Book Blogger Interrogations: Rita @ Not Another Romance Blog

Hello and welcome to the first (of many, hopefully) Book Blogger Interrogation! I have had the pleasure of getting to know a number of very cool book bloggers from all over the blogosphere. I thought it would be fun to put them under the heat lamp so to speak and get some answers to some fun questions. To kick things off I want you to give a big welcome to Rita the Historical Romance Junkie from Not Another Romance Blog! I "met" Rita through the Got Books? Event and am thrilled that I did! She has a very cute little blog that I think lots of you will find worth a peek!

1. Tell me the number one reason you love to read.

The number one reason why I love to read is because those sneaky little buggards known as books somehow find a way to get me emotionally invested without even trying. I can read a book on a whim and before I know it, I am squealing, and dancing a jig or holding back tears and fanning myself. With all the stress of the real world mounting daily, the escape a good book provides is temptation I can never resist.

2. What is it about sharing your reviews that keeps you going?

I really procrastinate with my reviews. I just love to read, but sometimes, I find the idea of summing up the hours I devoted to a book daunting. Will I be able to attract readers with this? Will this review do the book justice? Where do I start!? But then I open the new post creator on blogger and begin to write from the heart. If I loved a book, I'll tell you. If it wasn't all that I wished it to be, I'll tell you that too. I can not tell you how good it feels to finish a review and look over it and know it DOES pretty much sum up my experience with this book. Writing reviews really started as a way for me to catalog my thoughts and opinions on the novels I've read, but then strangers started reading them too and telling me they made them want to read the book or they agreed with what I had to say, and I felt like I had a purpose. Who doesn't want to have a purpose?

3. Who is your all-time favorite author?

It's so hard to choose an all-time favorite author. You discover new ones everyday, and there are millions of books I have yet to read. But as of now, my favorite author would have to be Lisa Kleypas. EVERY single one of her books are amazing and affecting. I can pick up any book with her name on the cover and feel confident about walking up to the cash register and investing in it. Her historicals are amazing, and I hold high hopes for her ever growing list of contemporaries as well (the Travis series is a real pleaser!).

4. What is your all-time favorite book (single or series)?

My all-time favorite book is once again, a difficult question to answer in black-and-white. While I may not have the gall to name a 'favorite' book, I do have a book I consider my 'most dear'. Sentimentally, I hold this one book in great esteem over all others I have read so far, and even if there are better books out there, I still hold this one close to my heart. It is 'It Happened One Autumn' by Lisa Kleypas. I just loved the drama and adventure and reluctant love that blossomed. My favorite scene is when Lilith gets drunk and tries to get a too large pear from inside too small decanter. Her hand gets stuck, but her drunken yet pure interaction with Marcus as he tries to free her hand from the jar is just so sublime and entertaining!

5. If you could pick one fictional character and bring them to life, who would it be?

I love fictional characters as much as anybody, but once I start reading a book, and seeing a relationship start to form with the heroine and hero, it's hard to want to picture myself in her shoe. It's THEIR love story, and I just like to sit back and enjoy the ride. But one character I am able to recall whom I wouldn't mind seeing in real like is Jack Travis from 'Smooth Talking Stranger' by Lisa Kleypas (yes, another Kleypas). I loved how manly he was, and how protective over the woman he considered his. He doesn't love in half-measures and you can tell that he will do anything for Ella. He's the type of guy who will fall in love and need no one else. He is easily contented with just being around that special someone and he doesn't need 'space' or 'me time' when there's someone so beloved to share his life with. He's a guy I could fall in love with instantly if he were real.

6. Do you always finish a book, even if you know you don’t like it half way in?

I always try to finish a book, but if the book loses my interest, I turn into a skimmer. I feel I haven't done the book justice if I just close it midway through. If the plot or writing style just isn't what I usually enjoy, I'll skim through to the end, half-reading a paragraph here or there, and get the gist of the book (climax and conclusion) before closing it.

7. Do you own an eReader? If yes, why? If no, why not?

No, I do not own an ereader. I wish I had a better excuse, but what it comes down to is: Paperbacks add up quick. I wish I had about 200$ to invest in a nook or kindle, but right now, I haven't even stepped foot into my college and have already received a bill for $14k (just for one semester). I hate knock off's or alternative ereaders. I'd rather invest in the real deal and be satisfied with it's awesomeness! I will hopefully splurge and get one for Christmas though. Something tells me I'll become enamored with it and treat it like a bible once I get it./ side note: As I've said before, I am a sentimentalist, and I will always prefer the printed word as appose to some techy gizmo. I see the benefits and pro's when it comes to having an ereader (save money on most novels since efiles cost less than paperbacks, cool apps, accessibility, ect) but there's something about having my hands on a stack of paperback books that will always endear them to me.

8. What is your all-time single favorite genre to read?

My all-time favorite genre is, of course, HISTORICALS! I am a huge historical romance fan and I love the classic regency, ton & ball, stories. I enjoy a good highlander or medieval or pirate tale, but the regular regencies are my favorite!

9. Here’s your chance to plug your book review blog, twitter, facebook, etc. You know, make a general plea for people to like you…

Hey people, please like me! lol. I am the original creator and publisher for the Not Another Romance Blog blog. Romances is my drug, and like I always say "addicts need love too"! I do book reviews, host giveaways, interview authors, create reading lists, and put out funny posts where I give you a glimpse into my perverted randomness. I love historicals, but I try to dip into new genres whenever I can. You can easily contact me through my email (historicalromancejunkie[at]gmail[dot]com) or seek me out on one or more of the many social networking site I've set up accounts with for the blog. I am always happy to chat or offer whatever kind of help I can provide to whoever goes out of their way to contact me.

Follow me, Gush with me, and always remember: book conversations are my favorite conversations! You can find me on the following sites:


My Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/4038965
My Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001079857664
The Blog's Facebook Page (please 'like'):http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Not-Another-Romance-Blog-Blog/120301157994783
Twitter: http://twitter.com/NotAnotherRBlog
and don't forget to follow the actual blog: http://notanotherromanceblog.blogspot.com/

-Thanks for interviewing me Pam! I wish you and your readers all the best!

I hope you all enjoyed getting to know Rita - I know I did. Come back next week to meet Julie from Reading Without Restraint!