Read, Write, Give

Each week I’ll be donating $50 to the charity of a blogger’s choice as part of the “Read, Write, Give” drive. If you’d like to get involved, you can nominate a blogger using the form at the end of the post and also be entered into the competition to win a $200 Amazon gift card.

This week, Suzie Welker from The Bunny’s Review is supporting the House Rabbit Society. You can read more about them after her interview.

I’ve often said that book bloggers are the “Fairy Godmothers and Godfathers” of the literary world – and I really believe it. Therefore, I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to interview some of these wonderful bloggers and shed a little light on why they undertake this epic labors of love!

This week’s interview is with Suzie Welker, who runs The Bunny’s Review. Suzie is an avid reader and supporter of indie authors, and is also running a wonderful event – Books for Bunnies – to fundraise for the House Rabbit Society.

Interview with Suzie Welker: The Bunny’s Review

Could you please tell us about yourself?

I am a single divorced mother to an 18 year old. He just graduated high school this year and has enrolled in college. He plans on acquiring a degree in agriculture technology. I love life and everything it offers. I am currently working in the automotive industry.

Could you please describe a typical day?

I get up around 9 AM take my dogs out, feed the bunnies their salad, feed the cats and after about 30-45 minutes I am able to sit down and read emails. I try to get a little bit of work completed on the computer and my blog before actually going to work.

You’re a big fan of bunnies. When did your love of bunnies begin? Has it been a lifelong passion?

Books for BunniesI have always lived on a farm. Growing up when my father would cut the alfalfa for hay he would jump off the tractor (while still moving) and catch me a wild bunny. I had to release the bunny at sun-down. I looked forward every 30 days to holding a bunny. There was hundreds of bunnies during the first cutting but after that there was usually not many in the field. I never understood until I became an adult why. I learned that wild rabbits only mate during early spring.

After I became an adult I still loved bunnies but never got one until one fall day my husband took me to a pet store and got me a bunny. His name was Floppy. Since then I have learned so much about bunnies. Their attitude, what they should eat, how they should live – it seems like everything but I am always learning something new about them.

Do you have a favorite bunny character?

That would have to be Thumper. His ears get me every time.

What, for you, is the most important quality in a book? 

As long as the book is well written and edited I will read it. It does not matter if it is not my normal reading genre. I always love to step outside of my little box and read books that I would not usually pick up to read.

Your blog focuses on Indie and self-published authors. Do you feel there is a stigma against self-published writers? If so, do you feel it’s deserved? Why or why not?

My blog did not start out focused on Indie or Self-pub authors. I originally started my blog as something to help keep track of books I have read. I joined a group in GoodReads and was asked to read a book. I did not know it was by an indie author until I was almost finished reading it. After that first book I started looking for others and have not regretted it since.

I feel that people and the publishing world is not giving indie or self-pub authors a chance. I have read some amazing books that I feel would be very successful if only given the chance. Granted, I am sure there are some self-published and indie authors out there that do not deserve to be writing. They will try and sell a book that has not been edited for errors, spelling or anything. It will have a plot that goes nowhere with characters that are not fully developed. I have even read a few of these books. However I do not allow the few that do this to cloud my thinking on all indie authors. I still read some work that comes from the big publishing houses but I will never stop reading Indie authors. I believe they are the future.

For indie authors in particular, getting reviewed is one of the biggest challenges. Do you have any advice? 

Make sure you read all of the blogger’s policies, respect the person you are emailing. Make sure the email is professional. I hate receiving emails from authors that cannot make sure to spell check before they send, especially the subject of the email. When I see the subject in lower case it makes me think that they do not care enough to be professional. They want a professional review but are not concerned about being a professional when asking for the review.

Do you have anything you’d like to add?

To all authors please take the time to make sure your book is professionally edited for spelling and grammar mistakes. You are asking hard-working people to shell out money for your book. It is no different than buying a new car. You do not expect me to provide half of the part for the vehicle you are planning on purchasing – do not expect people to want half of a book. When I purchase a book no matter the price I expect it to be edited for spelling and grammar mistakes.

You’ve nominated the House Rabbit Society. Please could you explain why you have chosen them?

What else would I pick? Sorry I am sure you realized that I would pick something dealing with rabbits. Rabbits or bunnies or whatever you want to name them as are the 3rd most popular pet. They are also the highly sought after during the Easter season but within 6-8 weeks or after the newness has worn off they are dropped off at rescue groups and animal shelters. The HRS helps to adopt out the animals and educate the public about the benefits of owning a bunny. They require an exotic vet when sick – that can be very costly. I just want to help give back to the wonderful creatures that help me through some difficult times in my life.

About Suzie

The Bunny's ReviewSuzie runs the book blog The Bunny’s Review and is a strong supporter of indie authors. She also writes for The Indie Exchange, and is currently organizing the charity event Books for Bunnies, raising money for the House Rabbit Society. You can find her on Facebook and Twitter.

Suzie’s post is in support of the House Rabbit Society

House Rabbit SocietyThe House Rabbit Society believes that ALL rabbits are valuable as individuals, regardless of breed purity, temperament, state of health, or relationship to humans. The welfare of all rabbits is our primary consideration. In line with our mission, we are against the exploitation of rabbits. Rabbits are intelligent, social animals who require mental stimulation, toys, exercise, environmental activity, and social interaction (from, as appropriate, people, other rabbits, or other animals).

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