King Arthur Movie Tristan

Triple 8 Challenge

1. Challenge runs from January 1 through December 31, 2008.


2. Choose 8 categories of your own that you would like to read 8 books EACH in.


3. You will be allowed 8 overlaps, for a total of 56 unique book titles.


4. You may overlap these 56 titles with any other challenge.


5. You may change your list or your categories at any time.




my lists: Challenge Completed 12/11/08



Because I Love to Read:

1. The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory


2. A Jolly Good Fellow by Stephen V. Masse

3. The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston

4. Considering SomeplacElse by B. L. Lindstrom

5. Your Scandalous Ways by Loretta Chase

6. First Daughter by Eric Van Lustbader

7. Operation Blue Light: My Secret Life among Psychic Spies by Philip Chabot

8. Soup in the City by Kelly Hollingsworth






Because I felt like staying up late reading:

1. Trust Me by Brenda Novak

2. Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen

3. Wife In the North by Judith O’Reilly

4. The Good Guy by Dean Koontz

5. Beneath A Marble Sky by John Shors

6. Romeo, Romeo by Robin Kaye

7. The Reluctant Widow by Georgette Heyer

8. The Exchange by Inga Ellzey


Horror/Mystery/Thriller/Suspense

1. Dracula by Bram Stoker

2. All The Pretty Girls by J.T. Ellison

3. The Colorado Kid by Stephen King

4. Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill


5. The Ruins by Scott Smith


6.
The Ghost of Blackwood Hall (Nancy Drew) by Carolyn Keene





7. 20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill



8. Angels & Demons by Dan Brown




Books that were made into movies:

1. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares

2. Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez

3. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

4. The Shining by Stephen King

5. The Second Summer of the Sisterhood by Ann Brashares

6. Persuasion by Jane Austen

7. Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman

8. Pay It Forward by Catherine Ryan Hyde



Random Picks:

1. Like Lightning by Charlene Sands

2. The No Complaining Rule: Positive Ways to Deal with Negativity at Work
by Jon Gordon


3. Shattered Dreams: My Life as a Polygamist's Wife by Irene Spencer

4. Wicked Ties by Shayla Black

5. Chasing Windmills by Catherine Ryan Hyde

6. Twenty Fragments of a Ravenous Youth by Xiaolu Guo


7. Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

8. Matrimony by Joshua Henkin



More Romance

1. Scandalous Love by Brenda Joyce

2. Gone With the Witch by Annette Blair

3. Wicked Nights by Nina Bangs


4. Return of the Rogue by Donna Fletcher

5. Everlasting by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss

6. Blue Dahlia by Nora Roberts

7. Entangled by Kathleen Dante

8. Enticed by Kathlee Dante




More Random Picks:

1. The Wednesday Sisters by Meg Clayton

2.
A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle



3. An Absolute Gentleman by R. M. Kinder

4. I Just Want My Kids to Be Happy! by Aaron Cooper & Eric Keitel



5. Perfect on Paper The (Mis)adventures of Waverly Bryson by Maria Murnane



6.
Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler

7. The Ice Queen by Alice Hoffman

8. The Secret Scroll by Ronald Cutler




Fantasy/Sci Fi/Paranormal:

1. Immortal Warrior by Lisa Hendrix

2. Coraline by Neil Gaiman

3. Carpe Demon By Julie Kenner

4. Demons Are Forever : Confessions of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom by Julie Kenner


5. The Host by Stephenie Meyers

6. The Taking by Dean Koontz

7. Any Given Doomsday by Lori Handeland

8. The Darkest Night by Gena Showalter

title: Pay It Forward

author: Catherine Ryan Hyde

pages: 311

genre: fiction

published: 1999

first line: Maybe someday I'll have kids of my own.



rated: 4 1/2 out of 5





Twelve year old Trevor McKinney receives an extra credit class assignment from his social studies teacher, Mr. Reuben St. Clair.
'Think of an idea for world change, and put it into action.'


Trevor comes up with an idea. Paying it forward. It's very simple, you think of three people, then do something good for these people, something big. In return for your favor, each of these three people then do something amazing for three other people. And so on and so forth....until it multiplies and there is so much more good in the world from people paying it forward.

'And yet at first people needed to know more. Somehow it was not enough that a boy barely in his teens was able to change the world. Somehow it had to be known why the world could change at just that moment, why it could not have changed a moment sooner, what Trevor brought to that moment, and why it was the very thing that moment required.'

Trevor's mom, Arlene is raising Trevor by herself and working two jobs to pay the bills. Trevor ends up wanting to get Arlene and Reuben together. Arlene & Reuben are opposites, he is an educated black man who was injured in Vietnam, half of his face is scarred badly. Arlene is a recovering alcoholic and she feels that she is not good enough for Reuben. Yet the two of them form a bond.



Trevor thinks his idea of paying it forward didn't work out, but little does he know, it's being called 'The Movement' and has been making a worldwide effect. Reporter Chris Chandler is trying to find the person who started The Movement, he is shocked when he finds out it was started by 12 year old Trevor as part of an extra credit assignment.





The storyline and the idea of 'Paying it Forward' grab you from the start. This is all about how just one person can truly make a difference.


The movie version 'Pay It Forward' stayed pretty true to the book. There were some differences between the two but I really enjoyed both. This book will be definitely be listed as one of my top favorite reads in 2008.




I posted about this book before, here.

In honor of Pay It Forward, I am holding a special prize drawing. As I posted before, it wouldn't be book related. So after thinking about what would be a good prize to post, besides a book, I came up with an idea.


As some of you may know, I crochet. It's my other obsession, besides reading. So, I am raffling off one of my hand crocheted scarves on my blog. I know, it's the middle of summer, but hey, the Fall weather will be here before you know it and this scarf will come in handy. It's very soft & warm, I promise.







Want a better chance of winning? Read on....


* To enter to win the scarf, just comment to this post.

* If you have a blog, post about this contest, leave me the link, and I will enter your name 2 extra times in the drawing.


* If you also blog about the book 'Pay It Forward', I'll enter your name 2 extra times in the drawing.


If you do all of the above, that's your name entered 5 times in the drawing.




* For every person you refer to my blog who mentions your name, I will enter you one extra time in the drawing per person referred (even if you yourself don't have a blog, email your friends and refer them that way). The person you refer, needs to tell me you referred by posting in the comments section.




I will draw the winning name on August 15th.
Good luck!

title: Shattered Dreams: My Life as a Polygamist's Wife

author: Irene Spencer

genre: autobiography/non fiction


publish date: 2007

pages: 385




first line: I edged sideways down the aisle of the crowded Greyhound, careful not to bump anyone with the bulky brown suitcase, which held my every possession: two or three plain cotton dresses, my undergarments, and toiletries-the sparse but precious contents of my hope chest.




rated: 5 out of 5 stars

Irene Spencer did as she felt God commanded in marrying her brother-in-law Verlan LeBaron, becoming his second wife. Her dramatic story reveals how far religion can be stretched and abused and how one woman and her children found their way out, into truth and redemption.

Shattered Dreams is not the type of book I would normally chose to read.
But after my sister and I watched the episode on Polygamists on Oprah, yes I watch Oprah....my sister bought this book. She read it then insisted that I read it so we can discuss, what in my opinion we've already discussed to death, the Polygamist cult. So I borrowed her book and once I began reading, I was found it hard to put down.



Irene Spencer was born into a polygamist family. Her mother, was the second of her her father's four wives, one of these wives was her own aunt: her mother's sister.






Irene goes on to describe how she and her siblings suffered through extreme poverty. As I was reading this book, set in the 1950's, I pitied Irene and these children. It's so incredible that people live this way, and so unbelieveably sad.

'Our polygamy and our poverty made us different, but it also bonded us to each other, especially as our sense of conspicuousness and persecution heightened. We got on by bare necessitites, sometimes wanting even for those, while the other kids routinely enjoy what we knew were great blessings: a new pair of shoes to start each school year, store-bought clothes now and then, and the acceptance of our teachers, administrators, and one another.

I began to hate school and long for the safety of home.'

At age 16, Irene was married to Verlan LeBaron, a 23 year old polygamist with one wife already...his first wife is Irene's own older sister, Charlotte. Irene moves in with Verlan and Charlotte in a tiny home in Mexico. Now when I say tiny 'home' I mean a shack with mice crawling up the walls at night. Irene is torn between her religon and what she truly wants, to be loved by her husband. Charlotte and Irene have an uncomfortable relationship, having to share a husband. All the while Verlan fears that the authorities will come and arrest him for having two wives, one of which is a minor.







I didn't think I would enjoy this read, but after a few pages, I was hooked. Irene's story was very interesting. It's gots plenty of O-M-G moments, the things Irene goes through are hard to believe. Irene explains the polygamist way of life, and thier way of thinking. She quotes thier bible. So the reader gets a better understanding of how she lived, and what was going on in her mind. Polygamist's follow the 'Principle' also called the 'Celestial Law'. Basically men are to have as many wives and children as they possibly can, this will ensure divine rewards in the afterlife. For them, it's all about future glory in the afterlife. But there is plenty of hypocrisy involved.

'This was one of the more vexing contributions polygamous women were called on to make: the recruitment of new wives to thier husband's households. After all, only so many women were born into the Principle, and each man was commanded to wed as many of them as he could. There was terrible competition.'

Irene lives in poverty most of her life, and it only gets worse once she marries Verlan and he begins to take on more wives. Irene is just 17 when her first child is born and Verlan takes on his second wife. Irene also struggles with feeling unloved, since Verlan spends barely any time with her, there is also alot of jealousy between the wives. It's hard to believe people live this way.
Verlan winds up with 10 wives and 58 children! Each time he takes on a new wife, his last wife is supposed to give his hand away in marriage.

'Meanwhile, I inherited responsibility for Verlan's twenty-five children living in that four-bedroom house.
I had to send fifteen kids off to school every morning. They all wore uniforms I had to keep washed and ironed. Four babies were in diapers, and we couldn't think of buying disposables.


I had to bake twelve loaves of whole whaet bread every other day. I cleaned, served, washed dishes, ironed, and cooked for the whole crowd, plus the many visitors who always seemed to be on hand.'

This was a touching, and inspiring story. Irene ends up having 13 children and adopts one child. She struggles with major depression and such heartache for most of her life.


I'm a firm believer that God helps those who help themselves. And this is what Irene Spencer does, she struggles and gets herself out of this horrible situation.



about the author:


Irene Spencer came from five generations of polygamy. As the second of ten wives, she was the mother of 14 of her husband's 58 children. Her captivating story provides an intimate look at the daily struggles Irene faced as a plural wife.


During her twenty-eight years in a polygamous marriage, Irene gave birth to thirteen children (all single births). Her ninth child was adopted as a newborn daughter.




Irene lives in Anchorage Alaska, with her faithful husband of twenty years, Hector J. Spencer, who never leaves her side. At 84 years of age, Hector travels with Irene, proudly basking in her recent, new-found success. They currently reside in Woodbridge, California with Irene's oldest daughter, where Irene continues to write and work on various projects.


visit the author's website: http://www.irenespencerbooks.com/

title: The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants


author: Ann Brashares

pages: 376

genre: YA fiction

publish date: 2001

first line: Once upon a time there was a pair of pants.





rated: 4 out of 5








I was looking for a fun, light read so I picked up 'The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants'. Oh my gosh, this book made me smile from page one. I was easily hooked on it, and finished it up quickly.



Four best friends, Carmen, Tibby, Lena & Bridget are preparing to split up for the summer. Carmen finds a pair of jeans at a thrift shop and buys them for $3.49. The girls try them on and realize that even though they each have different builds, the pants fit them all perfectly. They realize these pants are special. They promise to keep in touch during the summer and decide to pass the pants along to each other. They decide to that each of them cannot keep the pants for more than one week. They even make rules for the pants.

'We are everything to one another. We don't need to say so; it's just true. Sometimes it seems like we're so close we form one single complete person rather than four seperate ones. We settle into types-Bridget the athlete, Lena the beauty, Tibby the rebel, and me, Carmen, the...what?' ...

You know what the secret is? It's so simple. We love one another. We're nice to one another. Do you know how rare that is?'

Carmen goes off to spend the summer with her father. I loved Carmen's character, mostly because I can relate to her story, I went through a similar experience around her age. Tibby stays home and gets a local job at a grocery store, and ends up meeting 12 year old Bailey, the two girls become good friends. Lena goes to Greece to
stay with her grandparents. Bridget goes off to soccer camp in Baja California.




The storyline was good, the characters were likeable and it's the kind of book you get sucked into quickly. I really enjoyed this one. This book is part of a series. I will probably pick up the other books as well.






About the author:



Ann Brashares was born and raised in the Washington, D.C. area with her three brothers. She attended the Sidwell Friends School and then studied philosophy at Barnard College, part of Columbia University in New York City.



After college she worked in editorial jobs until 2000, when she began her first novel, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, published in 2001. Over the next five years she wrote three sequels–The Second Summer of the Sisterhood, Girls in Pants, and Forever in Blue. In June 2007 she will release her fifth novel, The Last Summer (of You and Me). The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants was made into a feature film and released by Warner Brothers in 2005. The studio is currently filming a sequel to be released in the summer of 2008.




visit the author's website:
http://www.annbrashares.net/







'The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants' was made into a film.
Click here for details.

title: Love In The Time of Cholera

author: Gabriel García Márquez

pages: 348

published: 1988

genre: Latin-American fiction

first line: It was inevitable: the scent of bitter almonds always reminded him of the fate of unrequited love.
















rated: 4 out of 5 (for an interesting plot)









'Love in the Time of Cholera' is one of the most unique books I've ever read. It's not quite what I expected. When I first started reading, I was expecting a love story and the start was a bit 'off' for me. But then I kept on reading. After about 50 pages, the love story began.



The story takes place somewhere in the Carribean.
The book starts off with the story Dr. Juvenal Urbino and his wife, Fermina Daza. The elderly couple have been married a long time when Dr. Urbino falls to his death.



Florentino Ariza, a man in his 60's now, comes to the funeral, and faces Fermina to tell her he still loves her after all these years.
Florentino met Fermina and fell in love with her some 51 years ago.




Then the love story about Florentino and Fermina begins. The author takes you back to when they first met.
Florentino delivers a telegram to her father one day, and sees Fermina for the first time reading with her Aunt. Fermina lives a very sheltered life and he winds up watching her from a distance every day. She and her Aunt notice his attentions and eventually Fermina develops feelings for him as well.


Florentino writes her a love letter.

'Even when he observed her, unseen, during those days of longing when he waited for a reply to his first letter, he saw her transfigured in the afternoon shimmer of two o'clock in a shower of blossoms from the almond trees where it was always April regardless of the season of the year.'

The two write love betters back and forth for over 2 years, before Fermina's father finds out and takes her far away.

By the time they return home, she is 17 years old. She and Florentino found a way to communicate through telegrams while she was away. And now, they plan on marrying.
You also learn the story of how Fermina met her husband, Dr.Urbino.




I liked that there's love letters involved. Florentino even ends up writing them for other lovers who can't come up with ideas of their own. He also winds up writing a book of love letters.



I both liked and disliked this book. It was hard for me to give it a rating, because I really disliked Florentino. It's the first time I've read a book and had a strong dislike for one of the main characters like this. He is a pervert.




This is a story about unrequited love. But the story also grossed me out, for lack of a better expression. I didn't like Florentino at all. At first I thought he was this great romantic, and I wanted Fermina to want him. But as the story goes on, you see he is nasty. I won't give away too much, but if you read it, you'll see what I mean. I lent this book to my sister in law and she felt the same way about Florentino. He's kind of creepy and even reminded me of a stalker. Also the way he is described in the book is not attractive at all. He has black greasy hair plastered to his head, wears wire rimmed glasses, is very skinny, wears all black, and drinks tons of strong black coffee all day long.




The storyline is full of drama. But beware of the icky parts. There's plenty of O-M-G moments. This is my first and last time reading Gabriel García Márquez.



I'm kind of torn in my review here, the love story is good, but the oddities were a bit much. I found I kept on reading just to see how the story ended more out of curiosity than anything else.



One thing I really liked what that Gabriel García Márquez writes the story like poetry at some parts. It was beautiful to read some passages.

'It was the year they fell into devastating love. Neither one could do anything except think about the other, dream about the other, and wait for letters with the same impatience they felt when they answered them. Never in that delirious spring, or in the following year, did they have the opportunity to speak to each other.'

About the author:



This book was first published in Spanish: 'El amor en los tiempos del cólera' by Colombian author Gabriel García Márquez.


Love In The Time of Cholera was made into a movie in 2007.




I am very interested in seeing the film version of this book. I wonder how they went about putting this story on the big screen. To me, this isn't the type of book that would be good for a movie. When I see the film, I'll post a review of it on my blog as well.







This read has been part of the following reading challenges:

RRC

TBR

100+

Triple 8

New Classics

titile:Like Lightning

author:Charlene Sands

publish date: 2005

pages: 183

genre: Harlequin/Silhouette Romance

first line: "I do."

rated: 3 1/2






















Veternarian Maddie Brooks home and office are burned down in a fire and she comes to stay with cowboy Trey Walker until she can get back on her feet. Maddie and Trey have been friends for about a year or so. She rents a room in his ranch, called 2 Hope Ranch, and uses the barn as her office.


The two are attracted to each other, but Trey is holding back. He's convinced that there is a 'Walker Curse' on all the men in his family. They all have bad luck with women, and end up hurting the women they love.

'Nothing could have shocked Maddie more. Trey pulled her up against him and brought his lips down, taking her in a dreamy kiss that belied every single fantasy she'd ever had about the elusive cowboy. Their bodies brushed intimately as Trey made his claim. Confusing and wonderful, mystifying and breathtaking thoughts rushed into Maddie's head.

She fell into his kiss like a thirsty woman given a tall, cool drink.'

This is my first time reading a Silhouette book. This book was passed onto me by a friend about 2 years ago and I hadn't picked it up until now.



I am pleasantly surprised. This was a light, quick read. It's a great beach book.










This read is part of the following reading challenges:

RRC

TBR

100+

Triple 8

Harlequin/Silhouette

title: Scandalous Love

author:Brenda Joyce


genre: historical romance

publish date: 1992

pages: 409

first line: The Hall was filled with guests.

rated: 4 out of 5









In 1898, twenty-three year old Nicole Bragg Sheldon lives in Victorian England. She has caused a scandal a few years previously, when she left her fiance at the altar and refused to marry him. Now Nicole lives with her parents and siblings, expecting to live her life without ever marrying. She prefers solitude, horseback riding and books to parties and society. Nicole rides her horse like a man even dresses like one when she rides, wearing pants, which is unheard of.




The Duke of Clayborough, Hadrian Braxton-Lowell, moves in to Chapman Hall, which is nearby Nicole's home. The two are now neighbors. The Duke has been long engaged to Lady Elizabeth, and even though he doesn't love her, he does care for her and feels it is his duty to marry her. He of course, will keep his mistresses as he always has. When he meets Nicole at a costume ball, he notices her right away.



He invites Nicole to his home, when she accepts his invitation and shows up at the Duke's home, unchaperoned, he takes her out for a horseback ride. The Duke thinks that Nicole is married and has come to visit him to have a tryst. Meanwhile Nicole thinks the Duke wants to court her and maybe marry her himself.



Soon enough Nicole realizes the Duke just wants to sleep with her, and the Duke realizes Nicole is an unwed virgin. Once this is out in the open, the two of them are arguing and fighting from then on, even though they are both attracted to each other. Nicole is furious and winds up coming back to his home and hiting him in the face with a riding crop no less! The Duke tells Nicole to never come back, but Nicole won't give up that easily. The two of them can't keep away from each other anyway. They run into each other often from then on, and each encounter has some juicy drama involved. Nicole even meets Elizabeth, Hadrian's future bride, and feels guilty about her feelings for him, especially since Elizabeth is very kind to her.





This is a good read, full of romance and plenty of drama. I was laughing in the one part where Nicole visits the Duke and he is asking her if she likes to 'ride'. She thinks he means horseback riding.

She groped for something more to say. After all, if she could not expound upon the subject of horses, what could she discuss? "I am very fond of riding."

He slanted a look at her. "I am very fond of riding also."

His tone had changed and she swallowed. It was almost as if there were another meaning to his words. "I ride almost every day."


He was staring at her. "Are your rides docile, Nicole, or dangerous?" His tone was low.


She blinked. She could only think of how she preferred to ride at breakneck speed across the hunt course. "Dangerous." She could not fathom where this conversation was going.


"Dangerous," he repeated slowly. He had stopped and so had she, for he still gripped her hand. "How dangerous?"


"I-I don't know." His look was unnerving her. As was the tone of his voice.

"Do you find the danger exciting?"

There was nothing more thrilling than taking a four foot jump at a high speed. "Yes", she whispered.

His hand had tightened on hers. For a moment it seemed he could not speak. "You are so different from the others. I have never met a woman before who would admit she is attracted to the danger of her pastimes."

I enjoyed this read, the characters are interesting. Even though the storyline was a bit predicatable, I still enjoyed it.

I liked both Nicole and The Duke. I like that Nicole is unconventional and has a mind of her own, she doesn't just sit around and wait for The Duke, she goes out and gets him. Nicole did get annoying in some parts though, since she acts so much out of her emotions without thinking things through, almost like a spoiled child. The Duke is a great hero, he's your classic 'tall, dark and handsome'.





If you're in the mood for a good juicy, historical romance, pick this one up.

'Reminding herself to be casual, reminding herself that no one but she herself sould possibly know how rapidly her heart beat, she turned to face him. Thier gazes met instantly. It was a moment of extreme intimacy even though the courtyard was a madhouse, filled as it was with two dozen restless horses, their excited riders and all the grooms. He could not seem to tear his gaze from hers, and Nicole felt the full force of his power, for he seemed to be attempting to reach into the depths of her heart and soul.'

An interesting tidbit, while at the authors website, I found a different book cover for Scandalous Love:



It's Fabio on the cover! Ewwwww...gross! lol...I don't think he's hot in any way, shape or form. If this cover was still in print, I would not have bought the book...lol

"Soon, Nicole", he rasped, "soon, I promise you, I will give you everything you want; I will ride you as you've never been ridden before...."

title: Perfect on Paper: The (Mis)adventures of Waverly Bryson

author: Maria Murnane

pages: 314

genre: fiction

first line: "I still can't believe this is happening."

rated: 4 out of 5










Waverly Bryson works as a publicist for JAG (Jammin' Athletic Gear). She is happily engaged and soon to be married when her fiancé calls off the wedding. Waverly is heartbroken.




She begins to jot down what she calls 'Honey Notes'. These notes are based on the experiences she goes through.


'Ever feel like you don't know anything at all?

Honey, congratulations

at least you finally know that.'





While on a work assignment, she meets Jake McIntyre, who is a physical therapist for a basketball team. Waverly likes Jake right away, but she winds up having a few mishaps each time she runs into him....like tripping and falling while holding a tray of food, which winds up all over her outfit. Or running into Jake one day at a game, while she's got her mouth full of garlic fries...lol.



Trying to move on with her life, with encouragement from her friends, Waverly ends up going on a few dates ...which don't go too well, and there's some very funny moments on those dates. She also sends a few publishers her 'Honey Notes' in hopes of getting them published and made into greeting cards.


I liked the Honey Notes!



'Not making quite the impression you'd like?

Honey,the only impression you should worry about is the one you make on the couch.
If it's too deep, you need to get off it more.'





Waverly has a few close friends, but doesn't have the best relationship with her dad.

'I wanted him to tell me how much he loved me, that he was proud of how I'd turned out, even though it had been hard to raise me on his own. I wanted to ask him why I'd never heard him say those words, why part of me still wondered if anyone could ever love me.'






This book reminded me a bit of the book 'Bridget Jones Diary'. It also reminded me of the movie, 'Someone Like You'.





This is a fun, light read. The storyline is interesting, the characters are well written and and it's got some very funny moments. I liked Waverly's character. You want things to be okay for her.





'I wrote this book for any woman who has ever had a really bad date or realized halfway through the work day that her skirt is on backwards.'

I was lucky that author Maria Murnane sent me a copy of Perfect on Paper. I enjoyed this read and hope to read more of her work. Thank you Maria.



Maria Murnane has taken time out of her busy schedule to grant me an interview for my blog!

click here to read the interview