Hi, book loves! Thanks for all of you who tuned into my LIVE author chat with my friend, Rebecca Ross, on May 29, 2020 at 8pm CST and for spending your evening with us! I was so thrilled to feature Becca here on my blog, The Bookish Ballad, as we talked about The Queen's Rising duology, her new stand-alone young adult fantasy novel, Sisters of Sword and Song which is set to release on June 23, 2020 from HarperTeen, and insightful topics that included the trade publishing process, magic and world-building, and ! Becca has been a huge inspiration for my own writing and a spectacular friend since the very beginning when I couldn't stop myself from messaging her about how life-changing reading an ARC of The Queen's Rising had been for me! I felt like I had made a friend and she didn't know I existed so I drove up from Chicago to meet her at the Grand Rapids Comic Con and listen to her incredible panel about world-building, taking risks, and raising stakes in a fantasy novel. The Queen's Rising and now Sisters of Sword and Song are in my top-five favorite books of all time: there is sheer magic interwoven in every word she's written! So, if you haven't read it yet, I insist you do so! For those of you who could not attend...fear not! I recorded the video and uploaded it to my YouTube Channel, The Bookish Ballad, for you to watch. I also asked Rebecca Ross to send me written answers to all the questions I asked in the live chat so you can peruse it at your leisure! ENJOY!!<3 Author ChatQ&A with Rebecca Ross!Before we get into the Q&A, will you give the viewers a brief description of The Queen's Rising duology and Sisters of Sword and Song? Yes, I’d love to (and I’m so excited I get to chat with you tonight, Taylor! <3). The Queen’s Rising is about a girl named Brienna who finds herself in a plot to overthrow a usurper king and restore the rightful queen to the throne. There’s everything from castles to a slow burning romance to sisterhood to dark family secrets, and it’s set in a Renaissance inspired world. The Queen’s Resistance is the sequel and picks up right where TQR ends. This series is a duology, so it ends with the second book (I get a lot of questions from readers about this, so just want to make it clear). Sisters of Sword & Song is about two sisters—Evadne who is a scribe and Halcyon who is a warrior. When Halcyon returns home from the legion on the run from a terrible crime, Evadne decides to do everything she can to protect her sister, including taking a portion of her punishment. But as Evadne serves her sentence, she begins to learn her older sister’s secrets, and it draws both girls into a dangerous scheme to protect their queen. SOSAS is inspired by Ancient Greece and is a YA Fantasy Stand-alone. When did you decide you wanted to be an author and how did you make that dream a reality? For as long as I could remember, I wanted to be an author. I loved reading from a very early age, and it fueled my own desire to write. All throughout my teen years, I wrote stories by hand at my desk. It was my passion and I dedicated a lot of my time and efforts to it. I graduated from college with my degree in English, but I did not take my writing seriously until three years later. I was working an 8-5 job, doing the same daily grind over and over again—wake up, eat, work, go home, spend time with husband and dog, eat, sleep. Repeat. I hadn’t written in years until one morning, I woke up and looked in the mirror, and I said to myself, “Becca. One day you’re going to wake up and be 70 years old, and you’re going to look back on your life and realize you did not write anything. And you are going to regret it.” And since that morning, I decided to take my writing seriously. I wrote on lunch breaks, on weekends, in the evenings after work. I was tenacious about it, and months later, I wrote The Queen’s Rising. That book had a gleam to it—I knew it was the first thing I had written that might be worthy of being published—and so I took the next steps to find a great agent and got my book deal months after that. What are some valuable lessons you learned from publishing your first novel? Publishing a novel is a huge, exciting achievement. And while there are highs to publishing, there are also lows. It’s honestly like a rollercoaster. There are a lot of things out of your control as an author—your cover art, how well your book sells, reviews, if you get sent on a book tour, etc. I have had to measure my success in different ways than what I thought I would at the very beginning of my journey, when I was still quite naïve. If my book connects with a reader and brings them through a dark time, if it inspires them to write their own novel, if it makes them laugh or cry and leaves a good mark on their heart…that is my success as an author. What is your writing style like? Are you a pantser, a plotter, or a plantser? I’m a hardcore pantser. I love the thrill of discovery when I write. I find that planning actually tames my imagination. Some of my best plot twists and characters have emerged from moments of exploration. The only downside to pantsing it is that you sometimes write yourself into a corner and have to backtrack, and it’s messy. My revisions typically involve a lot of rewriting, simply because my first draft is me trying to find all the pieces to the story. And I think if I ever did a longer series, like a trilogy or even a quartet, I would have to buckle down and make myself plan things out. I think that’s part of the reason why longer series feel so daunting to me and I typically stick to duologies and stand alones (at least for the moment). What is it like to have a career as a full-time author? What does your work schedule look like, is there a lot of pressure, how do you stay organized? I find it a highly rewarding career. I love to work from home, and I am very disciplined. I get up early, I pour a cup of coffee, and I sit at my desk and work, even when I don’t feel like it. Because some days I feel like writing and the words flow and it’s amazing, and other days it’s like pulling teeth. But I have trained myself to make it a habit, so I can still produce something, even on the hard days. A typical day will see my writing in the morning, which tends to be my best writing hours. I’ll answer emails, break for lunch, make a post on social media. Exercise. And then maybe squeeze a few more hours of writing or reading in during the afternoon. When I’m on deadline, I typically work much longer hours, sometimes late into the night. I try to keep track using a planner and a calendar. Sisters of Sword and Song is inspired by Greek Mythology. What is it about Greek myths that inspired you to write this story? I’ve always been very fascinated by Greek myths. I think I’m drawn to the beauty and the terror of them, and the connection between those who are immortal and powerful, and those who are mortal and brave. Both are flawed and make mistakes and have triumphs and tragedies. Something about it calls to me, and I’ve always wanted to write an epic fantasy that felt like a myth that was just discovered. Do you have a favorite myth? If so, which one and why do you love it? I’ve always loved the myth of Cupid and Psyche. I find it so fascinating! I'd love to talk about the magic systems found within both The Queen's Rising and Sisters of Sword and Song! Can you tell us a bit about your world building process and how you developed these two vastly different magic systems? When I was building the world for TQR, magic was one of last things that came to me. I knew it would be present, but I was very focused on other elements of the world, so the magic feels subtle. It’s a gentle current, and the reader can focus on other things within the story but still feel the draw of it. With SOSAS, I knew magic would play a much more vital role and impact throughout the story. Early on, I had to figure out how it worked, what the cost of spells would be, and where the magic originated from. When it comes to building fantasy worlds, that is something a writer needs to think about. If the magic is heavily present and used, there are a lot of things and ramifications to consider. But it’s so much fun getting to create it! They say that authors put a little bit of themselves into their fictional characters. Which character from both The Queen's Rising Duology AND Sisters of Sword and Song is a close representation of you, and why? Brienna and Evadne are both very close representations of me. They’re quiet and reserved but full of longings and dreams and ambitions, and they are very loyal to those they love. They are also drawn to stories and history. Let’s play kiss, marry, banish!! Brienna, Cartier, and Isolde. GO! Another round: Evadne, Halcyon, and Damon. GO! Haha, this is fun. Okay, here we go: Brienna—kiss Cartier, marry Isolde, banish Rian Cartier—kiss Brienna, marry Isolde, banish Declan Isolde—kiss Luc, marry Brienna, banish Gilroy Lannon Evadne—kiss Damon, marry Lyra, banish the vile boy of Dree Halcyon—kiss Narcissa, marry Xander, banish Macarius Damon—kiss Evadne, marry Halcyon, banish Macarius What advice can you give aspiring authors who would like to publish their books with a trade publisher? Can you give us a brief description about the trade publishing process and the steps you took to publish your debut novel, The Queen's Rising? I’ll try to keep this brief. ;) Once you have written your novel and have polished it, it’s time to research literary agents. If you truly desire to go the traditional route, you’re going to need and want a good agent. Your agent is not there to just sell one book and take their 15%. They are there for the long haul with you. They are going to go to bat for you and help you navigate publishing and help you build your career. I look at my agent as my rock, someone who advises me and encourages me and helps me understand all the in’s and out’s. So do your research and compile a list of agents you think would be a great fit for you, and who rep the sort of books you write. To catch an agent’s eye, you’ll need to write a really good query letter, which is a 250 word pitch you send to them in an email. If your query piques their interest, the agent will most likely request your full manuscript. They’ll read it and either offer to represent you (if they loved the book), or they might offer you a revise and resubmit opportunity with their feedback. Or they will pass, because they aren’t the right fit for you and your book. But once you have signed with an agent, they will begin to contact editors they know who they believe will also love your book. Your agent will get the editors excited about your manuscript and will compile a submission list of editors they plan to send your book to. When that happens, you’re officially on “sub.” It’s an exciting and terrifying time, knowing your manuscript is being read by multiple editors. If an editor reads and loves your book, they might offer a pre-emptive offer, which is to quickly take your book off the table, to avoid it going to auction (which is when there are multiple offers involved). I was offered a pre-emptive offer for TQR + my other two YA fantasies, so my manuscript was read by the first editor the manuscript was sent to. My best advice to aspiring authors is to not give up—this is a slow process, and there are quite a few steps involved, and it can be heartrending when rejections pour in. But those who are determined and have grit and don’t give up on the dream will make it. In The Queen’s Resistance, the majority of the novel is correcting the injustices that King Lannon unleashed upon Maevana. Was it difficult for you to come up with the evil acts the Lannons and their allies committed? Did the injustices in our real world reflect any of these acts mentioned in the book? It was definitely hard to write about. The Queen’s Resistance was a book that truly took me by surprise (it was originally supposed to be a companion novel, not a sequel). And when I began to get deeper into the story, I realized that I did not want to gloss over the crimes that had occurred in Maevena, but I also wanted to approach these instances from a respectful and honest way. There are some days when I think about the injustices happening in our world, and I feel so overwhelmed and saddened by them. And I don’t always know how to help right these wrongs that are happening, but I also know that I need to be present and to listen and be ready and willing to help in whatever ways I can. Did you experience any challenges or roadblocks while writing The Queen's Rising or SOSAS? How did you push through them? I think there is always the challenge of getting to the end. Of actually making a complete story, with all the threads woven together in a satisfying way. It’s funny—I’ve written multiple books by this point, and every time I sit down and begin a new manuscript, I’m like, “Okay, how do I do this again?” LOL. Every book is different and will have its own unique process. I think just trusting my intuitive storytelling and not being afraid to take risks has helped me push through those roadblocks during writing. You brought me to tears when The Queen’s Resistance ended and it was mainly because of the love story! Can you tell us what inspired you to create the culture in the MacQuinn territory, especially highlighting the importance of the tapestry? Aww, I’m so honored to hear that! You know, thinking back over those weeks when I was drafting The Queen’s Resistance…the tapestry idea came to me in a very organic way. I knew the House of MacQuinn was revered for their weavers, and they took great pride in their craft. And I’ve always been drawn to tapestries in general and the idea of there being thousands of threads woven together to create a beautiful picture. I remember thinking, how can I make this unique to the MacQuinns, and how can I use this to help bring Brienna into their fold? And I thought of the golden ribbon, and the rest is history! J The Queen's Rising and SOSAS have a beautiful and unique cast of characters. Which character from both books is your favorite and what do they contribute to the novel that makes them so special? Oh dear. This is a tough one to answer! It almost feels like choosing a favorite child, haha. I will say I have a very soft place in my heart for both Cartier and Damon. And I think it’s due to the way they respect and admire and love the heroines I write. Since my blog is called The Bookish Ballad and one can deduce that both music and books are my passions, I absolutely LOVE that you have Spotify playlists assigned to each of your novels! How did you come up with your playlists? I love to write to music. It inspires so much of my stories and often draws out the emotion in my work. Sometimes a song will be so woven into my writing that every time I listen to it, I can still envision the very moment in the scene it inspired, even years later. I’m typically drawn to soundtracks and instrumental music. The Game of Thrones soundtrack is one of my all time favorites, but I also love to discover obscure artists and lesser known music on Spotify! I have playlists for all of my books, and you can find me on Spotify @ beccajross. The Queen's Rising duology is set in the first-person point of view and SOSAS is in third-person. Why did you choose to write Evadne and Halcyon's story in third-person as opposed to first-person? Okay so it’s really interesting how this came about. When I first wrote SOSAS, it was Evadne’s perspective only, written in first person. My editor made the suggestion to bring in Halcyon’s POV. I mulled over it, and decided that I would like to add in her perspective since her storyline is very action packed, but since I had just written a dual narrative in first person for The Queen’s Resistance (and I still had Cartier’s and Brienna’s voices lingering in my mind) I felt like it was best if I wrote both Evadne’s and Halcyon’s POVs in third person. And I ended up really loving that decision, and I felt like it made the story so much deeper and fiercer. Which authors/books have inspired you on your writing journey? Oh, so so many. Here are a few authors who I consider my influences, and books of theirs that have inspired me countless times: The Lumatere Chronicles by Melina Marchetta The Books of Pellinor by Alison Croggon Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier The Forgotten Beasts of Eld by Patricia A. McKillip Uprooted and Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik The Winternight Chronicles by Katherine Arden Which of the five passions do you belong to? I’m a passion of knowledge! Thank you for taking the time to chat with me about your books! Is there anything else you would like to add? I’m hosting a pre-order incentive to all the readers who order their copies through Good Choice Reading. I’ll be personalizing, stamping and signing each book, in addition to including an exclusive myth card. The myths are inspired by the divines in SOSAS, and I had so much fun creating them! About the Authorshe was a girl of words and stars and iron…Rebecca Ross was born and raised in Georgia, where she continues to reside with her husband, her lively Australian Shepherd, and her endless piles of books. She loves coffee, the night sky, chalk art, maps, the mountains, and growing wildflowers in her yard. And a good story, of course. Twitter || Facebook || Instagram || Pinterest || Goodreads
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I'd like to brag about how amazing bookstagrammers are because they make me feel so loved on a daily basis and I really want to give that love back to them! 😘 So...I've developed a little segment to my blog called "The Bookstagrammer Ballads." This Monday I am featuring one of my friend who is always so kind in her check-ins and she takes some of the prettiest photos I have ever seen! Welcome Shannon, @reads.by.the.sea!!<3 Meet Shannon, @reads.by.the.sea!Why did you decide to start a Bookstagram? I started my bookstagram because I wanted a place to share my love of books and to kind of document this season in my life. My kids were about to start school and I needed another hobby to keep me busy. Little did I know that this is not just a hobby, but a place to hang out with awesome bookish friends from all around the world. Starting my account is hands down one of the best things I could have ever done! What is your favorite genre? YA Fantasy & Retellings What are you currently reading? The Court of Miracles by Kester Grant What are some of your favorite fandoms? The Wizarding World, Shadowhunters, The Folk of the Air, and sooo many others. What's your favorite color, movie, song, band, TV show, food, animal, etc? Favorite Color- dark spice orange Favorite Movie- anything Disney especially Tangled Favorite Song- First Day of My Life by Bright Eyes Favorite Band- AFI Favorite TV Show- Golden Girls & Gilmore Girls Favorite Food- Cheesecake Favorite Animal- black jaguar Who are your Top 5 favorite characters in literature? Lou from Serpent & Dove, Will Herondale from The Infernal Devices, Jude Durante from The Folk of the Air, Arsinoe from Three Dark Crowns, and Hagrid from Harry Potter What do you love about being a bookstagrammer? I love all the connections I have made with people all around the world who enjoy the same things I do. What are your hobbies outside of Bookstagram? Reading, of course! Also, baking, playing video games like Animal Crossing and Pokemon Go, and playing cards with my husband. List some bookstagrammers that have inspired you on this bookish journey! You! Salena @salena_reads, Shannon @wildflowerbookshelf, Jess @metalheadreader, Haley @sunset.farm.library, Jen @cheshirereads, Vanessa @bookfairy95, and so many others. What are some bookish shops you love buying merch from? @enchantedextras, @saltyandlit.shop, and Wicks by Pearl (@bookish_pearl) What are some important things you've learned as a bookstagrammer? Do what you love and be true to yourself. It is so easy to get caught up in the numbers, but really nobody cares how many likes you get , how big your personal library is, or how many followers you have. If you share your true genuine self and read whatever you want to read without worrying about those things then you will be rewarded with personal joy and an amazing group of book friends. Follow Shannon on Instagram at @reads.by.the.sea!! Be sure to check out my stories on Instagram @the_bookish_ballad all week for a more interactive feature and get to know Shannon more.
Next Monday, I'm singing the ballad of @createdbyraemn! Stay tuned... I'd like to brag about how amazing bookstagrammers are because they make me feel so loved on a daily basis and I really want to give that love back to them! 😘 So...I've developed a little segment to my blog called "The Bookstagrammer Ballads." This Monday I am featuring one of my greatest bookstabesties who is a beacon of sunshine every day I get to talk to her and gush about books. I am always grateful for her support. Welcome Jessica, @ireadtorelax! Meet Jessica, @ireadtorelax!Why did you decide to start a Bookstagram? I love books more than just about anything else and I started seeing these amazing accounts that took these gorgeous pictures and then did nothing but TALK about books and I was like I HAVE to try this!! 💗 What is your favorite genre? Favorite full genre - science fiction, favorite subgenre - paranormal romance. If I could only read one type of book forever, that would be it. What are you currently reading? The Shadow Veil Academy series by Heather Renee, Everlasting Rose by Dhonielle Clayton, and the Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan (for work). What are some of your favorite fandoms? Folk of the Air, ACOTAR, the Falconer trilogy, Monsters of Verity, omg so many! What's your favorite color, movie, song, band, TV show, food, animal, etc? Favorite Color - burgundy Favorite movie - Pitch Perfect 3 Favorite band - Clutch Favorite TV Show - Lost Girl Favorite food - potatoes Favorite animal - clouded leopards or giraffes Who are your Top 5 favorite characters in literature? Ian from the Host, Alanna of Trebond from the Song of the Lionness Quartet, Xandra Vardan from the Immortal Empire trilogy, Mor from ACOTAR, and Bean from Ender’s Game. What do you love about being a bookstagrammer? I LOVE being able to talk as often as I want to people that love books as much as I do. There’s nothing better out there than finding the people who nerd out about your passions!! What are your hobbies outside of Bookstagram? I like to cook, I occasionally try not to die at Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and I dabble in writing fiction. List some bookstagrammers that have inspired you on this bookish journey! Tiffany from @bookwormgram, Vanessa from @ve_xo, Erin from @asthebookends, Areli from @offaerietalesandbooks and YOU! What are some bookish shops you love buying merch from? Pages of the Night (@libraryofthenight) for bookish pops, Flickerwix, Wick and Jane, Alchemy & Ink, and Cornerfolds Candles for bookish candles, Brio & Brandish, Iron & Ink Designs, and Icey Designs for bookish pins, Voodoo Isle for bookish bunnies, Love You More Studio for Book Sleeves. What are some important things you've learned as a bookstagrammer? To not feel guilty if my style isn’t the same as someone else’s, to experiment with other styles I like to see how I can incorporate pieces into my unique style, to not feel like I always have to have ALL the books or merch, to focus on my journey not anyone else’s and to be okay with doing what I can in the time that I have. This is not a full time job for me and that’s okay! Follow Jessica on Instagram at @ireadtorelax!! Be sure to check out my stories on Instagram @the_bookish_ballad all week for a more interactive feature and get to know Jessica more.
Next Monday, I'm singing the ballad of @reads.by.the.sea! Stay tuned... It has been such a dream to work with Inkyard Press for the Night of the Dragon Blog Tour! I'm sending so many hugs to them for asking me to be a part of this Summer 2020 Reads blog tour and providing me with an ARC of this fabulous book! Scroll down to learn more about Breath Like Water, a book Kirkus Reviews described as "Racing action and tender romance shine in a story of hard love and harder competition." Read an excerpt and purchase your copy today! About the BookBreath Like Water Anna Jarzab On Sale Date: May 19, 2020 9781335050236, 133505023X Hardcover $18.99 USD, $23.99 CAD Young Adult Fiction / Sports & Recreation / Water Sports Ages 13 And Up 416 pages This beautifully lyrical contemporary novel features an elite teen swimmer with Olympic dreams, plagued by injury and startled by unexpected romance, who struggles to balance training with family and having a life. For fans of Sarah Dessen, Julie Murphy and Miranda Kenneally. Susannah Ramos has always loved the water. A swimmer whose early talent made her a world champion, Susannah was poised for greatness in a sport that demands so much of its young. But an inexplicable slowdown has put her Olympic dream in jeopardy, and Susannah is fighting to keep her career afloat when two important people enter her life: a new coach with a revolutionary training strategy, and a charming fellow swimmer named Harry Matthews. As Susannah begins her long and painful climb back to the top, her friendship with Harry blossoms into passionate and supportive love. But Harry is facing challenges of his own, and even as their bond draws them closer together, other forces work to tear them apart. As she struggles to balance her needs with those of the people who matter most to her, Susannah will learn the cost--and the beauty--of trying to achieve something extraordinary. Purchase the Book!Read an ExcerptAbout the AuthorANNA JARZAB is the author of several young adult novels. She was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago, and later moved to Northern California, where she attended college. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Santa Clara University, and a Master of Arts in the Humanities from the University of Chicago. Her first published novel, All Unquiet Things, started as her creative thesis for her Master’s. In 2007, she moved to New York City to work in the publishing industry, and has built her career doing digital marketing for children’s books. She is currently the director of digital marketing at a major publishing house, and her sixth YA novel, Breath Like Water, which is partly inspired by her experience swimming competitively throughout her childhood and teenage years, releases on May 19, 2020. Instagram || Twitter || WebsiteI'd like to brag about how amazing bookstagrammers are because they make me feel so loved on a daily basis and I really want to give that love back to them! 😘 So...I've developed a little segment to my blog called "The Bookstagrammer Ballads." This Monday I am featuring an incredible bookstagrammer, Shelby, @beautyandthelibrary!<3 Meet Shelby, @beautyandthelibrary!Why did you decide to start a Bookstagram? I decided to start a bookstagram because of course, my love of books. There were so many books that I loved but no one in my friend group had ever read them, so I had no one to talk about them with which is one of the most frustrating things ever, especially if it’s an absolutely amazing book. On my personal Instagram, I found out about this thing called bookstagram, a place where bookworms like me talked to each other, made awesome friendships and took beautiful photos! It took me awhile to decide that this was what I wanted - I didn’t want to sit on the sidelines, I wanted to be apart of something! I haven’t looked back since. What is your favorite genre? I’m an absolute sucker for fantasy. While I do enjoy the occasional sci-fi and contemporary novel, I’m always drawn back to the world of fantasy. When I read fantasy I truly feel swept away and immersed into the world! What are you currently reading? I haven’t been reading much lately due to the fact I’m in the process of moving but i actually just started Crave by Tracy Wolff. I’ve only just started and am so far intrigued! What are some of your favorite fandoms? I absolutely LOVE all Sarah J. Maas books. She’s probably one of my favourite authors! I also love the Grishaverse fandom (I prefer the Shadow and Bone trilogy to Six of Crows which is probably an unpopular opinion). Those are my two main fandoms but I also love Serpent and Dove, Sorcery of Thorns, Beauty and the Beast, anything by Tricia Levenseller, Harry Potter, Vampire Academy, and so many more, my brain can’t think of them all! What's your favorite color, movie, song, band, TV show, food, animal, etc? I don’t really have a favourite colour but if I had to choose, I would say light pink! My favourite movie of all time is the live action Beauty and the Beast (let’s be real though I love all Disney movies) and my favourite TV show right now is 9-1-1. A song I’ve been vibing to lately is Falling by Harry Styles, and while I don’t listen to specific bands (not recently anways), I love artists like Rihanna, Harry styles, Ava max, Dua Lipa, Billie Eilish, and lots more. My music taste is always changing, I’m truly one of the worst people to ask about music! My favourite food would probably have to be cinnamon toast crunch - as sad as that is, breakfast is the most important meal of the day, even if it is something with lots of sugar. My favourite animal of all time would have to be sharks. I love learning about them and while I won’t be petting one anytime soon, I can love them from a respectable distance. Who are your Top 5 favorite characters in literature? Ooo that’s such a tough question! I can’t say these are in any particular order but I love Feyre from ACOTAR because she helped me get through a really dark time in my life and helped me have hope for the future (let’s be fair, I love all SJM characters but my list shouldn’t be ALL Sarah J. Maas!). I love Lou from Serpent & Dove because she’s such a relatable, badass, cinnamon bun loving character and Elisabeth Scrivener from Sorcery of Thorns because of her love for books. Nikolai Lantsov is also one of my favourite characters - I love the inner turmoil he faces during the last book of the Shadow and Bone trilogy and King of Scars! And finally, while I shouldn’t be doing another Maas character, I can’t forget my husband Rhysand. He’s the ultimate book boyfriend and I would 100% fight Feyre (even though she is my queen) for him. What do you love about being a bookstagrammer? I love being able to express myself creatively, meet new people and learn about new books! Not to mention the constant fangirling with my friends about my favourite books. What are your hobbies outside of Bookstagram? I absolutely LOVE graphic design, it’s one of my biggest passions and I hope one day to make a career out of it! While I do edits for my bookstagram, I’ve been editing long before that. I also write in my free time, paint (something I’ve only recently started doing), cosplaying, and of course photography! A smaller hobby of mine is collecting sea shells whenever I go on vacation! List some bookstagrammers that have inspired you on this bookish journey! @faeriefiction_ @clionareads @itsafangirlfantasy @book_connoisseur @crypticartisan @extraordinarystardust and so many more! I am constantly being inspired by new people, it’s amazing! What are some bookish shops you love buying merch from? This may be biased but I absolutely love anything from Fabled Merch/Wick and Fable! I love the candles and the merch and the monthly boxes and pins!! I also love Fairyloot boxes, an Etsy shop called seasonalvibe, and pins from dustandpages and readandwonder_. What are some important things you've learned as a bookstagrammer? I’ve learned numbers aren’t the end of the world. What matters most about bookstagram is that you’re having fun, making friends and fangirling about books. Post what you love, do what you love, read what you love. Happiness always come before numbers! Follow Shelby on Instagram at @beautyandthelibrary!! Be sure to check out my stories on Instagram @the_bookish_ballad all week for a more interactive feature and get to know Shelby more.
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