Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award!

Hiya everybody!  I hope you had a fantastic week, and have a fun weekend planned.

So, I was nominated for the Sisterhood of the World Bloggers award in Oct of 2015...safe to say, it fell off my radar!! As I was going through my drafts to post something fun this week, I saw this one, and literally face-palmed myself. I can't believe I forgot to actually post it!

See, I had the whole post made. Ready to go. All set!! I just didn't hit the schedule button. Seriously, I have been so out of it the past year. Becoming an author has taken over my liiiiife!

I'm getting back to blogging now though, and am finally posting this!

To be honest, I hadn't heard of this one until I was nominated, but looking into it, the award is pretty awesome.

I'm honored and excited to be nominated, and want to give a big shout out and hug to +Tanya @ A Book Paradise - thanks sweets, I appreciate it! =D  ♥♥

If you'd like to find out more about her, or check out her awesome blog, visit her award post here.

Let's run through the rules first:

1. Thank the blogger who nominated you, linking back to their site.

2. Put the award logo on your blog.

3. Answer the ten questions sent to you.

4. Make up ten new questions for your nominees to answer.

5. Nominate ten blogs.

My Questions from Tanya

1) Who is your favourite artist at the moment and why?

I'm guessing this means music, or at least that's what I'm going to go with, lol.  At the moment, one of my favourite music artists is probably Twenty One Pilots, although tbh, my artist faves change weekly, if not daily. I love them right now though, because the beats in their music keeps me going, keeps me pumped, and always seems to pluck me from my bad moods, and puts a skip in my step.

2) What is your favourite season and can you pick a book to match?

Oh gosh, that's a hard one. It's usually a tie between Winter and Fall. I think though, I prefer Winter most of the time. A great read to match the Winter season, aside from the obvious classics, is the Nightshade series by Andrea Cremer. Every time it starts getting cold, I am hit with a deep craving to re-read that story.

3) Who or what inspired you to start a blog?

Uuum, to be honest, I don't really remember. I started my first blog in Middle School, I think as a way to get my poetry and writing out in the world somewhere. I wasn't necessarily inspired by anyone, I just stumbled across blogging in my amateur research of how to quickly and easily publish poetry and short stories. I've been blogging ever since, in a ton of different areas.

4) What would be your dream job and why?

My dream job is definitely working in a myriad of freelance and from-home services, fulfilling the many areas of passion I have. Which, luckily for me, is what I do.  

It gives me the ability to enjoy several areas of interest, without getting burned out or bored with one thing.  If I had a job where I did the same thing every day, even if it's in different ways, I'd go nuts, and probably end up fleeing to the mountains to be one of those tree-hut people, who uses a pine cone as a toothbrush. :P

5) Name a bookish cliché that you hate seeing in books.

There are quite a few to choose from, aren't there? Hmm. I suppose a trope I'm most tired of seeing in books, is the extremity of genders.  

As in, either the guy is a total jerk you want to smack (but the female character usually falls for him, despite herself), or he's a total looser (who the female character still falls for).  

In the same way, the female characters are usually always either super fem-bots who tout their "I don't need a man" banner like it's going to save the world.  Otherwise, they're these recluse frail creatures, who have absolutely no backbone, and constantly need everyone else to save them. Blech.

Where are all the normal people?? Oh, right...they're the side characters you end up wishing would have been the main character, cuz they're more realistic.  

I love when a book just has a normal guy, or a normal girl. They aren't traumatically broken, or taking on the world with a ton of tude. They deal with life and the issues presented the same way we would - normally. Not necessarily in a non-fantasy/paranormal sense of normal, just not some extreme "that would never happen" or "no one actually acts like that" kinda way. Relatable is much better to read than "yeah, ok..."

6) Pick three qualities that you like about your personality.

OK, pushing past the insecurity of having to be a little vain to answer this question xP
Here we go!

1.  I like the fact I don't hold on to negatives. I'm deeply effected by negative things, but I don't hold on to them. I get over frustration and negativity almost immediately, unless it's something major. Even then, I'm over it within a matter of minutes. Makes life much happier and calmer to live in the light and keep myself positive.

2.  I like the fact I can almost always make people laugh. I love bringing smiles to anyone, and have yet to meet a person I can't make laugh until they cry. I love that =)

3.  I love the fact I'm not vain (recognizing the fact that statement in and of itself is somewhat vain). I'm not a naturally vain or self-centered person though, and anything that makes it necessary for me to be that way (such as this question, lol) makes me uncomfortable. I'm much happier being humble, and focusing on the incredible world around me, and the fascinating creatures inhabiting it.

7) What is your favourite book you have read so far in 2015?

*This question is now, obviously outdated, but I'm going to leave it, b/c that's where I was when I wrote this. If only I'd have pushed publish! lol

This question makes me sad, because I haven't had a ton of time to read this year =/  So many books I want to read!  Lol.

My favorite book from this year so far though, would have to be a tie between Madison's Song by Christine Amsden, and Eric Elmoor and The Chalice of Cameron by Thomas A. Meyers. Both are books I still think about, a couple years later.

8) If you could pick a fictional world to live in, which one would it be and why?

Oh gosh, this question always makes me giggle a little bit. To be honest, I have no idea! My tendency to be an over-thinker always ruins questions like this for me.

9) How do you organize your bookshelf?

My bookshelf is an mess of organized chaos, and most of the time, I'm the only one who can actually find anything. Ideally, I'd set it up by genre, having separate shelves for Classics, Adult Fiction, Young Adult/New Adult, and Non-Fiction. From there, each genre would then broken up and set up according to sub genre, usually contemporary vs paranormal/fantasy, thriller/horror, mystery, comedy, realistic, etc.

10) Name one weird thing about yourself. 

Soooo many things to choose from, lol. I guess a pretty weird thing, is I have violet eyes. I use that one a lot for questions like this, but it definitely gets the most comments from people who notice it. My glasses do a good job of hiding it most of the time ;)

My Nominees

Catherine @ The Sassy Bookster
Sharon @ Shaz's Book Blog
Emily @ Mrs. Mommy Booknerd's Book Reviews
Jessica @ Jessica's Totally Over the Top Book Obession
Aditi @ A Thousand Words, A Million Books
Elien @ So Bookalicious
Ammie @ Ammie's Book Obsession
Elena @ Book Lady's Reviews
Paige @ Electively Paige

Monica @ A Southern Girl's Bookshelf

Questions for My Nominees

1) Who is your favourite musical artist at the moment and why?
2) What is your favourite season and can you pick a book to match?
3) Who or what inspired you to start a blog?
4) What would be your dream job and why?
5) Name a bookish cliché that you hate seeing in books.
6) Pick three qualities that you like about your personality.
7) What is your favourite book you have read so far in 2015?
8) If you could pick a fictional world to live in, which one would it be and why?
9) How do you organize your bookshelf?
10) Name one weird thing about yourself. 

Have fun, and thanks for reading! =D

*Quiz* Which Fictional Character Are You?

I got: Daisy, from The Great Gatsby

Congratulations, you're a conceited heartbreaker! Your horrible attitude and crappy personality have gotten you absolutely no where in life. You're probably married to a really jerky guy who's most definitely cheating on you with a sleezy girl who lives above a car garage! The one thing you have going for you is your voice, which is full of money.

Boo. :/

What did you get?

Fun Friday Quiz! How Do the Books You Read Affect You?

We all like quizzes, yes?  Hopefully, cuz that's what we have for you today.  We enjoy taking quizzes and polls - kind of a fun way to waste time, every now and then :)  

For our Friday, we'd like to start the weekend off with some of that doesn't-really-mean-anything kinda fun.  We found this cool quiz, which answers the question How Do the Books You Read Affect You?

For most of us bookish types, this should be fun ;) 

We took this quiz as well, and this is what our result was:

thebookwormwhocametotea.blogspot.com

The books you read do shape who you are today. You probably wouldn't be the same person you are today if you hadn't read the books you do. Remember that the next book you read could change you as a person.

Hmmm, interesting :)  

What did you get?  How do you think the books you read affect you? Let us know in the comments below!  

If you enjoyed this post, please share it.

Thanks for stopping by!

*Quiz* What Book Character Are You?

I got:

Daisy Buchanan

You are Daisy Buchanan from The Great Gatsby! You have a voice full of money and you are liked by many. You may make people believe that you are a carefree person and that you are a fool, but in reality, you are very wise. You are very aware of your surroundings and you do what you want to do, not what others tell you to.

What did you get?

I Just Want To Read!!

Hey peeps, Rose here.  How have you guys been?  Hopefully good.

I've been having a lot of fun posting more "fun" posts and doing quizzes with you guys.  I figured a good update post would may be interesting though, so here we go :)

This summer has been crazy for us so far, and it looks like things are just going to keep getting more hectic.  I'm starting up another business with Ken and his brother Ethan - one that appeals to another one of our hobbies.  It's a consultation and repair business, focusing on classic VW Aircooled cars!  How cool is that?  It's been quite a bit of fun so far.  We've named it Zen Beetles, got a few awesome clients, and can't wait to keep building that up.

Past that, we are still working on our book businesses, doing editing and beta reading, as well as working on different tours and promotion projects.

Most of my extra time is either spent on one of my different business ventures, or writing.  I'm not able to write much, but when I can, it's so much fun!!

My reading time has dropped dramatically the past few months though, and it's so depressing!  This whole year, really, has been too busy to read much.

All I want to do is read, dang it!!

I know this happens to all us avid book lovers & readers.  How do you guys cope with not being able to read much?  I don't do much driving, so I can't listen to audio books, but do you guys like them?  What are you reading right now?  I'm hoping to finish up some awesome Summer reads before it starts cooling down :)

*Quiz* Which Fairy Tale Was Actually Written About You?

We all love a good fairy tale, right?  Most of us love fantasy, and daydream about being in a fairy tale or fantasy book.  Well, here's your chance to see which fairy tale was written for you!

Have fun!

We got:

Little Red Riding Hood

What a brilliant personality you have! As you navigate your way through the forest of life, you've certainly encountered many big, BAD wolves along the way. This may have made it difficult for you to trust others, however, you're fearless, resilient and strong. Always believe in yourself and soon, the wolves will be scared of you! RAWR!

So, what did you get? :)

*Quiz* What Literary Character Is Your Mental Twin?

I got:

Bilbo Baggins

Fond of a warm hearth and a full belly, your mental twin is Bilbo Baggins! While you are typically a quiet and reserved individual, your adventurous imagination often gets the better of you as curiosity is constantly bubbling up from within. You may be absolutely in love with your books and maps and tokens of the world - but as a wise wizard once said - "The world is out THERE"! Your knack for exploring and discovering new things is unmatched, as is you're cunning when put under pressure. Yet no matter how far you travel or stray from the path you once thought you'd walk - there will never be any comforts quite like home.

What did you get?

Authors Upset Over Bloggers Sharing Their Work

So, recently on Facebook, I saw a post by a fellow blogger about an email he/she had gotten from an author.  The email basically said the author was upset the blogger had shared the book's cover on FB, and wanted it removed, or they would get a lawyer.

The language used by the author was completely rude and inappropriate, complete with profanities.  The author was obviously very upset, and out of patience with "bloggers [who] think they can do whatever they want f**k whoever else."  I don't really understand why, at all.

Let me show you what I'm talking about:

I don't understand this, at all. Bloggers, especially book bloggers, literally live to share author's work, and/or their...
Posted by Desert Rose Reviews on Friday, June 19, 2015

If you had a hard time reading the email, here's what it said:

"To whoever you are,

My name is [blank] I'm the author of [blank] and I just saw the cover of my book [blank] on your Facebook. I didn't ask you to put it there. I think it's inexcusable for you to think you can just take my sh*t and post them wherever like that. I didn't give you permission and I want you to remove it immediately. That's stealing. You're stealing my work and I will report you. I hate how you bloggers think you can just do whatever you want f**k whoever else. This is my livelihood you're f**king with and that's just bullsh*t. I'm giving you until this afternoon to take my book cover and all the links off everywhere you shared it or I will get a lawyer. 

This is your only warning.

[Name is Blacked Out]"

I've seen this happen before, plenty of times, and I just don't understand it.  For the authors out there - would you/have you reacted like this to seeing your book shared/promoted somewhere?  Fellow bloggers, have you had something like this happen to you?  Let us know in the comments below - I'm curious!

It's Ken's Birthday!!

Ken.

K. E. N. 

Kind.  Eccentric.  Noble.

So many words fit to describe Ken, but those three seem to jump out at me today.

For those who don't know it, Ken is my hubby, best friend, and one of the most epically amazing people I've ever known.  He is a blessing to me and the world, and I just love him to pieces!!

Today is his birthday, and I'm so glad - I love celebrating Ken!! :D

Across my blogs and our Lifestyle blogs, I'm going to have a myriad of posts all dedicated to, focused on, or gushing about the awesomeness that is Ken.  I can't get enough of him, and I want the whole world to know it, and to know how amazing he is!

If nothing else, I'll get to gush about him.

I hope you have an amazing birthday hun, and enjoy all the surprises Ethan and I have for you over the next few weeks :)

Lots of love,

~Rose

*Quiz* Which Divergent Faction Do You Belong In?

Ever wonder what faction from Divergent you would fit into?  Here's a chance to find out!  Have fun, and good luck! :D

I got:

Inconclusive.
You broke the system. You fit in two or more different factions, no matter what combination of factions, you better beware: they will kill you.

So, where do you belong?

Merry Christmas, from Desert Rose!!

Hey everybody!!  Rose and Ken here.

Christmas time is always nostalgic for a lot of people, and we are definitely some of those.  In that spirit, we just had to share a holiday post with you guys.

We love everything we do on our blog, the awesome people we meet, and the amazing books we discover.  We are thankful for everyone who reads our posts, and follows us anywhere, either here or on any of our social media sites.  Thanks for following us, and we hope you'll join us in 2015 for a ton of new adventures!!

We hope you all have a fantastic Christmas, and a wonderful New Year!!

Ciao for now, and as always:

Keep Creating!!

~Rose & Ken

@Desert Rose

New Year's Resolutions, 2014

Hey guys!  

Today I'm going to post about my New Year's Resolutions for this year.  I know most people have their lists closer to the start of January, but I take a little while to decide stuff, so I'm a tad tardy with this :P

These aren't all about books or reviews, some are personal (you've been warned...).  Better late than never, here are my resolutions for 2014:

1) Publish one of my books!
       I am going to publish one of my books this year.  No more excuses, no procrastinating, no hiding under my bed.  I'm gonna do it peeps, whoot! :D

2) I'm going to have more fun!
       Most people probably don't know this (or maybe they do, I don't know...) but I originally started this blog to fulfill a resolution for last year: to put myself out into the world more.  I'm chronically shy, and always have been.  So, in my life-long quest to get out from under the rock I've spend most of my life, I started a blog to share my book reviews an opinions.  I think that's gone pretty well- it's exploded into something I never imagined, and I've found a few paths leading to some long-forgotten dreams.
       Now, though, I've realized that my blog has gone from fun and "get myself out there, express myself" to several services, and more professional and serious. 
       Likewise, so have I.  I stopped having fun last year, and it kind of sucks.  So, to mend that side-effect, I've started a second blog: Desert Rose Reviews: UnPlugged; Version 2.o: The Goofy, the Fun, & the Random.  I'm going to be more fun, if it kills me people... 
(pssst!  Wanna check the new blog out??  Click here! :) Thanks!)

3) Figure out how to exercise, without hurting myself.
       Long story short, I have a chronic condition that caused me to have a somewhat emergency hysterectomy when I was 21 (a week before Christmas too, not fun :P).  Since then, and because I am still dealing with the original condition, I haven't been able to exercise without risking damage.  But!  I am going to figure out how to work out again this year.  I used to be a workout nazi (a term my hubby gave me, thank you very much) with cross-country running, soccer, mountain biking, rollerblading...*sigh* I needs to work out! :O

4) Fewer read4reviews.
       At the end quarter of last year, I got way overloaded on books to read 4 review.  I'm still working on that list, which really irks me.  I don't like being that stressed, and having so much hanging over my head.  So, I am going to be more picky about the books I agree to read and review, and I'm going to sign up for fewer review-only blog tours.

5) Read for fun!
       A side effect of the humongous list of books to read 4 review, is not having enough time to read for fun.  Luxury reading really is just that, a luxury, and one I miss terribly.  A post on Cuddlebuggery Book Blog really hit home with me a few weeks ago, talking about how she was so overwhelmed with everything she was doing on the blog, that it wasn't fun any more.  No one wants a fun-sucker hobby, so before mine gets to be any more of a fun-sucker, I'm going to start having more fun, and doing things here that I don't have to do, but that I want to do.

6) Review more than just books!!
       Another thing you probably didn't know: Desert Rose Reviews is not an exclusively books only blog!  We review everything!!  Or at least, that was the idea.  So, starting soon, we are going to be having reviews of other stuff as well, like movies and music.  We'll also have that kind of thing on the other blog (the goofy one) and we'll keep it fun and open :)

7) Express myself more.
       I tend to let my serious side take over when I blog and/or write.  Not good.  Blogging is supposed to be fun, at least, it is for me.  I'm going to try and express myself more, and not be so robot-woman-who-needs-a-drink with my posts and reviews.  (Seriously, I'm trembling with nervous energy just writing this post, thinking about expressing myself more, and putting myself out there more than I already am.  Chronic social phobias suck, and I'm going to beat this one!)

8)  Add More Color!
       You may have noticed, but I've started adding more color to my posts!  Monotone color- boring!  I'm keeping this one on the list though, because it's one I want to keep doing, and make a habit.

9) Keep up with everything a bit better.
       I started a lot of stuff last year, like a Tumblr (which has like, 2 posts?  Eeshk!) and Facebook Page.  I'm going to work on posting to more places than just this blog, Goodreads and Amazon.  Breaking out of my shell people! :D

10) Do something goofy and unexpected every day.
       Might not be able to do this, but I'm sure as butterflies going to try!  

Ok, so there's my list.  I'm going to do my best to stick to it, and give you guys some great stuff to look forward to this year.  I'm growing and learning, and you guys help so much :)

Thanks to anyone who reads this- I appreciate it!

I hope you all have fantastic adventures, and have a wonderful 2014!

Ciao!

~Rose

P.S. Any comments, feedback, thoughts, musings, and/or random whips of almost-thoughts are all welcome! :D