Tiffini Hunt's Blog

So excited I get to meet Kiera Cass face to face after writing to her and asking her opinion on publishing through iUniverse! I am so excited!! I have a gift for her too. Why? It’s her birthday!!!

Hey yall! So, let me present my first every guest blogger- Iris. Feel free to go to her blog and interact with her! She is totally amazing! irisjexx.com

Tiffini was one of the first authors I met through my blog, or actually a rather awkward email back from when I still thought authors were these scary beings. That first awkward email aside, lots of laughing and emails later, Tiffini and I became pretty close. So when she asked me to write a guest post for her blog, I said yes in a heartbeat.

As we’re talking about awkward first emails and thinking authors are scary beings, I thought it would be fun to tell you about how I started blogging and what it has brought me in the long haul. March 10th I celebrated my first blogaversary, even though it has been over a year ago since I published that first review, it feels like it was yesterday that I decided to start my blog.

Before my book blog, I had a travel blog for a while. It was a way for me to show my friends and family what I was up to during the time I was traveling America. It was a fun time, and my posts consisted mainly of pictures and a little diaries entries.

So how did I go from a blog about traveling to a book blog? Well, that happened when I got back from traveling… Because once I got back, I found there was little to write about and so I didn’t. Until I found myself rereading Pride and Prejudice, again. And writing a post about it. Which I then found out I really, really liked doing.

I’ve always been a huge reader, so writing about books wasn’t really a hardship. So I started reviewing books I was reading at the time, and then I got introduced to the Awesome Book Blogging community. And I was hooked. One of the best things about book blogging is being part of the community, because it rocks. The bloggers are the most awesome and sweet people you’ll ever meet, and get this, they LOVE reading! And talking about reading! And squealing about fictional crushes!

So after I found out how much I loved being a part of this community, I started blogging more actively. I figured out what an ARC was (because, frankly, I had no idea and googled it the first time I came across the term). I started requesting ARCs, which was super scary. I began to have actual conversations with authors, which I told you about already… Honestly, it was scary and half of the time I had no idea what I was doing. But it was always fun and it felt good.

It was a journey. Complete with awkward mistakes and embarrassing typo’s in emails (typo’s like autocorrect changing the title of a book I am requesting by one letter and giving it a completely different meaning… It truly was as embarrassing as it sounds). But boy, do I love talking with authors, receiving these shiny ARCs in the mail (which really is a privilege) and above all the writing and the shameless fangirling with other readers.  It’s fun, and it’s me.

Which is really what it all comes down to. I love blogging and I am having so much fun along the way (so much fun that I’m going to be studying English Language and Culture next year at University). I love being able to talk to others about my latest read, something that’s quite hard to do when most of the people I hang out with don’t read.

- Iris

irisjexx.com

Go check her out! Her blogs are amazing and we always talk about books and compare what we thought! Love you Iris!!

Hey my lovelies!!!

I have the amazing opportunity to be working with a fellow author and a close friend of mine, Lindsay Cummings, on a website called Booknerdigans.com. I cannot tell you how excited it truly am to work along side her and some new friends as well Zoe Scott, Grace Zhuang, and Sama Aziz. The site is officially up and running April 1st. We are still adding things to the website. You will get to meet the whole staff and what we love. We will be posting article, interviews, and so much more! I am so excited as it gets closer!

We are actually having a contest! If you have some mad editing skills or love to mess around with photoshop, this is for you! We have the website down, but we need a cool header. If you would like to participate in this contest, just come up with one and post it on Instagram using the hashtag #booknerdigansheader .  We will be looking a each one and picking our favorite to use as our little “logo” The website name is booknerdigans.com if you would like to check it out or include it in your header.

Our Instagram is @thebooknerdigans Our Twitter is @booknerdigans ∞ It can include any (if not all) major and/or minor fandoms. Preferably books, but TV shows work as well since we will be covering those on the blog as well! Be creative Have fun Don’t use any copyrighted pictures And may the odds be EVER in your favor! #booknerdigans

Check it out and if you decide to do the contest, your ideas need to be submitted by Friday, April 4, 2014.

Thanks!

Tiffini

Writing Beast

Sometimes I stare at the computer screen or a piece of paper before I even know what I am writing about. There are times that I do nothing and feel words and ideas are literally running away from me. It is definitely something that is hard to be consistent at. It takes a lot of dedication and self control to do it.

At times, I go weeks without writing. Let me tell you, something inside me starts to go crazy and I feel really strange. Ask Matthew, he knows me better than anyone else. He can tell when I haven’t written in a while. He makes me sit and write and gives me a timeline. While that sounds like he is treating me like a kid, I need it. I ask him to keep me accountable. If you are a writer or inspire to be a writer, find that someone who is going to push you to write even when you feel like crap or are being lazy. When this happens, it is like I am not allowing my thoughts to get out. I even feel sick sometimes. It is actually really funny. For me, writing is not something I like to do- it is something I need to do!

Do you have something like this? Is it writing? Painting? Singing? We all have something that without we feel naked without. But whatever you love, go for it! Do not stop trying! Stay consistent, work your hardest, and never give up! Do what you love, who knows what you can accomplish!

So tell me- what are you passionate about?

Love yall!

P.s. Are you a blogger? Would you like to be a guest blogger here? Please, email me along with your blog site and why you would like to be a guest blogger. Hope you are all well!

Hey guys,

It has been a while since I have posted. I am going to try my hardest to have an new blog up each week, if not more!

So first things first. I want to thank you all for reading Beast or asking questions. I really enjoy hearing from yall!

Today, I am writing more about where my love of writing came from.

Honestly, growing up, I was not much of a reader. I would read what we needed to read for school and that was about it. I laugh now about how I was so stubborn about reading when now, I have a hard time going a day without reading and being thrown into a different world. Ten years ago, if you were to tell me that I would be surrounded by books and be an author, I would have laughed.

In high school, we had summer reading. I hated the idea of having to take time out of my summer to read. I would push and push it off until the last minute. *rolls eyes* I was so stupid. haha Going into my junior year of high school, I was looking through the list of books that we needed to choose from. There was one book that stuck out to me, Beauty by Robin McKinley. After reading the synopsis on Amazon, I knew without a doubt that was the book I wanted to read. This was the first book that I truly was so enveloped in, I could not wait to read when I had the chance.I could not get enough of that book. It was one of the first books that I would read for fun.

Let me back up a little… I am dyslexic. I have a hard time reading and taking tests. It did not matter how much I studied for an exam, I would do awful. The thing that saved me was homework and essays. Most people HATE writing essays or research reports, but for me? I loved it. It gave me the chance to express myself, what I knew, how I felt about it, and show that I understand. But I did not realize my love for writing quite yet. Subconsciously, I think I knew it, but I did not see it. In college, I had the same issues. I almost failed a class because of the tests. If it were not for the final being different essay questions, I would not have passed at all. I still remember the grades I got on the tests: C, F, D, C…. What did I get on the final? A!

Backing up even further. I was the kind of girl that kept a diary… Yes, I wrote in it almost every night. Yes, I cringe when I read what I wrote. Always about a guy I would like at that time. But it helped me understand myself, though I did not realize it. I might post some entries on here if yall are lucky. haha

But something else played a huge part of the reason why I write and my love for it. I have been chronically ill since I was 8. To this day, it is still undiagnosed. Most frustrating thing ever. I have chronic intestinal cramping and sharp pain. I was off dairy for 10 years, till I was 18. Since then, I have been off gluten. I am gluten intolerant on top of my chronic illness. I had my gallbladder out when I was 19 and have had a few exploratory surgeries and tons and tons of tests.

When things turned bad, I was in the hospital off and on dealing with this. Writing was my only escape. When I write, I forget the world around me, the pain. My world, life, changed when I started writing. Something inside me clicked and I cannot imagine doing anything else.

I want yall to know who I am as an author, reader, and friend. If you have any questions about me, Beast, writing, life, want me to write about something specific, please let me know!

Feel free to follow me on twitter: @tiffinihunt, instagram: tiffini, Like Beast on Facebook

Love you all!

Tiffini

So many times do authors get interviewed. I decided to change things up. It is time for the interviewer to be the interviewee. The first blogger I have interviews is Iris. She lives in the Netherlands and I have really connected with her over the last month or so. Enjoy!

Did you like to read growing up? Why or why not?

Yes I did! My mom always tried to stimulate for me and my younger sister to read. We had a weekly trip to the library (which was much needed because at the end of the week I had finished all of them) and she used to read to us every single night. I grew up with reading and while I grew older that continued. At school we had to read, and most of my classmates hated it, we got this bookmark and every time we finished one you would get a sticker as prize. I always had tons of bookmarks at the end of the year! (I wonder if I still have those somewhere…).

What was your favorite childhood book?

I have two actually, one is a Dutch one that you probably haven’t heard about.

It is written by Annie M.G. Schmidt. She is a Dutch writer and although she wrote a variety of poems, songs, books, plays, musicals, and radio- en television drama, she is best known for her Children’s Literature. The book is Called “Pluk van de Petteflet” and there is really no translation for that title. I loved this book for its wonderful adventures, the silly, outrageous, but lovable characters, and the colourful illustrations. It was one of the books my mom read to me and my younger sister and she did a great job, making funny voices and all. I loved it and still have a well-read copy of the book.

The second book is well known to any reader: Harry Potter. My mom read the first book to me when I was old enough to not have nightmares and as I got older I started saving up money to buy the other books as well. Money I got from my grandparents or money I found. It was totally cute if I think back on how little me went to the store with collected money to buy books.

What is your favorite genre?

I don’t really know actually, but if I look at my blog and all the genres there, most books I’ve read are YA dystopian. I do love that genre, though I read mostly anything. I also have a weak spot for Classics (Jane Austen is my favorite writer!).

What book can you read over and over?

Pride and Prejudice, I love that novel! I love Jane Austen and I can read her novels again and again, but Pride and Prejudice is my favorite. And believe me I have read it over and over again!

Best book you ever read? Worst?

The best book! I have a list haha. Of course Jane Austen! I love her wit, her sarcasm and not to forget the characters! Aside from my favorite novel (cause really who can win from Jane Austen) my current favorites are definitely Divergent and Shatter Me. Divergent is just Divergent and Shatter Me has this amazingly unique prose (Tahereh Mafi has a way with words)!

The worst book I´ve ever read… I can´t really remember a worst book (probably because I banned them from my mind and all) but I can name one book that I still haven’t managed to finish… Les Misérables by Victor Hugo. I never did manage to finish it because I just can’t! I honestly can’t… and I know the story (who doesn’t) and I do like it! But the book, sooo frustrating! Since I just can’t seem to get through.

What is your favorite thing to blog about?

Books! Anything book related really, I am currently working on some new features for my blogs. I just love thinking about new things to write and post on my blog. I love the process that leads to a review. The reading, the taking notes, the thinking about a book and then of course the writing itself.

What made you want to start blogging?

My blog existed a while because the book blog IrisjeXx did. I started blogging because I wanted my family to have a way to see what I was up to when I went on one of my travel adventures (first time was when I went to California all on my own) and when I got back home I didn’t really use my blog any more. Until I wrote a post about Jane Austen and her novel Pride and Prejudice. That’s when I caught the virus. I started reviewing all the books I read and here we are today I have my one year blog anniversary coming up!

Who is the audience you go for when you blog?

All readers, and non readers as well. I try to inspire people to read a book I thought was awesome. One example of the non-reader is a friend of mine who never read, she hated it. So when her birthday came up, I (and another friend of mine) gave her a book that was being made into a movie. We told her that if she read the book, we would take her to the theatre to see the movie as well. She started reading and finished the same weekend. When the movie came out we took her to see it and when the summer holiday came up she told me that she bought 5 books to take with her (she caught the virus as well, because we managed to inspire her to read). I love that. When I get a message from somebody (even those that I don’t know at all) about how they love a review and how it made them want to read a book, it literally makes my day!

If you are not blogging, what would you be doing?

Doing lots of reading and studying. Just minus the blogging part. If I hadn’t had my blog I just would have had to wait longer to read the books I’m reading now haha. I’ve always been the girl that reads… Blogging hasn’t really changed it, though I read way more now (and I have a planner so I won’t forget when to finish what and when to post what).

Most viewed website?

EpicReads! I love TeaTime. Both girls are hilarious and the bookish news is a great way to stay updated on what is happing in the world of books.

Favorite place to read?

On the couch with some tea and a blanket! Or in my bed!

If you had a whole day of nothing to do, what would you fill it with?

I’d stay in my PJ’s all day and do whatever! Some drawing, I’d probably cook for my family (it’s the least I can do when I have the day off) and of course I’d throw in some reading for good measure!

I’d probably go running as well… Otherwise I have all this pent up energy and really I love to exercise. Running gives me the ability to clear my mind and think. Yeah, running would probably be in a whole day of nothing as well. There goes my idea of walking around in my PJ’s all day (though I would change back into them when I got back -and showered-).

If you could interview any author, who would it be?

J.K. Rowling! Her books are the first thing I think of when I think back to my youth! Or Tolkien, because the Lord of the Rings books are just epic! Never mind… I can’t choose (Because Veronica Roth, Tahereh Mafi and Susan Dennard are some of the other names that pop into my mind as well).

Want more from her? Check out her blog: irisjexx.com

Have a wonderful day!

Tiffini Hunt

Got all kinds of goodies, bookmarks, postcards, flyers, posters, business cards! So excited!

I am so glad that you stopped by! I will be posting a lot on here about events, secrets about Beast, and news about my new project! Keep your eyes pealed!

Tiffini Hunt