All blogs are property of authors and copying is not permitted.

Click image to one-click your copy of Soldiers of Fortune

CLICK BELOW & SUBSCRIBE TO THE RB4U NEWSLETTER

Monday, November 1, 2010

Interview of PW Blogger Barbara Vey

Today we're so fortunate to present an interview of Publisher's Weekly "Beyond Her Book" blogger, Barbara Vey...a great romance friend and fan! I met Barbara on a flight from Milwaukee to Pittsburgh in 2008 when we were flying to the Romantic Times Booklovers Convention! Carol Lynn, Barbara, and I were all first-timers going there and excited about the upcoming events. Barbara interviewed Carol and me during our plane ride! We shared a ride to the hotel and had lunch and dinner together, along with other authors from Ellora's Cave/Cerridwen Press. Look for her at conferences and conventions! Her blog: http://blogs.publishersweekly.com/blogs/beyondherbook

BIO:
As Senior Editorial Contributor for Publishers Weekly, Barbara Vey brings readers and writers together with her popular Beyond Her Book blog. From her entertaining “Drive By Videos” to reader feedback on books with WW Ladies Book Club, Your Turn Friday, BHB continues to grow into a must read daily adventure.

An avid reader, Barbara consumed a book a day before taking on the glamorous life of a roving reporting. Traveling all over the United States to conferences from Romance to Thrillers, Mysteries to Horror, Historicals to Comic Con, Barbara has even broken through the barrier into the entertainment industry by covering Red Carpet Events and interviewing the likes of Richard Dean Anderson, Joshua Jackson, Joss Whedon, Dakota Fanning and others.

But her love of Romance and the "Happily Ever After" keeps her grounded while she offers readers a place to step away from life’s daily trials to take a positive journey through the world of books.

Q: What motivated you to get involved in the romance industry and start writing your blog?
A: A chance meeting with the Deputy Editor of Publishers Weekly, Karen Holt, on an Author's At Sea cruise.

Q: Where do your blog ideas come from?
A: I follow Twitter, Facebook, other blogs and read a ton of books. I also watch and listen to people around me. Lots of ideas there.

Q: Describe your perfect hero. Also, would he clean house or cook?
A: My perfect hero would anticipate what I need before I need it. He would love to read and talk (intelligently) about the books I like to read, he'd love baseball, football and The Amazing Race. He would never say, "Not again!" when I want to watch Notting Hill, A Knight's Tale or Prince of Persia. He would think that all my blogs are brilliant.

Q: What's one important thing you've learned about your job as a blogger for Publisher's Weekly.
A: That there's a reader for every book. Even if I don't like a book, someone else probably does. I always try to stay positive. Never attack an author personally. It's wrong and just not nice.

Q: Favorite food/drink to have while reading romance books.
A: Wine and cheese (with the little toothpicks so my fingers don't get sticky). Actually, that's my fantasy. I usually drink Diet Coke and eat popcorn.

Q: You attend lots of conventions/conferences. What's the best part?
A: Definitely the people. Learning how they started, how they keep going and where they get their ideas.

Q: Finish this sentence: Romance is.......
A: when your heart keeps thumping after your brain has turned off.

Q: Do you read a romance book because a cover sparks your interest, the book blurb sounds great, you like the author, or it's a genre you truly enjoy?
A: In order, author, genre, cover, then blurb.

Q: Besides romance books, what else do you like to read? Any favorite non-romance book or author?
A: I love international intrigue. I cut my teeth on Robert Ludlum, Ken Follett, Ian Fleming. I owned all the James Bond books and wanted to be a spy. I also read every Agatha Christie, Erle Stanley Gardner, Arthur Cohen Doyle and Edgar Rice Burroughs. Now I love discovering new authors in between keeping up with my old favorites.

Where can we find you?
http://blogs.publishersweekly.com/blogs/beyondherbook (PO Box 438, South Milwaukee, WI 53172)
Twitter - http://twitter.com/barbaravey
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/barbaravey
MySpace - http://www.myspace.com/barbaravey

Thanks for the interview, Barbara!

CONTEST: Leave a comment (more than "nice blog") for a chance to win a print copy of "Gone to the Dogs" by Marianne Stephens. Contest ends midnight ET 2 November. I'll choose one winner from those who comment!

27 comments:

Unknown said...

LOL loved how you explained the perfect hero as thinking all your blogs were brilliant! haha. Very good blog today and can't wait to read the book!

Happy November 1st!

Val
lastnerve2000@gmail.com

Christine H said...

OH I loved the interview, You sound like you have one exciting life! I'd love to go to all those conferences for readers and writers and you've met some very famous people too. Awesome!

Thanks too for the contest! I'd love to win that book!

chirth7@yahoo.com

It won't take my google password which I'm sure is right. So I had to do anonymous. Glad you have that as an option. TY

Barbara Vey said...

Lastnerve, that's the great thing about imaginary heroes, you can have them do anything you want. :)

Christine H., I feel very blessed to have the opportunity to travel. Meeting all the amazing authors and readers is a great bonus. I'll get to do it again in a couple of weeks in Dallas at the Readers 'n 'Ritas.

Donna Cummings said...

Barbara, I enjoy reading your blog, especially all the conference info you share. It's a nice way to hear all the details without dealing with all the air travel!

I remember one of our posts (or tweets) recently where you recommended some books for readers you encountered on your trips, and I thought that was so great. You're an ambassador of reading!

Donna Cummings said...

Oops, that was supposed to say "your" not "our". LOL Didn't mean to sound like we write blog posts together! (No more comments before I have caffeine!)

Katalina Leon said...

This was a delight! I certainly love your list of favorite books. Ian Fleming Ken Follet are great favorites of mine.
XXOO Kat

Gypsy said...

Hi Barbara! It was good to see you again at NYCC. I wish I could also go to all those other conventions that you attend. keep it up!

Lisa Kessler said...

Hi Barbara! *waving*

Great interview!!! :)

I love A Knight's Tale too! You never get a "not again" for that one!!! LOL

Have you seen "Never Been Kissed" with Drew Barrymore? I love that one too...

Thanks for being such a great supporter of Romance!!! I love your blog and book reviews...

Happy November!

Lisa :)

Julia Rachel Barrett said...

Wonderful interview! I don't care if my guy anticipates my needs, but he better love baseball! (He does!) I agree with you - there is a reader for every genre and a good romance stays with you long after you finish the book. Thanks so much!

Cris Anson said...

What a great interview, Marianne. Thanks for posting it. Barbara Vey is a most intriguing woman, one you'd like to have at your backyard picnic as well as at a fancy dinner.

And her "Romance is..." sentence - *sigh*


(The blog wouldn't take my Google password, either.)

Cris Anson
crisanson@aol.com

Dianna Love said...

Barbara -

Wonderful interview!! No wonder you have a great following for your blog. So nice to be introduced to Romance Books R Us - another fun blog to follow.

jean hart stewart said...

The definition of 'romance is' will stay in my mind a long time. Definitely a keeper. Jean

Keri Stevens said...

Barbara,
I was glad I got to meet you on the fly in Columbus (and I got to meet Joyce Ann in the same city last month at the COFW conference).

I've come to love cons as an author--I always come away energized (even through the exhaustion) and full of new ideas.

Dawn Chartier said...

Pulling myself out of Nano mode to drop by to say hello. *waving to Barbara*

Enjoyed your answers to Marianne's questions.

Dawn Chartier
www.dawnchartier.com
NOT AN ANGEL, Out Now!

Unknown said...

I love Barbara and Publisher's Weekly.

Great interview.

Mary Marvella said...

Good interview. You ladies make a good team.

Berengaria Brown said...

Hi Barbara
I read your column regularly, and I love your sense of humor.
Berengaria
http://berengariasblog.blogspot.com/

Marianne Stephens said...

Thanks for doing the interview, Barbara! See you at a conference next year!

Cindy Spencer Pape said...

Great to hear from you Barbara! You're such a fabulous supporter of the romance genre--thanks for all you do!

Nicole Zoltack said...

LMAO Loved your answer to the perfect hero! Not again, loves your blog... pure brilliance. What a guy!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the fun interview.
I loved Barbara's explanation of Romance.

judithhulley@hotmail.com

Renee Vincent said...

Hello Barbara! So glad to meet you. As an author, it's about impossible to be in this industry and not know your name. What a treat it was to have you on Romance Books "R" Us!

(Marianne, please do not enter me in the drawing. I just came by to say hello to Barbara - so glad I did!!!)

Adele Dubois said...

I love that you found your niche as a PW blogger during a chance meeting. Wonderful things do happen by chance! Best of luck for your continued success.

--Adele

Sandy said...

Hi Barbara,

I looking forward to running into you at another conference some day. Great answers to Marianne's questions.

Sandy said...

Oops! I forgot to tell you not to enter me in the contest, Marianne. I already have that book, and it's great. I laughed out loud. lol

Jolene and Family said...

You sound like you've had fun traveling and I can't believe you interviewed Dakota Fanning. Amazing. I love Happily Ever Afters, so keep em coming :)
june111@att.net

Barbara Vey said...

Thanks to everyone for coming out and leaving comments. We're all here for the love and fun of romance. Keep it coming!

Share buttons