Monday Mashup (1): Picked by Poison

Welcome to the Monday Mashup, a no frills but all thrills meme with no commitment issues!  Just fun getting to know fellow bloggers. This blog is hosted by Amy H of DJ Librarian Dishes and Poison Rose of Picked by Poison.  All we want to do is introduce you to your fellow bloggers whom you may or may not know and share the blog love!

If you'd like to be featured or know someone you'd like us to feature, contact either Amy or Poison. Welcome to the Meme and enjoy getting to know another blogger.

Today's featured blogger is: Picked by Poison

1. Please tell us a little bit about yourself: Who are you?

My name is Sara. I'm a single mom and Web Designer up here in MN. I have a 7 year old son, Ryan who is in second grada.. I'm a jewelry addict! I have so many pieces, but I wear the same set almost daily, with the exception of holidays/ special occasions.

2.  How long have you been blogging?  

Its been a little over a full year since Picked by Poison got started.

3.  Why did you get into blogging?
I got into blogging after I got into Romance last year. I know sad, isn't it. Here I am at 33 and JUST getting into romance and all the steamy stuff..LOL. My Fav. Author, Laura Kaye, was still unknown before then to most, as she was still doing fan-fiction at the time. BUt she was at that point in the beginning phase of writing Forever Freed and posting a few chapters on textnovel.com - next thing I knew it was pulled and being published, so I sat in wait for almost a year before Lucien finally got his story.... *le sigh*

4.  What are you currently reading, or what is your favorite book you have read so far in 2012?

Hard choice at first, but I have to go with Big Came (the V V Inn Series #3) by CJ Ellisson because I have been waiting for a while for the book, CJ has gone through some rough patches to get it out, but delayed it for good reason.

5.  What is your favorite feature on your blog (i.e. author interviews, memes, something specific to your blog)?

Author Interviews hands down. I get to ask about back-stories of characters, research whats to come and my set of fun questions for all the authors I've been lucky to interview.

6.  Where do you see your blog in five years?
Overbooked on mysite with request from author's on from Book Tours to keep it a one person gig. At my reading page I’m only getting in one book a week, and I'm not getting to the series I want to read with my commitments. Brutal honesty there.

7.  Which is your favorite post that you have written that you want everyone to read?Easy! Interview with CJ Ellisson, Vivian and Rafe.

8.  If you could eat dinner with any author or character, who would it be and why?
Oh, great question! With Author it would have to be Jodi Redford. She is funny, witty, and writes a sex scene that can involve objects one would NOT think can be sexy! Have you seen her guest post about Home Depot?!?!? Read it Here.

As far as characters I'd go with my first love, Lucien Demarco from Laura Kaye's Forever Freed He was my first true Romance love, and part of what got me into romance again. And got me into Paranormal Romance all around. He holds a special place on my "Book Boyfriends" list...LOL

9.  What literary location would you most like to visit? Why?
Detroit or NY where Forever Freed took place. I want to see the places described by Lucien and Sam.

10.  What is your favorite part about the book blogging community? Is there anything that you would like to see change in the coming years?
Meeting new book bloggers and making new friends. :)  Local groups which have lists of bloggers by region/state so I know who else is here in my area.

11.  Have your reading tastes changed since you started blogging? How?
Not as much as one would think. I still try and stay with Romance mostly, but I do go into some of the darker toned books in the PNR genre and some horror as well. I have also delved more into erotica lately as I'm finding some great Authors who can write it how I like it.

And About You: 

12.  Tell us three non-book-related things that everyone reading your blog may not know about you.
I’m a roller-coaster enthusiast. I would love to join American Coaster Enthusiasts (A.C.E.) and travel around going from one amusement park to another riding roller coasters day in and day out! LOL

I’m a very stubborn Capricorn; I don’t like being told how to do things. I would prefer to try my own way and either watch it fail and try again of find I can succeed with my own methods.
I collect pins from places I’ve been as souvenirs.

 

13.  What do you like to do in your downtime (besides read of course)?
I like to go out with my friends, whenever we can all find the time; otherwise I love to attend concerts – seeing Seether in October, Halestorm and Trans-Siberian Orchestra in December.

14.  If you were given a break to do one thing on your “bucket list” what would you do?
Eesh, morbid thought. Hmm…I might try writing, but my grammar and English would have to be professionally edited extensively!

15.  If you went to your dream vacation spot where would we find you?
As of lately, I would love to be in another Disney resort. They are so much fun and loaded with amenities and the parks are never ending fun!

16.  What are some of your hobbies and interests you enjoy?
I love designing my son’s Birthday invitations and thank you cards. I don’t like the non-customized “boxed” invitations and such.
I love doing web design – I volunteered and took on doing my son’s PTO website for his school.

I collect pins from places I’ve been as souvenirs.

Flash round:

17.  Cake or pie?  Hands down, Cake!

18.  Coffee or tea?)  Neither – give me hot cocoa or apple cider!

19.  Beach or mountains?  Beach

20.  Night owl or morning dove?  Night Owl!

Thank you so much for visiting, Poison!  It's always great to learn more about blogging friends.  You're the peachiest! *huggles*

Booking Through Thursday



Book Through Thursday is a weekly meme about (mostly) books and reading hosted here. (I know it's kind of late in the day, but after seeing Karen's answers over at Book World in My Head, I thought it'd be fun to participate.)

1. What's your favorite time of day to read?

I could read at any time of day, but I tend to read more in the afternoon and evening. My two 15 minute breaks at work are most welcome when it comes to reading.

2. Do you read during breakfast? (Assuming you eat breakfast.)

No, I prefer checking the news and Google Reader during breakfast.

3. What's your favorite breakfast food? (Noting that breakfast foods can be eaten any time of day.)

Eggs, bacon, and toast, most definitely, though it does depend on what I'm hungry for.

4. How many hours a day would you say you read?

Anywhere from 1 to 4 hours, usually more on the weekends if I'm really absorbed in a book.

5. Do you read more or less than you did, say, 10 years ago?

Actually since I was starting to have more of an extracurricular life in high school, I wasn't reading as much as before 10 years ago.  I'd say my amount of reading is probably close to the same as it was 10 years ago if not a bit more. (College will limit your pleasure reading.)


6. Do you consider yourself a speed reader?


I might have been once upon a time, but now I usually prefer to savor my books. I know in the past I could read 4 books at the same time and still keep everything straight. However, when you're wanting to really get the story, it's better to work on one book at a time.


7. If you could have any superpower, what would it be?


I'd want instant teleportation. Imagine being able to be anywhere in the world with just a thought! "I'm craving sushi. Japan here I come!" "Boyfriend wants to see his family in Germany. Now we're knocking on the front door, saying, 'Guten tag, wie geht es Ihnen?'" How cool would that be?


8. Do you carry a book with you everywhere you go?


Yes. It's the times that I'm caught without a book that I find I need it most.


9. What KIND of book?


Usually YA or Fantasy or Paranormal, sometimes book and sometimes ebook. It usually depends on what I'm reading at the time.


10. How old were you when you got your first library card?


If I recall correctly, I think I was 6 and it was a school library card.


11. What's the oldest book you have in your collection? (Oldest physical copy? Longest in the collection? Oldest copyright?)


My oldest physical copy and the one with the oldest copyright is a copy of Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beacher Stowe from 1901. It is in such tatters, it's more of a collector's item than a read item. The one that's the longest in my collection is a copy of Mother Goose's Nursery Rhymes and Stories. The spine is coming off the cover, but I still have it from my childhood and wouldn't give it up for the world.


12. Do you read in bed?


Definitely! It's nice to end the day with a couple of chapters from my current read.


13. Do you write in your books?


Definitely not! I want to preserve books as long as possible, and to write in a book is just criminal to me (especially as a librarian, and I cringe each time I see writing in one of my library's books even if it's in pencil). If you want to make a note on a particular page, use a post-it note or jot it down in a notebook.


14. If you had one piece of advice to give a new reader, what would it be?


Always find time in the day to read, even if it's just 15 minutes. You'd be amazed at how much you can get through a book with reading just 15 minutes a day.


15. What questions have I NOT asked at BTT that you'd love me to ask?

Since this is my first time participating, I'm not sure what I could add here.