Friday, July 15, 2011

Tgif #12: Follow Me Friday & Book Blogger Hop, Yay!

Are you in the hopping mood? I am! Here comes the Friday fun...




This week's question is...
"WHAT DO I DO WHEN I AM NOT READING?"
Let's see...

1. Duh, I blog.
2. I write. I'm actually working on my very first urban fantasy series, Transcendence. Everything is going well so far and I'm keeping my fingers crossed - hopefully it will be a success.
3. I paint & create mixed-media pieces (like altered book art, decoupage wall art, etc.). My art is largely inspired by New Orleans and urban culture, scenery, and architecture, but I also use a lot of symbols in my paintings(Fleur De Lis, Lotus Blossoms, the Egyptian Ankh, Pagan Triquetras, the Hindu Om/Aum, etc.). I just added an "Art" tab to my blog, and hopefully I'll have some pictures of my work up soon so I can share the love with you.
4. I play with my pets. I have 5 dogs (Armani, Lady, Selena, Nina, & Maximus) and 5 cats (Jasper, Emmett, Aro, Socks, & Victor). As you can see, I LOVE animals.
5. I spend time with the love of my life, Mitchell. We are very different, but we compliment each other. How boring would life be if you spent every day with someone who was JUST LIKE YOU? I keep him grounded and he challenges me to try new things. I'm goofy and he's, well, not as goofy as I am. I talk about books, music, and dance and he, err...listens. He is the best part of me :)

Book Blogger Hop

This week's question comes from Veronica who blogs @ Read Books, Have Fun.

"HOW/WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR BOOKS? DO YOU BUY THEM OR GO TO THE LIBRARY? IS THERE A CERTAIN WEBSITE YOU USE, LIKE PAPERBACKSWAP?

Good question...

I get my books from all sorts of places. Sometimes I kick it old school and go to Barns & Noble, browse around for hours, and buy  a few brand spankin' new  novels. I also love the atmospheres of small, privately owned book stores.  One of my favorites is The Book Merchant in the historic town of Natchitoches, Louisiana. It's full of unique, interesting reads as well as classics & new releases, but it also has a great display of antique furniture and odds and ends, and a super friendly cat who greets you at the door :) 

Any time I see a used book store, some force of nature pulls me through the doors. I LOVE used books! They have so much personality :) I usually stop by the local libraries on Fridays and sift through the racks of books that are for sale. A couple of months ago, I found a ton of classics (Jane Eyre, Sense & Sensibility, Pride & Prejudice) and some of my favorite Anne Rice novels (Pandora & Blood Canticle) for 10 cents a piece! The books I use for my altered book art also come from the "Sale" racks at the local libraries. I also frequently order books from Amazon.com-new and used paperbacks and hardcovers-as well as eBooks so I can read them on my iPod or Android (too poor to buy a Kindle, lol). 



15 comments:

Grace Fonseca said...

You sound very busy. I admire. New follower. Love the background. Come visit me over at Livre De Amour-Books of Love Blog

Lauren B said...

I also hang out with my Jack Russell, Tobie, who you can see at my HOP

Sally Bibrary said...

Best of look with the book, hon! I have two that I've been working on for what seems like forever . . . and inspiration hits at the most seriously awkward times! Keep reading, and have a fabulous weekend :)

Sally @ Bibrary Bookslut

Lan said...

Yay! Another budding author to trade stories with! Hope all goes well for you :)

New follower. My FF post:

Lan @ The Write Obsession

shah said...

http://wordsinsync.blogspot.com/2011/07/all-new-weekend-creation-blog-hop-plus.html

Great to read your answers. I buy for my kindle now so never have to do the book shops - though like you I enjoy old book shops/markets. I love to rummage.

I too am writing my first of a paranormal/supernatural series. ITs been a huge learning curve and still is!

Happy weekend. Shah, X

Rebecca said...

omg you mean there is something to life besides reading who knew. loved the post and really loved learning about you and what you like.

Sarah said...

Love your answers! I think it's awesome that you paint and such, I wish I could do that kind of thing (and be good at it) lol.

New follower! :)

Here's my follow friday and book blog hop for this week.

♥ Sarah

Alison Can Read said...

Hopping through. Good luck with the book! I need to be better about writing. I love the fleur de lis. I went to New Orleans 2 years ago for the first time and adored it.
My Hop

Lisa @ Read.Breathe.Relax. said...

Wow, you guys have quite the little zoo! :D My hubs family has a lot of animals and I love spending time with the little fur babies! :)

Plus, I love spending time with my husband too ( I would hope so, right?). They're the best, aren't they?!

I'm a new follower and looking forward to coming back soon! :D

Mandy Lum said...

Thanks for all the comments & new follows :)

@ Jessica - you sound just as bad as me! Pretty soon we will both have zoos for homes, lol.

@ Grace - I try to stay busy, keeps my heart healthy (my heart failed last year), and keeps me sane, lol.

@ Lauren - I love my little Terrier mix, but she is soooooo hyper. She never stops!

@ Shah - I would have never expected you to write in the paranormal genre. I bet it will be a super interesting take on the paranormal - you have a gifted mind :)

@ Sarah - you could totally paint! I wasn't that good at first, but practice makes perfect. You should get your booty to a craft store, buy some acrylic paints and small brushes, and start working - you would be surprised what you can create! You can print out designs online and use carbon paper to transfer the design to any surface, then paint them. Super duper easy :)

@ Alison - isn't it the best place on Earth? I just love the city, so much to do and see, something new every time you visit :)

@ Lisa - yes, hubbies are the best! I don't know what I would do without mine.

Confuzzled Shannon said...

Artist and huge used book store lover. Even stopped in a used book store in Ireland when I went. I will never forget that store...*weeps* it was beautiful ;->

New follower!

Mandy Lum said...

Shannon, thanks for stopping by :) It's amazing how the best things in life are found in the simplest places, like used book stores.

Hopping on over to your blog right now.

Shana said...

Good luck with your manuscript! Hi! Just stopping by. Following you from Follow My Book Blog Friday Blog Hop. Would love a visit and a follow back on my blog: http://blog.writerslairbooks.com. Thanks! Nice to meet you!

Mandy Lum said...

Thanks for stopping by Shana, on my way to your blog.

KristinCanRead said...

New follower stopping by... I have a Nook and sometimes read the books on my iphone. I find it hard to read them on my phone. But I guess it would suffice if I didn't have the nook.

Kristin @ http://kristincanread.blogspot.com

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