Hey there lovely book lovers.
This event has been in the works for a while and it has taken us a while
to start posting. We apologise. Life unfortunately got in the way.
We have a list of lovely ladies who are going to be featured on this
blog. Both as bloggers and as authors who appreciate bloggers.
As writers and readers we rely on bloggers’ love and passion for books
to keep us always craving more.
The first post will feature a write up by Catherine Stine and an
interview with Ginny Gallagher.
Blogger Love by Catherine Stine
Bloggers
are the glue that holds a lot of the indie writing world together. They are fellow
writers, cheerleaders, booklovers, and avid readers, and they do it in large
part for the pure enjoyment of the written word and to support the indie community.
That’s a rare commodity in this greedy, dog eat squirrel world.
I’ll
always remember how incredibly grateful I was in the winter of 2012 to have
bloggers eager to tour and review my first indie published book, Fireseed One.
I was amazed to discover that some of the most accomplished and enthusiastic
bloggers were teens still in high school. Ezmirelda at Parafantasy and Paige at
Comfort Books come to mind. They might’ve been too young to drink at a bar, or
even drive a car, but they weren’t too young to completely understand a complex
novel and be able to describe it even better than I could—what made its heart
beat, and why they felt it was important enough to encourage others to a take a
gamble on reading it.
I
love the more savvy, seasoned bloggers, too, who’ve been crafting and shaping
their site for years (well, now Parafantasy and Comfort Books can be put in
that category J ). They have made their blogs into a
wonderful work of art, from the graphics to the widgets to the intricate headers
to their catchy regular columns we’ve come to depend on. I’m thinking of Ren
Reidy’s A Little Bit of R & R, My Book Addiction, XoXo Book blog and NA
Alley just to name a few.
Some
say blogging has become less popular, or that blog tours are less relevant. I
say bite me. Sure, there are other ways to let people know about a new book.
But a blog feature, review, interview or guest post is still a fine way to
announce its launch. I blog, too, though I don’t generally write reviews. And I
would really miss it if I ever stopped. There’s something magical about reading
the scrawls and rants of bloggers, whether it’s a take on the latest publishing
scandal, an insightful book review, information about writing craft, or simply
a day in the life. The blog community helps keep us all connected, caring and
inspiring each other. Huzzah to the bloggers!
If
you would like to follow Catherine on any of her sites, you can find her here:
Fireseed One:
http://www.amazon.com/Fireseed-One-Catherine-Stine-ebook/dp/B006O4SL3O/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1430524904&sr=1-1&keywords=fireseed+one
Her website:
http://catherinestine.com/wp/
Her blog (Idea City):
http://catherinestine.blogspot.com/
And now for the interview. I sent every blogger a set of questions and
this is what Ginny had to say.
First off, tell us who you
are. Let us know a little bit about yourself.
Hi everyone (waving crazily)! I’m Ginny.
I’m a slightly sarcastic, happily married, writer, cover designer,
blogger, and the creative force behind Gin’s Book Notes & Design.
I’m currently writing the first
book in a young adult paranormal series and can’t wait to share it with
everyone (should be within the next 4 months…happy dance)!
I LOVE everything about books and
there’s nothing I enjoy more than creating cover art and hearing the words
“you nailed it” from the authors that I’m blessed to work with.
I usually have marker or
paint on my fingers and I’m happiest when writing, creating, reading, or
spending time with my family and five fur kids.I believe in
happily ever after, know that magic is real, and refuse to accept that the
world isn’t all rainbows and butterflies.
Why do you blog about
books?
Oh this one is easy….I LOVE BOOKS; always have, always will.
What books are your
favourites? Which author do you thank most for making you a book lover?
This one is not so easy. I have so many favorites across many
different genres. I honestly couldn’t pick just one. The first chapter book that I read that made
me fall into the pages and when I looked up realized that hours had passed was
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle. I was rarely seen without a book after
that.
Where can we find you?
Twitter? Website? Any sort of social media platform.
I LOVE getting to know fellow book lovers. Stop by and chat with
me at the following sites.
What is the hardest part
about being a blogger/reviewer?
Time management! It is very easy to let blogging take over all your
time because there is always “one more” thing that needs to be done or that you
want to do. Learning to balance blogging with the rest of your life vital to
blogging happiness.
Besides blogging what else
do you do? Do you work? Are you a parent? Do you walk your cat on the moon?
(This will totally be a thing one day.)
Let’s see…my job is designing covers and other graphic materials
for authors when I’m not doing that I’m working on writing my first book (I
mentioned that it should be done in 4 months or less…right?!...I’m so stinking
excited). When I’m not doing those two things or blogging I enjoy chilling out
with the hubs and fur kids, watching a few of my favorite TV programs (Arrow,
Flash, Baby’s Daddy), and relaxing by doing some arts and crafts.
What do you, as a blogger,
do for the community?
I read, buy, and review a LOT of books! LOL…that’s true but I also
try to participate in any type of charity related book programs. I’m especially
drawn to programs that bring books to children that otherwise wouldn’t have the
chance to enjoy them.
Thank you Catherine and Ginny. You ladies have been wonderful to host.
Keep an eye out, we will be posting more information on a giveaway soon.
Yay! That marks the end of our first post. We will be posting again
soon!
