Behind the Blog: Miss Erin

Behind the Blog: Reviewer Speak Week

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It's the last day of our whirlwind tour behind the scenes of book review blogs, and we are ending with a bang! Today's interviewee is none other than the fabulous, extraordinary:

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Miss Erin

www.misserinmarie.blogspot.com

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Miss Erin runs one of the most popular book review blogs on the web. She interviews authors, posts poetry from past and present, and critiques all her books with honesty and insight. She's universally respected, no matter what author or reader you talk to, and I'm so thrilled that she had time to chat with us.

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INN: Why did you start reviewing books online?

Miss Erin: I started when I finally discovered the wonderful world children's and YA book bloggers. And also because I found that I really enjoyed writing book reviews.
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INN: What's the best book of 2008 (so far) that hasn't been made into a movie or moved onto bestseller lists?
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Miss Erin: There's two that come straight to mind: Trouble by Gary D. Schmidt and The Patron Saint of Butterflies by Cecilia Galante. Both are brilliant.
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INN: Through your blog, you've been able to interview fantastic authors. What's that experience been like? Do you have a favorite interview you've done?
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Miss Erin: It's been amazing. I'm so blessed to have the opportunity to basically email any author or publicist of an author and be able to interview them, just like that! Before I started blogging, I never would've guessed that authors would be so accessible to contact and talk to. I love every single interview I've done, so choosing a favorite is too hard.

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Kirsten Miller's is pure fun...Clare Dunkle's is astoundingly thoughtful....and my most recent, with Shannon, Dean and Nathan Hale, was a dream come true.
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INN: When you were younger, did you ever find a book you hated? Which ones?
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Miss Erin: I hated a picture book I had of Hans Christian Anderson's The Little Match Girl...the ending broke my heart. There's another book but I can't remember its title...but in the end, the girl died by getting electrocuted during a lightning storm. I guess I didn't care for tragic/traumatic endings too much... :)
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INN: What's your advice for other reviewers?
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Miss Erin: Don't write a review with the mindset of "I'm writing a review." Write it with the mindset of "I'm writing my thoughts of this book." Your personal thoughts are the unique thing that only you have to offer. It's what makes you different from all the other reviewers out there.

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Thank you so much, Miss Erin!

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That's it, folks! Later next week I'll be posting the highlights of these fantastic reviewers' advice and of course, the best books they recommend! Thanks to everyone who participated and all you readers for listening.