Beyond the Blog with Rabid Reads

Welcome to Beyond the Blog, where we'll not only be featuring some amazing blogs but also the creative people behind them. Today we have an interview with Carmel from Rabid Reads.  Carmel is super great to her followers and is currently hosting a giveaway where she is giving up to $50 in books in her 1,000 Follow Giveaway. But make sure you check out her interview BEFORE heading over to enter!

Let’s start with a few blog related questions

How has your blog changed since you first started it?
How it hasn’t changed would have been an easier question to answer! The name’s changed, the layout’s changed, the genres that I review have changed, etc and it will continue to do so in the future. I’m ever changing so my blog reflects that.

What are 3 words that describe your blog?
Wolf-erific, piquant, cozy.

What do you like most/least about blogging?
The thing that I like the most about blogging (aside from free books and ARCS) is connecting with other bloggers. Reading is a pretty solitary hobby so it’s a good way to get out of my bubble. As for my least fav thing about it, sometimes it feels like a job. The tour deadlines and the pressure of constantly having to post new content can be a little overwhelming at times.

What is a favorite post that you’ve done?
During the month of December I hosted my first ever solo event called Holiday Foreplay. It ran for 24 days and 20 authors participated in various guest posts, interviews and giveaways. It was a massive undertaking but also a lot of fun. I’m hoping to bring it back again next year.

Who are some of your favorite authors that you discovered because of blogging?
It’s a lengthy list but here are five of them: Sierra Dean, Andrea Cremer, Karen Marie Moning, Chloe Neill and Jeaniene Frost.

Let’s get to know the blogger behind the blog, shall we?

Can you tell us about where you’re from?
I’m from a little, picturesque village in rural Québec that’s 45 minutes North of Ottawa, Canada’s capital. I know all of my neighbours, no one locks their doors and everything closes at 8 PM. I’m a country girl!

Are you a morning person or is coffee a must before you are able to function?
Coffee is a must for me! The days that I’m running late and have to bypass the drive-thru on my way to work are the worst. I’ve told all of my coworkers to not talk to me until 10 AM unless they want their head bitten off.

What is a typical day in your life like?
On weekdays I get up at 6 AM, get ready, and then I listen to an audio book on our hour long commute while my guy drives. I work a full day at the Science and Tech Museum where my responsibilities are a mix between visitor statistics and finance. Then we point our car in the other direction and drive home. My evenings are a mix of chores, tv watching, reading, blogging and dog walking.

Most weekends are pretty relaxed. I sleep in then hit the slopes on my snowboard or spend quality time with my guy and our dogs.

What is your favorite thing to do (aside from reading) in your down time?
I love spending time outdoors. There’s a reason why I live in the middle of nowhere! There’s an awesome network of hiking trails where we take the dogs, 4 ski hills, countless rivers and lakes for swimming/boating, golf course, and the list goes on…

If you were to create a bucket list (list of things you’d like to do before you die), what would be in your top 3?

1. Visit another continent across the ocean (such as Italy, Australia, Japan, etc);
2. Take a whole summer off and go on a roadtrip across Canada;
3. Go heli-snowboarding.

If you could sit down and chat with any author, who would you pick and what would you like to talk about?
I’d like to chat about werewolves and what it’s like being a successful Canadian author with Kelley Armstrong.

A lot of people credit Stephenie Meyer and her Twilight series for kicking off their reading addiction. Have you always been a reader or is there a book/series that got you hooked?
I’ve always been a reader; I have my mom to thank for that. She read to me growing up and there was always a book beside her spot on the couch.

You just won your dream vacation, all expenses paid. Where are you going?
Venice, Italy.

Oh, we forgot to mention you get to take your fantasy man with you. So, who are you taking?
Do I really have to pick just one? ;) It’d be a toss-up between David Boreanaz and Jensen Ackles. Just don’t tell my boyfriend that I said that!


Thank you Carmel for taking some time out for us. If you want to know even more about Carmel, here's where you can find her around the web:

Blog
Twitter
Facebook
Google+
Goodreads