Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Ask the Bloggers - Steven White

Today's guest is Steven White of Rainy Day Reading List.

What made you want to be a book blogger?
Well, I actually just got involved with Goodreads, found out about Netgalley and ARCs, and wanted to read some books early. It sprung from that desire!

What have been your best book blogging experiences?
My absolute best moment as a book blogger was when I was contacted by a publisher to review the latest book from one of my favorite series. They gave me a free hardcover copy to keep after it was published and also let me do a giveaway... but the best part was that she set up an interview with the authors for me. It was such a thrill! Big thanks to Dan and shelfinflicted for letting me take over his column that week for the review, Q&A, and giveaway!

What has been your worst book blogging experience?
Oh, the worst is when you get a book that you just don't want to finish, but there's that obligation to do so... and it sits there on your nightstand or e-reader and taunts you with its awful self. "You HAVE to read me. HAVE TO." Ugh, hate that feeling!

How many books do you own?
Not sure if I could count. I have at least two hundred physical books, and WAY more Kindle books. (And that physical book count is following two purges for moving!!!!)

Who is your favorite author?
I always hate this question because I have so many! James Rollins probably takes the #1 spot, but he's closely followed by the duo Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, Steve Berry, Jim Butcher, JK Rowling, and, my absolute oldest obsession, Agatha Christie.

What is your favorite book of all time?
Yet another hard question, but if I had to pick just one... I guess I'd say the one I recommend to people the most: The Cabinet of Curiosities by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. Great all-around mystery, thriller. Good characters, nice twists, awesome setup.

What are your thoughts on ebooks?
I avoided them like the plague for years... then I got a Kindle and started reading more than ever before. So, I guess they changed my reading life!

What are your thoughts on self-publishing?
I think it's an awesome way for aspiring writers to get their stories out and heard, but I think there are some issues with the actual execution too. No editor or minimal editing means more errors. There are probably three times as many duds as gems, as the normal publishing route usually weeds out the duds as much as possible. And, it also has made the self-published average (or below average) have an upped ego and caused some serious review/comment craziness in the reading world. Thankfully they aren't all like that... for example, Nenia Campbell, GoodReads reviewer and self-published author. Good stories, great attitude, and no drama! In fact, she ALWAYS stands up for reviewers.

Any literary aspirations?
I'd love to be a writer, but my high-stress job kills my creativity. One day I'll buckle down and get some self-discipline and get the random stories bouncing around in my noggin' onto paper. One day. We'll see!

Currently, though, my literary aspirations are to READ AS MUCH AS I CAN!!!

What's your favorite joke of all time?
What does a nosey pepper do? Gets jalapeno business!

Ask the Bloggers - Charlene from Horror After Dark

Today's guest is Charlene from Horror After Dark.

What made you want to be a book blogger?
There was no one moment, really. I was asked to participate at Horror After Dark and soon realized that I liked sharing my opinion and thoughts on books, so I started my own blog.

What have been your best book blogging experiences? 
Meeting new people and being turned on to books I might otherwise have never discovered.

What has been your worst book blogging experience? 
People, other bloggers sometimes, posting snide comments on my posts. I mean really, if you don't like something I post, don't look at my blog. I'm bitchy like that.

How many books do you own?
In paper, probably only 100-200. I have about 1500 e-books.

Who is your favorite author? 
My very favorite authors are Stephen King and Robert McCammon. If I had to choose between them, I would go with King, only because he is a little bit more prolific.

What is your favorite book of all time?
My favorite book sort of rotates around between 5 books or so, depending on the day. Today it is Boy's Life by Robert McCammon. This is a book that's so magical I recommend it to everyone. Tomorrow, my favorite could be Lonesome Dove. Or The Stand. Or Ghost Story by Peter Straub.

What are your thoughts on ebooks?
I'm torn about them. One one hand, they are a godsend for people that have issues with their hands, fingers or eyes. No more lugging around huge tomes or struggling to read small fonts. On the other hand, I hate purchasing something that isn't actually mine. E-books purchased from Amazon are not yours. You are purchasing a license to read the book, not the book itself. On some basic level that bothers me. It also bothers me a little bit that I can't hold e-books, smell them or turn their pages, but the convenience of them has trumped all those things.

What are your thoughts on self-publishing? 
My thoughts are mixed. At times, I'm all for it. I have discovered a couple of great authors through their self-published books. A few of them have since been signed to publishers, and I get so excited for them. At other times, I get extremely aggravated and insulted when I read a self published book that exhibits incorrect grammar, editing problems, misspelled words, etc... I feel that if the author has no pride in their work they have no business asking readers to dish out their hard earned dough.

Any literary aspirations? 
No. :)

What's your favorite joke of all time?
I hope not to offend anyone, but I do have a fondness for blonde jokes. If those offend you, do not read on!
Three blondes walk into a building. You would think at least one of them would have seen it.