Ten Reasons Why I Love to Read

Hey All! Thanks for stopping by! Keeping with my latest trend, here's another post from my book tour! It was originally for a fun blog: The Power of Passion J.R Allister

We all love to read. Most of us do anyhow. There are those who are into sports, boating, shopping, gardening, hiking, fishing, working out. Whatever it is. And although those things are great, this post isn’t about those things. It’s about reading! And personally I never trust anyone who doesn’t enjoy a great book! Whether you read a few books a week, a month, or just a few a year, read on and see if you agree!

1-It’s a way to travel without all the costly expenditures. You can go anywhere, at anytime, for a very reasonable price, and without even having to get out of your pajamas! You don’t have to pack a bag. Put on an ounce of makeup. Or leave the comforts of your home. How amazing is that?

2- You’ll never be bored. You can read while waiting at the doctor’s office. Stuck in a long line at the grocery store. Or when you’re hubby is watching a sporting event that you can’t seem to get into. Reading is a great escape!

3- Want to try something new? Skydiving? Surfing? Hang gliding? Maybe you’re afraid of heights, water, or you just plain don’t have the nerve to do these things, but while reading, you can! You can live through the characters in a book and experience things first hand and without risk of injury.

4- Who isn’t stressing about something? Whether its trivial like finding more time in the day to spend with your kids, or to clean, cook, paying your bills to even something more serious, like an illness, losing your job, ect.. We all have our tough times. But I know what will help chill me out, cracking open a book! Even if it’s just for a moment or two. In fact, it’s been proven that in just six minutes it can slow your heart rate.

 5- Every time I read something, I learn something new. Even if it’s just a new word. Sometimes, just for fun, I like to slip in a new word and watch my kids’ faces as they try to figure out the meaning.

6- At a family event? Reading will help you avoid a few awkward conversations. Maybe one you’ve been avoiding with Great Aunt Alice as to why you’re still single. Well, I don’t actually recommend that last one, but you get the idea. A book can save you!

7- Ever read a book with a large cast of kooky characters? Keeping them all straight in your head is great for stretching your memory capabilities!

8- My Grandma always says, ‘You’re never lonely when you’re reading a book.’ And she’s right, you always have a friend. A companion. A lover. 

9- As a self proclaimed bookworm, I can’t think of a time where I haven’t had books in my life. They’re as comforting to me as macaroni and cheese. Hot chocolate. Flannel pajamas. Some of my best childhood memories are of my mom reading to me and my brothers. And as a parent, I cherish the nightly reading sessions we have when we shut out the world and snuggle close in with a book.

10- And lastly, reading and writing go together as well as peanut butter and jelly! And as a writer there is no better tool to sharpen my skills than diving into an amazing book. I love checking out others authors writing styles, and realizing, oh! I can begin a sentence with the word ‘and’ or ‘but’! And it can also help to perfect my own writing voice as I find what I like and don’t like about a particular style.

So whether you’re a writer, reader, bored, lonely, stresses, or just in need of an escape, grab a book and enjoy! Thanks for reading and allowing me to share my own passion of reading/writing with you!!

This Morning I Woke Up Dead

by Mindy Larson

Amazon:  http://amzn.to/1apcNAW

Nook:  http://bit.ly/19qHmCL

iTunes:  http://bit.ly/18KKkTd

Kobo:  http://bit.ly/1bLcMGN

Download my free ebook here: The Beginning of The End

Book Giveaway

I’m feeling generous!! In keeping with the spirit of my birthday yesterday, I want to give back! I’m holding a giveaway! Enter to win a signed copy of This Morning I Woke Up Dead!!

Just like my page This Morning I Woke Up Dead, by MIndy Larson, share this status and do one of the following three:

Download one of my books (One of them is FREE) The Beginning of the End or This Morning I Woke Up Dead

Write a review for one of my books

Follow this blog

Be sure to leave a comment on my FB page letting me know which you did! At 11:11 tomorrow, February  20th, I will choose a random winner. Best of luck!! – Mindy Larson

Confessions of an Author

Good Morning! in keeping with my latest theme, I wanted to share another guest post from my book tour with you. This one was originally written for fun blog,  Electively Paige a big thank to her for letting me part of it! 

Confessions of an Author

My name is Mindy Larson and I have a confession to make... I am an addict. I am addicted to books, coffee, chocolate, spicy foods, shoes, and Pinterest!

What are some your guilty pleasures? 

Read on and see if yours are anything like mine!

1-I have over a thousand books. Only a few are on my kindle. I love to hold the book. Smell the books pages. Feel the weight in my hands. I love romances. Thrillers. Inspirational type books. Mysteries. Old books. New books. Some of which I've read. Others sit patiently on the shelf, keeping their secrets to themselves, hoping and waiting I'll choose them next. Some have been waiting days, weeks, months, and a few have even been waiting years! One day, I will read them all. This is a promise. If only I didn't keep adding to my collection, it wouldn't be easier said than done!

2-Coffee and I are close. Everyday I start my day with coffee. I love its earthy scent. The rich creamy taste. The warm liquid perks me up, soothes me, and keeps me going! I couldn't do all the things I do without it. My kids wouldn't get driven to school, help with their homework, or even dinner made for them. The laundry would pile up, up, up! The floors would be sticky. The dog wouldn't get fed let alone walked. My blog would get neglected even more so. My next book wouldn't be on track to be finished up anytime soon. And I probably wouldn't ever get to the gym. You get the idea, I wouldn't be the same accomplished woman without it. 

3-There are times when everything is going fine, I'm chilling with my husband on the couch watching King of Queens, and a voice calls to me. 'You want some chocolate." At first its a whisper, a mere suggestion. Shifting my weight under me, I ignore the pull. A few moments go by, and a little louder this time, I hear, "You need some chocolate." Turning around, I see the bag of chocolates sitting on the counter, waving at me. Winking at me. I am weak and I always give in! I can't seem to go even a single day without it.

4-As much as I love a piece of dark chocolate or two, I love spicy food even more! Indian food. Sushi. Thai. Mexican. And if something isn't spicy already I remedy that with three or ten dashes of hot sauce or some crushed red pepper flakes. And as a side benefit I hear spicy peppers are a natural fat burner and even increases your metabolism!

5-Pinterest, Pinterest, what did I do in my spare moments without you?? You know how it goes, someone is watching something on TV you don't particular care for, or your in a LONG line at the store, maybe you're just waiting in your car for your kids to get out of school.. What to do, what to do?? For me its opening my Pinterest on my phone, and in seconds, I'm visually entertained. Talk about major eye candy! My favorite things to pin are clothes, places to travel, inspiring quotes, and yummy food. Actually, I pin everything! I have boards for everything! All the while I know that most likely I will never make those double fudge peanut butter brownies, buy those floral stiletto heels, or book a trip to Italy. But its ok. I just like to think about them. I like to look at them. I like to pin them. And who know's, maybe one day, I will make those brownies, buy those heels, and book a trip to Italy!

6-Shoes glorious, shoes! I have hundreds of shoes. Heels. Boots. Running shoes. Ballet flats. And for lack of space, some of my shoes have even spilled into my daughters room. My youngest loves playing in my heels anyhow. She is a shoe addict in training! 

Books, coffee, chocolate, spicy food, Pinterest, and shoes make me happy. Really happy. And if anything makes you happy, it can't be a bad thing, right?

Thanks so much for reading! I'd love to hear about some of your guilty pleasures! 

How to Be Famous Like Suzanne Collins

Good afternoon! Thanks for stopping by! Here is another fun guest post I wrote while on my virtual book tour. I thought I'd repost it, just in case you missed it. It was originally featured on a wonderful blog, Books a-z with Megan Moffat

Marketing techniques from a nine year old

On the way to the library this afternoon my youngest asked me something. It made me think. It made me wonder. It made me hope.

With her signature dimpled smile, Brooklynne asked, “Mom, will you ever be famous like Suzanne Collins?”

My green eyes widened. I smiled. The thought thrilled me. “Oh, I hope so!”

With a confident and all knowing smile, she continued, “You will be. It just takes time. You just need a big variety of people to read your book. They’ll talk about it. They’ll write reviews. It’ll spread like wildfire!”

This was a proud moment for me. As a mom. And as a writer. She went on and and on and told me other steps I should be taking in order to be famous like Suzanne Collins. Apparently Ms Collins has written another series that has enraptured the heart of my youngest. Maybe you’ve heard of it. Maybe not. It’s known as Gregor The Overlander series. This leads me into her first example of how to be a famous writer.

1-Write. Write all the time. Lots of books in particular. You can never write enough. The more you write the more readers you’ll gain. You’ll eventually build a larger fan base. Hopefully loyal readers will support you and check out your latest work, and for the newer readers you gain over time, perhaps they will go back and check out your previous work.

2-Get your your readers talking. Not just about my book but any book. Get them talking about anything. I use social media: Twitter, Facebook, my blog, Pinterest, and Goodreads. Keeping with the reading/writing theme, I generally keep it somewhat related to books whenever I am hoping to engage my followers. Lately I’m proud to report that I’ve done a great job of reaching out and getting responses! It’s been a ton of fun to connect!

3-This is one of the ideas I came up with on my own, but I feel it warrants being mentioned. Have a support group. The only time you should go about being an author alone is durning the actual writing process. The support of a loved one or two. An editor. A fabulous cover artist, check mine out here Nicolette Lorette Designs And I also recommend obtaining a publisher. Mine in particular has been amazing to work with! Lavish Publishing LLC Without help, I wouldn’t be where I am today. And the best part is I get to spend more of my time doing what I do best, writing!

4-Get a big variety of people to read your book. Other than holding giveaways either on Facebook, or on Goodreads, I am honestly not sure how to further pursue this idea. If you have an idea, please, do tell! Not everyone enjoys paranormal romances. It’s not a dude type book. And I certainly don’t recommend kids reading it either. My hope is that most everyone that crosses paths with This Morning I Woke Up Dead will be able to relate it on some level. Who’s curious about what happens in the afterlife? Lost a loved one? Been in love?

5- And the last but not least tip is to have your book reviewed by anyone and everyone. Readers. Bloggers. Other authors. Friends. Fans. Family. Friends of friends, fans, and family. It all helps. And I am hopeful this will one day this will lead to the wildfire spreading!!

Thanks for reading Brooklynne's tips!

If you know of any I may have missed, please do share!

*** Be sure to check out my latest book! The highly anticipated prequel to This Morning I Woke Up Dead entitled; The Beginning of The End  And the best part is, its FREE!!