Book Blogger Spotlight: The Book Blog

Well, there are three of us. Jennifer, Lesley and Sandy

Jen, is from Tennessee. Sandy is originally from Brooklyn, NY but happily resides in New Jersey.  Lesley is from West Virginia.

When and why did you become book bloggers?

April 2013 - We were brought together because of our love for reading and the joy we get from spreading the word about them.

SB: My hubby and kids didn’t understand my book obsession.  Jen, Lesley and our followers totally get it cause they feel the same way.

J: In March, I had the opportunity to meet Katie Ashley, M. Leighton, Jenn Foor, JB McGee and AC Marchman. I had a blast and got to chat with Michelle Eck from Literati Literature Lovers. After talking for about an hour she asked me why I didn’t have a blog. That when the wheels started turning and here we are!

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

We kind of just inherited the name.

What is your favorite thing about blogging?

SB:  Do I have to pick one?!  Really?!  How about my top 3?

1) Finding things in common with our followers whether they are across the street or in The Philippines. There are no limitations when it comes to the love of a great read! 

2) Discovering new authors is fun. 

3) Thirdly, building relationships with those authors that you admired and whose books you purchased is pretty cool too.

What do you find the hardest about blogging?

SB: Time management. It’s difficult to say no to a review request – especially from new authors.

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

SB: We actually do a Daily Hottie.  The reactions from our likers are unpredictable and often hilarious.  Weekly we do the “what are you reading this weekend” just to keep abreast of what our likers want to see reflected on the page.

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

L: I would have to say, the review Jen and I did for Being Me. Lisa Renee Jones actually complimented us on the review.

SB: We did a 1000 likes giveaway.  The overwhelmingly generous response from authors to our donation requests was such a surprise.  I was totally tickled pink!

J: My favorite moments are when we are discussing a book that we just finished and the author of said book joins us! Fangirl right here!

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

L:  I’m not afraid to reach out of my comfort genres but I do find that I stick with them most of the time. Those are Romance (any and all Subgenres), YA, Paranormal/Fantasy, and Historical Fiction.

SB: Angels, vamps, weres, fae, dominant millionaires, greek gods, rock stars, motorcycle riding tatted up bad boys  – yea I’m all over it.  Bring on the smexy.

J: Same here. Romance all the way. Paranormal, Contemporary, UF, NA/College. I shy away from Historical Romances though.

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

L: Wow, that’s a really hard question for me. I feel that if I pick one it’s unfair to the others. Total Book Whore. LOL But if I have to I’m going to go with my all-time favorite. “The Heretic Queen” by Michelle Moran. It a story set in Egypt about a young Princess named Nefertiti. She’s the underdog so to speak, that gets the short end and comes back to capture it all. But most of all it’s a love story with some truth to it. There’s a tomb still sitting to this day from a pharaoh to his queen. True love.

SB: I would say the Odd Thomas series by Dean Koontz.  I adore the paranormal aspect of his writing.  The way the light always overcomes the dark.  He’s the only time I stray from the “romance” or “new adult” genre.

J: That is a hard question! I adore all of the Harry Potter books. Each one was better than the last and I felt as though I had already seen the movie while I read them.

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

L: It’s going to have to be Christian Grey. I can’t pick anyone else. He was one eff’d up man and I wanted to fix him and love him until he was whole again. He grew and evolved to become a better person for himself and Ana. *Sigh*

SB: Absolutely without a doubt it is GIDEON CROSS.  Sylvia Day is my favorite in the “New Adult” genre.  No matter what she writes I will read it cause it is always awesome.  Gideon is my top BBF (book boy friend).  When he says I would do anything for you to Eva – he means it.  He is hot, he is sexy, he is alpha.  What girl wouldn’t love a guy that says “I couldn’t stop thinking about you.  I had to come see you.  I had to make you come.”  Oh Yea….that’s hot!

J: I have to agree with Lesley. Christian Grey was like a spark plug for me. Once I read Fifty Shades, I had to find more and I haven’t been able to stop. For a few days, I was the girl that tripped into an office and fell in love with the CEO of that company.

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

L: Gabriella from The Dark Light series by S.L. Jennings. Gabs is the schiznit. She was dealt some eff’d up cards. But she’s a kick ass and take names kind of girl, yes slightly naive in the beginning but in the end she know what she has to do.  She grows and matures through life’s challenges, even making decisions that hurt her in the process. Most of all I can relate to her …except I can’t kick ass with magic. HAHA !

SB: Sophie Price from Vain by Fisher Amelie.  Sophie is beautiful, rich, entitled and is Queen B (a la Gossip Girl) of her social pack. She is no innocent.  Oh she also happens to have huge Daddy issues.  A drug bust gets her sent to the far ends of South Africa to “work” at an orphan rescue for children that are victims of the war lords.  Only the bare necessities are a way of life here.  Fisher Amelies writing is brilliant! I had a book hangover for a week. At the end, there was a full circle moment for sure and I absolutely loved Sophie.

J: This was a tough one for me. I am going with Laurelyn from Beauty From Pain. When she was given the chance to stay with Jack for 3 months, she took the chance. I loved that her inner dialogue about whether or not she should do it or not only lasted a few sentences. She didn’t go back and forth and second guess herself. She was strong and stuck to her guns when she knew she had to do something. I loved it!

Who are your favorite three authors and why?

L: Michelle Moran, for her ability to bring stories of the past to future in great detail. It brings life to the past. Rebecca Zanetti, for her amazing world of vamps, shifters, and demons. It’s a world unto itself and with each book you bond with the realm even more. Her books keep me intrigued. S.C. Stephens, She gave us Kellan Kyle. LOL There are too many authors who deserve their name here.

SB: It will be difficult to pick three, I apologize in advance for those authors that I love and won’t be able to name in this instance.  Sylvia Day because she gave me Gideon Cross.  The Crossfire Series is in my opinion the best out there, in this genre.  Dean Koontz because all his book carry that paranormal element.  Suspense, edge of your seat, hand at your throat exciting.  Third I would have to say Tara Sive  because she made me LOL the whole time I read her Chocolate Lovers series.  Funny, sexy and romantic. Lord know the woman has expanded by vocabulary with words that I cannot repeat here.  Honorable mention to Colleen Hoover for writing Hopeless.  Hopeless, made me put down my Kindle and fortify myself with tequila.  It also contains the sexiest, hottest, and most romantic non-kiss EVER.

J: Jeez, only 3? Kristen Ashley is my first. I love they style in which she writes. She is the queen of the alpha male and they are so strong in character. I love her females just as much. When she allows them to get words out, without being interrupted, it’s hilarious to me! Sylvia Day because she knows how to write SEXY! Her men are strong and fabulous and I can’t get enough of them.  Lindsay Sands, she writes great paranormal and historical romances. I’ve only ever enjoyed her historical romances because they have been called hysterical romances.  These ladies do it all for me. Humor, SEXY and Paranormal. Now that I say that, It’s time I get my hands on another Lindsay Sands book!

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

L: Wallbanger by Alice Clayton. We need some more laughter on the big screen. Too many horror films putting ideas out there for the psychos. Like they need help people! Better yet, maybe we should keep an eye on those screen writers.

SB: Seduction and Snacks by Tara Sivec.  Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake could play the starring roles.  I wanna hear someone on the big screen say twatwaffle.  LOL.

J: Great answer ladies! I want to see The Crossfire Novels on the silver screen. Sylvia had made her characters so real to me. Their love, obsession and inner demons spoke to me. And during most of the 2nd book, my heard was in my throat. She had my stomach in knots and I had no idea where the story was going. I loved every second of it.

What has been your favorite book of 2013? Why did you love it?

L: I’m going to have to go with the book that moved me to the worst book hangover ever- “The Last Hour” by Charles Sheehan-Miles. It was so well written and emotionally evoking. I was completely shattered. I think it says a lot about an author to carry you through such an emotional story, knowing the ending may not be the happy ending we all like to see. I will never forget this story.

SB: I’m going to say Promise Me by Barbie Bohrman.  It has the high school loner bad boy, the jock and the popular girl get married but aren’t so happy.  The betrayal of your boyfriend and your best friend.  The tell off scene is epic.  Themes that have been done a million times but at Barbie’s hand they are fresh and I really enjoyed this book.  The hot sex scenes didn’t hurt either.  The HEA was the icing on the cake for me.

J: I honestly cannot come up with just one! I loved Darkness Before Dawn by Claire Contreras. Heaven and Hell by Kristen Ashley, although it’s been out a while. But the book that ripped me a new one and wrecked me at the same time was The Dark Prince by SL Jennings.

What books are you most looking forward to in 2013?

L: That’s a never ending list, but here are a few: Fear of Falling, The Edge of Always, Light Shadows, Nikolai: A Dark Light Novella, Gabriel’s Redemption, Torn, Pulse, Shooting Scars, Shadowed, Very Bad Things, Arsen,  ………..like I said soooo many.

SB: Fear of Falling by Syreeta Jennings, whatever Claire Contreras is writing though she’s being very secretive and won’t share yet, Very Bad Things by Ilsa Madden Mills, Arsen by Mia Asher, Trouble by Samantha Towle, whatever M. Leighton is writing at the moment and the next book in the Crossfire Series by Sylvia Day.

J: Jagged by Kristen Ashley, Fear of Falling by SL Jennings, Torn by Kim Karr, Out of Breath by Rebecca Donovan, anything from Olivia Cunning, I can’t even think there are so many!

Paper books or ebooks?

L: ebooks

SB: ebooks

J: ebooks

Where is your favorite place to read?

L: In bed, pitch black with my kindle paperwhite. In the Zone.

SB: Porch swings with a glass of something chilled and delightfully dry.

Milk chocolate, white chocolate or dark chocolate?

L: Dark Chocolate

SB: Milk chocolate

J: Dark Chocolate

Coffee, hot tea or hot chocolate?

L: Coffee and Tea

SB: None of the above – Diet Dr. Pepper for me.

J: Coffee

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

Blog: http://www.thebookblog1.blogspot.com
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