Debra here welcoming my next blogger guest. Andi, Thank you for visiting the Inkwell!
Hi, Debra! Thanks for asking me, and thanks to Rachel of
Bookworm Mama for recommending me.
Debra -So Andi- how long have you been reviewing and how did
you decide on the theme for your blog?
Andi- January 2018 will start my eleventh year as a
reviewer. I can’t believe it’s been that long! I look back at all the authors
I’ve read and realize that I have their debut books on my shelf which is a ton
of fun.
I was talking to another reviewer saying that I was having a
hard time trying to figure out a name of my blog, she asked me what I liked and
when I said lighthouses, she said how about a lighthouse theme, and that is how
Radiant Light was born. It fits too, because I want my blog and reviews to be a
light in our dark world. The address is http://frommipov.blogspot.com
D- What’s the best part of being a reviewer?
A- Getting to read the book, of course! I also enjoy
getting to know the authors and being able to encourage their hearts,
especially on days when words are like small drops from a dry sponge.
D- That’s a wonderful way to put it! And Authors do
appreciate (and need!) the encouragement. What’s the most difficult part of the
‘the job’?
A- Making sure you don’t schedule too many reviews on the
same day. This is the first year I’ve done that and it has been a pain.
Something I’ve experienced more this year than any other is
new reviewers who don’t appreciate the hard work put in by those of us who have
been in the trenches for a long time. For years the Christian fiction blogger
community has been like a family, this year there was some division and those
of us who still want the family feeling are setting out to make sure that it is
that way.
D- Division is the enemy's tool and it's very much active in every part of our lives. It takes loving people one on one to fight it. As for reviewers, I’m always concerned that reviewers, and bloggers in
particular, will feel burned out trying to keep up with things! What was the
last book you read that you couldn’t put down?
A- That’s a hard question. LOL The Engagement Plot by
Krista Phillips and Charming the Troublemaker by Pepper Basham – which I am
still reading.
D- Such fun reading from two great authors! I'll allow you the two instead of one answer! I loved
Krista’s first two books but I can’t keep up with too many favorite authors, and
can’t afford to buy all the audiobooks I’d like. (Which makes it much easier to
multi-task!)
What do you do when you aren’t making authors happy by reviewing for them?
A- I have quite a busy life. I didn’t used to have to
find time to read, now I do. We have six of our twelve grandkids that live here
in Idaho and I love spending time with them. I also write, doing Nano again this
year. I am my epileptologist’s patient advocate for his office. I help educate
patients about epilepsy and about the vagus nerve stimulator device that I have
which is like a pacemaker for my brain. It resets my brain every 1.7 minutes to
control seizures.
Epileptologists are experts in epileptic seizures and seizure disorders, anticonvulsants, and special situations involving seizures, such as cases in which all treatment intended to stop seizures has failed and epilepsy (especially poorly controlled epilepsy) in pregnant women.
D- That’s wonderful, Andi! That’s a wonderful service
for anyone facing the unknown. I wish there were more patient advocates!
I saw that you were doing Nano. Have fun with that! (It doesn't have to be perfect, just let it spill out!) What would you like to share about yourself that few people
know?
A- I’ve talked
about this some on Facebook, especially when the topic of abortion pops its
ugly head. I am adopted, my birth mother was fourteen when she was sexually
assaulted and her mother didn’t believe her, and when it happened again she got
pregnant and her mother wanted the family doctor to abort the baby, which was
me. At the tender age of fourteen she told her mother, no, gave birth to me,
and helped my parents begin a family. My message . . . sexual assault doesn’t
mean that an abortion is the only answer, give the baby life and help a couple
have a family.
D- Exactly. Rape is horrid and inexcusable. But a child
is a child deserving love. A mother can love a child even if she has no love
for its father, and if she can’t face that child, there are plenty of families
who would love to adopt.
What is your favorite setting? Place and time? Genre’?
A- Eeks, this is hard too! I am a huge historical romance
fan. I enjoy steampunk, WWII, Civil War time period. I am becoming a huge fan
of the Appalachian setting. I love anything set in Paris, and Italy especially.
D- No one said these would be easy questions! Here's another one--What’s your favorite movie to watch if you had a
rainy afternoon alone?
A- The Way We Were, Princess Bride, Gone in 60 Seconds.
I’m a huge movie fan! I grew up on the classics with my mom. I love the
original Cheaper by the Dozen, too.
D- I remember this one, too. And Yours Mine and Ours...I read the book that Cheaper by the Dozen is based on!
If you could wiggle your nose and be in a new career, what would it be?
 |
| 1950 classic --and based on a book! |
If you could wiggle your nose and be in a new career, what would it be?
A- A forensic pathologist. I think it would be cool to be
a part of the process in solving a crime, plus going to nursing school I’m a
huge medical fan!
 |
| Andi seems eager to examine that corpse! *thanks to a little internet magic. |
D- That makes me wonder about your sense of smell. If I
had none, that would be a good choice. It's puzzle solving and quiet work and your patient doesn't complain...
What piece of advice would you offer authors who are just
starting out?
A- Believe in the story, and allow it to be the driver of
the story.
And . . . when choosing reviewers choose those who read the
genre and time period. As an author when you aren’t selective about the
reviewers the book may receive not so favorable reviews. Not because of the
story or writing, but because the reader isn’t a fan of the genre, and that’s
not their fault. Reading is subjective to interpretation and as a reviewer I
believe authors should get the best possible audience.
D- Authors aren’t
always aware of this and frankly, it’s often difficult to find reviewers. I’ve
had that happen with my recent mystery and readers were looking for romance.
Also, most authors working with small publishers pay for all of their own
promotion and books, so it can be disappointing when authors give away (pay
for) books to reviewers who then don’t find the time to read them. The publishing world is different and even large publishers don't give away as many books. Authors are completely dependent on reviewers to help with promotion!
Thank you so much for being my guest, Andi!
For more ways to visit with Andi…
Facebook blog page
Twitter
Instagram
Thanks so much for visiting, Andi! I love the experience you bring to blogging, and hope more people find your blog and reviews. You have quite a remarkable story to tell!
ReplyDeleteI appreciate you doing this post. I really had fun answering your questions. I am thinking about starting a blogger interview post on my blog too. I wanted to add, to your comment about blogger burnout . . . I think if a blogger doesn't feel appreciated, and valued they could get burnt out. What's really nice in the Christian fic community is that the authors, like you, really appreciate the work we do, and they let us know.
DeleteAnd . . . regarding your comment about finding reviewers. Here's a suggestion, ask some of us older bloggers. We troll around and know what other reviewers are reading. We're on street teams with them and we usually follow each other on Goodreads, Instagram, and Twitter. Right now I'm on a street team for Mesu Andrew's new biblical fiction Isaiah's Daughter, so if an author was looking to build a team for her biblical fiction story I would know right where to go to give her suggestions. I honestly think that being able to work with each other within the Christian fic community to help encourage authors and promote their books makes the entire community stronger!
Really enjoyed reading this!!
ReplyDeleteHi Raechel! Thanks for stopping in!
DeleteThanks for having me! I love all the pictures you added to the post.
ReplyDeleteSo fun to see Andi here!! :) And get to know her a bit more. Andi's great!! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sydney! You’re a sweetheart! I think you’re pretty great too!
DeleteI love Andi, and her blog. This was such a fun post.
ReplyDeleteAw! Thanks, Mary! Love you!
DeleteThanks Sydney and Mary. I really enjoy doing these posts and getting to know my guests better. And I hope they encourage more readers to do reviews--it's such an important part of the publishing world and underapprecaited!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great post!! Loved seeing a little bit more about Andi 😄
ReplyDeleteThanks! It was fun to talk about blogging and how I got started. 😀
DeleteHi Andi! I am late to the party but I loved getting to know you better! I appreciate your testimony <3 Thank you for sharing it!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the interview, Deb! And thanks for your hard work reading and reviewing, Andi!