Meet Tressa of Prism Book Tours - a fun interview with lots of rambling fun!

Tressa & I are posting this interview that's, like, months in the making today. She has been rather elusive about sharing personal details to the point of hilarity. I mean, it's not like her book preferences are obvious on her blog already, right?  Speaking of, Tressa's Wishful Endings is one year old this month and there's a big party with lots of cool books to win. Be sure to check it out!!

Anyway... the *snorty* funny part of this ramble is that she posted this interview today, alrighty, but buried it under other posts on Prism and her blog. Lol. You'll have to dig to see what she's hiding. What are you hiding, Tressa?! (Just teasing. You don't have to answer that.)

I invited Tressa to help with Prism Book Tours back in October, 2013. I started working full time and could not keep up with the schedule. I had meant to shut it down (my only other option) except for this funky, quirky situation where I was hired for a part-time job first and booked up all of Nov/Dec and THEN found this awesome full time job. Uh... Panic, anyone?

Which is why "our" awesome virtual tour blog is totally thriving even though I barely get online.  I still get to promote awesome books even though I get really odd moments to participate, like now - anytime before 5:30 is all mine!  :-D  *yawn*  If you read all this, I'll let you in on my fav color. It's the blue on the button.  So yeah, maybe Tressa did guess it, 'cause I've still never said.  

0.0  Well, 'til now, I suppose.

So, Laura asked me a while back to write up an intro of myself for Prism. I was thinking, so boring. Then we talked about how I had wanted to interview her on my blog and we never got to it, so I forwarded questions to her. I thought, Why not have us both answer questions? Could be fun, right, to see what we say about the same things?

Thus, you have this nice and fun post where you get to delve into what we think and our preferences more, and hopefully get to know us a little better in the process. We had to answer these before seeing each other's answers. Ha!

Green is Tressa's favorite color, so her comments are in green. Laura's seems to be purple or maybe burgandy is a better guess (is that right, Laura?) and her comments are in purple. :)

What?  Purple is very nice, and burgundy is a little too obvious, don't you think? This is not one of The Questions, thought, so you'll never know. Muahahahaha...

I think I've figured it out now. Hee hee. :)

How?!  From discussing this new Prism look YOU CREATED?!  :-D  I do love it.

How long have you been blogging?

Forever. If I lived before blogging, I don't remember it. Or 2.43 yrs.

It's like getting married. What was single life like, again? ;)

Since February of 2013, so I’m just coming up on my year mark. I can’t believe how well everything is going and how much I am loving it! My followers, other bloggers, and authors make all the hours I spend worth it.

I don't have any snapshots of me and the hubby, so this will have to do - from 2012.

Why did you start blogging?

Because I love reading and sharing the books I love with others. It also challenges me and is something I do just for me, not for my kids or my husband or anyone else. I think we all need something that we do just for ourselves. :)

Nice!  Me?  To write my book. I wanted to know what the world of books was like so I could be successful. I've gotten a tad sidetracked with the wonderful world of books.

Laura with awesome husband

Yes. I do want to read it when you do write it. I think it will be marvelous!

Why did you decide to start organizing book tours?

Ah... I enjoy marketing and I was not content posting awesome things on my blog. I wanted to help authors more and I wanted to help bloggers more... and the more I try to help authors and bloggers, the more crazy ideas I get... and way leads on to way...

Laura in her Happy Place

They are awesome! Your ideas and creativity amaze me. Over and over, again.

I had started toying with the idea of doing tours last summer. Just like I love reading, I also love promoting books and authors I love. I want others to know about them and pick up those books! Organizing tours allows me to do this. I can email my favorite authors and offer to organize a tour because I loved their book. I think there is a difference in a tour when the tour host can be enthusiastic about what’s being promoted.

Tressa and the kids looking at Christmas lights

Did you grow up reading and loving it or did a love for reading come later?

*snort* Are you kidding me? I was born with, um, ink for blood. (That's in my book, btw.) I had to give a speech on "Where did you go during summer vacation?" and gave it on Narnia 'cause I read all summer.

My dad bought me an old library when I was 10 (an entire library collection!!) and I still have my copies of  Robin Hood and Knights of the Round Table.

From the shelf... Robin Hood & Knights of the Round Table
plus the Narnia collection Dad read me
And some other "old" books from that library.

Finding other book lovers online was like discovering heaven on earth for me. Finding "grown ups" that read Young Adult? Ha! Like having blue hair and discovering a bunch of other people who have blue hair, too! "We're the same!!"

Lol! Love it! Those are all seriously awesome books and I love this pic of your old books! Those are the best! I read on a Goodreads discussion lately about an author asking how you teach youth things through YA books and I was thinking to myself...Umm. They're not all youth.

I have always loved reading, always! I think it helped that my parents always read to us and then even after I could read on my own, they continued to do so or we would all read a book together. That Redwall series? My dad read that to my brother and I, well at least the first four books or so. We also read Scottish Chiefs, Kidnapped, and many others together. I have fond memories even when I was a teen of sitting in our living room and listening to my dad read. Yep. I’ve got an awesome dad (and mom)! :)

  

Ha! That is awesome. Dads who read to their kids totally ROCK!!!

What is your favorite genre to read?

This is actually a hard question for me. I read mainly in the YA genre, but if you had me tally up all my favorite books and put them into genres to see which one pulled ahead, I don’t know how my favorites would tally up. It would probably be YA because I read the most books in that area, but I love a lot of Classical Literature, Christian Romance, clean Adult Romance, and LDS Romance as well.

Maybe I should say that Romance and books with clean content are my favorites. As long as there is a little romance (doesn’t have to be the focus) and it’s a fairly clean (little to no swearing or sex) book, then I’m happy. I have such wide tastes: Contemporary, Historical, Dystopian, Fantasy, SciFi, Urban Fantasy....What else is there? Pretty much I love everything, except for maybe books in verse and I really don't care for horror and thrillers.

Um... me, too. I have wide tastes, too.  My favorite, though... Young Adult. Paranormal. I read the Bible and believe it, so I have to go with paranormal. It makes more sense.

I had an argument in a Freshman Bible class in college about a story in the Bible being real (I said yes, he said no).... YA Paranormal is a fabulous genre! =D

You got in a fight?!  Do tell, Tressa!!!  Lol.

It was really just a difference of opinion. We were talking about a story in the Bible and my opinion was that it really happened and the other guy said that it was just symbolic (keep in mind I was attending a private religious denomination school and we were all required to take this class). We went back and forth and the teacher ended up summarizing his lecture five minutes before class was over. We both probably sounded pretty much like know-it-all's. One of my friends (a guy) asked me after class if he needed to go beat the other guy up. Totally cracked me up and took away the tension. I'm not quite so intense these days about most things...

What are three of your all-time favorite books?

You want to know my fav book of the Bible, right? Since I brought it up? Psalms. (Then Philippians, Revelation, Hebrews, James. In that order.)

:)

Robin McKinley was my first love. She's still alive and blogging! I loved The Blue Sword first & best b/c Harry is transported out of her culture into another and she embraces it. (Plus I'm getting a signed copy with a doodly-doodle by Robin herself of these days!!)

  

I can't believe you picked The Blue Sword too!!! It's the best book and I love the characters, Harry and Corlath! I am very jealous of your soon-to-be copy. Very! I've read pretty much all her books.

Only one more? Argh... Scarlet by Marissa Meyer. I love the flavor and easy-reading of Marissa's writing. PLUS I listened to this book on audio and it turned into a family affair - I found a fun way to connect to my 13 yr old son. :-) And THEN you got me a signed copy to have and hold on my bookshelf, Tressa. How could I not LOVE this book?!

Great choice! :)

You're turn!!

Why did I decide that Laura and I should only list three??? I have so many! Maybe I’ll pick the ones that I have re-read the most, which are:

1. Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson      I'm getting it now.

2. Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen               Yeah!!

3. David Copperfield by Charles Dickens      Seriously? Then I'm going with The Taming of the Shrew. :-)

4. The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley        No way!!

5. Crown Duel/Court Duel by Sherwood Smith              Me, too!!!

6. Cinder, The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, and Graceling tie for the last spot

   

   

Umm. Definitely not just three. :)

Wait. You're the one who created these interview questions and I stuck with three. So not fair.

I know. I totally cheated. Twice. See below.

Based on this list, I picked up Edenbrooke and The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight for my Nook.  :-D What a great favorite list!!  I absolutely loved both of them. Reviews pending...

No really. I'll get these reviews posted. I will.

What are three of your favorite books from last year?

:-D The Bitter Kingdom, Charming, Shadows - I choose these three because I loved every. single. line. Each was so magical and multi-layered and full of so much flavor.

  

Shadows is the one Robin McKinley I have not read, but is high on my list. We talked about Charming and I'm still planning on reading it. I read The Bitter Kingdom. Definitely the best of that series!

Again, only three? I’ve decided I can limit it to five (in no particular order):

1. Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay (So, so good, you guys! I can’t say that enough. If you like Contemporary Fiction (with a little romance), read it!)

2. Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo - Laura, I think you'd love this series!!!

3. Blackmore by Julianne Donaldson

4. After Hello by Lisa Mangum

5. Across a Star-Swept Sea by Diana Peterfreund  - Laura, I think you'd love this one too!

  

 

Seriously, what happened with THREE?!  I haven't read any of these. I like the way you think... I'm on it. Thanks for the recommendations!!  :-D

"Have Party, Will Travel" Laura & Fam

What’s your favorite thing to do (besides reading)?

My very favorite thing to do is talk with my husband. My household is a ball of energy - we say "we bring the party everywhere we go", which is true. But my favorite thing is sitting outside when it's nice (I'm in Oregon. "Nice" is a big deal.) - like in my honey's shop or on the back stairs - and talking. Usually about crazy ideas, of course, but still... it's peaceful and energizing. 

Next, I enjoy doing stuff with my kids.

I write a lot. I write emotionally. It's the best way for me to understand how I feel and how to express how I feel.

I also try new things. All the time. My newest is crocheting. It looked like fun.

I would love to learn to crochet. I have been meaning to pick it up.

Tressa's Family Picture

I never really do my other hobbies, except once in a while and then I’m like a crazy woman while I finish a project. I have way too many hobbies, my husband would say. I love to cook, garden, play with the kids, hang out with family and friends, and make crafty things.

What is something unique about you that we may not know?

Hmm. I was a Political Science major in college and my favorite sport to play is racquetball.

No way. Wouldn't have guessed!!  Way cool!!

I have experienced so many amazing things, I treasure moments: Buying an ice cream and turning to see the Red Square laid out so big, it looked like the paving stones curved with the world; driving through the desert and making a spontaneous stop to jump in a well-water pila to cool off with 8 unbelieving high schoolers; sleeping just down the hallway from a stairway that curled up to real live castle turret for five months.

I guess I like story moments. :-D

See these amaze me! I didn't do enough traveling before kids, but we plan to do plenty as they get older and we can escape and go experience other cultures.

Why do you like working together on tours?

You first!

Well, because Laura is just awesome! Really. I love how creative her ideas are and how well her humor and personality come across in everything she does. Who else does the awesome themed tours that Prism Book Tours does? No one. There is a lot of work done in the background, of course, but I think it’s worth it. We also have similar tastes and expectations in a lot of ways, even if we go about doing things differently. Tours can get a little hairy sometimes, I’ve learned, and Laura can always crack me up exactly when I need a good laugh and make it all worth it.

:-D  Thank you!!!!  Lol.

Ok, Tressa... let me count the ways! *Snort*

* You're organized. PHEW!

* You remind me of obligations I forget. Multiple times. PHEW!

* You make sense.

* You're kind.

* You're even more conservative on content than I am.    0.o

* You are meticulous.

* I like your reviews.

* I really like your blog posts.

* You don't take offense when I'm (very) blunt.

* You have good taste in books. :-)

* You do sarcasm. PHEW!

* You keep dodging the spotlight. You better answer these interview questions, too!

* You email for fun.       And take all of your and my time! Lol!

* I can feel your real life behind your words.

* You make Prism better for being a part of it.

Ah, shucks. I try to be organized - doesn't always work. I am conservative on content, most of the time. I'm definitely sarcastic, like half of the time. ;)

Hey, that was fun!!  Good idea, Tressa!!  It was. =D

- Laura & Tressa