Happy Birthday, My Secret Romance #3

My Secret Romance is celebrating it's second birthday all month long with interviews from the reviewers! We thought it would be fun to mix it up a little instead of interviews with characters/authors. :)

Amanda: Only a few people know that we've been friends for a good while along with Taryn, Janna and Nadine. We all met thru the Yahoo BDB group board and from there our friendships have bloomed. I've met Taryn, Janna and Nadine now I just have to meet you in person but that will soon change since we shall be meeting each other next year at the Romantic Times Convention in NOLA.

Amanda: What book started your love of reading?

Sophie: I have to give credit to the mastermind of JK Rowling for pushing her luck to the limit and having her Harry Potter books signed. She knocked so many doors but never gave up, and look at her now...you actually had the chance to be in Hogwarts this yr when u went to Orlando. (Freakin Universal Studios doesn't wanna build it here in L.A! Grrr) so as you can see, her series broke unbelievable barriers. She deserves all my book worship, and I guess I could praise Harry Potter all day if I had my way, but the honest truth is that those books saved me from a bad enough time in my life when i was young and living far away from home. Besides the fact that i think Harry Potter is possibly the greatest fantasy series written in history, I think it gave me the push i needed to pursue reading full series.
(Btw, I didn't read the first 4 books in order. But then I re read them in order like 6 times over the years..LoL)

Amanda: Who is the author you would love to meet above anyone else?
Sophie: That's a hard question. Many people may not know I grew up in Latin America and tho I attended a bilingual school, my whole education has always been in Spanish, therefore my first books read were also in Spanish. So basically there are two authors I would give anything to meet: Gabriel Garcia Marquez, (Nobel Literature Prize in 1980 something) cause ever since I read '100 Years of Solitude' I decided he was not even from this planet. The book is so well written and weird at the same time. I promise I have read it no less than 15 times and I ALWAYS need a family tree graph to do so...AND...from English literature I really would move heaven and earth to meet Stephen King. My life was never the same after reading IT when I was a teen...

Amanda: Name a book title that describes your life right now?
Sophie: 'Afraid of Love' by Nancy Silk... (Don't even ask)

Amanda: If you could travel anywhere, where would you're first stop be?
Sophie: The first place outside this country. I NEED to go to is Barcelona, Spain. Followed by Japan, Ireland, Jamaica, Sweden, Iceland, Alaska, Chile, Australia and New Zealand. In that order. (I wonder if there's a travel agency who could arrange that particular itinerary....)

Amanda: What is your worst fear?
Sophie: Plane crashing. I hate flying...
Amanda: That used to be a fear of mine now it's aliens.

Amanda: If you were to write a book, who would you dedicate it to?
Sophie: To my grandpa. He not only taught me how to speak, read and write in Spanish but dedicated so many years of his life teaching children how to do it as well. He completed his life goal of writing a book at the age of 80. If he could do it, so can I.

Amanda: What is your dream job?
Sophie: I would give anything to work in the PR industry for a big sports company. I majored in PR, so ever since I picked my career, I knew I wanted to focus on event organization and media handling for sports. (That's why one of my favorite romance books of all times is 'Changing The Game' by Jaci Burton. She wrote a love story about a woman who's a kick ass PR agent, exactly what i always dreamed about doing and never realized.)


Sophie: Ok, so it's my turn to ask some fun Q's to Amanda, and to be quite honest I am a BAD interviewer. Trust me, I've had issues with that all my life. And it's true, Amanda and I did meet thru an online group solely dedicated to the Black Dagger Brotherhood, and ever since then she's been one of my greatest book friends whom I appreciate more than words can even express. (Ok, enough sappy shit.)

Sophie: Amanda, forget about romance books for a minute. What other genres you like reading and what would be your FAVE non romance books of all times.

Amanda: I do read some mystery and classics. My favorite non romance books (there is a romance there but without detail) has to be Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta series. I love the way the author writes and keeps you invested in the story. Plus, they make me feel smart with all the terminology she uses and I get to look up words that are not in my vocabulary. My favorite book from that series is Blowfly.


Sophie: I've seen you've 'book-traveled' a lot these past few years. Is there any place else you would like to travel to!? Maybe a dream city you've read in books!? (You better include Los Angeles in your list!)
Amanda: I would love to travel Europe and visit all the WWII sites. If I can convince my mind that I can fly over water for a long period of time, I'd be there in a heartbeat. Couple of years back I did a Twilight and Goonies tour. Would love to do a Black Dagger Brotherhood hunt and in May 2014, I'll be looking for some Dark Hunters in NOLA. Oh and L.A. will be there somewhere.

Sophie: Reading can't be your all day / every day activity (unless you could read for a living ha!) but what other activities you like to do on your free time!?
Amanda: I do read every day when I can but in my free time, I tend to stay home and chill or if I already made plans, I'm traveling. I love the history of other cultures. My Dad always told his daughters before you get married and have children, travel the world as much as you can. You never know if you marry a person who doesn't want to do that then you're stuck at home. I try to set an example for my younger cousins that there is more to life than to get married or having babies when they're just literally kids themselves.

Sophie: What do you remember as your happiest childhood memory!?
Amanda: Road traveling to visit my grandparents. That's when everyone would get together, BBQ and play outdoor games. Now, it's hard for everyone to get together due to family commitments and whatnot.

Sophie: Do you believe in happy endings!?
Amanda: What kind of happy endings you talking about? ;) Seriously though, yes! There's so much tragedy in the world I want happy happy joy joy around.

Sophie: Book, or 'movie-based-on-a-book' (Harry Potter came close to phenomenal for me so I say it depends)
Amanda: Never read the books but The Lord of the Rings would be it. Worse book to movie had to be One for the Money, author Janet Evanovich. How Hollywood thought they could pull off hiring a blue eyed Irish to play a chocolate eyed Italian is beyond me.
Sophie: Heels or tennis shoes!?
Amanda: I'm a collector of tennis shoes but I do love a great pair of heels.
Sophie: Beach or Mountain!?
Amanda: I'd go with beach but with a mountain backdrop.
Sophie: Snow or desert!?
Amanda: Snow. I freaking hate the heat.
Sophie: Ok here's my geek question: laptop or tablet!?
Amanda: Laptop. I am not technology savy whatsoever.
Sophie: And somebody asked me this the other day, (I actually FRINGED)
Do you ever HIGHLIGHT your books!? (As in PRINT BOOKS)
Amanda: Hell nah! I treasure my print books.

The giveaways will run until the end of the month so there's still time to enter the first giveaway and second giveaway!!

 

(1) Signed paperback copy of Keep Me Still by Caisey Quinn and a Keychain (donated by author)

(1) Signed set the Deceived series by Eve Carter

(1) Big signed swag bag

(1) Signed paperback copy of Music of the Heart by Katie Ashley

And please don't forget to leave your email address so you can be contacted if you win!! Thanks!