WELCOME TRISHA! I'm so glad you're able to join us! I've enjoyed getting to know you by your blog and on social media, and now I get to share that with our readers!
Trisha- Thank you for inviting
me, I’m honored to be here with you today chatting about my blog. It sure is
fun (and interesting) to be on this side of the interview.
Debra- So, how long have you
been reviewing and how did you decide on the theme for your blog?
T- I have been reviewing
books for quite a few years actually. Leaving reviews on first Amazon, and then
on Goodreads. I started following favorite authors and making connections. My very first book launch team was with Dawn
Crandall for her launch of The Hesitant Heiress. (A wonderful series of books
that I would highly recommend!). Dawn
introduced me to Pepper Basham and I joined Pepper’s team, and I can’t say
enough good things about Pepper’s books!
I was super excited to participate in the launch of “Forest Child” by
Heather Day Gilbert. Heather shared with her team that she wrote a short story
as part of a collaboration, “Message In a Bottle”. The book was on NetGalley
for review, and she encouraged anyone interested to check into it. I quickly
went to NetGalley and created an account and was approved. This lead me to
apply for other books, but often I was not approved, and it was stated that I
needed a blog. After visiting several
blogs of friends I’d made from the various review teams, I started my blog Joy
Of Reading in February 2017. There are so many fantastic blog names, that I
struggled to come up with one. As I thought and prayed about this new direction
I considered the question, “what is my goal for blogging?” The first thought I had is that I’d like to
bring Joy to other’s and thus, my blog name.
I pray that by sharing my Joy for books, that it brings others Joy in
return and brings them closer to the ultimate Joy giver!
I love to connect with
others over books. Please find me at the following:
D- What’s the best part
of being a reviewer?
T- If I had to narrow it
down to only one thing, it’s the relationships I’ve made with authors and
fellow bloggers, as well as knowing that I’ve helped bring a smile to someone’s
face. Recently, I came across a fellow bloggers’ post that touched my heart,
and I just knew that the author needed to see this review. I was so very happy
that I was able to help make the connection between this blogger and the author
and to know that so many were touched by her blog. I feel it’s important to
build each other up. Not just build up authors, but build up fellow bloggers
and even fellow readers. We all have something we can learn from one another.
D- What’s the most
difficult part of the ‘the job’?
T- I have a difficult time
saying “No”. When someone approaches me
to review their book, my first reaction is to say, “yes, I’d love to.” I’d love to have enough time to read ALL the
books. But, the reality is that I just can’t read them all. It’s not easy for me to say “no”. But
sometimes, I still have to, even when I don’t want to.
D- What was the last
book you read that you couldn’t put down?
T- Many Sparrows by Lori
Benton
I have read every book Lori has published. I just love her stories!
D- What keeps you busy
or entertained (beyond reading and reviewing)?
T- I work full time at the
University I graduated from. I have a degree in Social Work and spent several
years working with in a variety of settings (Dialysis Clinic, Foster Care
Agency, Residential Facility for troubled youth, & lastly in the Mental
Health field). Being a Social Worker is an emotional roller coaster, and it
takes its toll on your emotions. I reached the point where I needed a break. So
I left Social Work and I’m currently working in one of the PhD offices at my
University helping students progress through the program. It has been quite
rewarding and a fresh experience. I am continuing to help others, just in a
different capacity.
My job is only a small
piece of what keeps me busy. My handsome husband (of 13 years) and I are the
proud parents of an amazing, smart, handsome, fantastic, sweet, almost 10-year
old son. We homeschool our son and I’ve
found that taking him on field trips and exploring nature and history are my
favorite parts.
My family lives
approximately 12 hours away. It’s not always easy being so far away, but we
enjoy traveling to visit them every chance we get! I grew up in a big,
close-knit family. My maternal grandparents lived next door, my
great-grandmother lived a house away, my grandfather’s brother and his grown
children also had homes in our neighborhood, so I grew up playing with my 2nd
cousins, helping my great-grandmother in her garden, going blackberry picking
with grandma & great-grandma, and listening to my grandparents tell stories
of when they were little. My Great-Grandma was born in 1914, her story is one I
hope to write someday. I enjoy learning about family history and piecing
together the story of my relatives past.
D- What is your favorite
fiction setting? Place and time? Genre’?
T- I enjoy reading
Christian Historical Fiction best of all. I’ll pick up almost any book about
Scotland that I can find. I enjoy books set in the Medieval time period,
learning about the Celts & Vikings.
In addition, I also love early American Historical Fiction. Specifically
books about Native Americans.
D- OH MY YES!!
If you had a rainy
afternoon alone to watch a movie what would it be? And what meal would you have
delivered if that afternoon included a quiet evening as well? (Don’t forget
dessert!)
T- Mostly I choose to read
before watching movies, however, I would typically reach for a period drama.
North and South (Richard Armitage). Pride and Prejudice or Emma. My secret
guilty pleasure is watching the Outlander series (shhh!).
I have been wanting to
see the Zookeeper’s Wife, but I’m holding off watching it because I want to
read the book first.
One of my all-time
favorites is “Last of the Mohicans” (fun fact: it was filmed not far from where
I grew up).
 |
| While I have been obsessively listening to the Last of the Mohicans soundtrack and watched it about 4 times in the last two months, I decided to go with...John and Margaret in the train. Richard is a big favorite here at the Inkwell! |
We live out in the
country, so delivery is out of the question. However, if it was possible to
have food delivered from anywhere… I’d love to have spinach & ricotta
stuffed shells, with a marinara sauce, steamed broccoli, and Greek salad
(without the Greek olives, extra feta cheese please). For dessert: fresh
out-of-the-oven, blackberry cobbler with vanilla ice cream
D- Trisha, in our little fictional world, food delivery is never out of the question! We have a saying in our family. Every thing is betta with Feta!
I agree wholeheartedly with your choices...movies and food. In fact it's a bit freaky. I've long been a fan of the Outlander books, so it's great to see so much care with the tv series! As I live near the setting for the books by James Fenimore Cooper, I was originally disappointed that they Last of the Mohicans was filmed in NC!
If you could wiggle
your nose and be in a new career, what would it be?
T- I would love to be a
published writer someday. I wrote my first story when I was around 9 or 10. It
was a story about a Native American girl, Yellow Feather and her horse. My next
story was about a set of twins who were adopted but didn’t know they were
adopted, a coming of age story. Then I took a story my Grandpa told me about an
old house in the woods that collapsed into its cellar and embellished it into a
short story for my Freshman English writing class. That one was a murder
mystery, and fun to write. I started a
medieval story that takes place in Scotland, but after the first 3 chapters the
characters just stopped talking, and I’ve not gone back to them. I enjoy
looking at paintings and writing short stories from the picture. I just keep writing
various things, until maybe someday the right story will come along.
The other thing I
really enjoy is music. I love singing. I’ve written several songs and with my
husband playing on guitar, I’ve had the privilege to sing one of our songs for
various special music performances.
D- Well, I think you will eventually pull those stories out and go for it! I have so many manuscripts waiting to be dusted off , but doesn't it feel like you owe those characters 'the light of day' after you've created them? ha ha! Just when I think I'm worn out from writing, I see something about an historical event or and old setting and my mind is thinking...what if?
What piece of advice
would you offer authors who are just starting out?
T- Include on your web
page a social media page with information for bloggers (example: photo &
bio), including links to your Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc. Include
suggested social media tags for bloggers to use when talking about your book.
Visit the blogs of
those that interview you (and if you can also visit the book review posts).
It’s always an honor to have a surprise visit from the author. It also lets
others who visit the blog know that you really did participate in the
interview, this blogger didn’t just make up the entire conversation.
Offer signed bookplates to all the members of your influencer team (nothing
encourages me to buy a printed copy of the book like a signed book plate).
Engage with others not
on your team, if someone comments on a social media post, at a minimum, give
them a thumbs up, or a quick word of recognition.
D- Same for new
reviewers—
T- Visit other bloggers
web pages and see what they are doing. You may find elements that you like and
wish to incorporate into your own style.
Promote your blog to
your friends, and on social media sites. Join Facebook book/reading groups and
promote your reviews there.
Include the author and
publishing house in your tags when posting on social media. Look at what other
tags have been used and use the same ones or ask the author which tags they
prefer being used if you are on a promoter team. The more people that use that
same tag the better.
Follow Authors &
fellow bloggers on social media and comment on their posts!
Use the schedule
feature in your blog to schedule posts ahead of time, so you aren’t trying to
throw something together at the last minute. By creating the post ahead of
time, you can also go back the next day and look at it again, you may just
catch something you missed and now you can correct it before it goes live.
Don’t be afraid to
promote other people’s blogs also. If you see a blog post you like, share it!
If a fellow blogger posts an interview of the authors’ book you are reviewing,
ask if they would be ok with you including a link to their interview post in
your review post. Sharing each other’s posts is a win-win!
Join a blog tour or
several. This will help get your blog a little more notice.
If you
get stuck on something, ask other blogger friends. I have found that fellow
bloggers are really nice about offering to help when I’ve gotten stuck on
something
THESE ARE EXCELLENT SUGGESTIONS!
The ice cream is still in the freezer, but now that the cobbler is coming out of the oven, the hard part is picking just the right temperature. It's hard to wait for that yummy goodness to cool off enough to eat!
Trisha, thanks so much for visiting with us, and answering my questions. I'd love to give you a push toward publishing or being a virtual assistant but it sounds like you have your hands full.. for now!
and now... I'd better add the author promotional stuff... sigh.
For any readers out there who are considering becoming a reviewer or blogger, contact me and we'll help you with that next step! And, if you search through our archives, you'll find all my Blogger Interviews as well
Click here for Debra E. Marvin's Website and contact information...
