Book Blogger Love-A-Thon: Get to know me

So I'm a bit late to the party because I only just found out about this fun two-day event. Hosted by Alexa at Alexa Love Books, this will be going on Feb. 21-22 with lots of things to do. If you're like me and still want to join the even you can do so here and by tweeting Alexa @alexalovesbooks. 

Questionnaire 

That's me. But that blue hair is going to be gone soon.
I thinking magenta the next time around.

1. What’s your name? I blog under the name Ashley S. but my nicknames include Ash, Asher, Smashley (that's drunk me), Bentley (for some weird reason) and Ash-a-ley Elizabeth when my mother is mad at me. She somehow manages to add and extra syllable to my name. Mothers. 


2. Where in the world are you blogging from? Quad Cities, IA/IL - For those of you who are wondering how that works, the Quad Cities is made up of four cities along the Iowa/Illinois border. Two are in Iowa (Davenport and Bettendorf) and two are across the rive in Illinois (Moline and Rock Island). I just moved from Moline to Davenport last month. 

3. How did you get into blogging in the first place? It started out as a way to fulfill my writing needs. Right out of college I got a job as a reporter, writing all kinds of stories. After about a year and a half, I made a switch to a different paper and joined their copy desk, which is mostly editing and design. There was no more writing for me, so I had to do it elsewhere, and Book Nerd Paradise was born.

4. How did you come up with your blog name? I combined three words that described me and what I liked. Books, of course, had to be in the name. Nerd came from the fact that I'm a huge nerd when it comes to reading, comic books, and general random knowledge. And I decided on Paradise because I my ideal paradise is me sitting on a beach with a book in one hand and a coffee in the other. (Or a margarita on some days). 

5. What genre do you read and review the most on your blog? All kinds of fantasy. Sometimes I throw in a little SciFi or Dystopian on there. 

6. What other types of posts do you do on your blog, apart from reviews? My one goal this year has been to incorporate a wider variety of posts. I recently discovered memes and those have been my favorite. I do the Top Ten Tuesday and the Book Blogger Hop on Fridays. I also like posting blitzes and givaways. 

7. Best blogging experience so far? When I was still a newbie (although, I still consider myself one) I wrote a review for one of my favorite fantasy books, Sora's Quest by T.L. Shreffler, and tweeted her a shout out. I was a bit nervous about making contact with my first author, but it worked out great. She's amazing and ended up inviting me to join her blog tour for her last two books. That was the first time I really felt connected to an author and it just gave me the warm and fuzzies. 

8. Favorite thing about the blogging community? I think the book blogging community is one of the most uplifting and positive places you can be on the Internet. Everyone has a shared passion for books, even if opinions differ on which books are the best. 

9. Name the 5 books you’re most excited for this 2015! I can only pick 5?? Here they are in order of release: 

1. The Sin Eater's Daughter by Melinda Salisbury 

2. Shadow Study by Maria V. Snyder

3. Yield the Night by Annette Marie

4. The Winner's Crime by Marie Rutkiski

5. The Storyspinner by Becky Wallace

10. What’s an underrated book or series that you think everyone should read? The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. It's not even close to fantasy and some schools have this as a reading requirement, but I think it's an eye-opening and heart-wrenching read. 

11. Which book boy or girl would be your book BFF? Hermione Granger... 'Nuff said. 

12. Apart from reading, what are your other hobbies or interests? I'm a writer at heart, but I also enjoy fitness classes, volleyball and softball, checking out thrift stores and anything with animals. 

13. Apart from book shopping, what else do you like shopping for? Deals on clothes. I just bought an awesome fleece half-zip jacket for 0.99 at a thrift store. I'm pretty proud of that find. Shoes are my top weakness though. I also really love shopping for wall art.

14. At a party, the DJ suddenly changes the song – and it’s your song. What song would be playing? "Searching, Seeking, Reaching, Always" by We Came as Romans. It's actually a post-hardcore song, which you probably wouldn't guess by the title. But it's a song about always seeking to be the best version of yourself. And when you reach that point, realizing that there is always something more the reach for. (I also love bands like Fall Out Boy, A Day to Remember, Asking Alexandria and For All Those Sleeping, in case anyone was wondering.)

15.Pick out either a book you want turned into a film/TV show, or a film/TV show you want turned into a book. My Merlin Trilogy by Priya Ardis. I love anything about King Arthur and Merlin.