Follow Me Friday: Blog Style!

I am so VERY excited for this new feature. Welcome to the first ever post for Follow Me Friday: Blog Style. I believe that book bloggers should help one another, because well, we all have one thing in common- the love of blogging, and books. I've had the pleasure of meeting and networking with some great bloggers out there, and my little tribute to everyone is to start up this fun Friday post! The power of uniting has helped Storm Goddess Book Reviews & More grow into what it is today, and I'm not about to forget the help I've gotten to achieve this goal. My hopes in starting this is to get other blogs some more followers, whether they are a well known blog or a small one,  or a blog that's just starting out. I'm here to help.

This Friday I'd like to feature Christine’s Words. The owner/creator of this blog is Christine Warner. I hope you'll follow along as I ask some questions pertaining to the blog, and a few fun questions. Ready? Let's begin!

Hi Christine! Welcome to Storm Goddess Book Reviews and More! I'm really excited about this, and glad that you have taken part of the fun!  Christine has been featured on the blog before, and I'm so glad to welcome her back today!

ME: So, tell us a little bit about yourself!

CHRISTINE: Hi Nikki! Thank you for having me. Let’s see, a little about myself. I live in Michigan, in the country. I love the quiet and that I can stand outside and turn in any direction and see nothing but nature. I am married, have 3 awesome kids, 2 spoiled dogs and 2 high maintenance cats. I’ve been writing for about 3 ½ years and have 1 book newly released and 2 more coming up for release in the next 5 months. I love to cook, read, write and spend time with my family & friends because they always make me laugh.

Whew…that’s probably more than you ever wanted to know about me isn’t it? lol

ME: No, I love your bio. You are so fun to read about :) 

What made you decide to start a blog?

CHRISTINE: When I received my first book contract from The Wild Rose Press for SOME LIKE IT IN HANDCUFFS I was given the advice to start a blog. I was a bit nervous. I had no idea what to talk about and felt like it’d be hard to have a conversation when I wasn’t face to face with someone. But, I’ve found that I have a great support group of friends online that stop by often and I feel like we’re sitting face to face at the kitchen table chatting. I love blogging now :)

ME:  I love blogging too. I used to be soooo nervous, but I've gotten the hang of it. It's like second nature for me, like breathing.

How did you come up with a blog name?

CHRISTINE: I wanted to keep it simple. My name with what I like most….WORDS!

ME: Can't get any simpler than that. :) 

How long has your blog been live/active?

CHRISTINE: My first blog was posted in August 2011…so I’m still a baby in blogland, it hasn’t even been a year :)

ME: Hey, you're about as new as I am then. I started Storm Goddess Book Reviews in August 2011 as  well. 

What are THREE unique things about your blog?

CHRISTINE: 

1. I love to respond to everyone who visits and leaves a comment
2. I try very hard to make my blog fun and light-hearted.
3. I strive to blog regularly and keep the days I blog consistent.
   
   
   
   
   ME: You do that well. I love your different features. 

How do you go about spreading the word about your blog, and the posts?

CHRISTINE: I’m the first to admit I have a great group of friends from my critique groups and loops. Blog announcements are made on each loop of my yahoo groups and I also post on facebook and twitter. And of course I can’t say enough wonderful things about the people who have joined my blog and get email updates…they’ve been amazing.

ME: It is great to be surrounded by such support. The writing/blogging community really comes through. It's amazing. 

What's the best thing about blogging?

CHRISTINE: Meeting some wonderful people…readers and writers! And having them return so that they are just guests or visitors, but friends.

ME: My sentiments exactly. I couldn't agree more.

What's the hardest thing about being a blogger?

CHRISTINE: I have a bit of an issue with social media. Lol I find that I tend to spend a bit to much time commenting on not just my blog but other blogs. It’s that social butterfly thing in me J So there are times when I know I should be writing, but I’m surfing the internet chatting.

ME: Darn that internet sometimes! I know I have to stay off it myself when I need to write. But it's just so...addicting!

Besides blogging, what are some of your other hobbies and passions?

CHRISTINE: Cooking is a lot of fun for me and very relaxing. I love to play games…board games, card games, video games :) Reading and of course my all time passion is writing when I’m not spending time with my family.

Me:  You should see my house....we have a ton of board and dice games, my library is full of books, and the living room has been designated the electronic nut room! My husband collects game consoles of all types and I think we're over 30 now, not including any duplicates...

Which author have you not hosted on your blog that you'd LOVE to have back?

CHRISTINE: I wish I could pick one, but I’ve met some great authors and discovered some wonderful reads by having other authors visit my site each Wednesday for What to Read Wednesday. I’ve had a few return for 2^nd visits and I’m always up for that :)

ME: Ahh yes, What to Read Wednesday....a killer to my wallet sometimes LOL. I hope to be featured one day when I'm finally published ;)

Where can readers find you? How many ways to follow do you have?

Blog: christine-warner.com

Twitter: ChristinesWords

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authorchristinewarner

And my books are on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, The Wild Rose Press Website and several other places online.

ME: How would an author go about getting a feature, whether it be an interview, guest post, etc?

CHRISTINE: Shoot me an email at christine.warner@yahoo.com

ME: Most memorable post/event?

CHRISTINE: I really don’t know if I can pick just one. I have a feature that I totally LOVE. Every Friday I post Friday Fun Facts where I reveal something quirky or sometimes not so quirky about myself or life in general and everyone shares something similar. It’s a lot of fun and usually a lot of laughs…and laughing is another of my favorite things to do :)

 ME: Okay. Let's share some firsts!

First post: 

 My first post was title TRUE CONFESSIONS & GOOD NEWS. Here’s the link: http://christine-warner.com/2011/08/ This basically told a little about myself, receiving my first contract and sharing my book cover for Some Like it in Handcuffs.

First author interview:

My first author interview on What to Read Wednesday was with author Christina Wolfer. I met her on Twitter and she agreed to appear on my blog. She writes some wonderful reads…check her out if you get the chance J

First guest post:

The first author I featured on my blog was Loralee Lillibridge. She’s the wonderful author of ALL THAT MATTERS and several of books. I read her book and did a short review and she posted a guest blog. I had so much fun and enjoyed meeting her that from there I came up with my idea for What to Read Wednesday…which features an author interview and a blurb/excerpt of their latest release.

First milestone:

Hmm, blog-wise I guess when I hit 100 posts :) It was pretty exciting!

First great compliment about your blog:

A few authors have emailed me to thank me for supporting authors with my What to Read Wednesday post…and I love that and truly believe we have to help each other spread the word about our books.

I also remember one very special email from a lady who visited my blog and told me she loved the easy flow of it. She said the way I post was like talking to an old friend. That made me feel wonderful. I always try and post like I talk, not how I write…so sometimes I’m sure my grammar and sentence structure is off, but I don’t want to be too formal. Blogging should be fun J

And now for some fun questions!

Three books on your keeper's shelf.

1. The Bible
2. Debra Dixon GMC (Goals, Motivation, Conflict)
3. Any romance or true crime book that pulled me in and didn’t let go. If it’s well written and I enjoyed it, it’s a keeper J

Favorite authors?

I love true crime author Ann Rule. Yep, I’m a huge true crime fan. As for romance authors, there is no way I could pick a favorite. There are so many great ones out there and so many wonderful stories.

Book you've re-read the most?

Well, when I was little I read THE KITTEN TWINS every day…to anyone who would sit still to listen or just to myself or stuffed animals. LOL

Now that I’m older I have to admit that lately I haven’t been able to indulge in reading as much as I used to since I’ve started writing myself. So lately, I have read Debra Dixon’s GMC book on craft the most. My copy is pretty raggedly looking since I’ve leafed through it and highlighted so many snippets along the way.

Is that bad that the most read book on my shelf is a book on craft? Lol

Favorite TV show?

I enjoy SURVIVOR a lot..and I LOVE Law & Order SVU….and truthfully I don’t watch a ton of TV anymore J

Favorite color?

Red…it’s vibrant and rich…it makes me happy J

What's your dream job?

I’d love to be a full time author…and I’m working hard to make it happen J

If you could travel anywhere in the world, no money holding you back, where would you go?

Hawaii. I’ve wanted to go there since I was a kid and saw the episode of the Brady Bunch where they went there for a vacation. LOL I’d love to travel more, but that would definitely be the first place I’d go if given a choice.

Anything else you'd like to add in, maybe something I didn't ask in the interview that you'd love to share with readers?

Not really…just to say thank you for taking the time to read my answers and I hope if you have the time you’ll stop by my blog and join in the fun :) Thanks Nikki!

I really appreciate you answering my questions, Christine . It's great getting to know other bloggers that share the same interests as I do. 

Readers, I hope you'll check out this blog and give it a follow if you haven't already!

Here's a few places you can keep track of what goes on at Storm Goddess Book Reviews as well. It is Follow Me Friday, of course, so why not put a few links of my own?

There's ways to follow the blog on the right side of the page.

We also have a Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Storm-Goddess-Book-Reviews-More/279879308693018

Storm Goddess Book Reviews also recently joined GoodReads!http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/9608850-storm-goddess

To inquire about all things Storm Goddess Book Reviews related, email me at Stormgoddess925@yahoo.com and that includes if you want your blog featured on Follow Me Friday: Blog style. 

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you'll leave a comment, and I do hope you'll stop by Christine's Words. It's a fun blog that I have been a follower of, and Christine is fun, friendly, down to earth, and her book Some Like It In Handcuffs is a must read!

Until next time,

Storm Goddess