Follow My Blog Friday #164

If you are new to the FF fun, Feature and Follow Friday is a blog hop that expands your blog following by a joint effort between bloggers. Feature & Follow Friday is now hosted by TWO hosts, myself of course and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it'll allow us to show off more new blogs!

How does this work? First you leave your name here on this post, then you create a post on your own blog that links back to this post (easiest way is to just grab the code under the #FF picture and put it in your post) and then you visit as many blogs as you can and tell them "hi" in their comments (on the post that has the #FF image). You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you!

Now to make this FF interesting we do a FEATURE blogger. If you are interested in becoming a Feature click on the drop down link above FEATURES and Features and Follow Friday and get on the waiting list!  It is also required, that if you participate you must follow the hosts (Parajunkee and Alison Can Read) and the two Feature blogs.

This Meme is hosted by Rachel from Parajunkee's View and Alison from Alison Can Read on Fridays.

To join the fun and make now book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:

1.  (Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts {Parajunkee and Alison Can Read}

2.  (Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers

3.  Put your Blog name and URL in the Linky thing. You can also grab the code if you would like to insert it into your posts.

4.  Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say “hi” in your comments and that they are now following you.

5.  If you are using WordPress or another CMS that doesn’t have GFC (Google Friends Connect) state in your posts how you would like to be followed

6.  Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don’t just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don’t say “HI”

7.  If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love and the followers.

8.  If you’re new to the follow Friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!


Our Feature is SS Book Fantatics

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF BOOK BLOGGING?

Before I say which is my favourite part, I must mention that meeting amazing people all over the world, and becoming friends with them has been mind boggling, and beyond my wildest dreams. I also enjoy helping in the promotion of Indie authors and their books, and of course writing reviews. But my favourite part, which goes hand in hand with everything else, is making my posts look pretty by spending a ridiculous amount of time on my graphics such as the banners, headings, buttons etc. I so wish I’d become a graphic designer in my younger days! Am kicking myself for it now, but I do the best I can with what I’ve got.

WHAT TYPE OF BOOKS DO YOU MAINLY BLOG ABOUT?

I’m very open minded, and enjoy a wide variety of genres with romance and paranormal/romance being at the top of my list. However, I love suspense and thrillers, too. Oh, and horror, and chick lit. In the last year, I’ve had quite a bit of YA, drama, and erotica on my blog. Before FSOG’s, I’d never even noticed how much was around. Now, it’s everywhere I look. I’ve no issues with it at all, as I’ve read a few myself. Mostly though, I promote a lot of authors who write in this genre, but then I promote loads of authors who write in other genres as well. I guess it all balances out in the end.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BOOK?

This one is extremely hard to answer, and one of the #FF’s questions recently was just this. I have quite a few, but I guess I will stick to the one I used for that particular Follow Friday. It’s Lover Unbound by J.R. Ward. It was amazing, as all BDB books were and are. These are books I will re-read till I’m old and grey. I probably won’t be able to see by then as I already have to wear glasses for reading, so I guess people will find me still drinking copious amounts of coffee and listening to audio books! If I were given a second choice, which I know I’m not – but just say, I’d pick Creed by Kristin Ashley. I adore this author, she is freaking amazing, has the most glorious stories to tell, she touches my heart to its core, and if I were given half a chance, I’d fan stalk Ward and Ashley in a heartbeat! All in a good way, mind you.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE BEST THING THAT HAS HAPPENED TO YOU BECAUSE OF BOOK BLOGGING?

Besides meeting amazing people as I mentioned earlier, I got to meet one of my absolute favourite authors from the US. It made my year last year, and every time I think about it, it still makes me all giddy with excitement. Sometimes, I can’t believe I actually did. I’m in South Africa, so for me, this was like winning the lottery! I met (hugged and talked to, heehee) NYT Bestselling author of suspense, Karen Rose. Will never forget this as long as I live.

Our Feature - Fantasy is More Fun

1. When did you start blogging?

I actually just started July 9th of this year.

2. What is your favorite part of book blogging?

All the people I've met and new books I've discovered. I'm addicted to blogging - the first month I don't think I slept more than 3 hours a night just trying to absorb everything! It's so great to have people to share my love of books with finally :-)

3. What type of books do you mainly blog about?

I'm especially drawn to paranormal/fantasy books (because Fantasy is More Fun!) but lately I've been branching out into historical and contemporary romances as well. I love every age group - Middle Grade, YA, NA, Adult, Erotica. Age is just a number after all!

4. What are your favorite books?

My all time favorite book is Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. I've read it at least 15 times, possibly more. It was the favorite book of a loved one (who was just like Jane) who passed away when I was younger and it's felt like my connection to her all these years later. I have lots of other loves - shout out to the Harry Potter Series - but I'd need a good page to list all of them them!

5. What has been the best thing that has happened to you because of book blogging?

Making so many new friends. I recently reached out to another blogger to see if she would co-host something with me and now we're emailing and texting all the time and it's just amazing that I've formed this friendship over a shared love of reading. And that's just one example out of many! I feel like I've been part of the community for years, not a few short months- everyone has been so welcoming!

Q: What were some of your favorite picture books as a kid? If you have kids, what are your favorites to read to them?