it was professionally edited, but I noticed an error while reading. A comma is needed before "and" in the following phrase: "I know there are many healthy skeptics out there and I count..." I found the idea of synchronicity to be interesting; there are times were I have experienced unlikely coincidences. I didn't like the book's emphasis on religion; I found it unlikely that God or Mother Mary were directing the events occurring in the author's life. As a result of this, I will not read the rest of the book.
First Ten review added on October 31, 2019, at 11:28 pm by lavellan.
Mary WhiteFace

Without the first ten program, I would not have been interested in reading a book about a womans mystical life experiences. I also don't really care much for poetry. Neither the OnlineBookClub review nor the first ten pages changed my mind.
I found it interesting that the author wrote that she heard the voice of Mother Mary telling her that she (Mary) had revealed an image of herself in Clearwater Florida because the world needed clear water, and "The pollution of the water must stop (location 240)."
It is possible that the book was professionally edited. I did not notice any errors. I have no suggestions for improvements. The topic of the book did not appeal to me, so I will not be reading the whole thing.
First Ten review added on October 31, 2019, at 9:15 pm by Mary WhiteFace.
OliviaLouise

After reading the review, I was not especially interested in this book because of the topic. After reading the sample, the author’s ability to place significance on the coincidences of her life (such as accidentally winding up in a nursing program when she had wanted to be a doctor, only to find out that being a nurse was better for her) was admirable, and I was happy for her, I don’t feel like this is necessarily applicable to everyone. Overall, I’m sure this is a great book for those who share the author’s beliefs or who are searching for meaning in their lives, but I’ll pass on this one due to lack of interest and personal relevance. I did not find any editing errors.
First Ten review added on October 31, 2019, at 8:49 pm by OliviaLouise.
desantismt_17

This book’s title made me curious. The description told me this wasn’t about changing one’s mindset right off and informed me it was more a collection of memoir-like stories. This didn’t grab my interest. Before sampling, I was considering reading. After sampling, I’ll give this a try. The book appears professionally edited. I noticed no errors. The beginning gave me a term for something I’ve experienced many times—synchronicity. It’s amazing how I’ll hear or see a new word, and then, it will start cropping up everywhere. Having a basic interest in psychology, Jung’s name also caught my eye. Any book that included this was something I might want to read. I appreciated the author’s admission of being a skeptic. I am an open-minded person, but that doesn’t mean that I always believe immediately. This book sounded like a journey worth taking at this point, which was when I decided to read. I have no improvements to suggest at this time. I didn’t see an OnlineBookClub.org review, but I’ll try this, regardless.
First Ten review added on October 31, 2019, at 4:13 pm by desantismt_17.
Vickie Noel

I wouldn't have read this book outside the program; the cover didn't catch my eye and even if it did, I'm not a fan of the religious/spirituality genre. Reading the sample hasn't changed my mind. While I believe in everyday life miracles, I believe it is out of undeserved kindness on the part of God, Jehovah, rather than anything special on our part as humans. The author's frequent claim to her inability to do certain things, like how she'd never studied Ancient History (at all) but scored among the top in the entire country, or how she was always initiating the Ramblin' Wreck song without knowing how she knew it or why she sang it, all sound pretty much magical as she'd initially said than miraculous. And I don't subscribe to magical stuff. The book was well edited; the only error I saw was in the sentence, "It would take major events to get my attention. When they occurred, it was both scary and divine..." It should be, "they were both scary and divine..." The OBC review I read, however enthusiastic, didn't influence my decision.
First Ten review added on October 31, 2019, at 12:45 pm by Vickie Noel.
Alice Heritage

I probably wouldn't have sampled this book without the programme as I was sceptical about the contents on the basis of the Amazon blurb. I probably will read the rest of it now, though, because I have been experiencing anxiety about a particular situation; I would find it comforting to believe everything is happening for a reason. I did coincidentally find out about a job opening, and similar things have happened before, so I am quite open to the notion of synchronicity at the moment. The book appears to have been professionally edited as I didn't notice any errors. I liked the Jung quotes as well as the invitation to read with an open mind, and the note that the book isn't aimed at anyone from any particular religious background. The book could be improved through the inclusion of a picture of the Clearwater Virgin Mary. I googled it and am not convinced! I didn't see an OBC review; my decision was based entirely on the sample.
First Ten review added on October 31, 2019, at 7:42 am by Alice Heritage.
MarisaRose

After reading the book blurb for "Manifesting Miracles," I wasn't eager to purchase the book blindly. Although I think the author's perspective is unique, I don't share a lot of the values presented in the blurb about holistic medicine and themes related to mysticism. An OBC review wouldn't sway my opinion in this case because the topics described in the book blurb are not ones I'm interested in reading about. After sampling the first ten pages of the book, one of the things that stuck out to me was the writing. Harris' writing is professional and intricate, and I didn't notice any grammatical errors in the text. Unfortunately, the content of this sample didn't pique my interest. The author refers to Near Death Experiences and God in ways that I do not agree with. Based on my differing opinions, it would be difficult for me to continue with this book. One other aspect of the sample that I disliked was the narrative perspective. Although it is understandable that the book should be written from the author's point of view given the premise, the majority of what I read started with obvious "I" statements that quickly became tedious to read. Based on my experience reading the sample for "Manifesting Miracles," I don't plan to read any more of this book.
First Ten review added on October 31, 2019, at 6:47 am by MarisaRose.
Aditi Sapate

I would not have chosen to read this book based on the title and genre as I am not a fan of reading someone's personal experiences. After reading the sample, I was intrigued by Barbara's experiences and her approach to the situations. However, I will not be reading the whole book. This is partly because of my ambiguity towards the genre and partly because I don't want to read someone's personal experience and ridicule them for it. The sample that I read contained no major grammatical error. I could not find anything to be improved in the book as it is a personal memoir. The book also had an official OnlineBookClub review which was very straightforward.
First Ten review added on October 31, 2019, at 6:23 am by Aditi Sapate.
Kelyn

If I were not a member of this program, it is unlikely that the title or author would have led me to pick up this book. The title sounds slightly religious. This is a genre I do not enjoy reading. The author is unknown to me, so that would not have had any effect on my opinion. The cover, having a slight sci-fi look, may well have caught my attention as that is a genre I favor. The blurb and customer reviews would have actively given me pause about even looking at the book because they reveal the book to be religion-based. As I indicated above, this is not a genre I enjoy. Reading the sample, although interesting, did not induce me to continue reading the book to its end. I did admire the author's faith in the Virgin Mary, even in the face of life's difficulties. Though the book seemed relatively well-edited, I did find errors in the sample. One was: It was the nurse who promoted not simply "curing", but healing!! The comma after "curing" should be inside the quotation mark.
First Ten review added on October 31, 2019, at 1:04 am by Kelyn.
CrescentMoon

After reading the blurb, I don't think I would pick this book up because I don't typically read non-fiction or personal anecdote type of stories. I also am not a huge fan of poetry so I'm not the target audience for this book. After reading the first ten pages, I saw a few minor errors. In the introduction, "I still have questions and often ask myself why these things are happening to me?" There should not be a question mark after "me" because the sentence in itself is not a question, it's a statement. In chapter one, "... or to a nursing school, for that matter!" I don't think there needs to be a comma after "school." The errors were few and far between and not distracting. I think the subject matter is quite interesting. I found the author's experiences with these "coincidences" and "synchronicities" very intriguing and it actually made me reflect on my own life and wether or not I experienced similar coincidences or fates. I also like how the author explained that initially she was skeptical of these ideas but a near-death experience has caused her to feel differently about it. It makes it easier to understand why the author is so passionate about this subject and I can feel her enthusiasm for the subject through the pages. I think this is a good book for those interested in reading more, but this genre isn't really something I'm into so I won't be reading the rest.
First Ten review added on October 30, 2019, at 11:33 pm by CrescentMoon.
Kaitlyn Canedy

I chose to read the sample because the presentation of Manifesting Miracles was much different from any other book. I am a follower of Christ, and I appreciate the miracles that are told in the Bible. This is why I like the book, and will be reading it in the near future. I did not see any grammatical errors in the sample that I read. I don't think that any improvements need to be made to this book, but if a reader is skeptical of miracles or supernatural occurrences, he or she should skip this one. There is an Official OnlineBookClub Review of this book, and it provided more information that supported my decision to read the rest.
First Ten review added on October 30, 2019, at 11:17 pm by Kaitlyn Canedy.
briellejee

Based on the cover and title, I think I wouldn't have sampled the book. I'm really not into these topics since I am a skeptic so it was easy for me to pass this by. Although, both aspects are appealing enough for those who are into spirituality. As for the first few pages, the introduction of synchronicity was helpful in understanding what the whole book was about. The storytelling was superb. I can feel the author's feelings at those moments she wanted to be a nurse and to heal people, and when they watched the play. Her journey as a nurse seemed interesting as well. However, I am not just into the topic. As I've mentioned before, I'm a skeptic and I wasn't a bit moved, with no offense, to the author's stories. I know it's a bit biased, but I couldn't help myself. With that said, I will not be reading the rest of the book. But I do think it would be a good recommendation for people who are into this theme and topic. I found noticeable errors, mostly missing commas and excessive use of punctuation marks. Examples are in location 137: "After being accepted into this School of Nursing(,) my brain..." and "Would we!!". I think the official review mentioned about the grammatical mistakes too. The review was good and persuasive enough to tell me to sample it.
First Ten review added on October 30, 2019, at 11:11 pm by briellejee.
Juliet+1

I got the impression from the title, the cover, and one blurb that this book had a religious emphasis. The OBC review confirmed that impression. Therefore, it was highly unlikely that I would want to read it. Although I enjoy books that discuss spiritual belief in general, I don't care for books that assume a bias toward traditional Christian doctrine.
Reading the first 10 pages confirmed that I would not be reading the rest of the book. It seems to be a description of all the times that "Mother Mary" made a difference in the author's life. The author is entitled to her beliefs, but I don't want to read about them.
There are no problems with the writing or editing; both are fine. The problem for me is with the content.
First Ten review added on October 30, 2019, at 10:57 pm by Juliet+1.
gen_g

I have come across a positive review of this book, and it has piqued my interest. There are a few errors present in the book. At loc 20, the comma in "...in things unknown, and my beloved..." is wrongly inserted (conjunction before dependent phrase). I like that the author has seen fit to provide the reader with a brief overview of her own life, starting with her full scholarship to nursing school (which she did not apply for, which she takes as a sign from God that she was meant to do this work – even scoring near the top in the country for Ancient History). This allows for better immersion on the reader's part. I would suggest that the author run the book through another round of editing. However, I will not be reading the rest of the book, as I am not in the market for non-fiction that focuses on religion.
First Ten review added on October 30, 2019, at 9:45 pm by gen_g.
LV2R

I like the book cover and the title. The Amazon blurb described the author as a holistic nurse, Reiki Master Teacher, author, and poet who shares about courage, compassion, love, and faith that she has experienced. I wanted to read the sample. The Foreword was by the author’s husband who wrote that the book’s message was about unconditional love. I best like that the author explains synchronicity and goes on to say that it is more than just a coincidence, that it is Magic, it’s “Divine Providence in Action, guiding” her life. This shows that the author believes that the spiritual and unexplainable events in her life were from a source that was guiding her. The book may not be edited well, as I found a missing comma at Location 101: “…open mind, for if you become aware (comma) you will almost certainly…” I want to read this book because I like true stories of miracles, blessings, and unexplainable happenings. I want to know what things happened in the author’s life. The OBC review mentioned that the author intertwined poetry and prayers with her stories. It is clear that the author has experienced some spiritual manifestations in her life.
First Ten review added on October 30, 2019, at 9:08 pm by LV2R.
Verna Coy

Had I not sampled this book through the First Ten program, I would have picked it up and checked it out because I like the cover, and the message seems positive. I am going to read the whole book; it grabbed me right from the first page. I received a free copy through the Online Book Club (thanks)! Reading the first ten pages confirmed my first impressions that this is a positive book. It offers positive insights through the experiences of the author. Based on what I read, it is professionally edited, although I did spot a few missing commas at location 293 of 3008 “I[,] of course[,] was not satisfied with the explanation.” What I like most about what I read is the way the author noted the coincidences that happened throughout her life, and attributed them to a higher power. I know that readers who enjoy amazing stories that build faith in things we cannot see will enjoy this book. As far as improvement, I saw no need for any in what I read aside from some minor proofreading. I did see the Official Online Book Club review and found it informative.
First Ten review added on October 30, 2019, at 8:38 pm by Verna Coy.
Brenda Creech

Based on the title of this book I was immediately curious. After reading the review I was still curious, but a bit hesitant due to the fact the author believes she communicates with the Virgin Mary. As a Christian, I believe in miracles. I believe they come directly from God. I like the fact the author is following her convictions on completing the task she has been instructed to do. I also feel the book is well written and well-edited as I found no errors in the portion I read. Although I found the first ten pages very interesting I don't plan to finish reading the book due to my differing beliefs. I did not detect anything I perceived as needing improvement.
First Ten review added on October 30, 2019, at 7:15 pm by Brenda Creech.
Sarah_Khan

I would not have picked this up without the First Ten program because the plot does not sound interesting. The title and cover are average. The first ten pages seem well-edited. I thought the foreword from the author's late husband was very cute. Unfortunately, I am not a huge fan of memoirs and this book is basically a memoir, so I will pass on reading the rest. I do not think the author needs to change anything, this type of book is just not for me. I did not read any OBC review.
First Ten review added on October 30, 2019, at 5:52 pm by Sarah_Khan.
Heidi M Simone

Without this program, I would not have sampled this book. Self-help books aren't to my taste. Therefore, the genre, blurb, and title would not have piqued my interest. Though I do find the cover to be beautiful, it would not have convinced me to pick up this book. It's great to see the positive OBC and customer ratings, but these do not affect my opinion of the book. I didn't see any glaring errors while reading, which is great in any book. I like the idea of "not outlining the outcome" because I feel some of the best-laid plans are those we don't know about yet until it happens. Even though it seemed a bit odd to me that the author should receive a full scholarship to a nursing school even though she applied for one at the age of seventeen, it was great that she found her calling because of it. In general, though, I do have a hard time truly believing in "seeing the other side" in near death experiences. Also, I don't believe in past lives, which does make this book a bit challenging for me to read so far. Due to not having the same beliefs as the author, I do not plan on reading the rest of the book.
First Ten review added on October 30, 2019, at 4:34 pm by Heidi M Simone.
Chelsy Scherba

I really like the way the author describes synchronicity and uses quotes from individuals with vast knowledge of the subject. Her introduction was very intriguing and I’m very curious to learn about Virgin Mary, and the many coincidences and miracles in Bobbi’s life. Her desire to be a doctor was changed by God when she received a scholarship to be a nurse. She fulfilled her desire to heal people without realizing this was the path she needed to go. I love the title and I’m so curious to read more. The book is well-written and edited from my viewpoint, so maybe the reviewer had an advanced copy with errors, as I could find none. I can’t think of anything to improve the book. I look forward to reading.
First Ten review added on October 30, 2019, at 4:18 pm by Chelsy Scherba.
Kajori Sheryl Paul

'Manifesting Miracles' is a book written by Barbara E. Harris. The title, cover, OBC review, and Amazon review did a good job at convincing me to give this book a try.
The first ten pages of the book leads me to believe that it is an account of the experiences of synchronicity that the author faced in her life. Barbara is a nurse by profession. Though she wanted to be a doctor, she was thrust I thus profession by a miracle. She had decided to write a book of her experiences at the behest of Mother Mary herself. I like the spiritual undertone. I found some errors. For example, it should have been “The" instead of “That" in “That summer after graduation was spent in continuing my work..” I do not think that it is professionally edited. I will give this book a try as I like the concept.
First Ten review added on October 30, 2019, at 4:16 pm by Kajori Sheryl Paul.
Jsovermyer

The cover is not very interesting. The title, Manifesting Miracles, is better. But it sounds religious, and I do not usually read that type of book. The author tells of how she was accepted in nursing school with a full scholarship when she had not applied. She did not try to find out how that had happened. I would have wanted to know who had applied for me. In the next chapter she talks about the sign of the Virgin Mary showing up on the office building in Clearwater, Florida after she had prayed for a sign. The official review rated this book highly but said it had many grammatical errors. I found one at location 105 where it says, "I’ve come to understand that they happen to everyone; it is simply because my consciousness has been raised and I am now very aware." This sentence would be better written as two sentences, and it is missing a comma after the word raised. It should read, "I’ve come to understand that they happen to everyone. It is simply because my consciousness has been raised, and I am now very aware." I am a skeptic about this type of story, and it is not interesting to me. I will not be finishing this book.
First Ten review added on October 30, 2019, at 3:30 pm by Jsovermyer.
Erin Dydek

I initially wasn’t very interested in this book. The cover is appealing but I wasn’t sure what to expect. The OBC review highlighted the inspirational and mysterious elements of the book and made me more curious to read it. As I read through the first pages, I was intrigued by the coincidences that occurred as the author prepared and began nursing school. She had received a scholarship that she hadn’t applied for and tested high in a subject she hadn’t studied for. She was also given some tickets to a broadway show about Joan of Arc and was unnerved by the scene of the burning at the stake. This scene hinted at the author having had a previous life, which I don’t really believe in, but she asked the reader to have an open mind and so I will continue reading the book. I’m curious about the different events that she will discuss and the book seemed well-edited. This is one that I want to know the ending to.
First Ten review added on October 30, 2019, at 3:30 pm by Erin Dydek.
HRichards

I normally wouldn't have picked this book up as the summary didn't really interest me. Having read the sample I won't be continuing on with the book since I didn't really enjoy the subject matter. The sample deals with the author talking about how she got a nursing scholarship, which led her to work hard to become a nurse. She talks about going to a Broadway play with a friend. The writing is fine, but I did notice a grammar error in the line "very poised but tears streamed down my face" that needs a comma after "poised". Those who like memoirs might like this book. I just didn't find the material that interesting. I read the OBC review of the book, but it didn't change my mind that this book probably wouldn't interest me.
First Ten review added on October 30, 2019, at 3:23 pm by HRichards.
AvidBibliophile

This book has a beautiful cover that clearly illustrates the generalized theme and spiritual feel of the text. I suspect there to be a wide audience interested in reading about the many synchronicities and extraordinary coincidences Harris encountered throughout her life, including her NDE. I think we all secretly hope there's something greater out there, pulling the puppet strings of fate and destiny. Unexplainable phenomena are a thrill to read about, and this title seems to be professionally edited and organized. I enjoyed the sprinkling of applicable quotes from other famous scientists and writers, although I did feel there was a slight overuse of exclamation points in the initial section. The glowing editorial reviews and official OBC review helped convince me to enthusiastically dive into the remainder of this book.
First Ten review added on October 30, 2019, at 3:17 pm by AvidBibliophile.
Washboard

This is not a book I would have picked up. The cover art is pretty and complements the title and the content of the book well. The official review strengthened my thoughts that this book would not be a good fit for me. I did not notice any errors in my reading. The author starts off by laying the groundwork of her later revelations by discussing how she accepted a scholarship to go to nursing school, even though she was planning on going to medical school. I think I am too much of a skeptic to really enjoy this book, and as a non-religious person, I think this is not a good fit for me.
First Ten review added on October 30, 2019, at 3:10 pm by Washboard.
Laura Ungureanu

The cover and the title didn't speak much to me. I formed an opinion on this book after checking out the OBC review. These "meaningful coincidences" were interesting to me. I liked that the author included a Foreword written by her late husband. The pages I read managed to make me understand the concept of synchronicity. The author begins by telling how she became a nurse. The writing style is pleasant and the pace is stable. There's nothing I would change about the sample. Although the OBC review stated there are many typos, I didn't find any in the first pages. I'm not one who reads religious books since I'm not a believer, so I won't continue reading this book.
First Ten review added on October 30, 2019, at 3:06 pm by Laura Ungureanu.
Juliana_Isabella

I would not have chosen this book since I usually prefer to read fiction, but I did appreciate reading the positive review. I found a compound sentence missing a comma in Location 97 ("I know there are many healthy skeptics out there and I count myself among them."). I liked that the author told the story chronologically, beginning in high school. However, I feel that the grammatical mistakes reduce her trustworthiness, which is essential in a book asking readers to believe in the author's experiences and interpretations. Due to this lack of trust in the author, I won't finish the book.
First Ten review added on October 30, 2019, at 2:31 pm by Juliana_Isabella.
Mbrooks2518

I would not have sampled this book without The First Ten because it is not the type of book I normally read. After reading the first ten pages and the official review, I am not interested enough to read the rest of the book. I did like how clear the author was clear in the introduction about what the book is about and that she only asks readers to have an open mind. I did not find any editing errors, and there is nothing to be improved.
First Ten review added on October 30, 2019, at 2:10 pm by Mbrooks2518.
MsH2k

Had I not actually sampled the first ten pages as part of this program, I would have read the blurb and passed on reading further. I do believe that coincidences do not exist, and I do believe that miracles occur, but this book includes mystical approaches that I am not interested in reading about. The samples pages were written well and shared her story vividly. I did not notice any grammatical errors, although the official OnlineBookClub review noted there were several in the book. The sample pages confirmed to me a mixture of religion, spirituality, and mysticism that do not interest me.
First Ten review added on October 30, 2019, at 1:03 pm by MsH2k.
Scerakor

From the cover, blurb, and review of this book, I wouldn’t have read it. I'm not interested in books about symbolism or spirituality. After reading the first ten pages I didn’t change my mind and therefore will not be buying and reading the rest of this book. For those that are interested in these kinds of experiences, the opening chapter is captivating and I like the excitement they convey with the "Tower of Babel" dream. That being said, I'm just not a spiritual, religious or poetic person that would enjoy a book based on these kinds of experiences. I didn’t see anything specific that I would have wanted to change within the sample that I read, but it did seem well written and edited. The official review did not affect my decision at all.
First Ten review added on October 30, 2019, at 12:49 pm by Scerakor.
Kristy Khem

The cover design, title, blurb, and Amazon reviews appealed to me because I enjoy reading about synchronicities and miracles in people's lives. The sample was eye-opening. I liked how the author spoke about her interactions with the Virgin Mary, especially how she gave her messages about adoption, writing her book, and the importance of water preservation. It was a deeply spiritual thing that the author shared about how her adopted daughter came into her life - she first had a vision where the Virgin Mary was giving her an infant wrapped in pink blankets. I saw a few errors in the sample. One was a missing comma or full stop between two sentences, 'That evening I tentatively broached the subject of going to Clearwater with Chip I told him aout the people...'. I would like to continue reading this book despite the errors. I think the author's story deserves to be read. Therefore, I would buy and read this one.
First Ten review added on October 30, 2019, at 11:29 am by Kristy Khem.
Emy Katherine

As I am not interested in reading non-fiction books, I would not have read the book without The First Ten program. Unfortunately, I did not change my mind after reading the first ten pages and the OBC review. Throughout her book, the author shares how her life was shaped by inexplicable, remarkable coincidences. I found the cover captivating and thoroughly appreciated the author's conversational tone. This thought-provoking book also has great Amazon ratings, so those interested in spiritual books will surely enjoy this one. Sadly, I do not think the book was professionally edited; I found several missing and misplaced commas that were quite distracting. For example, there should be a comma after "week" in the following sentence: "On their grand salary of twenty-five dollars a week they certainly couldn’t afford to take us to a Broadway play." (location 147 of 3008 • 5%)
First Ten review added on October 30, 2019, at 11:15 am by Emy Katherine.
cpru68

Readers are given a bit of background information as this book opens. The author’s husband, now passed on, explains the author’s ability to receive messages and write them down. He urges people of all faiths to read the book for its message of hope and love. The author shares the term synchronicity and its meaning-that events seem to occur along the lines of our thoughts. For example, thinking of a friend and then having that person call. The author then recounts her acceptance and scholarship to a nursing school after not applying for either. Her heart was set on becoming a doctor, but God redirected her path to nursing. Oddly, she scored a very high mark in ancient history on her entrance exams.
I will be finishing this book. While I’m not big into the Mother Mary angle, I will read it with an open mind as I like stories that involve miracles. I don’t want to discount something before I give it a chance.
I didn’t find any errors in the first ten pages. So from my perspective this seems to be professionally edited. However, the reviewer deducted a star due to poor editing, but this was awhile ago, so maybe those changes have already been accomplished.
I appreciate the opportunity to read this book. I will send it out on my social media for others to look into as well. I probably wouldn’t have found this without the online book club because there are so many books in this genre. If synchronicity is at work, then I think this book probably found me.
First Ten review added on October 30, 2019, at 10:56 am by cpru68.
Cristina Chifane

I wouldn't have read this book without the first ten program since I'm rather skeptical when it comes to near-death experiences and messages from Mother Mary. The book has its target audience, though, as it is proved by the positive editorial and customer reviews. I appreciate the fact that the book is meant for people of all religions and faiths and carries a message of unconditional love. I often noticed the extraordinary coincidences in my own life, but I don't have the patience to read about such synchronicity in a book, especially since I found the first story rather far-fetched. The author's experiences during her training years as a nurse were not very credible for me. Although I didn't notice any editing errors and the book has a 3-star OBC review, I'm not interested in reading it.
First Ten review added on October 30, 2019, at 10:27 am by Cristina Chifane.
Theresa Moffitt

I really like the cover of this book and the title. Manifesting miracles sounds like an intriguing concept. I haven’t read a review of this book yet The book begins with the author discussing how she began nursing school. She received a scholarship to a nursing school that she didn’t recall applying to. She had always wanted to be a doctor but realized that nurses spend more time with patients, so it would be a better choice for her. I didn’t see any errors in the first ten pages so I believe the book was professionally edited. I didn’t get involved enough in the story or the stories of miracles in the first ten pages, so I will not finish reading this book. However I will read a review and may change my mind based on that review.
First Ten review added on October 30, 2019, at 9:03 am by Theresa Moffitt.
Total ~ 33%
Manifesting Miracles earned a score of 33%.
In other words, out of the top-level reviewers who read at least the first 10 pages of this book, 33% plan to read the whole book.
IMPORTANT: Any score over 10% is considered very good. And any score above 0% is acceptable.
Over a million books are published each year. Any given person could not even read .0001% of the books out there. This means readers have to be very selective. Even taking the time to look over reviews and blurbs, let alone read samples, is more time than most readers can afford for most books. The First Ten is a powerful focus group that addresses those issues. It creates a helpful tool for authors, publishers, and other readers.
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