Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Blogmania

I’m a bit obsessed with blogs right now.

Maybe that’s because I’ve been setting up guest blogs for a blog tour to promote BEAGLEMANIA, my first Pet Rescue Mystery from Berkley Prime Crime--a spinoff series from my Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter Mystery series. Hard to believe that its debut is less than a week away!

I’ve been working on my guest blogs and accepting requests for a while now. A couple have already posted. Many are scheduled for next week.

In all so far, I’m scheduled to post on 17 blog sites besides Killer Hobbies, and to have another post about me that someone else is writing. I try to make each one different yet they’re mostly about my new series, why I wrote it, how I researched it, and how it helped to change my life. I’m now involved in pet rescue myself.

I’m always delighted to see comments on a blog site, and especially on my posts. That indicates people are not only reading what I say but have an opinion about it. But even if the comments are few, the primary blogger and people who usually follow that particular site will read a post and think about it, even if they have nothing in particular to say about it. That works, too.

You’re here reading Killer Hobbies. I’m delighted to welcome you! But I’d love to know why you’re here. I hope it’s because you enjoy my fellow Killer Hobbyists and me, what we have to say here, and what we write in our books.

How many blogs do you read religiously? Do they help you make up your mind about what books to read? Will you pick up a book because you’ve come to know a writer a little bit from her/his blogs?

In other words, I’m encouraging your blog comments!

13 comments:

Charmaine Clancy said...

I absolutely buy books that I come across in blogs. There's a personal feeling to buying a book from someone you feel you 'know' (in that limited blogging way of knowing people).
I have many many blogs on my blog roll and like to use chance to see which ones I'll visit (whichever ones are listed as recent when I'm online). I love mysteries and thrillers, so 'Killer Hobbies' obviously appeals, but I also love writing dogs, so your rescue pets projects sound great. :-)

Jill said...

I have at times bought a book because of a blog. Blogs are great ways to come across something you may not have otherwise heard of. As for following, well, I do so in fits & starts. Some of the blogs I thought wouldn't interest me much have turned out to be the most informative or amusing. You never know what you'll come across...

Dru said...

My google reader this morning indicated I had 28 blogs to read. On a given day that's how many I read. I don't comment on all of them, only when I have something to say or to say a "hello" or if I follow the blogger to a different blog, a note to let them know that I stopped by.

This blog is one of my daily reads, having read books by you guys.

I'm looking forward to reading Beaglemania.

Linda O. Johnston said...

That's great to know, Charmaine. I like the personal feeling, too, when people comment and I can respond!

Linda O. Johnston said...

I hadn't really thought of blogs that way before, Jill. What are some of the ones that you enjoy but hadn't thought you would?

Linda O. Johnston said...

That's a lot of blogs, Dru--and I'm delighted that Killer Hobbies is among them! I hope you enjoy Beaglemania!

Betty Hechtman said...

17 blogs, Linda. Wow! I think blogs are a good way to get to know authors. It's that thing that wherever you go, there you are. Who you are always shows up.

Linda O. Johnston said...

That's true, Betty. Unlike our mysteries, our blog posts are nonfiction, about us. Sometimes revealing. Uh-oh. I'd better watch what I say!

Shel said...

I have a list of blogs I follow, like Dru. This is one of them. Also like Dru, I don't comment unless I have something to say about the post in question.
A few bad experiences with leaving blog comments has made even that not a sure thing, though (no, those experiences weren't here, LOL). But I do read this daily, and I do enjoy it, and appreciate the tips about upcoming books and signings in my area.

Linda O. Johnston said...

Glad you follow us, Shel. I'm also glad we weren't the ones who gave you a bad blog experience. :) Not sure what your location is, but I've got a whole lot of signings coming up...

Shel said...

Linda, I'm in Illinois, a few hours outside of Chicago.

Linda O. Johnston said...

I'm hoping to attend the Printers Row Lit Fest in Chicago in early June, Shel.

Janie Emaus said...

Hi Linda,
I follow a few blogs, yours included. And I'm always reading about books, some new, some old. I especially love reading about the authors.