Our First Reader Guest blogger Andrea!

Welcome to our first Guest blogger reader Andrea!  

What age did you start reading –  

 Actually I began reading on my own at the tender age of 2 1/2.  My Da thought perhaps I’d memorised the books so he tested me with a dictionary he had laying about…he told me I read each and every word.  They were shocked since they hadn’t started teaching me to read yet, so I suppose I beat them to the punch!  

Do you remember one of the first romance titles you read?    The very first romance book I’d read was “The Princess Bride” by William Goldman.  I’d watched the flick at the cinema when I was 16 & adored it, so I bought the book.   

What are some of your auto-buy authors? Do you have a favorite genre?   

I’m picky whose books I read because I find that if it’s a poorly written book, it’s a lot like Chinese food.  I read it & am hungry for something else in an hour! The list of authors I automatically buy from Amazon is long and diverse (I’m an admitted Amazon addict….literally I get the “shakes” whenever I go without ordering for more than one week!).  I always buy anything written by: P.C. Cast (her writing is simply stunning), Lilith Saintcrow (Dante Valentine kicks ass…can I say “ass”), Deidre Knight (makes me want to find an alien ASAP), Lora Leigh (for when I’m feeling oh so naughty!), Marjorie M. Liu (I’d love to join Dirk & Steele),  Gena Showalter (also would love to be an alien hunter), Susan Krinard (love her fanged & furry men), Charlaine Harris (Sookie rocks!), Katie MacAllister (one of the few authors who made me laugh until I did a decidedly unfeminine snort), Amy Lane (self-published AMAZING author…please check out her “Little Goddess” series), Sunny (any author with one name has to be good!), Linnea Sinclair (LOVE the sci-fi romance genre!), and Kresley Cole (it’s like she wrote Bowen’s character knowing my own Highlander man!). Favourite genre – I’d have to say that it’d be paranormal, sci-fi, fantasy, time travel.  Anything weird is what I love.  I love urban fantasy books and fantasy books – so many of those can (and should) cross into romance (see Anne Bishop’s works, Rachel Caine, Patricia Briggs, Sharon Shinn to name a few). 

How do you have your TBR pile? Do you have it all on a bookshelf or is it in piles all over the place? 

 Literally I own over 5000 books.  I have a bookshelf filled, a spare room filled, 12 large storage boxes filled, my bedroom filled.  Since I read one book a day (if not more), books are everywhere in my house.  (It’s like a living and breathing, creeping and crawling library!). 

Do you share your books with others? Do you have rules such as not turning the pages over or bending the binding? 

I share my books with friends when asked.  Of course, to my heathen friends who don’t read…I always hint at titles that I think they’d enjoy. 🙂  I don’t adhere to any rules regarding handling of books…I feel the more “dog earred” just means the more loved!

 Do you have any pets? How about photos of them? 

I’m presently owned by a thouroughly spoiled and pretentious Egyptian Mau feline named “Macy”.  She finds it was in excellent taste that you’ve inquired about her and may be available for interviews if time permits.  She also would like to briefly share that her home is unfortunately shared with an annoying and completely bourgeois Pug named “Shanny” whose presence she tolerates and would’ve possibly liked to share a photo of him as well, however is saddened to report that “accidentally” his photos have met with an online mishap.  I also own a 6.5 foot corn snake named “Russell” who is adorable!  He’s coloured the same as a creamsicle! 🙂 (Attached is a photo of Macy) 

What books are you dying to get that is coming out in the next couple months?   

Oh God, that’s an enormous list, so here’s just a sampling.  Some of the books I’m most anxiously awaiting are (and this isn’t in any specific order): Jennifer Armintrout’s “All Souls Night” (a continuation of her fabulous “Blood Ties” series),  “Midnight Rising” by Lara Adrian, “The Bride of Casa Dracula” by Marta Acosta, “Warrior Rising” by P.C. Cast,  “Dark Needs At Night’s Edge” by Kresley Cole,  “Lover Enshrined” by J. R. Ward,  “Dark of the Moon” by Susan Krinard, “Playing With Fire” by Katie MacAllister,  “From Dead to Worse” by Charlaine Harris,  “The Queen’s Bastard” by C. E. Murphy,  “Gale Force (Weather Warden series book #7) by Rachel Caine,  “Timeless Moon” by C.T. Adams and Cathy Clamp,  Viking Unchained” & “Wild Jinx” by Sandra Hill,  “Demon Night” by Meljean Brook,  “Raine: The Lords of Satyr” by Elizabeth Amber,  “My Immortal Protector” by Jen Holling,  “The Last Twilight” and “The Iron Hunt” by Marjorie M. Liu,  “Personal Demon (Women of the Underworld, Book 8) by Kelley Armstrong,  “Mine To Possess” by Nalini Singh,  “The Song (Sons of Destiny, Book 4) by Jean Johnson,  and last but not least – “The Outlaw Demon Wails” by Kim Harrison (can’t wait!!!).  

 What blogs and/or myspace pages do you frequent regularly?  

Sadly enough, with my own writing going on (I’m wrapping up my first book!  Hooray for me! lol!), I’ve not had much time to go to blogs or Myspace…I do frequent Deidre Knight’s Yahoo group though…the women there (the mighty Knights!) and Deidre Knight are so much fun to hang out with! 

Have you ever been to a booksigning? If not who would you love to go meet at a booksigning?  

I’ve never been to an actual booksigning.  For some odd and disturbing reason, romance authors tend not to frequent metropolitan Detroit on their tours (despite the 8.5 million people who reside here).  If I could meet an author at a booksigning, I’d adore meeting Stephen Hawking…the man’s bloody brilliant.  Regarding romance & urban fantasy authors…the list is incredibly long (there are so many stunning authors in both genres) and varied.  I’d love to meet all of the authors whose books I’m patiently waiting for!

 Where do you love to settle down and read the most?   

I absolutely love curling up on my grotesquely overpriced yet amazingly comfortable new sofa (I wildly overspent buying the damn thing) while it’s snowing outside and my sweetheart is puttering about the house. 

Cheers!