I love reading blogger interviews. It’s very cool to meet the people behind the blogs. So I decided to start my own feature. Welcome to Phantasmic Friends! If you are interested in being a feature, please fill out the form HERE.
I know that it’s been a couple weeks since my first interview, but I’m on the ball now! Today, I’m honored and excited to be hosting the sweet Rachel from Fiktshun! Rachel is a very busy lady in the blogging community. In addition to her own blogs (yes, plural!), she also runs Rockstar Book Tours with Jamie from Two Chicks on Books. Read on to find out what else Rachel is up to these days!
Let’s all welcome Rachel!
Hi Rachel and welcome to Phantasmic Friends! I’m thrilled I have the chance to get to know you better!
Hi Reanna! Thanks so much for having me on your lovely blog!
Please introduce yourself! Tell us a little (or a lot) about you:
Hi, my name is Rachel and I’m a book addict. Oh wait, that’s not right. Wrong venue. Oops. Starting over….
Hi, my name is Rachel but due to the existence of Twitter and other online social media hangouts I tend to answer to Fiktshun. (It’s a play on fiction – I know, I know, it’s not phonetically correct – AND no, I’m not related to the dancer dude on SYTYCD. No I do not think I can dance.) I’ve been lurking around the book blogosphere since November 2010 but I’ve been enjoying books since before I could read them.
I am probably older than most book bloggers – I check the 35-44 box on surveys – and I’m probably way more neurotic than most. I don’t always play well with others and I’m not really forgiving of imperfection. I am far from perfect myself and I’m likely my own worst critic, but mistakes drive me bonkers. So I try to surround myself with chill people who keep me from going off the deep end.
Oh and yes I tend to overuse clichéd phrases, ellipses and words like “apparently,” “seriously” and “anyway.”
I live in SoCal but I used to live in NYC. I do the bi-coastal thing. The idea of not living near an ocean kind of freaks me out. But I’m a Cali girl at heart and the longer I live out here the more freaked out I get about possibly moving back east.
Except for a few years when I set the books aside, reading has been my escape of choice. The worlds that an author builds are ones I love traveling through, the characters they create are ones I love – and sometimes hate – to meet. And there is no other thing in this world that can shut my mind off other than a book. Not television. Not film. Not sleep.
My lifelong dream was to become a writer – I say was as I’m not entirely sure that’s still true. As a small child I used to make up stories that I’d babble to my mom and dad. When I finally learned how to write I spent most of my time creating stories and writing them down. As I got older I discovered that handwriting was way too slow a way to put words down on the page and so I taught myself to type. I finished my first novel when I was fifteen and it’s probably the worst thing I’ve ever written. I guess that’s the problem with being a teen and having emotions that are all over the place.
But emotions aren’t such a bad thing. I was still a teenager when I met the love of my life – though a fairytale love story it was not. He’s incredibly supportive of my choice to blog about books and hopes that I’ll choose to pursue writing – something that has the potential to bring in income. He is not, however, a fan of YA and has not the first clue as to why I love it so much.
But then again he’s not a reader either. Well, not a reader of fiction. Though I hope he’s a reader of Fiktshun. (I’m guessing not.)
And now that I’ve put you to sleep I won’t feel so embarrassed about my answers to the other questions I’ve been tasked to answer. This rather long intro was the perfect way to lull you into a coma so you don’t have to find out how boring and long-winded I actually am.
How long have you been blogging? What type(s) of books do you blog about?
I’ve been blogging about books since November 2010 but I started my first blog in 2006. It was really just a bunch of randomness and aside from one or two accidental visitors it was just friends and family that stopped by. I had absolutely no clue about blogging way back when.
As for what I blog about these days? Mainly I blog about YA books as those are the books I like to read at this point in time. I read the occasional PNR/UF and am trying out a couple New Adult titles. But I only blog about what I’m interested in and these days it’s mostly YA.
Why did you decide to start?
I originally started Fiktshun in April/May 2010 as a way of getting myself back into writing. The Dude suggested that I should use my passion for reading to try and bootstrap myself into writing – I was in a really long slump – but I absolutely hated writing reviews, my friends weren’t really on board with the idea of posting articles/op-ed pieces and I couldn’t write a story to save my life.
But I did a reboot in November 2010 when I was given the opportunity to beta read a book for Amanda Hocking. The opportunity was only open to bloggers and writing a review was required. As I’d paid for a year worth of hosting for Fiktshun I figured I’d dust it off, do a quick redesign and see if I’d be eligible. I was incredibly lucky. I’ve been blogging almost daily ever since.
My motives may not have been entirely altruistic, but I’d love for you to point out an avid reader who wouldn’t jump at the chance to get an early read of a favorite author’s book and offer up their opinion.
Where are you blogging from?
A really comfy chair that I received as a gift. Oh… do you mean geographical location? I’m in Southern California, in Los Angeles County to be exact. I live very close to the water and am often disturbed by barking sea lions and party boats heading out for a booze cruise.
But I move a lot. I don’t like to stay in one place for long. So I’ll likely be blogging from somewhere else entirely a year from now.
What’s the best thing about book blogging? And the not so best?
This answer changes for me all the time. Right at this moment the best thing about book blogging is discovering some amazing books by some incredibly talented writers that I might never have discovered as a reader. It wasn’t always easy to find new authors’ books prior to becoming a blogger. I’ve learned a lot and it’s really helped me find some fantastic reads.
The not so best? There are quite a few. Plagiarism, drama, competitiveness, envy.
I’m not a thief but have had my words and ideas taken from me. I don’t enjoy drama but I’ve been embroiled in it on a couple occasions and have been worn down by it when I’ve witnessed it affecting others – those I know and those I don’t. I’m only competitive with myself but have felt steamrolled a couple of times by others who were. And during a particularly bad month (December 2011) I was attacked by the green monster when a book I desperately wanted and expected was never sent to me and yet others received multiple copies. I made a drastic change in how I blogged from that point forward and have never felt that emotion again when it came to blogging.
How do you spend your time outside of blogging and reading?
I have a full-time job which takes up a large chunk of my day. I try to get three to six hours of sleep each night, though I wish I could eliminate sleep altogether. So during the week there’s not much else I do outside of work and blogging except watch the occasional “must see TV” show.
On weekends I hang out with The Dude, unwind, go to the movies. I’m kind of lame, actually. Though I’ve finally taken it upon myself to take sailing lessons and become a certified sailor, which is something I’ve wanted to do since I was eighteen. Hopefully by next summer I’ll have passed the three or four courses required and will be able to take a bareboat charter to Catalina.
[Reanna] Now that sounds like lots of fun!
You, along with Jamie from Two Chicks on Books, started Rockstar Book Tours. You ladies provide a wonderful service for authors – free of charge. Other than your undying love for books (and authors), what were some reasons you decided to launch a tour site?
That was and is my only reason for doing it. I’d noticed a number of for-pay services popping up and I may pondered about that on Fiktshun’s Facebook page. When I asked Jaime she said she’d noticed too and agreed that free promo is where it’s at and that helping out authors is reward enough. When she said we could totally do that and then we should totally do that I quickly agreed and less than 24 hours later we had the site up and running.
I could not have imagined, nearly a year later, the number of tour services that have cropped up since then. It’s mind-boggling.
I can’t even imagine the work that goes into setting up ONE tour, let alone many. What are some challenges you face as a tour coordinator?
There is a lot of organization involved with a tour and juggling. Once you’ve done a few it gets easier in that there’s a framework that’s already built. As someone who is a bit obsessive compulsive I’m a stickler for deadlines so, for me, there are a lot of obstacles.
I won’t go into all the challenges involved but the biggest one for me is when a blogger signs up, receives a review copy for a review stop or receives a completed post for an interview or guest post stop and then just disappears. No email to alert you to the fact that they’ll be missing their stop. No post. Nothing. An empty day on the tour absolutely kills me.
I’ve gotten used to the late posts and last minute notifications about not being able to review. I’m trying to not let it irk me. Though I don’t think I’ll ever be okay with someone backdating a post and a month later telling me it was there all along.
And, of course, for me, being as anti-social as I am, sharing posts via social media is always a challenge. I can never seem to “@” an author or publisher when sharing tweets about their book on tour. Jaime is much better at that than I am.
In August, you had a short story published in the anthology “Love Stinks”. (It was wonderful, by the way!) Do you have any plans to expand on that story? Or do you have something else in the works, perhaps?
Oh my gosh you read it? *Dies.* Someone actually asked me about that on Facebook. I hadn’t planned on anything more than what I’d written. But as soon as they mentioned it, the first line of a follow-up short story popped into my head. I’d share it here, but for those that haven’t read “Love Bites” – and they are many – it would be spoiler-y.
And I have a lot of things in the works. Always. I’m still fighting with my WIP, which is around 250 pages and is sorely in need of an edit and an ending. I have about 6 short stories knocking around in my brain and I’m currently working on two – “The Interview” which took an unexpected dark turn and the next installment in “The Cop and the…” series.
But those shorts are all freebie stories I post on one of my blogs. I haven’t really thought about writing anything for publication.
[Reanna] I did read it! I bought “Love Stinks” the day it came out
What’s your guilty pleasure?
Um… what rating are we talking about here? Ha! Just kidding… kind of. I love getting my blogs redesigned and I feel both incredibly happy and awfully guilty when I do. If I were let loose in a mid-century modern design store I might not be able to curb my spending. I spend way too much money and time getting fashion color streaks put in my hair. Oh and In-N-Out Burger’s off-the-menu grilled cheese sandwich is a total guilty pleasure.
Do you prefer ebooks, paperbacks or hardcover? How come?
eBooks FTW. I like being able to walk out of my house with only my cell phone and have any one of my 1500+ eBooks available to me. I used to own tons of beautiful hardcover books and umpteen bookshelves to house them, but they were such a responsibility and took up so much space in my super small NYC apartment at the time. The minimalist in me loves the eBook format as does the control freak. Though I love to look at hardcovers on a shelf and to read trade paperbacks. I do not enjoy mass market paperbacks and am somewhat allergic to the paper.
What are you currently reading, or what did you recently finish?
I am currently reading A LITTLE TOO FAR by Lisa Desrochers. It’s actually a MM print copy and it’s signed so it’s a bit of a challenge – no eating or drinking anywhere near it, no bending of the spine, etc. – but it’s yummy so far. Recent reads were THE BURNING SKY by Sherry Thomas – awesome – and ENDLESS KNIGHT by Kresley Cole – a book I have not yet recovered from.
What was the last book that blew you away?
ENDLESS KNIGHT by Kresley Cole. I have really eclectic reading tastes and there are certain elements that elevate books beyond the “amazing” level for me. Bad things have to happen. I have to be emotionally invested in the characters. I have to feel a pit in my stomach or as if a weight is pressing on my chest. I have to want to scream at the injustice or at the cliffhanger ending. I have to be torn to shreds when said bad thing happens. And there has to be a love story that borders on tragic for at least a little while.
What are three things you never leave the house without?
Sunglasses. Amex card. iPhone with Kindle App.
What are some of your favorite books?
I’m just listing some. Because I have a lot of favorites. Try hundreds. The Dark Tower series by Stephen King. The Long Walk by Stephen King. Paint it Black by Janet Fitch. The Soul Screamers series by Rachel Vincent. Anathema by Rachel Vincent. The Arcana Chronicles by Kresley Cole. Watership Down by Richard Adams. Replay by Ken Grimwood. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver. The Wildefire series by Karsten Knight. The My Blood Approves series by Amanda Hocking. The Between the Lines series by Tammara Webber. Slumber by Samantha Young. And a certain book I can’t name as I’m not sure I’m allowed to admit I’ve read it by an author who will probably torment me if they knew I was talking about it here. Though they’d probably torment me anyway.
Oh and I love Julie Kagawa’s world in her Immortal Rules books. I sigh for Kai in Wendy Higgins’ series. Courtney Allison Moulton wowed me with her Angelfire trilogy. C.J. Redwine, Lesley Livingston, Cassandra Clare, Holly Black, Lisa McMann, Sarah Rees Brennan, Leah Clifford, Joelle Charbonneau, Page Morgan, Jessica Spotswood, Tahereh Mafi – WARNER!!!! – Katie McGarry, Jenna Black, Gena Showalter – Cole Holland 4Ever! – Chloe Neill, Jeaniene Frost, Kasie West… Shoot you said just a few…. Oops.
I love my books and authors, what can I say. If forced to choose one author it will forever be Stephen King but why should I have to choose?
If a fairy godmother told you could be put into the world of your favorite book for 24 hours, which book would you pick and why?
Oh sweet mercy. My favorite worlds are dark ones. Stephen King’s Waste Lands are the stuff of nightmares. And I wouldn’t want to be caught in Kresley Cole, Gena Showalter or Rachel Vincent’s worlds either. Must. Start. Reading. Happy books!
If you could have dinner with any three authors, who would you choose and why?
Stephen King, Rachel Vincent and Scott Tracey. Why? It’s Stephen-freaking-King! And no, we would NOT be going for Chinese food. Yes, Mr. King ruined fortune cookies for me.
But the four of us would make for a very interesting dinner party wouldn’t we?
[Reanna] It would be an interesting evening, I’m sure!
Favorite book from childhood?
How young are we talking? I did love LITTLE BEAR by Else Holmelund Minarik. I loved Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O’Brien, Watership Down by Richard C. Adams, The Cricket in Times Square by Geore Selden, Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White, all the Agatha Christie books, the Nancy Drew books, the Little House on the Prairie books, the Sweet Valley High books, Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes and so many others. Oh and Tuck Everlasting, The Phantom Tollbooth, Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
By age nine I was in love with S.E. Hinton, The Hobbit, the original Dune trilogy. At ten I was hooked on Danielle Steel and Herman Raucher and by age eleven it was the classics – Dostoyevsky and Dickens were favorites. And at thirteen I discovered King and Ludlum and I read those until I stopped reading during my sophomore year of high school. A dry spell that lasted for the remainder of my teen years and then some.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with fellow bloggers?
There is no right or wrong way to blog – as long as you blog honestly. It’s your blog. Blog in a way that makes you happy. Don’t listen to anyone who tells you how you should blog, what you should read, what your reviews should consist of, what types of reviews you write. If you blog to be a part of the community then enjoy being a part of the community. If you’re using your blog to get your foot in the door in the industry, then work toward making those connections, building your reputation and brand. If you blog just because you love to read and the people in your life are sick of hearing about it, well, blogging will likely make you want to talk MORE about it, so they can just deal.
It’s not a competition, there’s room for everyone who wants to share their thoughts. There are friends to be made. There are authors to fan over. There are books to be read. Just be you. If someone else doesn’t like it?
Well in the immortal words of Shawn and Gus…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydGgi1YwON8
Speed Round:
Favorite TV show(s)? Now? Suits and The Vampire Diaries.
Favorite Movie(s)? Twilight.
Just kidding. This time I am just kidding.
Ugh. I’ve seen thousands. I’m partial to the films of John Hughes. But, The Matrix, The Crow, Empire Records, The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, Superman, Underworld. Gah! I know I’m forgetting a ton.
Milk, white, or dark chocolate? Dark
Dogs or cats? Cats
Pie or cake? Pie
Coffee or tea? Coffee
Name a place you’d love to visit someday: Ireland or Iceland… or if we’re talking fantasy lands? Atlantis. Oooh, or Mordor.
If you could have any superpower what would you choose? The ability to fly. I still haven’t recovered from an intensely real dream I had as a child in which I could fly. I still wonder if it was real.
Rachel, thanks so much for spending a little time with us today. It’s been great!
Thank you so much for having me. I’m sorry I rambled on for such a long, long, long, long time!
Where to find Rachel:
Fiktshun | Fiktshun After Dark | The Annex | The WastelandZ | Tumblr | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads