Blogiversary: Kat Black interviews me plus giveaway for a signed copy of Melting Ms Frost

Today, as part of the excellent Shaz’s Book Blog Third Anniversary celebrations, we get the opportunity to turn the spotlight on our lovely hostess. Reviewer, book addict and cake consumer, Sharon has agreed to give us an exclusive glimpse of the woman behind the blog.

First off, congratulations on three fabulous years of book blogging, Sharon, and thanks for inviting me to the party and allowing me to interview you, it’s a nice place to be. Let’s get things warmed up with a quick fire round:

Summer or winter? Winter
Coffee or cocktails? Coffee
Ebooks or print books? Still prefer print books but am reading mainly eBooks now
Downton Abbey or Game of Thrones? Downton Abbey
Saturday sushi or Sunday roast? Sunday Roast
Tennis or football? Tennis
Beyonce or Bublé? Bublé
James Bond or Jack Bauer? Neither
Cake or cake? Cake all the time ;-) 

How would you best sum yourself up for us in a single sentence? 
Urghh hate these sort of questions!!  I’m boring really as all I do is work or read!

Tell us a bit about your reading life. Have books been a lifelong passion?
Yes, books have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember.  

As a child I loved Beatrix Potter, as an early teen I was addicted to the Sweet Valley High books then my earliest romance reads came via Danielle Steel.

Which three books would you say have had the most impact on you throughout your life?
My all-time favourite book is Little Women followed closely by Pride and Prejudice, I just love re-reading these classics whenever I’m having a rough time.

Tough to make a third choice as there have been a couple of true-life stories that really made me appreciate that even though I have my own health issues they are nothing in comparison to what others have to deal with on a daily basis.  I think I will go with author Emma Hannigan’s book Talk to the Headscarf.

Valentine Feature Week Interview: Sheena Lambert

My final Valentine Feature Week guest is Irish author Sheena Lambert whose debut book, Alberta Clipper, was published at the end of last year.

What has been your most memorable Valentine’s experience, either good or bad?
As poor students, myself and my now-husband got chip butties (fries in a bread-roll with mayonnaise) one Valentine’s night, and ate them parked in his Dad’s car at the beach. (Well….it’s cold in Ireland in February.) The following year, my Valentine’s card had the exact price of another chip butty taped to the inside. I still have it.

Have you ever had a disastrous date on Valentine’s night?
No, but I did get a very creepy Valentine’s card from a client once. Complete with a very creepy poem about me having his creepy children. Creepy.

If you were to receive a book as a Valentine’s Day present, what book would you like to receive?
A book of Oscar Wilde poetry, with special lines highlighted… Tread softly, because you
tread on my dreams…

Valentine Feature Week Interview: Miranda Dickinson

Miranda Dickinson is one of my favourite authors so when I tweeted asking for contributions for my upcoming Valentine Feature Week on the blog, I was delighted that she responded agreeing to do a Valentine's related interview.  

What has been your most memorable Valentine’s experience, either good or bad?
My worst Valentine’s experience was when I sent a really good male friend of mine a Valentine’s card. I’d liked him for ages but as soon as I sent it I knew I’d made the biggest mistake of my life. He was living with my band-mates and they all guessed it was from me. So mortifying! Thankfully, he was lovely about it and is still a fab friend today. The experience is what inspired the opening scene of It Started With a Kiss when Romily tells Charlie she loves him. I sent the card from one of those online card websites and now every time their advert comes on TV I have to switch it off – eight years after the event!

Have you ever had a disastrous date on Valentine’s night?
No, thankfully, although I’ve had my fair share of disastrous dates at other times of the year…

Valentine Feature Week Interview: Carole Matthews

When I decided to do a Valentine Feature Week on the blog I tweeted asking for contributors, one of the first authors to contact me was Carole Matthews.  I've previously had the pleasure of doing blog interviews with Carole before but I'm delighted that she offered to take part in this fun Valentine's chat.

What has been your most memorable Valentine’s experience, either good or bad? 
When my novel The Chocolate Lovers’ Club was out my partner, Lovely Kev, took me to The Pudding Club at the Three Ways Hotel in Mickleton in the Cotswolds. They have a Chocolate Suite there which he’d booked for the night. We have a really lovely time and, more importantly, lots of chocolate! That earned him a lot of brownie points.

If you were to receive a book as a Valentine’s Day present, what book would you like to receive?
I would like hardback of any of Philippa Gregory’s Tudor novels - probably The Other Boleyn Girl is my favourite - signed by the author.