A Visit With Dru Ann Love - well known, much loved, blogger and dear friend

I've invited a few of my favorite bloggers to come by for a visit.

These bloggers also happen to be favorite people of mine.

I may not get to play with them as often as I'd like, but I follow them around the internet, read every word they write in their blogs, find a lot of books and authors I may not have discovered without their help, and just enjoy having them in my life.

They'll be popping up here over the next several months.

You'll know most, if not all, of them, and I think you'll enjoy their visits.

The first is my friend Dru Ann Love.  

You can find Dru Ann at Facebook, at her wonderful blog, Dru's Book Musings, and every so often at another blog you really shouldn't be missing - The Stiletto Gang (which is where I started my own blogging career a long, long time ago).

And now - - - 

Here's Dru!

Subject: How I read what I read

There’s no rhyme or reason as to the book I pick up to read unless it’s a new debut series. Since I don’t have the added deadline of writing a review, I can take my time in reading and become involved in a book.  My goal is to review at least 4 books per month with at least one a traditional mystery since most of the books I read are cozies.

How do I pick which debut series book to read?

It will come down to several factors and the top will be if I know the author and this can be attributed to if I have chatted with them via social media, if I met them at a reader/fan convention, or if I have met them at a book signing.  Those connection put the author one up on others as I’m curious as to their writing style and their voice.

Next will be the cover. Yes, I’m very visual and the cover is always the first thing I see when I discover a new-to me book. I love covers that allude to what’s inside and there are several publishers that have some of the best covers out there. One thing I do dislike are covers with too much information on the front. The point is to get me to turn to the back of the book.

Next up is the blurb/synopsis/back of the book. Give it to me straight. Give me that teaser that tells me what are between the pages, yet will spurn me to open up the book and read the first few pages. If at an online retailer, it will be that synopsis that will have me clicking to read a few pages.

Next is my visit to the author’s website and please, please, let it be up-to-date. If I don’t see your new book on your website, that will discourage me to go further.  I should also see a little bit more about what the book is about, more than what I find on the back cover. 

And because this is how I reach out to authors to do a guest post on my blog, (dru’s book musings), please have your contact information on your blog, particularly your email address. I really do not like filling out those forms.

How do I pick which book to read on a regular basis? Sometimes it depends on my mood.

I have my auto-buy authors that I automatically will put on hold any book that I’m reading to read their book when it comes out. My friends know who this author is. There are other authors and I just realized that half are cozy authors and the other half run the spectrum between suspense, thriller and traditional mystery authors.

If I want to read a thriller, I have my tried and true authors that I’ll read. I’m not one for experimenting with new thriller authors. Although, if I meet them at a reader/fan conference or a book signing, I might read their book.

I’m much more flexible when it comes to suspense books, and again I do have my tried and true authors that I will read.  And yes, if I met them at a reader/fan conference, I will give them a chance.

Then there are the mysteries – either traditional or cozies.  I read what I like and I’m more willing to try a new-to-me author in this genre, but again, there are some books I will not read due to the subject matter contained within the pages.

Sometimes on that rare occasion, I will pick a book by the “eeny, meeny, miny, moe” method.

I wish I could read all the books that I want to read, but it’s not possible. So I do the best I can to enjoy those books that I do read. 

How many books do I read?  On average I read 15-20 books per month.  That is actually less than I did previously. And according to Pew Research, in 2015 fewer Americans are reading print books (72% vs. 76% in 2014).  However, I’m ahead of the game as Americans read, on average, 12 books in the past year.

Anyway, that’s how I pick books to read.  How do you pick which book to read?

(note:  I have the moderate comments app enabled.  So.  If you leave a message and don't see it right away, it means I'm away from my laptop.  But not to worry, I'm never away for too long - - unless I'm sleeping . . .  But, it will get published, I promise).