Month: September 2013

Neda from SubClub Books

When I first started After the Final Chapters the first book blog I followed was The Sub Club Book Club. I was quickly amazed by just how many posts they manage to fire out and I am still in awe! I love this blog and it is the one that set my standards. I am lucky to have Neda from the blog answering my questions.

Tell us a bit about who the SubClub are?

Subclub is a bunch of girls that fell in love with romance novels and the community of wonderful people who foster them.

What was the starting point of the blog?

My love for Sylvain Reynad’s Gabriel’s Inferno.

You like the really HOT books, what is the most hardcore one that you have read?

Well in honesty I am the tamer reader. Lol. We have something coming up on the blog shortly that will be really hot reads though.

The hottest book I have read in regards to sex would be Olivia Cunnings books ” The Sinners on Tour”.

I always think I’ve read it all – til the next time I’m shocked, can you still be shocked?

Wait are we talking about sex here? I am gonna assume we are. Honestly truth is stranger then fiction. I have yet to see anything in a book that has shocked me as much as some stories I have heard in real life.

If you were to pick only one book that you could read again for the first time what would it be?

The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson. If you haven’t read it you must. It’s stunning.

Ok, my inbox is constantly buzzing with a blog post from ye, where the hell do you find the time?

I could tell you but then I would have to kill you. ;).

On average how many books do you read a week?

Personally 3 books. But each girl would tell you something different. I think Emily reads 1 a night. I swear that girl is super women. Big love from me for her.

Is there a book girl that you would really love to grab and slap?

How long do you have? I tend to want to slap a lot of them. I like strong women who don’t take crap, that being said I fight a lot with my kindle.

Who is your ultimate book boy?

Hands down Colton from Falling into you by Jasinda Wilder. I remember trying to answer this question for another blogger friend. Colton is the everyday the norm. Everyone knows a guy like him. He is what a man should be. The type of guy women should actually want.

Please feel free to give us a visual 😉

I honestly never found a Colton. I am still searching though.


What did you read last, are you currently reading and plan to read next?

I just finished. Hydraulic Number 5 LOVED IT.

I am currently On a Beta reading assignment.

What are the best and worst things about book reviewing?

The best thing is discovering a new book and sharing it. Nothing beats that feeling when you find and indie gem that you adore.

Worst thing, LOL for me proof reading. I suck at it.

You can have a party with 8 characters – who are they?

Gabriel Emerson
Soren (the original Sinners series)
Nora (the Original Sinners Series)
Deuce (Undeniable)
Remy ( Real)
Drew (tangled)
Christian (FSOG) and he best come looking like Charlie Hunnam. Haha.
Caleb ( The Dark Duets)

The hottest single scene you have read – what book is it from?

Anything that Tiffany Reisz of CJ Roberts writes is hot in one way or another. These two ladies I bow down to. They have a way of just making words dance.

If you were to tell me one book that I had to read (and if I haven’t I will) what would it be?

Captive in the dark by CJ Roberts.

Is there a book as part of a series that you waited a long time for that was a disappointment?

Yes…and I won’t tell. My reason for keeping it to myself is simple. Just because I didn’t like it doesn’t mean another won’t. 😉

Thanks so much this was loads of fun.

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If we were teddy bears…

….then today would be the day that we would be having a picnic.

Well I can smell lunch and I have just spied bubbles, courtesy of Carmel’s best friend Anne. So I suppose you could call it a picnic of sorts.

picnic

Just a classy one. Nothing else would do for my wonderful friend, Carmel Harrington, on this the publication day of Beyond Grace’s Rainbow with Harper Impulse, a digital imprint of Harper Collins.

New Beyond Grace's Rainbow (1)

Isn’t it pretty!

So here is what the book is about


Beyond Grace’s Rainbow is a poignant story about a young mother’s battle with cancer. Single mother Grace Devlin faces what will be the biggest fight of her life and the stakes are high. She cannot contemplate leaving her adorable little boy Jack all alone in the world. Unfortunately for Grace her best chance of survival is to receive a bone marrow transplant, so she embarks on a heart breaking search for her biological parents, as she was adopted when a small baby. This search will unravel a web of lies and deceit that has spanned over thirty years.

And just when she thinks life can get no more complicated, Jack’s father Liam is back in town full of remorse and he’s made it clear that he’s not leaving until he’s won her back. Liam was the love of Grace’s life but can she trust him ever again? Helping Grace muddle her way through her cancer treatment and complicated love life are her friends – Tara, Sean, Abby, Tom and Gerry. Tara is Grace’s cousin and is happily married to Sean but they are desperate for a baby of their own; Abby, Grace and Tara’s friend from college is single and looking for her one true love which is proving difficult, whilst Tom would be happy if his boyfriend Gerry for once didn’t max out their credit card! Beyond Grace’s Rainbow will bring the reader into Graces world where friendship, courage, loyalty, laughter and above all love are abundant. The story will bring you on an emotional journey with Grace and her friends that will have the reader both laughing and crying at the turn of a page.

This post isn’t a review, I did that a long time ago and you can check it here. I also interviewed Carmel and you will find that in the same post, though I will be interviewing her again in the coming weeks to talk about how things have changed since then.

What I am writing this post for is to tell everyone how absolutely delighted I am that Beyond Grace’s Rainbow and Carmel herself were signed under the Harper Collins umbrella. How delighted I am about how much more recognition the book is going to get, and the fact that Harper are also launching it along with the other Harper Impulse titles over in the United States. I am not going to say that this has made me proud of Carmel. Why? Because I was already proud of her. I was proud of her that she took the decision to self publish, to put herself out there. It’s a very brave thing to do. Without the backing of a publisher you could well be setting yourself up for a fall. I am also proud of her that she believed in herself. She would not back down and would not give in. I am proud of her that she didn’t get all negative when she faced rejection. She drew a line under that publisher and waited on word from the next one. I am proud of her because she worked for this. Because she put the work in and now she is seeing the fruits of her labour.

Today is Carmels day and I hope she enjoys every minute of it. She deserves this!

carmel pub day

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Stephanie Khani from The London Diaries

Today joining me on After the Final Chapters to give us an insight into her reading obsession is Stephanie Khani. Stephanie is the author of The London Diaries Blog

Hi Stephanie, tell us a bit about yourself

Hi there! Well, I’m originally from Louisville, Kentucky but moved to London just under five years ago after I married the love of my life! I’m still getting used to saying “pram” instead of “stroller” and “biscuit” instead of “cookie” but I’m getting there! I’m an avid blogger and love to read and write. I’m just getting into cooking and baking as well and seem to have a knack for it… or so says the bathroom scale!

Have you always been an avid reader?

Oh my goodness yes. My grandparents (probably my most favourite people in the world) read to me at a very young age and I just sort of picked it up from there. Even as a kid I always had a book handy for car rides and for school. Now I travel a bit lighter with a Kindle (after shunning one for so long!) but am still constantly reading on the bus, in the bath, at lunch… I never stop!

What is the first book you remember reading?

Ha, that’s easy! The first book I remember reading was “Henry’s Awful Mistake” by Robert Quackenbush. I loved that book… partially because it was hilarious and also because my surname before I got married was Henry, so as a kid that was pretty impressive. I actually still have the copy of “Henry’s Awful Mistake”!

What is your preferred genre?

My tastes have most definitely changed over time… I used to scoff at the Romance and Chick-Lit genres and think of them as fluff and unintelligent. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve definitely learned to appreciate both so much more and actually enjoy them! At the moment, I’m really into “bonkbusters”, particularly Victoria Fox and Shirley Conran (if you haven’t read “Lace”, you absolutely must). Overall, I’ll have to cop out and say Literary Fiction as it’s such a broad umbrella genre.

You are an unpublished writer, would you ever self publish?

Self publishing takes a LOT of guts and I tip my hat to anyone who has the cohones to put themselves out there like that. Self publishing is a scary world and right now I’m not emotionally strong enough to handle the stress and inevitable criticism that comes with it.
That being said, I wouldn’t say no to self publishing once I have a finished piece that is completely polished and that I’m totally proud of.

Who is your ultimate book boy? Feel free to give a visual 😉
Oh, okay then… I’ll admit that I’m absolutely in love with the gorgeous Jason Stackhouse from True Blood. I’ve only read the first two books but I’m a big fan of the show and Ryan Kwanten is just beyond gorgeous perfection.

jason stackhouse

What is your favourite book?

“The Heart is a Lonely Hunter”by Carson McCullers is hands down my favourite book of all time. I think I’ve read it once a year since I was in high school. There’s just this quiet humanity to it that just left me stunned when I read it. And to think that McCullers was only 23 when she published such an amazing book really impresses me.

Which book would you love to see made into a movie?

When I was a teenager I went through a really tough time finding my own identity and sorting out who I really was. Add a backdrop of family issues and you get one confused kid. “I Was a Teenage Fairy” by Francesca Lia Block was a book I read over and over and over so many times that I had it memorised. I would absolutely love to see it as a movie… Block’s use of language is just gorgeous and I could only imagine what it would look like brought to life.

Who would play the main character?

I almost hate admitting this but I could see Miley Cyrus playing Mab She’s gritty and real and a punk and I can just see Cyrus fitting the role really well.

What is your favourite line for a book?

Again, I’m going to have to go with “I Was a Teenage Fairy” here… the first line of the book is just so cool.
“If Los Angeles is a woman reclining billboard model with collagen-puffed lips and silicone-inflated breasts, a woman in a magenta convertible with heart-shaped sunglasses and cotton candy hair; if Los Angeles is this woman then the San Fernando Valley is her teeny-bopper sister.”

What, in your opinion, has been the worst adaptation of a book into a movie?

There are so many! I really didn’t like the adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s “Stardust.” The book was so magical and beautiful and I just didn’t get that from the movie at all. I’m a huge Neil Gaiman fan and his books are so amazing I think it would be hard to equal that on screen.

What was the best?

Oh, definitely “The Princess Bride” by William Goldman. I love the book (I own two copies!) and the movie is one of my favourites. The casting alone was brilliantly done!

If you could spend the day as any character who would it be?

Oh that’s so tough! I have to pick two and both are from children’s books! I’d have to go with either Matilda from the Roald Dahl classic or Harriet from “Harriet the Spy”. Both girls are such strong, positive female characters and growing up I really admired them for their gumption and their bravery.

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Sophie’s Encore

Sophie's Encore

Her rock star is waiting in the wings, but will he get a second chance?

It’s all change for Sophie Jones—only this time, there is more at stake than just her happiness.

Rock star extraordinaire, Dan Hunter, has been her patient and caring friend through the highs and lows since her wedding day, but now he figures it is time for her to start over. By stealth, the rock singer draws Sophie into the behind-the-scenes work for his band’s latest album. Through the days and weeks spent together at the mixing desk, Sophie discovers whole new horizons for her life, yet before she can even begin to explore them, she faces the very real threat of losing her rock star for good.

Join Sophie and Dan in Sophie’s Encore to find out how their journey will end…

Nicky Wells is back, and when she came back she came with a bang! Sophie’s Encore is everything we could have hoped for with a little more sprinkled on top.

Right from the very beginning I was drawn it. In fact – my jaw hit the table I was sitting at in Costa Coffee. I pulled my phone straight out of my bag and tweeted Nicky “I can’t believe it, you went and ….”. Now if you want to know what she went and did, well then you will have to go and read the book. Be prepared however to be shocked!

Anyway as you will see from the description of the book, all hasn’t not remained rosy in Sophie’s garden. The constants in her life though have remained. Dan and Rachel. Dan the man she was in love with once upon a time but who is now one of the people she is closest to and depends on. Rachel her long time best friend and confident. We get to see how the two carry Sophie through her darkest times and how they try to get her to see that her life still has to be lived, regardless if it’s the life she imagined she would be living. Whether it’s the life she wants to be living.

We watch as Sophie tries to put her families life back together, and watch on as she refuses to see the obvious and risks losing Dan forever. This is most certainly the most emotional of the three books. Parts of which are quite raw and delve into darker more serious issues than the first two. Beautifully written – of course, we would expect no less and full of intimate knowledge and detail of the music business. A lot of care went into the writing of this series and its telling in its authenticity. While I raced through the book I tried to slow down in the last twenty pages or so as I just wasn’t ready to let go.

Two things jumped out at me as I put the book away for the last time.
1 – I think Jodie’s story has to be told. It’s screaming at me from the pages. I think we should petition Nicky Wells to write Jodie’s story – what do ye think?
2- I’m sorry Nicky and I adored all three books, but for me they aren’t over. There is still so much more to be told. Please don’t stop with Sophie and Dan’s story. Especially given the ending…

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Emma Louise from EmmaisWriting

Welcome back to my September feature where I am interviewing other reviewers, asking them the questions that they never expecting to be answering. Today is the turn of Emma Louise from EmmalsWriting. Don’t forget to follow Emma on Twitter

Hi Emma, tell us a bit about yourself

Well I’m Emma. I’m currently twenty two years old. I was born on the most awkward day of the year, Boxing Day. I have just finished my Masters degree in Creative Writing and would love to work in publishing one day. I am a huge fan of Harry Potter – I even have a pillow case of Daniel Radcliffe’s face. I love owls, cups of tea and jaffa cakes.

At what age did you become an avid reader?

I’ve always loved to read but since April when I started my blog – http://www.emmaiswriting.wordpress.com – I think I’ve read a lot more than usual because publishers and authors reach out to me for reviews and interviews.

Sometimes (most times) I would prefer to read a book than talk to people, do you ever feel that way?

Sorry, I don’t wish to talk right now, I’m reading…

The question everyone hates – What is your favourite book?

I really do hate this question but after being asked so many times, I’ve reached an answer. I have two. The first is Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban – the reason why it is my favourite HP book is simple: No Voldemort and lots of delicious Sirius Black. I have a thing for Gary Oldman as well. My second favourite novel is The Choice by Nicholas Sparks – I adore this man, like full on adore him. I am a huge fan of romance novels and I am honoured to say I have his entire collection in my wardrobe. This love story is so simple and harmless, yet it makes you think about the beginning and the end. I need to re-read it again to review. But it’s so breathtakingly beautiful.

What new release are you most excited for?

The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks, which is due for release here in the UK on September 17th so I am definitely going to purchase it and move it straight to the top of my TBR list.

Who is your ultimate book boy?

Harry Potter. I literally do not care what people say about how he isn’t sexy enough to be a book boyfriend but come on, he whips his wand out! Bad pun, I know. I love Harry for the simple reason that friendship is everything to him. He has no family; his friends are the only ones he has. He deserves the happy ending.

Which character would you most like to bitch slap?

Professor Umbridge – oh my days! That woman’s laugh gets right on my nerves. Even in the books, I can just hear her pathetic little laugh. No actually, I’d like to punch her.

I’d like to bitch slap Bellatrix Lestrange because she killed Sirius. I can’t bear to watch that scene anymore because my anger just builds up. You can see in her face after it happens that she felt bad for a split second. Yes, I’d love to bitch slap her. I love Molly Weasley for getting rid of the evil bitch.

What character would you like to – Snog, One night Stand, Marry, Love, Best Friend?

Snog – Kellan Kyle from S.C Stephen’s Thoughtless Series
One Night Stand – Johnny Jefferson from Paige Toon’s Johnny Be Good and Baby Be Mine
Marry – Harry Potter
Love – Dumbledore because I love gay men
Best Friend – Allie from Nicholas Sparks’ The Notebook

What character do you love to hate?

Love to hate, ohhhh, that’s a tough one! It’d have to be Kellan Kyle. I hated him for breaking Kiera and Denny up (spoiler alert!) but then I grew to love him.

What is the best thing about being a reviewer?

A lot of publishers and authors include little notes inside the books which I absolutely adore. It makes me feel loved and that they’re truly grateful.

Is there anything about it that annoys you?

I feel bad when I have to add a book to the bottom, but it’s the only way. I have to juggle my home life, my job, reading, writing my new novel and blogging. It all gets a bit too much sometimes. I know quite a few reviewers have stopped receiving review copies because they have so many. It can be overwhelming sometimes.

What book would you love to see made into a movie?

The Thoughtless Series by S. C Stephens… I did hear a rumour so I’m hoping it’s true.

Who would play the main characters?

I’ll leave that up to the author! It’s too tough of a question to answer.

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What’s A Girl To Do

Tour Banner

I am absolutely thrilled to be taking part in this blog tour for the wonderful Aimee Duffy. I loved What’s A Girl To Do and wish Aimee the best of luck with it!

Cover

What’s a Girl to Do?
Indecent Proposals Series Book One
By: Aimee Duffy
Harper Impulse
Releasing August 29th, 2013

What it’s all about…

The first novella in a thrilling, pulse-racing new erotic romance series, Indecent Proposals. Three best friends, Shey, Eloisa and Georgia take on the most powerful and eligible men of the New York dating scene.

Perfect for fans of bestselling erotic romance authors Sylvia Day and E.L. James!

‘I’m not coming over.’ Shey replied confidently.
‘Then maybe you could return the favor now.’
Wait, he didn’t mean…
‘Slide your hand beneath your panties and tell me how ready you are for me.’
Oh my god, he did.

Single Manhattanite Shey Lopez doesn’t do one night stands, or have relationships she can’t control. Especially if giving in to playboy Calvin Jones means losing her heart in the process.

However, Mr Won’t-Take-No-For-An-Answer always gets what he wants and there’s only so many times a girl can resist such an enticing proposal…

What I thought!

What’s a girl to do indeed! Aimée Duffy aims to please, and please she most certainly did. Not that this was ever in question. Aimée never fails to please. Like your favourite pair of jeans, you know just what you are going to get. In this case we got a dose of hot, with a little extra steam. We are used to Ms Duffy’s books having a little bit of the steamier stuff but hell, someone just cranked up the sauna. What’s A Girl To Do is great story, with a delicious leading man. We all need one of those right?

Is there anything hotter than a man determined to get the woman he wants, especially when the woman isn’t interested. Shey makes Calvin work for her affection, and work the man had to do. However, it takes Shey losing her man to see how much she really wanted him and realise just how much she needs him too!

Another must read from Aimee Duffy. Both herself and Harper Impulse are knocking it out of the park lately!

I read this one in a day, being lucky enough to have gotten it early. I do love being a reviewer! A little birdy has also told me that this is just a taster of things to come. Georgia’s story is next and when you read What’s A Girl To Do you may, like me, get the impression that Georgia is a duuuurrrtttyyyyy girl.
Buy Links
Amazon UK: Amazon:
Follow Tour HERE

About Aimee

About me (snooze—can you tell I hate the me stuff? Lol)

For as long as I can remember, I’ve had a good book in my hands. In primary school I loved Roald Dahl. In high school my English teacher introduced me to Charles Dickens, Stephen King, Jane Austin, Emily Bronte, and Shakespeare. It was then that I discovered my love for romance and I’ve wanted to pen my own imaginary heroes and heroines for others to enjoy ever since. Only in the last few years was I lucky enough to meet some fabulous and encouraging people to help me gain the skills to make that dream possible.

I live in sunny Scotland in a small town near the Ochils and work nine to five in a solicitors office. In my free time, you’ll find me on Facebook, stalking *cough* following friends on Twitter, and may even catch me shoe shopping.

Feel free to follow me on: Twitter/ Blog, Facebook , Goodreads,Pinterest,Google +

Rafflecopter Links ($10.00 Amazon Gift Card or iTunes Voucher for Winner’s Choice Harper Impulse Digital Release)
a Rafflecopter giveaway

OR,
Link to Rafflecopter Page, http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/NTIxYWM0YzhjYmFkNDc1MDkxYzA3ZDNmMjhhM2RjOjEyMQ==/

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Stacey Hargreaves

Today Stacey Hargreaves from the blog Fairy Tale Ending Book Reviews has pulled up a chair at the table to tell us all about her book obsession.

Tell us a bit about yourself

I’ve been a bookworm for as long as I can remember but like most teenagers, I was easily distracted by the boys and soon the books took a backseat! Whilst doing my GCSEs and studying for my Chartered Accountancy exams during my late teens/early twenties, I struggled to find much time to read. Now I’m happily engaged and settled in my job, I’ve picked up where I left off but in the fortunate position of being able to afford more books!

What made you start a blog reviewing books?

When I read a book I love, I want to tell the world but unfortunately, very few of my close friends enjoy reading like I do. I’d come across a few book blogs and decided that could be my outlet to spread my love for the books I’d enjoyed.

Just looking at your list I think we have similar tastes, would I be right in thinking you prefer a book with a bit of steam?

It’s the romance I’m a true fan of, hence my love of new adult and chicklit too but it never hurts to have a bit of steam!

What in your opinion is the sexiest book out there (that you have read)?

Forbidden by Lora Leigh. I think Joe in the book is right when he says that Keiley is living every woman’s sexual fantasy but it is a fantasy that for me, was made sexier by the fact that there was so much love involved too.

Do you have a favourite series of books?

With a bit of steam: The Crossfire series (so far). This series is such a nice light read with just the right amount of steam. I was really shocked that the third book wasn’t the end of the series as I’d expected – I can’t wait for books 4 and 5 to be released.

Otherwise I’d have to say the Paige Toon books. Whilst not technically a series, there is always a clever link between the characters of each book so I like to class them as a series. Paige writes fantastic chicklit stories and I’ve yet to read a book I’ve not enjoyed. My favourites are Lucy in the Sky and Chasing Daisy.

Is there any book out there that just downright shocked you?

The Original Sinners series by Tiffany Reisz. The Catholic priest is shocking enough to begin with but then they move on to blood-play, rape-play and breath-play… Suddenly Christian Grey and his red room of pain seem like child’s play. That said, they’re fantastically written and I enjoyed the series so much I would still recommend the books to others – I’d just warn them beforehand.

Who is your ultimate book boy?

Travis Maddox from Beautiful Disaster/Walking Disaster by Jamie McGuire.
He’s everything you could want in a bad boy and more. Sexy, intelligent, kind, caring, sexy, thoughtful, passionate, protective… and did I mention sexy?!

Please feel free to give us a visual!

Travis montage

For you what are the essential ingredients in a book?

I think all books need a hot guy, some romance and a fairy tale ending.

Do you prefer digital or paperback?

In an ideal world, I’d prefer to read paperback but since I have a house rather than a library, I mostly read ebooks. I read on my iPad so I’m lucky that I can access both the iBooks and Kindle libraries, having a huge choice available to read within minutes and they’re often cheaper than a paperback too. I do have all of my favourites in paperback though, even if it means buying a second copy.

Are you finding authors are supportive of your reviews?

I haven’t really had much interaction with many authors but those I’ve tagged in Twitter links are generally polite and retweet the link to the reviews.

If you could have a party with 8 characters who would they be?

I think the majority of the party guests would have to come from Lindsey Kelk’s books:
Angela & Jenny to provide the chaos and glamour
James because every good party needs a gay Hollywood star
Alex to provide the music (and some eye candy)
And the fun trio from Single Girls; Redhead Rachel, Emelie and Matthew

The final guest would have to be Max Stella from Beautiful Stranger by Christina Lauren – for me. Just me. No touching!

Do you have any pet hates about being a reviewer?

ARCs are my pet hate. I totally understand why they exist and the benefit to the authors to have reviews out there creating demand ahead of the release date but for those reviewers not lucky enough to receive them, it often means that our reviews are almost outdated since we’ve had to wait until the release date. I’m really not comfortable asking for ARCs either – I feel like I’m being really cheeky and asking for a freebie when I’d be quite happy to pay for it.

How many books on average do you read a week?

Probably about 3-4 most weeks. I can easily read an entire book in an evening – I’d rather go into work tired than have to put down a book that has me gripped!

Do you feel under pressure if you haven’t had a blog post for a couple of days?

Definitely. I find it particularly difficult to split my time between work, reading, reviewing, sleeping and my fiancé (because apparently he can’t be ignored all of the time!). There are so many books I want to read that sometimes I just want to get started on the next book rather than spending time writing a review.

If you could take credit for reading any one book or series what would it be?

I think ultimately, this would have to be the Harry Potter series. I usually really struggle with fantasy books, not being able to immerse myself into the make-believe world, but like million of other readers I was fascinated by the Harry Potter series. A series so successful it had been translated into over 60 languages and has captivated the imaginations of such a wide audience; young and old.

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Kirsty form Love of a Good Book

Today Kirsty from Love of a Good Book drops by and answers my very nosey questions.

Tell us about yourself?

I’m Kirsty from the West Midlands and I’m obsessed with books, dresses, satchels and thanks to Victoria Stone, Ryan Gosling.

What inspired you to start your blog?

I guest reviewed first and absolutely loved it and then an author approached me to review for her independently. The blog came about from that request, I’ve always been an avid reader so I had plenty of books to read and review,

Do you have a preferred genre to read?

I love chick lit and adult reads.

Do you have a favourite book?

I can’t really answer that, it’s like asking a parent to pick their favourite child.
Ok it’s not, it’s worse! No parent will have as many children as I have books and I can’t pick, I just can’t.
Please don’t make me!

What new release are you most looking forward to reading?

I need to go with releases sorry,
Amelia Grey’s Fireside Dream by Abby Clements
Take A Look At Me Now by Miranda Dickinson
I Heart Christmas by Lindsey Kelk

What did you last read, are you currently reading and do you next plan to read?

I last read, Another Way to Fall by Amanda Brooke.
I’m currently reading, My Husbands Secret by Liane Moriaty
And I plan to read Not Pretty Enough by Jaimie Admans next.

If you could read any book again for the first time what would it be?

By My Side by Alice Peterson, that story is so inspirational.
It’s a wake up call in a book!

Do you give bad reviews if you don’t like a book or just decide not to review it?

When I review a book, I agree to give my personal opinion and be honest,
This unfortunately means if I don’t like a book I have to say so.
I will never slate a book or attack an author, if I don’t like a book, that’s because I’m me and doesn’t mean everyone else will dislike it as well.

I love the interaction between reviewers on Twitter, do you find great support between reviewers and bloggers?

I have a lot to thank Twitter for, it put me in touch with some fantastic people who I now call friends.
When I first started blogging I was worried of the reception I would get, but people have been lovely. We all retweet other reviewers and we read other blogs. It’s a great community!

What was the first blog that you followed?

Lindsey Kelks blog.

Who is your favourite book boy?

One? I can only pick one? I had enough trouble narrowing it down to five for the Book Boyfriends feature on ‘Victoria Loves Books’
Ok then (sorry book boys if you’re reading this, I love you all) if I have to choose, it is Jacques from Winter Wonderland by Belinda Jones

The Academy Of Television Arts & Sciences Presents An Evening With "Revenge"

Hairy and rough or clean cut and smooth?

Both! You whore, I hear you cry. But honest it really depends.

Clean cut and smooth aka Ryan Gosling in Crazy, Stupid, Love

Kirsty 2

Hairy and rough aka Ryan Gosling in The Notebook.

Kirsty 3

Ok that may have been an excuse to show you more Gosling pictures but admit it, you’re glad I did?

haha you are all Gosling obsessed

You can have dinner with 3 authors, who are they?

Lindsey Kelk
Lucy Lord
Belinda Jones

You can ask them one question each – what are they?

Why isn’t Nick real?
Why isn’t Mark real?
Why isn’t Jacques real?
And then we would all drink cocktails!

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Sharon from Shaz’s Book Blog

Here we are in day four of the September feature. It seems people are loving finding out what book reviewers think. To be honest i am not surprised – we are after all an opinionated bunch!

Today is the turn of Sharon from Shaz’s Book Blog. Lets see what she had to say;

Tell us a little about Shaz.

Hmmm let me have a think, is there anything interesting about me?!
I was an army brat so lived in Northern Ireland and Germany before we eventually moved to England when I was ten and have lived here ever since.

I’m a forty-something book addict who reads for a bit of escapism from her humdrum life. My day job currently involves working in the technical department of an Insurance company head office but that’s going to be changing as I’m being made redundant next year when the office relocates. At first I was upset about this as i’ve worked there all my adult life, will be 24.5 years by the time I leave, but now I’m looking at this as a good opportunity to do something different, maybe even book related.

Reading your twitter profile was like reading about myself, do you find you would read above all else?

Given the chance… yes! My reading day normally includes a sneaky chapter or two before work, reading during lunch break at work, read a chapter or two before tea and normally at least an hour in bed at night… you can tell I’m single and don’t have a family!
I’d love to be able to afford to not work and stay at home and read all day but sadly with a mortgage and bills to pay that’s not possible. But who knows what the future might bring, I might win the lottery or meet a millionaire who’ll fund my lady of leisure lifestyle, I can but dream….
My current thinking next year when I’m made redundant is to have some time off and travel, with plenty of reading of course. With my aunt and cousins in Northern Ireland and my brother in Dubai, it would be the perfect opportunity to catch up with them but I might wobble and decide that I need to start looking for a new job straight away.

Last week my husband took my ereader out of my hand when I was cooking dinner, are there any inappropriate times that you have caught yourself reading?

Not really an inappropriate time as such but was reading at my desk during my lunch break when our company CEO walked past but he actually stopped and asked what I was reading LOL

Have you ever heard a song that you immediately thought –“that should be the soundtrack for ______ book”

Sadly not, I have to honest I don’t listen to much music or watch much telly these days so wouldn’t have a clue about current music. I’ll stick to the music of my teens, the 80s LOL, I’m sure if I thought about it long enough I could find a song from that era that could be suitable but that’d mean digging into the deep recesses of my memory!!

Do you prefer contemporary romance or something with a bit of steam?

I don’t mind a bit of steam but think those days are long gone for me so tend to stick more to contemporary these days…

Paranormal – yay or nay?

Big nay for me, can’t stand them. Not read any of the Twilight books and have no plans to do so

Do you have a book that you can label your absolute number 1? Or do you have several?

One of my favourite books that I read in my teens was Little Women by Louisa May Alcott and it’s a book I’ve read time and time again.

Do you find that on the whole authors are appreciative of reviewers?

Yes, on the whole the majority of authors do appreciate reviewers as we’re helping to get their stories out there. I think you get what you give, if you show them respect you’ll get respect back. I can count on one hand the amount of negative dealings I’ve had and they weren’t with established authors.

As a reviewer do you have a pet hate?

Yes, I hate rudeness and disrespect. Due to my current backlog of reviews, I’ve had to turn down a lot of unsolicited review requests including some from genres that I don’t review, and clearly state on the blog I don’t review. I always try and decline these as politely as possible and quite often offer them a different feature on the blog i.e. debut spotlight, interview etc.
Most are lovely and understanding but one was so rude in her response that it really upset me for a while. Most people who know the real me know that I’m a big softie and would do anything for anyone if I could, so to be attacked, albeit verbally by email, really got to me.

If you had to choose between Facebook and Twitter which would it be?
I do like Facebook and use it a lot but there’s definitely a lot more interaction on Twitter although the 140 characters can be a bit frustrating at times.

Have you ever thought of writing a book?

No, I tried to write a short story for my blog’s Christmas feature last year and it was absolute tosh, I’m definitely a reader not a writer 😉

Do you prefer digital or paperback?

I’m a traditionalist at heart and love nothing more than curling up with a book but since setting up the Blog, and since being given a Kindle for my 40th birthday, I’m definitely reading a lot more eBooks.

Tell us one book that we absolutely have to read.

This year, one of my favourite books has to be By My Side by Alice Peterson.

What is the last book that made you shed a tear?

As question above, By My Side by Alice Peterson but they were tears of joy. I loved reading about the relationship between Cass and her helper dog Ticket.

What is the last book that got you mad?

Not sure if this counts as getting me mad, it was more disbelief that this actually happened in real life, was reading about the forced sterialisation program in Diane Chamberlain’s latest book Necessary Lies.

What is the last book that got you a bit hot under the collar?

That would have to be Killer Heels by the Queen of Bonkbusters Rebecca Chance. I have her latest book, Killer Queens, in my TBR pile.

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Nikki, Sarah and Katie from Bookaholics Blog

Good Morning, today is the turn of the girls from the Bookaholics Blog. Sarah, Nikki and Katie have given fabulous answers and they all answered all of the questions. Thanks girls!!

Tell us a bit about your blog

Bookaholics Blog was started by Katie in November last year, I, Nikki quickly joined her and last month we added Sarah to our little blog family! Katie and Sarah live in the US and I live in the UK.

What made you start blogging about the books you were reading?

We all have a profound love of books , i live, eat and sleep books and it never ceases to amaze me how a powerful book affects me. I wanted to share my thoughts and the wonderful books that i had discovered as well as blogging to help new indie authors get noticed.

What is your preferred genre?

Nikki-For us girls, it has to be Romance. This however comes in all different shapes and sizes. Katie hates a cliffhanger and has to have a traditional happy ending. Sarah and i will read pretty much anything. I secretly love a massive cliffhanger as long as the sequel isn’t too far behind and i’m also just discovering a love for dark erotic romance.

Sarah- I love love love super emotional books. If an author makes me cry they are probably going to get a higher star rating from me! I just read Ruin by Rachel Van Dyken and it completely gutted me. For me that’s the sign of a great book. I actively avoid books that are billed as funny or anything along those lines.

Katie- This is where we all work well together because I love a funny book with smart ass characters. It is true I don’t like cliffhangers, that is because I don’t like the long wait for the second installment. If I know there is a cliffhanger I try and wait until the second book is out before I start to read the first one.

What upcoming new release are you most excited for?

Nikki- I absolutely cannot wait for Gabriels Redemption, I seriously love the Prof!! It has been a long time coming but it’s going to be so worth it.

Sarah- This is SO hard!! I’d probably have to go with Until You (Fall Away #1.5) by Penelope Douglas, I so can not wait for Jared’s side of that story. Or maybe Good (Too Good #1) by S. Walden, that forbidden romance thing always intrigues me!

Katie- Hmmm, this is a really tough question. I am excited about Mine by Katy Evans and Gabriel’s Redemption. Gabriel’s Inferno was one of the first books I read and I feel like I have been waiting forever for this book to come out. Hence why I hate cliffhangers.

What did you read last, are you currently reading and planning on reading next?

Nikki- I read Temporary Bliss by BJ Harvey- Due out next week and a 5 star read for me. My current read is Tears of Tess by Pepper Winters and it’s bloody fantastic! Next up is Shine Not Burn by Elle Casey.

Sarah- My last read was Love Exactly by Cassandra Giovanni, it was an okay story, I just didn’t quite connect with it. I’m currently reading Girl on Tour (Kylie Ryans #2) by Caisey Quinn, due out Aug. 27, I’m really enjoying it (but I do think the first one is better). I have a forewarning, from the author, that it is a little bit of a cliffhanger, so I’m anxious to get the last book and this one hasn’t even been published yet! My next book(s) are Love Notes and Heartstrings by Heather Gunter.

Katie- My last read was Temporary Bliss by BJ Harvey. I agree with Nikki FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC. I am currently back at school so I am not too sure what I am reading next. I have to squeeze them I to my hectic schedule which is sad for me because I love books.

Which book have provoked the biggest emotional reaction from you?

Nikki- For me it has to be Me Before You-Jojo Moyes it broke my heart for days and has stayed with me ever since.

Sarah- I’m super emotional, one of those girls that cries at commercials, so this is hard to nail down for me. If I’m being completely honest I’d probably have to go with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I spent such a huge chunk of my life reading those books that when it was finally done I was a complete mess.

Katie- Since I am one who loves the funny HEA books I haven’t read too many sad books because I lawn them off to Nikki, lol. I have to say that Let Love In by Melissa Collins really tore me up at the ending. I have to say that is a wonderful series.

What book surprised you the most, either good or bad?

Nikki- Consequenses and Truth by Aleatha Romig, i’ve never read something that plays with your mind quite as much as her books. Just as you think you have it all figured out she throws in a curve ball, it’s genius. There was a book that was surprisingly bad to me, everyone i know loved it but i couldn’t see how, not even a little bit! I won’t say what book it was though as i don’t believe in bashing books, each to their own!

Sarah- The Black Dagger Brotherhood, a friend recommended it to me a couple of years ago and I really didn’t think that it was my thing. After reading Dark Lover I was completely hooked! I am very thankful that I was led to that series!

Katie- I would have to say that Amelia Hutchins sucked me in with her Paranormal series. I never thought I would like a Paranormal but Fighting Destiny has really changed my mind. I currently beta read for her and I signed up when I first started the blog and I am really glad I did. You should really check it out.

If you were to be a character in any book who would it be?

Nikki- It would have to be Ava O Shea, from This Man, I am totally, head over heels in love with the control freak that is Jesse Ward *sigh*

Sarah- Probably Kami for Fear of Falling. I really identified with her, there is some shit in my past that was pretty screwed up and left me a mess. My husband though has been able to help my pick up the pieces, deal with them (as best I could), and put me back together.

Katie- There are so many I couldn’t even pick. It would have to be all the smart ass females.

What character in what book would you most like to slap some sense in to?

Nikki- Keira from Thoughtless, she really annoyed me but at the same time i felt where she was coming from.

Sarah- The same! Or maybe Anastasia Steele from FSoG. Good Lord someone needed to slap that girl!

Katie- I agree with the above mentioned characters. I also wanted to slap Grey from Stripped by Jasinda Wilder.

What was your favourite blog post to write?

Nikki- My review for Beneath the Burn by Pam Godwin, it was such a rollercoaster of a book, and evoked so many feelings in me, i could have written about it all day.

Sarah- My review Never Goodbye by Kerri Williams, that book had me bawling in the foreword. I cried a lot when I was reading it and more when I was writing my review. And that is what makes a good book for me, the tears.

Katie- I love writing all of my blog posts.

Which blog post has provided you with the most amount of hit?

Nikki- My Blog post for Beg by CD Reiss has had the most hits.

Sarah- My Never Goodbye review.

What book would you most like to see made into a movie?

Nikki– I actually think Come Away With Me by Kristen Proby would make a great movie.

Sarah- I’d love to see the Shattered Hearts series by Cassia Leo made into a movie. I loved that series, and I’m pretty sad that it’s over.

Katie- I would like to see Gabriel’s series into a movie.

Who is your ultimate book boy?

Nikki– The one and only Mr Grey, he is the reason i started this crazy reading, blogging journey and i’ll be ever thankful to E.L.James.

Sarah- So hard!! I really like tatted up bad boys. But, I’ve got to say I love Gideon Cross, I want a man who will do for me what he did for Eva.

Katie- Once again I agree with by fellow bloggers. Oh and I have a soft spot for Brad from Love Love and REMY.

Thanks girls for taking part.

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