The Science of Horror – Eleanor Reynolds discusses the evolution of science in fiction

July 31, 2013 by sharonsant

To the non-scientist, science can be scary. It’s a many headed creature, devious and cunning; what is once thought to be fact can be refuted years later, the search for the ultimate truth being full of pitfalls, twists and turns. Scientific experimentation is carried out largely behind closed doors and announcements about new discoveries often seem to be written in a language impossible to understand. Science is mysterious, secretive, and these elements provide excellent material for horror writers. Out of the Gothic genre, so popular in the eighteenth century, came a new breed of horror story: tales of the scientist and his mad schemes.

The character of the crazed scientist has become synonymous with Frankenstein, arguably the first story of its kind, written by Mary Shelley in 1818. Victor Frankenstein, a student of medicine in Ingolstadt, becomes obsessed with the idea of creating life. He robs graves for parts, stops eating or speaking to his family and shuts himself up in his laboratory with his unearthly project. At the time of publication, all Europe was buzzing with newly-found static electricity, so wonderful it was rumoured to be the very essence of life. Public demonstrations were carried out by scientists who rigged the corpses of criminals to their electrical machines and made them writhe and dance.

Fast-forwarding to the end of the nineteenth century, another fictitious scientist emerges to become almost as famous as his Swiss predecessor: Doctor Jekyll and his alter-ego Mr Hyde. Victorian London was a dark, gloomy place; it stank and it was covered with a thick fog in which lurked hundreds of criminals. So high was the crime-rate in fact that a new branch of biological science was founded, that of Criminology. Following on from Darwin’s theory of evolution, scientists asked themselves whether criminals were closer to the animal kingdom than other humans and worried that a beast lurked inside all humans waiting to break out. With a chemical concoction, Dr Jekyll can call up his inner beast, Mr Hyde, whenever he wants – but sending him away again proves more difficult.

Scientific discoveries raise hundreds of ethical questions and it is often authors at the forefront of these discussions. Horror stories are exciting but the best ones scare us because they ask the question “What if?” From Doctor Moreau, genetically modifying humans on his secret island, to anatomists paying murderers to supply them daily with fresh corpses, there is a story for every uneasy thought we have ever had about science.

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Eleanor Reynolds has a Masters in Science Communication and a particular interest in Science and the horror story. She is currently writing her first novel, tutoring Science and making clothes in her spare time. You can follow her on her personal blog http://dresstoexpress.wordpress.com/ and on Twitter

Science and Social Media – crime writer Rebecca Bradley examines how we all stay connected

July 30, 2013 by sharonsant

Today it’s the turn of crime writer, Rebecca Bradley. Her debut novel, Shallow Waters, is currently at the editing stage and I, for one, am excited to see its release sometime very soon. Here’s what she had to say about science in fiction:

We live in a connected world. If you’re reading this, you are one of those people who engage fairly well with technology and social media.

Many years ago – of which the amount I won’t go into – when I was a child and young adult, the mobile phone wasn’t in existence and when it did emerge, it was as large as a house brick with an even larger battery that you had to carry around with it. How far we have come.

Today you can’t walk down the street, go on the bus or the train, even walk in a shop or a restaurant without seeing people connecting with others by means of the phone in their hands. You see, not only have we surpassed the poor brick like phone where you could do nothing more than make a call, many of us now carry a small computer in our pockets. So when you see people hunched over their phones, it’s probably not even a text message they’re sending, they are more than likely connecting a lot wider than a one to one conversation, it’s probable that they’re talking on their social media sites.

I love science. It fascinates me. Every aspect of it. It is science, therefore it has answers, but for me it just seems magical. The power of knowledge and what we can do with it. Lives we can save, – as well as those we can take, I’m not going to pretend it’s all for the good – steps forward in every area imaginable. It has many answers, but it also has many more questions. (And this is also something I love. We should never stop asking questions.)

Because of science we can now carry a thousand books in a few millimetre thick hand-held device, we care share our love of books with people we would never otherwise have met, we can have discussions like this simply by sitting in our own homes and turning a device on. With the evolution of video conferencing scientists around the world no longer have to travel thousands of miles just to talk to each other. The social and the science truly has come a long way since the time of the house brick phone and battery.

But for me, the ultimate in the social and the science blending together was the recent space station mission led by Canadian astronaut Commander Chris Hadfield. While on the International Space Station, Commander Hadfield not only live tweeted amazing photographs taken from aboard the space station, but he created some fantastic video’s and uploaded them to YouTube, including a video of him being interviewed by a classroom of school children. Can you imagine being one of those children and engaging this way for a science lesson?!

One of the video’s I’ve watched is a live interview about the power of social media outreach. Please watch this short clip to see the power of social media and science at work. It is absolutely stunning.

Rebecca works at a full time day job and is a mum, who uses her spare time to commit murder, while drinking copious amounts of tea. Without each of these things, the other could not possibly exist. The world does not spin without first having a cup of tea in a morning, never mind the complexities of rising, working and writing.

She is represented by Kate Nash of the Kate Nash Literary Agency and working on the revisions of her first crime novel, which has a working title of Shallow Waters and is set in Nottingham. The lead protagonist is a female DI. You will find a page on the blog Here, with photographs taken in and around Nottingham where the crime fiction novel series is to be set.

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You can catch up with Rebecca on her excellent website or follow her on Twitter

Dan Thompson talks phobias – Yes, it’s science in fiction week!

July 29, 2013 by sharonsant

Yay! Science in Fiction week finally kicks off with Dan Thompson talking about phobias, something he knows lots about since he released his book about them: The Caseworker’s Memoirs. Take it away, Dan!

Phobias are wonderful things … OK, maybe not wonderful for the people who suffer from them, but let’s face it, who doesn’t want to know more about koumpounophobia when it is mentioned to them? It’s the fear of buttons, by the way, which is absolutely extraordinary. But whether or not if the fear is weird and out there, or something as common as Arachnophobia, phobias remain an untouched area of psychology when it comes to literature.

Psychology in fiction has seen some really good exposure in recent years, thanks to some unique viewpoints on behalf of the authors. Emma Donoghue’s Room is one such example. A novel told from the eyes of a young boy who lives his life inside of one room. What’s unique about this story however, is how the same story has different connotations depending on who looks at it. The room is all that the boy knows, and life is simple. His mother, who is also trapped inside of the room, on the other hand suffers from her ordeal at being held captive inside, whilst trying her utmost best to give her son some sort of life.

And although phobias are rare inside fiction today, it was my interest in how personal phobias are to the people who suffer from them, and yet seen in completely different light by somebody else, that fascinated me and spurred me on with writing my new release, The Caseworker’s Memoirs. Told through the eyes of Malcolm, a retired counsellor and recently widowed. He is a broken man, letting the world pass him by, until his daughter intervenes and gives him a leather-bound notebook. As Malcolm starts to write down his memories, he is troubled by the fears and phobias of the patients who he used to treat. This gave me a fantastic structure to include so many enthralling and intriguing fears.

By delving deep into the psychology of these irrational fears, I was able to portray how different people respond to their fears. Candace Levine is a wonderful character, who has no choice but to fight her fear head on, for her life depends upon it. Neil Marshall is a successful author who cannot leave the house, and yet this situation allowed me to follow the dark path into depression and medication addiction. Understanding the current cultural and sociological issues that face us today is also a science, and one that gave me ample opportunity to explore through phobias too.

Getting the right balance between suspense and intrigue was a battle I often fought with myself when I was writing The Caseworker’s Memoirs, and hopefully I’ve succeeded. As fears and phobias are psychological issues, it was important for me to write stories that the reader can understand themselves, and perhaps make them question their own fears and beliefs. For even the greatest of us are a little afraid of something – Alexander the Great was allegedly reported to suffer from Ailurophobia – the fear of cats. What’s your phobia?

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Dan Thompson lives in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire with his young daughter and his shabby dog, Skye. He is the author of the charity poetry book Life is All but a Vast Array of Colours and phobia novella The Caseworker’s Memoirs. His first full length novel, A YA fantasy entitled The Black Petal, is currently in the hands of his editor and will be available soon.

A lover of YA and fantasy fiction, you can often find him writing on his blog, writing book reviews and connecting online with other writer-type people. Dan grew up reading Enid Blyton’s The Famous Five series, secretly coming up with his own inventive adventures, and R.L Stine’s The Goosebump series, before turning to the works of Philip Pullman, Eoin Colfer and Marcus Sedgwick and slipping away into alternate realities. He also loves a good Historical Thriller too.

You can keep up to date on his website danpentagram.wordpress.com and he tweets on twitter under @dan_pentagram – you can also follow him on his Author Facebook page facebook.com/theblackpetal

The Caseworker’s Memoirs is available in both paperback and ebook from Amazon and Waterstones.

E=M…. something or other….

July 28, 2013 by sharonsant

I’ve always been fascinated by science, so it’s a crying shame that I’m too dim to understand how it works beyond a really basic level. I read ‘layman’ books about science and I watch those TV programmes full of pretty pictures (or equally pretty professors… *cough…. AMAZING*…) that real scientists point at and laugh, and that’s about as far as my understanding will stretch. My book, Runners, has a little bit of science fiction weaved into it which is integral to the plot, though, and I enjoyed the research I had to do for that, so when Runners was released and people began to comment on that aspect of the story, it got me thinking about the way science is used in fiction, not just in a sci-fi way, but in a more general way. Things that get me thinking generally lead to a blog feature, so I put a shout out on Twitter to see if any of my lovely and super-clever writer friends had any ideas on the subject. Today I’m happy to announce that this coming week my blog will be dedicated to the musings of four such people. The lovely thing about all these posts is that they each cover very different areas: Jack Croxall will be talking about parallel universe theories, Rebecca Bradley will be discussing the computer age and mobile technology, Dan Thompson will provide a fascinating insight into the psychology of phobias and Eleanor Reynolds will give us her views on the evolution of the horror genre including a look at Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. I also have a blog tour scheduled to stop next week, so Thursday will see Clare Davidson talk about her new book Reaper’s Rhythm.

It looks as though it’s going to be a packed one, so I hope to see you around!

Reaper’s Rhythm by Clare Davidson, teaser post

July 25, 2013 by sharonsant

Author Bio:

Clare Davidson is an independent writer, based in Lancaster. Clare is a high school teacher, mother and character-driven fantasy writer. Clare was born in Northampton and lived in Malaysia for four and a half years as a child, before returning to the UK to settle in Leeds with her family. Whilst attending Lancaster University, Clare met her future husband and never left. They now share their lives with their young daughter, a cranky grey cat and an insane white kitten.

She published her first novel, Trinity in July 2012. Trinity is a young adult, fantasy novel, which currently has seventeen five star reviews on Amazon UK.

Her second novel, Reaper’s Rhythm, is due to be released on the 26^th July 2013. Also aimed at a young adult audience, Reaper’s Rhythm is an urban fantasy with a dash of mystery.

ABOUT REAPER’S RHYTHM

When everyone thinks your sister committed suicide, it’s hard to prove she was murdered.

Kim is unable to accept Charley’s sudden death. Crippled by an unnatural amnesia, her questions are met with wall after wall. As she doubts her sanity, she realises her investigation is putting those around her in danger.

The only person who seems to know anything is Matthew, an elusive stranger who would rather vanish than talk. Despite his friendly smile, Kim isn’t sure she can trust him. But if she wants to protect her family from further danger, Kim must work with Matthew to discover how Charley died – before it’s too late.

Ways to connect with Clare Davidson:

Website: http://claredavidson.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ClareMDavidson

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ClareMDavidson

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6445758.Clare_Davidson

New releases mailing list: http://eepurl.com/zpjGf

Sneak Peek at Not Pretty Enough by Jaimie Admans

July 20, 2013 by sharonsant

So, this is the second ARC I’ve been lucky enough to read this month and this one will have you grinning all over your face. Even I was a bit in love with Lloyd as Chessie obsessed over him! It’ s due for release early next month, you lucky people, so enjoy this excerpt and watch for more news from Jaimie herself by checking out her website: www.jaimieadmans.com or following her on Twitter

NOT PRETTY ENOUGH:

“New Year’s Resolutions:

1. Lloyd Layton will know I exist. He once said three whole words to me, so this is obviously progress. If I don’t get a proper conversation out of him soon, then I’ll take my top off and streak through the cafeteria, because nobody could fail to notice these boobs.

2. I will not get expelled for streaking through the cafeteria.”

Those are the words that begin her mission.

Chessie is fourteen, not pretty enough, and very much in love. Lloyd Layton is hot, popular, and unaware of Chessie’s existence.

Her goal is clear: to get Lloyd to love her as much as she loves him, and she has exactly one year to do it.

As Chessie’s obsession with Lloyd reaches boiling point and she starts to spin a web of lies that spiral out of control, Lloyd turns out to be not quite the prince she thought he was. Can Chessie avoid the gathering storm before things go too far?

Not Pretty Enough is a contemporary young adult comedy suitable for ages thirteen and over.

Book two in the series will be released early 2014.

EXCERPT:

I stare at the back of Lloyd’s shaggy brown hair as I follow him across the yard. He doesn’t know I’m following him, of course. I’m not even following him, not really. Not this time, anyway. Debs and I are just casually strolling across the yard towards the buses and he happens to be in front of us.

“Chessie!” Debs shouts at me just a second too late as I walk smack bang into the side of a bus.

Ouch.

Lloyd turns around at the sound of the clattering thunk I make.

Usually I like the sound of Lloyd’s laugh, but not today. Not when he’s laughing at me.

“You couldn’t have told me just a second earlier?” I ask Debs.

“Sorry,” she says. “I was talking to you and didn’t realise you weren’t listening until it was too late.”

Luckily the bus I’ve just walked into happens to be our bus, and I throw myself onto it with such force that I nearly come out the other side.

“You all right, love?” The driver asks. I ignore him and heave myself down into my seat with a huff.

I am all right. My boobs are so large they hit the bus before the rest of me did, otherwise I’d probably have a bruised face as well as the bruised ego. Once, just once, couldn’t these things happen to me when Lloyd isn’t watching? It’s not too much to ask, is it?

“Maybe if you spent more time watching where you were going and less time watching Lloyd, these things wouldn’t happen in front of him,” Debs says.

I hadn’t meant to say that out loud.

“But he’s just so… watchable.”

“I’m pretty sure he’s talkable to as well, you know, if you tried.”

The thing is, I have tried. Lloyd brings out the worst in me. He brings out the most nervous, clumsiest, downright embarrassing side of me that doesn’t even exist unless he’s in the immediate vicinity. Well, maybe it exists but it doesn’t show half as much if Lloyd’s not there.

“Why don’t you?” Debs is saying. “Just go and talk to him. You’re a great girl. He’d be lucky to have you.”

“Oh, please. Lloyd is popular, rich, and gorgeous. He doesn’t even have to get a bus to school, the lucky bugger. I’m the complete opposite.”

No one even knows where Lloyd Layton lives. He has a taxi bringing him to school every morning and picking him up outside the gate every afternoon. I get to ride on this rustbucket with Debs twice a day. He’s popular, always surrounded by a gang of equally popular mates, and always the first to be picked for sports teams. I’m unpopular, always surrounded by no one but Debs, and always the absolute last to be picked for sports teams.

“Come on, Chessie,” Debs says. “You’re not ugly and you’re not unpopular. No one dislikes you.”

“No one particularly likes me either.”

“I particularly like you. Ewan does too. We’re your friends.”

“I love you for trying to make me feel better but I’m average all round and you know it. The only person who has any feelings towards me whatsoever is Leigh, and she intensely dislikes me.”

“Leigh is just a bitch. She intensely dislikes everything.”

Leigh Marlow is our class bully. She walks around the school like she owns the place, flanked on either side by two other bullies who think the sun shines out of her backside. If she doesn’t get what she wants, someone gets hurt. What she wants this year is our friend Ewan, who isn’t interested in her in the slightest. She thinks this is somehow our fault, so Debs and I are her current targets. Me in particular.

This is why I made those resolutions. Not because of Leigh, but because I have to do something. I’m sick of being the girl who doesn’t stand out. I doubt most of the kids in my form could even tell you my name, and I’ve been in class with them for over two years. I get good enough marks but never good marks. I’ve never done anything memorable in my life. The most memorable thing about me is the size of my boobs and how frizzy my hair goes in the rain.

So I’m going to make Lloyd Layton fall in love with me. On most days it seems like the unlikeliest thing that could ever happen, because apart from those three little words last month, he barely even glances in my direction. I want to prove to myself that I can do things if I put my mind to it. I’m not pretty, I’m not smart, but I think Lloyd and I have lots of deeper, more important things in common, and I want to prove to people like Leigh that looks don’t matter, and not being as pretty as her isn’t the end of the world.

Cover Reveal for Reaper’s Rhythm by Clare Davidson

July 19, 2013 by sharonsant

I’m so excited to share with you one of two cover reveals on my blog this week, both for books I’ve been lucky enough to read pre-release and both fantastic stories. Enjoy!

Author Bio:

She published her first novel, Trinity in July 2012. Trinity is a young adult, fantasy novel, which currently has seventeen five star reviews on Amazon UK.

Her second novel, Reaper’s Rhythm, is due to be released on the 26^th July 2013. Also aimed at a young adult audience, Reaper’s Rhythm is an urban fantasy with a dash of mystery.

Reaper’s Rhythm

When everyone thinks your sister committed suicide, it’s hard to prove she was murdered.

Ways to connect with Clare Davidson:

New releases mailing list

Book blogging from an author’s perspective – Terry Tyler shares her thoughts

June 14, 2013 by sharonsant

Terry is an author I’ve got to know recently on Twitter. She currently has five contemporary novels on Amazon. I asked her what her thoughts were on approaching bloggers from an author’s point of view, and this is what she had to say:

Most importantly, look at the submisson guidelines. It’s classic advice, and has been said over and over again, but bloggers say that it’s still not always followed. If they say no novellas, don’t ask them to read your novella. If they say no erotica, don’t send them erotica – etc!

This might seem obvious, but some newly published writers might not know about it – I didn’t! Make sure you download the mobi copy from your Amazon account page – you go into ‘Bookshelf’ and ‘reports’ and download the review copy – this is what you send to reviewers.

I’ve been reviewed on quite a few book blogs; sometimes they’ve just read and reviewed one of my books without me asking, which is always a lovely surprise. Many of these I will ask to review subsequent works, but I always have my eye out for new reviewers. There are new book blogs springing up every day. What I do is this – every time a book blogger follows me on Twitter, I have a quick look to see if they review my sort of books, and if they do I tweet or DM them to say thanks for following, and say that if they’d like to review one of mine to let me know and I’ll send them a review copy. I then put the link to my Amazon page so they can have a look at my books. Quite often they’ll come back to me and say, yes, I’d like to review The Other Side, or whatever. Then we swap emails and I send it! If I come across a blog that looks good but does not review my genre, I keep it in mind to refer to other people.

Book reviewers are doing a marvellous thing for you by reading and reviewing your book on their blog. They usually put the review on Amazon and Goodreads, too – they’re worth their weight in gold! So remember that it’s not only about your book, it’s about their blog, too, which they want to become widely read. Follow their blog, go to their Twitter page and RT their other reviews, maybe tweet about their blog, like they’ve tweeted about your book. If a book comes out by a friend of yours that you think would be good for their site, you can refer that friend to them.

As far as approaching them in the first place goes, I would say that it’s pretty much common sense….. I’ve usually chatted to mine on Twitter a bit anyway, so it’s more informal, but some have forms to fill in – again, give them exactly what they ask for. If they only ask for a 20 word synopsis of the book, don’t send a 200 word paragraph. Some of them give an email address – I’d say make it friendly but not too casual ( I mean no lols, perish the thought!!!), ask what their waiting list is like, tell them what genre the book is and how long it is, and provide the Amazon link. Keep it short and to the point, with no superfluous information, as they probably have lots to wade through. If they state on the blog that their review will not necessarily be a positive one, and you can’t take anything less than positive comments, ask if they will let you know if they don’t like it. Finally, don’t hassle them – if they don’t reply, take it as read that they don’t want to review your book. It won’t be anything personal, they’re probably just snowed under!

Terry Tyler lives in the north east of England with her husband, and has five novels on Amazon – she writes contemporary fiction about many very current issues, such as internet dating, the people one meets on social networking sites, addiction, infidelity, family breakdown, the quest for celebrity – and even a spot on The Jeremy Kyle show! Her sixth novel should be out around September. Terry also has a blog, on which she writes about a variety of subjects, from The Truth About Getting Old, to Why All Writers Need A Proofreader, to a nostalgic look at the comics and magazines of the 1970s – all comments welcome! Check out Terry’s website or her Amazon author page.

Meet Bookshelf Butterfly and find out what she loves about book blogging.

June 13, 2013 by sharonsant

I’m not even going to go into where I first met the lovely Faye, but it has something to do with little birds and social networking. She blogs about a wide variety of books on her very pretty blog (which happens to coordinate with the Not of Our Sky cover beautifully!). This is what she had to say in response to the questions I posed about blogging etiquette:

Name your top 5 peeves from author review requests

All the authors that have approached me have all been kind and relaxed about the process. Although nearly all the publishers I have dealt with are awesome there have been some negative sides:

Not so subtly trying to enforce a time limit for reviews after they have sent a book – I have other books to read too!
Trying to force a book on you that you have already politely declined
Bothering you about a review and then not responding to you after you tweet/email them said review

Can’t think of any more… sorry!

The same genre can encompass many different types of story – for example, fantasy ranges from Terry Pratchett to Twilight and everything in between. How hard is it to remain objective in your review if a feature of a book doesn’t float your boat? Say you get a fantasy about unicorns and unicorns are just not your bag, how does that influence your opinion?

I find it really hard to blatantly criticise someone’s hard work so I try and find out about the book before I read it. As with every book there are good points and bad points so in case of books that don’t amaze me I try and focus on the points I liked best.

What are your feelings on the growing army of indie authors? How does the quality of their work hold up against traditionally published? Do you accept reviews from both and what would it take to change your mind on your current policy?

I think indie authors are brave. As an aspiring author myself, I think that if you have a story in you to tell, then you are entitled to put it out into the world, whether through traditional publishers or otherwise. I think traditionally published books can sometimes be more polished than some indie work I have seen but in terms of great stories; I think many indie authors can definitely hold their own against more mainstream competition; it’s just a case of publicity. So far I have done a few indie reviews and if an indie book appeals to me, I will continue to do them in the future.

Describe your reviewing schedule. How many hours do you put in a week/ day? How does this impact on other aspects of your life?

Once I’ve read a book I write up the review in a notebook, ready for editing and typing up, usually in the evenings. Reading is a huge part of my life anyway and I fit writing in between work shifts and having a social life. Some weeks I read more than others, so I can save some reviews for the weeks that I haven’t had time, but I always aim for at least two posts a week. My social life and my blogging life are miles apart so I always make separate time for both.

What started you book blogging? What makes you continue to do it?

I toyed with the idea of a blog for ages and couldn’t decide what to write about. I thought it would give me a chance to practice my writing and that it would be a good addition to my CV. I decided on books because books and reading are hugely important to me and I wanted to write about what genuinely interested me. Since I started Bookshelf Butterfly I’ve come across some wonderful, like-minded people and I get to have great bookish conversations. It is really satisfying to be thanked by an author for taking the time to read their work, or getting positive feedback from a reader who has discovered a book because of what you have written. I hope to add more features, meet more people and keep discovering more amazing stories that I might never have been able to if I hadn’t started blogging.

You can follow Bookshelf Butterfly and keep up with the latest review posts on Twitter or Facebook or go directly to her lovely site.

Victoria Loves Books… really, she does! And she’s all chatty about her new venture into the world of blogging.

June 11, 2013 by sharonsant

Victoria is a terrifically chatty tweeter and a delight to know. She’s a raving Potterhead too, so that makes her extremely cool in my book! She only stared blogging very recently but reads like lightning and is currently averaging something like a book a minute (not even joking) in a variety of genres (ok, possibly I’m exaggerating). This is what she had to say in response to my questions about blogging and reviewing:

Hello, my name is Victoria Stone, I’m 26, married and have two children. My biggest passion in life other than my family is reading and baking 🙂
I am fairly new to blogging (started on May 1st 2013) and have found a real passion for it. I will read anything, I think everything deserves a go. Have found some real gems by breaking away from what I would normally read, crime/horror.

Name your top 5 peeves from author review requests

Being new to blogging I haven’t had many review requests from authors, but the ones I have received I haven’t really been to unhappy with. As any requests they have I’ve just been too ecstatic that I have even been asked to review their book.

I like to give anything a go. I used to instantly dismiss books if it was something I had no interest in or wasn’t “real” to life, for example Harry Potter, I refused for years because magic wasn’t real and childish. After giving in I fell completely and utterly in love with the whole story, so now I at least try anything. If I really don’t get on with something because it isn’t really “my thing” I like to think I would still give a good review. I would try to give positive feedback for the people that do enjoy the things I personally don’t, whilst still being honest that it didn’t suit my tastes.

I never really read self-published work until Christmas (when I got my kindle) and even now that’s very limited, as I really do love to hold a real book, (I don’t get on with my kindle).
But after reading some recent self-published books I can honestly say I have fallen in love with the world my kindle has opened up! I have found some fantastic stories that I think are just as good if not better than some traditionally published books. I think it is all down to personal opinion really. I would happily accept book reviews for either, even more so since discovering some very good books.

Describe your reviewing schedule. How many hours do you put in a week/ day? How does this impact on other aspects of your life?

Being a very new blog, I’m not posting everyday, especially juggling my two young babies. They take priority over everything else. But as soon as I finish a book I will review it while it is fresh in my head. I also get sent or find pictures about books that I like to share on there too, just for fun 🙂
I’m hoping to get a review up everyday or other day in the future though as I can get through a book rather quickly.

What started you book blogging? What makes you continue to do it?

I set up a twitter account in February and met other bloggers through it. After spending a lot of my time tweeting about books and recommending books I enjoyed, someone noticed just how fast I was reading. They then suggested I start a blog. I didn’t take it too seriously at first thinking only my husband would read it out of duty. Then someone else mentioned it so I looked into it and decided on a whim to give it a try. And the reason I still do it is because I absolutely love it, I love it when someone tells me they ordered a book through a review I did. It makes me proud and very excited that I’ve found something that I truly love doing.

Follow Victoria on Twitter or check out her beautiful, shiny website.