Giveaway + Featured Book Blogger #1: Kayla from The Ramblings of a Toddler's Mom

You are about to learn more about a really awesome book blogger. Are you ready?

Today we have Kayla from the book blog, The Ramblings of a Toddler's Mom. 

To celebrate, I am hosting a giveaway for a book that Kayla recommends - Easy by Tammara Webber!

On Kayla and Reading

1.      Tell us a little about yourself.
a.       Well, obviously, my name is Kayla. I’m married with one 3 year old little monster
and three other “children.”  We have Drake (black lab), JoJo (dachshund), and Baylee (mastiff). I live in Louisiana (the same area actually as the Duck Commander but please don’t think we actually act like that, LoL, because we don’t).  I graduated college with a Bachelor’s degree in Health Information Administration and have been working in the same hospital ever since graduation. Right now, I’m the Medical Staff Continuing Medical Education Coordinator. I also do a little bit of amateur photography on the side. I'm absolutely addicted to Mt. Dew & Coffee. I love Saints Football, loud rock music, cold weather, snuggling up in my camo Browning jacket, tattoos, and a good glass of wine (or two…). My iphone & laptop are usually attached to me wherever I go these days.

Connect with Kayla:

Google + | Twitter

2.      What is your favorite genre? Why?
a.       I try not to narrow myself down too much so I enjoy reading several genres but above all, my favorite is Adult Paranormal Fantasy. Larissa Ione, Kresley Cole & Gena Showalter rock my world. There’s just something amazing about escaping into a fantasy world with vamps, demons, weres, and angels.

3.      How often do you read?
a.       Every single day… all hours of the day… I’m pretty sure it’s really an unhealthy addiction but I can’t help it. Ebooks have really transformed my reading habits because reading on the go is so convenient these days. If I’m reading a paperback novel, I only read at night when I crawl in bed. I read via the Kindle & Nook apps on my iphone, on my actual Nook, and even on my laptop.

4.      What book is at the top of your wishlist?
a.       That’s a hard one… I have so many books that I’m waiting on right now. I actually have a page on my blog listing out several of those I’m patiently waiting form. I have to admit, the one I’m seriously biting my nails for is Stealing Harper by Molly McAdams. I <3 Chase from Taking Chances. The only thing about Stealing Harper is going to be my emotional stability after reading it… if you’ve read Taking Chances, you’ll know what I’m talking about. I’m pretty sure I’ll be in a zombie mode for several days after reading it…. But I can’t wait! Ha.


5.      Recommend your favorite book to Oh, Chrys! readers.
a.       Honestly, there’s not one book that I can say is my favorite… But here’s a few that I think everyone needs to read:

                                                   i.      The Demonica Series by Larissa Ione

                                                 ii.      The Immortals After Dark Series by Kresley Cole

                                               iii.      Lords of the Underworld Series by Gena Showalter

                                               iv.      Taking Chances by Molly McAdams

                                                 v.      Easy by Tammara Webber

                                               vi.      Slammed & Point of Retreat by Colleen Hoover

                                             vii.      Neighbor From Hell Series by R.L. Mathewson

                                           viii.      The Significance Series by Shelly Crane

                                               ix.      The Premonition Series by Amy Bartol

                                                 x.      The Lux Series by Jennifer Armentrout

                                               xi.      The Mortal Instruments & Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare

                                             xii.      The Providence Series & Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

                                           xiii.      The Honor Series by Teresa Mummert

I know, I’m sorry, that’s a really long list… but when you read as many novels as I do in a year, you come up with soooo many favorites… Ha.

On Kayla and Blogging

6.      Why did you decide to run a book blog?

a.       I LOVE to read… I’ve been reading novels for as long as I can remember. I have a few friends that enjoy reading but only 2 that I can actually sit and talk books with who read as much as I do (if not more LoL). I started my blog in order to start tracking some of the amazing books I’ve read, sharing my own thoughts on novels I’ve read so I can help spread the word about them, start sharing some of life’s funnies that happen when you live with a toddler, and find other people who enjoy reading as much as I do so we can talk books.

7.      How long have you been blogging? What have you learnt?
a.       I had a blog in college but it was more like an online journal… you know, day to day happenings. I got bored with it because after college, life really slows down and there’s less excitement in your life (that’s the case with mine at least). I started book blogging in September 2012. I had NO idea that there was such an amazing book blogging community out there! I’ve made so many new friends, connected with some of my favorite authors, discovered new books that I would’ve never heard of had it not been for fellow blogger’s posts, and I came to the realization that authors are “normal” human beings. I love that authors still talk with their fans and interact with us. Honestly, I kind of compared my favorite authors to movie stars = untouchable and no way to interact with them. I was so wrong. I’ve been able to work with amazing authors over these past several months and I would’ve never been able to do that without joining the book blogging world. J

8.      What is your favorite aspect of blogging? What are the downers?
a.       My fave aspect is definitely the blogging community. I’ve enjoyed networking and talking with bloggers. I have so much fun meeting new people & working with amazing authors. I enjoy “blog surfing” and seeing what everyone is up to, what their page design looks like, picking up new tricks of the trade (like HTML coding)….
b.      The downer is that I’d rather be blogging than working my regular 8-4:30 full time job… Ha… Plus, blogging the way that I enjoy blogging takes hours… Usually I’m online tinkering with my blog at least 2 hours a day. Balancing what I WANT to do on my blog with what I HAVE to do in my everyday life is hard sometimes.

9.      Describe your blog in a sentence. No run-ons. :P
a.       My blog is somewhere readers can stop by if they’d like to share in my love of books of various genres plus catch the occasional funny story from my true experiences of life with a toddler.

10.  Anything you want to ask the readers?
a.       First off, you all are AMAZING! I absolutely cannot say “Thank You!” enough for welcoming me into this fabulous world of book blogging. I’ve had so much fun these past several months so I can’t wait to see what 2013 brings!

b.      Well, I’d love some feedback on my blogging identity. I’m really thinking about changing the title of my blog but I can’t, for the life of me, figure out what I’d like to call myself. “The Ramblings of a Toddler’s Mom” is cutesy but it doesn’t really scream “This blog is about books too!” I’d keep my link the same but change my actual title…. I need some suggestions. Not to mention, my “toddler” won’t be a “toddler” forever so I need something that will last for years. Yes, I plan on being around for a long, long time J Any thoughts would be great!

One winner gets a paperback copy of Easy by Tammara Webber, which is one of the books Kayla loves!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A huge thanks goes out to Kayla for being a featured book blogger! Would you liked to me featured too? Sign up here.