Wednesdays will now be Guest Blog day! Each week a blogger, author or an aspiring writer will take up residence here and answer some fun questions I’ve fired at them. There’s nothing more fun than having a little snoop into other peoples lives is there? I hope this will be be a great way to do that in a non stalkery way 😉
If there is an author or blogger you’d love to see in the hot seat, let me know and I’ll go ask (harrass) them!
To kick things off beautifully, Tanya Farrell who has fast become Ireland’s no. 1 book reviewer at After The Final Chapters, has popped in to say hello and tell us what it’s like to find herself reviewing New York Times bestselling authors from all over the world.
Thank you for being so honest and charming Tanya.
Tell me a little about yourself.
I am first and most importantly a mother. My three children are the most important thing in the world, Jamie 5, Adian 4 and Holly 2 3/4 are quite simply what make me get out of bed in the mornings, even if it is too early ;). I am also a wife to Brian – not necessarily a good wife but he just has to suck it up cos i’m the only one he’s got. I am a student, having on my 30th birthday started back at college doing Business and IT – and while i now know neither of those are what I want to do it did help me to find what it is I do want to do. Watch this space!
I am also Tanya Farrell, avid reader and blogger. I love to read its my favourite ‘me’ thing to do!
What do you write? When did you start?
At the moment I am writing two blogs, one more consistently than the other. My blog www.afterthefinalchapters.com is my baby. Its where I read and review many of the books that I love from the authors I favour. My other blog is www.talesofasynner.wordpress.com which is following my long journey trying to lose weight.
I have also started another little writing project that may come to nothing but I am enjoying it all the same, you never know this may be a space you need to watch too!
What are you working on right now?
Just blogging away trying to increase my following and build a profile for myself. I really enjoy blogging especially when writing about the books I have loved, it all comes so naturally. I have a slot on WLRfm Radio as well which i go in and talk about books. I really enjoy doing that – though not so much listening to myself on the radio, you never sound like how you think do you?
Tell me what we can expect if we pop by your blog.
Thats me a blogger – or a blagger as my hubby oh so affectionately tells me.
On www.afterthefinalchapters.com you will find reviews, author interviews and a few thoughts from myself. Mainly Chicklit form Young Adult, New Adult, Erotic, and Contemporary Romance. There are a couple of Historical Romance in there as well and most recently I have started reviews of Paranormal Fiction, reviewed for me by author Aimée Duffy. If you haven’t heard of her check out my review of Sinfully Summer on the blog or check her out at www.aimeeduffy.co.uk
On www.talesofasynner.wordpress.com you will find my journey with Slimming World. They are mainly short thoughts on whats going on. I try to keep it light and make an attempt at being witty!
Please share a sample of your writing!
I am really enjoying Flash Fiction at the moment, this is a piece that I wrote for a competition a while back. The feed back I got was wonderful and this is how Tales of a Synner was born;
The Camels Back
She looked around, conscious that she wasn’t alone. While they were not making it obvious she knew they were watching her. Of course they were, if the tables were turned she would do the exact same thing. Watching under hooded eyes, a quick glance over and ears straining to hear the conversation that she shouldn’t be listening to. So as she waded her way through the room she held her head high and slapped a smile on her face though it didn’t quite reach her eyes.
As she eyed up a free chair and made her way toward it she avoided eye contact with everyone in the room. She really didn’t need the pity smiles they were all so ready to offer. None of them knew her, they thought they had some sort of ‘kinship’ but they could think what they wanted. She just wanted to do what she came here for and get the hell out again. Taking her money out of her bag she slipped it into her pocket all the while second guessing her decision to even do this in the first place.
The room buzzed with conversation and the temperature started to rise as it started to fill up. “Great” she thought, more people here, more people to witness the lowest point of her being. She shuffled on her chair trying to get herself that bit more comfortable, though lord knows she can’t remember the last time she felt quite so uncomfortable. Though if she thought about it she knew exactly when that moment was. She met Ciara her best friend for lunch last week. She knew her jeans felt a bit tight, but she blamed it on the fact she had dried them in the tumble dryer. Sure you know yourself they are always that bit tighter when you dry them like that, though it’s also true that she didn’t normally have to lie on the bed to fasten them up. That was new. That was the beginning. As much as she tried to deny it, it didn’t take a genius to work out that she was piling on the pounds.
Lunch was fun though, and the wine was cool crisp and refreshing. It was also a vessel for all those bad feelings to sail away in. Unfortunately the tide brought all those feelings back with interest when she logged into Facebook the next day and Ciara had uploaded lots of pictures from the day before. Pictures from every angle at that. That’s when she made the decision to come here tonight. She needed this, those jeans and the pictures were just the straw that broke the Camels back.
“Michelle Dalton”…… “Do I have a Michelle Dalton?” Michelle snaps out of it, takes a deep breath and stands up. Rubbing her palms against her trousers she makes her way to the front of the room. She’s got this. She removes her jacket and her shoes and steps up on those scales.
“HOLY SH*T” The girl has some work to do!
If you decided to write a novel, would you consider self-publishing?
If I were to go down the road of releasing my writing into the big bad literary world then HELL YES. Indie authors are amazing. It is no secret that I am a fan of Indie authors and some of my favourite authors either still are or started out as Indie, not least Mrs H herself! I am a huge eBook fan and would take an eBook over a paperback any day. For me the future is eBook!
Give me 3 words to describe your best self and 3 words to describe your worst self.
Jeenie this is not easy! Good em, I will come back to that one. My worst self, overly emotional (I know that’s two), unorganized, indecisive. Let me try the best, Loyal, Strong and Kind
Girls night out, room for 10 in the limo, who are you bringing with you? (Dead, alive, fictional, celebrities, friends, the choice is yours!)
My sister Patricia, I only have the one and I don’t see her often enough. My mummy who unfortunately passed away almost 11 years ago. She was only 43 at the time and i loved going out with her, she was one in a million. I have to say Jamie McGuire – I have watched a video of this lady singing Wannabe and I would say she knows how to have a good night out, Colleen Hoover, Abbi Glines and Rebecca Donovan. These four ladies are my Author crushes lol. Oprah Winfrey – She could solve all our problems. Ellen De Genres to keep us all entertained and lastly myself in 15 years time to give me some advice about the direction I am heading in!
I was going to say Jillian Micheals but lets be honest I would need 6 months with her, Mother Teresa also came to mind but I think she might not be quite the party animal.
Describe a perfect day and night for me.
Perfect day has to be a family day where everything goes smoothly and everyone is happy. I love to watch my kids have fun and to hear them laugh. I do also relish bedtime when I can relax and wind down with a good books and spend some quality time with Brian, though I am generally reading and he is watching TV.
I love to have a night out or away with Brian, it doesnt happen nearly often enough. A nice dinner and a few drinks to loosen up and relax and have a good chat and a laugh for the night.
I don’t need extravagance I am pretty happy with my lot, though I wouldn’t say no to winning the lottery!
What are you reading right now? And is it a paper book or ebook?
Right now – nothing!!! I have just finished Sinead Moriarty’s Mad About You in paperback and just about to start Mandy Baggot’s Do You Remember as an eBook.
If you could pick any career in the world other than what you do now, what would it be?
You know what I would love to do, and if I won that elusive lottery I would. I’d love to have a coffee shop – though if I won the lotto I could have a chain. A coffee shop with big plush armchairs and sofas that you can chill out in with a book or whatever and stay all day if you wanted to. There is a chain in Northern Ireland (or at least there was when I lived at home 11 yrs ago) called Clements and its a bit like that but I would like to take it up to another level of comfort.
Who would you like to meet most for a chat? Dead or alive. Fictional or real.
My mum. I would like her to see how we have all grown up and meet her 6 grandkids.
Quick fire round, pick one of each of the below!
AGH did you see the part where I said one of my worst qualities was being indecisive;
Beer or cocktails
Beer – Corona with lime
Jeans or dress
Everyday Jeans, going out – Dress
Sun or Snow
Sun
Beach or Pool
Beach
Cats or Dogs
Dogs
Theatre or Cinema
Cinema
(only been to the theatre once and that was to see Carmel’s play a Dunganstown Romance)
Pink or Green
Pink
Night in or night out
Night in, I like going out but only once every few weeks.
Paperback or eBook
eBook
Lobster or steak
Steak
What is the best compliment anyone could give you?
Well as I a trying to lose weight I suppose something around that at the moment. I do though enjoy people complimenting my kids.
