Feature and Follow Friday #100

Welcome to the Feature & Follow #100!!!!!!

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Gain new followers and make new friends with the Book Blogger Feature & Follow! If this is your first time here, welcome! You are about to make some new friends and gain new followers -- but you have to know -- the point of this hop is to follow other bloggers also. I follow you, you follow me.

The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it'll allow us to show off more new blogs!

How does this work? First you leave your name here on this post, (using the linky tools -- keep scrolling!) then you create a post on your own blog that links back to this post (easiest way is to just grab the code under the #FF picture and put it in your post) and then you visit as many blogs as you can and tell them "hi" in their comments (on the post that has the #FF image). You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you!

What sets this Hop apart from others, is our Feature. Each week we will showcase a Featured Blogger, from all different genres and areas. Who is our Feature today? Find out below. Just remember it is required, if you participate, to follow our Features and you must follow the hosts (Parajunkee & Alison Can Read) as a courtesy. How do you follow someone? Well, if you have a preference, state it in your #FF post. A lot of blogs are transitioning to Wordpress in which they do not have the luxury of GFC, so an RSS subscription is appreciated or if you choose an email subscription. If you don't have GFC please state in your post how you would like to be followed.

This Week's Special Feature -Parajunkee

1. When did you start blogging?

I started blogging in August of 2009. It was mainly an experiment and something that I didn't think would go anywhere. I'm shaking my head as I write this, because obviously I was a bit naive back then.

2. What is your favorite part of book blogging?

The community I think is the most obvious answer. Almost everyone in our little neck of the woods is friendly, helpful and just great to talk to. I've always had a lot of people around me that read, but hardly ever did they read the kind of books I liked. Now I have hundreds of people to chat with about certain books. It is awesome.

3. What is your favorite book(s)?

That is a huge list! My all time favorites revolve around 'A Brave New World', 'Ender's Game', and 'The Vampire Lestat'. More modern loves include 'The Hunger Games', The Night Huntress Series and anything by the fabulous Ann Aguirre.

4. What has been the best thing that has happened to you because of book blogging?

Having a well-known author actually recognize me at a conference and one that I hadn't done promotional work for. That was off the charts cool and of course I felt like a rock star for five minutes. Blogging has introduced me these conferences and signings and awesome things like that, in which you get face-time with authors. I knew they had them, but I just never thought -- well I should go to that. Now, I have to go to ALL of them!!

5. Why did I create the #FF?

One of the main questions asked to me in my Book Blogging 101 feature was 'How to gain more followers?' I use other blogging communities as inspiration sometimes and as a mom, I follow a few Mommy Bloggers. I'm telling you, those women come up with some stuff! They had these Hops -- from Monday - Sunday you could find a hop. Literally you could participate in one every day if you wished. I figured, something like this could work in the book blogging community and help start-ups get their name out there.

6. What blog posts are you most proud of?

All of them pfft ;)

No, really, I'm most proud of my Book Blogging 101 posts, I had fun with the twitter post in particular if you want to check that one out:

http://parajunkee.com/2012/03/bb101-tweeting.html

7. Why did I create the #FF?

I'm a mommy to a little 4 year old, who has tested off the charts so we are constantly trying to challenge her and teach her. That could be my full time job. Then I design, design, design (I should do this more all of you on my waiting list are probably glaring at me)…then I have this HUGE family, which takes up the other time. There is always a party or a function or just hanging out at the pool. I think that is about it. I've tried to pick up cool hobbies or be crafty, but they usually don't work. I paint and draw, but half the time, it's sketching out a clients work and not hobby. My husband and I also tackled our first attempt at carpentry -- check the Vlog this weekend to see how those bookshelves came out. I'm still a little sore. Wood is very heavy.

Feature and Follow Friday Giveaway Hop!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Check Out the Other Giveaways on The Feature and Follow Friday Giveaway Hop!

Now for the Follow Fun!


With GFC going the way of the dodo bird for many bloggers, there is no better time to start following blogs via RSS feed. If you use a reader, it would be great if you followed my RSS directly.

We have a new button, so update your blogs if you are used to doing this meme!

<a href="http://parajunkee.com/category/ff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4019/4710921228_e3140444bf_o.png" /></a>

RULES

To join the fun and make new book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:

1. (Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts {Parajunkee & Alison Can Read}
2. (Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers
3. Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing. You can also grab the code if you would like to insert it into your posts.
4. Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say "hi" in your comments and that they are now following you.
5. If you are using WordPress or another CMS that doesn't have GFC (Google Friends Connect) state in your posts how you would like to be followed
6. Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don't just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don't say "HI"
7. If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers
8. If you're new to the follow friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!

CAPTCHA:

If you have CAPTCHA word verification enabled on your blog, please take it off. It makes it much more difficult for readers to comment. Please look at my CAPTCHA Eradication Post to learn how to get rid of it.

Happy Follow Friday! Come back at midnight CST for the Facebook & Twitter hop!!