Blogger Interview: Chelesbells from A Belle's Tales

Happy Saturday, everyone! I have a fantastic new blogger on the blog today talking about her favorite bloggy moments, authors, and book experiences! (And could I use a form of 'blog' one more time in that sentence??) She's fun, creative, and hilarious! Make sure you check out this neat interview to learn more about her, then go read her book reviews on her blog and chat her up on Twitter. She's sweet, folks, I promise! And her dogs are way adorable!!

Chelesbells from A Belle's Tales

Mickey: Hi there! Welcome to the blog. Please introduce yourself :o)
Chelesbells: Hello, and thank you so much for having me! My name is Michele, but you can call me ChelesBells or Chele - everyone does ;)

Mickey: So what made you create a book blog, and how long have you been doing it?
Chelesbells: I wanted to talk to other readers about reading and share my love for books, authors, strong female protagonists, and those deliciously hot, fictional boys. I started playing around with my blog in August of this year, and just went public in October. It's a newborn blog.

Mickey: Any plans on creating your own feature or participating in memes?
Chelesbells: I do have some plans to participate in memes, and hopefully, one day in the future, create my own feature.

Mickey: Being a new blogger, do you have any advice for people who may want to start their own blogs?
Chelesbells: Absolutely! You don't have to be a blog "lurker" (guilty); follow your favorite blogs, leave some comments, and show them some love. I truly believe an angel gets its wings every time I get a new blog follower! You will meet some wonderful people (like my interviewer, here) who can give great advice on how to get started. Most importantly, don't be afraid to bite the bullet and start blogging. It opens up a whole new, wonderful world. The blogging community is amazing!

Mickey: What's been your best experience so far in the blogging world?
Chelesbells: Well, this interview and being featured on your awesome blog is pretty much at the top of the list right now! Definitely the friendships I am making - always having someone excited and ready to discuss books with me any time of the day. I met my book soul mate, the wonderful Starry-Eyed Jen from The Starry-Eyed Revue when we were discussing our love of Divergent and Four. She is another amazing blogger who has helped me so much! She even created my blog button for me! Then there is getting approved for ARCs, and receiving my very first autographed book for review - please excuse this Squeeeeee.

Mickey: Which book has been the most fun to review so far?
Chelesbells: I have a lot of fun reviewing zombie and dystopian books! I guess I would have to say Divergent by Veronica Roth. Delirium by Lauren Oliver was one of the easiest to write - although my Delirium review probably couldn't be classified as "fun", considering I was bawling my eyes out and had to type through the tears when I wrote that one.

Mickey: Have you read a book you just couldn't review or didn't want to review?
Chelesbells: I've read a couple that were really tough. It would have been easy to just not review, but that didn't seem fair. However, I won't write a harsh review... ever. In the South, we say you can always find something good about someone if you look hard enough.... even if it's in their pinkie toe. Well, I can always find something good about a book... even if it is the pinkie toe of that book. I could never discourage an author. They are doing something I only dream about. If they should happen to come across my review, I only want them to be encouraged and possibly find a helpful hint or two. ;)

Mickey: What 2012 books are you most looking forward to?
Chelesbells: So many! Insurgent by Veronica Roth, Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver, Bloodrose by Andrea Cremer, Fever by Lauren DeStefano, and City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare. Eeek - I know I'm leaving out so many.

Mickey: If you could meet and have dinner with any author, dead or alive, who would you pick?
Chelesbells: I do love Mark Twain. He was such a talent and so very funny. Plus, we have a thing for pseudonyms! I would love to hang out with Andrea Cremer - we are both big fans of Buffy TVS, we're both owned by pugs (trust me, you don't own a pug - you belong to them! See pictures below!), and we clearly share the love of wolf packs. Tahereh Mafi, the author of Shatter Me, is incredibly nice and funny. I think her sense of humor is similar to mine. Charlaine Harris and I could swap southern stories and compare notes of what it's really like being from Mississippi. Also, Lauren Oliver, because she is lovely AND she owes me a box of Kleenexes.

Mickey: What's coming up on your blog that will keep me reading?
Chelesbells: If I can reach 50 followers, I have a very exciting giveaway planned! There will be more reviews of great books, some guest posts, a guest interview or two, and I wouldn't be surprised if a photo of a pug or two, or three, popped up occasionally. I mean, really, who can resist those squishy faces?? (Again, see those pictures below!!)

Mickey: Thanks so much for being here today!! Any final thoughts??
Chelesbells: Just want to say a big thank you to all those who are reading and to those who may stop by my blog. I'd love to follow your blogs and talk about all things bookish! A very heartfelt thank you to my wonderful interviewer for taking time out of her busy schedule to help this newbie, and for the interview that has made me feel (not gonna lie) a little like a rock star!

About the blogger:

I am a mom to an incredibly sweet little girl who is an avid reader herself. Reading is my favorite pastime, but I also enjoy playing the piano, singing and my newest love: blogging. I have worked in the medical field for the past 20 years. My love of reading stems from growing up near an air force base where friends were transferred in and out constantly. My friends were always leaving, but my book character friends never did. Now, having a family, a busy home life and work keep me from traveling like I would like, but in my books... I've been everywhere!

Find Chelesbells:
twitter | blog | goodreads

Pictures:

Baby Lulu

Lola

Kenzie and Louie