Book Blogger Appreciation Week - Tuesday—New Treasure—Interview Swap

Tuesday—New Treasure—Interview Swap
Post the interview you did with your BBAW Interview Partner. 

Here are my interview questions that I sent to Mary Elizabeth McLain

1. I love the layout of your blog. Do you create your blog templates? If so, how to you make them or where do you get them if you don’t make them and you don’t mind me asking?

• Thank you! I actually purchased the layout and font from "Smitten Blog Designs" - I really, really like their work.  As far as the blog background, I like to change it with the seasons quite a bit! :) I got my current background from "My Style" free blog backgrounds.

 
2.  Checking out all the items you have in your sidebars, I noticed that you are part or have been part of several events. Which ones are your favorites and why?

• My favorite was the "Got Books?" event which was this past July.  I really enjoyed it, because it put me in touch with so many new book blogs I otherwise might not have found.  It also grew my followers exponentially!

3.  What inspired you to start a blog? How has the blogging experience turned out for you? What do you like and what do you dislike?

• My children inspired me to begin blogging on my other blog, "Ten Thousand Hugs."  That made me want to begin a blog where I wrote a little bit of my novel each day, which became my children's literature blog, "A Novel Idea."  Even though I am no longer writing my novel online, I kept the name for posterity!

4.  Who is your primary audience? Who is it that you create your blog for? Kids, adults, both, etc.

• My primary audience is fellow mothers and book bloggers - in other words, people just like me! I write my blog for both children and adults, but I don't think many kids read it.  The goal of my blog is to bring children and literature together, so as long as that is happening, I'm happy!
•  
• 5.  Most of you book reviews are children books/picture books. What else do you enjoy reading when you have a chance? I noticed on the information BBAW provided me that Angela’s Ashes is your favorite book and I was just curious to know why you chose that book.
• My favorite type of literature is middle grade lit - probably from when I taught fifth grade a few years ago.  I had an absolute blast teaching and reading that level! Angela's Ashes, in my opinion, is simply one of the best books ever written.  Frank McCourt's narrative of his childhood in Ireland was written in the most amazing style I have ever read.  As I read that book, I became part of the story...it gives me chills just thinking about it.

6.  Who are some other bloggers that you have followed and/or met since starting to blog? If you have to recommend other blogs to check out who would be three of them?

• I have met so many amazing friends in the blogging world! It has truly been an awesome experience! Here are the three blogs I must recommend:
• "There's A Book" - http://www.theresabook.com/
• "Teach Mentor Texts" - http://www.teachmentortexts.com/
• "100 Scope Notes" - http://100scopenotes.com/ 

1. What was your favorite toy when you were a kid?

• My Cabbage Patch Doll

2.  If you have to choose a movie title for your life story, what would that be?

• "Life is Beautiful"

3.  Which is your wish that is not yet fulfilled?

• My only wish is to die before my children do. 

4.  What really gives you the creeps?

• Drowning - my worst fear.

5.  Why do women shave their armpits and men don't?

• Excellent question.  I have no idea.

6.  If you could be any male/female sports star, who would you be?

• Michele Kwan

7.  If you were going to be stuck on a deserted island, which 5 books, movies, people and foods would you take along?

• My husband and my four children.

8.  What do sing in the shower, if you do sing?

• I'm not a morning person, so I am barely awake in the shower! Sorry, no singing.

9.  Would you rather be attacked by a big bear or a swarm of bees?

• Neither.

10. What was the last concert you saw?

• Def Leppard in the summer of 2005.

 
Last item is for you to provide at least three things about yourself that others may not know or clues you want to offer about who you are. This will help us with the voting of the mystery teacher. You could throw in a photo of yourself or whatever you feel.

Warmest regards,

 

Mary Elizabeth McLain

 

Please take a moment to check out my blogs!

 

• Ten Thousand Hugs (my blog about kindness):  http://tenthousandhugs.blogspot.com/
• A Novel Idea (my blog about children's literature):  http://a-novel-idea-by-maryelizabeth.blogspot.com/