Book Blogger Spotlight: Romantic Reading Escapes Book Blog

Romantic Reading Escapes Book Blog


Thank you so much for featuring my little blog on your website.  My name is Kathy and I am a special education high school teacher who just happens to love books and blogging about them.  I love the hills of Tennessee, and other than a short span of 5 years, have lived here all my life.  To me, Tennessee is God's country.

When and why did you become a book blogger?

I always loved reading, but found my co-workers and friends were becoming distant when I continued to talk about the books I just finished.  Thus, the blogging began.  I began my blog just this past mid-July as an outlet to talk to anybody about the stories that took me to places I could never begin to visit in real life.  I've made so many new friends among readers, bloggers, and authors; and I am thankful for each and every one of them.

How did you come up with the name of your blog?

The name of my blog, Romantic Reading Escapes, is a reflection of what I love to read and how it affects me.  I love the romance found in books, and those books supply me with a necessary escape from the harsh realities that are my life.  Teaching high schoolers with special needs is stressful enough.  Add into the mix my own triumphs and tragedies in life, I just gravitate to what takes me away from all that...a romantic reading escape.

What is your favorite thing about blogging?

My favorite thing about blogging are the friendships developed among like readers and the camaraderie among bloggers.  I feel like I have found so many kindred spirits in cyberspace through blogging. I hope to continue blogging for a long time to come.

What do you find the hardest about blogging?

The hardest thing about blogging is keeping the pace.  I try to post everyday about books that I find interesting and exciting.  I just want to share it with everyone.  Blogging has un-stifled my voice about books, but real life still tries to interfere with this passion, and I sometimes feel overwhelmed by trying to keep up with the pace.

Does your blog participate in any weekly features and if so which is your favorite?

I currently participate in "Waiting on Wednesday" hosted by Breaking the Spine blog in which I highlight the new releases I'm dying to get my hands on.  I also currently post my weekly Friday Freebies and Bargains post.  If I knew how to be an extreme couponer, I would.  As a single parent, I am always looking for ways to grab a bargain, even in my reading entertainment.

What has been your favorite moment since you became a book blogger? Which review, interview or giveaway have you been most proud of?

Aside from the feature on your website, I have so many favorite moments that it is hard to think of just one.  I guess my favorite moment in my short blogging history has to be The 12 Days of Christmas Give Back contest.  I am a firm believer in paying it forward and giving back.  So many new friends have opened their computers to my rantings via subscription, Facebook, Twitter, email, or members of the blog, that I want to give something back.  Time and love can't be replaced as the best way to give back, but with Christmas around the corner and given the present economy, I've been fortunate enough to secure a sponsor to give back via books.

What kind of genres do you enjoy reading and reviewing the most?

I am such a romantic at heart, that I really love the stories found in contemporary romance.  But, I am very eclectic in my taste when it comes to books.  While contemporary romance is my favorite, I also love paranormal romance, young adult romance, chick lit, general women's fiction, and if the book has a rock star in it....I'm just completely lost in it.

What is your favorite individual book or series? What makes you love it so much?

My favorite book of all time has to be The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, published in 2003.  This book was so well written with with such a unique flavor, it took me through such a journey of every emotion conceivable.

Who is your favorite fictional male character, why and from what book or series are they from?

Oh, my!  I change book boyfriends like people change their socks.  I fall in love with a new character almost everyday.  If I had to pick a favorite male character, I guess it would have to be Will Stevens in Butterfly Weeds by Laurie Miller.  Will Stevens actually made me want to go back in the past and revisit the age of 16.  His patience, loyalty, and certainty just grabbed me and I didn't want him to let me go.  He wasn't broken or bad boyish or evil.  He was simply honest.

Who is your favorite fictional female character, why and from what book or series are they from?

Thinking of my favorite fictional female character is much easier than thinking of a favorite male.  I must mention Katja Millay's character, Nastya, from The Sea of Tranquility.  This young woman had suffered so much and rose above it all with the help of a newly found makeshift family with their own life tragedies and dysfunction. 

Who are your favorite three authors and why?

I could get in real trouble here trying to pick three favorite authors. *wink*  So, I'll tell you my three favorites by genre. 

Jeaniene Frost for Paranormal Romance.  Jeaniene Frost introduced me to a vampire that had me wishing I could be bitten.  Her Night Huntress series took me through angst, mystery, romance, and heartbreak.

Karen White for General Women's Fiction.  Karen White writes what is called Southern Grit Lit, and her stories are sweet, gripping, and lend a little mystery to the mix.  They are all set in the South and I can easily familiarize myself with the characters and setting. 

Tiffanie DeBartolo for Romance.  Tiffanie has only authored two books: How to Kill a Rock Star and A God-Shaped Hole.  Both of these books had me in a whirlwind of emotions.  I threw my iPad for the first time with How to Kill a Rock Star, I was in such angst, and the story weaving she did was just...wow!  A God-Shaped Hole was one of the sweetest stories I've ever read, but I absolutely hated the ending.  I was in such denial that I kept re-reading the last of the book to make sure that I didn't miss anything that could have meant a mistake in my reading.  This book had me crying for days and dreaming of the characters and what happened at the end.  There was no HEA, but there's not always a HEA in real life, either. 

If you could turn one book or series into films, what would you pick and who would you cast as the main characters?

I would definitely love to see When You Don't a Choice by Wendi Cassel on film.  This book is so unseen by the masses as an Indie book and not many people know of it, but it has everything I love in a book.  While reading it, I could see it playing out as a movie in my head.  As characters, I would love to see portray the main characters are Jared Leto as Andrew Grayson and Jane Levy as Hailey.

What books are you most looking forward to in 2013?

I am looking forward to Cautious by E.L. Montes, coming in May, 2013.  I loved Disastrous and cannot wait to read the sequel, Cautious.

Paper books or ebooks?

ebooks

Where is your favorite place to read?

Lying back on the sofa

Milk chocolate, white chocolate or dark chocolate?

Milk chocolate

Coffee, hot tea or hot chocolate?

Chicory coffee and hazlenut creamer

Would you like to give any other details about yourself? How can others find you around the web? Such as Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, etc...

I am floating all over cyberspace.

Blog: http://www.romanticreadingescapes.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Romantic-Reading-Escapes-Book-Blog/263851587059215
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kathy_womack
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/RREbookblog
Pnterest: http://pinterest.com/RREBookBlog