Have you ever read a book that inspired you to take up a cause? What book was it, and what is/was the cause?

My answer:
What a great question.  The only book that came to mind was The Left Behind Series.  I have always had a deep belief of my religion.  I’m not the type to discuss it unless asked, preach about it, ring door bells, etc etc., but when I read this series , a fictional interpretation of The Revelations from The Bible and written by 2 pastors, I have recommended it to so many people.  The reason being that these books were written in the late 1990s and I read them approximately 5 years ago, all 13 of them. and in a very short time.  I want to share these books with others, for them to make decisions in their own lives.

I would like to explain how this came to fruition. Hubby and I were having a discussion about the old days, (for the young’ens reading this..a little history lesson) but before the dark age. When Sundays were special and had traditions and rituals. Sunday mornings Church, come home to a big gravy (sauce) cooking on the stove, a big Sunday dinner, then either off to visit relatives/friends or wait for relatives/friends to drop by. We would spend the afternoon sitting around the table, talking, catching up, having coffee, pizza, calzones, etc etc, dessert. And now, how sad, all those traditions are gone. And then I got to thinking, why not have something similar here on my blog. This past year, I have met so many amazing and wonderful people (some I now call friends) through blogging, and how I am in awe of what they do and accomplish. How much respect I have for them, for their honesty, integrity, credibility and so enjoy when a bit of their personality shines through. So every Sunday, here at my place, the coffee will be on, the dessert is on the table and friends will be stopping by. And I will be rolling out the red carpet for my Sunday Shining Star Blogger guest.

I was told when I first found this community of book blogging that “book bloggers were the nicest bloggers there are” and I have never forgotten those words. And over the past year, I have truly met the nicest people. I also believe, even though we live behind a screen, a bit of our personality shines through. That is one of the reasons I am having so much fun with this weekly event, and hoping you are too, because we are getting to know those “nicest bloggers” around and about bloggyland a little bit better.

We haven’t traveled in a while, so I thought we might take a little trip.  Plus the guys, Jeff (Lori’s hubby aka Dollycas’s Thoughts) and my hubby, Steve, have had the past few Sundays off playing golf so they should be well rested to carry our luggage.  And btw…they are both telling us that they had the better golf score….. like Lori and I aren’t going to talk…..Men!!!! lol

Today we are going to Canada to visit with our Shining Star.   I really hope everyone is enjoying this event as much as I am, I truly can’t wait to draft up my posts to read the bloggers answers and get to know someone just a little bit better.  And I have to tell you, I didn’t know what I was going to find out with this blogger!!!  Her sense of humor is one of a kind….you will see what I mean……so let’s get right to it…..today’s guest and Shining Star is PK from AISLE B.

*When and why did you start blogging?
I jumped into the ocean of review blogging due to an ultimatum from Mrs Q Book Addict: my nebulous blog birth without an epidural was on April 7 2010. 6 hours of labour… sweating words over the keyboards.

*How and what made you decide on the name of your blog?
love of venturing into the aisles at the library and bookstores made me think… hey aisle b… aisle b for books!
aisle b = my love for words. my motto being “Words are my PASSION… so READ IT!”

*What would you say is the main content of your blog?
fascination for Mailbox Monday / In My Mailbox & Teaser Tuesdays are fave memes. aisle b runs the gamut of reads since I don’t discriminate against words of creativity.

*If books, what genres do you mostly read?
got words – > will read it. mysteries, thrillers, Ya, guilty pleasures… historical romance… yes love men in kilts and Scottish brogue but please no Fabio. long fangs without glitter and lupine feasts are intriguing as well.

*How often do you post?
5 – 6 times depending on whether hubby lets me out for good behaviour from Tibetan yurt.

*What are some of the things that you love about blogging?
people and exchanging incredible experiences via our readings. by far the most infectious part of blogging is the people you meet & develop “soul reads” lasting bonds. can’t beat that!

*What are some of the negatives?
stalkers, red eyes from reading, and overpile of review books. alright my husband is my stalker who constantly hounds me to get off the PC!

*Name 1-3 favorite items/postings that you have/do on your blog?
more GIVEAWAYS… the feeling you get when you get to say … “And the winner is….” Right-o nothing beats that for me.

India Black is my latest “gotta share that love” shout out.

*Any advice you would give to new bloggers?
grab the passion of books and run with it. have fun and don’t get bogged down by the enormity of deadlines. live laugh and READ!

*What draws you to follow someone’s blog?
the texture of design coupled with intelligent writing… bam-o consider me a new found follower. crave to widen my world by expanding the reading radar through the help of fellow bloggers.

*Do you have any “pet peeves” that other bloggers do?
pet peeves… comments that have no reflection or connection to articles posted by blogger… take the time to really read and appreciate what is being said.

*Would you please share 5-7 things about the person behind the screen so that we get to know the “real” you!!
1) vertically challenged… ahem… height 4 foot 10 inches… and that’s with heels!

2) run in the basement from wall to wall… too cheap to buy a treadmill… which reminds me I’ve been slacking from my run… hence unable to get into my jeans!

3) love love love love FOOD! see connection to running in the basement (read above)

4) Blockbuster renews my Platinum membership every year free of charge… spend way too much on rentals…clerks have offered to set up a cot for me since this is my second home after Indigo.

5) Coverholic…. step 1 admit your addiction… step 2 control the lust that takes over me as I look at the cover… step 3 buy IT just for the COVER!

6) Able to understand Ewok talk since it has traces of Tibetan interlaced with other foreign languages. impressive n’est pas.

7) able to avoid projectile vomit due to years of mothering sick children. trust me it’s an important parenting skill you MUST Learn. otherwise eau de puke will be your new scent.

*Any other info you would like to share.
my scorpian style gets me in more trouble than i care to divulge… on that note “i plead the fifth!”

PK, thank you for being my guest today and sharing a bit of you with all of us.  Didn’t I tell you about her sense of humor?  I always know when I see a comment or an email from PK, I know a chuckle will soon follow.  However, she is also a very caring and genuine person.  She’ll remember bit of info from months ago and inquire if things are OK.  And then use her humor and philosophy to help the situation.  A fun, dedicated, family oriented, yes short, but all around truly nice person.  A very kind and funny Shining Star!!!!

I would like to explain how this came to fruition. Hubby and I were having a discussion about the old days, (for the young’ens reading this..a little history lesson) but before the dark age. When Sundays were special and had traditions and rituals. Sunday mornings Church, come home to a big gravy (sauce) cooking on the stove, a big Sunday dinner, then either off to visit relatives/friends or wait for relatives/friends to drop by. We would spend the afternoon sitting around the table, talking, catching up, having coffee, pizza, calzones, etc etc, dessert. And now, how sad, all those traditions are gone. And then I got to thinking, why not have something similar here on my blog. This past year, I have met so many amazing and wonderful people (some I now call friends) through blogging, and how I am in awe of what they do and accomplish. How much respect I have for them, for their honesty, integrity, credibility and so enjoy when a bit of their personality shines through. So every Sunday, here at my place, the coffee will be on, the dessert is on the table and friends will be stopping by. And I will be rolling out the red carpet for my Sunday Shining Star Blogger guest.

I was told when I first found this community of book blogging that “book bloggers were the nicest bloggers there are” and I have never forgotten those words. And over the past year, I have truly met the nicest people. I also believe, even though we live behind a screen, a bit of our personality shines through. That is one of the reasons I am having so much fun with this weekly event, and hoping you are too, because we are getting to know those “nicest bloggers” around and about bloggyland a little bit better.

We haven’t traveled in a while, so I thought we might take a little trip.  Plus the guys, Jeff (Lori’s hubby aka Dollycas’s Thoughts) and my hubby, Steve, have had the past few Sundays off playing golf so they should be well rested to carry our luggage.  And btw…they are both telling us that they had the better golf score….. like Lori and I aren’t going to talk…..Men!!!! lol

Today we are going to Canada to visit with our Shining Star.   I really hope everyone is enjoying this event as much as I am, I truly can’t wait to draft up my posts to read the bloggers answers and get to know someone just a little bit better.  And I have to tell you, I didn’t know what I was going to find out with this blogger!!!  Her sense of humor is one of a kind….you will see what I mean……so let’s get right to it…..today’s guest and Shining Star is PK from AISLE B.

*When and why did you start blogging?
I jumped into the ocean of review blogging due to an ultimatum from Mrs Q Book Addict: my nebulous blog birth without an epidural was on April 7 2010. 6 hours of labour… sweating words over the keyboards.

*How and what made you decide on the name of your blog?
love of venturing into the aisles at the library and bookstores made me think… hey aisle b… aisle b for books!
aisle b = my love for words. my motto being “Words are my PASSION… so READ IT!”

*What would you say is the main content of your blog?
fascination for Mailbox Monday / In My Mailbox & Teaser Tuesdays are fave memes. aisle b runs the gamut of reads since I don’t discriminate against words of creativity.

*If books, what genres do you mostly read?
got words – > will read it. mysteries, thrillers, Ya, guilty pleasures… historical romance… yes love men in kilts and Scottish brogue but please no Fabio. long fangs without glitter and lupine feasts are intriguing as well.

*How often do you post?
5 – 6 times depending on whether hubby lets me out for good behaviour from Tibetan yurt.

*What are some of the things that you love about blogging?
people and exchanging incredible experiences via our readings. by far the most infectious part of blogging is the people you meet & develop “soul reads” lasting bonds. can’t beat that!

*What are some of the negatives?
stalkers, red eyes from reading, and overpile of review books. alright my husband is my stalker who constantly hounds me to get off the PC!

*Name 1-3 favorite items/postings that you have/do on your blog?
more GIVEAWAYS… the feeling you get when you get to say … “And the winner is….” Right-o nothing beats that for me.

India Black is my latest “gotta share that love” shout out.

*Any advice you would give to new bloggers?
grab the passion of books and run with it. have fun and don’t get bogged down by the enormity of deadlines. live laugh and READ!

*What draws you to follow someone’s blog?
the texture of design coupled with intelligent writing… bam-o consider me a new found follower. crave to widen my world by expanding the reading radar through the help of fellow bloggers.

*Do you have any “pet peeves” that other bloggers do?
pet peeves… comments that have no reflection or connection to articles posted by blogger… take the time to really read and appreciate what is being said.

*Would you please share 5-7 things about the person behind the screen so that we get to know the “real” you!!
1) vertically challenged… ahem… height 4 foot 10 inches… and that’s with heels!

2) run in the basement from wall to wall… too cheap to buy a treadmill… which reminds me I’ve been slacking from my run… hence unable to get into my jeans!

3) love love love love FOOD! see connection to running in the basement (read above)

4) Blockbuster renews my Platinum membership every year free of charge… spend way too much on rentals…clerks have offered to set up a cot for me since this is my second home after Indigo.

5) Coverholic…. step 1 admit your addiction… step 2 control the lust that takes over me as I look at the cover… step 3 buy IT just for the COVER!

6) Able to understand Ewok talk since it has traces of Tibetan interlaced with other foreign languages. impressive n’est pas.

7) able to avoid projectile vomit due to years of mothering sick children. trust me it’s an important parenting skill you MUST Learn. otherwise eau de puke will be your new scent.

*Any other info you would like to share.
my scorpian style gets me in more trouble than i care to divulge… on that note “i plead the fifth!”

PK, thank you for being my guest today and sharing a bit of you with all of us.  Didn’t I tell you about her sense of humor?  I always know when I see a comment or an email from PK, I know a chuckle will soon follow.  However, she is also a very caring and genuine person.  She’ll remember bit of info from months ago and inquire if things are OK.  And then use her humor and philosophy to help the situation.  A fun, dedicated, family oriented, yes short, but all around truly nice person.  A very kind and funny Shining Star!!!!

As avid readers and bloggers, we know that times are changing.  How we read, be it print or ebooks.  How authors get published, be it by big companies or independently.  Today, I will be introducing you to an author who has written 3 books, and has asked if she might visit with us and talk about her newest book, a novella.  And since my belief is that everyone needs to start somewhere, what better place to start, than right here where the visitors are fantastic and fabulous.  So please welcome Ms. McCarty Griffin!

Since first publishing Half-Inch on Smashwords in October 2010, followed closely by Monster Story in November 2010 and then The Tribe in May 2011, I’ve thrown myself into a frenzied attempt to market my own books, as does every indie author. Whether it’s writing a guest blog, or doing an interview, requesting a review, or just trying to get my book listed for readers to find and hopefully purchase, I’ve filled out forms, written queries and answered lots of questions about myself and my books. One question that probably seems obvious on its face, and probably is for many writers, is “What genre do you write?”

I realize that for most writers, whether they’re published traditionally or they’re running with the outlaws of the indie world, this question is a gimme. Stephen King, horror. Nora Roberts, romance. Sue Grafton, mystery. These talented writers are recognized masters of their genres and for that fact we are all grateful and admiring readers. Like everyone else, I have my favorite genres to read and tend to gravitate consistently to them. However, when it comes to my own writing, I’m all over the board.

My first book, Half-Inch, is a novella which I categorize as chick lit noir, although I sometimes have to call it suspense or thriller because I’ve never actually seen chick lit noir listed as a category. It’s a story about an abused woman who takes an extreme and somewhat bizarre revenge on her husband. Monster Story is just flat out horror, an old-fashioned “monster story” about a werewolf. The Tribe is a children’s book, possibly edging into young adult, about cats, which I wrote for my children. I’m currently working on two books; Sub is a futuristic sci-fi, perhaps even dystopic, and Soul Searchers might qualify as paranormal chick lit. Anyone seeing a pattern here? Or maybe a lack of pattern might be more accurate.

I can understand why some writers only write in one genre. We all have our own peculiar tastes and bents of mind, and we tend to do better when we confine our endeavors in those areas. Can you picture Stephen King writing romance or chick lit? Or Nora Roberts writing steampunk? Neither can I and that’s what sometimes give me pause, because the stories that occur to me don’t seem to fall into one set genre; they never have. I’m just compelled to write the story that blossoms in my mind without any regard for traditional categorizing or pigeonholing. I explain it to myself by thinking, “I don’t live my life in a single genre, so why should I limit myself to one in my writing?”

Of course, I worry that this may be a case of whistling in the dark. What if readers don’t accept that a writer who produced a werewolf story can also write a good children’s story or a credible sci-fi? Will I be seen as a jack of all trades, but master of none? Will readers shy away from everything I write, because they can’t pin a label on me in their minds? I’ve actually toyed with the idea of writing under more than one name, as several traditionally published authors and some indie authors have done to avoid just this problem, but I haven’t quite been able to make myself do it yet. Maybe I’m foolishly optimistic or maybe I’m blindly stubborn; I’ll just have to wait and see.

Meanwhile, I hope some of you check out my books and see for yourselves if one person can write a good werewolf story and a chick lit noir and a children’s book. Then, have some mercy on me, and other writers who wonder about that very same thing, and share your answer with the indie publishing world. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the answer is “Yes!”

Pammy has had enough of Bobby, her abusive drunk of a husband. One lovely spring day, she decides to kill him, despite the fact that they will soon be divorced and he will, at least in the eyes of the law, be out of her life for good. Indulging in homicidal daydreams for years has led her to devise her own perfect and completely bizarre plan.

Although I’m fairly new to the indie author world, I’ve been around long enough to notice that

Pammy has had enough of Bobby, her abusive drunk of a husband. One lovely spring day, she decides to kill him, despite the fact that they will soon be divorced and he will, at least in the eyes of the law, be out of her life for good. Indulging in homicidal daydreams for years has led her to devise her own perfect and completely bizarre plan.

EVER HAD EVIL DAYDREAMS?*

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ever sold…they are kept by me, or given to family and/or friends.
I am not responsible for lost or damaged books that are shipped
from agents. I reserve the right to disqualify/delete any entries
if rules of giveaway are not followed

As avid readers and bloggers, we know that times are changing.  How we read, be it print or ebooks.  How authors get published, be it by big companies or independently.  Today, I will be introducing you to an author who has written 3 books, and has asked if she might visit with us and talk about her newest book, a novella.  And since my belief is that everyone needs to start somewhere, what better place to start, than right here where the visitors are fantastic and fabulous.  So please welcome Ms. McCarty Griffin!

Since first publishing Half-Inch on Smashwords in October 2010, followed closely by Monster Story in November 2010 and then The Tribe in May 2011, I’ve thrown myself into a frenzied attempt to market my own books, as does every indie author. Whether it’s writing a guest blog, or doing an interview, requesting a review, or just trying to get my book listed for readers to find and hopefully purchase, I’ve filled out forms, written queries and answered lots of questions about myself and my books. One question that probably seems obvious on its face, and probably is for many writers, is “What genre do you write?”

I realize that for most writers, whether they’re published traditionally or they’re running with the outlaws of the indie world, this question is a gimme. Stephen King, horror. Nora Roberts, romance. Sue Grafton, mystery. These talented writers are recognized masters of their genres and for that fact we are all grateful and admiring readers. Like everyone else, I have my favorite genres to read and tend to gravitate consistently to them. However, when it comes to my own writing, I’m all over the board.

My first book, Half-Inch, is a novella which I categorize as chick lit noir, although I sometimes have to call it suspense or thriller because I’ve never actually seen chick lit noir listed as a category. It’s a story about an abused woman who takes an extreme and somewhat bizarre revenge on her husband. Monster Story is just flat out horror, an old-fashioned “monster story” about a werewolf. The Tribe is a children’s book, possibly edging into young adult, about cats, which I wrote for my children. I’m currently working on two books; Sub is a futuristic sci-fi, perhaps even dystopic, and Soul Searchers might qualify as paranormal chick lit. Anyone seeing a pattern here? Or maybe a lack of pattern might be more accurate.

I can understand why some writers only write in one genre. We all have our own peculiar tastes and bents of mind, and we tend to do better when we confine our endeavors in those areas. Can you picture Stephen King writing romance or chick lit? Or Nora Roberts writing steampunk? Neither can I and that’s what sometimes give me pause, because the stories that occur to me don’t seem to fall into one set genre; they never have. I’m just compelled to write the story that blossoms in my mind without any regard for traditional categorizing or pigeonholing. I explain it to myself by thinking, “I don’t live my life in a single genre, so why should I limit myself to one in my writing?”

Of course, I worry that this may be a case of whistling in the dark. What if readers don’t accept that a writer who produced a werewolf story can also write a good children’s story or a credible sci-fi? Will I be seen as a jack of all trades, but master of none? Will readers shy away from everything I write, because they can’t pin a label on me in their minds? I’ve actually toyed with the idea of writing under more than one name, as several traditionally published authors and some indie authors have done to avoid just this problem, but I haven’t quite been able to make myself do it yet. Maybe I’m foolishly optimistic or maybe I’m blindly stubborn; I’ll just have to wait and see.

Meanwhile, I hope some of you check out my books and see for yourselves if one person can write a good werewolf story and a chick lit noir and a children’s book. Then, have some mercy on me, and other writers who wonder about that very same thing, and share your answer with the indie publishing world. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the answer is “Yes!”

Pammy has had enough of Bobby, her abusive drunk of a husband. One lovely spring day, she decides to kill him, despite the fact that they will soon be divorced and he will, at least in the eyes of the law, be out of her life for good. Indulging in homicidal daydreams for years has led her to devise her own perfect and completely bizarre plan.

Although I’m fairly new to the indie author world, I’ve been around long enough to notice that