Tuesday's Spotlight - My Life. One Story at a Time

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Tuesdays are so much fun! Today I get to introduce all of you to a woman I have met a long time ago...and whom I now know much better! Donna has a blog My Life. One Story at a Time. It is a fascinating read and you could really spend quite a bit of time over there! I highly recommend it!

How long have you been blogging?

 I began my blog in September of 2009. That makes it a little over two years old.

How did you come up with the name of your blog?

 My mindset in the beginning was to write stories about my life. The first thing that popped into my mind was that I was going to literally write “one story at a time-about my life.” I wanted to leave behind stories for my grandchildren so they would know who their Nana was. It was a title that fit my thoughts and my theme and as time passed, it took on the additional meaning of writing reviews – one story (book) at a time. It is amazing how things sometimes end up. My Life. One Story at a Time. as been the perfect title for me.

I know that you post book reviews, how do you decide which books to review or not?

 I began writing book reviews quite by accident. I was in the mood to write but didn’t have topic in mind. I had just finished a good book and I thought why not write a book review. In the beginning, I was reviewing books I chose and didn’t give much thought to genre or content. Then, as requests started coming in for me to review books, I had to give what I would or would not review a little more thought. I had garnered a nice following and didn’t want to lose any of the people who enjoyed my blog stories. There are topics that I do not care for – horror, gore, etc. – so those books are absolutely no-nos. The books I choose have to have some appeal to me. There have been books that have taken me out of my comfort zone, which is good, but mostly I go with my instincts. Something in the book blurb has to appeal to me (remember – book blurbs are important). I read across the genres and my reviews reflect that. I have had several comments from people who enjoy my blog because it doesn’t reflect one genre in particularly. They enjoy being able to read reviews on different genres on one blog instead of skipping around. I hope I didn’t stray too much there. (I’m a Southern gal, what can I say?)

Have you ever read a book you just really don't like?

There was one book not so long ago that I just could not get passed page 6 or 7. It was very well written, but the way it was written didn’t appeal to me. I actually admitted it in my review and linked another blog’s review for my readers to check out. I also do not review hard-core erotica, a little too far out of my comfort zone. Other than that, YA is a genre I have difficulty in reading. I guess my literary pallet is more mature. I hope that doesn’t sound presumptuous or rude. 

What is the one thing you have learned about yourself since you started blogging?

Just one? I have learned just how much I love to write (which works well for me since I’m an introvert.) 

What advice would you give someone who wanted to start a new blog?

I would advise a person just starting out to travel the blog world, viewing as many blogs as they can. Once they have done that, then they need to decide to what niche they feel they would like to contribute. I would also suggest putting a lot of thought into the name of the blog. You don’t want to change the name of your blog once you have a following. The name and theme are one of the first things people see and respond to when viewing your blog for the first time.  I receive a lot of comments about my blog’s theme (colors and layout.) I am surrounded by the colors of my blog in my life and I think that’s why I enjoy spending time there. I think that comes through to those who visit my blog and then return again and again. It’s comfortable and it’s homey. You want to enjoy being on your blog, so put some thought behind your decisions. That would be my advice.

What attracts you to someone else's blog?

 To reiterate what I just said about my blog, I think it is the theme and the colors that attract me to a blog. There are so many avatars out and about on the blogs today that are so cute and friendly, that it makes me want to stay and visit for a while. I also like being able to read the entire post on one page without having to click to another page. The blog has to be user-friendly.

What do you do in your spare time?

 I think anyone who visits my blog could answer quite easily, what I do in my spare time. I love spending time with my two West German Shepherds, Ryka and Calypso. My husband is usually working so I spend a lot of time in their company. And, of course, Calypso is always into mischief so I spend a lot of spare time writing about her adventures (as well as cleaning them up.) I also love to bake, and read, and travel with my husband.

Anything you would like to add?

I would like to thank you for asking me to take part in your Tuesday spotlight series. It is such an honor to participate. It is also an honor to have people visit and read my blog. I am amazed every day when I open up my blog and see that someone new has followed. I always try to take the time to visit their blog and read a couple of posts and then comment to show my appreciation.

Thank you again Brenda for featuring me on your blog, and to have given me the opportunity to read and review one of your books.