Armchair BEA Final Day: Two Things

Since I have been blogging for almost three years and I have a myriad of blogs, I don't feel the need to ask for advice.  However, I will share two things that I feel are the most important in having the best possible blogging experience.

First, be yourself:
As RuPaul says, "If you don't love yourself, how the hell you gonna love anyone else?  Can I get an Amen?"  This is so true and really will serve us in all walks of life, not just blogging.  Just remember why you started blogging in the first place.  For most of us, it was because we love talking about books.  That's why I did.  If you remember who you are, why you blog, and what you love, everything else will just fall into place.  Do things the way you want because as soon as you start doing it the way everyone else wants you to (or feels you should), it becomes more like a job than a hobby.  Most of us already have a job and a boss...we don't need another one! Be sure to have fun and look at yourself in the mirror daily and repeat after Stuart Smalley, "I'm Good Enough, I'm Smart Enough, and Doggone It, People Like Me!"

Secondly:
Reciprocate...whenever you can.  There are times when something happens or we get extremely busy so we can't comment as much or visit as many posts, but try to make an effort.  If you host a meme (or something to that effect), don't worry so much about responding to comments as visiting their posts.  If it's a linky meme, then visiting the posts is more important (in my opinion).  And, if for some reason you don't make it around to their posts, be sure to apologize in the next post.  But try not to make it a habit.  I'm notorious for procrastinating and my Cat Thursday participants have pretty much got used to the fact that I am usually late stopping by, but the point is, I do stop by.  And always try to answer a comment if there is a specific question.  Blogger irritates me because they still have not added a reply feature to their comment widget.  Which is why I'm considering going with Disqus.  But I digress.  Try, try, try to definitely answer the comments that are questions.  Hopefully, we all know how busy everyone is, so we're not going to hold a huge grudge (at least, I'm not) or anything.  But they say A is for effort and effort is always appreciated.

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I hope everyone has enjoyed Armchair BEA this week.  I'd like to thank everyone who visited me.  I am still trying to get around to more blogs.  I started my new job this week (of course) so it has really put a damper on my time management (as if I'm not bad enough at it already).  LOL

Armchair BEA: Networking in Real Life

I wasn't going to post today because, honestly, I haven't done much networking outside of online.  But then I read today's guest post over at the Armchair BEA blog and I saw a little thing on their top five suggestions for real life networking...charity book sales! In other words, library sales! Yes, I'm a big patron of library sales.  We have a monthly Friends of the Library sale at my local branch, the Second Saturday Book Sale.  I attend every month.  And I have even done some networking by discussing my blog and the book blogging community while I'm there.  I've also become friends with one of their regular volunteers on Goodreads.  I do utilize the site they mentioned, booksalefinder.com so I frequent other library and charity sales throughout the year as well.  I donate books to the library for their sales too.

So, I'm not a huge real life networker, but I have my little niche.  I hope to expand my horizons and I'm hoping my trip to the Southern Festival of Books this Fall will be more of a success than last (long story...I could only stay for about 30 minutes).

Armchair BEA: Best of 2012 and a {Give@way}

Today for Armchair BEA we are to list our top reads of 2012 (so far) and/or offer a giveaway.  I'm going to do both! Since the focus on this blog is primarily historical fiction I will be listing my top five historical fiction reads so far this year.  The giveaway will be for one of my favorite HF books of all time (details below).  Now...on with the list!

If you like, you may click the title to read my review of each book.

The King's Agent by Donna Russo Morin

The Crown by Nancy Bilyeau

At the Mercy of the Queen: A Novel of Anne Boleyn by Anne Clinard Barnhill

The Sister Queens by Sophie Perinot

The Sumerton Women by D.L. Bogdan

Now for the giveaway! One of my most favorite historical fiction books, arguably my number one favorite, is The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett.  I read it long before it became a selection for Oprah's Book Club, but once she selected it, it gained in popularity and received the recognition it deserved.  

About the book:

This book tells the tale of a twelfth-century monk driven to do the seemingly impossible: build the greatest Gothic cathedral the world has ever known.

Everything readers expect from Follett is here: intrigue, fast-paced action, and passionate romance. But what makes The Pillars of the Earth extraordinary is the time—the twelfth century; the place—feudal England; and the subject—the building of a glorious cathedral. Follett has re-created the crude, flamboyant England of the Middle Ages in every detail. The vast forests, the walled towns, the castles, and the monasteries become a familiar landscape. Against this richly imagined and intricately interwoven backdrop, filled with the ravages of war and the rhythms of daily life, the master storyteller draws the reader irresistibly into the intertwined lives of his characters—into their dreams, their labors, and their loves: Tom, the master builder; Aliena, the ravishingly beautiful noblewoman; Philip, the prior of Kingsbridge; Jack, the artist in stone; and Ellen, the woman of the forest who casts a terrifying curse. From humble stonemason to imperious monarch, each character is brought vividly to life.

The building of the cathedral, with the almost eerie artistry of the unschooled stonemasons, is the center of the drama. Around the site of the construction, Follett weaves a story of betrayal, revenge, and love, which begins with the public hanging of an innocent man and ends with the humiliation of a king.

At once a sensuous and endearing love story and an epic that shines with the fierce spirit of a passionate age, The Pillars of the Earth is without a doubt Ken Follett's masterpiece.

Giveaway Details:

I will purchase a gently used copy of the book from Better World Books (their used books are great quality.  I've ordered from them many times) and have it shipped to you.  Since they ship free worldwide, this giveaway is international! Please do not enter if you are not okay with a gently used copy.  To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter form and complete both entries.  Giveaway will end on Friday, June 8 at 11:59pm EST.  Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Armchair BEA: Introductions

Welcome! For those of you who are regular visitors, welcome back.  For newcomers, I hope you enjoy getting to know me.  I can't believe this is my third year participating.  I'm looking forward to a great week of Armchair BEA fun!


Please tell us a little bit about yourself: Who are you? How long have you been blogging? Why did you get into blogging?

Hi! I'm Michelle and in August, I will have been blogging for three years.  I was introduced to book blogging by my friend Ryan at Wordsmithonia.  I had been informally blogging about what I was reading on MySpace when I discovered Twitter.  I met Ryan, checked out his blog, and the rest is history.  After a few pointers from him, I jumped in feet first! Now, not only do I host this blog, but I also have a horror/speculative fiction blog, Castle Macabre, and twelve other blogs including a Christmas blog, a writing blog, a history blog plus a reading challenge blog and blogs for the four reading challenges I host (check them out in the left sidebar, if you like).  I host four week long, seasonal read-a-thons a year and have recently created a dedicated blog to host them from (Seasons of Reading).  I have always been an avid reader, but in the past three years, reading (and blogging about it) has taken over my life...literally.  I wouldn't change that for the world!

On a personal note, I'm the mom of two boys (who recently started their own blog, G n R Book Club) and two cat daughters, Alice and Arya.  I'm a stay-at-home mom, only just recently employed (see below) and I'm writing my first novel, set in 14th century Italy.  It's a full life!

What are you currently reading, or what is your favorite book you have read so far in 2012? 

What am I not currently reading?  *wink*  Let's see...The Edible Woman by Margaret Atwood, Middlemarch by George Eliot, The Queen's Pleasure by Brandy Purdy, and A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin.  My favorite read so far this year?  Ghost Story by Peter Straub

Tell us one non-book-related thing that everyone reading your blog may not know about you.

I have been searching for years and years for a legitimate work from home job.  I've made many attempts to work as a virtual assistant because my past job experience qualifies me for that type of work, but no one would ever give me a chance or what I did find was not legit.  Well, all of my hard work finally paid off.  I was recently hired on as a Virtual Assistant and although I'll be in a trial period at first, I finally have the work from home job I have long sought after.  Yay!

What is your favorite feature on your blog (i.e. author interviews, memes, something specific to your blog)? 

I'm a firm believer that cats and books go together so every Thursday, I host a feature called Cat Thursday.  Within this feature, every second Thursday of the month is Cat Thursday:  Authors and their cats.  I have several participants who are of a like mind about cats.  Cats are just so lovely. <3

Which is your favorite post that you have written that you want everyone to read? 

I'm a firm believer in being yourself in blogging so this post is a favorite I wrote just a little while back:   http://thetruebookaddict.blogspot.com/2012/04/why-i-like-your-blog.html 

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed your visit. 

ARMCHAIR BEA...BLOGGING ABOUT BLOGGING

I feel like I covered what I feel is one of the essential musts in blogging yesterday.  Comment on others' blogs and always reciprocate.  The only other thing I can say is that I just do not believe in the 'rules' of blogging.  I have said this before in a post last year, ultimately you must stay true to yourself.  There will be people who love your blog and, most probably, people who hate it.  You know that old Ricky Nelson song, "you can't please everyone so you gotta please yourself."  It's the truth.  If you're not making yourself happy, you certainly aren't going to make anyone else happy.  Okay, I'm done preaching! Now here is the topic I want to discuss:

There are quite a few book blogging events out there. Which are your favorites and why? How do they affect your blog directly?


One word...READ-A-THONS! Anyone who knows me/follows my blog probably knows that I love read-a-thons.  I usually end up taking part in every one that comes down the pike. *L*  And even though the majority of the time I end up failing miserably, I still just can't resist! 


First, a shout out to the one that started it all.  Dewey's 24 Hour Read-A-Thon.  Dewey was a book blogger who was well loved in the book blogging community and she started these twice a year events, in April and October.  Unfortunately, Dewey passed away a year before I started blogging so I never got to meet the great lady, but she has left behind a legacy that brings together an entire community of book bloggers for 24 hours of reading bliss.


I am participating in a read-a-thon this week (again, failing miserably) that is hosted by the group over on Goodreads, Cover to Cover Challenge.  They have these read-a-thons four times a year in February, May, August, and November.  They are a week long and they start and end on a Saturday.  The first day of each read-a-thon is a 24 hour reading spree.  They also have challenges going during the event.


Some read-a-thons that are coming up are:

•  the 48 Hour Challenge hosted by MotherReader.  This is the sixth year for this one and the dates are June 3-5 (next weekend, people!).  For details and sign up, click the challenge name above. 
• Once Upon a Read-a-Thon hosted by Lori at Pure Imagination, Angela at Reading Angel, and Candace at Candace's Book Blog.  It's the second year for this one and it runs from 12:01 am on July 11 to 11:59 on July 13th.  Click on the read-a-thon name above for details and sign-up.

Last, but not least, I'm going to tell you about my read-a-thons.  Yes, I love them so much I decided to host my own! My read-a-thons are a week long and the main idea is to personally challenge ourselves in a laid back fashion.  And they have a theme.  I call them my seasonal read-a-thons.  My first one was the Fall Catch-Up Read-A-Thon, then A Winter's Respite Read-A-Thon, and Spring's Serenity Read-A-Thon.  My summer read-a-thon, the High Summer Read-A-Thon, is coming on July 25 at 12:00am CT through Sunday, July 31 at 11:59pm CT.  I have not posted the sign-up yet, but you can read more about it HERE.

How about you?  Do you believe that staying true to yourself is the way to blog?  Are you a read-a-thon addict like me?  Share your thoughts!

ARMCHAIR BEA...BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS

This is going to be a short post since I am so late posting! Had a very busy day today yesterday.

Of course, I owe my even having a book blog to Ryan at Wordsmithonia.  I met him on Twitter and the rest is history.  We still stay in touch at least every week via our blogs or Facebook.  Ours is one of the best friendships.  Who says you can't make good friends online!

I have made many other friends in the book blogging world.  Marie at The Burton Book Review has become a friend and we co-host the blog, Historical Fiction Connection together.

There are many, many others who I have met through my weekly Cat Thursday feature and many others with which we interact on each other's blogs.  They know who they are. =O)

As far as publishers/publicists, I have never contacted any directly about reviewing a book.  Haven't had to! I was receiving so many queries, I had to stop accepting review copies, except for special cases.  It's so hard for me to refuse, but I have stayed pretty strong.  I work fairly regularly with Pump Up Your Book! and Tribute Books.  They are both great to work with.  Also, Amy at Passages to the Past now runs Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours.  She is also great to work with.

And I have had some great interaction with authors.  To name a few...Robert Parry (Virgin and the Crab, The Arrow Chest), Christy English (The Queen's Pawn, To Be Queen), Scott Nicholson (numerous horror and thriller novels and many others), Lisa Kessler (Across the Veil).  Authors are really great to work with and all of my experiences so far have been wonderful.

I really feel like the best way to build and nurture relationships with anyone we as book bloggers interact with, be it fellow bloggers, authors, or publicists/publishers, is to always be polite and mindful of other's opinions.  And reciprocate, reciprocate, reciprocate! I work very hard at this and I do fail at times.  But the effort is to always interact with anyone who comments on your blog.  And return the visit! If I'm failing miserably at this, please let me know.  I am a work in progress and improvement is a constant goal.

ARMCHAIR BEA: NETWORKING...INTERVIEWS

Please join me in welcoming to my blog today, Kai from Fiction State of Mind.

1. How long have you been blogging and what compelled you to start your book blog?

Ive been blogging for about 16 mths. I discoverd the blogging world through twitter. After reading a lot of blogs, notably The Story Siren and Book Chick City I realized that this was a community I could be a part of so I jumped right in!

2. On your blog, you state that you read the following genres: Ya, Horror, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Manga. Which of these is your most favorite?

That's difficult! I would have to say Horror and Fantasy are my top two genres.

3. I did notice that you read and review a lot of Manga and Graphic Novels. What draws you to them?

I grew up reading comics. Mostly Archie comics until I discovered the superhero genre after High School. My first Manga was Naruto. What I love about Manga is that any possible interest you can have is covered: Horror, Fantasy, Romance, Mystery. I also like how Manga writers and artists take risks: characters die and don't come back and the fact that a lot of Manga ends, the course of the story is followed and then the threads are all tied up and the story is complete.

4. Who are some of your favorite authors? Do you have a number one favorite?

I have tons: Joe Hill, Neil Gaiman, Jane Austen, Frank Herber, Patricia Briggs

5. What are your top five favorite books of all time?

Another hard one!
1) Dune by Frank Herbert
2) Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
3) The Books of Blood by Clive Barker
4) The Grave Yard Book Neil Gaiman
5) Watchman graphic novel Alan Moore

6. I noticed that you have read 79 books so far this year. Wow! How do you do it?

Two things attributed to my progress so far:
1) I joined over 16 challenges this year which really forced me to organize my books and become panicked to meet my goals :)

2) I attended a "SMALL" ALA event in January. It was a great event and I came home with um.. 135 books!!! I became doubly motivated to read more especially since I'm running out of space! I can't even imagine what the American Library Association's National Convention next year will bring.

7. We have something in common...loving reading challenges! Why do you love them? Which one(s) would you do every year, if they were offered?

I do really well with accountability. If I join something I complete it to the best of my ability. I also like the chance to win prizes and connect with other bloggers.


I love the challenges by Book Chick City: The Horror and Speculative Fiction and this is my first year doing The Debut Author Challenge which I'd love to do every year.

8. Do you have a large TBR list/pile? Are these books from your personal library or are they review books? Or a combination of both?

Right now my review book pile is three :) Every thing else is books I've bought, gotten from Paperback Swap or traded for. I probably have over 250 books to read.

9. Do you keep all of your books and buy books with the intention of keeping them (like I do)?

Buying a nook last June changed everything for me. With the exception of well loved books and signed books my goal is to read all the books I have and either donate or sell them. I'm going to be all e-books with the exception of illustrated novels and signed books.

10. How long do you give a book before you give up on it or do you plod on, determined to finish?

I have a hundred page rule. If it doesn't engage me by then I stop. My only Exception is review books. I work very hard to finish it even if I'm not fully engaged with it. This has made me very picky in the review requests I've taken lately. Though I always give my honest thoughts on the book.

11. What new-to-you genres or books, if any, have you discovered since starting your blog?

YA definitely. I had read a few like Harry Potter by the YA bloggers have opened me up to a whole new genre that I probably would have missed out on.

12. Are you initially struck by gorgeous covers? Have you ever bought a book solely because of its cover?

Yes Covers really effect me, even with services like Netgalley. I picked up Twilight based on the cover alone as well as The Mercy Thompson books by Patricia Briggs.

13. What book(s) would your be most likely to recommend to others so far this year?

Enclave by Ann Aguirre, Across The Universe by Beth Revis, The Girl in the Clockwork Corset.

14. What do you like most about the book blogging community?

I would say the general support and acceptance of new bloggers on the block.

15. What is your favorite event in book blogging: read-a-thons, giveaway hops, social hops, memes...something else?

I really like readathons I really get through a lot of books. Especially the Dewey and you've hosted some great ones :)

16. Any tips on combating blogger burn-out?

Future posts have been really helpful to me. Having a t least one advance post for each week takes the pressure off. Also not pigeonholing myself into one genre really helps. So if books aren't inspiring me I can write about comics or Manga. I also try to do unique events like my upcoming Family Reading Challenge

17. Where do you see your blog in two years? Do you plan on continuing your blog indefinitely?

I would love to continue with my blog, have my readership grow and do more outreach with the publishers I buy from frequently. I love talking about books but I want to balance my blog with more interaction more comments and discussions. Ill admit I have a goal of 1,000 followers but I would give that up in place of more interaction in the form of comments and more of my thoughts reaching potential book buyers.

Thank you so much for joining us today! Everyone be sure to stop by and check out Kai's awesome blog.

I'm being interviewed today by Serena at Savvy Verse and Wit so be sure to stop by!

ARMCHAIR BEA...BEST OF 2011

Today's topic is "Best of 2011."  Since I have only read sixteen books so far this year (pitiful, I know) and only two of them were published in 2011, I'm going to share my top five six (sorry, had to add a sixth!) faves of 2011, including the two from 2011 because they do just happen to be favorites...imagine that!

Blue by Lou Aronica  A wonderful book that has not received enough exposure, in my opinion. My Review

The Raven Queen by Jules Watson  A historical novel about the legendary Irish queen, Maeve.  Need I say more?  My Review

By Fire, By Water by Mitchell James Kaplan (2010 release)  A richly and authentically told historical novel.  My Review

The Last Queen by C.W. Gortner (2008 release)  One of my favorite historicals of all time.  Gortner is one of the best historical authors today.  My Review 

The King's Mistress by Emma Campion (2010 release)  Campion is the foremost scholar on Alice Perrers (mistress to Edward III of England).  This is Alice's story, an excellent one at that! My Review

My Name is Memory by Ann Brashares (2010 release)  I'm not a huge YA reader and I'm still not sure if this is a YA novel, but regardless if it is YA or not, this is one of the best I've read.  My Review



Now...here are a few books I found being featured at BEA that sound absolutely intriguing to me.

Those Across the River by Christopher Buehlman (ACE publisher, Sept. release) 
A failed academic moves to a small Georgia town, where he plans to write of the horrors that once took place on his family's old plantation, little knowing that a terrible presence still lurks beneath the veneer of Southern charm. This supernatural horror debut is an unusual choice for Ace, which usually focuses on hard science fiction, and may signal an effort to branch out into the popular dark fantasy subgenre; "We have big plans for this book," says publicist Jodi Rosoff.

A More Perfect Heaven by Dava Sobel (Bloomsbury, Sept. release)

This time out, the bestselling author of Longitude and Galileo's Daughter tells the story of Nicolaus Copernicus and the revolution he inspired. At the heart of the book is Sobel's play, And the Sun Stood Still, imagining Rheticus's struggle to convince Copernicus to let his manuscript see the light of day.

The Fecund's Melancholy Daughter by Brent Hayward (Chizine Publications, June release)

In the last days of a dying city, the decadent chatelaine chooses a forbidden lover, separating twin outcasts and setting them on independent trajectories that might finally bring down the palace. Then a lone god reappears and a limbless prophet delivers a message for all: beyond the city, something ancient and monumental has come awake. PW's starred review calls the novel "ambitious... beautifully written and morally ambivalent." 

The Taker by Alma Katsu (Gallery Books, Sept. release) 

A young woman is admitted to a hospital in rural Maine and proceeds to slice herself open with a scalpel—only for the wound to immediately heal in this debut novel that begins at the turn of the 19th century and continues into the 21st, billed as "part historical novel, part supernatural page-turner."

All information and book descriptions were obtained from The Big Books of BEA 2011: Adult Titles on Publisher's Weekly.


How about you...any favorites?  Looking forward to any BEA titles?  

ARMCHAIR BEA...WELCOME!

This is my second year participating in this event.  I had hoped to go to BEA this year in New York, but the funds were just not available.  Stupid money tree died! *L*  Anyway, I'm so excited to join in the fun again this year.  I have a busy week ahead of me.  I'm participating in a week long read-a-thon through Goodreads and I have a blog tour review and guest post this week.  Plus, several end of school year activities at my sons' school.  Whew! So I'm going to try to do as much as I can with A. BEA.  I have an interview with a fellow blogger on Wednesday that I'm pretty excited about.  I will see what else I can do as the week progresses.

Okay...a little bit about my blogging and reading.  I have been book blogging for almost two years (in August).  I have loved reading my whole life.  I was lucky enough to have parents who had their noses stuck in a book constantly and it really rubbed off! I own a huge amount of books...3000+...that's 1900+ fiction and the rest non-fiction and Christmas books.  I guess it's pretty obvious from those numbers that I'm a book lover...or maybe a hoarder?  What I like to read is pretty much summed up in the tagline in my blog header.  "An eclectic reader with an affinity for history and historical fiction"  I adore historical fiction and that is largely due to my love of history.  Up until last year, I was a history major and I'm hoping to get back to it as soon as I get some issues ironed out.  If I had to choose a couple of other favorite genres, they would be fantasy (epic or high, not urban) and horror.  I love fantastical worlds and I LOVE getting the stuff scared out of me! I am also a writer.  I have a writing blog and I'm currently participating in a writing challenge to get me motivated.  I'm actually in the process of researching my novel, but my ideas keep changing and that makes it difficult.  I really want to write historical fiction, but I worry about authenticity.  Can I do it?  Can I write an historical that doesn't rip history to shreds?  It's a worry and it's paralyzing! Back to this blog, I am a read-a-thon addict! So much so that I host seasonal read-a-thons.  I just had my Spring one in April and my Summer read-a-thon is coming up in July.  I also host two perpetual reading challenges, The Michener Challenge and the 101 Fantasy Reading Challenge.

Some personal things about me:  I am a Yankee by birth.  I grew up in Michigan, but have lived in Nashville, Tennessee for 20 years.  I have two sons that I love so much and am grateful for every day.  Being a mom is really the best thing in the world! I am a major cat lover.  If you've been here before, you've probably seen my Cat Thursday meme.  I used to have five cats, but now we are down to one very spoiled Alice.  Let's see, what else?  Oh! I have a fanatical love for Christmas.  Yes, I'm one of them! I have a year round Christmas blog on which I post every 25th of the month, throughout July, and from Thanksgiving through Twelfth Night.

My boys and Alice...her 4th birthday!

Well, that's it! I'm looking forward to this week.  I will try to visit as many of your blogs as I can.  I hope you all have a wonderful Armchair BEA experience!

Find me on Facebook: Personal page  Blog page
Twitter: @truebookaddict
Goodreads
Writing blog:  The Story Inside Me
Historical fiction blog (w/ Marie @ The Burton Book Review):  Historical Fiction Connection
Christmas blog:  The Christmas Spirit

Armchair BEA: Book Blogger Convention--Being true to myself

I have always marched to the beat of my own drum and I'm not any different when it comes to my blog.  I just do not want to be like everyone else.  That being said, I do have some guidelines that I try to follow when it comes to my blog.

• Honesty--I am honest to a fault.  Sometimes I'm told that I'm too honest.  But I think it's important.  My reviews reflect my true opinion of the book.  In no way am I ever influenced by a need to please an author by saying I adored their book when I didn't.  However, I'm a firm believer that every book has a redeeming quality (except for ones I could not finish...which are very few).  That's why I do not have a ratings system.  I just have a hard time putting a number on my opinion.
• Humanity--in other words, kindness.  I believe that there is no reason to be unkind.  I try to reflect an air of friendliness and camaraderie on my blog.  I try to respond to all comments that are left and I appreciate each and every one.

• Humor--I have a bit of a sense of humor, which may show up in some of my posts.  I just like to see the funny side of things.  Laughter is great medicine!
• Individuality--Some may visit my blog and think, "My God, is her blog cluttered!"  I've never been called on it.  Mostly I get a lot of compliments.  But I know that mine is probably one of those blogs referred to as cluttered and with that pesky music player! Oh well...I feel like my blog is kind of like my room.  My own place to show off my interests and uniqueness.  If it offends the sensibilities of some, I do apologize.  Well, actually I don't! LOL!
• Knowledge and Learning--I have a feature (that I have been neglecting terribly lately) called Addicted to the Past.  It is to pay homage to my love of history and historical topics.  I do it because I love writing about history, but also because I love to share with others and hopefully they might just learn something new!

So there we are.  Just a few little guidelines that I try to blog by.  I hope everyone enjoys my blog.  I do want to make it a pleasant experience for others while still being true to myself.