ARMCHAIR BEA 2012 - DAY 4 - OPPORTUNITIES FROM BLOGGING

Has blogging opened up opportunities for you beyond getting free, advance copies of new books? Has it helped you get offers to write or review elsewhere (maybe even for pay)? Have you gotten invites to special events or places you might not have been to otherwise? Today, we'd like you to talk about those opportunities in you own posts. 

It took a lot of hard work to get the followers for publishers to look at our blog and put us on their reviewers list. Once we achieved that, it did lighten the purse strings, but with it comes responsibility to do the right thing and not hoard the books, but read them and review them. Of course you can't read them all. But I try to vlog them and talk about the covers etc.

I do love getting books from publishers and having that early read, but it's not why I got into blogging. It took a while to even realise that was possible. We just did not know. We did not have any bloggers who could show us the ropes and give us information. We came in cold turkey. 

I have received an email from a media company that is working with a publisher and that was lovely. Every now and then on twitter some of my reviews get a nice comment from publishers and make it to online newspapers, which is lovely to see.

Sometimes publishers give you a personal email asking if you would be interested in doing something for them. Which is always lovely.

I really just bottom line love the blog. It's my creative outlet. By nature I am a reasonably creative person. I can't sit around , I have to be doing something. 

I was a tad late on this day 4 activity as I was actually doing something for a publisher and it took some time to do properly, so something has to give , time wise:D

Looking forward to reading some of your posts, once I get my blog tour I am working on completed. Yes , the calendar is rather full:D

Happy BEA Armchairing:)

Michelle

ARMCHAIR BEA - DAY 3 - ATTENDING AUTHOR SIGNINGS - JUNE 6TH 2012

Topic For Today

For Day 3, we want you to share your positive experiences of using your blog to get involved in your community. This can involve partnerships with the local literary scene, attending author events and signings, or getting together with bloggers in your area. We want to hear it all! 

Well alrighty.....this is my answer to todays topic.

Theatre group acted out a scene

I have only attended a few signings due to where I live , and distance to travel,  in the two years blogging. But, I left no stone unturned when it came to Cassandra Clare coming to Australia. I hot footed it onto a plane to Melbourne and attended a most awesome event in an old theatre. 

Me, Cassandra and Josh

I have the 'Adventure' up on the blog complete with vids and images. I taped the whole Cassandra Clare Q & A session and some sneaky pics as there were far too many people, over 300 attended, for Cassandra to spend the time having a photo with everybody.

I am trying to snap away sneakily

Cassandra was soooo nice. I applaude the time she spent talking to everybody who attended. Her hubby Josh sat next to her for a bit. For those of you who don't know, 'Simon', her character from The Mortal Instruments is modeled, looks wise, on Josh, as I understand it.


I met up with Miss Suzi Midnight , only second time meeting in real life and Carolyn ( I shared hotel room with her, met first time..ha!, I do laugh at my cyberspace friendships, not in a bad way, just who knew?)

CASSANDRA CLARE VIDS

We had a blast. I had tweeted Cassandra prior to her coming to Australia and asked about her signing blog stuff and she ended up taking it to her hotel room and we picked it up couple days later. She was just so nice! She really does enjoy talking with her book fans, she gave me a kind of 'Hi five' air handshake, and said "HellloooOOooo Michelle", yes I know you had to be there,  I was a tad giggly, I mean this is Cassandra Clare people!!!! She wrote Jace!!

Rachel Caine - Dymocks - QLD 2011

I have met Rachel Caine , author of several series, the series she was promoting at time was The Morganville Vampires. I love this YA series. Great group of characters. My son Liam came with me, whinged the whole way.  1.5hours of whinging is a lot, but when he got there, and saw what his mum gets so excited about, he said he had a great time and wants to go to another. He actually asked a question, knowing my sons bad humor, I thought oh dear lordy, what is he about to say, but he asked a really cool question and he was really loving the event. Proud mum:)

RACHEL CAINE VIDS

Suzi Midnight and Becca Fitzpatrick - Melbourne signing

Becca Fitzpatrick was another absolutely adorable author. Smiling, talking, dancing, just very much into the fans. I got to meet Caroline the publicist at Simon & Schuster, who was lovely. 


I keep asking Jana Oliver to come to Australia as I just want to meet her, she is soooo nice and willing to talk to the book fans. Every now and then I pop over to her web page and leave a little comment.  


I have networked to a small degree and now Miss Suzi Midnight has some book cover designing paid work, under her belt. Tim O'Rourke is currently working with Suzi on his Doorways book covers and a whole line of wallpapers for his main characters in his Kiera Hudson series. I haven't really done a lot of networking. I have been more reading /reviewing getting to know a pile of publishers and working with them on some awesome projects. 


I am trying to put some images up here but darn it, blogger is misbehaving tonight, so, I will add them tomorrow .

Happy Armchairing!!

Michelle

ARMCHAIR BEA - DAY 2 - MY BEST OF 2012 READS 5TH JUNE 2012

MY FAVE READS OF 2012

This is DAY 2 of  Armchair BEA, I am having a blast!! Due to time difference I am popping into bed now as tis late and I shall visit everybodys 'best ofs' in the arvo tomorrow:)

FAVE YA READS

Hunting Lila by Sarah Alderson

Streamline by Jennifer Lane

Pure by Jennifer L Armentrout

The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda

Everneath by Brodi Ashton

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff - Bloody Brilliant!!

City Of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare
Dreamless by Josephine Angelini

Winter's Shadow by M.J. Hearle

Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

The Girl In The Clockwork Collar by Kady Cross

I have done reviews for all but COLS and Stormdancer, coming shortly...

LOOKING FORWARD TO READING 2012

YA GENRE

Storm by Brigid Kemmerer

Spark by Brigid Kemmerer

Losing Lila by Sarah Alderson

Prodigy by Marie Lu

Night!!!

Michelle

ARMCHAIR BEA - INTERVIEWS - JUNE 4TH - 1ST DAY

Hey Armchairers * waves* , we can't make it over the ocean to the big BEA event ( Book Expo America)  , so this sounded like a cool idea to sit back in our comfy chairs in Australia and participate in all the fun. The first day kickoff is for us all to talk about ourselves, bit of a get to know ya! So without further ado......

Please tell us a little bit about yourself: Who are you? How long have you been blogging? Why did you get into blogging? 

Marissa & Michelle

This is our first Armchair BEA. We are looking forward to dropping by and saying hi. I am Michelle and Marissa is my fellow blogger at Novels On The Run. We have been blogging for two years now and have learnt an enormous amount. 

On the right near bottom corner is Perth - near Marissa
On the left about half way up coast above Brisbane is Sunshine Coast - this is Michelle

Marissa and I met via a Twilight online chat site. She lives in Western Australia and I live in Queensland. So we are a couple of Aussie mums with six kids between us. We have only met twice! Ha! Crazy, I know. We also met the uber sweet Miss Suzi Midnight on the Twilight chat site and she is now delving into the book cover designing world as she is most magnificent at what she does! 

I had watched the movie Julie and Julia, so naturally I thought I personally would try and do a blog, not sure what I was going to do, ha! I told Marissa , she became my one and only follower I had nothing set up, I was riding on the movie tails...lol!!  A little while later Marissa asked me if I wanted to do a book blog, I instantly said YES! We loved ranting and raving about books on the Twilight chat site, so it became this bigger step we took. 

What are you currently reading, or what is your favorite book you have read so far in 2012?

I ( Michelle ) am currently reading a proof copy of 'Stormdancer' by debut Aussie author Jay Kristoff. It is freakin' off the charts. Steampunk, Dystopian with major Japanese influence. I want to marry this book it is that good!!

Tell us one non-book-related thing that everyone reading your blog may not know about you.

Well I already said that Marissa and I have only met twice in real life, so ....hmmmm.... we may be two of the oldest bloggers in the book blogging blogosphere ? Age is but a number..hehe! Err...*cough* maybe it's me that would be the oldest. I love Coke, as in the drink, far too much and I love to sing even though I sound like a tone deaf turtle and photography is a passion of mine.

What is your favorite feature on your blog (i.e. author interviews, memes, something specific to your blog)? 

I personally love doing interviews. I don't think we have a specific thing we do. I have a feature within my interviews. I love asking about music and the song an author thinks best describes a character or a characters relationship with another character. I get such a great response from it. I have been throwing around ideas to make it into a feature.

Where do you see your blog in five years?

Definitely alive and kicking. I may be in the Guinness Book of Records for being the oldest living book blogger....bahhhahaaaa!! Something to aspire to:D On a serious note, a makeover with all things pretty would be awesome. Need to find a nice designer to wave their magic mouse over our blog. Organise some big events that take us months to prepare,slogging away behind the scenes, sweat pouring from our brow to bring our readers something spesh a couple times a year.

Which is your favorite post that you have written that you want everyone to read?

Gosh, fave post... * scratches head * Well, I did love my interview with Stacia Kane and I have fun with character interviews. I also can be known to make a vlog or two when the mood feels right.

If you could eat dinner with any author or character, who would it be and why?

Oh brain freeze....um...I would probably pick Cassandra Clare, oh heck I would have a dinner party and throw in a few more authors like, Richelle Mead, Tim O'Rourke as he would make some spontaneous fun, Karen Marie Moning, I would want to pick her brain. I had better put a full stop in so you can breathe. Definitely Jay Kristoff , Sarah Alderson, Jennifer L Armentrout , Jana Oliver ( these ladies can write YA guys beautifully), Lauren Oliver ( not related), Becca Fitzpatrick , cause she was just so darn sweet in person and Jonathan Maberry and Julie Kagawa. I think Jonathan and Julie would hit it off with Katana talk and all things weapons. I think that would make for a rather smashing dinner party, don't you think? I would probably sit in awe.

What is your favorite part about the book blogging community? Is there anything that you would like to see change in the coming years?

It is amazing through cyber space who you meet and become outstanding friends with. I have met some wonderful kind bloggers and authors. It's nice feeling comfy being nerdy and talking books with the other person showing the same enthusiasm, if not more.

Have your reading tastes changed since you started blogging? How?

YES! Harry Potter and Twilight were my major reading material while the kids were younger . I read Harry Potter to my son, out loud, doing all the voices, all the books ( pass another glass of water). Some of my fave authors write both YA and Adult, so best of both worlds. I found I am in love with dystopian, steampunk ( who even knew what that was until a few years ago?) Zombies and Urban Fantasy. 

I love Jonathan Maberry's zombie tales. They are more human if that makes sense. I do want to broaden my zombie reading as I am no longer afraid of them...lol!!

I do enjoy a dark read that can break my heart, but prefer to be laughing whilst reading. I love quotes!

Well that was a little bit about us here at Novels On the Run, I have met some of you just in my random commenting on blogs. I shall now pop over and say hi to some more of you . Have a great day and enjoy BEA in your comfy armchair.

Michelle