Desert Rose Offers 50% Off Tour Services Booked in January!

First off, let me just say “Thank You!” to Heidi for having me on your blog again!  I’m flattered to be doing a guest post on Eating Magic :)  I’ve really enjoyed doing this tour with you, and it’s made me so excited for Desert Rose Tours!

I can’t believe the Once Upon a Time Today tour is wrapping up already, but I’m looking forward to next year!  We’re getting the final details of our tour service hammered out over the Holidays, and January is going to bring some really exciting stuff!  We’re going to be having a Grand Opening Sale, and for authors (indie and newbie authors, esp), this will be awesome!  For anyone who signs up for a Desert Rose Tour in January, you’ll receive a discounted price of 50% off!  Even if the tour is scheduled for September, you’ll still receive the discounted price if you sign up any time in Jan! :D

We’re hoping to start off with a bang, and we have some really great stuff coming out after New Years.  Once we’ve all gotten eating and holiday fun out of our system, we can start celebrating creativity, with some awesome book/music/art parties! :D

We’re also starting our music tour promotions, and are booking some music tours!!  We’ll have things like music video tours, album releases, cover reveals (album style), and tons of music playlists!! :D  

If you are or have any music/author friends who would like to find out more about our awesome parties (tours), please visit our Music Tours page, and Book Tours page!  Or, contact us for more info, and we’d be happy to chat!

Thanks again Heidi, for having us on your blog.  We’re looking forward to your next book release, and looking forward to partying in 2014! :D

Did you miss the Once Upon a Time Today Tour?

Sign up for the Beautiful Beautiful IFB Blog Tour

Itching for Books is hosting a blog tour for Beautiful Beautiful, the first novella in my Once Upon a Time Today collection. In these stand-along retellings of popular and obscure fairy tales, adult characters navigate the deep woods of the modern landscape to find their Happily Ever Afters

The Booky Ramblings of a Neurotic Mom

Today I'd like welcome Shona Lawrence the creator of the wonderful book blog Bookie Ramblings of a Neurotic Mom.

1. Please tell us something about yourself. Hi my name is Shona, I am a full time mom to 4 beautiful girls aged 9 and under. I read to relax, I read for fun, I read... I am a book addict.
2. Coffee or Tea or Water? Espresso, Drip, Instant, or French Press? Bag or Loose leaf? Bottled, Filtered, Tap or Rainwater? Definitely Tea. Though I quite like water throughout the day.
3. Why do you blog about books? I initially started my blog as a personal one for me, but books are such a big part of who i am that the blog became mostly book reviews, so i decided to change the name a little and open myself up to reviewing more and helping out with blog tours etc.
4. What inspired the design of your site? I really just like the clean look. With 4 children aged under 9 its nice to have one area of my life at least that is clean and organised.
5. What is your favourite thing about book blogging? The wonderful authors I have met.
6. How do you decide which books to read? My read to review books I generally do on a first come first served basis. My read for fun books i choose whichever one takes my fancy, though I tend to squeeze in long awaited books.
7. How much time do you invest in reading and blogging? I read most days, where other people would be watching TV or gardening I read. I am one of those awful people who rush home to do the housework, but its only so i have more time to read. Blogging i fit in and around my books. I always write a review immediately after reading it, so having the schedule button on the blog is really useful. The amount of time varies from day to day. 
8. Care to comment on the Alice Hoffman quote: Books may well be the only magic? Books are definitely Magic, but i think movies can be just as magical.
9. On a scale of 1-10, how eccentric are you? 10 being VERY... I would say probably a 3, Though  my kids and husband might say it was considerably higher than that.
10. Is there anything else we need to know about you? Need to know? Probably not. BUT... I have a huge crush on Chris Hemsworth and Hugh Jackman.

Thank you :-) 

Shona. x

Much Loved Books, An Interview With a Book Blogger

Welcome, Michelle, the UK blogger of Much Loved Books. One of the things I love about the blogging, bookish, bibliophile community is meeting passionate readers from all over the world.

Please enjoy Michelle's interview. You're going to have to read it to figure out why this is the perfect picture for her!

1. Introduce Yourself (anything you’d like folks who visit your blog to know about you)
My name is Michelle and I am a UK book blogger.  I have a full time job looking after children in a nursery and I read whenever I get the time to.  I hate the sun and avoid it as often as I can, but give me snow and I will gladly spend the entire day outside.  I am a strange person who has lots of fears (spiders, wasps, bees, needles, bugs) but I have tattoos and ear piercings (although the gun to pierce my ears scares me).

2. Coffee or Tea or Water? Espresso, Drip, Instant, or French Press? Bag or Looseleaf? Bottled, Filtered, Tap or Rainwater? Coffee, always coffee,  I tend to use instant as its quicker and easier for me to drink it in work too.  Although I do like lattes and cappuccino when I am out in town.

3. Why do you blog about books?
I blog about books to share my thoughts and feelings about them, and to spread the word about books that wouldn't normally catch people attention.  I read almost anything and I have read so much before blogging that I decided to share my thoughts about what I liked about the book I had read.  I never expected to still be here nearly two years later.

4. What inspired the design of your site?

At the moment it is a free template I found online.  I picked it as I love the style and colour of it.  I wish I had a creative bone in my body so I could work on a template myself and put my ideas down but sadly I don't.

5. What is your favorite thing about book blogging?

Getting to meet others who share the same interests as me, getting the opportunity to meet authors at events or other bloggers.  Also getting to read some amazing books, sometimes before they are released to the public.

6. How do you decide which books to read?
For my review books I have to like the synopsis of a book before I request or accept it.  If it doesn't sound interesting I am not going to read it.  For my own books again it is what sounds good or if it is an author I already like, then they will automatically get purchased.

7. How much time do you invest reading and blogging?

Weekday I read during my dinner hour, then for a few hours at home.  Weekend it depends on what I am doing, shopping, movie day in brothers.  This weekend alone I have read and finished 3 books and started two.  So anywhere from 1 hour to 5 hours a day.

8. Care to comment on the Alice Hoffman quote: Books may well be the only magic?

I have never heard this quote before but I do agree with it.  Books have the ability to take the reader away from their own world and their own problems, and place them into whatever world is between the pages, all while you are sitting.  The ability of an author to do this is well and truly a magical experience and I hope I never get bored of it.

9. On a scale of 1-10, how eccentric are you? 10 being VERY...

I would say I am maybe 2, I do have some quirky moments, and some OCD moments, but I like to think I am not very eccentric

10.Is there anything else we need to know about you?

I am a lefty (leftys rock) :D

Michelle Smith Blogger, Much Loved Books

Bookworm Lisa's Family Friendly Blog

Today, Lisa Faber shares the philosophy of her family friendly blog, Bookworm Lisa. She loves to read and pass on good books she'd be comfortable recommending to her fifteen year old daughter or her grandma. Blogs like Lisa's are invaluable for parents involved in their children's reading activity.

They're also great for readers who might get squeamish when sex and violence get too detailed. With tabs like: Children's Picture Books, Juvenile and Middle Grade Chapter Books, Young Adult Books, Clean Romance Books, Inspirational Books, Fantasy/Paranormal Books, and Adventure Books, there's plenty to choose from.

That's why book blogs are great. Invest some time online to find the blogs of those who have similar tastes to yours and they can help you find your next great read, especially in those moments when you don't have time to forage on your own.

Now, on to Lisa's interview!

1.  Introduce Yourself My first and foremost role is being a mother.  I have four children, three boys and one girl.  I was a "sahm" for almost 17 years. I now work part time as a lunch lady, so I can be home when my kids are home.  I actually enjoy the time at work, it's fun to work closely with a bunch of wonderful ladies, and I get my "girl friend" time in at work.

2.  Coffee or Tea or Water? Espresso, Drip, Instant, or French Press? Bag or Looseleaf? Bottled, Filtered, Tap or Rainwater? It would have to be water for me.  I love filtered water.  If I can't get the filtered then I resort to bottled.  My first preference would really have to be Dr. Pepper though. :)

3.  Why do you blog about books? Reading has always been a love of mine.  As far as blogging goes, I kind of fell into it. I started reviewing on Goodreads and then things expanded.  I really enjoy sharing my journey of reading with others.

4.  What inspired the design of your site? Several years ago I made a profile picture of the book I was reading (The Sword of Shannara Trilogy ~ 25th anniversary edition) with a bookmark that I created from my kids school pictures.  It has reading glasses on top of the book.  I spend several years in my local PTA helping children learn to read.  I wanted my blog to reflect a family friendly atmosphere and focus on books that would appeal to all ages. So I have books from childrens picture books to romance books for mom and grandma.

5.  What is your favorite thing about book blogging? I can't believe all of the wonderful bloggers out there.  There is a thriving community of book bloggers.  I have had the opportunity to "meet online" many people that I wouldn't have known about in any other way.

6.  How do you decide which books to read? There has to be an appeal on some level to me.  When I first started blogging, I couldn't believe that people actually wanted to give me a copy of their books to read.  I accepted everything, but soon learned that it didn't work for me.  I received books that I just couldn't get interested in.  I now look at the story line, the cover, and sometimes I will look at reviews that have been written on the book before making my decision.

7.  How much time do you invest reading and blogging? I don't know how to get a number for that. I spend many hours reading and many hours blogging.  I try to spend more time reading that blogging.  Sometimes it is hard to find the balance, because my kids need me too.

8.  Care to comment on the Alice Hoffman quote: Books may well be the only magic?

I look at books more as an escape.  I love that I can learn and be entertained.  That is in a way magical.  My favorite quote about books comes from The Guernsey Literary and Potato Pie Society.

 "That's what I love about reading: One tiny thing will interest you in a book, and another tiny thing will lead you onto another book, and another bit there will lead you onto a third book. It's geometrically progressive - all with no end in sight, and for no other reason than sheer enjoyment." 

9.  On a scale of 1-10, how eccentric are you? 10 being VERY...

Maybe a four or so.  I try to blend in.

10.  Is there anything else we need to know about you? I am committed to literacy and helping people find books that are a good fit for them. My blog is on the conservative side.  I try to find books that I wouldn't be embarrassed to recommend to my grandma, or my daughter, she's 15.  I am very committed to my family, particularly my very supportive husband.

Lisa, thank you for sharing your love of books with us!

You can visit Bookworm Lisa for reviews, giveaways, blog tours, cover reveals, and other bookish things every day of the week.