First of all, thank you for your support! When I started my blog three years ago, I never imagined anyone would read what I had to say about books, yet here I am a global entity! I am in love with the written word, and hope that my passion flows through this website.
I am honored that I have regular readers, and I am even more honored that Publishing houses want to work with me and send me their books for an honest review. I understand it's strategic marketing, yet the thrill of finding out which books I will pull from my mailbox hasn't subsided at all. Even though life gets in the way of my reviews on occasion, my goal is to serve you, my readers. Honest reviews, interesting posts, fun giveaways, and industry news - it's all for you!
Many of you have told me that after you have read one of my reviews, you immediately go to another website to download the eBook or to order a copy. Again, I have to say it: THANK YOU for your faith in me and my opinions!! For your convenience, I try to put links in the bottom of my reviews to IndieBound and Amazon. I am an affiliate with both, which means that I get a percentage of everything purchased at the site after someone goes there directly from my site. Honestly? It barely covers the cost of mailing books throughout the year. It's more for your convenience than my benefit. Sometimes, the links don't work or they won't format correctly and I leave them off. (I'm impatient) After all, I'm not sure who actually clicks on the links and who doesn't.
While I try and stay out of the battle between Amazon and Indie Bookstores, I feel like I need to make something clear: We Need Local Bookstores.
I can't imagine a world where my kids can't walk into a bookstore, pick up and hold the books on display, find a new series, and want to plop into the beanbag chair seconds after I've paid for it and started a conversation with the bookstore manager. Bookstores have always been my Happy Place, and I want to help them as best I can. When my older son was an infant, my husband worked late, but he rarely got home after the bookstore closed. He would walk in the door, and I would set off to my happy place, browsing the new titles while drinking a decaf chai. When I moved to a small town, I came to appreciate not only the bookstore, but the friends I would make there as well. My local Indie, Clinton Book Shop, is run by two men that I affectionately refer to as my Book Whisperers.
This website is not just about me, the publishers, or the relationship I have with my Book Whisperers, it's about you, my readers, and what you want.
Before I stop linking to Amazon, I need to know what YOU want. For the sake of privacy, instead of asking you all to comment below (which you are welcome to do as well) I have created a quick form that asks only 5 quick questions. Please answer them and help me be a better Book Marks.
Thank you again!
Alison
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