Blogger Interview-

Another interview for you all, and this time, it is a blogger interview. I am interviewing Leanne Bell who writes her thoughts about books on her blog . Here is more about her-

TRIVIA

Favorite color- Red
Favorite author- Cassandra Clare
Favorite book- Probably City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
Zodiac sign- Aquarius/Capricorn - I was born on the cusp
Your motto- Erm...don't have one
City of your dreams- A fictional one known as Idris :-) lol

1. When did you start blogging?

Ans. 2010, so I'm pretty recent and still learning how to blog properly :-D

2. What do you love about blogging?

Ans. Sharing my reviews, info and various other opinions about books, as well as occasionally babbling a load of nonsense :-)

3. Tell us about your blog.

Ans. It's a place i review the books i read, list upcoming released and even write the odd random feature. A wonderful place for book-a-holics. I'm also hoping to include some interviews with authors very soon!

4. Would you like to read comedy, romance or science fiction/fantasy (which of these is closest to you interests?)

Ans. Science-fiction/Fantasy - I love to escape to places, and those that are made up are often the best ones

5. Your favorite books, authors.

Ans. Mortal Instruments series, The Iron Fey Series, Before I Die by Jenny Downham, Thirteen reasons why by Jay Asher, Wintercraft by Jenna Burtenshaw and so many other's I can't possibly name them all (so don't be offended if your not on here!)

6. My question? How many books do You read on average in a year?

Ans. Probably around a hundred, but it depends on how busy I've been and how the year has gone!

Thanks for the interview Leanne and I hope you all enjoyed it.

Author Interview- Kris Saknussemm

We have a new author today. He is Kris Saknussemm- the writer of Zanesville and Private Midnight- a bestseller in France. His latest book is Enigmatic plot.

Review of Enigmatic Plot by Kirkus-

Ripe with symbolism, conspiratorial metaphors and fabulist intents, Saknussemm's third novel (Private Midnight, 2009, etc.) is an allegorical American frontier experience.
It's the 1840s, and Hephaestus Sitturd, son of an itinerant Baptist preacher and a half-Shawnee woman, marries Rapture Meadhorn, whose escaped slave grandfather was a Creole Gullah from the Carolina sea islands. Rapture is an herbalist and healer, valued in the wilderness community of Zanesville, Ohio, but Hephaestus is a tinkerer, intent on building a Time Ark to confront the end-of-the-world prophecies of one William Miller. To the pair is born Lloyd Meadhorn Sitturd, a preternatural genius. At age six, he speaks multiple languages, solves complicated mathematical problems and constructs assorted airships. Dogged by debts and persecuted by bigots, the trio sets out for Amarillo to join Micah Jefferson Sitturd, Hephaestus' half brother, a former Texas Ranger. And thus begins a trek, not Pilgrim's Progress, not an Odyssey, but rather a tropological literary journey down the Ohio to Porkopolis (Cincinnati), across to St. Louis and up the Missouri to Independence. Along the way Lloyd meets Henri St. Ives, a gambler with a fantastical mechanical hand, Professor Mulrooney, married to identical twins who serve as assistants in his traveling medicine show, Urim and Thurimmun, microcephalics deposited in Illinois by a tornado, an underground oracle, and possible agents of the Spirosians and the Vardogers, two secret societies. There's time for Lloyd to fall in love with Hattie, a runaway slave, and attempt interpretation of the scripture of the Quists, a persecuted religious sect. Despite the fabulist plot, Saknussemm's imagination and narrative skills hold the adventure together. Written in connected sequences, the book opens with a surrealistic prologue set in 1869. A young lieutenant on a Great Plains mapping mission observes a man mounted on a mule holding a white gyrfalcon. Is it Lloyd? Readers can only imagine, for the book ends as the Sitturd party sets out from Independence toward Texas.
Manifest Destiny meets magic realism.

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

FAVORITE COLOR: Sulfur yellow.
FAVORITE AUTHOR: Herman Melville, Franz Kafka, Phillip K. Dick, Walker Percy, William Burroughs.
FAVORITE BOOKS: Gulliver’s Travels, Tristram Shandy, Moby-Dick, The Castle, The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch, The Moviegoer, Cities of the Red Night.
ZODIAC SIGN: Cancer.
PLACE OF MY DREAMS: Antarctica (haven’t been)…Papua New Guinea (know well).
My Motto: “At the first sign of doubt, let alone failure, always become more ambitious.”



SERIOUS QUESTIONS

1. Is the life of a writer how you imagined it to be?

The life of a writer is much harder than I imagined, given so much initial success and strong reviews. It’s becoming harder for everyone.



2. What genre do you write? Why?

My work is generally classed as Speculative Fiction…somewhere between the genres of fantasy and science fiction and traditional literary fiction. I consciously try to blur those boundaries because I believe they are blurred in life as well as in publishing.



3. What kind of characters do you like?

I’m inspired by all strenuous or subtle efforts of the imagination, but I particularly appreciate artists and thinkers who reveal previously hidden relationships and connections—who make me reconsider. I believe in a constant process of re-evaluation of assumptions.



4. What kind of settings do you enjoy?

I can enjoy grandiose and bizarre imaginative settings as well as highly “realistic” ones. I’m always looking for that “trap door” moment when character and setting merge into drama and uncertainty.



5. Which genre out of comedy, sci-fi/fantasy and romance is your favorite?

I’m highly suspicious of anyone who doesn’t enjoy finely wrought comedy in any form. Just as I am wary of those who don’t enjoy erotica well done. My own work seeks to incorporate both into a nominally science fiction/fantasy frame, but with literary and philosophical edgings that I hope lift my writing beyond the easily categorized.



6. Have you ever suffered from writer's block? How do you deal with it?

My experience of writer’s block has all to do with too many ideas—too much freight for the tracks I’d laid in the moment to bear. I’ve never felt stumped. I have indeed felt overwhelmed and confused.



7. What message would you like to give your fans?

The message I would give to fans is thank you—for making my work, the essential part of how I see myself—a part of their lives in some way.

Author Interview- James Steele

So many interviews coming! Here is another one. I am interviewing James Steele, who is also published by the New Bizzaro Author series. James Steele is a writer in Ohio. He is often asked to sum up his
life’s story in a single paragraph. James is very depressed by how
easy this is.

He has been published in the Magazine of Bizarro Fiction (issue 3),
Anthrozine (issue 18), Different Worlds Different Skins v.2, Roar v.3,
and Planet Magazine. His bizarre action/comedy novel, “Felix and the
Sacred Thor,” is published through Eraserhead Press.

His blog is http://daydreamingintext.blogspot.com/

TRIVIA

Favorite color- no preference; I am racially neutral
Favorite author- none yet
Favorite book/books- 1984, for the best world building I've ever read
Zodiac sign- Cancer
Place of your dreams- places without snow
Your motto- Don't wanna miss anything by not trying.

The serious questions

1. Is the life of a writer as you imagined it to be?

Ans. So far it's no different than I expected, except now that I have
something published I'm thinking about sales more and writing less.
Occupational hazard I suppose. It's still like I've had two jobs for
some ten years now. One for which I am paid, but do little that's
productive or beneficial to society. The other for which I am not
paid (very much), and am productively contributing to society every
time I do it! The twisted logic of this paradox is a constant source
of inspiration.

2. What genre do you write and why?

Ans. I write in any genre that allows me to build a unique, alternate
world. That's what interests me the most.

3. What inspires you the most?

Ans. The real world. The longer I live in it, the more I ask "is this it?"
So i write about things that have as little to do with reality as
possible. There's a name for that; I just know it.

4. What kind of characters/settings do you like?

Ans. I prefer to build new worlds instead of telling stories in the real
one. I also prefer characters who are as far from human as possible.
For me, these are the two most interesting elements in reading and
writing because they push you to see things from a perspective that is
unlike anything you're used to. You can't take anything for granted.
You must enter the world on its terms, understand the characters on
their terms, not yours.

5. As a reader, would you prefer to read comedy, romance or
sci-fi/fantasy? (The one which is the closest to your interests)

Ans. I prefer sci-fi and fantasy, but if either can incorporate comedy or
romance, that's ok, too. Really, anything can work if done correctly.

6. Have you ever suffered the dreaded writer's block? How do you deal with it?

Ans. I'm often faced with a problem that overwhelms me, but it's always
something I can solve by taking a day or two off and giving it some
thought. Is that writer's block? I don't call it that because
there's always a solution.

7. What message would you like to give you fans?

Ans. Is anybody out there?

To purchase his book visit the Amazon page-

Author Interview- Kirk Jones

Hey, everyone, a new interview today, too. And can you belive it that he is the husband of the author I interviewed yesterday? That is so amazing! I feel so privileged to interview both of them together.

Kirk Jones is part of the 2010 New Bizarro Author Series. He lives in Northern New York with his wife and daughter and instructs humanities for the SUNY system. His first book, Uncle Sam's Carnival of Copulating Inanimals, is available on Amazon and Barnes&Noble.Here is the amazon.com link-
Visit his blog to get updates-

TRIVIA

Favorite Color: Blue, probably. To paraphrase Father Ted, it has sort of a calming effect.
Favorite Author: Philip K. Dick. His later work is filled with great concepts. His early work is light and fun.
Favorite books: I like Mao II by Don DeLillo. It really captures the experience of a writer who is published for the first time.
Zodiac Sign: Cancer
Place of your dreams: probably right where I am right now.
Your motto: Don't ever live by a single motto.

INTERVIEW

1. Is the life of a writer as you imagined it to be?

Ans. Yes and no. I've been writing for school papers and small lit journals for almost a decade now. The personal satisfaction of seeing my work in print always sufficed. Now that I have a book published, I have an obligation to my work as a writer that I didn't have before. NBAS is a testing ground for new authors. We have a series of challenges, including selling 200 copies of our book. If we succeed we get a contract with our press. They are incredibly helpful and it really has been more like being a part of a family. Eraserhead Press is a publisher with a very supportive community. So while life as a writer isn't always what I imagined it to be, in almost all ways it is better.

2. What genre do you write and why?

Ans. Eraserhead Press publishes a genre (some refer to it as a sub genre) called bizarro fiction. I love it because bizarro elements can be incorporated into almost any other genre, resulting in bizarro horror, bizarro science fiction, bizarro humor, and just pure bizarro. It's perfect for authors still experimenting with voice and genre.

3. What inspires you the most?

Ans. Everything in life: the good and the bad.

4. What kind of characters/settings do you like?

Ans. I really enjoy reading about and writing about characters who are somewhat out of place in their environment. An example would be Lane Meyer from the film Better off Dead. He's just trying to make sense of the world, and everyone else around him is so abnormal. His reaction to the environment amplifies their strangeness, and really makes me empathize with his disposition.

5. As a reader, would you prefer to read comedy, romance or sci-fi/fantasy?

Ans. Whew. I like science fiction and comedy the most.

6. Have you ever suffered the dreaded writer's block? How do you deal with it?

Ans. I have not suffered the dreaded writer's block. Laziness is probably my biggest problem. I'd rather think about plot and character development instead of actually writing the story. As a result, I'm never short for ideas, but I really should get on the ball and write more often.

7. What message would you like to give your fans?

Ans. My fans are awesome. They've been incredibly supportive. I try to make connections with people on the fence about bizarro fiction. Don't let the first bizarro book you read influence your overall perception of the genre. There are so many different approaches to bizarro that there is literally something for everyone. The titles and descriptions are meant to appeal to the fan base that has already been established, so if the titles or descriptions interest a prospective reader, they should check it out because they might find there's a lot more going on than the bizarro elements highlighted in the descriptions.

RC- Thank you for the interview.

Author Interview- Amanda Von Hoffmann

Today, I am interviewing author Amanda Von Hoffmann who writes Young Adult fiction. Amanda Von Hoffmann was born in San Bernardino, California. When she was four years old, her family moved to a tiny town in New York so far north that Canada was practically in her backyard. She spent much of her childhood reading, playing Nintendo and making up stories. She attended a local college, and in 2004 she graduated from SUNY Potsdam with a M.A. in English and Communications. Currently she works at a public library where she is happily surrounded by books and people that love books as much as she does. She is a mother, daydreamer, gamer geek and coffee addict. Behind Green Glass is her first published novel. You can find more information about her at

Here latest book is Behind Green Glass. Here is a little about it-

Isolde is a shy and artistic sixteen-year-old who moves into a house rumored to be haunted. When she discovers a shard of green glass, a new world opens for her. Through the glass she sees Lyric, who mistakenly believes that he is a ghost, and other ethereally beautiful creatures. As their mystery unfolds, Isolde learns that they are not ghosts, but The Forgotten Ones, fairies cast out of their realm, labeled imperfect for their physical and mental differences. Isolde's friendship with Lyric and The Forgotten Ones teaches her that sometimes our imperfections can also be our greatest strengths.

Buy the book on Amazon.com-

TRIVIA

Favorite color- Green
Favorite author- Margaret Atwood or Juliet Marillier
Favorite book/books- Catcher in the Rye, Daughter of the Forest, Anne of Green Gables, The Hunger Games Trilogy...I love so many books for different reasons.
Zodiac sign- Leo
Place of your dreams- A place near the ocean with plenty of seafood and coffee nearby.
Your motto- Don’t take yourself too seriously. If you laugh at yourself, you can view others as laughing with you instead of at you. Humility is healthy.

The serious questions

1. Is the life of a writer as you imagined it to be?

Ans. Not entirely. Writers do a lot more networking than I realized before I was published. I’m shy, so this can be challenging. I’m getting better at it, and meeting a lot of great new people in the process.

2. What genre do you write and why?

Ans. YA fantasy. I read YA fantasy, and I’ve been inspired by authors like Juliet Marillier, L.A. Meyer and Libba Bray. Teen characters can have a lot of adventures, and I prefer to imagine a world where magic is possible.

3. What inspires you the most?

Ans. Books and nature. I live in a rural area that is so beautiful it practically begs to be written about.

4. What kind of characters/settings do you like?

Ans. I like quirky characters--people that are flawed but still wonderful. Lately, I like steampunk settings. I'm captivated by a world that is both sci-fi and historic.

5. As a reader, would you prefer to read comedy, romance or sci-fi/fantasy? (The one which is the closest to your interests)

Ans. Sci-fi/fantasy with a little romance mixed in.

6. Have you ever suffered the dreaded writer's block? How do you deal with it?

Ans. Yes. I have suffered from writer’s block, but more often I struggle to find time to write. Being a responsible adult is time-consuming!

7. What message would you like to give you fans?

Ans. Don’t limit your imagination, and read what you like instead of what other people tell you to read.

Thank you Amanda for sharing your valuable writing experiences.

Blogger interview- Andrainea Silverlite

We have another blogger to interview today. Her name is Andrainea Silverlite. She is a blogger who is currently working on her debut novel.She laos writes paranormal romance reviews on her blog Androlie Writes . To find out more, visit her blog http://thechosendarkness.blogspot.com

Here is her interview

TRIVIA
Favorite color- All shades of blue
Favorite author- Tough question! Right now it would have to be Caris Roane!
Favorite book- Ascension
Zodiac sign- Aquarius
Your motto- I have the perseverance to stand tall in the face of adversity!
City of your dreams- Chicago

1. When did you start blogging?
Ans. Oh dear, if I can remember! I think around 2000 or 2001.

2. What do you love about blogging?

Ans. Books mainly. However, I have been known to blog about anything that strikes my fancy!

3. Tell us about your blog.

Ans. Well, I try to find books others would be interested in. Such as Paranormal Romance novels. I know there is a large love of this genre and I try to find books most would over look.Whether it be for Kindle or paperback.

4. Would you like to read comedy, romance or science fiction/fantasy
(which of these is closest to you interests?)

Ans. Romance. However, I have been known to read a little bit of SciFi and Fantasy. -_^

5. Your favorite books, authors. -

Ans. To many to name, but here is a few off the top of my head: Ascension by Caris Roane, Dark Ecstasy by Gena Showalter, and The Dark Prince by Christine Feehan.

6. Who has inspired you the most?

Ans. A lot of authors have inspired me to actually write. I don't
know if I will ever been in the 'author' category, but they have
inspired me to do something I love. My grandmother is another person.
She has shown me I have to have grit in order to survive this world.
My father who has shown me not to take crap from others. My mother who
has shown it is okay to be a little crazy.

Thanks you so much for the interview and I hope everyone enjoyed it.

Blogger interview- Jennifer K of Clean Romance Reviews

Hello, everyone. This is the first blogger interview on Review Carnival and I am really excited. Our blogger is Jennifer who writes clean romance reviews on her blog-

TRIVIA
Favorite color- blue and brown
Favorite author- Georgette Heyer
Favorite book- wow, so hard to choose.....The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer
Zodiac sign- Leo
Your motto- It is better to light one candle than to curse the darkness. OR Health nuts are going to feel really silly one day, lying in a hospital, dying of nothing.
City of your dreams- Edinburg, Scotland

1. When did you start blogging?

Ans. October 2010

2. What do you love about blogging?

Ans. I love being able to share my experiences of books with others and help them find those that will interest them.

3. Tell us about your blog.

Ans. http://cleanromancereviews.blogspot.com I do book reviews on romance novels that are clean. I do modern, historic, sci-fi, fantasy, time travel, whatever - as long as it doesn't have sex, I'll review it. I like to include a favorite quote from the book, the summary, my opinion and a link to the book on Amazon. That way you can buy the book if you want, or at least see what the cover looks like if you'd prefer to try to find it at your local library.

4. Would you like to read comedy, romance or science fiction/fantasy (which of these is closest to you interests?)

Ans. ROMANCE. Anything in any other genre that has romance in it. Anything that is nothing but a romance. Anything with a hint of romance where guys and girls end up with each other.

5. Your favorite books, authors.

Ans. Books: The Grand Sophy - Georgette Heyer, Enchantment - Orson Scott Card, 12 Days of Christmas - Regina Scott, The Host - Stephenie Meyer, Harry Potter series - J.K. Rowling, Fablehaven series - Brandon Mull, Wizard's First Rule - Terry Goodkind

6. Have you ever thought of writing yourself?

Ans. Yes, I am currently in the (very slow) process of writing my own novel. I hope to someday have it published, but for now, I have to finish it first.


Thank you for sharing your experiences, Jennifer. I hope you all were able to know more about the life of a blogger. See you next time!

Author Interview- Renee Hand

Hello everyone, we are already on our second author interview! That is really amazing. This time, I am interviewing author Renee Hand.

Renee Hand writes because it is a passion in her heart. She is a homeschool parent and likes to create books that educate and inspire the children of today. She was born in Michigan and still lives there with her husband and two children. She has a degree in Zoology with a minor in Chemistry. Renee is the author of the amazing mystery series known as the Crypto-Capers Series that encourages children to read by incorporating several topics of interest. The reader participates into the story by solving cryptograms and puzzles to solve the case. She is also the author of the Joe-Joe Nut and Biscuit Bill Series, which focuses on animal detectives. This series is a great way to teach children about animals in a fun and interesting way that captures the reader's attention and yet fills them with knowledge they will be learning about in school. All books are great to use in a classroom setting to supplement various topics or to just enjoy. Renee is an award-winning author, receiving awards such as a Best Book Award, a National Literary Award and a Preferred Choice award for her children's series and adult books. She has just recently won a Seal of Excellence award in Storytelling for her Joe-Joe Nut and Biscuit Bill Series. She has been writing for over twenty years and when she is not spending time with her family or participating in author events, she is coaching and playing tennis, as well as doing research for her books and many other things that keep her busy. Not quite sure what a cryptogram is and want to learn more? Visit the author's website at www.reneeahand.com to learn about cryptograms and how to solve the ones that are in the books.

Here is the interview-

TRIVIA

Favorite color- Fuschia
Favorite author-Gaston Leroux
Favorite book- Mystery of the Yellow Room
Zodiac sign- Virgo
Your motto-Keep moving forward
City of your dreams-Rome

Here are the more serious ones-

1. Is the life of a writer what you imagined it to be?

Ans.Yes, and no. When I first became an author 5 years ago I thought that as soon as your book was in print that you automatically sold thousands of them. That is certainly not true. You sell thousands of them if you work your butt off, which I have throughout the years. Books don't sell themselves, thats the honest truth. It has always been a lot of hard work but I love being an author and I love talking with children about my books. It's lots of fun.

2. What genre do you write and why?

Ans. Children's. I write in this genre because I think it makes the greatest impact on children. I write mysteries and I want them to, not just be entertained, but think about what is going on and learn something about it. I am all about education.

3. Out of comedy, romance and sci-fi/fantasy, which genre are you most likely to read? (Closest to your tastes)

Ans.Suspense Romance

4. Have you ever suffered from the dreaded writer's block? How did you deal with it?

Ans. Sure, at one time or another. I deal with it by taking breaks from my work and doing other things. I like to also do research. Eventually it works itself out.

6. What kind of characters/settings do you like the most?

Ans.I like characters who are strong, not physically, but emotionally strong. I want them to be hardworking, determined, yet caring.

7. What message would you like to give your fans?

Ans. What you will find in all of my mystery books is suspense and adventure, you will also be challenged. My books are interactive and fun. They challenge the reader into thinking about what is going on and to encourage them to ask why things happen. In that you will find the truth. They are also science and history based, and the settings are real places, which enhance the experience.

To know more about her and her wonderful books, visit- www.reneeahand.com
http://thecryptocapersseries.blogspot.com

Inviting all authors/bloggers for interview

Hello everyone,

Review Carnival is sponsoring a grand scheme wherby we will post the interview of every author/blogger who answers the following questions satisfactorily and e-mails the answers to elementswater13@yahoo.com. Traditionally published authors of all genres are welcome. Please attach your photo, bio, links you would like to be included in the post and photo of your book covers (at least 1) with the answers.

All bloggers who review books are welcome too. I might also consider those who write blogs related to beauty or fashion or review fashion products. Bloggers please include link to your blog, photo of you (optional), a pic of your blog (required) and your e-mail ID along with the answers to the questions for bloggers.


Everyone PLEASE include your E-MAIL and PLEASE FOLLOW ME ON Google Connect to validate your entries. Thank you.

Here are the questions for AUTHORS

Favorite color-
Favorite author-
Favorite book-
Zodiac sign-
Your motto-
City of your dreams-

Here are the more serious ones-

1. Is the life of a writer what you imagined it to be?

2. What genre do you write and why?

3. Out of comedy, romance and sci-fi/fantasy, which genre are you most likely to read? (Closest to your tastes)

4. Have you ever suffered from the dreaded writer's block? How did you deal with it?

6. What kind of characters/settings do you like the most?

7. What message would you like to give your fans?

Here are the questions for BLOGGERS

Favorite color-
Favorite author-
Favorite book-
Zodiac sign-
Your motto-
City of your dreams-

1. When did you start blogging?

2. What do you love about blogging?

3. Tell us about your blog.

4. Would you like to read comedy, romance or science fiction/fantasy (which of these is closest to you interests?)

5. Your favorite books, authors.

6. Make a question up yourself and answer it.

Again, please e-mail your answers to elementswater13@yahoo.com.