Author Response: Julie N. Ford

So Julie N. Ford, who wrote Count Down To Love (yesterday's post) responded! She thanked me for taking the time to email her! She also mentioned how the first amazon review she got left her feeling worried, and gave her a few sleepless nights. I really like that she was that honest with me. She also commented on yesterday's post AND linked to that page in her blog! Her blog is here. You should all check it out!

Later today, expect a review of Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children-a book that was just released, actually, instead of one that hasn't been released yet. See you then!

"Is it possible to feel like a stranger in your own skin?": Julie N. Ford

"Count Down To Love" (Amazon) is a cute, if somewhat predictable, romance novel. It tells the story of Kelly Grace Pickens, who is left at the altar on her wedding day. She finds herself with no money and ends up going on a dating show to earn some money and figure out what to do next.

Now, there were parts of this book that made me uncomfortable. Kelly is a southern girl, through and through. She's naive in some ways, and does things that are slightly racist at times, though she doesn't mean to. I think this was supposed to make her more lovable to a certain demographic, but when she talks about the Civil War and claims that just because the south lost, doesn't mean they gave up, well... it just made me a little less on her side. Maybe it's the northerner in me. There are also a lot of invocations to God, which doesn't especially bother me, but might bother some readers.

However, overall I enjoyed this book. It was a light, fun romance novel. A good beach read, I would say. Even if the main character and I didn't see eye to eye all of the time, I still enjoyed the concept and story.

There is an email address for Julie N. Ford, and so here is my email to her:
"I just read Countdown To Love (through netgalley.com) and I just wanted to tell you I enjoyed it. Though at times I wanted to cringe at Kelly Grace Pickens' naive insistence about her fiance's good intentions, I liked reading about her gaining her independence and growing as a person. Good job with this book, and good luck on all of your future projects!"

This book is due in July.

Not sure what I'll read next or when I'll post next or anything, so... see you then!

Author Reply: Neve Maslakovic

No new book today. However, I got a reply to one of my emails! Neve Maslakovic (who wrote Regarding Ducks and Universes) sent me a lovely reply. She said Jasper Fforde is one of her favorite authors! She also sent me a link to her blog, which you can find here, so we can all stay up to date as she writes her second book.

I found a website where you can request galleys, and I have a bunch of requests in. I figured it was a good way to find authors I've never heard of on a budget. A few of the requests have been auto approved, so here's a list of what I have tentatively planned for the next few days:
Wednesday-Gingerbread Girl by Colleen Coover (graphic novel)
Thursday-Speaking Out: LGBTQ Youth Stand Up by Steve Berman
Friday-Count Down To Love by Julie N. Ford
Saturday-Liar's Kiss by Jhomar Soriano (graphic novel)

That'll get us through the rest of the week! See you tomorrow!