Newbie Bloggers – Featured Week Three!! -

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I am so excited about the growing group of Newbie Bloggers I am meeting through the Newbie Blog Hop!!

Everyone has been so nice and helpful in spreading the word and I can’t wait to meet even more Newbies!!

From the linked up blogs in Week Three, I was excited to feature a new friend, Amanda at She Who Blogs Behind the Rows. I met Amanda in Blogelina’s Beginners Class during a Twitter party and she was excited to join the hop. In fact, this was her very first time to link up in her very first hop!! How exciting is that??!!!

First, I wanted to remind you about the Newbie Blog Hop that opens at 9pm CST every Tuesday!! The link stays open until midnight on Wednesday, but you can stop by anytime to hop through the blogs and see what they are all about!!

Don’t forget to comment, like, follow, show your support!! I am a Newbie and I love getting comments and visits!! Weren’t we ALL Newbies at one time??!!

Featured Newbie

**She Who Blogs Behind The Rows**

Tell me a little bit about yourself and your family.

I’m married and have three kids. My oldest just turned 10 and youngest is 3 so it makes life fun and exhausting all at the same time. We are all very musical. Just this morning my husband brought home a flute for our oldest daughter. So now we have not only a flute, but a clarinet, 3 bass guitars, 2 six strings, sax, trumpet, accordion, amps, and I think I saw bagpipes in the closet. It’s always loud here.

Do you have more than one blog? If so, tell me about them!

I just have the one blog (She Who Blogs Behind the Rows) but I also do the whole social network thing and am a reviewer for Reader Views.

How long have you been blogging?

My first blog post was August 29th. I’m so new to this!

Why did you start blogging? Is this also why you continue blogging?

I started my blog for my own personal records of sorts. I review books for another company, but read books on my own that cannot be posted there, so I thought I should do the same thing for all the books I read and a blog just seemed like the natural direction it should go. I continue to do it because I am now hooked. {aren’t we all?!!}

Who does your blog appeal to? Is this who you thought would be your target audience?

My blog appeals to avid readers, reviewers, authors, and anyone who enjoys entertainment. I did start the blog with that audience in mind, but I think anyone can enjoy it. I try to not sound too professional and like to add my own voice to it. I know it’s easy to look up books on amazon, so I wanted it to be more for people like me.

What direction do you see your blog going in the future?

I would like to add more layers to my blog. I’m more than reading and reviewing. I know that’s the basic idea of the blog, but just like me, it’s not everything. I am a coupon addict, a chef, and I think I personally keep starbucks in business. I would like to make my blog more personal so we’ll see what the future holds. {my kinda girl }

What is the biggest challenge you have faced so far with your blog?

I might be showing my age here with this answer, but when I was in high school (freshman year), our computer class used floppy disks and learned everything on something like wordperfect. I’m not saying that I haven’t learned anything else in the following years, but I’m no Steve Jobs. My biggest challenge by far has been me vs. computer.

What do you love about blogging?

I love talking. Even if it is to myself. {love it!!} Blogging for me is like a personal diary that I get to share with everyone. I love the interaction with everyone and the people I have met. I also like being able to follow other blogs and get a glimpse into their world in return.

What do you NOT love about blogging?

Starting a blog is like starting a new high school half way through a semester. I feel like the awkward new kid while everyone else is sitting at the cool table. Okay, maybe not that bad, but the feeling is right there underneath it all. {that’s why I started this hop…yay!!}

What types of product reviews and giveaways do you feature?

Book reviews are the main theme of the blog. Giveaways are super fun and I’m sitting on a couple of things I cannot wait to unleash. Signed books or things that haven’t hit the shelves yet are going to be among the first. {i personally can’t wait for that!}

What advice do you have for those wanting to get into this or up the value of their giveaways?

I’ve noticed in just the short amount of time that I’ve been here is that if you really want to make an impact with a giveaway, join a team or host. I’ve seen blogs that will join together and give away more than one package of prizes. Who wouldn’t want to join that?

Besides your blog, how else can people find you?

blog: http://www.behindtherows.com
twitter: @bookworm_amanda
goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5317599-amanda?ref=header
my personal facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/amanda.wesley

Facebook is my life. Follow at own risk. I will never understand twitter. I’ve been a member since 07 and it still baffles me, but I do tweet so whatever

Share your top 3 favorite posts from your blog.

Oh geez, really? I have no idea… {that’s probably how I would answer too!}

Share your top 3 favorite blogs to read and why.

Going Crazy!! Wanna Go??!! - one of the first ones I started following because it’s newbie friendly, great information, and I’m LOVING the new pirate. He makes me happy. {she was NOT paid to put this here…I’m just that awesome!…I love my pirate, too!! Thanks, Kristin, for making him for me!!}

Parajunkee - Seriously, this site is pure eye candy and I love visiting.

Raining Hot Coupons - I visit every day. Coupon junkie, remember.

Do you have any bloggers that you consider to be mentors?

I don’t, really. I do have a long list of people who have helped me out and for without them I wouldn’t be trying this today. I did a twitter party the first week into blogging and everyone there was super amazing.

Do you have a weekly, daily, or monthly Blog Hop or Meme that people should join in?

My only blog hop I’ve done is this one. I might go looking for more here soon. I do a “Teaser Tuesday” meme that can be found on my blog. I had to start small so I wouldn’t feel overwhelmed.

How do you find time to blog?

I suffer from insomnia. I only sleep 2-4 hours a night and my husband works 3rd shift so when the kids go to bed, I spend the rest of my energy cleaning, networking, cleaning, blogging, couponing, drinking coffee (or rum… depends).

What else would you like us to know?

uhh… {yeah, me too!}

What is your best advice for a Newbie Blogger?

Be yourself. Don’t try and copy anything you have seen or read. Don’t change what your blog is or your voice because you think that’s what the audience wants. Keep doing what you do and be proud. I’m not too concerned about the number of followers I have. I figure it’s going to happen, or not. Why stress? I blog because I want to blog, not because you want me to blog. That being said, I love all of you and hope that you will visit me I really try and interact with my followers. If a question is asked, answer it. If someone comments, I try and say something back. I think that makes people feel like they are wanted there (and they are!!).

Ask questions! Someone will answer and hopefully they will then become someone you can call a friend or at least it’s someone in your corner. If nothing else, you now know something new that you didn’t just a few minutes ago.

Thank you, Amanda, and I totally look forward to seeing more of your reviews and what is in store for your blog!! You even inspired me to join goodreads and see what that’s all about!!

Would you like to be next week’s Featured Newbie??!! Join us at the Newbie Blog Hop every week (linky opens at 9pm CST and stays open until midnight on Wednesday) where you will meet lots of really great bloggers and each week I will choose a blog with Random.org to feature!!

I want to wish you all a wonderful weekend!!!

Comments

Kristin W says:

September 16, 2011 at 12:39 pm

Amanda sounds like such a wonderful person! I love her love of reading and her family’s love of music!

I also like how she is just like me in the I am an awkward newbie and those cool people intimidate me way. Okay, that last part was all me. Maybe.
Kristin W recently posted..Free travel-sized trio of Go Blonder products in the Go Blonder Style Kit

- janet says:
  
  September 16, 2011 at 4:45 pm
  
  Sometimes I get intimidated by the bigger blogs, but then I just email them a question or make a comment and everyone (well, maybe 1 or 2 exceptions) has been really great!!!
  
  I’m so happy to be meeting all of you!! I love our Newbies group and I’m hoping some of the bigger bloggers will start to catch on and help us out by guest posting for the hop!!