Dreamland Book Blog

Hi guys!

2015 will be a different year for me and I am determined to be more active in blogging as part of my Blogger's New Years Resolutions. Instead of the usual reading and reviewing, I decided to come up with my own features to make my blog more interactive and fun!

So what is Blogger of the Month all about?

Every month, I will invite a favourite blogger friend of mine to do a guest post about a topic that includes everything under the sun!
This feature will run for the entire month.
Feel free to ask any questions - remember this is an interactive post!
If you have any interesting topics you would want the blogger to discuss about, feel free to leave a comment down below or send me a private email at natshane94aa@gmail.com.

For the month of February, I proudly present a fellow blogger who has been nothing but kind and friendly since the first day I got to know her, and I'm a regular follower of her blog too! - she writes the most amazing posts -

I am Lola, I am 24 years old and I live in the Netherlands. I have my bachelor’s degree in psychology and my master’s degree in economic and consumer psychology. I love reading books and writing reviews about them, hence the reason I started this blog. I am a bit of a critical reader and like to point out what I did and didn’t like about a book in my reviews. Before I started my own blog I was a co-blogger at K-books.

I spend my days blogging and running my own blog tour business, called Lola’s Blog Tours. I organize blog tours, cover reveals, book blitzes and review opportunities for fiction books. I love spreading the word about awesome books!

Hi Everyone! I am Lola and Natasha invited me to do a guest post on her wonderful blog! I am really excited to be here today, thanks so much Natasha for having me on your blog here today!

You can read Lola's full About Me here.

Hi Everyone! I am Lola and Natasha invited me to do a guest post on her wonderful blog!

I am really excited to be here today, thanks so much Natasha for having me on your blog here today!

I am going to talk a bit about what I think makes a good blog and blogger. And as it's February, the month of romance, Natasha asked me two questions about romance as well. At the end there are some quickfire questions. Okay first a little bit about me, I am Lola. I blog over at Lola's Reviews and I have my own tour organizing company called Lola's Blog Tours. Online you can recognize me because of my green skinned pony avatar. I live in the Netherlands and have 3 cute pet rats called Smarties, Snickers and Pita. I love reading, blogging and cooking. You can mostly find me behind my computer, either working or blogging, or in the kitchen cooking or baking something.

In general I don't think there really is a good or wrong way to blog, as long as you put your heart into it and have fun I think you're doing it right. So I decided to reword the topic a bit and talk about things I like to see on a blog or when it comes to blogger behaviour.

Blog for yourself. I think it's very important to blog for yourself first and for your audience second. If you blog for yourself and with what you like in mind first you probably will enjoy blogging more and your followers will see that. If you like to talk about a certain topic on your blog go for it. Even if it isn't directly related to the topic you're bloggin about. I recently started a food feature on my blog, called Lola's Kitchen and while I was a bit hesitant at first I love writing the posts for that feature and my followers like the posts as well!

Calm design. I don't like blogs that have a busy design or are very chaotic with moving widgets or a sidebar cramped with too many things trying to get your attention. I like blogs with a calm design, so I feel at ease when I visit them. Like this blog for example, there are widgets in the sidebar, but it isn't overwhelming and the white and subtle colours make for a nice and calm blog design. If you have a pretty blog design that's always a plus, but I find it more important that you don't have a too busy blog design.

Easy to find review policy, social media sites and contact info. This one comes forth from visiting lots of blogs and when I like a blog I often want to connect on social media as well. So I like it hwne a blogger displays their social media sites somewhere at the top of their blog so I can easily find them. Like on this blog, you only have to look left and there in the sidebar you can find all Natasha her social media sites. I know some bloggers have a page were they list their social media info, but I think this should be in your sidebar or header, so no mater where on their site you are you can easily find that info. The review policy one comes from my work as a marketing assistant, you would be surprised how many people don't have a review policy on their blog or no contact info. I understand not wanting to get loads of e-mails, but I think it's nice to have a review policy at least where you mention whether you accept review requests or not and how you prefer to be contacted. Really this makes the job of an author and/or marketing assistant much easier.

Commenting on other blogs. I think commenting on other blogs is an integral part of blogging, you don't have to spent hours commenting on other blogs each day, but I think it's nice if you comment on other blogs now and then. I think comments are what makes bloggers feel like part of the community. When I first started blogging I didn't comment at all and often felt like I didn't really was part of the community. Then I started commenting more on other blogs and I found out how much I loved it and how it made me feel connected with other bloggers.

Commenting back and/or replying to comments on their own blog. I prefer it if a blog either replies to comments others leave on their blog or even comments back on the blogs of those who left a comment. I think this is a bit of common courtesy and thanking those who commented on your blog by replying or commenting back. I always love getting replies to my comment and it's nice knowing the blogger has read your comment and appreciated it.

Be polite. This is more a general thing. I think it's important to be polite, to other bloggers, to authors and anyone else you meet online. Sure you can state your own opinion and shouldn't be afraid to do so, but often you can do so in a polite way. Even if you don't agree with a blogger you can still say it nicely.

Easily recognizable/ branding. I like it when bloggers use the same avatar/ profile pic on most sites so I can easily recognize them. I have had a few instances on for example goodreads or facebook that I didn't recognize someone until I took a look at their bio. But as long as your bio mentions your blog it's still good. But overall I myself prefer to use the same avatar everywhere, it's easy to recognize and it's good for branding.

Find your own voice. I like blogs that have their own unique voice. A good example of this is Cait over at Paperfury and Anna at Herding Cats and Burning Soup. Both are two of my favourite blogs and I like how they each have their unique voice. When you're on their blog you know you can expect their unique voice to shine through in all their posts. It's a combination of writing style, how their blog looks and how they format their posts. I like it when bloggers let heir own voice shine through in their posts.

Variety. I think it's important to have some variety on your blog, I think most bloggers do this. I like blogs where there are different kinds of content, not only reviews or only memes for example, but a mix of different type of posts. I don't think there's something wrong with posting a lot of memes or reviews, if that's what you like doing, but I do like seeing some other content now and then. I have some blogs whom I only follow for for example their discussion posts or their fun reviews and I think having some variety in what you post makes your blog more enjoyable for more people as everyone's looking for something else in a blog.

Easily readable. One of the things I find most important things on a blog is that I can easily read your blog. I have seen some blogs with such light text that it's hard to read or a pet peeve of mine the light text on a dark or black background. It makes my eyes hurt and is so difficult to read.

I love a good romance story and prefer my books to at least have some degree of romance in them. I prefer romances that are slow building and built on honesty. I think that honesty and being open with each other is one of the most important things in a relationship, as long as you can talk about something you can solve so many problems and issues. I read quite some books were a couple keeps secrets from each other and those secrets always come to light later on and the other finds out and it's never good. While of they had been honest with each other from the beginning that whole problem wouldn't exist. So don't keep secrets or if you don't want to tell something just be honest about it and say you can't or don't want to talk about it now/yet, but will let the other know when. I guess if all romances in books were like that there would be much less drama, but I still would love to read books like that.

Dawn or twilight?

twillight

Dogs or cats?

rats

Rich or famous?

rich

Immortality or mind reading?

neither

The beach or the pool?

the pool

Horror or action?

action

Blonde or brunette?

brunette

Long or short hair?

long hair

Young or new adult?

both

Rock or pop music?

rock

Okay that's it for my guest visit here! Thanks again for having me here on your blog Natasha!

Thank you for stopping by, and thank you Lola for the great guest post! :D

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Wednesday, February 11, 2015 8 comments

This is my stop during the book blitz for Bring Me Back by Jennifer Collin. This book blitz is organized by Lola's Blog Tours. The book blitz runs from 6 till 12 February, you can view the complete blitz schedule on the website of Lola’s Blog Tours.

This series contains 3 books: Set Me Free (The Evans Trilogy #1), Open My Eyes (The Evans Trilogy #2) and Bring Me Back (The Evans Trilogy #3). Jennifer Collin's Evans Trilogy has been a runaway success in the UK, and US audiences are quickly discovering it's charm. The third and final book in the series has just been released. Bring Me Back features the grittiness the trilogy is famous for, as the hunt for missing rock star and drug addict, Andy Evans, continues.

Bring Me Back (The Evans Trilogy #3)

By Jennifer Collin

Genre: Chick Lit/ Romance/ Women’s Fiction

Age category: Adult

Release Date: 6 February, 2015

Andy Evans is on the move. For six long, lonely years, he’s been running from his past, leaving his family and his life as a drug-addicted rock star far behind. His latest move takes him to the sleepy seaside town of Oamaru, New Zealand, to sell cigar-box guitars to tourists. The only running he’ll need to do will be training for half-marathon in nearby Dunedin. But when Andy sets eyes on Steampunk HQ, Oamaru's main tourist attraction, he realises his days of running might not be over, especially if a certain Steampunk fan from his past catches up with him.

Annie Martin is on the cusp of great success. Her career as a Steampunk academic is about to take off, as long as she can convince one disagreeable, New Zealand-based Professor to sign up to the anthology she’s putting together. Thankfully, Annie is a master at maintaining her poise and few people, no matter how nasty, can rattle her. Not any more. In fact, it’d been a good six years since anyone had gotten under her skin, after her best friend’s brother had vanished into thin air.

When Annie finds her future career on a collision course with her secret past, Andy Evans is the last person she expects to find tangled up in the mess. With a vengeful drug-dealer or two hot on his heels, and a vindictive academic determined to ruin her credibility, can Annie bring Andy back to his family before it’s too late? Annie and Andy are used to being alone, but if they don’t work together, there’ll be much more at stake than her livelihood and his sobriety.

You can find Bring Me Back on Goodreads

You can buy Bring Me Back here:

- Amazon

- Amazon UK

Sunday, February 08, 2015 2 comments

Sunday, February 08, 2015 No comments

Friday, February 06, 2015 19 comments

Thursday, February 05, 2015 2 comments

Happy Tuesday!

My Blogger Diary is a new feature that I created just to share my random "escapades" and adventures as to fulfil my 2015 resolutions of being more active in blogging and self-fulfilled! It can be book or non-book related relating to an amazing moment or a heartbreaking incident that you are prepared to share with us :) If you are interested, you are always welcome to create a post of your own. I will be ecstatic if you could spread the feature around because I aimed to reach out to the blogging community and share our moments together, making it a happier place than it already is.

My random post today is inspired by a great afternoon out with my friends!

For the past few months, all of us were held up with work and school that we did not have time to properly enjoy an afternoon just hanging out and talking nonsense - because we can't take each other seriously - What started off our spontaneous escapade was a "Watsapp" message from one of my good friend, asking us out for lunch, and hell, one hour later we find ourselves embarking on an adventurous quest to find - food!

This picture of the sky, which I took in the morning itself signifies the start of a good day!

And so "Waze" decided to lead us to this vintage/castle looking building to a wonderful cafe named The Metal Box.

The view from the cafe

Unfortunately I did not take any pictures of the restaurant (I'm too shy to do so!) but we had an outdoor sitting and a garden view, how beautiful.

Croissant with sautéed mushrooms and turkey ham, coated with wine sauce.
And a chamomile tea!
All served under the sun :P

We spent around 2 hours talking (and of course, feeding our phones with pictures of the food) before we paid the bills and search for another cafe, just for desserts.

I mean, haven't you heard of the phrase :P

We ventured further and finally reached a cafe known as 7 cups and I had the most delicious waffle I've ever tasted.

I also tried this unique flavoured soda drink which is a mixture of Lavender and Lemonade. Refreshing on a hot sunny day! Loving the colour too.

I had tons of fun spending my afternoon with my besties, friends are always a good medicine when you are feeling down and lonely.

(most left) Her name is Emily and she has a great "selfie-ing" skill :P

Being with my friends reminded me that life can be fun and simple, the smiles are effortless and that time passes too quickly when you are having fun! This afternoon made me feel as if I'm living in one of the chic lits I've always been reading about, and it's not even the weekend yet!

I wish you have a wonderful week too! :)

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Tuesday, February 03, 2015 2 comments

Welcome to the Virtual Book Tour for BETWEEN!

Follow the Tour to Read Exclusive Excerpts, Interviews, and Reviews, and Make Sure to Enter the Giveaway!!

Second Place - Preditors and Editors Readers Poll 2012 Clarissa Johal’s novel BETWEEN is a “haunting” paranormal novel that will have you on the edge of your seat!

Title: BETWEEN

Author: Clarissa Johal

Genre: Paranormal

Publisher: Musa Publishing

ISBN: 978-1-61937-459-1

Cover Artist: David Efaw

Number of Pages: 300

Purchase Links:

Amazon Barnes and Noble Musa Publishing

How far would you go to redeem yourself?

As a young girl, Lucinda was able to see spirits, a gift that didn't come without its problems. Now, a dedicated young veterinarian, she is committed to the idea that every life can be saved. After a devastating accident, Lucinda tries to escape her past by moving to a small town. There, she meets a newcomer and feels an immediate connection with him. But there is another mysterious stranger to the small town, one that stirs within her a mixture of unease and desire. As Lucinda is drawn into a bitter tug-a-war from the forces around her, she is likewise pulled into a dangerous twist of past and present events. Forced to make difficult choices, she finds that the two men are locked in not only a battle for her life...but a battle for their salvation.

The coastal wind had picked up, gusting across the plateau and chilling the air with its breath. It blew through the grasses, bending them to its will. Lucinda shivered and pulled her jacket collar up around her chin as she let Darwin off his leash to explore. He immediately headed for the cliffs.

Dotted with several rock outcroppings, a narrow path meandered down the jagged cliff face. Lucinda followed it and stopped at the first outcropping to stare into the ocean roiling a hundred feet below. Churning waves ground against the cliff side, slamming repeatedly against the rocks. The setting sun had just started to tap the horizon, tinging the water red.

Lucinda felt the presence of the woman running down the narrow path behind her. Instinctively, she moved backward, flattening herself against the cliff’s damp rocks. As the woman ran past, the already icy temperature dropped several degrees. Lucinda kept her eyes glued to the ground for several moments before looking up. As usual, the woman stood on the next outcropping looking back toward her. Anoverwhelming feeling of despondency, fear, and guilt washed through- out Lucinda’s body.

The scene was played out.

The woman’s hair ribbon was suddenly taken up by a forgotten breeze. Her gaze followed as the ribbon disappeared out to sea. There was a brief pause before she slipped out of her shoes, stepped forward… and jumped.

Lucinda, unable to tear her eyes away, watched as the woman’s body hit the rocks below and disappeared.

Darwin whined.

“Let’s go back, Darwin.”

Home again, Lucinda shrugged out of her heavy jacket and tossed Darwin’s leash over the bedroom door. Lost in thought, she wandered into the kitchen with the intention of reheating her tea.

The mug was no longer on the counter.

She stood for a moment and gazed at the empty counter before it registered that it was empty. Her mail had been scattered across the floor. Scanning the bare countertops, she walked toward the sink. The blue mug lay on its side next to the drain, dark tea pooling around it.

“I don’t remember putting you in the sink.” Darwin sniffed at the mail tentatively, hackles on end. “Leave it, Darwin.” She gathered the pile from the floor. “Apparently, I need to go to bed.”

Lucinda’s haphazard bedroom was the one room in the three-bed- room house that looked lived in. The four-poster bed was draped with a tartan blanket. A sun-bleached table, topped by an outdated lamp and small alarm clock, flanked it. The table leaned slightly, seemingly in danger of falling over. But for the past year it hadn’t. Clothing trailed from the bedroom’s walk-in closet across the bare, hardwood floor.

Shedding her jeans and sweater onto one of the piles of clothing, Lucinda slid into bed. She pulled the woolen blanket up around her chin, comforted by the familiar, worn material. After several minutes, she drifted to sleep.

Padding into the bedroom, Darwin too, settled into his dog bed at the foot of Lucinda’s. The German shepherd lay his big head upon his paws, upright ear tilting to the sounds of the erratic wind picking up outside. At the sound of his mistress’s even breathing, he too, drifted off to sleep.

Night seeped into the corners of the bungalow.

A presence rustled throughout the house. From the kitchen’s back door, it slipped in and out of each empty bedroom. Continuing into the living room, it made its way counter-clockwise around the perimeter, stirring up the ashes in the fireplace. The presence finally settled at Lucinda’s bedroom door where it stopped, watching her.

Darwin jerked awake, his light-blue eye fixed on the darkened bed- room door. A low growl escaped his throat. The dog flattened his head and neck as he tried to see what he could only sense. Quietly jumping onto the bed, he curled up next to Lucinda’s feet, all the while keeping his eyes on the door.

He growled again.

An hour of impasse elapsed before the dark presence in the doorway moved on.

Clarissa Johal has worked as a veterinary assistant, zoo-keeper aide and vegetarian chef. Writing has always been her passion. When she’s not listening to the ghosts in her head, she’s dancing or taking photographs of gargoyles. She shares her life with her husband, two daughters and every stray animal that darkens the doorstep. One day, she expects that a wayward troll will wander into her yard, but that hasn’t happened yet.

Find Clarissa Online:

Author Website Blog Facebook Twitter @ClarissaJohal Goodreads Pinterest Amazon Author Central

*Member of the Author's Guild

Coming May 19, 2015 from Permuted Press

VOICES, a paranormal psychological horror

STRUCK

(2014) Musa Publishing

*Indie Book of the Day Award

*Nominated for the Preditors and Editors Readers Poll 2014

BETWEEN

(2012) Musa Publishing

*Second place in the Preditors and Editors Readers Poll 2012

*Paranormal Reads gives BETWEEN 4 out of 5 Bats

PRADEE

(2010) CreateSpace

*Second round finalist in Amazon's Breakthrough Novel Award Contest 2012

Short stories:

PIGEONS Susurrus Literary Journal

THE ROPE Susurrus Literary Journal

Non-Fiction:

A WAY OF LIFE The Sacramento Bee newspaper

~ Praise for BETWEEN ~

Paranormal Reads gives BETWEEN 4 out of 5 Bats

Escape Into a Book "I loved how original the idea was for this book, I haven't read a book like this one...fast paced and kept my interest till the very end."

MommaSez "Creepy, scary, haunting–just up my alley...gothic romance that makes the hair stand up on my neck!"

Musings from an Addicted Reader "It was haunting, unpredictable, and intriguing. All the characters were unique and draw you in from the first chapter. Excellent read."

Shut Up & Read "I love a good ghost story, and this one did not disappoint...I've heard the saying painting a picture with words, and that is exactly what the author does here. Each sentence is vivid and alive."

Happy Tails and Tales "I would recommend it to my fellow ghost lovers, Gothic lovers, and historical paranormal lovers alike. There are some interesting paranormal characters...I wasn’t expecting them...a really well done plot twist. "

Demons Do it Better "Between kept me guessing. I had no clue where the story was going to end but I made a couple of guesses along the way and I was wrong."

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How did you come up with the idea for BETWEEN?

Three years ago, I was working on a sequel to a fantasy novel when I had this weird “calling.” Two characters came to me in a rush; Lucas and Cronan from BETWEEN. They weren’t fantasy characters nor they didn’t fit into what I was writing but they wouldn’t go away. I kept setting them aside but they’d come back, stronger than ever. I put the fantasy sequel on hold, wrote non-stop for a month, and finished the first draft. That never happens! It usually takes me months to finish a first draft. A year later, my edits were finished, and two months later, BETWEEN was picked up by Musa Publishing. I’ve got my feet firmly planted in the Otherworld now, the ideas come faster than I can write them down.

What first inspired you to become a writer? And what compels you to continue your career as an author?

I wrote my first short story in grade six. I was asked by the teacher to read it aloud to the class, which terrified me. After I was finished, I realized that I actually had everyone’s attention! I was shy and we moved every year, so I was always the new kid. When you’re in that situation, it’s kind of like being invisible. Finding my voice through story-telling made me realize how powerful writing could be. As far as continuing—truthfully? I think I’d go nuts if I didn’t write.

What made you choose the genre of paranormal gothic horror?

I started out writing fantasy fiction. I was working on the second installment to my PRADEE series when there were two characters that kept showing up on the page, over and over. They didn’t belong in fantasy novel, nor did they belong in my story! But their backstory came to me so vividly, that I set aside my series and wrote my first paranormal novel, BETWEEN. I’ve been pulled into the Otherworld permanently now. The ideas come faster than I can write them down.

Follow the Tour:

Sapphyria's Book Blog