Yesterday I was catching up on my reading and saw this tag on Always Trust In Books blog. Her answers were really interesting.  I thought it would be fun to share my own answers to those questions.

The last three books you read?

  
Kind of an odd group of books, right? I like to mix things up a bit. The Garden of Small Beginnings is a debut novel by Abbi Waxman and had that perfect blend of humor, warmth, and growth. Loved it! I have just discovered Aimee Easterling this year and Half Wolf is my second novel by her. It was good, but I was a little disappointed by the characters. Sin With Me, is the third novel in J. T. Geissinger’s Bad Habit series. A rocker romance – I just love those broody self hating rockers! It was not a disappointment.

Spoilers or spoiler free?

I guess it depends upon if the review can be told succinctly without giving away the plot. I prefer no spoilers and I think if I am giving anything pertinent away, I always give fair warning!

How long have you been book blogging?

I have only been book blogging for about a year and a half. I am still learning how to attract followers, so if you all have any suggestions, pls feel free to chime in!  I have been mixing things up on my blog this year, trying to keep it interesting and fun.

  A book you read in one sitting?

Boy, it’s been awhile since I’ve done that! I think it was One Fell Sweep by Ilona Andrews. Their books are amazing and I always get wrapped up in the story.

Your favourite genre?

Fantasy, definitely! I like it even more if there is a hint of romance. I have read a TON of YA this year because I was writing a YA novel and it was great research. I got hooked into several series, and leaned towards YA fantasy within that genre. So, yeah, fantasy!  Lol.

Preferred book size? (novella, tome…etc)

Just a normal sized novel? 275-375 pages? I did read a 900 pager this year and it was fabulous, but it would take a fabulous book to keep me reading for 900 pages. (That was Robert Thier’s Storm and Silence if you’re interested, it was great!) I have read some novellas, but I feel that most of them are too quick and the characters aren’t fully developed and so I’m usually disappointed.

Amount of books on your TBR?

Oh, God, really? This is kind of embarrassing to admit.  I have 371 on my to read on Goodreads. I also have a stack of about 75 that aren’t on Goodreads that I’d also like to read. It seems to grow continuously!

 A book you have DNF’d?

Shadow’s Messenger: An Aileen Travers novel by T. A. White. I loved a couple of her other books, but this YA I just couldn’t get into, believe me, I tried! If anyone read this book, please tell me it finally got interesting!

Recent awards or milestones?

I finished my ya fantasy novel at the end of last year. I’m exploring how to go about getting it published, and have several ideas for other books I’d like to write.

Best interaction with an author you enjoy?

There are quite a few actually! I met Laura Carter last year at the RT Convention in Las Vegas and we had the funniest conversation about how to write a sexy scene! We were sharing a bench trying to find 10 minutes to gobble down some sandwiches and just hit it off. I’ve read and reviewed her books, she writes contemporary romances. It’s been fun to see her writing style grow by leaps and bounds! Her most recent book, Scarred by You was her best yet! She has also been kind enough to give me some brief advice on some books to read about how to get my novel published.

Average number of books you read per month?

On average I read three to four books a week, so I’d say 15-20? I feel like that’s a lot, but like a lot of you, I have slow weeks, where I get stuck in a book that seems to take days to finish. In fact, I’m having one right now!  Lol. Only two books read this week.

Top three publishers?

Kensington, Berkeley and Avon.  I also like Bookoutre and St. Martin’s Press. Once you get on NetGalley, you learn pretty quickly who are your go to publishers.

Social media sites your blog uses?

Twitter, Facebook, Bloglovin, Tumblr, Instagram, Goodreads, Google+,  Pinterest…. Follow me by clicking on any of those links!

Average amount of time you spend networking?

My New Year’s resolution is to be better at networking than last year. I try to spend at least an hour a day. When I first started I didn’t understand the whole blogging thing. I’m finally catching on!  Lol.

Most comfortable blogging position?

See that chair? Picture me in it, laptop or IPAD on my lap, feet on the coffee table. Not as often as I would like!

Music or quiet when writing reviews?

TV on because my husband is always camped on the couch in the room with me. Sports, The Voice, Dancing with the Stars. Anything without a plot, I can write to, once we turn on a sitcom or drama, my eyes are glued to the tv and I’m not writing.

Can you sum up your blogging style in 5 words?

Honest, Relatable, Insightful, Funny (at times), Grammatically Correct! Shoot, that’s six!

A blog you looked up to starting out?

There are definitely a few! Cleopatra Loves Books, Cafe Book Bean, Orang-utan Librarian, The Fiction Vixen.  I still follow these, but they were among my first. Check them out they’re awesome!

The best book you have reviewed so far?

This is a tough one to answer because I have read so many good books.  I would have to say Amanda Bouchet’s Promise of Fire. Romantic fantasy at its absolute best. The second novel in this series was pretty dang good too.

Best piece of blogging advice?

Blog because you love it. Don’t lose sight of the reason you started. In my case I love to read and  I love bookish discussions.

I hope you enjoyed learning a little more about me! I would love to hear your thoughts and how YOU would answer these questions!

Until next Sunday!

Deb