B is for Books and Blogs

The Blogging From A to Z Challenge continues today with the letter B.

Books: At first, the only thing that kept looping in my head regarding writing and the letter B was BOOKS. It makes sense to me that an author would think about books a fair amount of the time. I do; books, in some format, are always on my mind. Books, books and more books! I write books, I think about writing books while I'm doing other things, I even dream about books. Wait, that makes me sound a little obsessed. Well, since I am extremely passionate (that's a better word than obsessed, right?) about all things book related, I'll stick with this confession. I go to the bookstore just so I can smell the books. I have a Nook, which I love and use often, but there is just something about the smell and texture of a paper, glue and bound book that speaks to my soul.

I'm happy to say that I have passed my love for books on to my daughters. They love to go to the bookstore with me. They love the library as much as I do. They even have the dream of a home library. In fact, they have recently begun to tell my husband and I that we need a bigger home so they can have their own rooms and our own library. My husband just smiles and nods his head. He's used to the home library discussion as he's been hearing it from me for nearly fifteen years. Now he has all three of us making the same request. We will get our home library. Eventually.

Anyway, I figure a love affair with and for books is a requirement for any author. If I didn't have this love I wouldn't be writing so of course they must go hand in hand.

Blogs: As I sat down to write this post I literally thought, well, of course. How did I initially forget about blogs in relation to my writing? I believe blogs and or websites are as much a part of a modern writer's life as a computer and a printer. I visit the blog or website of an author at least once per day. I love the fact that so many authors have turned their blogs into really enjoyable places to visit regularly. Yes, they are mainly for promotional purposes, I know that. However, I think it's fabulous that some are interactive as well. For example, Susan Mallery's blog has a section entirely devoted to her fabulous Fool's Gold series. It has a timeline and a who's who sort of feature and little tidbits of ongoing information about the characters. It really allows a reader and fan of the series to become and stay immersed in the fictional culture. I think it's brilliant marketing but also just plain fun for a fan. It seems to me that it is becoming the norm for authors to create blogs along these lines. It makes sense to me and I hope to follow in this path.

Thank you for visiting my blog. Please feel free to come back tomorrow and find out what C is for in my writing world.