Saturday, April 7, 2012
Happy Easter!!!
Hey everyone! It's just past midnight in my neck of the woods, so I wanted to wish you all Happy Easter. I hope the Easter Bunny will bring you lots pf prezzies and happiness and anything you desire!
Friday, April 6, 2012
Follow Friday (14)
The main idea behind FF is just to go see a bunch of new blogs you may never have seen before, and follow the ones you like (and they’ll follow you back!) It’s a total win/win, so take a peek around!
This week’s question is:
Q: Have you ever bought a book BECAUSE of a bad review?
No, to be honest. Besides the fact that I rarely read reviews before I read the book, I believe that reviews are very personal. I've lost count of how many books I loved and others hated or books I couldn't care less about (and some I actually regret buying, let alone reading) that others loved them.
What about you?
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Dirty Little Secret (6)
Dirty Little Secret is a weekly meme hosted by Under The Covers.
The rules are simple:
1. Be a follower of Under the Covers.
2. Create a post in your blog taking the meme image and copy instructions.
3. Answer the weekly question.
For more information and for signing up, go to the Under The Covers blog.
This week's question:
Now that Lover Reborn has come and passed, what book are you most looking forward to?!
Um...I know it sounds weird, but I didn't even thunk about this before. Huh...must be the weather. Anyway, looking through my "impatiently waiting for" list, I see the new Dark Hunter book, Time Untime. *sigh* Is it August yet??
What about you? What are you impatiently waiting for?
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Cover Reveal
So I was doing my daily blog lurking and I found this awesome new cover *drum roll please* :
That's right, a knew hot cover from the awesome Lorelei James for her series of sexy, bad boy cowboys, Rough Riders. We still have to wait until June 26th for the book *pout* But at least now we can ogle and drool at this very cool, very sexy cover.
Wednesday Chatter #1: When to read reviews
Wednesday Chatter is a weekly feature at Ruby's Books where we'll be talking about anything and everything related to books and reading. Click here if you want to see what we talked about in the previous weeks
What about you? Do you read reviews before or after you've read the book?
Since I'm a very chatty person (and yes, I ramble a lot. There, I said it) I thought it would be a good idea to start this feature. I was also curious if I'm the only one feeling a certain way about... well, bookish things.
This week's topic is about reviews and when to read them.
A few days ago I was talking with a friend of mine about book blogging and book reviews and, knowing I enjoy writing reviews, she asked if I also read reviews. I have to admit I am a very weird person. Though I enjoy writing reviews about the books I read, I am very particular about the reviews I read. That doesn't mean I don't read them at all, I do read reviews. But I read them only after I've read the book in question.
I realized it was better for me not to read reviews ahead of time when I was very young. I was about 13 years old and me and a very good friend from school (let's call him D) were doing a The Three Musketeers read-along. D is a booklover since he was very very young, so by the age of 13 he was a really fast reader (I think even know, he reads a lot faster than me, if that's possible). So, of course, he was about 3-4 chapters ahead of me. Every day for about...two weeks, while we were taking the subway on our way home, we would talk about what we read the day before and change opinions and arguing about what would happen next. At some point, I realized D wasn't playing fair, because he already knew what was going to happen. So I, curious as ever, started begging him (more like nagging) to tell me what was going to happen and tell me his what he thought about it. That ruined the book for me and I could never finish it.
I realize that what D was giving me was a huge pile of spoilers instead of a review, but for me, it's basically the same thing. As soon as I read someone else's opinion about a book, my feelings change even before I started reading it. I notice things I probably would've ignored otherwise, while other details are lost to me.
The main reason I do like to read reviews is because I want to see if someone else spotted the little details that I did, or to see if I'm the only one hating/loving certain things about the book.
If I stumble across a review for a book I've never heard of before, I will read a small part of it. So my brain gets something along the lines of
I loved this book because....(skip this part, skip it, skip it!); I didn't like the fact that (skip, skip, skip). Recommended to fans of (insert genres or similar books).
What about you? Do you read reviews before or after you've read the book?
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Interview & Giveaway: Mary Parker
Please welcome Mary Parker to Ruby's Books. She's the author of The Awakening of Leeowyn Blake, a YA fantasy novel that I loved loved loved (read my review here)
Welcome! Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I live in Middle Tennessee. I love to read anything and everything, as long as it’s fiction. I love to cook and I love to bake, but I’m not crazy about eating sweets, so I end up baking goodies for my friends. I started writing as soon as I was able to hold a pencil. I’m spontaneous and have been known to do some crazy stuff from time to time. I tried college for a while, and worked on several different majors, but I just didn’t enjoy it. I started waiting tables to support myself while writing my first novel.
What's your favorite book?
I don’t have a favorite. There are just too many. My favorite book is whatever book I happen to be reading at the time. Some of my favorite authors include J.K. Rowling, Ray Bradbury, George Martin.
What made you want to write fantasy books and why young adult?
Young adult, simply because I am a young adult and I think I can get into the head of a young adult. Fantasy, because I write what I love to read. I’m always daydreaming about a world that is far more mysterious and magical than the world we live in.
Do you plot before starting to write your books, or do you just wait to see where the story takes you?
I would love to say I was organized enough to plot in advance, because I’m sure I could make the story far more complex if I did. But I’m just not. I’m more of a ‘go with the flow’ kind of writer. I like to create the characters and then follow wherever they choose to lead me.
What inspired you to write The Awakening of Leeowyn Blake?
The character of Leeowyn has been with me forever. I had a dream about her when I was quite young, and I wrote it down. Of course that story change significantly over the years, and when I got inspired to write the novel it was only natural to cast Leeowyn in the lead role.
How would you describe Leeowyn?
I would describe her as ‘average.’ At least that is how she would describe herself. As we know she is anything but average. She is a typical teenage girl that has to deal with normal teenage girl stuff. Then she discovers these powers and the responsibility that goes along with them. Now she is thrust into a role of having to deal with not only normal stuff, but extraordinary stuff. She is tasked with saving not only her world, but several other worlds.
I'm very anxious to see what happens next. Could you give us a small idea of what will happen in the future with Leeowyn and her friends?
There is quite a bit in store for Leeowyn and her trio of friends. They travel to new realms, they are exposed to new dangers and they are stretched beyond what they think they can endure. Of course a great deal of the story involves the unknown, so I can’t give away too much without revealing the secrets that make the story so intriguing.
If you could be any one of your characters who would you choose and why?
Oh, Leeowyn. Not because she is based on me at all, but she is the kind of person I would want to be.
Welcome! Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I live in Middle Tennessee. I love to read anything and everything, as long as it’s fiction. I love to cook and I love to bake, but I’m not crazy about eating sweets, so I end up baking goodies for my friends. I started writing as soon as I was able to hold a pencil. I’m spontaneous and have been known to do some crazy stuff from time to time. I tried college for a while, and worked on several different majors, but I just didn’t enjoy it. I started waiting tables to support myself while writing my first novel.
What's your favorite book?
I don’t have a favorite. There are just too many. My favorite book is whatever book I happen to be reading at the time. Some of my favorite authors include J.K. Rowling, Ray Bradbury, George Martin.
What made you want to write fantasy books and why young adult?
Young adult, simply because I am a young adult and I think I can get into the head of a young adult. Fantasy, because I write what I love to read. I’m always daydreaming about a world that is far more mysterious and magical than the world we live in.
Do you plot before starting to write your books, or do you just wait to see where the story takes you?
I would love to say I was organized enough to plot in advance, because I’m sure I could make the story far more complex if I did. But I’m just not. I’m more of a ‘go with the flow’ kind of writer. I like to create the characters and then follow wherever they choose to lead me.
What inspired you to write The Awakening of Leeowyn Blake?
The character of Leeowyn has been with me forever. I had a dream about her when I was quite young, and I wrote it down. Of course that story change significantly over the years, and when I got inspired to write the novel it was only natural to cast Leeowyn in the lead role.
How would you describe Leeowyn?
I would describe her as ‘average.’ At least that is how she would describe herself. As we know she is anything but average. She is a typical teenage girl that has to deal with normal teenage girl stuff. Then she discovers these powers and the responsibility that goes along with them. Now she is thrust into a role of having to deal with not only normal stuff, but extraordinary stuff. She is tasked with saving not only her world, but several other worlds.
I'm very anxious to see what happens next. Could you give us a small idea of what will happen in the future with Leeowyn and her friends?
There is quite a bit in store for Leeowyn and her trio of friends. They travel to new realms, they are exposed to new dangers and they are stretched beyond what they think they can endure. Of course a great deal of the story involves the unknown, so I can’t give away too much without revealing the secrets that make the story so intriguing.
If you could be any one of your characters who would you choose and why?
Oh, Leeowyn. Not because she is based on me at all, but she is the kind of person I would want to be.
Giveaway time
I have two (2) e-copies of The Awakening of Leeowyn Blake to give away. All you have to do is fill out the form below.Comments are welcome, but you have to fill the form to enter the contest.You have until Monday (4/9/12) to enter and I will announce the lucky winners on Tuesday, next week (April 10). Be sure to check back here to see if you won. I will send an email to the winners and tell them how to receive their prize.
NOTE! Winners must respond to my email in 72 hours, or a new winner will be chosen.
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