Saturday Spotlight - Running For Fiction

Hello weekenders! Today, I have for you a RARE species of book blogger - a young man! No no, don't swarm all at once. I know that they exist, but I really don't run into a lot of guy teen book bloggers, so I was super excited when he emailed me about wanting to do a spotlight interview.

So, check out his blog (before or after the interview) and leave some comment love here or there (or both!).

Name: Robert Auld
Nickname: Robby
Blog name: Running For Fiction
Blog URL: http://runningforfiction.blogspot.com

Tell me a bit about yourself.
I'm really bad at talking about myself. Let's see...well, I'm 14 years old and I have three addictions:
1. Books
2. Music
3. Coffee
As long as those three things are in my life, I'm happy. My favorite kind of book is a book that will make me laugh and make me cry. I'm an aspiring author, and those are the kind of books I want to write some day. I love it when books just linger in my head days after I've finished them, even once I've moved on to a new book. Some day, I hope to interview my favorite authors and host giveaways and I also hope that boys realize that reading does not make you a loser.
Reading...it makes me feel alive. That's corny, but it's true. I love escaping to another world that isn't mine, and putting myself in someone else's shoes for a while. Sometimes, I need a break from my life. And getting lost in a book is the perfect remedy.

When and why did you start your blog?
I thought I started Running For Fiction in June, but I guess I really started it in May. Time flies, huh? Well...I started Running For Fiction because when I read a really good book, writing it out helps me understand. Dissecting a novel piece by piece helps me see it easier. I want to know why characters do what they do. And a good book? It just begs to be talked about. And there are quite a few good books in the world, so I think I'm good to go for a while. :)

What is your blog all about? Any cool features you want to share?
Running For Fiction is just about reading, about books, and how a book can change you. A book can be inspiring, a book can just make you see things differently. It's weird, but over the course of a few hundred pages, an author and their creation can leave a lasting impact.
I don't really think i have any cool features. I've been told I'm funny, even though iIfeel like most of my jokes fall flat. Someday, I'll come up with something totally awesome. Until then, it's just me and the books I read.

Do you have a review system? If you do, would you like to explain it for us?
Uh...not really, I don't think. I like to read all of an author's books, to see how they develop from their first book to their current release. I just read, and then i review. I don't take notes or anything. There's probably a special part of my brain devoted to the book I'm currently reading, with plenty of storage space, which is helpful.

Any tips or advice for those starting or thinking about starting a blog?
Just do it. Don't think about it, just take it and run. That's what I did. One day, I just said 'I should start a book review blog.' And I did. And here I am. I don't have a bunch of followers, but the followers I do have comment and give me a lot of good feedback. So don't get discouraged. Just keep going. Don't give up. I give bad advice. Sorry. :-P

What are some of your favorite genres and/or books currently?
I don't really have a favorite genre. I don't really like Fantasy, or Paranormal. I like books about real people. So...realistic fiction, I guess. I read adult books too. And the books that really get my attention are books about people who make mistakes, and how they right them. Falling in love, falling out. I'm a corny person, so I like reading books about corny people like me. I want to feel like I relate.

My favorite book in the whole entire world is Let's Get Lost by Sarra Manning. I've read every single one of her books, and I even had to order a few from Amazon UK, because they're not published in the US. Let's Get Lost is such an inspirational book. It's sad, but it's not depressing. I cried my eyes out, but I laughed, too. Sarra Manning is a master storyteller. I responded to a few of her tweets telling her how much I loved her, and she's just really sweet.

Another favorite book of mine that I just read is Waiting For You by Susane Colasanti. I've read all of her books, and this one is my favorite. It's just about a girl who's not really sure what she wants. She thinks she's in love with one boy, but really, she's in love with another. Waiting For You showed me that you don't always know yourself. On top of that, I've been reading Susane's blog for quite a long time, and she's just so awesome. When I told her I reviewed her books, she linked me in her blog. It was wonderful. I have countless other favorite books, but those are my top two for now.

Contest Alert!
Robby is currently holding a contest for 5 different books. The winner will get all of them! Check out the details here. The contest ends September 30th.

Thank you Robby for sharing more about your blog today! It's really great to know that there are guys out there too reading and blogging about the books they read. Go and check his blog out and make sure to leave a nice comment or follow him!

Are you a new blogger too? Or just getting back into the swing of blogging? Do you want to be featured on my blog? Shoot me an email at bittahsweetharmony@yahoo.com.