Armchair BEA - day 5: Blogging about blogging

Today the Armchair BEA is about Blogging about blogging.

Before I start talking about blogging - I want to take a quick moment to say thanks to everyone who worked so hard to bring Armchair BEA to all of us who were unable to go to New York.  Thanks a bunch - (this is where you all hear me cheering for you!)

So...blogging about blogging:
I LOVE blogging.  My children think I have stepped off the edge and my boyfriend wonders how and when he started competing with my laptop for my free time.  What is so cool about blogging?  This would be a long list so I am going to only mention a couple cool things.  1. Authors. 2. Book bloggers. 3. Books.  Okay that's technically a few not a couple.
What is so cool about blogging and authors? Before I started blogging I had met a few authors at various reading conferences and book signings, but I had never before had the opportunity to chat (I know it's cyber chat, but still...)with authors about their books.  I talk to people about books every day - I work in a high school media center, but blogging is different than that.  Blogging with authors is more like texting a friend.  There is no line of people behind you waiting to have their book signed. There aren't people standing all around you snapping pictures.  It's just you, comfortably sitting where you sit on your computer and the author doing the same.  It's no pressure and you can fit it into your day anywhere.
What is so cool about book bloggers? How can you ask that of a book blogger?  Really now, I have been and continue to be totally shocked by the number of people who are book bloggers.  I LOVE to read and have only been blogging for a couple years.  I have had the pleasure of 'meeting' (if talking back and forth about the situation is having a meeting) many authors that I would never heard of or read book by if it weren't for the internet and the group of reviewers/book bloggers that I follow.  It has been a fantastic experience for me to find a whole community of book lovers.
What is so cool about books?  Well this is one of those 'answers itself' questions.  Everything about a book is great.  The smell and feel of the paper and the cover.  The possibilities within.  The freedom they give the reader, you know: Go anywhere, be anyone, do anything, and maybe even add a meanwhile to the story somewhere.
With blogging about books - you are getting the latest information about the newest books.  You are able to see book trailers.  I have been able to host and participate in giveaways.  I have both given away books and won books.  I have just recently started being a part of the whole blog tour community. I love having the opportunity to read and review books, but my favorite part is the chance to find new authors who have written books that I love.
The only uncool thing about blogging is the amount of time I spend doing it, but I enjoy it so it's time well spent.  Happy reading to all!

Winner!!! Daughter of Deception Giveaway

Congrats Carol T!

You have won an ecopy of Daughter of Deception!

Your information has been sent on and your prize will be sent from the author!

Thanks to all who entered!

Blog Tour: 44 by Jools Sinclair

Welcome to The Wormhole and my stop on the tour!

Today I am pleased to introduce 44 and Jools Sinclair.

Author Bio

Jools Sinclair lives in Bend, Oregon. She is an avid reader, movie watcher, orange cat lover, Frye boot wearer and Komodo Dragon coffee drinker. She admits to having an intense passion for opera and loves faraway lands where espresso bars and pastry shops line the streets. Finally, she is absolutely crazy about her family, who in turn thinks she is absolutely crazy.

Jools was kind enough to send us an excerpt:

44  By Jools Sinclair ~~~ PROLOGUE

I know I’m lucky.

Lucky to be alive, lucky to be able to walk again, to inhale the juniper-laced air and watch the soft leaves change into crispy ones scattering in the wind. I can spend afternoons with Jesse as he plummets down the steep hills around town on his skateboard. I can watch Barcelona soccer games on satellite, eat pizza, and even see those dumb reality TV shows late at night.

I’ve been on the other side and I’m grateful that I’m here. My life is good, most days.

But this morning wasn’t like most days.

The wind had a bite and as I stood at the edge of the river, ice pellets drilled into my face. The sky was slab gray, with low clouds pushing down around me.

She was there. Floating under the footbridge, snagged and hidden in bony branches and moving in a subtle, unnatural rhythm that the dead dance to when submerged in water. The river rushed around her, forming small riffles at her feet, as if she had always been there, belonging like a large boulder or a rooted tree.

In my vision the night before, I watched her die. It started soon after I drifted off to sleep. The night was pitchfork-sharp and her fear radiated in waves through me as she ran, trying to get away from him. She slipped, falling hard onto the icy pavement, her screams lost in the hollow, empty night as he wrapped his arm around her neck until she fell quiet into his arms.

These visions that started months ago have me following in the footsteps of a serial killer I’ve yet to see, as he roams the city looking for his next victim, never satisfied and always needing.

I stood in the shadows and watched like it was a scene from a movie. I knew I could do nothing. He picked her up and brought her to the water, held her head down. Then he sat next to her, stroking her hair.

But this time, I was ready. I only needed a glimpse. If I could see his face in my vision, I could find him in reality. I summoned my courage, forced myself to swallow the bile that shot up in the back of my throat and followed him as he strolled arrogantly away.

The moon was bright, beams threading through the trees, leaving thick shadows. Instinctually, I backed into the darkness as he suddenly stopped, even though I knew he wouldn’t be able to see me. His breath leaked out in ghostly wisps as he stood silent.

Finally, he turned around, his eyes hooking into mine. He saw me. Somehow he cut through my murky vision and saw me.

But I saw him too. And now I knew who he was.

He stared a while, still and contemplative, as I fought my urge to run. But he didn’t come after me. The bastard just stood there, and then smiled, before stepping away and disappearing into the lonely night.

You can get your own copy of this amazing (truly - check out my review here) book:

Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble

You can check out the whole tour schedule HERE

Thanks for stopping by The Wormhole!

Be sure to go to the next stop on the tour 

(after you grab the book! - it's a great one!)

May 28 - - Christi the Teen Librarian

Review: 44 by Jools Sinclair

44 by Jools Sinclair

*I received this book (digital copy) at no charge in exchange for an honest review and participation in the blog tour.  The blog tour is being hosted by The Bookish Snob Tours.

Amazon Product Description:
Last year after falling through the ice, seventeen-year-old Abby Craig woke up from death.

But she woke into a world she barely recognizes. She can’t see colors, memories have been erased, and her friends all hate her. And then there’s Jesse, who she loves, but who refuses to forgive her the one mistake she made long ago.

Just when she thinks it can’t get any worse, the visions begin. In them, she sees a faceless serial killer roaming the streets. While the police believe that there have been a lot of accidents in town lately, Abby knows differently. And she soon realizes that it’s up to her to find him.

But to stop him, she’ll have to confront more than just the killer. She’ll have to face something else that was lost in those dark waters. The truth.



My thoughts:
Wow! This is a big story hidden inside a short book!!!  
I was hooked from the prologue.  Jools Sinclair has created fantastic characters. 
This is a thriller/paranormal romance/mystery that keeps you turning the pages as fast as you can read them.  It twists you about and as soon as you think you have it all figured out, throws you for the final loop with an ending that will break the hardest heart.
A must read for certain!!!

I got to meet Richelle Mead!!! Giveaway!!!!!!

This is me and Richelle Mead!!!

With the amazing weather we have been experiencing here in MN, it's hard to remember what a horrible winter we just lived through.  That's what keeps any of us living here - because if we remembered we would move before it got cold again!  The reason I mention winter is because Richelle had a signing planned in December, but was forced to cancel due to the blizzard in the Twin Cities (the one that collapsed the dome).  So...with motherhood in her very near future, we were all afraid there would be no rescheduled signing - - We were wrong!!! We were privy to one of the only touring dates she has planned and it was GREAT!
The event started with her reading the first chapter of Blood Lines - Oh how I want that one!
Then she surprised us by having a drawing and giving away five LUCKY attendees ARCs of Blood Lines - no I wasn't one of them. Then she signed books, up to three per person.  It was a great time.
To celebrate the signing I decided to giveaway my extra copy of Storm Born (no it isn't signed).

To enter: fill out the form below.  Thanks!  Happy reading.

Blog Tour: Hard Day's Knight by John Hartness

Welcome to The Wormhole and my stop on the tour!

Today I am pleased to introduce John Hartness.

Author Bio:

John G. Hartness is a recovering theatre geek who likes loud music, fried pickles and cold beer. He’s been published or accepted online in several journals including The Dead Mule School of Southern Literature, cc&d, Deuce Coupe and Truckin’.

His first novel, The Chosen, is an urban fantasy about saving the world, snotty archangels, gambling, tattooed street preachers, immortals with family issues, bar brawls and the consequences of our decisions.

He followed up The Chosen with Hard Day’s Knight, a new twist on the vampire detective novel and the first in a planned series of at least five books. The second book of The Black Knight Chronicles, Back in Black, landed in March 2011 and has enjoyed immediate success.

John has been called “the Kevin Smith of Charlotte,” and fans of Joss Whedon and Jim Butcher should enjoy his snarky slant on the fantasy genre. His next novel, Knight Moves (Black Knight Chronicles Vol. 3) is due out in the summer of 2011.

He can be found online at www.johnhartness.com and spends too much time on Twitter, especially after a few drinks.

Author Interview:

? When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

            I’ve wanted to be a writer since Elementary School. Astronaut was never really a dream of mine, but I wanted to write since I was a very young kid.

? How many jobs did you have before you became a writer?

            Not really that many, honestly. Other than some part-time stuff in college and high school I’ve only really had one career (which I still have, since I don’t support myself solely through writing).

? How long does it take you to write a book?

            I write in my spare time, so it takes me a little longer than I’d like. I write about 1,000 words each day on average, so a first draft takes 2-3 months. Then there’s polishing, editing, formatting, cover art and everything else, so from start to finish it can take half a year, but the actual writing and creating of the story is 2-3 months.

? What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?

            I don’t think any of my quirks are that interesting, but I always write to music, usually with big headphones on.

? Do you have a routine that you use to get into the right frame of mind to write?

            Not really, I just pick a musical artist that fits with what I’m writing that night, put on my headphones and start tapping away.

? Where do you get your ideas or inspiration for your characters?

            All around me, the real world, TV, other books that I read, news stories, websites, people that amuse me, everywhere, really.

? How do you decide what you want to write about?

            Well, since I’m writing a series, I have a story arc in my head for the big-picture stuff. Then I try to work in stuff with the details and the minor plot points.

? What books have most influenced your life?

            A Prayer for Owen Meany, The Prince of Tides, The X-Men (Chris Claremont’s run), Sandman, American Gods, The hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, The Belgariad

? What do you like to do when you are not writing?

            Listen to live music, play poker, drink like a college kid

? What is your favorite comfort food?

            Chex Mix

? What do you think makes a good story?

            Character - you can have the most earth-shattering plot in the world, but without great characters, no one will read to the end.

? Who would you consider your favorite author and why?

            Pat Conroy for his lush settings and his literate southern characters, and Neil Gaiman for his brilliant prose and twisted tales.

? What book, if any, do you read over and over again?

            American Gods and The Belgariad. I’ve had to replace my copy of Pawn of Prophecy three times because I read it until the covers fall off!

Fun random questions: 

• dogs or cats? Cats
• Coffee or tea? Mountain Dew
• Dark or milk chocolate? White Chocolate on pretzels
• Rocks or flowers? Rocks
• Night or day? Night
• Favorite color? Black
• Crayons or markers? Markers
• Pens or pencils? Pencils

Thanks for stopping by The Wormhole! 

You can read my review HERE.

The next blog stop - Romancing The Darkside