Saturday, March 19, 2016

Sunday Post: Author Contact, Disney Princesses, & A Good Book

The Sunday Post is hosted by the wonderful Kimba, the Caffeinated Book Reviewer, and gives us all a chance to recap our week, talk about what we are reading, share any new books that have come our way, and whatever else we want to talk about. 

I walked out of Barnes & Noble Saturday with no books. Not even a children's book, which is what I usually end up buying if not something for myself. It is not as if we need to spend the money on new books anyway. At least not right now.

It's been a full weekend. We've started our spring cleaning, which will continue into today. There's a lot to be done, and it may not all get done this weekend, but hopefully we will make good progress.


I hadn't planned to participate in this year's A Day in the Life event hosted by Trish, but something motivated me to track my day on Saturday. I hope to get my post ready for you by the 23rd of March, which is the link up date. Are you participating too?  I hope you will! Please don't think a day in your life would be boring--it may feel that way to you, but to the rest of us, it's rather quite exciting. It's fun to get to know the blogger behind the blog. Tell me you will take part! Pretty please? Last year's was a lot of fun.

I hope you all have a wonderful Sunday.

Book Blogger Hop

Every Friday Coffee Addicted Writer from Coffee Addicted Writer poses a question which participants respond on their own blogs within the week (Friday through Thursday). They then share their links at the main site and visit other participants blogs.


Has your contact with authors usually been in person, via e-mail, social media, or something else? (submitted by Elizabeth
I have had the opportunity to meet authors in-person at book signings and at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. Although admittedly, I haven't said much--I'm rather shy and authors are like rock stars to me--so added together, well, I usually don't end up saying much. I have also communicated with authors via snail mail back when that was the only way to get in touch with them. I got a really nice letter from Don Pendleton years ago in response to a too long letter I had written him after reading several of his books. I have written e-mails to a number of authors in recent years--some fan mail and others in response to review requests. I would say though that most of my interactions with authors have been via Twitter--just a brief comment here and there. Nothing really substantial. I follow quite a few authors on Twitter whose books I have not and may never read, but we sometimes exchange comments back and forth. Sometimes I will search out an author on Twitter to let the author know how much I liked his or her book. I follow a handful of authors on Facebook. And I have had a few comment here on my blog--whether in response to a review I wrote about their books or just because. What about you? Do you have any contact with authors?


What I Am Reading: I finished reading Kemper Donovan's The Decent Proposal earlier in the week, and then started on my March TBR List selection, Robert Galbraith's The Cuckoo's Calling, which I am enjoying quite a bit. Good pick TBR List voters!


What I Am Watching: I finished the last episode of Haven on Netflix. I understand there are a few more episodes out there that close out the show being that it was cancelled. I believe they are available on the SyFy website. I really do need to read Stephen King's Colorado Kid, which the show is loosely based on. This last episode of The Walking Dead was really good, wasn't it? Quite an emotional and intense one. Carol and Maggie are two of my favorite characters, and so it was good to see them at the center of the show.


What's Going On Off the Blog: It was a long and tough week at work. By the end I felt so drained and exhausted. And frustrated. While some people turn to alcohol, I turn to books. But even my books have not been completely capable of whisking me away completely.

Mouse has been my light. Her smile, her laugh, and her wild imagination. We spent last Sunday at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure, this time for her birthday, and we had a blast. She set the agenda for the day, which meant visiting with the Disney Princesses. They are always so nice. And, of course, they all wished her a happy birthday. At least this time the wait to see Anna and Elsa was only 25 minutes and not the 3 hours we waited the first time we met them. We will probably try to go to the Disneyland Parks one more time before our passes expire.





This Past Week In Reading Mews:

I hope you all have a great week! Happy Reading!

© 2016, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

54 comments:

  1. Love the pics of Mouse with the Princesses. I had no idea people had to queue to see them until recently. I assumed they wandered about Disneyland and you grabbed them for a photo when they came by. But... my niece is about to start work at Shanghai Disney as a princess (flies there shortly) so she's been filling me in!

    I watched the first couple of seasons of Haven but then it disappeared from our screens. I hope you get some closure. I'd certainly watch all of the seasons if I knew that was the case!

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    1. Deborah - My husband is always complaining about the amount of time we spend waiting for a brief photo op moment, but it makes our daughter happy. :-) That's so cool about your daughter working as a princess at Shanghai Disney! That's the newest Disney park, isn't it? How exciting for her!

      I found four and a half seasons of Haven on Netflix streaming, which is how I've been watching the show. It appears the second half of season 5 is available on the SyFy website (I did confirm this). From what I understand the show was cancelled after the 5th season, but that they were able to answer many unanswered questions before the final finale. I'm looking forward to seeing how it all plays out.

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  2. It always weird for me to walk out of B&N without a book, but yeah sometimes it's okay (it's not like books are getting any cheaper!). I need to hit the library more! Book signings are nice but yes Twitter makes it easy to interact w/ authors- almost too easy sometimes lol. They might see something I tweet ha ha!

    I thought the last episode of TWD was pretty awesome too. Loved seeing Maggie and Carol take charge (although I'm a little concerned at how hardened the group is getting- but I guess that's how they survive). And seeing carol and Daryl hug was kinda nice.

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    1. Greg - I have cut way back on the amount of books I purchase, knowing space is limited and I will likely not get to the book right away. I'm with you. I really need to make more use of our library system. It would save me so much money in the long run.

      I am concerned about the direction the group is going on TWD too. They are walking a thin line. As much as I love strong Carol, it's good to see her conscience coming out.

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  3. I Day in the Life sounds fun! I don't think I'll have time to participate (my days are craaazy) but I'll sure visit the blogs. Mouse's pics are super cute :)

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    1. Daniela - I didn't think I would have the time, and so I understand. Right now I'm more worried about finding time to visit everyone's blogs.

      And thanks! Mouse loves her princess moments. :-)

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  4. Awe Mouse's birthday sounds wonderful. WE did something similar with our youngest as we lived in FL. Hmm, I don't think I have ever walked out of a book store empty handed..lol. No willpower here!I enjoyed Haven when it was on :) I hope the week ahead is a good one for you and yours.

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    1. Kim - She had a nice birthday. She's had two months of off and on celebrations. :-)

      I hope to catch the rest of the Haven episodes at some point. Probably over the next few weeks when I get the chance. I hope you have a good week too!

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  5. The pictures of Mouse are so lovely. Congrats on not buying anything at Barnes and Noble. I've been better at leaving book stores without a book bought. :)

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    1. Signourney - Thank you! It's gotten easier for me to leave bookstores without books too-at least books for me. I rarely can leave without getting something for my daughter. Probably because I know I have too many unread books still. We go through hers a lot faster.

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  6. Love the pictures with the princesses! My girl would have loved doing that as well. Sorry your week has been long and hard. Guess it's sometimes like that, but I'm glad you've had your sweet Mouse to lift your spirits. And I'll be participating in the 'day in the life' event too. I've got my post ready to go. As to authors, well, usually email, but some author events as well. And my recent contact has been huge. I'm still grinning over that. :-)

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    1. Kay - It's so funny to watch her around the princesses. She is such a sweet girl. :-)

      Thank you. The climate at work has changed somewhat in recent months and not necessarily for the good. I'm hanging in there, just trying to ride it out.

      I'm glad to hear you will be doing the Day in the Life event too! I can't wait to read your post.

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  7. No books? I'm sure that felt very weird, but at the same time, it's really no use buying a book just for the sake of it, either.
    I was lucky enough to meet several authors at the RT convention last year, and it was a blast! And I am also very good at butting in on Twitter conversations :D
    I hope you'll have a wonderful week ahead and happy reading.
    Lexxie @ (un)Conventional Bookviews

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    1. Lexxie-Lin - You are very right. I have so many unread books as it is . . . I've cut way back on buying books for myself as a result--it's usually the ones for my daughter that get me in trouble these days. :-)

      I bet the RT convention was so much fun! I would like to attend the Left Coast conference one of these years.

      I hope you have a great week too!

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  8. A wonderful way to celebrate Mouse's birthday!

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  9. Aw, Mouse is such a sweetie - I bet the princesses love seeing her as well. I'll be a day late, but will be posting a day in my life as well.

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    1. Kathy - The cast at Disneyland always do such a great job with the kids. :-) I look forward to reading about a day in your life!

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  10. Sounds like a tough week, but little Mouse is your reason to smile and enjoy! Hope this next week is better for you. I watched about 4 episodes of Haven and then I don't know why I stopped. I would watch more if I can find it on somewhere.

    I haven't checked out TWD as my younger daughter told me I wouldn't like it because of the zombies munching on people. I think I would like the dystopian world situation though, so maybe I should try it sometime.

    Have a relaxing weekend with the family and hope you get to read more!

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    1. Rita - Yes, she definitely gives me a reason to smile. :-) I am hoping for a better week this week. We'll see.

      Do you subscribe to Netflix streaming? That's where I watched the show.

      TWD does have a big yuck factor when it comes to the zombies. I find the characters and their stories compelling enough to get me through the more graphic parts, but it is very graphic. I will not watch with my daughter around.

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  11. Oh I love the pictures of Mouse and the Princesses! Disneyland would probably be my pick for my birthday too! I'm so excited about A Day in the Life! It was so much fun last year! Great job on not buying anything at Barnes and Noble. I tend to go to kids books too and he needs new books about as much as I do. Have a great week!

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    1. Katherine - We all three got to celebrate our birthdays there now. :-) It was a lot of fun. I'll miss being able to go once our passes run out.

      Haha! Same here. My daughter really doesn't need any new books either. :-)

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  12. Celebrating a birthday at Disneyland is so much fun and I love the pictures. That is good your wait in line wasn't too long, those princesses are really popular. I haven't heard about A Day in the Life and it sounds like fun. I'll try to participate this year.

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    1. Kathy A - It really is fun! We had such a great time. It's crazy the wait time for some of the characters--and yet we wait. It makes our kids happy, and that's what matters.

      I hope you are able to participate in A Day in the Life! It's fun to see how everyone else spends a day. :-)

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  13. I hit publish on my comment before I was done writing it lol. I hope you have a great week!

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  14. Adorable photos. Looks like a lot of fun.

    I usually meet authors via e-mail. I have met a few at signings at the BEA.

    Thanks for sharing.

    Happy Hopping!!

    Elizabeth
    Silver's Reviews
    My Blog Hop Answer

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    1. Elizabeth - Thank you! We had a wonderful day. :-)

      I've heard great things about BEA. That's neat that you were able to go!

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  15. Such a nice birthday present. I've always wondered what it would be like to have a birthday at Disneyland. TWD was amazing last week! I'm just sad that the season is almost over. At least Fear the Walking Dead will be on. I was trying not to buy books for six months, and broke it come February. Ugh! I guess somewhere in my mind I still believe it's possible to read all the books.

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    1. Tiffany - It's a great place to spend a birthday, albeit crowded. They give out birthday buttons too, which, of course, we had to get while there. :-)

      I haven't yet seen this week's TWD, but really liked last week's. Maggie and Carol are my favorite characters. I will be sad to see the season end too.

      I have that same problem with believing I can read all the books, which of course I can't.

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  16. I visited Barnes and Noble this past week too and I didn't buy any books though I did get a bargain DVD that I'd been wanting for $5. I found several books that I plan to order from the library later.

    I hope things get better for you at work and that you have a great week. Glad Mouse got to celebrate her birthday at Disney. I would have loved to meet the princesses when I was a kid.

    I view authors as rock stars too :) I've met a few in person through my work and am usually tongue tied and nervous about what to say. I think it is easier to connect with authors on social media like Twitter. I've also emailed authors before.

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    1. Christina - That's a good deal on a DVD! I'm glad you found it.

      I don't remember being so into the princesses as my daughter is, but so many of them came out after I was older.

      Thank you. I hope it is a better week too!

      I am with you. Social media does make it easier to communicate with authors--not just because of the constant connection but also for us shy people who get all tongue-tied when we meet them in person. :-)

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  17. I love those photos of Mouse. It definitely makes me think of the time when I visited Disneyland in Paris. I loved it so much. Sigh..

    Not buying a book at the bookstore can definitely be a good thing sometimes.. Good for you!! ;) But I’m not very good at it! I can’t remember not buying a book when I visited a bookstore. I definitely did have a lot of times when I knew I shouldn’t have bought another book, but I still did.

    I hope this week will be better at work! ;) Happy Reading!

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    1. Maureen - Thank you! I think Disneyland in Paris would be quite fun to visit.

      I used to be so bad about buying books. I'd buy four or five at a time. I can't afford to do that anymore, but I already have so many unread books as it is.

      I hope you have a good week too!

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  18. Honestly, kids are the best balm for a bad week! Happy birthday to Mouse!

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  19. I had hoped to do A Day in the Life but I have done atrocious keeping track of a day... So, maybe next time?

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    1. Kelly - I didn't keep a timeline like some people did--mine's just a description of my day. I'm sure I missed some things. :-)

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  20. Such precious pictures. Where we would be without the little darlings:) I was in a bookstore the other day and didn't buy any books either. Very weird day and it still haunts me. LOL

    My Sunday Post

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    1. Laura - Thank you! It's good to know I'm not the only bookworm who doesn't always buy books when in the bookstore. :-) It's rare. But it can happen.

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  21. Such cute pictures of Mouse! Sorry to hear work was exhausting but hopefully it'll be better this week. I'm going to try and participate in Day in the Life too but I'm behind on picture taking :)

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    1. Iliana - I think there will be a little relief this week. We'll see.

      I didn't add too many pictures to my Day in the Life post. I'm so selective about the pictures I'll post of Mouse now that she's older. And I'm terrible about remembering to post pictures.

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  22. A birthday celebration she will always remember. Glad the wait time was not so long! Hope this is a better work week for you. I hope to participate in A Day in the Life too (if I remember to take pictures!).

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    1. Nise' - I am already dying to know which memories from this age she might remember. I hope she remembers her birthday at Disneyland. :-)

      I look forward to reading about your day in your life!

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  23. Aww, I hope your weeks get better! I totally know that feeling, all of March as been so overwhelming, I can't wait until it's over! The Disney Pictures look great, glad you guys a lovely time!

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    1. Cyn - Thank you. I hope so too! I'm sorry you have been having a rough month too.

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  24. I'm glad to see Mouse had a wonderful birthday! I'm sure she'd a lovely time there, with all the Disney characters and so forth. :-)

    Bummer that you didn't get any books at B&N. It always disappoint me to come out empty handed from a bookstore. And I'm glad to hear you're enjoying The Cuckoo's Calling; can't wait to hear what you'll think of it!

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    1. Melody - It was a great day. :-)

      I have a long wish list, but I rarely buy books from it these days. Too many other books to read that I already have on hand, I'm afraid.

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  25. A Day in the Life sounds so fun! And the Disney princesses look wonderful! I'm sure Mouse had an amazing time! Sorry to hear it was a tough week though - I really hope this week has started off better!

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    1. Annika - It was fun to do. It has been fun reading everyone's posts. :-) Mouse is a big fan of the Disney Princesses. She may not like the movies much, but she loves the princesses. :-) This week has been better. Hopefully the month will go out on a high note. Thank you!

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  26. I LOVE those pictures of Mouse with the princesses - she looks so adorable in them, the way she stands, etc.

    I recorded last Thursday for Day in the Life. Now I just need to turn it into a post. I hope I will have time for that.

    Oh and a question for you - you stay in LA, right? Anywhere near Stevenson Ranch, by any chance?

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    1. Athira - It's so cute, isn't it? My husband and I were commenting on her entire demeanor when she meets the princesses--or many new people for that matter.

      I enjoyed reading about your day. :-) I love the Day in the Life posts. It's fun to get to know each other better.

      I actually live southeast of L.A.--about sixty or so miles out. Stevenson Ranch, I believe, is north of L.A. (I actually had to look it up because I am not familiar with that area).

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  27. How nice that you live near the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books!! In my case, it's the Miami International Book Fair. These are awesome opportunities to not only meet authors, but to also get book bargains! And, during the book presentations, you also find out more details about the books, as well as the authors' lives!

    You know, I, too, get a little tongue-tied when meeting an author in person....but the ones in the photos I included in my post were very nice to me. These are well-known authors, of course.

    As for indie authors, I've met them mostly through blog tours and social media.

    I LOVE all the photos of Mouse with the Disney princesses!! What a treasure trove of memories for years to come!! Such a lucky little girl!!! When I was her age, Disney World had not yet been built here in Florida. I would have given anything to meet the Disney princesses at that age.... I can see Mouse's shyness with each princess, but she's also in awe of them. Oh, what a golden age, the age of childhood! Sigh....

    I used to DREAM about going to Disneyland when I was little....and then, years later, Disney World opened. Of course, it wasn't the same anymore, but I still went. I was in my twenties, and went with my parents and two younger sisters. I still enjoyed it, but of course I would have felt that awe as I walked around, had I been a child.

    Now what I'd like to see, and haven't had a chance to yet, is the Harry Potter exhibit at Universal Studios.

    Mouse looks so very adorable in all these pictures! As I've said before, you are truly blessed, as children are a blessing from God. Hope you guys can return to the wonderful Disneyland soon!!

    Thanks for stopping by and commenting on my BBH post earlier!! <3 :)

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    1. Maria - I preferred it when the L.A. Times Festival of Books was at UCLA because that was closer to us than USC where it is now, but no one asked me. :-) It's about an hour and a half to two hour drive for us, but so worth it.

      I am glad you have had such good experiences with authors. I have too. They are always so nice. I should really make an effort to take pictures with them the next time I am able to meet one in person. I don't think we'll make it to the book festival this year, unfortunately. But maybe the year after.

      I can't help but smile when I see Mouse interacting with the princesses. She really is in awe of them. Disneyland is so much fun. I'm glad we've had this chance to go so many times over the past year. Being so close makes it easy. I am grateful we were able to get annual passes, but they really are expensive and not something we will be able to do again this year. It's okay though. There are many things we hope to do. One of those things is making it to Universal Studios. The one in Hollywood is opening their Harry Potter exhibit this next month.

      I hope you are enjoying your week!

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