Who I Am And Why I Blog

My name is Barbara Ann, and I am a die-hard, committed bibliophile.  My interest in books began at a young age and was encouraged by my loving parents who filled the house with vintage Little Golden Books of fairy tales that took me beyond the scope of the safe small rural town into an imaginary world filled with wicked villains, loyal friends, heroes and heroines who never gave up no matter what adversities they faced,  and, ah, those beloved happily-ever-afters we all hope for.

I was fascinated by the art of storytelling, and I can even remember creating my own characters using cutouts from old Sears Roebuck catalogs (now I’m telling on my age, here) and making up stories about their adventures, and drama. I guess I really had my own soap opera taking place as I sat on my bedroom floor with my imagination as my only limitation.

Even today, with all of life’s changes and moves I’ve made, I have still managed to hold on to some of my dearest treasures:

I can see now that my affinity for reading led me to earn degrees in English and gave me an opportunity to share my love and appreciation of literature with the students I had the pleasure to teach. I always hoped by the time they left my classroom they would believe the works they read as part of the curriculum had enriched their lives, even if only a tiny bit.

Why is literature worthwhile?  I like John Gardner’s answer:

“The value of great fiction, we begin to suspect, is not that it entertains us or distracts us from our troubles, not just that it broadens our knowledge of people and places, but also that it helps us know what we believe, reinforces the qualities that are noblest in us, leads us to feel uneasy about our failures and limitations.“   -John Gardner

I created Sun Mountain Reviews blog  so I could share my thoughts about contemporary books and hopefully inspire discussion with fellow readers and authors.  My reading tastes are eclectic, so just like my  home library, my reviews encompass a variety of genres, including, but not limited to:

• Romance, Romantic Suspense
• New and young adult literature
• Paranormal
• Science Fiction
• Fantasy
• Mystery and Suspense
• Thrillers
• Nonfiction

My reviews come from books that I purchase, borrow from my local library, as well as those I receive in exchange for an honest review.  I often receive advanced review copies (ARC)  from authors and publishers who seek early reviewers to provide feedback for their new releases.  I am also a beta reader for several independent authors, and I appreciate the opportunity to share my reactions about their works before the final copy is published.  I do not receive payment for any of the books I review.  In some cases, authors gift me with a copy of the book that I review, while some publishers will make a book available for me to read within a limited amount of time and then its availability expires.

My Mantra

Once I finish reading a book, I always want to share my thoughts and reactions with someone, and blogging gives me a forum for taking all those ideas, feelings, emotions, and associations about the book that are swirling around in my head and put them into perspective. Blogging also enables to me to add a touch of creativity that sadly I admit I don’t have a knack for in other areas, such as making crafts and scrap booking.

I like to write detailed reviews about the books that I’ve read, and I’ve discovered that this is a time-consuming process if I am to do the book justice. If I like a book, I want to tell you why, and if I didn’t enjoy a book, I also need to tell you why.  I don’t like to rush through a book; instead, I take my time and take notes, and, in many cases, I find myself re-reading the book as I compose a rough draft of the review. Sometimes, I’ve found  I need to set the review aside for awhile and return to it at a later time to re-assess my reactions before I post it.  As a result, I am unable to post reviews each day. Three reviews a week is more realistic for me, and that’s if life doesn’t get in my way.

There are so many books that I learn about and wish I could read, but I just don’t have the time.  So between reviews, I post book spotlights, author interviews, and giveaways for books that I think are interesting and that other readers might enjoy.  Please keep in mind that I post these promos for informational purposes only. I do not recommend any book that I have not read.

This blog is new and still evolving as I find what works and what doesn’t.  If you follow my blog and have ideas or suggestions, I encourage you to contact me by clicking on the “Contact Me” tab and sending a message to me. I always appreciate the feedback!

Just a smidgen more about me

7 Random Tidbits About Myself

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Book Blogging  Affiliations

Member of Book Blogs:  Visit Book Blogs

Member of  Library Thing: Early Reviewers

Member of  Book Blogger List 

Member of Book Blogger Directory

Book Review Affiliations

Member of Avon Romance

Reviewer for NetGalley

Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and do receive a small percentage from any purchases you make for books when clicking on the Amazon links located on my post. All of the money that I earn is used is invested into this blog through giveaways.

Sun Mountain Reviews uses images and gifs to complement book reviews and does not claim credit for any images posted unless specifically indicated.  The images used are copyrighted to their respectful owners. If I have used an image that belongs to you, and you do not wish for it to appear on the blog, please contact me with a link to your image and I will remove it. 

 

 

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Today, we can easily be inundated with the abundance of reading material on the Internet, so I greatly appreciate that you have taken the time to visit my blog and read the reviews that I post!