Reader Interview - Lisa Belue

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? 
I’m a Carolina Girl living in West Texas, spending most of my life in North & South Carolinas.  But seven years ago I met a wonderful man through an on-line dating service and moved to West Texas!

When and how did you discover that you love reading fiction?
I started out reading my mom’s “historical romances,” primarily for the steamy scenes.  ;-)
  
What are some of your favorite books and who are some of your favorite authors? 
Since receiving my Kindle a couple of years ago, my favorites have expanded tremendously!  I most favorites would be action packed suspense (particularly with strong female characters), and novels based on true stories.  Authors that I turn to first are Janet Evanovich, James Patterson, both of the Kellermans, Jen Lancaster, & Rebecca Wells.

What is your favorite thing about reading fiction? 
I love escaping into the virtual worlds of books.  With a good writer, I feel as if I’ve been sucked into the story – like a movie made with words!

Do you have any “pet peeves” about authors, something they do that really annoys you? 
Though I understand why so many series writers do this, it’s a little annoying to me when the first several pages or chapters are spent recapping the previous book(s).

Do you write fiction yourself? No

What do you think about ebooks vs. paper books? 
 I love, Love, LOVE ebooks!  I always have several books accessible to me at all times. I also like the flexibility of changing the font size.

What is your favorite Mike Wells book and why?
So far, the only ones I’ve read: the Lust, Money & Murder series 1-3. I ripped through all 3 books in a hurry because of the fast paced action packed suspense – with a strong female character – all my faves!  Wild Child is the next series. 

Thank you so much for taking the time to be interviewed for my blog, Lisa!
Thank you for the opportunity to become a fan.  I probably never would have given your books a second glance without the enticement of a free book.  And I really would have missed out!

I can be reached via email at topaz.online@gmail.com or twitter at @b_topaz.

This Week's Reader Interview with Rebecca Welch

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

It is hard for me to say a little bit about anything, much less myself, but I'm going to give it shot. I am a single mother of an amazing teenager. I am a legal assistant with a major fascination with the law, government and all the shenanigans that entails. 

When and how did you discover that you love reading fiction?

I didn't learn how to read until I was almost 6 years old. But when I finally learned, I couldn't stop reading everything in sight. I reached a college reading level by the time I was eight years old, it was strictly from wanting to just read and read. I love reading everything I can get my hands on and fiction has a special place in my heart because it allows me to use my imagination and be transported to lands that "could" exist. 

What are some of your favorite books and who are some of your favorite authors?

I have a number of favorite books and authors. I am a huge fan Janet Evanovich and basically all of her books are on my favorites list. Pete Hamill's Forever is also a book I think that everyone should read. It is a fascinating telling of the history of New York City from a first person perspective. 

What is your favorite thing about reading fiction?

My favorite thing about reading fiction is the ability for my personal imagination to play a role and almost be an extra character. While it is important for an author to include proper description of characters and places, a reader is able to add their personal thoughts, memories and visions to a story. Reading fiction is always a pleasure that you make it. Even a story that you may not think you will enjoy can be a true journey through your own imagination. 

Do you have any “pet peeves” about authors, something they do that really annoys you?

I don't really have any pet peeves as far as authors go. I am truly amazed that any individual would even attempt to put into print words that will last forever, words that came from their own mind. It is an amazing thing to be an author and to work to have your words read by the masses or even by a few chosen individuals that you trust. 

Do you write fiction yourself?

I do write fiction on occasion but I have found that my fiction tends to be more fantasy, based on my personal reality. I definitely tend to write what I know and this can make for difficult completion of anything I start. I tend to revise too often to complete but maybe someday I  can have some finished work to share with others. 

What do you think about ebooks vs. paper books?

When it comes to the e-book versus the paper book, I am very torn. I love the new technology and what it has allowed a reader to do. It is wonderful to be able to carry a book with you in a compact manner and have it available for reading anytime...waiting in line, or sitting at a doctor's office. But I have to admit that I still love the smell of a book and the feel of a well worn book spine in my hands. I think that there is a place for both in the world and hopefully I won't be looking back one day wondering where all the books went! 

What is your favorite Mike Wells book and why?

I am sad to say I have only read book one of Lust, Money and Murder. But I truly loved every second of it. I have recently become the proud owner of an iPhone and intent to continue reading Mike's writing. I think the pictures he paints, and the ability to make every character even the antagonist in a story likable is something that is truly amazing. I am looking forward to more and sharing updates on how I have loved the other books he has written, as I can already tell that I will. 

Thank you, Rebecca!

My pleasure!

Rebecca Welch can be found on Twitter at @rebwel

This Week's Reader Interview - Alana Denton

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?  I am a 38 year old Business owner that works daily as a technical writer in the capacity of a grant writer.  I also manage my company’s Marketing and social media. My career allows me to work with some amazing non-profits.  My favorite clients are fire departments and first responders; they are our country’s unsung heroes. I’m married and have two amazing sons – Collin is 16 and Avery is 15. My personal daily companion is my rescued, adopted wonder-dog Shaggy. He is a poodle/Scottish terrier and loves long walks, hanging out with his best pet pals, and sitting on the porch swing on rainy days.

When and how did you discover that you love reading fiction?  I’ve been reading since the age of two years old.  I was the first reader in my class, and by 5 yrs old I was helping teach other kids to read.  I have a voracious appetite for books.  “A bad book is better than a good movie” – my personal quote. By the time I was 11 years old, I had read everything in the YA section in our library.  From the age of 8-14 yrs old, my sister and I were the reigning top readers in our library’s summer reading program.  After exhausting the YA books, I moved on to genres in the rest of the library – fiction, non-fiction, historical, romance, etc.  Today, I am a 300+ book a year reader.  I usually average almost one book (full-length) a day. Until getting my first e-reader (Kindle) in late January, I always read actual hard copy books.  The e-reader allows me portability, faster reading, access to books anywhere, anytime…

What are some of your favorite books and who are some of your favorite authors? Authors: Harlan Coben, Janet Evanovich, James Patterson, Catherine Coulter, Ken McClure, David Morrell, John Hart, Agatha Christie, PD James, Maureen Johnson, Jenny Hilborne, Michael Prescott, Erin Nicholas, Linda Winfree,  F.P. Lione, Carolyn Keene*, Kathryn Kenny*, Kate Douglas Wiggins, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Jane Austen, Louisa May Alcott  (*yes I know it’s a pseudonym)

– Books: The Help, Gone with the Wind, Clear Blue Sky, Civil Disobedience, Hearts of the South series, Irish Angel Series, Lead with LUV: A Different Way to Create Real Success, Robert’s Rules of Order, Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farms, Little Women

What is your favorite thing about reading fiction?   Fiction allows the reader to be transported to any location and any period in time.  One day you maybe roaming the Irish hills, the next in 1850’s New Orleans, the next day on a ship in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean with a pirate ship bearing down on you.  My favorite fiction is full of exciting plots and edge of the seat action.  My favorite fiction writers are the ones who utilize the pen to literally create an entire world that is believable, and that the reader feels a vital part.  Almost as if you are experiencing the adventure, sadness, drama, thrills yourself. 

  

Do you have any “pet peeves” about authors, something they do that really annoys you? Talking down to readers in books; not being available online (Twitter, websites, etc) and grammatical errors (really see a lot of that on e-books)

Do you write fiction yourself?  Yes, but I have not tried to seek a publisher or try any self-publishing. I write for myself mostly to vent.

What is your favorite Mike Wells book and why? Lust, Money & Murder – It was interesting reading it in three parts.  It almost felt like a series.  I loved the strong female lead.  How Mike uses the twists and turns of the story where you never know what is coming.  It was an amazing thriller.  I absolutely love a book where I don’t know what will happen within the first few chapters. This is why I love Lust, Money & Murder.  It is an exciting page-turner, a book you won’t be able to put down!

Thanks so much for your interview, Alana!

I applaud you for being a self-published author when it is a difficult (yet exciting) time for books, bookstores, readers and writers.  The economy has made readers, bookstores and even authors re-think every purchase.  Also enjoy following you on Twitter and appreciate the feedback, recommendations and exchanges.

Twitter – @NCSoccerMom 

Personal email: atdenton7@gmail.com
Website:  http://www.thegrantwell.com

Alana Tomlin Denton
Linwood, NC

Romance Novels Enjoying Renaissance Thanks to Kindle

If you look at the Kindle bestsellers list, it’s easy to see that the romance genre is enjoying quite the renaissance these days. From contemporary romance to fantasy romance to gay romance to historical romance to paranormal romance, even erotic romance and erotica. The Kindle bestsellers list, bot the free and paid list, is loaded with romantic fiction titles.

Classical romances including love story books and Jane Austen titles are also quite popular. With summer heating up, it’s clear that readers are stocking up on romance novels of all types.

Recency romance is a particularly popular genre at the moment, however, most popular, by far are the paranormal, fantasy and vampire romance genres. Sparked by the Twilight phenomenon, many who have already read the Twilight series multiple times, are looking for something new to satisfy their romantic vampire craving. Many authors are eager to fill these readers desires, with a slew of vampire and werewolf romance and fantasy novels released in time for summer. Most are from lesser known authors, even first-time authors who are taking advantage of the ease of publishing allowed to them by the Kindle platform. Many romance novels are available for as little as 99 cents.

Classical romances are also filling up Kindle’s, with the advantage to them being that they are mostly available for free.

As usual, murder mystery novels and something called the cozy mystery novel are also lighting up the bestseller charts, with no shortage of mystery and crime based novels on the bestseller list. Novels featuring female sleuths are extremely popular, with Janet Evanovich enjoying the top spot for her latest in the Stephanie Plum series.

No doubt that the summer of 2011 will be the summer of e-reading, thanks to the massive popularity of e-readers like the iPad, Kindle and Nook. You might even see a few people by the pool with that old standby, the paper book.

This article was reposted from JotZoom

To download a free sample of Cosmic Casanova or buy the book click on the appropriate retailer below:

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Note:  Versions formatted for the Nook, iPad/iTouch/iPhone and Sony ereader can also be purchased from  Smashwords (above)