Fun Fridays Q&A with The Girl From The Ghetto (aka Nerdy book blogger who loves pop culture, fat cats & comfy pj's)

The Girl from the Ghetto

The great thing about social media for me as a reader/author is that it has allowed me to discover new authors to read, new book review websites to browse and new blogs to steer me toward great books I might otherwise miss. That's how I discovered the blog from The Girl from the Ghetto - the blog of a nerdy book blogger who loves pop culture, fat cats & comfy pj's. Oh, I know a kindred spirit when I see it, folks, so I invited the Girl from the Ghetto to chat with me for today's Fun Friday Q&A. Despite having had a run of bad luck lately, she totally took pity on me and agreed, for which I am sure I owe her many cyber cupcakes (or something). We discuss blogging, books and advice for authors on capturing the attention of book bloggers.

Angela: Welcome to my blog, and thank you for being my Fun Friday guest today! For those who aren’t familiar with your blog, please tell us how you got started blogging as The Girl from the Ghetto? (BTW, you really don’t seem to fit the stereotype of a girl from the ghetto. Just sayin’)

TGFTG: If I had any idea that I'd end up a book blogger, I would have never picked it! I have three reasons why I picked that name, and none are because I like to pretend I’m black or claim to have grown up in the hood. Granted, I grew up close to Detroit, my mother is an undiagnosed bipolar, and my neighborhood was a little rough; but at least I lived in a house north of Eminem's 8 Mile. Sure, mice slept in my bed, I was raised on welfare cheese and wonder bread sandwiches, I had a step-father who was an abusive sociopath and alcoholic, and my brother grew up to be a probable serial killer, but at least I had a social worker to look after me in the suburbs to keep me safe. This is why you'll see a picture of me, the little white girl whose mother desperately wanted her daughter to look like Laura Ingalls, on random pages of my blog, rather than some gangsta logos.

But, I digress. Reason one for the Ghetto Girl name is simply that I wanted to pay homage to my Italian relatives who first settled in the Little Italy ghetto of South Philly many years ago. Even though I am a blond with blue-green eyes, I grew up Italian and as much as I try, I can’t hide or change who I am, or who my family was. The second reason is that I needed something sarcastic yet approachable, because that is who I am in real life. But the main reason behind my choice of The Girl from the Ghetto name is from the night I first met my husband. For reasons unknown, I flashed him a gang sign when he asked me where I grew up, and the joke stuck between us. Hubby has teased me for years during my rare moments of crazy by telling me “you can take the girl out of the ghetto, but you can’t take the ghetto out of the girl.”

Angela: Let’s get this clear up front for any authors who are already typing you a “Will you please review my e-book” email — you DON’T review e-books. But you do review books — lots and lots of books. In your opinion, what makes a book a great read?

TGFTG: A book doesn't even have to be "great" for me to enjoy it--it just has to be about something I am interested in, or about a place I want to learn more about, or about a culture or a way of life I can't get enough of. I love to read fiction, and I love to read non-fiction, but what I really look for in a book is good old fashion heart, soul and emotion. I like being able to relate to one of the characters, or, I can read about a character so completely different from me that I end up learning something fascinating. While I love to read a book written by someone with a M.A. in Fine Arts, I'm just as happy to read a book by someone without a high school education, just as long as they know how to write a great story, like Augusten Burroughs. Honestly, as long as I can tell the author worked hard on their book, and made it personable, or full of fun or interesting accurate facts, or they at least make me laugh or cry, I'd call that book a great read.

Angela: For any authors reading this who have books in print, what advice would you give them to catch your attention when they email and ask you to review their book? Shoot — what advice would you give ANY author when querying any book blogger for a review?

TGFTG: I have seen some crazy requests in my four years of blogging. Authors, never send out generic emails, especially when your pitch is just one short paragraph that tells me nothing about your book. Never send me a link to find out what the book is about. I get thousands of pitches a year, so I like to see some effort by the person asking me to devote hours of my time to their book. Is it that hard to cut and paste a good description of it? Personalize the pitch, don't call me by the wrong name, or worse, call me blogger. Tell me why you think I'd be a good match for your book. I can't tell you how many times I've said yes to unknown, first-time authors just because we are from the same state, have the same problems in life, or have multiple random odd things in common, like a love of LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE and fat cats. At the very least, all authors should check out the type of books the blogger writes about. Then read one review, to see if the blogger is a decent reviewer. Most of us bloggers have posted review policies, yet I still get hundreds of requests to review book genres I dislike.

Angela: I have and love a plus-sized kitty, too. Does your kitty ever climb onto your keyboard when you’re blogging? Mine does (In fact, she’s doing it now. I just had to delete a bunch of crazy characters she typed).

TGFTG: My Main Coon Beatrice loves my laptop, but she uses it to rub her chin, rather than sit on it. She's rather lay on my bed, or in the laptop bag.

Angela: What are some of the worst mistakes you see writers make when you’re reading a book?

TGFTG: I hate it when authors write about the '70s or '80s and get the pop culture facts wrong. I am a pop culture fanatic, and I remember everything from those 20 years. It is sad to me someone can't be bothered to do 10 minutes of Internet research, just to check their work. I am also sick of fiction books that are based on actual living celebrities, because I already know how that story ends. Just because a writer changes names, sexes and a few details doesn't mean I am willing to hear a story that has already been beaten to death. I am also sick of celebrity writers who write about hobbies, rather than write about themselves. Why would I want to read a book by an actress who likes design, architecture, or cooking? I also hate it when authors write the same exact book over and over again, only changing small details and locations, just because they are famous and anything they write sells. I guess what I am trying to say is that I like it when authors put in effort in their writing, not just time.

Angela: Are you still accepting sponsors to fund your trip to the 2012 Book Expo in New York this summer? (Any rich and generous readers of this blog, please sponsor TGFTG for the 2012 Book Expo). If so, how can people contribute?

TGFTG: No, unless someone can pay for my entire trip, which I don't expect anyone to do. After being out of work for so long, and having horrific health care expenses, my husband told me there was no way we could afford to even charge any part of my trip. I pulled my post for sponsorship just days after I posted it, because I didn't want to accept money from partial sponsors, and not be able to attend.

Angela: I know you’ve been to Book Expos in the past. What’s your favorite author memory from a past expo? Give us the details please. A lot of us are living vicariously through you right now. :-)

TGFTG: Oh, hands down, it was when Simon Van Booy recognised me at BookExpo in 2010, and he told me he was a fan of mine, and how everyone in the office (at his publishing house) loved my blog and my book reviews. I could have died, I was so embarrassed, but pleased and totally flattered. Here is a man with such great talent, and he knew who I was! It was a little surreal.

Angela: Simon Van Booy! How awesome! Okay, now let’s get to know TGFTG the person with these questions. Are you a diehard member of any TV show/film/book fandoms? (If so, which ones and why?)

TGFTG: Not anymore, but I used to be a huge LOST fan, and wrote about the show every single week it aired. I miss those days!

Angela: What’s the last book you read?

TGFTG: This morning, I finished Jennifer Weiner's upcoming novel, THE NEXT BEST THING, which comes out July 3, 2012. I loved the book, read it in one sitting. I am so bummed that I won't get to meet her, since I'm not going to BookExpo or the BEA Bloggers Convention in June.

Angela: If you could spend one day as any fictional character, which one and why?

TGFTG: What a great question. Hmmmm. I wish I could pick someone who has lived a charmed life, but never having lived like that, I'd feel weird being so happy and carefree. I guess I'd pick someone who suffered, but found great love in the end, like Jane Eyre.

Angela: Celebrity crush?

TGFTG: Ewan McGregor. Oh, my gosh, how I love that man, and not just because he was in three STAR WARS movies! He sings, he dances, he is a great actor. He should have been nominated for an Oscar several times, but especially for BEGINNERS. Plus, McGregor has that fantastic Scottish accent.

Angela: Hobbies?

TGFTG: Besides reading, blogging, and slowly writing a book, I love music, movies, and the occasional reality television show. Can't get enough of those Jersey Housewives and the Sister Wives! I also love to cook (I'm Italian, so food is in my blood), and enjoy photography, gardening, walking, volunteering at local nonprofits, going to local art and history museums and the Detroit Zoo, traveling (I've been to 40 states and 10 countries), genealogy research, and self-diagnosing myself with weird diseases (After seeing 20 doctors who missed my rare autoimmune disease, I finally had the guts to tell my eye doctor I thought I had Myasthenia Gravis--and I was right!).

Angela: Wow!Those are some hobbies! I want to thank The Girl from the Ghetto for being my guest today and sharing her insights into books and pop culture and other fun things. Please visit her blog and show her some love, people. Find her at http://thegirlfromtheghetto.wordpress.com/ and on Twitter @NerdGirlBlogger.

Fun Fridays Q&A with editor Denise Nielsen

Best-selling author Tim Foote once said "Everyone needs an editor," and (waves hand), boy, can I testify to that. I'm ridiculously happy to welcome today's Fun Friday Q&A guest, Denise Nielsen, because she's not only a really awesome person -- she edited my debut novel, Cry Wolf, for Carina Press.

Denise is a book editor, fiction writer, college professor, aspiring gourmet cook and sommelier, free-range Mom, inveterate list-maker and book-lover. See what I mean about her being awesome? I got on my knees and begged politely asked Denise to answer some questions about editing for Carina Press, the authors she works with, and what submitting authors can do to catch her attention.

Angela: Welcome to my blog, Denise! Please tell us about your background and how you came to edit for Carina Press.

Denise: This is a tough question, because I certainly didn’t take a straight path. I took English and History in university which meant I got to write and read all the time, and I think this is where I honed many of the writing skills critical to this industry. After graduation, I was an officer in the Canadian navy and because of my writing ability, often ended up creating and editing technical documents. When I left the navy and moved to a small town where there were not many job opportunities (and this was pre-Internet), I wound up reporting for, and later editing, a small newspaper. While my children were young and I was at home with them, I freelanced for the government and for industry and while this was quite lucrative, in 2009 I decided I needed to shift gears. There were a number of small digital presses just breaking out and I actually saw a call for editors on Twitter one day, so I applied, realized I LOVED editing fiction, and the rest is history. I joined Carina in 2010 just as they were starting up, and have had the pleasure of working with some very talented writers since then.

Angela: I was lucky enough to have you as my editor for Cry Wolf. Please tell us some of the other titles you’ve worked on and what you loved about them.

Denise: So many! I really enjoyed working with Kaylea Cross on Deadly Descent. It was one of the first books I edited for Carina and I loved the military setting. Shannon Curtis is another of my favourite writers – I edited both Viper’s Kiss and more recently, Guarding Jess—both wonderful and exciting stories centering around the men from the McCormack Security Agency. Another favourite of mine was Ruth Casie’s time travel book, Knight of Runes. This book really stretched me as an editor because it was so intricate a story, but Ruth was an absolute delight to work with. More recently, Jennifer Bray-Weber’s swashbuckling adventures (A Kiss in the Wind and A Siren’s Song) were such fun to edit, and I got my first taste of steampunk—which I love—with Coleen Kwan’s novella, Asher’s Invention. I am editing the sequel right now. But you know, I could go on and on… The great thing about Carina Press is that I acquire the books that speak to me, that I really love, and so editing them is always a delight.

I can’t let this question go without mentioning Cry Wolf. I read it in the car on the way up to the Laurentian Mountains with my husband and kids for a ski vacation. They would be talking to me and I was completely immersed in your story. I knew I wanted to acquire it about an hour north of Montreal, and the race was on to finish it before we arrived at our destination.

Angela: (Blushing) Aw, thank you, Denise! I didn't know that story. I'm feeling a little teary now. Eh-hem. So, in your opinion, what makes a book a great read?

Denise: Strong, well developed and believable characters with a story to tell. I want the characters to get inside my head and not let go. And I want to be fascinated, repelled, intrigued, frightened by the obstacles they face. If you can do that, you’ve hooked your reader and they won’t be able to put your book down.

Angela: What type of submissions are you looking for? Any advice to help writers catch your attention?

Denise: I’m accepting subs in all categories but am particularly interested in the following: historical, contemporary, suspense, steampunk, These can include both romantic and non-romantic stories, and both full length novels and novella’s (over 15K words—check Carina guidelines).

As for advice, one thing I do recommend is to engage with editors on Twitter. For example, I often tweet about something I am interested in right now. The other day I had a hankering for a War of 1812 historical romance and mentioned that online. I’ve also been posting about wanting a gothic romance. If you see that and happen to have what I’m looking for, it’s a win-win. The Carina Press blog often has a call for submissions post which outlines what individual editors are looking for. You can submit to Carina by targeting a specific editor (but only one at a time please.) To reach me directly, send your subs to dnielsen.editor@gmail.com. As per Carina’s guidelines, you need to send the full manuscript, a query and a synopsis.

Angela: What are some of the worst mistakes you see writers make?

Denise: Backstory and exposition. Writers know their story so well that it only makes sense they want the reader to be as immersed in the world as they are. But when they try to give us all the information they know up front, it is an information overload for the reader. It’s like being at a party and someone giving you their entire life history. Yawn. Let it be revealed gently. In good time. Exposition is tied into this because it’s so much easier to tell than to show. I love this quote by Anton Chekov (one of my favourite short story writers): “Don't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.”

Angela: Let’s get to know Denise the person with these questions. Are you a member of any TV show/film/book fandoms?

Denise: Not really. The closest I come is Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series which got me seriously hooked on romances again after way too many years reading only “serious literary fiction” (I have to say that with a frown and a cynical tone so you can see how unbearable I must have been during my university years. Diana made me lighten up again.)

I do enjoy Lord of the Rings (the movies). And I tend to read whatever series of books my kids are hooked on, which at least gives me wide variety.

Angela: What’s the last book you read for fun?

Denise: I’m thoroughly enjoying Ann Patchett’s State of Wonder, and plan to get Bel Canto next. I love discovering a new-to-me author, especially when they have more than one book. Kate Morton is another writer I was recently introduced to whose works really evoke a time and place well for me.

Angela: If you could spend one day as any fictional character, which one and why?

Denise: Bond. Jane Bond. I live on a farm, in a wardrobe of jeans and tank tops and sometimes I yearn for the glamour and glitz of dressing up and socializing at very impressive events, drinking sophisticated drinks…the world Bond epitomizes. I also wouldn’t mind being Hermione Granger. I mean, who wouldn’t want to spend their day at Hogwarts?

Angela: Celebrity crush?

Denise: Harrison Ford – I saw him as Han Solo and haven’t been the same since.  :-)

Angela: Hobbies?

Denise: My garden—we grow organic vegetables all summer. And weeds. Organic weeds. I continue to write poetry, which I find balances me. And I coach soccer. I also have a book club – 12 great women who make me laugh and cry and think. Love that.

Angela: I want to hug you say thanks for being a guest on my blog today, Denise. You rock!

If you'd like to connect with Denise on social media, you can find her on Twitter @denielsen and on Facebook. Hop on over and tell her Hi!

Fun Fridays: Cool things I've discovered

It's been a while since I updated my blog or did a Fun Friday post (even this one is late...grumble, grumble), but I was out sick today -- darn allergies -- and have been trying to use the time in bed to do some catch up. One of the things I've been catching up on is my reading and TV/movie viewing. No, I haven't discovered all of these books or watched all these shows/movies today, but I have read them lately and my Goodreads profile and amazon reviews will soon reflect that.

In lieu of any Q&As, I thought I'd share my opinion of these goodies.

ALPHA INSTINCT by Katie Reus:
I've been on a kick reading werewolf romances lately, and this one was pretty good. I totally didn't see the bad guy coming!I picked it up one night at Barnes & Noble, and yes, I will probably read the next book in this series.

Ana Cordona has been a strong leader for the lupine shifters who survived after all the males and most of the females in her pack were mysteriously poisoned. As tough as she is, with no Alpha male, the pack is vulnerable to the devious shifter Taggart, who wants to claim both their ranch and Ana as his own. When Connor Armstrong comes back into her life, promising protection, it's almost enough to make Ana forget how he walked out on her before--and reluctantly accept his offer to mate.

The minute Connor sees Ana again, it reawakens a raw hunger. He must have her for his bondmate--his wolf cries out for it. But his human side knows he must proceed with caution because of their complicated past. If he is to truly have her body and soul, he must go beyond his burning desire and win back her heart. Whatever it takes, he is determined not to leave her side again.

But Taggart and his rival pack are not their only enemies. A human element in town is targeting shifters. Their plan not only threatens Ana and Connor's future, but the lives of the entire pack...

CHIMPANZEE - DisneyNature film
I saw this movie last week, and it is awesome. Very family-friendly documentary about a lil chimpanzee named Oscar, who has all sorts of adventures with his "pack." Even better, Disney donated part of the proceeds from the first week to the Jane Goodall organization that helps these hairy humanoids. How can you top that?

TOO CUTE! on Animal Planet
The name of this show says it all, and there are shows devoted to kittens and shows devoted to puppies. How can a show like that possibly not be good?

Tell me, what new shows/books/movies have you discovered lately? Inquiring minds want to know!

Lucky 7--Seven Lines from my WIP

I was tagged by the fabulous Abby Niles in this fun little writer game and figured, ha! Why not? I'll play your silly little game (and love it). Unfortunately it's taken me a few days to find the time to do this, but here goes.

Here are the rules:

1. Go to page 77 of your current MS
2. Go to line 7
3. Copy down the next 7 lines – sentences or paragraphs – and post them as they’re written. No cheating.
4. Tag 7 other authors

I'm amazed I am past page 77 on my newest WIP to do this, but my newest story is tentatively titled "Like Cats and Dogs."

Here are the 7 lines for this game, featuring my hero Zachary Collins and one of the furry secondary characters.

Excerpt:

The light coming through the curtains stung Zach’s eyes sometime later. There was also an unfamiliar weight on his chest, and when he blinked his vision into focus, a pair of almond-shaped eyes were staring back at him.

Get out.

Zach started, but the action didn’t jostle the cat. It was lying on his chest as if it had been there a while. Watching him sleep.

Are you an idiot? We don’t want you here. Leave.

The cat’s left paw stretched toward Zach’s neck. Its claws flexed and pierced his skin. A slight purr followed the action.

“Aw, look.” Hannah’s voice came from somewhere behind him. “Abbott likes you.”

Now I'm tagging:

1) Veronica Scott
2) Cindy Spencer Pape
3) Cathy Perkins
4) Melinda Leigh
5) Jeffe Kennedy
6) Natasha Hoar
7) Sharon Cullen

Fun Fridays: Q&A with my cat, Dusti

I love animals, especially cats. Since I do most of my writing in the company of my cat, I thought it might be fun to turn the reigns of this blog over to her for the day and get her feline perspective on the writing life. I mean, I've caught her at the computer more than once after I've stepped out of the room for a few. See? I snapped this photo not too long ago. I stepped out for a snack and came back, to find her both literally and figuratively on my laptop. What is she doing, you ask? I'd love to know that myself.

I sat down with my kitty over some Temptations yesterday and invited her to be my Fun Friday Q&A guest today. About 10 treats later, she agreed.

Angela: I want to welcome my cat and furry best friend, Dusti!

Dusti: Meow. Can I have some more treats?

Angela: After we finish this, maybe. And thank you for doing this.

Dusti: Whatever. Just don't forget the treats later.

Angela: You know, if I did, you could stand to loose a little weight.

Dusti: And you couldn't?

Angela: A writer's life can be very sedentary. (Clears throat) So, what's it like to live with a writer?

Dusti: Oh. Is that what you do all the time? I just assumed you were always playing on Facebook. 

Angela: No, I write novels. How can you not know this? I'm always pitching you my story ideas for practice! 

Dusti: Oh yeah. I just thought you were, you know, kinda weird.  

Angela: Nooooo. I'm a writer.

Dusti: Okay. So you're saying you're overweight and you're weird because you're a writer. Does that mean I'm a writer too? Cause you just told me I was fat. 

Angela: I didn't exactly call you fat! And no, you're jumping to too many conclusions! (Sighs) So what are you doing when I come in the room and find you on my computer?

Dusti: Usually updating my dating profile on Catster. Okay, I'll be honest. Sometimes I'm fixing the crap I read that you tried to write. Somebody around here needs to write something that might sell someday. I gotta eat. 

Angela: You're on Catster? 

Dusti: Who isn't? (yawns) 

Angela: And what do you mean, fixing the crap you read that I wrote? 

Dusti: Yeah, I edit the hell out of it. You're far too dramatic and long-winded. And you never have cats in your stories, so I add them.

Angela: Far too dramatic?

Dusti: Not very creative either. I mean, come on. You named me, a gray cat, Dusti. Not funny. It's hell on my dating profile on Catster to have a boy name. No one realizes I'm a girl.

Angela: You're not allowed to date. Besides, Catster isn't a dating site. (Shakes head) I can't believe you said I'm not creative.

Dusti: Yeah, and not funny at all. I inject some humor in your stories. Maybe I go a little over the top sometimes, but it's still good stuff. 

Angela: I can't believe it. You mean you're the reason I can't remember writing half the things in my files? 

Dusti: Duh. (Licks paw) Can I have those treats now?

I want to thank my cat, Dusti, for answering my questions today. In case you're interested, Dusti can be found on Catster. However, she isn't allowed to date, so don't get any ideas.

'Yes, there's sex in my book' - Surviving that awkward revelation

Oh yes, I have now experienced that awkward moment when some of my more oblivious Evil Day Job co-workers have realized what I do on the side.

It started with a co-worker — who happens to be male — trying to rope me into helping with an event for a high-school organization on the weekend. I declined, because that’s all I need — one more obligation to suck away time from my writing.

“Come on,” he said. “Just think of all the high-school students you could sell your book to.”

I shook my head. “I don’t think it would be appropriate to sell them my book.”

Then again, I did start reading Harlequins when I was in high school — but no. I target an adult audience, thank you very much. I don’t need a hoard of angry parents coming after me with pitchforks either.

“What do you mean?” my co-worker said. “Why shouldn’t they read your book?’ Then it seemed to hit him. “My God, do you mean it’s dirty?”

I’m pretty sure I just kind of lifted my eyebrows at that. I mean, it’s not filth, but it ain’t the How to Abstain from Sex Guide for Dummies either. There's a plot. There's a story. And there's some sex scenes sprinkled in here and there. Typical romance novel.

By this point we were back to our cubicles. He continued to say — for all around us to hear — “I want to know. I mean, is it just really violent or does it have sex in it?”

I looked heavenward. I mean, did we have to discuss this so loudly for ALL of our co-workers to hear? I admit it. I was getting a little flustered. I suppose most of my co-workers see me as the quiet, church-going type  — not at all the type to write a sexy novel!

I gestured to a co-worker who had read my book. “Well, ask her. She read it.”

I just could not bring my lips to say, "Yes, my book has sex in it." I needed someone else to say it for me. A coward? Who, me? You betcha!

My friend tilted her head in consideration. She did it on purpose. I know she did, just to see both of us squirm, the little weasel. She stalled for so long, I wanted to stomp my foot and say, “Oh now, come on!”

I finally rolled my eyes and blurted, “It has sex in it! OK?”

Then I realized I might have accidentally yelled it. Or at least said it a lot louder than I should have.

My male co-worker started blushing. Yes, I made a grown man blush.

“Well, now I have to admit I am a little embarrassed I asked,” he said.

He was embarrassed?!? Ye Gods! I will be sneaking past half my co-workers with my head held down for at least a few days after this. Geez.

The moral of this story is, keep your mouth shut if someone at the Evil Day Job asks if your book has sex in it. No good can come of it. Some things are just better left unsaid.

Trust me on this.

Fun Fridays: Q&A with blogger/author Tanya Contois

Even before I became published, I enjoyed visiting book review blogs to find interesting, new reads, and I greatly respect those book addicts who are able to post their honest reviews for the world to see. My guest today, Tanya Contois, is one such person. As the founder of the All Things Book blog and a reviewer for Bee's Knees Reviews, Tanya also recently became a published author herself. Her first book, Wicked Little Lies, has been released as a series, and as a fan of YA/paranormal/romance, I have thoroughly enjoyed reading it so far.

The blurb for Wicked Little Lies:
Jocelyn has just turned 18 but instead of having the big celebration she was looking forward to for so long she finds out that not only is she not fully human but the people who raised her aren’t her real parents. Instead of staying to listen to her parents’ explanation, she takes off and ends up going to live with her biological parents, Jacoby and Adeline. Jocelyn quickly makes new friends and gains a potential boyfriend named Sonny, but things are far from safe when Kane, another Cambion, makes his presence known. Now Jocelyn is left with many questions but few answers. What does the future hold for her, and will she end up with Sonny? Only time will tell.

Angela: Welcome to my blog today, Tanya! You’re the founder of the All Things Book blog, you’ve been reviewing books for years, and you recently started the ParaYourNormal group on Facebook for fans of the paranormal romance and urban fantasy genres. What prompted you to start the blog and post reviews and become so involved in the book community?

Tanya: I created the Facebook page All Things Books first, and a couple weeks later, I created the blog. I started both the fan page and the blog because of my love of books. I wanted to share that with fellow book lovers, and I certainly never imagined it would become such a hugely popular blog and fan page. Everything else I do came later on and I feel honored that I have gotten to know and work with so many wonderful people.

Angela: In your opinion, what makes a book a great read?

Tanya: In my opinion, a book that is a great read allows the reader to feel the character's every emotion through the author's words. I also think that characters who have flaws and quirks also make a book more enjoyable because it makes the characters easy to relate to.

Angela: Your first book, “Wicked Little Lies,” was recently published through Trestle Press. How does it feel to make the leap from book blogger to author?

Tanya: Honestly, it still hasn't sunk in completely and having so many people know who I am feels a bit surreal. One day, not long ago, I was stuck home sick and bored out of my skull, so I decided to do a Google search of my name. Seeing all those hits really freaked me out because I am not all that interesting. :)

Angela: Not interesting?! I don't believe it! I have to say I have really enjoyed reading the “Wicked Little Lies” series and am eagerly anticipating another volume. Please tell me we can expect it soon – and give us a hint of what we can look forward to.

Tanya: Volume 4 will be released either this week or next week, and a new character is introduced while another's true self is revealed.

Angela: What inspired your story and characters?

Tanya: The inspiration behind the story is simply that I wanted to write about something new and fresh - something that hadn't already had countless books written about it and after doing a bit of research I came up with Cambions. Now I have seen at least 2-3 other books about Cambions, which I think is fantastic. As for the characters, they are 100% fictional except for Jocelyn. I incorporated some of my quirks into her character.

Angela: Please tell us, what are you working on next?

Tanya: I'm nearly finished with a short-story collection titled Cloaked in Darkness, and I have 3 WIPs that I'm working on. They are Adoration, which will be YA Fantasy; Crimson Moon, which will be YA Paranormal; and the third is one I am co-authoring with Mary Duke.

Angela: Let’s get to know Tanya the person with these questions. Are you a member of any TV show/film/book fandoms? (If so, which ones and why?)

Tanya: I'm not officially a member of any fandoms. I have told other authors whose books I enjoy reading that I am a fan of their work. Thankfully, I manage not to squeal like a school girl when talking to my favorite authors (at least not aloud anyways).

Angela: What’s the last book you read?

Tanya: The last books I read were Grave Witch and Grave Dance by Kalayna Price, which I purchased as a Christmas present for myself along with Nightwalker by Jocelynn Drake. If you haven't read Ms. Price's books yet you absolutely should. I was hooked instantly.

Angela: If you could spend one day as any fictional character, which one and why?

Tanya: Oh, umm while there are many fictional characters I love, I don't think there are any I'd want to be. For the first time in a very long time I am perfectly happy and content with the direction my life is going.

Angela: Celebrity crush?

Tanya: This is an easy one - Channing Tatum, Jensen Ackles, and Chris Hemsworth.

Angela: Hobbies?

Tanya: Hobbies? Writing started out as a hobby, but other than that, I don't have any hobbies. I hope that doesn't make me a dull or boring person.

Angela: Of course not! Thank you, Tanya, for visiting with me today.

If you'd like to learn more about Tanya or her books, you can connect with her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/WriterTanyaContois or on Twitter at @tanyalc28. You can also visit All Things Books at http://speedyreader-allthingsbooks.blogspot.com/.