Surprise! Top 5 Posts in March 2014

I've done this before, sort of given you a run-down of top posts. And I think it's good, especially if you've missed my daily posts and are just hunkering to read the best ones.

This time around I wanted to focus on a month time period. I wanted to see what readers were reading in this short time frame and see if I could come up with some reasoning for the favorites.

Here they are. Surprisingly, most were in the same topic arena. If this doesn't surprise you, it did me, and confirmed that I'll be continuing author interviews because readers and writers alike continue to enjoy them.

AUTHOR INTERVIEWS!

#1 Lorraine Carey
#2 Cindy Hogan
#3 David Belt
#4 Mikey Brooks
#5 Nancy Kyme

The only blog post that didn't fit into the above category was my post entitled, SHOUT IT OUT! What you can do to promote your writing without being obnoxious. It tied at #3 with David Belt and can be found here.

Part of the reason for the higher ranking top posts I think is the simple sharing of it. Not only do I share these posts, the writers themselves share them, so my readership doubles, and often, triples.

I also think that readers and writers enjoy reading posts that help them in their own writing. They also like to learn more about the writers they read.

Two of the five authors were also a part of the Write Here in Ephraim Conference, and that additional tag might have helped them in place standings #3 and #4, though it's interesting to me that in places #1 and #2, the tag of the conference didn't seem to be needed.

My findings:

Author signings in general bring in more readers if the author is also willing to promote along with me.
Strange titles, like SHOUT IT OUT! What you can do to promote your writing without being obnoxious, continue to garner in readers, simply because they stand out. The subject itself probably didn't hurt either.

Try this on your own posts. Find out what is being read and move forward with similar posts to keep your readership happy.

CHARACTER INTERVIEW: Aaron from The Stone of Valhalla

I'm beginning something new here at Idea Creations Press. Interviewing main characters! This is my first, and hopefully not my last interview of this sort. Pay special attention to the last question: Find out what Aaron wants to know about me and how I respond!

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Tell me a little about yourself (where you live, who you are, what you look like, what you hope to achieve, etc.)

My name is Aaron.  I used to live in Charlottesville, Virginia, but now I’m in some other world. How I got here? You’d have to read my story for that. Let’s just say I was doing something I shouldn’t have and this is my punishment. I’m just an ordinary 13-year-old kid. I don’t belong in this hostile world. From the moment I got here it’s been one thing after another trying to kill me. I say “thing” because in this world, goblins, wizards, and magic are real. I hope to one day find my way back home.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

Since I got here I either spend my spare time running or walking. If I were back home, I’d be taking a nap. That, or playing a video game or watching a movie. I like fantasy adventures like The Hobbit, or Percy Jackson. You know they do a lot of walking in those movies too. If I ever get home I’m not sure those would be the shows I’d watch anymore.

What is your favorite color and why?

I like the color blue. It’s the color of my eyes, the sky, and the rooftops in the city of Glayden. Funny how it’s the one color that is lacking in nature.

What is your favorite food? Why is it your favorite?

Man you had to bring up food didn't you? I have been craving pizza like nobody’s business. A delicious pie with pepperonis, sausage, and extra cheese…lots of cheese. Throw in a frothy root beer and my meal would be perfect. Right now I’m surviving on gross dried meat (if you tried to sell this stuff as jerky, you’d end up going out of business) and water that’s unpurified and in a pouch made out of animal parts…need I say more?

What would you say is your biggest quirk?

A quirk? Back home I used to pretend to be something I’m not just to fit in. Otherwise I’m the loner at school with no friends…the geek with an inhaler. In this world, I am free to be me. No one is judging me by anything but me. I think that has made me a stronger person somehow. Now I know who I am. 

What is it about your antagonist that irks you the most, and why?

I have no idea what I did to piss him off, but since I got here he’s been trying to off me. First I get put on trial for witchcraft and almost burnt at the stake! Seriously! Had his goblins not gotten excited and started torching the town I’d be charbroil. Of course then he’s chased me all over this world trying to get the stupid amulet I found in my world. Just leave me alone. Possession is nine tenths of the law. It’s mine. He just needs to get over that fact.

What or who means the most to you in your life? What, if anything, would you do to keep him/her/it in your life?

That’s easy…my family. As much as I can’t stand my older brothers sometimes, I miss them. I miss the way Mom would always make my favorite meal on Fridays and how Dad would try to understand my love of video games even though he’d rather read a text book. I’d do anything to get back to them. The question is: can I let this other world be destroyed just to get there?

What one thing would you like readers to know about you that may not be spelled out in the book in which you inhabit?

I’d like to think I have a little more courage than I display. Remember, I’m just 13. You try fighting an ice troll and not scream when the guy tries to eat you.

If you could tell your writer (creator) anything about yourself that might turn the direction of the plot, what would it be?

I’d like to know who the bad guys are right off the bat. It would really help save me some heartache and stress. Just lay them all out for me…and include a picture. I’d also like there to be indoor plumbing in this place.

Ask me any question. I've always wanted to know what a character thinks about writers like myself. I'll answer the question at the end of this interview.

If you were dragged off to another world and could only bring one thing with you to ensure your survival what would that item be?

Oh, boy. This reminds me of the deserted island bit. Let's see...Probably clean water. "Water that’s unpurified and in a pouch made out of animal parts," just doesn't appeal to me. Of course, after a time, the clean water will more than likely run out, so I hope I've got something sharp to kill a beast or two with.  

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Thanks Aaron! I hope you make it back!

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