Bookworm Galore with The Cover Contessa

Tell us about yourself and your blog.

My name is Brooke. I am formally of the blog The Cover Contessa.  I do all sorts of stuff on my blog: reviews, ARC reviews, interviews, memes, book blasts and book tours.

When did you start book blogging?

I started in March of 2012.

Name your favourite book/s and why.

Oh, so many to name! LOL! I am in love with Jennifer L. Armentrout’s Covenant series. It is spectacular. I also love Tahereh Mafi’s Shatter Me Series and Cassandra Clare’s Infernal Devices and Mortal Instrument series’. I really just love to read and I’ll try just about anything.  I mostly stick to the young adult genre focusing on paranormal and dystopian. I have a few indies that I really love, as well: Christine Fonseca, David Estes, Stephanie Judice. If you haven’t read them, you really should!

While I was writing The Scarlet Omen, I tried to keep in mind what I as a reader love while staying true to my writing style. In your opinion, what do readers look for in a book?

I think readers need a good plot line and well fleshed out characters. I need to be able to connect to the characters, to understand them and they need to be realistic (even if the plot line involves something supernatural or out of this world). I tend to gravitate towards books that grab me right from the start, so I need something that will start off with some kind of a bang. Personally, I like books that are well edited. I have read a few that have really needed some more going over and it really bugs me, probably because my first college degree is in English! LOL!

If you could be a character from any book, who would you choose to be and why?

Oh, I would definitely be Alex from The Covenant Series for sure. Why, you ask, well because I’d get to be with Aiden and what would be better than that??? J

What are the things that you love and hate about being a book blogger?

I love all the connections I have made with other readers, fellow bloggers and authors. It’s so great to get out there and see all these different personalities and thoughts on things. And it educational to boot! Sometimes, as a blogger, I feel like it is expected that I post every day and that I remember EVERYTHING people tell me. I’m a blogger for fun, I have a job and family and a house to run, so sometimes things slip through the cracks. I hate to disappoint people.

Do you have any recommendations for authors or readers who are thinking about starting their own blogs?

Make your layout easy. I hate blogs that are difficult to navigate. Make interesting posts. Connect with other bloggers to get ideas and don’t be afraid to contact authors. I find most authors love to do things for bloggers because it helps get their books noticed. Be organized. I use a lot of Google Drive spreadsheets and I have a template for my author questions and such. Have a calendar that’s easy to read and that might give you reminders of what you have set up. And try to get ahead of your posts if you can. I try to do at least 3 days at a time of posts, though it doesn’t always work out this way. Most of all—have fun blogging. If it becomes something you don’t enjoy, then it’s going to be reflected in your posts.

Thanks so much for that insightful interview, Brooke! Readers, here’s where you can go check out The Cover Contessa’s other Internet Escapades....

Blog: www.thecovercontessa.com
Twitter: @covercontessa
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCoverContessa
Blog Email: bhwrn1@gmail.com
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/bhwrn1/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/7295635-the-cover-contessa

Watcha Doin' with Jide Forbes

Author Bio:

Well…honestly I don’t even know where to start from, it’s been a long journey. But I’ll put it simple and straight. I am Jide Ojeniyi, I write with the pseudonym Jide Forbes, born on October 22 1983. I write Christian Literature, Short-stories, Children’s Fiction and Articles. I studied Computer Science at the Lagos State University, graduated 2009. After that I proceeded to the Daystar Leadership Academy for a short course in Basic Leadership in 2010, the following year I was short-listed for a Professional course tagged Youth Enterprise with Innovation organized by the Federal Government at the Lagos Business School/Pan African University. In 2012 I was also short-listed for Project Empowerment Professional training organized by St. Augustine’s College USA in partnership with Centre for Enterprise Development & Action Research (CEDAR). When I was in school, I and my team created a new product we tagged “Six-Dimensional Branding” which we proposed to Blue Chip companies to promote their Brand. I am also a dedicated Entrepreneur into creating new innovations in the E-merchant Industry.

What inspired you to take up writing?

My God and my passion to display my God-given talent.

What do you love most about being Storyteller?

I love to showcase my creativity in storytelling to the entire world. And to tell stories from different cultures all across the globe.

Which character from one of your books do you think you most resemble?

Hmmm…I can’t really think of any now. I tell my stories based on my own creative imagination. I like to mix history with fiction.

If you could go back in time, where and when would you go?

Well I have never thought of going back in time, rather I would prefer going into the future and peeping into how great it looks.

Please tell us a little about your latest release and the challenges you faced writing it.

The Book I am about to release is the “Jolly Roger Trilogy; A tale of the Marauders.”  It is the first fiction to combine three Legends together. Divided in three parts, set in the 11^th century, this story is a mini-series of complex, multi-layered thriller adventure that brings three different legends together in one fiction- “It was a battle of death as hell was let loose when the three most dangerous groups of sea robbers incidentally collided on an island. With each group claiming Supremacy and ownership of the island, they devised various means of wiping out each other...”  I wrote this Book for four years and I made deep concrete research about the Pirates, Vikings and the Buccaneers for me to successfully create a thriller/adventure story. I also submitted it for the Commonwealth Literary Award 2013, I hope I win.

What do you think about the role of book bloggers in the literary world? Do you have a favourite blogger?

Hmmm I don’t really have a favourite blogger per se and I think Book Bloggers are doing a fantastic job. I mean this is the Information Age, we need to make a great impact online for our presence to be felt.

How do you think writing and book marketing have changed over the decades? What are the implications for authors today?

To me writing has not really changed, what I’ve noticed is that we now have more writers out there. It seems more young people are beginning to discover their passion for writing. The introduction of the E-Book has made it easier to get your works published and sold over the internet which is good for the Industry. As Authors we just need to Brand ourselves and learn to promote our works on an International level, that way the sky will be the stepping stone for us.

Any words of wisdom:

The words of wisdom I have would be one of my favourite quotes by John Mason “Imitation is Limitation” which also happens to be one of my favourite Books.

Thanks, Jide! Readers, here’s a message from Jide:

Readers please feel free to download my first publication titled “Heavenly Wars” it‘s free!

Just click on the link below:

http://www.bibliocracy.com/e-books/religion-and-spirituality/heavenly-wars

 

 

 

 

Watcha Doin' with Lakeshia Ramsey

Author Bio:

Hello my name is Lakeshia Ramsey. I am 27 years old, and as a young child life was not easy for me growing up without my biological mother, being raped on 3 different occasions as well being in an abusive relationship was very hard. It would be for anyone. People that know me look at me and say “you are a strong lady”. Well, you would have thought a smart, beautiful, educated woman as myself would never go through what I have been through. People look and ask how I made it out of the projects? How did I overcome this tragic life that I lived in? I look at them and just say JESUS!!! He is a healer a provider and if you just call on Him He will be there. He brought me out of my mess and blessed me beyond what I asked for. I am happily married and living the life that my Lord has ordered for me!!!   God will use anybody to spread the gospel!! I am still a baby in Christ and some time we all fall short of His glory but if we believe and have faith nothing is too hard for God. All my life I wanted to write a book and God had that in my path but I just had to wait on his calling. So I live and breathe by the word of God.

What inspired you to take up writing?

My trials and tribulations have inspired me to write. I consider my writing to be a blessing from God. I could not sit back and know that god has ordained me to do something and not obey.

What has been your happiest encounter on your journey as a Storyteller?

My happiest encounter on my journey as a story teller has been just blessing people with my testimony. Just being able to spread the gospel along with me telling people how God has blessed me when I did not deserve His grace and mercy.

If you could be anyone for a day, who would it be and why?

I don’t think I would want to be like anyone else because God has made me the way He wanted me to be.

What is your favorite movie and why?

My favorite movie is ‘Women thou art loosed’ by Bishop T.D. Jakes. The reason this is my favorite movies is because I see myself in that movie. It reminds me of my abuse but it also lets me know that God never gave up on her and He did not give up on me. We might have had trauma in our life but god used our traumas for someone else to get the glory.

Please tell us a little about your latest release and the challenges you faced while writing it.

Right now I only have one book released and that is ‘A destiny god ordained’. The challenges I have faced while writing my testimony is just knowing that the world would read this book and some people that is involved in my book would read this and dislike me even more than before. It was a lot of fear but after praying to God and just asking for peace a week later my book was out and published. He led me to do what was right because this was not about me…this was all for him.

I’ve come across some really rude posts by readers on Amazon about self-published authors. What is your opinion about the lack of respect shown to people on online bookstores (authors and their books or just people in general)?

It is their opinion and they are allowed to have them. Just don't let it keep you from doing what you want to do. If they are on board with a major house then they should count their blessing. Because there is always someone who just may get discovered who takes their place.

Any words of wisdom for our readers:

My words of wisdom would be to keep God in all that you do Nothing is too hard for god. Follow your dreams if you dream it do it.  Remember nothing is ours but everything is God’s Last but not least something that keeps me going is pray about everything and worry about nothing.

I take my hat off, Lakeshia...your bravery is inspiring. Hey Readers, if you would like to see what else Lakeshia's up to, please go to the links below.

www.adestinygodordained.org

http://www.amazon.com/Destiny-God-Ordained-Lakeshia-Ramsey

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-destiny-god-ordained-lakeshia-ramsey