A little chit-chat with Laurie Perry, author of "Home is Where the Wine Is"

This past Tuesday, I reviewed Laurie Perry's second novel "Home is Where the Wine Is", including a giveaway. Today, I am so happy to share with you a little chit-chat with this warm, down-to-earth author with a killer sense of humor. So without further ado, here she is!



Sandy: I often find that when I drink a glass or two of wine while writing reviews, I am much more creative. Do you partake in a glass while you write? How do you get the creative juices flowing?


Laurie: When I'm writing at night I'll have a glass of wine, but usually I write in the mornings and so I just have a cup of tea or coffee with cream. I like to get up really early and sit at the keyboard and write whatever comes to mind. Mornings always seem full of bright ideas while in the evenings I tend to be more maudlin and emotional. Plot is definitely a morning thing. Emotion and description is a night event.


Sandy: I’ll admit, my wine tastes have probably been influenced by two
major events. One was a week-long trip to Napa with my husband (average price per bottle went up about $7 after that). The second was the movie Sideways, which really got me honed in on the Pinot Noirs and made me Merlot-adverse. Where and how did you acquire your love for the grape?

Laurie: Oh no, you're anti-Merlot! I think cabernet is my favorite, but I love a good Merlot from time to time. I've never studied grapes and varietals or anything, but my parents taught me to appreciate wine and have a healthy attitude about drinking in general. They have a very European approach about food and drinking and there was always wine at the dinner table or champagne on happy occasions. I'm not a wine snob and I'm pretty adventurous and will try anything but I definitely prefer dry wine over anything sweet. I do love sparkling wines, though, even a cheap cava. Sparkling wine makes any dinner feel festive.


Sandy: Red or white? Any specific grape or brand that you prefer?

Laurie: White. Pinot grigio. I am very pedestrian. I also like champagne, and cava.


Sandy: I’m intrigued with the number of knitters that are also bloggers
and book lovers. I am not one of those people, but I do enjoy hearing about the hobby, and think maybe once the kids head off to college I might try. You are an avid knitter, and were kind enough to even provide a few projects at the end of “Home is Where the Wine Is”. What is the wackiest thing you’ve ever knitted?


Laurie: The weirdest thing I ever knitted was a big knitted cat tunnel. It started out as a cardboard cement-pouring tube and I knitted a cover for it and added huge pom-pom feet. I was obviously over-indulging in the wine when I came up with that idea.


Sandy: I noticed on your blog that you have a set of priorities for
2010. (I love that you are so focused, and you actually see these priorities through to completion!) You have stated that you want to become healthier. This was one of my goals as well this year, and I’m finding it to be incredibly difficult, especially the whole cutting-down-on-wine thing. (Especially in the middle of a bathroom renovation.) Any words of wisdom or helpful hints?

Laurie: Pretend you're French! French people love their wine and chocolate and food and would never dream of cutting anything our entirely. Or you could always go online and find some of those pro-wine studies that show how heart-healthy a good glass of wine is. I prefer my science to dovetail with my own tastes and luckily with the Internet one is able to find a medical study somewhere saying whatever you want to eat is good for you.

Except cheeseburgers -- my favorite food. When you find the scientific study proving the medicinal benefits of the cheeseburger, will you let me know?

Sandy: Haha! Well, if I do find a way to make cheeseburgers an important part of my daily diet, I will be a rich woman! And you will be the first to know! Laurie, thank you so much for spending a few minutes with us today!

Interview with Nymeth of Things Mean Alot

For those of you not involved in the Book Bloggers Appreciation Week, part of the festivities included an opportunity to put your name in a hat to be matched up with another blogger with whom you trade interviews. You can imagine my excitement when I was assigned the task of interviewing Nymeth of Things Mean Alot. Is there any place you don't see this girl? I consider her to be one of the leaders in the book blogging community, and felt like I'd won a little lottery by getting her name. Head on over to her blog to see her interview of me!

Nymeth's real name is Ana, she is in her mid-twenties and lives in Portugal. She just recently finished her degree in English – she is a few years late, however in getting this degree. Her first major was psychology, but due to the organization of higher education in Portugal, she was forced to start from scratch when she changed majors. She currently works as a research assistant in linguistics, but only until the end of September – after that, the joyful world of unemployment awaits her. She's hoping to find work and save for a year, and then start library school. Wish her luck! Ana has three dogs, four cats and one boyfriend. Here were some thought-provoking questions I asked her, and her responses:

Sandy: To me, the most obvious question to ask first is about your blog title and name. I am sure you were thinking of something specific when you came up with “Things Mean A Lot” and “Nymeth”. Where did you get your inspiration?

Ana: My blog’s name comes from a song by the Red House Painters, who have been one of my favourite bands since I was fifteen. But more than the song itself, what inspired me was a line from a book. The band’s frontman and main songwriter, Mark Kozelek, published a poetry book called "Nights of Passed Over", and in the introduction he wrote:

“While checking back through the lyrics for a final look, a few lines in particular caught my attention, both from the song "Things Mean a Lot". One is, "things mean a lot at the time, don't mean nothing later," and the other, "scares me how you get older, how we forget about each other." I was feeling bitter when I wrote the song, but it's clear that everything has its place and meaning, and that no one is forgotten.”

I should probably add that I originally gave this title to my LJ (livejournal) blog, which I started when I was 19. When I first moved to blogger I didn’t know I was going to start a book blog, but I’ll save that story for question number two. I always worried that “things mean a lot” was a silly title for a book blog, but I got a BBAW nomination for Best Name, so apparently someone doesn’t think so! Whoever you are, thank you for reassuring me.

As for “Nymeth”, it was the name of a character in a sad attempt at a fantasy novel I wrote when I was in my late teens, and it kind of stuck as an online nickname. I shall once again shield myself behind my tender age :P Seriously though, it has the advantage of being very easy to google, unlike my real name. I have both the most common female Portuguese name and the most common last name there is.

Sandy: I knew that answer would be interesting! I am going to have to look up that song! I noticed you’ve been blogging since 2004, which is a lifetime in blogland. You were out there paving the way for the rest of us
before we saw an explosion of bloggers come onto the scene in full force a few years ago. What caused you to start your own blog?

Ana: Actually, I started my book blog in early 2007, but the archives go back longer because I backdated all my “housekeeping” posts – yearly reading lists, indexes, my contact page, etc. In 2004, I was blogging in livejournal and I did write about books, but I never got involved in any of the communities and as a result I never made any friends.

But back to this blog – in March 2007 I came across the Once Upon a Time Challenge, hosted by Carl at Stainless Steel Droppings, and I decided to use my blogger account to participate. Until then, I had used it only to comment on friends’ blogs. I didn’t know I was going to start blogging long term, but everyone was so friendly and welcoming that I felt right at home. All of a sudden I had a large group of people to discuss books with – it was a geek’s dream come true.

Sandy: Can you share with us your morning routine?

Ana: For the past few months I’ve been working from home, which has changed my routine considerably. I wake up at around 8 and immediately put the kettle on – I absolutely can’t function without my morning cup of coffee. I have breakfast, and then I check my e-mail, twitter and google reader for half an hour (which, if I’m not careful, can easily turn into a full hour). Then I unplug my Internet cable so I can get some work done. This is a very important step, without which not very much of anything is actually achieved.

Sandy: You've got much more discipline that I do! Besides reading and blogging, what are some of your other passions?

Ana: My biggest passion besides reading and blogging is music. I love music as much as I love books, though in a different way. I love discovering new bands, listening to old favourites, making mixed CDs to inflict on friends, and going to shows. What else…even though I’ve been neglecting them lately, I also love movies. And video games – they get a bad rap, but there are some real masterpieces out there. I find that whatever the medium I’m dealing with, I’m always very narrative-oriented. More than anything else, I pay attention to the story, and I love a good story no matter how it’s being told. Another thing I love is animals and nature. I love hiking and spotting wildlife. My boyfriend and I consider walking for miles in the middle of nowhere a perfect holiday – it’s a good thing we agree on that regard!











Sandy: My son would whole-heartedly agree that video games are masterpieces! He should be at a Van Gogh level by now! I’ve only just started following your blog, but was immediately blown away by the number of comments you receive. On a slow day, you probably see 20 comments, whereas I would consider this a very successful post! I saw one of your posts the other day that had nearly 60 comments! How many followers do you have? Any advice on how to grow blog readership to these phenomenal levels?

Ana: I actually don’t have as many followers (I had 46 when I last checked) or as much traffic as some other blogs, but the ones I do have are very chatty, I guess! And I love them for it, of course. This is a difficult question for me to answer because it all happened slowly. I don’t mean to say it’s bad to deliberately try to grow your readership or anything silly like that, but for me it all happened without me giving it too much thought.

Although I’ve been told this doesn’t really show on my blog, but I’m actually pretty shy and insecure. I’ve been known to read a blog for months without daring to comment because I get into my head that I’ll horrify the blogger with my stupidity (I know, I know, I sound like I’m in high school or something). I become convinced that they’re much too smart or sophisticated to waste their time with me. What I do, though, is push myself: I force myself out of my shell, even if it’s hard for me. So this is my advice: reach out, leave comments, make friends. Do it even if you’re scared. Remember that other people probably have the same insecurities as you do, and that there’s more to lose by never trying than by trying and being rejected.

Sandy: You are right, this does not translate through to your blog. You are outgoing and friendly, and the ultimate professional. That is excellent advice! OK, I like to always ask this one...you never know what the answer is going to be! Give us one tidbit about yourself that would surprise us!

Ana: This is by far the most difficult question! I’ve been staring at the screen for like five minutes, you know! But alright, I have something: I was a dog-earer for years. And in my teens, an underliner-of-favourite-passages-in-pen. I know, I know – I cringe to think of it now, but there’s no erasing the past.

Sandy: Ooooh! That is a good one! But you are forgiven! Now another tough one. What are your top five books? I’ll make it a little easier…give us the top five books you’ve read this year.

Ana: Thank you for making it easier! But it’s still hard, because this has been an excellent reading year so far. But I guess I’d choose "Tender Morsels" by Margo Lanagan, "Fingersmith" by Sarah Waters, "The Fox Woman" by Kij Johnson, "The Children’s Book" by A.S. Byatt, and "The Love We Share Without Knowing" by Christopher Barzak.

Sandy: I've not read any of those, but have had my eyeball on Fingersmith ever since I read The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters. Everyone seems to love it! Ana, thank you so much for being my interview partner...it has been alot of fun! I will look forward to spending more time on your blog!

A Page in the Life, starring...moi!

This is a big day for me, friends! My fellow blogger buddy, Wendy, at Musings of a Bookish Kitty, has a feature post that she publishes now and again called "A Page in the Life". In this post, she interviews someone from the book blogging community, so the rest of us can get to know them a little better. I am so honored to be her subject for this edition! Come on over and check it out!

An Interview with Danette Haworth, author of "Violet Raines Almost Got Struck By Lightning"

I am so pleased to introduce Danette Haworth, author of "Violet Raines Almost Got Struck By Lightning", which I reviewed recently here. Violet was her debut novel for young adults, and was recently picked up by Scholastic Books. They have even featured her book in a trailer on their website! Danette is a central Floridian, a mother and a wife, a blogger at her site Summer Friend, and is quite a cool lady! Emma and I enjoyed her book so much, that we decided it would be fun to ask her a few questions!

Sandy: We know from seeing your book trailer on the Scholastic website that the woods and the Econ River, which is near your house, was your inspiration for the backdrop of Violet Raines. What was your inspiration for the character of Violet and her adventures?

Danette: When my mother was a young girl, she lived up north in farm country and I grew up hearing all her stories, one involved the neighbors, who invited her over every Sunday for a fish fry. I also have a picture of my mother as a little girl sitting on horse. She looks so stubborn! So when I sat down to work on an idea, I thought I was going to write an adult book, a kind of mother/daughter thing with issues. Then Violet walked in one day and took over! She came to me as a complete character, her attitude, her looks, her accent; she even brought her friends with her! I spent the next couple of weeks coming up with a worthy trial that would be genuine to Violet’s character.

Sandy: What part of the book was your favorite to write?

Danette: Some days I struggled and other days I was on a roll, but every single day I looked forward to being in the woods with Violet. The whole book was fun to write. Whatever part I was working on that day was my favorite. And Violet—whoa, Violet!—she made me snicker with the things she said.

Sandy: I’ve read that you like the woods and the mountains. Where is your absolute favorite vacation spot?

Danette: My absolute favorite vacation spot is anywhere in the Great Smoky Mountains. This is going to sound all dramatic and everything, but being deep in the woods gives me joy unfettered. I’ll even wax poetic here: Being on land once trod by Indians and settlers is akin to being taken back in time. And the bigness of it--all those trees and the wind rustling the leaves--the absolute bigness of it all and the smallness of me brings to mind the scripture What is man, that thou art mindful of him?

Sandy: Do you have a special place where you write? Any special routines?

Danette: My husband and I used to share an extra bedroom that we used as an office. After I sold my first book, he kicked himself out. Now I’ve got the room to myself and everything stays just as I left it. My day begins No! NO! Not time to get up! with me trudging downstairs in the dark to make lunches and get everyone ready for school. I drop off my precious cargo, straighten up a little bit, and I am writing by ten. I take no phone calls, make no dates, and try (but fail) to not repeatedly check my email.

Sandy: Can you tell us a little about your upcoming projects?

Danette: "The Hotel of Blueberry Goodness" is scheduled with Walker for Spring 2010. It’s about a girl who lives in a dilapidating, antebellum hotel and meets an eclectic group of friends, including a teenage runaway. "Me and Jack", Walker 2011, centers on Joshua Reed, his unusual dog, and the struggle they face being accepted in their new town.

Sandy: What is the best book you’ve read lately?

Danette: I loved Second Fiddle, a middle-grade novel by Siobhan Parkinson. The main character is wonderful and the internal dialogue—hilarious!

Sandy: This is one I always love to ask, because you get the greatest answers! Tell us something about yourself that would surprise us!

Danette: This is hard! I’m trying to think of something shocking. Would annoying do? I once worked as a telephone solicitor, so yeah, that was me calling about timeshares during your supper.

Sandy: OK, I have to ask this. Before my husband and I had kids, we would take our yellow lab and go hiking every weekend. One weekend, we hiked along the Econ River, and came across a swinging rope bridge that was fairly high. Despite my fear of heights, we crossed it, but about two-thirds of the way over, it got very narrow. We tried to turn around because we didn’t think the dog would be able to navigate it, and when we did, the dog FELL over the side and into the river. We had to coax her to swim back to the side (with the leash still attached to her, and snagging on limbs). The fun was officially over at that point, and I demanded we go home. I still have nightmares about this, and the story has been told countless times to the kids. Could this be the same bridge in your book? It came right into mind when I was reading!

Danette: Sandy,OMG! That is the same bridge! I cannot believe you’ve walked on it—I was afeared! My husband and I were canoeing and we saw the bridge coming up in the treetops. “Come on, come on,” he said. He wanted to pull the canoe over and run across the bridge. I just kept paddling. It looked too high, too scary.

We paddled on and sailed under. About a minute later, the bridge clanked and squeaked and I turned around to see two little blonde girls on the bridge. They pranced across it like wood sprites and disappeared into the other side of the woods, their laughter trailing behind them.

Sandy: Thank you so much Danette! I so appreciate you taking time to share a little of yourself with us!

An interview with Jackie, from Farm Lane Books

I recently wandered onto Jackie's blog, Farm Lane Books, as a referral from Beth from BethFishReads. I was so pleasantly surprised to find wonderful book reviews, weekly memes, questionnaires, and best of all, a really nice person behind the blog! Jackie and I began an e-mail correspondence about a hard-to-find book I was looking for, as she is in the business of buying and selling books online, all from the comfort of her home in the UK. We decided it would be fun to interview each other as a sort of interview cross-post. So without further ado, let's find out a little more about Jackie!

Sandy: I am intrigued with the career change you describe in your profile. When did you make the switch, what motivated you to make it, and explain exactly what it is you do presently for a living. (A loaded question, I know!)

Jackie: I worked for a multi-national pharmaceutical company, as an analytical chemist until about three and a half years ago, when I went on maternity leave to have my oldest son, Adam. To make a bit of extra money, I started to sell my old books on Amazon. I realized that I was actually making a profit on some of them, despite having read them, so it was only a little step to buy more, and skip the reading part! I loved it, and decided not to go back to my laboratory job when my maternity leave ended. Over the past three years I have slowly increased the number of books I have for sale, and I now have about 2500 listed in my amazon shop. (Note: see her Amazon shop Farm Lane Books
here.)

I buy books from charity shops, local sales and on the internet, and then sell them to people all over the world. My only problem is that I hate selling books that I think might be interesting to read, so my TBR pile turned into a mountain! I am trying to be more ruthless but I still have several hundred books waiting to be read!

Sandy: Can you describe a typical day in your life?

Jackie: Not really! Every day is so different, but I’ll give it a go!

Mornings are dedicated to my two boys. I’ll often have friends with similar age children over for a coffee, or meet up with them in a park somewhere. If I’m at home on my own with them, then I might try to persuade the boys that sorting out the washing, or doing the vacuuming is fun too! We have lunch, then I drop Adam at nursery. I then have about an hour and a half while Matthew is asleep to get on with my work, blogging or reading – depending on my mood! It is normally a mixture of all three! I then go and pick Adam up, drop all the books I’ve sold at the post office, and come home to make dinner. Luckily my husband normally makes it home in time for dinner, so we can have a nice family meal together. My husband then plays with the boys for an hour, while I get a bit more time on the computer. We then put the boys to bed, and have a few hours where we might watch a bit of TV or read. I normally have a nice, long bath before bed in which I do my best not to make my latest book turn crinkly!

Sandy: Besides running a profitable online book-selling business, running a home, raising two children, and blogging, what are some of your hobbies that you enjoy in your loads of spare time?

Jackie: We like being outside with the boys walking and cycling are the only things we can really do with them at the moment, but hopefully we’ll be able to do more once they’re a bit bigger.


I’m also very involved in my local NCT group. The National Childbirth Trust is a charity supporting pregnant and new mums. I’m on the committee, and am currently busy organizing a nearly new sale to raise money for the group.



Sandy: Tell us an interesting or unusual fact about yourself that would surprise us!





Jackie: I used to breed show quality, pedigree chinchillas! I soon realized that I didn’t have enough time to take them to all the chinchilla shows, so I now just keep three of them as my lovely, furry friends! I’ve attached a picture of one of my chinchillas with her baby below.









Sandy: What is your favorite book that you have read in the last twelve months?



Jackie: That’s easy! A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry. I think it is probably my favourite book of all time too! It is a great story, packed with emotion. I still think about it all the time. If you haven’t read it, then you should order a copy now!!! See my review here.


I have had alot of fun getting to know Jackie, and hope you have enjoyed reading more about her! If I can find some willing subjects, I may try to do this again in the future. If there are any interested parties out there, let me know!