Follow My Book Blog Friday



Q.If you could have characters from a particular book meet and form an epic storyline with characters from a particular TV series, which would you choose and why?

I really had to think about this one, but eventually, it came to me. For me, it's go to be Buffy (The Vampire Slayer) meets Evie (Paranormalcy). Why? Both of these chicks are smart, sarcastic, well accessorized, and completely able to kick butt. Between Buffy's right hook and Evie's Tasey, the creatures of the night wouldn't stand a chance! Just imagine the fun they could have bagging and tagging?



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Q. Do you have a favorite series that you read over and over again? Tell us a bit about it and why you keep on revisiting it?

 

For me it has to be the Janet Evanovich Stephanie Plum series. Although book 17 left me sorely disappointed, the early books were a riot. If I'm having a bad week or just need something light and frivolous to read, Evanovich delivers. With crazy characters (some of which vaguely resemble my own family) and outlandish misadventures, it's hard not to appeciate the series.

Another reread for me (as I suspect it is for many bloggers) is Harry Potter. I enjoy reading the books again before seeing the movies to refresh my memory and give myself a better basis of comparison! And while the movies are generally pretty true to the books, they'll never be a replacement!

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Q. If you could change the ending of any book (or series), which book would you choose? Why and to what?

I would absolutely change the ending to The Hunger Games. I was disappointed that Katniss basically retired into obsolescence living back in the district with Peeta and raising children. In some ways, I got it, but overall, it just left me wanting more for her. She'd been through so much and inspired so many that it was difficult to accept such a quiet ending to the tale. It made me feel that her spirit really had been broken.

Given the choice, I would have liked to see her take on a greater role in reshaping the Capitol. Katniss wasn't  quiter and returning to District 12 smacked of retreat. I also would have kept Gale in her life (as a friend) despite the obvious changes that severed their friendship. While Peeta was absolutely the right companion to balance her, Gale would have kept the spark alive!

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Q. If you could write yourself a part in a book, what book would it be and what role would you play in that book?

Given the opportunity, I'd write myself into The Secret Circle. I read the series growing up and fell in love with the story and the main character, Cassie. L.J. Smith's tale of witchcraft was a different world for me and I have to be honest and admit that the love story between Cassie and Adam had me on the edge of my seat. I remember not being able to get through the books fast enough!

So aside from the obvious benefit of magical powers, I guess I'd like to see what choices I'd make when confronted with such terrifying power and choosing between good and evil. Not to mention choosing between friendship and true love.

I heard the CW is going to be launching a TV series soon. Maybe I'll watch, but then again, maybe not. Hollywood has a way of diminishing great stories sometimes.

Happy Friday!

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Q. How have your reading habits changed since you were a teen? or If you are still a teen what new genres are you in love with currently?

My reading habits have changed a lot over the years and I think it's fair to say I've come full circle! In my early teens I read a lot of Christopher Pike, R.L. Stine, Dean Koontz and Stephen King. Pretty much anything with a murderous or paranormal twist (although I never would have used the word paranormal at the time).

By the time I graduated,  I'd moved on to thrillers and mysteries. I absolutely fell in love with Iris Johansen, Stuart Woods, and Tami Hoag. If they wrote it, I bought it. These books had it all: romance, mystery, suspense. I stuck with these authors loyally for years until my sister introduced me to the world of Stephanie Plum (my first foray into chick-lit) which had me cracking up and catching up since I was late to discover the series.

Eventually though I came full circle and found my way back to paranormal with Kay Hooper's Bishop Special Crimes Unit series. When I ran out of my own favorite authors to read, I started raiding my younger sister's book shelf where I came across Twilight and a myriad of other YA novels. I was hooked from the start and haven't looked back since! In fact, I've got three of her books sitting in my book pile right now!

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Q. Talk about the book that most changed or influenced your life (was it a book that turned you from an average to avid reader, did it help you deal with a particularly difficult situation, does it bring you comfort every time you read it?).

I'm marginally embarrassed to admit this, but the series that most recently and most heavily impacted my life is Twilight. Not because I'm 'Team Edward' or 'Team Jacob' or even because I think they're the most amazing books I've ever read. For me, being handed a copy of Twilight brought me back to the world of YA literature and to a love of writing that I'd put on a shelf. Not only had I shifted away from YA literature to read more 'adult' books, I was spending more time attending to practical pursuits like paying the bills.

Twilight brought me back to the genre I enjoy most and has been a refreshing change which has also given me the courage to pursue my own writing further.

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Q. Let's step away from books for a second and get personal. What T-Shirt slogan best describes you?

So many t-shirts so little time! If I have to play by the rules (for once) and choose just one, this is the one that describes me best! When I'm not working or reading, I'm blissfully lost in my writing. Of course, if this were really my t-shirt, I'd spice up that cover with some glitter or some other sort of eye candy!



So much for playing by the rules. I had to include this one too because I'm not much of a cook and in my house the word 'cereal' is synonymous with breakfast, lunch and dinner!

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Q. Name 3 authors that you would love to sit down and spend an hour or a meal with just talking about either their books or get advice on writing from?

I would love to meet (in no particular order):

1. Veronica Roth (Divergent) because I'm so impressed by her success at such a young age and because I"m dying to know what happens to Tris in book two, Insurgent. (Yes. I know she wouldn't really tell me.)

2. Kiersten White (Paranormalcy) because she just seems like a really fun and creative person based not only on her published works but on her blog.

3. Cassandra Clare (The Immortal Instruments) because while I'm a fan of her work and she's got plenty of them, she's also got a lot of critics. I'd love to know how she deals with the negativity and how she maintains her focus.

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Q. What do I do when I am not reading?

For me reading is a the big escape so when I'm not reading I'm usually working. And trust me, it's not nearly as fun as it sounds! ;) However, I do find my fair share of time to read, so I'm not complaining. I also have another guilty pleasure which is writing. Ask my husband.... I spend most of my waking hours in front of a computer! The only way he can tell if I'm working or writing is by which PC I'm plugged into!

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Q. ACK! Your favorite book/movie character (example Hermione Granger played by the Emma chick) just walked into the room! Who is it and what would be your first reaction? You get extra points if you include visual stimulation.

As usual, I'm probably overcomplicating FF, but all of the characters I feel most passionately about right now haven't moved onto the big screen... yet! And maybe that's a good thing so that they can live on in my mind exactly how I picture them. Because let's face it, Hollywood has a way of failing to deliver the goods sometimes.

Now, for my real answer. I'm going to stretch a little and say that I'd love to meet Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games (soon to be played by Jennifer Lawrence). Although I'm not sure that Lawrence is an exact match to the amazing Katniss I've created in my mind and although I'm not sure she'll be able to convey Katniss's depth or toughness, I'll give her the benefit of the doubt. My first reaction? To give the girl a hug because let's face it, if anyone needs one, she does!



Q. In light of the Summer Solstice. Also known as Midsummer...let's talk about fairies. What is your favorite fairy tale or story that revolves around the fae?

I love questions that make me dig deep! I haven't thought about fairy tales in a while and I don't have a favorite per se, but after thinking about it for a while, I'd have to say my top three are: The Emperor's New Clothes, The Princess and the Pea, and Rumpelstiltskin.

I've read a lot of books that have fairies in them, but only one series that had a fairy as the central character: The Dulce O'Neil series by H.P. Mallory. While I loved the first two books in the series and would absolutely recommend them for a light summer read, it would probably be premature to call them my favorite since I have no good basis for comparison. It seems I'll have to get some good fae books on my TBR list!

Happy Friday!

 

Follow My Book Blog Friday

You know the drill.... Follow My Book Blog Friday hosted by the very awesome Parajunkee!

Q. Genre Wars! What's your favorite genre and which book in that genre made it your favorite?

Hmmm.... This is a tough one for me. I love all things YA, especially those with a paranormal slant, but I think my current favorite has to be dystopian. The Hunger Games opened up this genre for me and while I find there are often a few heart-wrenching moments (yes, I actually cry over the plights of fictional characters), I enjoy the stories and the fact that they make me think a little more than say, my favorite paranormal romances.

Q. The magic book fairy pops out of your cereal box and says "you and your favorite character (from a book of course) can switch places!" Who are you going to switch with?

A. Okay, so this feels like cheating a little because while this character is in books, she debuted on the silver screen. Still, given the chance I'd swap with Buffy in a heartbeat. Grocery buyer and avid reader (me) or kick ass vampire slayer with a quick wit and super strength (Buffy)? Yep. I'll take leather pants and a stake any day. Saving the world doesn't sound half bad either.

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Q. What are you doing to prepare for an upcoming zombie apocalypse and/or the return of Mel Gibson to the silver screen? (Both of which could be terrifying.)

A. OMG! I love this question! Lucky for me, I'm married to a hardcore video gamer/retired soldier/self proclaimed zombie defense expert (he's read all the books so who am I to argue?) so we are well prepared for the zombie apocalypse. I know, you're jealous. Don't be. I'll share tips! I even wrote a blog about it recently. Anyway, my husband has a plan. It involves machetes, shotguns, a lot of nonperishable food, and ripping out the stairs to our home, which by the way, makes me cringe every time he says it, but I suppose in hard times you have to make hard decisions. I on the other hand do not spend my time fantasizing about how to defend our home (clearly he does this enough for both of us). I do my zombie prep via Netflix and Xbox although I suspect killing a zombie in real life is much more terrifying and much slimier than it looks on tv.

As for Mel Gibson, well, let's just say, I'm not doing anything to prepare. I can accept the possibility of the paranormal, but even I have limits. There are just some things too outrageous to be true, so why worry about them? I'll spend my time preparing the inevitable... like zombies!

Follow Friday

Happy Friday Book Bloggers! It's that time again...

To join the fun and make new book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:

1. (Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Host { Parajunkee.com } and any one else you want to follow.
2. (Required) Follow the Featured Bloggers.

3. Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing at Parajunkee.
4. Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say hi in your comments.
5. Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few.
6. If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers.

Q: How many books do you read in a week? And in what format do you read them, or listen to them?

 

Lately it seems I am only getting in one book a week. The good news is that with so many great blogger reviews I'm at least managing to make the most of my reads! Happiness! Since this is a holiday weekend I'll get some extra reading time... on my iPhone.

It seems this is the most common place for me to read anymore. It definitely has its drawbacks, but when I'm dashing through the airport (because I'm always late) my Kindle is just one more thing to carry. I do my best to be a conscientious traveler (IE- not the girl who holds up security or argues about carrying on a giant bottle of shampoo) and this is just another way for me to travel light and still get in a good read!

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Now for the Follow Fun!

Q. It's circle time. Time for us to open up and share. Can you tell us FIVE quirky habits or things about you? We all have them...

J.J.' Quirky Habits:

1. I read on my iPhone... While my perfectly good Kindle is sitting in arm's reach. My last three books were read entirely on my phone. I read at the airport, in the car, at the grocery store, on my couch. It drives my husband crazy.

2. I refuse to know how much I weigh. When I go to the doctor's and am *forced* to get one the scale, I close my eyes or turn around backward. Why ruin a perfectly good day with that information?

3. I'm an obsessive cleaner even though I hate it. I clean my house every weekend, top to bottom, and complain the whole time. (Ask my husband. He will confirm.) I have no idea why I do this.

4. I iron everything. Including jeans. Call it a fear of the inevitable wrinkle.

5. When I'm nervous, upset, bored, or just being me, I pull out my eyelashes. It's the number one habit I can't seem to break and actually has some long clinical name I can't pronounce or spell.

Happy Friday!
J.J. Bonds

Happy Follow Friday!

Now for the Follow Fun!  

Follow Friday is a weekly meme courtesy of one of my own favorite blogs, Parajunkee's View. Each week PJ posts a question which I'll repost and answer. Feel free to repost or just comment below! As if I needed another reason to look forward to Fridays!

Q. The Blogger Apocalypse made me a little emotional. What is the most emotional scene in a book that you have read lately?

A. I just finished Divergent by Veronica Roth and it definitely made me tear up a little. Since it's a new release, I don't want to give any spoilers, but suffice it to say the book was gripping! An awesome debut novel. Highly recommended for fans of The Hunger Games!

Now for the Follow Fun! 

For those of you who've been reading my blog, this is my first Follow Friday. This segment will be a regular Friday post courtesy of one of my own favorite blogs, Parajunkee's View. Each week PJ posts a question which I'll repost and answer. Feel free to repost or just comment below!

Q. Circle time! Time to share. What character in a book would you most like to be, what character in a book would you most like to date?

A. This is an easy one! Since today's Friday and it's been a long week I can easily say I'd like to be Jolie Wilkins from Toil and Trouble. Yeah, she could be a little tougher, but right now Queen of the Underworld sounds glorious! As for the character I'd most like to date? Rourke from J.D. Robb's Fantasy series. Sexy, powerful, and dangerous. What more could a girl want? (Other than a wonderful husband who cooks dinner, which I already have!)