Meet a Book Blogger - Platypire Reviews (J. Hooligan)

Hey all you spiffy people! I'm J. Hooligan and I run the blog Platypire Reviews, which mostly consists of shenanigans and book reviews.

I started the blog a little over 4 years ago because I do what I want. Really though, I'm a bit eccentric for most blogs and I wanted to be free to express my "creative" silliness without having to do things like convincing someone to let me do book reviews in a platypus onesie. I also wanted to make a place for people to write book reviews however they wanna (legally) with no obligations or genre requirements.

As for me, I am an eclectic reader. I don't have a favorite genre, I read all sorts of books in whatever formats I can read them in. I just prefer them to be good.

Places you can find me:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/platypire
Blog: http://www.platypire.com
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/platypire
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/platypire

Thanks all your fabulous people for taking some time out of your day to get to know me a little bit more. You're wonderful and I appreciate your awesomeness.

~~~

What are y'all waiting for? Get to following!

Meet a Book Blogger - Epilogue Book Blog (Holly and Taylon)

Please welcome Epilogue Book Blog! Grab your coffee or tea, and let's get going!

Epilogue Book Blog consists of two halves!

1. Holly, the awkward one, breaks out into hives when meeting her favorite authors; quotes Michael Scott of The Office daily; and has harbored a crush on the Hanson brothers since seventh grade.
2. Taylon—also known as the one with the “cool name” and “red glasses”—despises tomatoes, (somehow) functions without the aid of coffee, and befriends people on the dance floor when given the opportunity.

The two of us are friends from college who share many things in common, including full-time teaching careers and a tremendous love for the written word. In 2014, the two of us began sharing recommendations with each other, poolside, discussing fictional characters with a passion that only fellow readers can appreciate. Purely a hobby for us, blogging allows those well-written gems to be shared with a broader audience.

Holly: I tend to read in phases that not even I can predict. While in 2014, I tended toward romance (mostly contemporary and new adult), I’m currently binging psychological thrillers and horror. I also read literary fiction and enjoy my fair share of classics. My favorite books of all-time are The Reader by Bernhard Schlink and Summer of my German Soldier by Bette Greene.

Taylon: I have a hard time picking genre; for me, it’s more about content. I ended the year with a “light” read mood—a quick and easy story, even if predictable. Other times, I want something that moves me, much like how favorite authors Colleen Hoover, Tarryn Fisher, and Kandi Steiner push me to think and reflect. Either way, good writing/story-telling is a must.

Rather than requesting and accepting arcs (with corresponding deadlines), we currently prefer to purchase books, which allows more freedom in terms of a timeline. Reviews are typically posted on Goodreads, our Wordpress website, and Amazon (when our submissions aren’t rejected). A brief review/recommendation is usually shared to our Facebook page as well.

Wordpress: https://epiloguebookblog.wordpress.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/epiloguebookblog/
Holly’s Goodreads profile: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/9705560-holly-epiloguebookblog

Thanks so much to Jo Michaels for this opportunity to share with her followers!
In a climate where readers have so many options, we truly appreciate those who follow, interact, and trust Epilogue Book Blog to provide genuine reviews and recommendations.

How amazing was that post? Get to following these gals!

Meet a Book Blogger - A Star that Reads (Starr Ochoa)

Hey y’all! My name is Starr, I’m a reader, a future nurse (my hope), and a person who is dabbling in writing.

I run an Instagram blog that you can follow @astarthatreads. I started this blog because my friend forced me to get an Instagram account so we could stay in touch and I didn’t just want another social media account that I wouldn’t use. I started thinking about things I would do with it and realized I wanted to share my love of reading. I mostly read romance, but willing to try and open to other genres.

I’m currently doing author spotlights on Instagram: You give me teasers, cover reveals, excerpts, etc, to share to my followers and hopefully you gain some followers as well. I’m willing to share all genres through my blog.

*Review policy, I haven’t thought about a set of rules I follow, but I will be honest. I try not to post bad reviews , but if you want to send me your book and want me to review it, I will! My reviews are either short and sweet or a paragraph of me fangirling and demanding people get this book. Lol. I post on Goodreads, Instagram, and Amazon.

Thank you all for taking the time out of your day to read this long post. ❤ I hope you decide to join me on Instagram.

How awesome is that?? Y'all go give her a follow and some content, for Pete's sake!

Meet a Book Blogger - Twinsie Talk Book Reviews (Angie Stanton)

*Waves* Hi. My name is Angie. I own and run Twinsie Talk Book Reviews with 4 other FANTASTIC ladies. Our blog will read and reviews any genre of romance book. We generally just grab something one of the 5 of us like and read it. Some of the authors we read are one-click favorites and some we find from review requests sent to us. We started blogging as mainly an erotica or paranormal blog but added more bloggers so more genres are now being covered. I THINK straight up horror is the only genre we don’t read.

We started blogging in October 2012 because we were so involved in a lot of authors' street teams. We felt blogging was the next logical step to scream out the love for our authors. We thought getting 1,000 followers would be cool…now we can’t wait to hit 14,000!!

Some people ask what our review style is……. Is Hot Mess a style??? LOL When I write a review I sit and purge my thoughts on paper. I am writing it like I am telling my best friend about the book. There are guaranteed to be typos or some kinda crazy grammer with ….. and a lot of !!!!! and lots of #Hashtags but that is totally me……. off the cuff and just spilling what I need you to know about the story.

If you are looking for a review that says something like “Mrs. Smith delighted us with her current release” type of review…. I am Not your girl. If you want a review that says “Sweet Baby Jesus she did it again and I am loving this book!” come and sit by me 😊

Unfortunately, because if Amazon banning bloggers for no reason, a few of us are in the naughty corner but the other still post reviews on Amazon. We all post on Goodreads and do a blog post for all our reviewed books. If you need a book review posted to B&N we will as long as we know to do it because we generally don’t have authors asking for reviews there.

Well thanks so much for reading my rambling. We hope you will jump over and say hi or even give us a like. We are always looking for new to us authors so if you can, please comment with an author you love and then we can maybe find a new author for us to love as well!!

Web: http://www.Twinsietalk.com
Facebook: http://www.Facebook.com/Twinsietalk
Twitter: https://www.Twitter.com/Twinsietalk
Tsu: http://www.Tsu.co/Twinsietalk
IG: http://www.instagram.com/twinsietalk
Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/brwkPv

Thanks so much for dropping by, Angie! It was awesome to meet you! Y'all go give this little lady some love!

Meet a Book Blogger - Bewitched Reader Book Blog (Stormi Johnson)

Hey everyone! *waves like a maniac*

My name is Stormi, and I write over at the Bewitched Reader Book Blog. I don’t like coffee. I’m obsessed with fuzzy blankets. I’m a member of the Hufflepuff house. Walking without tripping is a true struggle for me. Oh, and I love quotes! I even have a page on my blog dedicated to nothing but quotes.

Fantasy, specifically Harry Potter, was the genre that made me fall in love with reading. I’ve branched out a little since 8 year old me first checked out The Sorcerer’s Stone from my elementary school library. Romance novels, thrillers, and young adult books can now be found right next my fantasy novels on my bookshelves and Kindle. Well, maybe not right next to them. I’m very particular about the way my books are organized…

I started my book blog as a way to connect with other book worms in the world and have a place where I can talk as much as I want about the books I’m reading with people who understand my love of fictional worlds. I have met so many wonderful authors over the past year and half that I’ve been blogging. Sharing their books, both old and new, has become one of my favorite things to do in my free time. I post all of my reviews to Amazon, B&N, Goodreads, and Bookbub. For authors requesting a review. I do ask that your request include the title and genre of the book, as well as a short blurb and the desired time frame for the review.

If you’ve made it this far into my ramblings, thank you! I would love to have you follow me at one or all of the places below and to share a bit about yourself in the comments.

What are your favorite genres to read? What book made you fall in love with reading? What is your favorite quote?

Blog: https://bewitchedreader.wordpress.com/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/bewitchedreader/
FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/BewitchedReader/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewitchedreader/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BewitchedReader

Y'all go give this lovely lady a follow! Thanks for coming, Stormi! Nice to meet you!

Meet a Book Blogger - Post Apocalyptic Playground (Gaynor Smith)

WELCOME to my new twice-a-month feature! Because I hear everyone asking where all the bloggers have gone, I've decided to introduce you all to some of them. You'll get a little about the blog and the person (or people) behind it, their review policy, and all the links so you can follow them! First up, we have Post Apocalyptic Playground! Woooooohoooo!! Get goin'!

Hey everyone, my name is Gaynor, and I run the Post-Apocalyptic Playground book blog. Thank you so much to Jo for hosting this opportunity for us to get to know each other!

As a little bit about me, I am in the UK with my awesome husband and 2 little crazies who love to read as much as I do! I have a stressful muggle job by day which is why I love to escape into epic fantasy at night. I started the blog about 18 months ago as I felt that was a gap in the representation of some genres in the Indie blogging community, I wanted to help fill that gap and I kind of hope I have a little. Alongside with promo and reviews, I also hold my “bookish ramblings” where I like to share with my followers things that I have been up to, not only to do with books but also gaming, TV shows, and my new obsession of collecting bookish merchandise (I think I have more candles, teas, Funkos, and bookmarks on my shelf than books lol.) I am also an active bookstagrammer and occasional dabbler on twitter.

When it comes to reading, YA fantasy has to be my favourite genre of all time, but I love dystopian (1984 is one of my favourite reads) and science fiction as well. I’m pretty open as to the direction books take so if it loosely falls into one of the above I’m probably going to like it!

I’m going to come clean and say that I don’t have an active review policy on my blog, I’m kind of a “if I love it, I’ll review it” kind of girl. You won’t ever find a review on my blog that is fewer than 3 stars because I appreciate that firstly, not every book is for everyone, and secondly, I know exactly how much blood, sweat, and tears goes into writing a book, and who am I to bring that down? If you would like to approach me to review (and I am always humbled to be asked) please do. I will be open with you if it’s not my cup of tea, but if it’s on genre, the chances of that are slim ;) I don’t offer reviews on contemporary romance or erotica. I’m not against the content, however, I would just prefer it to be wrapped up in a fantasy world! As well as my blog, I also post my reviews to Amazon UK, Goodreads, and I share the review link on twitter.

You can find me in all kinds of places and I would be humbled if you wanted to contact me or follow me on any of these platforms:
Blog: https://post-apocalypticplayground.blogspot.co.uk/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/postapocalypticplayground/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/postapocalypticplayground/
Twitter: @PA_Playground

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this, if you have anything you want to ask me, then please go ahead in the comments, or if you wanted to get in touch privately you can contact me either via the Facebook page or at postapocalypticplayground [at] gmail [dot] com!

<3

For really, you guys! She's awesome. Go show her some love! Thanks for coming round and chatting at us, Gaynor!

How to: Write a Book Review

Happy Monday, everyone, and welcome to my new schedule! At the beginning of every week, you'll be getting a How to post to warm you up for the five work days ahead. These range from Photoshop tips and tricks to basic marketing plans and beyond. Be sure you subscribe to get all the yummy goodness in your inbox! Today is all about writing a book review. Yeah, you're probably thinking how easy it is, but let me tell you, I've seen some doozies. There are people out there who need to read this. Even if you think you have it down pat, keep going. See if there's something you might be able to do better.

Why am I writing this post? Because I saw a thread on FB yesterday where people (authors AND readers) were raging about the way reviewers review books. I thought perhaps I could help. Ready? Let's get going!

There are a few very simple steps to a book review (all of these are optional, of course):

• Talk about how it made you feel when XYZ happened.
• Talk about how well or poorly the plot was structured.
• Talk about the characters and why you liked or didn't like them or what they made you think of. Did you connect with any of them? Why?
• Talk about the formatting of the book.
• Talk about the pacing (too fast or too slow).
• Then talk about what the book left you with. Thoughts or feelings you had when you were done.

And it's that easy. You can even sum this up in just a couple of sentences. Like so:
This book blew me away when it twisted the way it did. I felt like Henry and Gina were two of my closest friends, and I didn't want to see that little hiccup; it made me cry. There was no way I could put this book down once I started! It flowed from beginning to end beautifully and kept me riveted to the pages. Highly recommended read!

Or, if you hated it:
I could barely finish this book. Because Henry and Gina were never given backstory, they felt very one-dimensional to me. There wasn't a single main, or secondary, character that I connected with. This plot dragged on and on, and it felt like the story was never going to end. I was left sorely disappointed.

See? Those aren't long, but they communicate the basic idea. You don't even have to include all of the above, but it sometimes helps people understand why you're rating the book the way you are.

Now, a lot of the people like to sum up the story. I strongly suggest trying to avoid this when possible. I mean, if the idea is to sell the book and surprise the reader, telling the whole plot in the review makes it so no one really needs to read the book, right? Don't talk about the story itself; talk about your feelings about the story.

Writing a book review isn't rocket science. You can do it, and it literally takes just a few minutes to make a lasting impact.

What do you like to see in a review? What do you not like to see?

Come on back tomorrow for one of MY book reviews! I'm playing catch up from this year, and first on the list is Misty Provencher's Weeds of Detroit!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

12 Days of Review Requests 2015 - Day 3

Happy Monday, and welcome to the 12 Days of Review Requests fun here on the Jo Michaels blog! If you missed the opening post, be SURE and check it out here. It has the Rafflecopter entry form for the iPad Mini. Each day, I'll post links to all the books pitched the previous day and a short recap of what I'm looking for you to put in the comments. Then, I'll have the Rafflecopter winner from the previous day, and the entry form for the current one along with the prizes. Let's get going!

 Books marked with an astrisks and in BOLD are winners.
(That doesn't mean your book wasn't chosen, only that it wasn't chosen today)

Marla Bradeen - The Amicable Divorce: A Chick-Lit Novel 3.99
Laila Raimes - Tiny Tragedies - The Sundry Files: An Alt World Book 3.99
***Sahara Foley - The Secret of Excalibur 2.99***
Andi O'Connor - The Lost Heir (The Dragonath Chronicles Book 1) 4.99
Julia Harney Stamps - Rest, My Love: Triple R Series 2.99
Colleen O'Felein - Eerie 2.99 (preorder Dec 15)
Heidi Angell - Angel's Dance (Clear Angel Chronicles) (Volume 2) 10.99 (paperback)
Kirsten Blacketer - An Irresistible Shadow (Shadow Guardians Book 1) 2.99
Morgan Reeves - Free to Fly (Never Ever After Book 1) 2.99
Jen Bradlee - The Prince of Whispers (Wicked Whispers Trilogy Book 1) 2.99
Mary J. Williams - If I Loved You (Harper Falls Book 1) 0.99
M. H. Soars - Wonderwall 2.99
***Suzanna Lynn - The Bed Wife Chronicles - Collector's Edition 4.99***
Casey L. Bond - Reap (The Harvest Saga Book 1) FREE
Christina Benjamin - The Geneva Project - Truth FREE
Corrissa James - So Wills the Heart: Book 4 in the Great Plains Romance Series 2.99
Angel L. Woodz - Bed of Thornes (Bed of Thornes Trilogy Book 1) 0.99
Intisar Khanani - Sunbolt (The Sunbolt Chronicles Book 1) 1.99
Laila Raimes - Shifter Fates: Elle's Claim 1.00
Shawn McGuire - Break My Bones (The Wish Makers Book 2) 3.99
Andi E. O'Connor - Awakening (The Dragonath Chronicles Book 2) 5.99
Nanette Day - Skeleton Dance 0.99
Brea Behn - Wolves in the Woods (Wolves Series, Book #1) 1.99
Heidi Angell - Elements of a Broken Mind (The Clear Angel Chronicles Book 1) 4.99
Sylvia Stein - Chasing Clarity 2.99
Terri Bruce - Hereafter (Afterlife #1) 0.99
Casey Hays - Breeder: Arrow's Flight Book #1 FREE
Bonnie Phelps - My Rodeo Man (The Texas Kincaids Book 1) 3.99
Christina Benjamin - The Geneva Project: Prequels - The Christmas Gift (Short Story) 0.99
Sahara Foley - It Lives in the Basement 2.99
RJ Blain - The Dawn of Dae (Dae Portals Book 1) FREE
Angel L. Woodz - Holiday's Presence FREE
Aaron-Michael Hall - The Rise of Nazil: Secret of the Seven 3.99

Congratulations to Suzanna Lynn! Your book has been tweeted, shared on Pinterest, added to my Goodreads TBR for the event, and shared on Facebook.

PITCH your book in the comments. Put your LINK in the Rafflecopter entry form. Tell me why you think I'll like it, why I should check it out, and a little about the story. DO NOT give me a synopsis. I can get that from Amazon. Make it personal or make it funny. I care not. I'll be grabbing a sample of every book pitched and go from there.

Please specify if you're entering as an author, a reader, or both. Author only entries will be removed before a winner is chosen.

IF you have a pre-order, please upload a SAMPLE to Google Drive and give people with the link permission to view. Put that link in the Rafflecopter form.

I strongly encourage you to check out the works of your fellow Indie authors. Chat in the comments, talk each other up, make friends!

Book reviewers! You're welcome to play along, too! Meet and greet authors. Get new books to read and review. It only works if we all work together.

**Kindly remember, there's no guarantee your book will be reviewed by me. You will get a purchase if your sample interests me, and I'll try my best to read it. But if I find I can't give it more than 2 stars, I won't write the review. I've had a few I couldn't finish and it led to me not giving a review.**

Now it's time to announce the winners from Friday's giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Today, we have a prize pack from Tara Benham and Mindy Ruiz! Be sure to thank them for their donations to this event!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I look forward to your pitches today!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Time for Books 2015 Review Team Signups

Happy Thursday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, I have a little surprise for you all. Something I've been thinking about doing for a while, but I'm just getting around to. Get your 2015 TBR list ready to be filled, and come join me for a ton of bookish fun. This will go hand in hand with the 12 Days of Review Requests event coming up in just a couple of weeks. Get all cozy and I'll explain what prompted me to do this.

As you all may know, I curate a book review magazine on Flipboard that I update weekly. If I can search a Twitter hashtag, it makes it easy to find and curate reviews without searching through a bunch of crap that doesn't go.

Plus, I think it'll be nice for the authors in the event to be able to come check out who reviewed their books and read/share some of those reviews.

I have almost 2k readers and over 30k shares of the reviews I put in my magazine so far. Anyone who joins up will be included in my roundup each week. So, that being said, here's what I'm asking you to do:

Go to this page and follow the instructions to sign up. Every time you post a book review on your blog, enter it here and tweet about it with one of the hashtags on that page (#2015ReviewTeam or #Time4Books).

Stick the pretty team badge on your website somewhere. This one:

Yeah, I went with a time theme because of UtopYA Con. *grin* But I like time for books because, let's face it, it's always time for books.

That's it. Just join up, read, and post and tweet your reviews. Let's work together to bring more exposure to all: authors and book bloggers.

If you'd like, you can also join the Goodreads event here. That way, you'll get a reminder the day before the pitch fest begins.

Thanks for being awesome, everyone!

I signed up as HUNGRY and pledge to read between 21-40 books in 2015!

What do you think? Did you sign up?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo