1. Lynne, I’d love to get to know readers like you more. Tell us about yourself and how you got into books.
I was born in a small town just outside Glasgow. I still live there to this day. I was raised by my parents and I suppose my older brother too who sort of parented me due to our ten year age gap. We were like any family I suppose. There were happy times and unhappy times.
The biggest influence in my life is and always will be my mother.
I look up to her in a big way. She’s the kind of person I just wish I could be. She’s been my rock ever since I got ill at 15 and is such a selfless person. I wish I could be more like her. She’s an avid reader and I guess she’s where I get my love of reading from. I left school early due to falling seriously ill at 15 and as such I didn’t get to sit my GSCE exams. I was awarded my marks based on my two years of work which thankfully, I’d always taken great care in studying hard at! So as it turned out, I think I got better marks than I would have had I sat the exams as I don’t do well under pressure! I’ve only had the one job and that was during a brief spell where, for no apparent reason I seemed to get better. I worked as a sales assistant in a wine store. I loved it and had such fun! It was the calm before the storm though and my immune system soon ravaged my liver afterwards and I spiralled rapidly into complete liver failure, needing an emergency transplant otherwise I was going to die. I got my liver transplant in January 2011. I’m eternally grateful to my donor and even though my liver never gave me my health back, my donor gave me life and never a day goes by when I don’t thank them for that. My other hobbies include spending time with my dogs, studying dog behaviour, doing adult colouring, cross-stitch, light gardening when the weather allows and lots of PC and console gaming!
2. What are the themes in the books that you enjoy reading?
I enjoy most themes and genres. The only one I don’t care for is horror.
3. What is an Ideal Reader, and what are the qualities of a good reader?
I think an Ideal Reader is someone open to the ideas and experiences the author has in store for them.
They think about what they have read. They look deeper than just the words on the page. An ideal reader wants to reach out to an author and let them know how the author’s blood, sweat and tears has affected them.
4. How has your illness and experiences affected you and your reading?
It makes it harder in some ways. I suffer from double vision a lot which makes reading difficult. However the most wonderful thing about it is the seemingly endless time I have to read nowadays. It is simply lovely.
5. What keeps you up at night?
Reading! Honestly! I read long into the night most nights. It’s a standing joke in my house.
6. How do you think your book blogging and reading help an author?
I hope it gives them publicity they wouldn’t normally get. I try to do more than just post my review. I circulate the review round social media as well as images tied to the associated book. However I would hope that if my review has some helpful and positive criticism, the author could perhaps take that away to chew over.
7. What advice do you have for someone who’d like to be a reviewer/reader/blogger?
Oh goodness! I’ve barely started myself! Keep active on your blog! It’s advice I’m needing to take myself. And don’t let yourself be pressured into doing more than you can handle at first! Baby steps!
8. How does an author get connected with a reader/blogger/reviewer like yourself?
You can reach me via my email at lynne@bletherinbooks.com, via my contact page on my blog at bletherinbooks.com or via my twitter at twitter.com/bletherinbooks!
Thank you very much Lynne. It is wonderful for an author to get to know readers. You are who we write for. Do follow her on Twitter and show your support. Her Bletherin Books reviews and blog posts are well-written, enjoyable and thought-provoking.
Image by Thought Catalog from Pixabay
