Ten questions with Heather of "Maiden's Court"-by BBAW interview partner

My interview partner for Book Blogger Appreciation 
week is Heather of The Maiden's Court.

Heather's blog focuses on historical fiction and royal biographies with a special interest in the Tudor area.  She also writes very interesting reviews of 21th century novels.   I found her reviews to be open, honest, consistently insightful and flawlessly written.   She loves books and her blog shows it.    


We were asked to send our partner ten questions.   Here are the questions I sent Heather and her answers.

  1.    How did you get started as a blogger?
  I started blogging in May of this year.  I had started following a
couple of  brand new blogs about a month before and was encouraged by their success and decided that I could start my own.  I had been writing reviews for books I  had read and been posting them on other websites and always loved to look up facts about the books I had read - it made perfect sense to create a blog and put it all in one place.
   
  2.   If you could time travel back in history to any era and place prior to  the 20th century where would you go and why?
  I would travel back to Egypt during the reign of Ramesses II.  I have always  been interested in Egyptian history - this was the first period I was ever  interested in.  I would love to meet Nefertari and ask her so many  questions.  It would be so amazing to get to explore the ancient culture and
  see how things looked so long ago.

  3.   How soon after you read a book do you post on it?
  I try to write my review within a week and usually post about it on my blog  soon after.  I will usually post on Goodreads and Shelfari  as
my blog  written.  Sometimes I will hold onto the review for a short while if I am
  using it for an event on my blog.

  4.   How interested are you in tracking your blog traffic?   Do you keep  track of numbers of visitors, countries, web pages they were on prior to your board?
   I have a counter to track the number of visitors to my blog.  I
haven't  tried tracking where they are from - that might be something I would be  interested in that in the future.

  5.  What do you hope to take away from BBAW?
  I would like to take away the chance to meet new people, find new blogs to  enjoy and also gain further exposure for my own blog.  enjoy and also gain further exposure for my own blog.

  6.  Do you moderate your comments and do you feel you should reply to all comments?


  I do not moderate my comments - so far I haven't had the need to.  I think  that everyone should have the right to say what they think, as long as it  isn't attacking anyone's thoughts.  I don't feel that I have to reply to all  comments.  I try to reply to as many as I can - especially if someone asks a
  question or makes a great point.

  7.  What three writers would you most like to interview for your blog?
  I would love to interview Michelle Moran, Philippa Gregory, and Angie Fox on  my blog.  I have loved Michelle Moran's books - they are the best Egyptian  fiction I have read and she has been able to bring to life the figures that I have loved for so long.  I think it would be an absolute dream to have  Philippa Gregory guest-post or be interviewed on my blog. Her books, The
  Constant Princess and The Other Boleyn Girl, were one reason I really became  interested in historical fiction and I have read almost all of her Tudor
  series; I just have The Other Queen left.  There would be SO many
things  that I would love to ask her about.  Angie Fox is not a historical fiction  writer, she writes paranormal romance.  I had read her first book to help  someone out with a review and loved it.  She is a newer author and I would love to help others get to know her and her work.

  8.  How has blogging changed your reading habits?
  Blogging has changed my reading habits immensely.  One reason I really  decided to blog was because it would keep me reading.  I had been on a long  break from reading and I really wanted to get into it again.  I have joined  several challenges that get me to read books that I may not have considered  before.  I have taken up listening to some audio books (mostly because of my  long commute to work) but also to expand upon what I read.  I have read more
  books since I started my blog in May, than I had read in the previous 2 years!


  9.  How do you feel about devices like the Kindle or Sony's Book Reader?
I do not have either of these devices but I think that they are a great  idea.  I would get one of these if I did more traveling - that way I wouldn't have to lug a bunch of books with me.
    I like the ability to get  what you want at any time and have it not take up a lot of space.

  10.  Do you keep your blog on a preset course or do you take it where ever  your reading leads  your or somewhere in  between?
  My blog is never on a preset course.  I have realized that everytime I try  to plan out what I want to do, it changes.  I try to make a general plan, in  theory, and then as I go along with a book, whatever comes up I will post  about.  Sometimes I try to correspond things to different events I am  hosting - but I don't plan them out far in advance.

I will be following Heather's blog from now on and look forward to seeing what she reads in the years ahead.