Heather Hobbs's Blog, page 9

I always enjoy looking through the Goodreads Choice Awards winners. I like to know what fellow readers like (vs. professional critics), it gives me a chance to bulk up my ‘to-read’ list, and there are always a few surprises in there as well.

Fiction: I was somewhat surprised to see that Go Set a Watchman won the fiction category. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE To Kill a Mockingbird. It’s one of my all time favorites. However, I’ve read so many mixed reviews I didn’t think it would win. Especially with the new character traits of Atticus. It is on my to-read list, though.

Mystery: Girl on a Train was a fun read, in my opinion. I enjoy a good mystery and it has a Gone Girl vibe. I know a lot of people that didn’t care for this book and the ratings on Goodreads aren’t great. But it was very popular and a movie is in the works so not too surprising that it won.

A few of the winners are already loaded on my Kindle and I haven’t gotten to them yet (The Nightingale, Why Not Me, and Dead Wake, for example.)

I’m always looking to bulk up my YA collection and I was able to snag Red Queen, Finding Audrey, and All the Bright Places during Black Friday on Amazon, among others.

What did you think of the Goodreads Choice Awards winners? Did any surprise you?

Everything I read tells me that in order to sell copies of my book, I need reviews. A LOT of reviews.

I see services for eBook promotion on Twitter but…I wonder if people scroll past those posts without really looking? Perhaps Goodreads and LibraryThing are best? Or maybe book bloggers?

If you have published a book, did you give out Advance Reader Copies before publication? How many and where?

My fellow Loomis Park Press colleague is publishing a book NEXT MONTH! (Are authors with the same publishing company colleagues? I’m going to say yes.) Please show her lots of love and read her book Outside. It is the first book in her Shiloh Series and, as someone who has read it, I can honestly say that it’s great! The book comes out January 28 but it’s available for pre-order now! 

In the past, Christmas has always been held at my mother-in-law’s house. It’s an all-day affair starting with breakfast and ending with a huge dinner. Since my husband and I moved into a new house at the end of July, it has been suggested what we hold dinner at our home this time around.

One the one hand, it makes total sense. We have more space and can accommodate the most people comfortably. But on the other hand, having a house full of people from breakfast through dinner sounds…exhausting.

I know it will be fun but there is SO much to think about! Cooking multiple meals, decorating the house, keeping my dog from chewing up the lights on the tree (she is not bright.)

I am cautiously looking forward to this but, as this will be my first foray into hosting, I am open to any tips!

I mentioned this in an earlier post but my first novel, The Trouble with Family, will be released through Loomis Park Press in March. I’ll be sharing information about the book as it comes to fruition, I hope you all check it out! In the meantime, check out my author bio and book blurb on the Loomis website! http://www.loomisparkpress.com/heather-hobbs.

I currently have HBO free for a year (which I will promptly cancel once my year is up.) I haven’t really used it much but the other day I noticed A Fault in the Stars was on. After I finished sobbing like a small child, I starting thinking about book adaptations. There are some great ones out there and some…not so great. I’ve mentioned it before but Anne of Green Gables and Harry Potter are go-to movies for me. But I also love Little Women, About a Boy, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the list goes on. The one I keep hemming/hawing on right now is The Book Thief. I LOVE that book and am a little apprehensive about watching the movie since the ratings aren’t great. Have you seen it?

Do you have a favorite book adaptation? Are there any you absolutely hate?

As someone that will be publishing an eBook next year, I am super curious about how people decide to price their books.

When I look for a new book to read, the cost is certainly a factor. It it’s too expensive, I’ll wait for it to go on sale. On the other end of that spectrum, if a book is free I may be less apt to read it, unless it has a whole bunch of great reviews (did they get those by giving the book away?) If you have published a book I would love some insight on what you sold your book for, and why!

The blurb for my book The Trouble with Family is done! Enjoy :)

Molly Anderson just found out her dad is getting married to a woman she’s only met once.

Fourteen-year-old Molly had planned to spend the summer before high school reading books, eating junk food, and napping. Instead, she’s forced to spend her days juggling four new family members, a grumpy older brother, a crazy grandmother, and Max, the new boy next door. Having lost her mother in a car accident a year before, she’s not sure how many more changes she can take before she hits her breaking point.

The first book in the Molly Anderson series, The Trouble with Family tells the story of a girl trying to make the most of her summer, not just survive it.

Coming March 2016

It’s no secret that I love YA and children’s books. I love to read it, write it, watch film adaptations of it, etc. When I think of my favorite children’s and YA books, I always go back to the classics. I have fond memories of reading Little Women and was so proud of myself when I finished it (it was a BIG book for me at the time.) I re-read To Kill a Mockingbird frequently and think the film is fantastic as well. Thinking about the BFG takes me back to reading with my mom before bed, and I could go on for days about the magic of Harry Potter.

I love that a story can not only transport me while I’m reading it but bring back fond memories of my childhood as well.

What are your favorite YA and Children’s classics?

Loomis Park Press will be publishing my first novel, The Trouble with Family in March 2016 and I cannot wait! LPP is a new publishing company specializing in Young Adult and New Adult fiction. And, in the spirit of sharing, I invite you to check them out at http://www.loomisparkpress.com. You can also see my author bio and links to my twitter page here: http://www.loomisparkpress.com/heather-hobbs . Show some love, people!