Category: #LoveMyReviewers

Today I’m talking to someone I’ve known for a few years now, but never met in person! She’s a great lady and an inspirational blogger on all things from books, family life/parenting – to product reviews over at V Family Fun! I’ll let Kate introduce herself:

Hi, I’m Kate. I’m a mum of 3 (4 if you include the dog), wife of 1 and blogger of 2. I blog about our family life on V Family Fun and share my thoughts on the books I read on Me, My Books and I. Obviously I love my family and reading but I also love coffee, cupcakes and all things sparkly.

 

When did you set up your blog and how has it changed since you began?

Me, My Books and I was set up a few years ago, I was reading so many books and wanted somewhere to share my thoughts on them. To begin with it was a very busy blog but when I became pregnant with our third baby I had no choice but to slow it down. I even stopped completely for a while after she was born. Nowadays I post book reviews as and when I can and I feel like I’m in a happy routine with it.  I started V Family Fun at the beginning of this year, I missed blogging and the blogging community but seeing as most of my time was filled with baby stuff I had to decide whether to change my book blog or start a whole new one – obviously I chose the second option and I’m so glad I did. I feel like I have the best of both worlds and I can blog about all aspects of my life!

How do you fit your online work into a busy life as mum?

The older two children are at school so they don’t really affect my blogging, I do it when they’re at school. It can be tricky with little one though especially when you receive messages in the daytime that you really want to reply to but can’t because she is awake! She usually has a two hour nap at some point in the day so I type up blog posts then and when she goes to bed at night I try to catch up with social media and reply to messages/emails etc. This is also my reading time. I use my iPhone to catch up when I’m out and about (little one is safely strapped in her pushchair or car seat so I make the most of that time).

What started your passion for reading?

I can’t think of anything specific that set me off but I was always a reader even as a child, it just came naturally to me. I remember teaching my cousin to read – I was only about 8!

How do you find a little ‘me’ time?

My main ‘me’ time is in the evening when the children are all in bed, I love knowing that everything is done for the day so I can completely relax. Although sometimes I’ll wake up an hour or so earlier than everyone else just to enjoy the peace and quiet.

Share one thing that people might no know about you …

Before I had children and became a blogger I worked as a florist!

That was always a job I longingly viewed from afar, until I bought some flowers for Valentine’s day one year. I went to collect my order (treating my husband) and they were rushed off their feet, had been working since the early hours and it was freezing cold in the shop. It burst my bubble about it being my dream job …

Thanks for coming along today Kate and I love the way your blogging has grown and changed. As a very supportive book reviewer you have been there for me from almost the start of my career, and for that I’m very, very grateful. I’d like to take a moment to reflect on some of what are, to me, memorable one-liners from some of reviews you’ve written for my books. 

Never Alone “This was a fantastic read – it was spiritual, thought-provoking and I ended up reading it in just one day because I couldn’t put it down.”

Read Kate’s full review here

The Restaurant @ The Mill “I loved how the individual stories tied together and made me feel personally involved with them all, also the descriptions of the mill and it’s surroundings enabled me to picture everything so easily.”

Read Kate’s full review here

Under The Stars “A sad event made my heart sink, followed by an unexpected announcement that made it lift again and finally a big question which didn’t quite happen because this was when the story ended (my heart didn’t know what to do at this point).”

Read Kate’s full review here

It’s no surprise to me that V Family Fun is such a success, as anyone who can write such detailed, informative reviews has a writer’s heart! The transition to blogging about a whole range of things, including product reviews, is simply a case of taking that next step. Long may you blog, Kate!

 

Kate’s links: V Family Fun | Me, My Books and I | Twitter | Bloglovin | Facebook | Pinterest | Google+

 

The first of my favourite book reviewers to sit in the #Lovemyreviewers chair, is Nikki from http://nikkis-books4u.blogspot.co.uk/.  I met Nikki around the same time that my first novel was published and she’s a well-respected, and very supportive, book reviewer. She was the first person to join my street team, a band of lovely readers/reviewers who support all of my new releases!

Welcome Nikki, it’s lovely to have you here as the first person to feature in my #Lovemyreviewers hot seat! I’m going to fire a few questions at you – so let’s get started!

Why did you set up your blog?

I set up my book blog while looking for a focus after I became ill. I became seriously ill and found myself in and out of hospital and stuck at home. Reading was a great focus for me and when I had finished a book. I thought it was a great shame to to put the book away on a book shelf and move on. Also I wanted to do something to help new writers, so I started reviewing. I was eventually diagnosed as having an auto immune disease and immunosuppressed. I strongly believe having something to keep my mind occupied and keeping busy helped me to get my medical condition under control.

How do you fit your online work into a busy life as a working mum?

My working hours in media have always been flexible and I was lucky enough to always manage like most women to juggle everything to fit and I still do. My children were at school then so I had that time while they were in school for my work. When I became ill I still needed that drive and reviewing was the perfect thing to do in my situation. I am a people person and I needed to still interact with people and thanks to social media and Skype I could still do just that. Everything just fell into place and it really worked for me at the time. Also having the support of my wonderful husband Andrew was a great help.

What started your passion for reading?

I have just always loved books. I grew up in a house filled with books. I also grew up in a family of teachers so every birthday and Christmas present… books! I was one of those children who would read under the covers with a torch when the lights had gone out. I wanted to be a Librarian when I grew up. But fate had other plans…

How do you find a little ‘me’ time?

I consider reading my ‘me’ time. I love to escape and unwind in a good book. I really enjoy the peace, quiet and calm of the atmosphere when reading. Reading is perhaps the only downtime and all to myself time I have at the moment.

Share one thing that people may not know about you?

Most people in the book world know me for my crazy socks. I have a huge collection. What a lot of people actually do not know is what now as become a huge collection started when I got ill and now do not have an immune system… So in winter socks help keep me keep warm and help keep me out of hospital. When friends and family heard this I was sent socks. This grew over social media and I now have hundreds of socks.

I must admit I do miss the winter on FB and seeing pics of Nikki displaying her latest sock designs … and I well remember the dark days when Nikki was very ill indeed. Every day was a battle and it’s a tribute to Nikki that she kept positive. She has helped an enormous amount of new authors, including myself, by spreading the word and inspired many of her followers to try a novel by someone they haven’t read before.

I’d like to share a few quotes from some of the reviews Nikki has written about my books (and she has reviewed them all!) and for which I’m very, very grateful:

Falling: Angels Among Us the complete series “… you can now read all of Ceri and Alex’s story in one great read. Linn B. Halton writes a rollercoaster of emotions in all her novels. They are full of romance, drama and just add that touch of a psychic mix to make the characters have extra depth and edge.”

Read Nikki’s full review here

Sweet Occasions “This is a story that will not only touch your heart, but will melt your heart too. A warm and wonderful told story. The story line is original and fresh and will keep you guessing until the very end.”

Read Nikki’s full review here

Touched By The Light “What is different with this book is that through out the chapters the story is told by all the main characters from their point of view and this is really done well with excellent writing so you do not get confused or lose the plot in anyway. There are some unexpected twists in the story, which add to the story and make it an excellent feel good read.”

Read Nikki’s full review here

I have also purchased books based on Nikki’s recommendations – and that’s a sign of a good reviewer!

Do drop by Nikki’s website and find out more about her and read some of her honest, and very personal, reviews. 

Nikki Bywater’s background is media. Nikki worked in film and television and now works in the book and writing world. Nikki is a Freelance Media PR and a Professional Book Reviewer. Nikki is also a blogger and calls herself more of a scribbler of ideas than a writer. Nikki likes to read anything and she believes we can learn something new from all books we read.

You can follow Nikki here:

http://twitter.com/NikkiiNola
http://nikkis-books4u.blogspot.co.uk
http://facebook.com/nikki.bywater