Blogger Buzz: Reading Vacation

Melina from Reading Vacation

Blog: Reading Vacation

URL: http://www.readingvacation.blogspot.com/

What do you think makes your blog special?

I am younger than the other book bloggers, so my point-of-view and book choices are unique.

What is your favorite thing about blogging?

I love that blogging gives me the freedom to express my opinions about books and all things bookish.

Has blogging helped you in any indirect way?

This is an easy one. I have met TONS of wonderful book-lovers!

Do your real life friends/family/teachers/etc. know about your blog?

My family, my friends, and last year’s teachers know. Now that school is starting, I’ll be telling my new teachers.

Is there a specific blogger that you look up to?

Two blogs I look up to are The Story Siren and Word for Teens. I like everything about them and they have both been very nice and helpful to me.

What is your favorite book from the past year, and why?

I’ve read so many books this past year that I don’t have a favorite anymore.

If you could meet any author, past or present, who would it be and why?

I would LOVE to meet Stephanie Meyer, author of the Twilight series.

Can you give one piece of advice to new or aspiring bloggers?

Be yourself.

What has been your favorite blogging moment / experience?

My favorite experience was the day I posted my one hundredth blog post. I tried something different and posted a vlog.

Where do you see your blog in the future?

I see Reading Vacation growing up as I grow up. It’s like my baby.

Thank you, Melina, for your awesome answers and your awesome blog!

If anyone else is interested in participating in a Blogger Buzz interview, please email me at janestoryblog@hotmail.com =]

Blogger Buzz: Katie's Book Blog

I realize that this idea probably isn't very original or new, but I wanted to get to know a few of the bloggers that I have and will come in contact with. I decided the best way to do this would be by interviewing them, so that way anybody who reads my blog can learn about other bloggers as well!
Here's my first interview!
Name: Katie
Blog: Katie's Book Blog
URL: www.katiesbookblog.com
Blogging for the past: 1 year, 5 months or so
Short bio: I am a college student who loves to read anything YA (and some paranormal romance!). I also love music, movies, and macaroni and cheese. =]
1-Why did I start my blog?

I started my blog to share my love of YA books and just to get my thoughts out there. My friends read but not like I do. It's hard to talk to them about books because they don't necessarily want to listen. I found a place where people want to listen on my blog.

2-What is my favorite book from the past year and why?

This is the hardest question for me to answer. I honestly don't know what my favorite book from the past year is. I'm torn between The Body Finder, Hex Hall, and Before I Fall. And none of those books have anything in common except amazing writing. I guess the reason I loved them so much was because they were so easy to get into and I loved the characters. Characters are my favorite part of a book and if I don't like them, I don't like the book. When there are amazing characters in books, like in these three, I fall in love with the book. =]

3-If I could meet any author who would it be?

This is another hard one. I would choose either JK Rowling or Gail Carson Levine. Those authors really got me reading. Harry Potter and Ella Enchanted were my favorite books when I was younger and I read them over and over again. There was one point in my life where I kind of gave up reading but I still had to read the new Harry Potter when it came out. Once I read it, I fell in love with reading again. If it wasn't for those books I don't know that I would even have a blog. I probably wouldn't even read. So those authors mean a lot to me. I would love to meet either one of them. Or both!

4-What is my favorite meme?

Waiting on Wednesday. I find out about some awesome books through WOW posts. I sometimes have trouble finding new books online so I go to those posts. Everybody usually has a different pick so it's a great way to spread the word.

5-Can I give any advice to new/aspiring bloggers?

Talk to other bloggers. Comment on other blogs. Use twitter and facebook. There are so many things I could say. There weren't nearly as many bloggers when I started my blog so I pretty much went in blind. I had no clue what I was doing. As more blogs were started, I noticed what they were doing. You have to put yourself out there.

6-What has been my favorite blogging moment/experience?

That would be the first time an author commented on my blog. I did'nt even know authors read my blog and then one of them commented. I ran out to the living room to tell my mom. Yes I am 18 but I had to go share that with my mom and dad. Even now I still get excited every time an author comments or follows my blog.

7-How do I manage time between real life and blogging?

It's hard. The summer is the easiest time for me to blog because I don't have school but it's still hard because I do have other things to do. When I am in school I don't always get to post as much as I would like but I always make time for my blog even if it means getting a little less sleep. If nothing else I schedule a ton of posts when I have free time. I don't think I will ever be too busy for my blog!

8-Do my real life friends/family/teachers/etc. know about your blog?

Only some of them. For the longest time I didn't wany anybody to know about it. I wouldn't even tell my parents. Eventually I realized that I didn't care what people thought about it so I told my close friends. They thought it was awesome. The only teacher that I have told was my Lit professor last semester because it turned out she loved YA books. Now I don't really care who knows. If I meet someone who is interested in YA, I tell them but it's not something I advertise. =]

9-Has blogging helped you in any indirect way?

Blogging has helped me become a little more outgoing. I am a very shy person, even on the internet. I realized that being shy wasn't going to help me with my blog so I got over my fear of talking to people that I don't know. I talk to lots of bloggers now that I have never met in person but they are some of the nicest people I know. They also helped convince me to come out of my shell a bit in real life and because of that I have made some new friends. So yes blogging has helped me.

10-Where do I see my blog in the future?

Better than it is now. I don't have any plans to stop blogging and I just want to improve. I like my blog the way it is but there is always room for improvement. I can't see what it will be like in the future but I know it will be there and updated regularly. Blogging is one of my favorite things to do and I won't stop until I'm forced to.

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Thanks for participating, Katie! And just so everyone knows, I love Katie's blog, and I'm glad she's planning on keeping it going for quite awhile.

Also, I'm hoping to make Blogger Buzz into a regular feature on my blog. If anyone else is interested in participating, just shoot me an email at janestoryblog@hotmail.com and let me know. I'd be happy to work with anyone who's interested!

Jane

Interview with Danielle Joseph

Danielle Joseph was kind enough to answer a few questions. I wasn't very original with the questions... a lot of them are the same ones I used with my interview with Elizabeth Scott. However, Danielle's answers are great and I would definitely recommend taking the time to read through them.

I'd also recommend checking out her books! I've only read Shrinking Violet (review here) and I loved it, and I definitely plan on reading Indigo Blues as soon as I can get my greedy hands on it!

Now, onto the interview!

On other authors:

1. If you could compare your writing to any other author’s, who would you compare it to and why?

Hmm, this is not an easy question. Readers that enjoy Shrinking Violet and Indigo Blues might enjoy Breathing by Cheryl Renee Herbsman, My Invented Life by Lauren Bjorkman or Fancy White Trash by Marjetta Geerling.

2. Who are some authors that you look up to or admire?

There are so many authors that I admire but as a kid I was a huge Judy Blume fan. I also loved Beverly Cleary and Robert Cormier. One of my favorite books is Born Blue by Han Nolan.

3. If you could talk to any author, living or dead, who would it be and what would be one question that you ask him or her?

One author that I would love to talk to is Toni Morrison. I think she is an amazing writer and would love to know more about her personal writing process.

On your books/characters:

4. Music is a big part of Shrinking Violet. How has music impacted your own personal life?

Music is a huge part of my life just like Tere in Shrinking Violet. As a teen I was forever making mixed tapes. I made party mixes, mixes for when you're sad, mixes that were for deep thinking, if there was an excuse to make a mix, I made it!

5. Are any of your characters’ more funny/embarrassing experiences related to things that have happened in your own life?

Oh, good question! I really had to think about this one, but actually I would have to say no. I do have tons of embarrassing stories filed away so I will have to pull them out sometime.

6. Is there any particular character that you share a special bond with?

In Shrinking Violet I am definitely rooting for Tere and if I were in school with her, I'd also have a crush on Gavin.

On writing:

7. Is there a type of book that you’ve always wanted to write, but never had the guts to do?

Well, there are book ideas that I want to get too but haven't had time yet. I've wanted to write a historical YA novel and will eventually get to that. Writing an adult novel definitely seems more daunting to me, but I'll get to that someday too.

8. What is your favorite part about being a published writer?

As corny as it may sound, my favorite part is hearing from readers, young and old. Books mean a lot to me so I'm so happy when people enjoy my books and get something out of them.

9. Has writing always been your dream profession? (If yes, how was that dream realized? If no, what was your previous dream and why hasn’t it been fulfilled?)

Yes, I have wanted to be an author since I was six. There were other professions that I thought about like being an ice skater, lawyer, DJ and an actor but I always came back to writing.

Thanks to Danielle Joseph for this awesome interview! Please visit Danielle Joseph's website, or click on the book covers in this post for links to specific books. :) [[I hope the book cover link thing works... if it doesn't, just let me know and I'll fix it!]]

Interview with Elizabeth Scott

Elizabeth Scott is a fantastic author, one of my absolute favorites, and that is why I chose her to be the first person I interviewed on my new blog. It took just a bit of courage to email her (what if she said no?!) but I'm glad I did.

A little background for anyone who may be interested, she has written eight books, dealing with some fluffy fun stuff like teen love, and going as dark and depressing as child abduction and captivity.

Her newest book, Grace, will be released on September 16th.

Now, onto the interview!


On Other Authors:

1. If you could compare your writing to any other author’s, who would you compare it to and why?

I think everyone's writing is unique and that's what makes reading books so much fun!

2. Who are some authors that you look up to or admire?

Too many to list!

3. If you could talk to any author, living or dead, who would it be and what would be one question that you ask him or her?

I have no idea! I have so many books I've read and loved that I could never pick one author to ask a question. I'd want to talk to all of them :-)

On your books/characters:

4. If you could have lunch with any of your characters, which would it be and why?

Not a single one. I can't read my own writing, so I definitely don't want to go to lunch with any of my characters!

5. Are any of your characters’ more funny/embarrassing experiences related to things that have happened in your own life?

Nope. I like making stuff up--for me, it's the best part about writing--you get paid to tell stories! Also, I'm very boring. (You've seen my answers!!)

6. If you could choose any one of your books to be required reading for a high school class, which would it be and why?

I have no idea. What do you--yep, you, reading this--think it should be?

On writing:

7. Is there a type of book that you’ve always wanted to write, but never had the guts to do?

Nope. I write what I want to write. If you don't believe in your own writing, then how in the world are your readers going to? Being afraid of the stories in your own head strikes me as strange. They're there for a reason--let them out!

8. What is your favorite part about being an established writer?

I don't know how established I am, but my favorite part of writing, other than the writing, is hearing from readers. I LOVE that!

9. Has writing always been your dream profession? (If yes, how was that dream realized? If no, what was your previous dream and why hasn’t it been fulfilled?)

No, it hasn't--I didn't start writing until I was 27 and bored out of my mind during a meeting at work. Before then, I went out of my way to avoid anything that had "creative writing" in it because I just didn't think I was creative. Writing, for me, was something I fell into--and I'm so glad I did!

My real dream job is to be paid to read books. If anyone out there has a lot of money for such a thing, get in touch with me! ;-)

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Many thanks to Elizabeth Scott for agreeing to this interview! For more information on her or or her books, please visit the following links!

Elizabeth Scott's Website
Bloom (2007) / Perfect You (2008) / Stealing Heaven (2008) / Living Dead Girl (2008) / Something, Maybe (2009) / Love You Hate You Miss You (2009) / The Unwritten Rule (2010) / Grace (September 2010)