THE READ PATH with Tricia Drammeh

The Read Path – Tricia Drammeh

In this series, guest bloggers spill all about their roles as gatekeepers between authors and readers. They review books on blogs, websites, podcasts or booksellers’ webpages, influence buyers and connect with authors. My guest today, for the second time this week, is Tricia Drammeh, this time with her fabulous review site Authors to Watch.

Let me hand over my mic. The next voice you’ll hear will be Tricia’s.

1. Why did you start a book review site?

​My review site, Authors to Watch, evolved from my desire to help other authors. I started by doing interviews on my personal blog, and eventually bought a separate domain for Authors to Watch. Word spread, and I began getting requests for promotional features on a daily basis. When authors began asking me to review their books, I decided to do reviews as well as interviews.

2. What’s the best aspect of owning a book review site?

The best aspect is connecting with readers and authors. I’ve met so many fantastic people through Authors to Watch and have discovered books I wouldn’t have discovered if it wasn’t for the blog.

3. What’s the worst aspect?

One of the most difficult aspects of having a promotional blog is trying to balance my obligations. I work outside the home, have a husband and kids, have my own writing, and yet I still need to make sure I post interviews and reviews in a timely manner. I have run into some problems with authors who are extremely demanding. A few have emailed me multiple times throughout the day to tell me to shuffle the order of questions, to add a link they forgot, or to mention an award they won.

One author asked very detailed questions about how many blog views I got each day and wanted to know exactly what I planned to do to promote his interview. He treated his request to appear on my blog like a job interview, which would be understandable if he were paying me to promote him, but since I was basically working for him for free, I found his interrogation rather annoying. Most authors do understand that book bloggers aren’t getting paid for the work they do and are helping writers in their spare time, but occasionally an author will come along who acts like a diva.

4. Why should readers check out your website?

​If you don’t check out Authors to Watch, you might run the risk of missing out on some seriously amazing books. I’ve been known to fall so deeply in love with a book I’ve read, I will actually track down the author and beg them to do an interview. So, it isn’t all about blog tours on Authors to Watch. You’ll meet authors you won’t see anywhere else.

5. Out of all the books you’ve read, which two are your top must-read recommendations?

Only two? Oh, boy. I would definitely recommend The Green Woman series by Jane Dougherty. She’s published the first two books in the main trilogy, but has also published short stories and other supplements to the series. Jane’s blog is an absolute gem. She does author interviews, publishes incredible poetry, and regularly includes short stories that are related to her series.

The other series I’m absolutely in love with is the Amaranthine series by Joleene Naylor. If you’re looking for extremely well written vampire fiction, Joleene’s books are a must. She’s published six full-length novels and several short stories. Like Jane, Joleene has an incredible website with excerpts, artwork, character profiles, and much more.

Though these two series I mention are in completely different genres, there is something special that sets them apart, and that is the fact that the authors have created more than a book series—they’ve created an entire world the reader can get lost in. While I am definitely a fan of standalone novels, I do enjoy a good series. Both the Green Woman and the Amaranthine series are self-published, and I think this has given the authors the flexibility to take their books to a new level. In this day and age where self-published novels are being released in droves, readers are looking for something that sets these books apart. I think Jane and Joleene have really achieved that “something special” quality and their blogs/websites are a huge part of that.

Links:
Website: www.triciadrammeh.com
Authors to Watch: www.authorstowatch.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorTriciaDrammeh
Twitter: twitter.com/TriciaDrammeh

To buy Tricia’s book, click here: Amazon.com: Better than Perfect eBook: Tricia Drammeh: Kindle Store