I recently came back from a road trip through New England (which I've chronicled on a blog series I've called Traveling with the Travelers). However, right before leaving on the vacation, I became a book fairy. Instead of waiting until I returned home to Northern Virginia to start my book fairy adventures, I decided to spread book fairy dust along our trek up the coast.
Salem, Massachusetts is well known for one thing: witches. Those who have never seen the town often picture a tiny hamlet cluttered with decaying centuries old buildings and quaint stores hocking tarot cards and crystals. That is what my family and I imagined as we navigated up the eastern US coast to the historic port city. It wasn't what we found.
When you're an author working on your next book or books (in my case a sequel to The Travelers, a children's book relating to a unicorn, a ghost story, a spec fic/scifi book) and also a mom, wife, resistor, sometimes bookstagrammer and daily blogger with a relatively demanding day job as a medical editor, finding time to read can be hard.
To an author, especially one like me from a small press (The Travelers, Saguaro Books) without a huge marketing budget, book review bloggers are critical for success. They're also the gateway for readers to a world of undiscovered books. Book bloggers constantly reviews books, feature authors, write profiles on upcoming book events or materials. But, has anyone ever stopped to ask them - you write about everyone else, what about you? What motivates you to write about books? Well, I'm curious about book bloggers....so I asked one if I could interview her...
Prior to taking the plunge into the world of being a published author, I was unfamiliar with many things - the publishing industry in general, book marketing, social media, etc. Now things are different. I've started to understand the social in the social media. It's also opened up my creative side, beyond writing, in that I've become a wee bit obsessed with bookstagrams.
Well, I'll admit it! If there is some sort of personality test posted on a blog or Facebook, I'll take it, always, unless they make me sign up for something. Otherwise, I'm all over it. Whatever the reason, for me at least, it's a bit of an obsession. Instead of trying to fight it, I'm embracing it! Actually, I'm blowing it up...
Tuesday marked the end of Mardi Gras. Perhaps you've been or just witnessed it on the internet. Either way, you'll probably agree it's a spectacle. It also gives a glimpse into the the unusual, mystical city itself. In a way, Mardi Gras is the anthem of the musical opus of New Orleans.
As a child, I apparently had a bit of a doll problem. If a doll existed, I wanted it. As an adult, I got over my doll collecting obsession because you can't be an adult who buys and collects dolls, right? Therefore, instead, I transferred that obsessive nature to collecting other things, books obviously. (And, shhh, shoes too.)
You shouldn't judge a book by its cover. We've all heard that before. And I, who has a whole #booksoverlooks blog series about the importance of valuing thought and reading over superficial materials, agree - when it comes to people. But, when it comes to books, I say, yes you should! The cover is part of the whole book experience and a lot of thought likely went into the artwork. So - go ahead - judge it!
K.L. Kranes 