Behind the Mind of a Book Blogger

Ever wonder why book bloggers do what they do? So do I. That's why I've decided to interview a few. Please join me for this very first Behind the Mind of a Book Blogger series of interviews. Here is the first one.

Please welcome the awesome, beautiful, and always delightful Anna Dase to my blog.

Anna is a book blogger. She reviews books and helps authors promote their books. She does not get paid to do this. Book bloggers never get paid to review books. They do it out of the goodness of their BIG hearts! And today I salute Anna Dase.

I've been able to pull Anna away from her own blog, which is Read Between The Lines, by the way, to come answer some questions I thought might help authors get to know her and why she does what she does.

Welcome to my blog, Anna. I’ve been a guest on your blog several times, so I thought it would be awesome if you stopped by mine and let my readers get a little acquainted with you and some of the wonderful things that you do for us writers. Because without wonderful book bloggers like you, we’d be lost and unknown, struggling to find readers for our beloved creations.

1.  You run a very lively book review blog. Can you tell us how you got started?

First, I would like to thank you for the compliment. I work hard maintaining it. To answer your question, one day I was on twitter tweeting with the awesome Jennifer L. Armentrout and she gave me a copy of Daimon to read and to let her know what I thought. 

Yep, Anna really does now Jennifer, see? Lucky lady. Sorry for that little interruption, I'll let Anna continue...

Well like everyone else I loved it and told her I could put a review up on Goodreads if she liked, because I did not have a blog. This was October of 2011. She said I should get a blog and I told her I did not even know where to start and that is when she told me I needed to get one because she knew I could run a good blog. So, I started looking into setting up a blog. I first tried Wordpress and was not at all impressed so I gave Blogger a try and found that I liked it. Maybe a week after starting my blog—still no post at all on it—I received an email from Stacey from Entangled Publishing saying she heard about me through Jennifer Armentrout and was wondering if I wanted to participate in a blog tour for Jus Accardo with her book Touch. I said sure what do I need to do? I am new at this. The rest is history. I will be blogging 1 year on October 28 2012.

2.  What is it that you love most about blogging?

I love meeting new authors and the interaction with other readers and bloggers. I have had a love for reading ever since I was a little girl and if you ask my friends and family, I live in a library lol so I guess I should have been blogging way before I ever started.

3.  What are your favorite genres to review?

I love Paranormal and just about all of the sub-genre that fall under that. I enjoy reading steampunk and dystopian and here lately I have been reading more and more erotic and finding that I really enjoy that genre as well. My favorite will always be Paranormal though whether it is Adult or YA. I love my supes.

4.  Are there any special requirements that you need in order to review a book?

When asked to review a book I always want a synopsis sent with the request not just the cover. I do not want opinions from someone else I like to form my own opinions. As for special requirements no, but I do not guarantee I will except all review inquiry’s. I will never ever guarantee a 5 star review I am sorry. I will give you my honest opinion at all times.

5.  What happens when you’ve agreed to review a book but it turns out to be the book from hell?

In this case, I will contact the author via email. I do not believe in bashing anyone. I have been bashed before and it is very hurtful. I do not condone negativity of any sort. I was bashed when I first started blogging and just recently when I gave a 3.5 rating and I wanted to quit blogging.

So glad you didn’t. It would have been a sad day on planet earth and a great loss to the writing community. Authors depend on wonderful bloggers like you, so please, please, never stop!

6.  Some book reviewers like this and some don’t. Do you like when an author comments on your reviews?

Actually yes. I do like it when the author leaves a comment. It means that at least they stopped by to see what you have done for them.


7.  You have a beautiful blog, Read Between The Lines, and I know it was designed by Always Purrty Design, but how did you come up with the name?

Once again, thank you. Autum @ AlwaysPurrty Designs is extremely talented. As for the name, I was brain storming for a couple of days before I came up with this name. Finally I said to my husband people need to read between the lines for there is always some sort of hidden context in everything you see. So that is how I got the name Read Between The Lines.

8.  Do you have any special plans for the future of RBTL?

Actually yes I do. I am starting a blog touring service for authors and publishers. RBTL’s World Of Books Blog Touring Services where I will offer authors and publishers blog tour services at affordable prices. Of course, I promise to share with the world one book at a time up and coming authors as well as established authors.

9.  Can you tell us a little about what you offer authors?

I offer Reviews, Author Spotlights, Book Spotlights, & Interviews. Just about anything to help promote their work.

10.  How many books do you read in a month. Approximately.

Wow, this is a tough one because it depends on many aspects but generally I can do 3 - 6 books a month if not more.

11.  If you were on a desert island, what book would you like to have with you, knowing you’d be reading it over and over again?

This is not fair because I could not take just one book I would have to take my kindle LOL that way I can have many books. But I guess if it has to be just one (this is probably going to come as a shock) considering what my favorite genre is… are you ready for it…? The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Tom Sawyer. I read that book in the 4th grade and I loved it. That book took me on the journey of a lifetime going down the Mississippi River.

12.  What do you like to do when you are not blogging or reading?

Actually I love spending time with my husband and my teenage daughter when I can get her out of her room, but blogging is a full time job LOL. So there is not much down time. I also enjoy doing crafts and drawing which is something I have not done in a while.

13.  Someone asked me this question a while ago and I thought it was a good one, and since I know your favorite number is 13, I had to ask one more. Someone has given you a time-machine. What period of history do you go back to first, and why?

The Victorian Era just because I love it. I think that is why I enjoy reading Steampunk I just love that era.

Here are some silly and fun questions to let the readers get to know the real you.

Chocolate or Vanilla?

Vanilla

Beach, Lake or Pool?

Hmmm… I love the water so all three sound good to me.

What is your favorite adult beverage?

I love Margaritas

What is your favorite food?

I love seafood and anything that my honey cooks for me. My husband is a very good cook.

Thank you, Anna, for sharing a little about yourself here on my blog today.


Thank You for having me it was a pleasure spending time on your blog. Happy Reading !!!!

And Happy Reading from me,