Category: Discussion Post

Blog Ahead Update

Posted October 16, 2015 by Marsha in Discussion Post / 2 Comments

Blog Ahead Oct 15So we are at just about the halfway point in Anna and Kimberly’s October 2015 Blog Ahead event.

How you doing so far?  It’s a great way to get a bit ahead of your scheduled posts – that breathing room is priceless.

I am a little bit behind from where I’d wanted to be at this point… had a family emergency last week and that wrecked a lot of stuff.   I could still read and take notes, but was nowhere near my computer to write anything up.. so doing some catching up on just about everything right now.  Ah well, it’s life ya know?  And in the end, it’s all good – at this point in the Blog Ahead event I’ve got sixteen (16) posts scheduled for my planned Christmas Romance daily reviews.  And honestly, if that’s as far as I get, I’d be good with that since it’s a huge help come November and December.  But I’m going to go for the full 31 and hopefully the plus as well.

Since I’m ahead on the Christmas stuff, I’m going to switch gears a bit and tackle the November NetGalley reviews.  It would be such a relief to have a cushion for weeks like last week when all my good intentions flew out the window.  And while no one enjoys family emergencies, it was a good wake up call on several levels.  I keep thinking if I could only get a little bit ahead, then I’d not be so overwhelmed when there are a lot of reviews due on one particularly heavy launch day – we’ve all seen those 24 books released on one day.  Yeah.  I’m a fast reader, but even I have my limits ya know?  🙂

So my plan for the remainder of this October 2015 Blog Ahead event is to get ahead on my NetGalley reviews and if there’s time maybe toss in a couple more Christmas reviews.  I’d love to make goal of course, but now with a wiser attitude I’m looking to keep plugging along creating a habit of being ahead of the game from this point onwards.  If I can accomplish that, I’ll be content with whatever number shows up on the last day of October.

If you haven’t joined in it’s not too late – anything scheduled ahead is a help that’s a fact.  Go over and check out the Blog Ahead Challenge from herding cats & burning soup and Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

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Rhiannon ~ Halloween Eve Can’t Come Soon Enough

Posted October 5, 2015 by Marsha in Discussion Post / 0 Comments

Rhiannon.  I have adored this character (sorry, goddess) since the first time I read about her.  Wings in the Night, both series, have a special shelf on my bookcase all to themselves.  A place of honor if you will.

Now, I can’t wait for Halloween Eve when the newest adventure will hit my Kindle.

You should discover these amazing stories for yourself – I’m betting you’ll never look at vampires quite the same again.

https://youtu.be/-9R4b6KVUwg

 

 

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Think About A Blogging Plan For 2016 Now

Posted October 1, 2015 by Marsha in Discussion Post / 0 Comments

notebook morguefileWe’re coming up on the busiest months of the year, for most families.  Fall activities with the kids, maybe going on a weekender to see the beauty of the colorful fall leaves.  Halloween parties and decorating.  Thanksgiving with the entire family… and the mad dash for the Friday Shopping after the meal (or sooner).  Then comes Christmas with all the wonderful parts of the holiday season.  Yeah, I’m already tired just thinking about it.

Come January 2016 this blog will have been active almost every single day, for a year.. I missed a couple here and there.  I had absolutely no plan.  Totally by the seat of my jeans.  And it’s been fun and a little successful.  But I could do more, maybe differently, perhaps more efficiently.

So I believe now, months in advance is a good time to start thinking about what I want to accomplish in the coming year.  Not floating around in my head but down on paper, decisions made and plans in place to get off to a roaring start in January.  Now might be a good time for you too – before the holiday madness sets in, and time is one of the least things we have available for a clear thought.

Simply a thought.  One that I’m starting on and I thought maybe you might want to at least think about it for your 2016 blogging plan.

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October’s Blog Ahead Starts – Now

Posted October 1, 2015 by Marsha in Discussion Post / 2 Comments

Blog Ahead Oct 15It’s time again for the Blog Ahead Challenge from herding cats & burning soup and Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

Yep, and it starts today.  I have a particular plan for this October Blog Ahead event.  I am a huge Christmas story junkie.  Yes, I will read the side of a Christmas Card box, so I think I qualify as officially addicted.  🙂

Because I have so many favorites that I re-read during the days from Thanksgiving onward I decided to use the Blog Ahead challenge to get some of those posts and reviews ready now.  That leaves more time to find new to me stories or new releases.  Wicked mind here, folks.  😉

I also do a Halloween Romance category during October with a Halloween-ish story review daily.  Since I love paranormal and read it all year long, for this one I try to simply find some fun and quirky Halloween styled stories to give myself and hopefully you a chuckle.  So, I’m hoping to get at least a week of those done to give me some space without feeling rushed.

So, with my October Blog Ahead 2015 plan in place — I wish you fun and success.  And if you have no clue what I’m talking about then visit the linked sites in the first line of this post to join in.

Okay, off to get some work done.  Have Fun with it.

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Getting In The Christmas Spirit

Posted September 12, 2015 by Marsha in Discussion Post / 0 Comments

I know, it’s not even Halloween or Thanksgiving yet — but, I’ve got lots of wonderful Christmas novels to be reviewed that start coming out later this month so I need to start getting my Christmas spirit on.

This is how I start my Christmas, musically.  I toss on the CD and let the music blast – Trans Siberian Orchestra.  If you’ve never had the amazing experience of watching their Christmas concert live, then I can highly recommend it to any music lover.  The show is a shower of sounds, sights, special effects and amazing artists.  If you ever get the chance, go.  I know I’m going back this year, can’t wait.

Here is how I kick off my Christmas Season… enjoy.

 

 

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A Day I Wish I Didn’t Have To Remember

Posted September 11, 2015 by Marsha in Discussion Post / 0 Comments

September 11, 2001.  A day when the world we knew… changed forever.

Did I know anyone in the Towers?  Yes.  Perhaps more than I am aware of since at that time much of my non-working hours were in the gaming world.  There were many people who simply never logged into games after September 11, 2001.  So, those… I can only assume.

But it doesn’t really matter if I personally knew anyone directly involved or not.  It was a normal, everyday kind of day – no one knew when they woke up that morning that by nightfall everything they understood would be in chaos.

Everyone has their memories and thoughts about September 11, 2001.

Today, to acknowledge that day when so many innocent lives were lost so senselessly I will remember in my own way.

Instead of images of airplanes crashing into towers or building crumbling or firemen holding lifeless children I am sharing the official video of the haunting song that became associated with that day.

And I remember and honor in my own heart.

 

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Buying A Series Blind – And Proud Of It

Posted September 9, 2015 by Marsha in Discussion Post / 4 Comments

For some odd reason I missed the launch of Carole Mortimer’s sexier series ALPHAs.  Being a reader of Ms Mortimer’s works for many years now – I honestly don’t know how that happened.  I suspect just too many great books undiscovered as yet.

Christmas ALPHASo, today I went and picked up the first one, Christma Alpha, and figured I’d get it read and on the schedule for the Christmas Season reviews. Then I looked at the second story, okay 1-Click, then the third story another 1-Click… and you get the idea.  By the time I was done I’d bought the entire series and will pick up the next release as well.

And I’m glad I did.  I didn’t plan on it all at once, but I knew I’d end up reading and reviewing the whole series and just went with the trust that I have in the author when I bought every one before even reading the first story.

That is a classic example of a reader who believes in an author’s works from past experiences to know that sight unseen the stories are going to be enjoyable… because I trust what I’ve read in the past.  Blind trust?  Maybe.  But some writers deserve that kind of trust.

And now… I’m not sure I can wait to start reading.  *sheepish grin*  If I know me, I’ll probably just start diving right in to this particular pile of books that won’t have time to get dusty on my TBR Tower of Books.

Of course, like every reader I have favorite authors works on release.  But I rarely buy an entire series in one shot.  No regrets,   I’ll be posting reviews on this series soon.

  1. Christmas Alpha
  2. Dark Alpha
  3. Shadow Alpha
  4. Midnight Alpha
  5. Renegade Alpha
  6. (and to come) Warrior Alpha

Have you bought an entire series, sight unseen?  I can’t be the only one out here.  *grin*

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Blog Ahead Starts October 1st

Posted September 9, 2015 by Marsha in Discussion Post / 0 Comments

Blog Ahead Oct 15It’s time again for the Blog Ahead Challenge from herding cats & burning soup and Caffeinated Book Reviewer.  This is a great opportunity to get your blog posting done ahead and ease some of the stress of blogging.  And I am all for getting rid of some of the stress in my life.

The “rules” are so easy.  If you already schedule posts for your blog simply add 31 posts to that total number to get done in the month of October.  Should you normally schedule 9 blog posts every month – next month write and schedule a total of 40 posts.  Those additional posts would appear on your blog in November and beyond.

If you haven’t gotten into the habit – and it is honestly a habit – of prewriting and scheduling posts to be automatically dropped then this is a great chance to make doing that a habit.  Having reviews, discussion posts or even memes done ahead of time and scheduled to post opens up so much time for other things.  More reading perhaps?  *grin*

I suggest that you click on the  Blog Ahead graphic in this post – or either Anna’s or Kimberly’s links on the first line of this post and check it all out for yourself.  The “rules”, explanations and even buttons for your sidebar are available there.

This is the perfect time to blog ahead and free up time for the upcoming holiday season.  I’d rather be decking the halls than getting a last minute review up on time – wouldn’t you?  Go on check it out, you’ll be glad you did.

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Challenges Are Now In Storage ~ sad face

Posted September 8, 2015 by Marsha in Discussion Post / 0 Comments

lady with bookWhen I began to really work on Keeper Bookshelf again, full time in January of 2015  I really wanted to get involved with the book review community.  They are an amazing group of people with fun ideas and such useful information.

Around that time the “Challenges” for 2015 were coming out – and I went hog-wild crazy.  Every single one looked like so much fun.

Unfortunately, I was unable to keep up-to-date on listing them either here or at the Challenge websites/blogs.  I am embarrassed by that.  I know I bit off much more than I could chew.

My sincere apologies to any Challenge that I dropped out of before the end of this year.  It wasn’t your idea, it was my inability to make a routine and stick with it.  I failed, you didn’t.

There are a couple that I will take a weekend and get all caught up on.  Then I’ll put those Challenges pages back up on Keeper Bookshelf.  But with the review schedule I have now plus real life – there is no way to realistically get caught up on fifteen Challenges.  So, I’ll pick a couple and be content.

Will I enter into this area again?  Of course!  They are well run, fun and a great way to not only meet other readers, but to add to my To Be Read Toppling Mountain of Books.  I will simply be more realistic, pick the ones that I know I can keep up with and be diligent about it.

It was a good experience that I look forward to being part of again.  Just… not this year.  Nine months of catching up are beyond my ability right now.

~~sad panda face~~

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If You Coulda Written It Better Then Go Do It!

Posted September 8, 2015 by Marsha in Discussion Post / 0 Comments

scattered papersI am going to have a mini-rant here because… well because I can, it’s my blog.  A lot of the reviews I’m seeing in some of the main review dropping sites (yes, I drop my reviews in them too) have been driving me a bit batty lately.  So, I’m going to let a few questions for ya out of my bat-crazy mind – just for shits and giggles..

For starters… Did you just read the same book I did?  ‘Cos what you just wrote in that review is absolutely nothing like the book I just put down.  Okay, maybe we liked it in different degrees – but, really?  That’s what you got outta that one??

Oh, and then there is the… the main characters should have done “this” because what they did do was so “stupid” and why in the world didn’t they see “that” coming a mile away.  They shoulda, coulda, woulda been said acted differently.  Ummm, Honeybun it wasn’t your story to write you cannot tell the characters what to do – it’s not your story to tell.  Diss on what you read okay, maybe but you cannot tell an author how or what to write… it ain’t your show baby.

If a reviewer wants to pick apart the editing or a few typos that got missed – that’s one thing.  But an author’s job is to write what is in their heart, their brain and for some, what their publishing house thinks will sell in today’s market.  Look, I am not gonna tell Nora Roberts to change the way she writes.  No way, no how am I even going to suggest to a best selling, top of the line writer how her characters are misbehaving according to my own personal likes and dislikes.  (and let’s be clear here, they are not misbehaving – I adore Ms. Roberts and her work and would not change a thing – just sayin’)

I don’t understand when it became my job to re-write a novel to my own personal storylines and plots.  My job (hobby) as I see it is to tell other readers who may or may not wander into my blog what I thought of the story.  Was it entertaining – did it hold my attention – would I hand it over to my best friend saying you gotta read this.  That’s what I see my job as.  I’m a reader who enjoys sharing my thoughts about a book with other like minded people.  I am not a critic.  And God knows I am not a writer, I cannot do what these amazing people do.  So why is it my “job” to tear apart the world they created and make it my own.  It’s not.

I know that my blog and reviews are seen as soft.  I write mostly 5 or 4 starred reviews, occasionally a 3 star.. once a 1 star when I was totally frustrated.  But in truth, if I don’t like where a book is going – I put it aside and forget about it.  Time is too precious to waste on something that I do not want to read… or tell my friends about.  The argument is that maybe someone might like what I hate.. okay, I see the point.  But it’s not my way.  And bottom line is – my blog, my way.

I just don’t see the point of tearing apart and rewriting a book within a review to make it what you wanted it to be.  If that’s what you want to read then go out and write a book just like that.  Honestly, no shit nastiness here… honestly, go write it.

Okay, end of rant.  Start with the hate – I can take it.

 

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