Meet the Book Blogger: Jana

Good morning everyone! Today I'm happy to have Jana from That Artsy Reader Girl answering some questions. Please help me in welcoming her to the blog!

What can readers expect from your reviews?

I have a pretty unique review style. Rather than writing out a big novel of a review, I break my reviews down into numbered points and then bold the main ideas of those points. This way if my readers would rather skim through, yet still get the best bits of my review, I’ve made it easy for them. I’ve been known to fan girl over books with lots of caps, OH man!’s, and exclamation marks, but also smack my head into the keyboard over my frustration with a book. Books bring out a lot of strong emotions in me, and I make those known to my readers. And I WILL point out grammatical errors. Don’t you worry. Basically, I’m really honest and it can be funny sometimes.

I love your review style! Very easy to read and fun when you're excited about a book. :)

What was your most exciting ‘fan-girl’ moment with an author?

I was part of a blog tour for the self-published novel, On the Island, by Tracey Garvis Graves. I loved her novel, and she even sent me a signed paperback after the tour to thank me for reviewing it. And THEN when Penguin bought the rights to her book and MGM bought the movie rights, I went ballistic. I was SO happy for her, and so happy that I got to help get the word out about such an amazing book. She sent me a signed copy of the professional publication of On the Island months later, with a thank you note, and I seriously almost cried in excitement.

Very cool! Kudos to Tracey for making you (and I'm sure other readers) feel so special!

What does it take in a book to absolutely annoy you to the point where you quit reading or throw the book at the wall?

I recently read a book that was just wrong all over the place. It was about a group of boys who were in a band. They talked about iPods and CDs, but spoke like they were from the 70’s, talking about “chicks” and “eats” and “jams”. And there was this obsession with Teflon (a nickname), which I know was a major thing in the 80’s when it was first used to describe Ronald Reagan. I was so annoyed that the language did not match the present-day story. Plus, the grammar was terrible and I did not like any of the characters. Those are the three things that bother me the most: poor editing, plot inconsistencies, and characters I hate. I can usually stick it out otherwise. 

What makes you a fan for life?

I love beautiful, lyrical writing with flawless, gorgeous descriptions. It has to be done right, though, and not just for the sake of making a book longer. Purple prose is not my thing. But if you give me a well-written description with eloquent word choice, I’m yours forever.

Do you have a pet who loves to snuggle with you when you read?

Yes! My cat Misty loves to snuggle up to me no matter where I read. Sometimes she even looks at the book, as if she is reading it too. J

Jana and Misty

Misty is beautiful! You two are cute together. 

Have you ever stayed up reading all night even when you had to work the next day, and what was the book you cursed while fighting to stay awake all afternoon?

I’ve fallen victim to this curse so many times throughout my life that I can’t even think of one particular time this happened. I did it with Degrees of Wrong by Anna Scarlett, Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas, Frost by Kate Avery Ellison, Unbreak My Heart by Melissa Walker, Of Poseidon by Anna Banks, etc. I’m one of those people who loves to be an insomniac whenever they have the chance to do so.

So my question should've been "Do you remember the last time you got a full night of sleep?" *grin*

What is the most challenging part of book blogging? Rewarding?

When an author sends me a book and swag, and is SO excited to have me review their book… and then I dislike it so much that I can’t even finish it, I feel just as heartbroken as the author does. I hate having to eject someone’s pride and joy, and I hate feeling like I’ve wasted an author’s money by accepting a book and then not finishing it. The most rewarding thing is all the friendships and opportunities I’ve made and received as a blogger. I’ve got so many blogger, author, and publisher friends. The book community is the best ever. Plus, I’ve read amazing books I never would have known about if the author had not come to me.

Do you like to hear from an author after a review? How do you and your fans feel about authors following, reading and posting on your blog?

I love it, as long as they are nice and respectful. I recently received a thank you note from an author whose book I rated very low. She thanked me for reviewing it, and told me she plans to hook me with another book in the future. I loved hearing from her! I wrote a 1-star review on a book once, and the author attacked me on my blog, and on Twitter. How unprofessional is that? I was so upset that I was being ripped apart for not liking her book. I even bought it myself, so she got her money out of me. On the flip side, authors like Tracey Garvis Graves and Kate Avery Ellison (who wrote and thanked me, and even offered me more of their books) are wonderful to hear from. Authors are like celebrities to me, so when I hear from one of them I go a little nuts.

So glad the unprofessional authors are way outranked by the wonderful authors. 

Can you share with us up to 5 authors who are auto-buy for you?

1. Anna Banks/Scarlett
2. Lynn Kurland
3. Stephanie Perkins
4. Lauren Oliver
5. Syrie James.

Do you know how many books currently reside on your To Be Read list?

I just checked my list on Goodreads, and I have over 1,200 books on my to-read list. Holy moly. I don’t think I have enough time to get through those, especially since I’m adding to it faster than I’m checking books off of it!

Holy Moly is right! I can see why you stay up reading so many nights. LOL

Thank you for being here today, Jana! I hope you continue blogging for a long time to come and have many more memorable fan-girl moments!

Readers, it's your turn: Is there anything you'd like to ask Jana? 

You can find Jana, That Artsy Reader Girl, right HERE:

http://thatartsyreadergirl.blogspot.com/

https://twitter.com/SweetestJana

http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/983479-jana

https://www.facebook.com/pages/That-Artsy-Reader-Girl/303130236394805

http://pinterest.com/chocostrawberry/

The Broke & The Bookish

Meet the Book Blogger: Brianna Lee

Please help me give a warm welcome to Brianna Lee, from Brianna Lee Book Reviews.  She's a little newer to the book blogging world, but she's doing a great job, so let's sit down and chat with her for awhile.

Hello Brianna Lee! When and how did you get started with book blogging? I have been reading for my whole life and always loved to talk about the book when I was finished. I finally decided to begin my own Book Blog in June of 2012. I was very interested in writing real reviews for authors and I learned a Book Blog was a good starting point. So, I gave it a shot, and here I am today having a blast with it! My Blog is still really new but I love it so much =D

That's awesome that you're having so much fun with it. And a key factor in attracting readers!

I see on your website you offer a host of services to include beta-reading, proof-reading, and promo. What can readers expect from your reviews? Readers can always expect HONESTY from my reviews. I will always tell you what I liked and what I thought needed improvements. I try to make my reviews personable, unless specifically advised against. I like to give everyone my honest opinion as a real reader!

Where is your favorite place to read? I love to read anywhere and everywhere. I enjoy reading in my over-sized living room chair and in my bed though. It is just so comfortable! I also really love to read outside - in the shade in the daytime or by the fire at night. I don't nearly get to read outside as much as I would like though =(

Paper books or ebooks— and why? I love them both because it is the story that matters. However, there is just something so special to me about holding a print book in my hands! I love print books, they are more intimate. I love my kindle too though, because I discovered a lot of wonderful authors and titles because of e-books.

What is your favorite genre and is there anything you won’t review? I love all fiction, but my favorite genres are Paranormal/Urban Fantasy and Contemporary Romance. I review pretty much everything as long as it is fiction. If somebody had something they wanted me to review that wasn't fiction, they could e-mail me so we could discuss it.

Have you ever stayed up reading all night even when you had to work the next day, and what was the book you cursed while fighting to stay awake all afternoon? Oh my Gosh!  I have done this too many times! The most recent book I stayed up with all night was "Beautiful Disaster" by Jamie McGuire.I was so tired the next day but it was so worth it. It was such an AMAZING book! It was impossible to put down. I was definitely very tired the next day when my 2 year old daughter was up nice and early ready to play though!

I've heard a lot about Jamie McGuire's book...and love the cover. I'll definitely have to check it out. And boy, do I remember those days of being so tired from reading, but no choice but to pay the price. 

What is your favorite kind of M&M’s? My favorite kind of M&M's are Peanut! I have never tried the Pretzel kind but I really want to because I think I would like them a lot! Love this question! LOL so random but great! =D

Yeah, I had to throw it in there. :)

What is the most challenging part of book blogging? Rewarding? I think the most challenging part of book blogging is starting it up! It takes a long time to get a lot of followers. I have about 73 followers right now and have had my Blog for almost four months. I think it will be easier when I have more followers and they leave more feedback. Feedback will allow for better posts because I will know what they want. Also, it is a little hard coming up with Blogging Posts sometimes. I would love to post something great every day but I don't have great things to post about that often! I need to work on that some more =)

I think we're all in that boat--coming up with ideas to blog about. At least I know I am.

Do you like to hear from an author after a review? How do you and your fans feel about authors following, reading and posting on your blog? I actually enjoy hearing from authors after a review. As long as the author is not complaining about the review or anything negative though! But, I love hearing from authors when they like my reviews. It means a lot to me that my reviews mean a lot to them. I also don't mind authors following, reading, and posting on my blog. I actually have quite a few author followers!

Can you share with us up to 5 authors who are auto-buy for you? I have a lot of authors that are auto-buy for me. But, five of them are:

• J.R. Ward
• Richelle Mead
• Charlaine Harris
• Sherrilyn Kenyon
• Lara Adrian

WOW! That was tough to only pick five HaHa! I love sooo many authors that I feel like I am cheating them by only writing five names!

Those are some great choices. And sorry, but knowing how I myself have been known to say, "Oh, and then there's 'this one' and 'that one', and oh, wait, one more..." I had to limit it. LOL

Do you know how many books currently reside on your To Be Read list? I actually need to update my To Be Read list! But I have over 700 titles on my TBR list right now. But I find new books everyday that I want to add to my reading list! It is honestly probably closer to 1000!!

Find Brianna Lee online:

Brianna Lee Book Reviews, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads

Wow, that's quite the number! If only we all had more time for reading...

Anyway, thank you so much for visiting today! I enjoyed learning about you and hope my readers did, too.

Blog readers, here's your chance--is there anything you'd like to ask Brianna Lee? Or share some of your favorite authors with her--I'm sure she won't mind adding to that TBR list. Who needs to sleep? *grin*

Stacey Joy Netzel

Warm Winter Reads: Prizes and Books-what could be better?

I know, it could be better if you were sitting on that beach with the sandman, your prizes, and books...

...but since that's not going to happen, lets enjoy what we DO have. 

So first the grand prizes:

• 1 $50 Gift Card to Best Buy, plus $25 ebook gift card (Winners choice Amazon, BN, iTunes, ect.)
• 1 $25 Amazon gift card 

My individual blog prize:

 2 Marcus Movie Passes

Now for the books! 

The awesome authors of the Beach Book Blast have a whole bunch of new releases to share with you. My book is one of the two--that's right, TWO--brand new releases in the Welcome to Redemption series.

WELCOME TO REDEMPTION 

...a small town in Northeast Wisconsin where second chances don’t always come easy, but if you’re willing to try, anything is possible. 

“With their easy, breezy style and skilled characterizations, Rogers and Netzel have created a town that readers won't want to leave.” ~ Romantic Times Book Reviews, 4.5 Stars

The first of the two is NEVER LET ME GO, Book 7, by my talented series co-author, Donna Marie Rogers. Read all about her book here.

The second, is HOLD ON TO ME, Book 8, by moi! We release them together because each set of two (1&2, 3&4, and so on) share a scene, told from our own characters' point of view. They are all stand alone stories with their own beginning, middle, and end, but of course the friends we fell in love with from earlier books continue to appear as the series expands.

Amazon, Apple iTunes, BN, ARe, Kobo, SW

After escaping an abusive ex-husband, Jenny Clark focuses on making ends meet from one day to the next. Then she meets her new apartment building manager, and the passion in his kisses dare her to believe she could have a second chance at love.

At a crossroads in his life, Grant Walker returns from New York to manage his apartment building in Redemption. He didn’t expect to meet the woman of his dreams and find everything he never knew he wanted in small town Wisconsin.

But someone doesn’t want either of them to be happy, and even as menacing acts of vandalism pull Jenny and Grant closer together, a harbored secret could destroy all hope of their happily ever after.

EXCERPT:

Grant motioned Jenny back toward the door with a little jerk of his head. “Can I talk to you for a quick sec?”

She followed him outside, and once out of sight of the other girls, he turned to face her.

“What’s up?” she asked.

He cast a cautious glance around the barnyard before crooking his finger for her to come closer. His secretive demeanor made her wonder what the heck was going on, and she snuck her own furtive glance as she moved forward. There was no one around. Nothing looked out of the ordinary.

“What is it?”

She turned back to face him as Grant leaned in, and she caught her automatic reflexive jerk backward. His lips curved into a grin seconds before settling on hers. Closing her eyes, she relished the warmth of his mouth, and a moment later, willingly parting her lips with the first sweep of his tongue. He slid one hand into her hair at the nape of her neck while the other settled at her curve of her waist.

As the kiss deepened, she lifted her arms around his neck, raising on her tiptoes to press full against him. A low moan rumbled in his chest, and his arms closed around her. His lips and tongue caressed hers, coaxing a response and sparking desire like she hadn’t experienced in so very long. The press of her sensitive breasts against his unyielding chest started that throb of arousal deep inside.

Wrapped in a world of wonderful sensation, she clung to him even as he brought the kiss to an end.

“Well, hell,” he murmured in a husky tone. “That backfired.”

“How so?” Jenny braced her hand against his chest to support her weak knees.

He brushed a stray strand of hair from her face before resting his forearm on her shoulder. “That was supposed to give you something to think about while I’m gone, but all it did was get me worked up.”

Palm still pressed to his chest, she noted his rapid heartbeat, felt the synchronized beat in her own body, and admitted with a suddenly shy smile, “That’s not all it did.”

His brown eyes darkened even more as they took in her flushed cheeks. He rubbed his thumb over the racing pulse point near her collar bone, and a smile curved his mouth. “Good. Because I’ve been wanting to do that since Tuesday.”

Feeling a bit bolder after the kiss, she suggested, “Next time don’t wait so long.”

The smile became a grin. He drew her forward for a brief, firm press of his lips, and then abruptly broke contact and departed with a brisk, “I’ll be back by five-thirty.”

After he’d driven away, she turned for the barn and found the other two women at the doorway watching her. Her face heated, but wiping the foolish grin off her face proved impossible.

“Someone’s got it bad,” Joy said, grinning with her.

“I’m that obvious?”

“Well, yeah, but I was talking about him.”

~~~

Grab your copy of HOLD ON TO ME:
Amazon, Apple iTunes, BN, ARe, Kobo, SW

Then, hop on over to the Beach Book Blast to check out more great books and enter to win the grand prizes.

To enter for my individual blog prize, simply use the rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And please don't forget to say "Hello" in the comment section. 

Thanks for reading and Good luck!!!

Stacey Joy Netzel

Hold On To Me, Welcome to Redemption, Book 8

WELCOME TO REDEMPTION

...a small town in Northeast Wisconsin where second chances don’t always come easy, but if you’re willing to try, anything is possible.

January 2013

Amazon, Apple iTunes, BN, ARe, Kobo, SW

"Another fantastic Story"

Hold On To Me gets a 5* Reviewer TOP PICK

from Night Owl Reviews! Thank you, Diana!

After escaping an abusive ex-husband, Jenny Clark focuses on making ends meet from one day to the next. Then she meets her new apartment building manager, and the passion in his kisses dare her to believe she could have a second chance at love.

At a crossroads in his life, Grant Walker returns from New York to manage his apartment building in Redemption. He didn’t expect to meet the woman of his dreams and find everything he never knew he wanted in small town Wisconsin.

But someone doesn’t want either of them to be happy, and even as menacing acts of vandalism pull Jenny and Grant closer together, a harbored secret could destroy all hope of their happily ever after.

EXCERPT:

After unloading her dishwasher, sweeping and running the vacuum, and a quick scrub of the bathroom, she tossed her work T-shirt into the laundry and put on a fresh one. A sweatshirt joined her purse and camera in her canvas tote bag, and then she skipped down the stairs to find Grant waiting by the door.

Moisture darkened his hair to almost black, suggesting he’d showered before changing into a clean T-shirt and jeans. The warm, spicy scent that enveloped her senses when she passed him on the way outside confirmed it.

“Look at you bright-eyed and smiley.” He tugged on her bouncy ponytail. “No danger of you falling asleep today, is there?”

Thinking about how she’d slept through more than half the movie at the theater the other day, she rolled her eyes as he drew even with her on the sidewalk. “You’re never going to let me live that down, are you?”

“You used me as a pillow on our second date.”

Second date? Were they dating? “Did we have a first?”

“Did we have a first?” he repeated, giving her an offended look as he held his hand over his chest as if she’d wounded him. “I bought dinner and we watched Tim Allen.”

And you kissed me.

“You bought yourself dinner and then felt sorry for me,” she argued.

His expression turned serious. “I’ve never felt sorry for you, Jenny.”

“Good.” The statement made her feel better, but she wanted to keep the mood light, so she reached up to rub the solid shoulder she’d fallen asleep on Tuesday afternoon. “And I got news for you—you’re a little firm to be considered a pillow.”

He held open his passenger side door for her. “You complaining?”

“Not at all.” She gave him a sassy grin as she got in the car. “I like you hard.”

He caught the door mid-swing. “Excuse me?”

Yeah, excuse me? Jenny pulled the handle from his grasp and slammed the door shut. When he grinned at her through the window, she covered her hot face with one hand and waved him away with the other. Had she really just said that? And oh, God, he was going to get in on the other side now.

The driver’s door opened, and the car dipped with Grant’s weight. The moment she heard him clear his throat, she held up her hand.

“Don’t you say one word,” she warned.

“Oh, come on,” he protested, laughter in his voice.

“Not one word.”

“Do you have any idea how hard it’s going to be?”

“Now, or later?” Her own humor surfaced and a giggle erupted before she could stop it.

“All day.” He started the car and shook his head with a rueful grin. “All damn day.”

~~~

Read the rest of the story...

Amazon, Apple iTunes, BN, ARe, Kobo, SW

Find that Character Contest

**Updated Feb 2013**

Charlie is the character who appears in the RW series.

Barbara and Karen were the winners and have been shipped a print copy of Lost In Italy and Chasin' Mason.

 Thank you!!

~~~

Which Character in the WTR series has snuck into my RW series?

However briefly he appears, he's in there.

Series books seem to be a favorite among readers (and writers—I know I LOVE revisiting ‘old’ friends from previous books), so I got to thinking, if an author has two well-liked series, what could be more fun than having a character from one series pop up to interact with a character from the other series? Or even multiple characters.

Amazon, BN, Kobo, Apple

As I mention at the top of the post, I've already laid the ground work in my two series, Welcome to Redemption and Romancing Wisconsin, because one of my WTR characters is briefly mentioned in the RW series.

Amazon, BN, Kobo, Apple

So, between now and January 31st, I'm taking email entries as to which character it is. From those who submit the correct answer, I will draw a winner for their choice of one of my print books, signed, sealed...and delivered from the USPS*.

 “Wait, how do I win a print book??” you ask.

• Read both the Welcome to Redemption series and the Romancing Wisconsin series.
• Find the character from the WTR series who is mentioned in the RW series
• email me at StaceyJoyNetzel (at) gmail . com with Find that character contest in the subject line, and the character name
• on Jan 31st, one randomly drawn winner will get their choice of one of my signed print books. 

I've even given you a hint up above to make it easier, so get reading and send in your guess!

Thank you, happy reading, and good luck!

Stacey Joy Netzel

*Ebook will be substituted in the event the winner lives outside the USA or Canada.

Meet the Book Blogger: Ashley

Let's give a warm welcome to Ashley from WHOLLY BOOKS. She lives in small town Alabama, and is the creator of the blog, where she shares her love of books with readers equally passionate about the written word. I'm going to get right to the interview so you can get to know her.

When and how did you get started with book blogging?
I first started blogging about a year ago but I didn’t get serious about it until about May of 2012.

What can readers expect from your reviews?
I like to focus my reviews on how the books made me feel because in the end that’s what determines how much I enjoyed a book. If your book didn’t make me feel anything, most likely I didn’t love it. I also try to tell what I thought about the characters and plot and give reasons why. I don’t give summaries in my reviews because I always have the summary above. I try very hard not to give spoilers but I’m sure sometimes it happens accidentally. I try to write reviews the way I like to read them. Readers (hopefully) get well written reviews that state how I felt about a book backed up with evidence why. Hopefully, that adds up to an entertaining review.

I'm so impressed with all the interviews so far, how much you all put into your reviews, and all you offer to readers. Thank you!

What is your favorite genre and is there anything you won’t review?
I love YA. When I was younger (early teens) I read a lot of crime suspense novels. Two of my favorite authors were John Grisham and Alex Kava. Once I got into my later teens reading was put on the back burner. Now, I read almost exclusively YA. I do read some Urban Fantasy.

I have also been enjoying more YA these days. Especially the dystopian worlds.

Where is your favorite place to read?
Somewhere quiet. If it’s cool I like to read outside. The other place I like read is in my bedroom.

Paper books or ebooks— and why?
It depends. I really like reading ebooks especially if I’m laying out at the beach. However, I like having physical copies of books too. I like being able to look at them and have them around. When it comes to physical books I prefer hardcover if it’s available.

Many book bloggers are also writers—are you? 
I am an aspiring writer. Nothing published yet but I do have something I’m working on so maybe one day you’ll get a chance to see it on the shelf!

Ashley, that'd be great! If you love the writing, keep at it and someday you will have it on the shelf next to all the books you've reviewed.

What is your favorite kind of M&M’s?
Plain

I'm with  you on that choice. :) Plus the new seasonal White Chocolate Peppermint M&Ms.

What is the most challenging part of book blogging? Rewarding? 
Having time to get everything done! I feel like I’m constantly behind. The most rewarding part is knowing that there are other people reading my blog and my reviews. I love reading comments/emails saying that they enjoy reading what I think. It’s mind-blowing to me that other people listen to what I say!

Time-we'd all love more. I saw on the blog you've added a couple part-time reviewers, Kristen and Kaci. Hopefully that frees you up some for more reading and your own writing.

Can you share with us up to 5 authors who are auto-buy for you?
I don’t have too many authors that are auto-buy. The only one I can really think of is Julie Kagawa. I have loved every single book she has written!

How much is too much for an ebook?
I’ll admit I don’t like paying a lot for an ebook. I typically only buy ebooks of books that go on sale for .99, $1.99, or $2.99. I have bought a couple of ebooks at regular price but if I wanted the next book in a series but didn’t want to go to the store and buy it.

My thing is if the ebook and print book are about the same price why not go ahead and buy the one that can sit pretty on my shelf, ya know?

Also, I’ve always thought it would be a good idea to have a print/ebook combo pack priced a few dollars more than the print. Kind of like they do with DVDs/Digital.

Good idea. As an author, I certainly wouldn't be adverse to that.

Do you know how many books currently reside on your To Be Read list?
Last time I checked it was around 50 or so, plus whatever I haven’t read on my Kindle.

You can find Ashley at:

Blog: www.wholly-books.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/whollybooks

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/WhollyBooks 

Thanks so much for spending time with me and my readers, Ashley! I wish you continued enjoyment on the blog and with your own writing.

Readers...your turn. Anything you'd like to ask Ashley?