Interviews with Inspiring People: Ronda Tutt – aka: Queentutt
SPECIAL GIVEAWAY!

Ronda, who can be found blogging at queentuttsworldofescapism, was one of my first friends on GoodReads. I’m inspired by her warmth, her knowledge of books, her intelligence, and most of all, by her love of books.

Ronda, this is everyone. Everyone, this is Ronda.  The handsome fellow in the picture with her is her husband.   

Q: Ronda, you have reviewed a whopping 664 books on GoodReads. How did you get started writing book reviews?

A: Hi Gina, thank you very much for having me here today. I’m honored by your introduction. I love meeting new people and making friends. I joined goodreads in 2009 when I accidentally found it online. I had never written a review until a couple of months after I had joined and the reason I started writing is because of some of the friends I had made kind of inspired me to put down my thoughts.

I believe after about 3 months of reviewing a friend from goodreads ask me to share my reviews on her blog called “Bitten By Paranormal Romance”. Before I knew it – I was reading and reviewing anywhere from 15 to 30 books a month depending how long they were. Also before I knew it – I had tons of Review Request.

A year later I started my own blog called Queentutt’s World of Escapism and from there I just kept reading and reviewing.

Gina: Will we be seeing your name on the cover of a book?

Ronda: Actually I already have something published. I published a poem in a book called “UNCOVERED DREAMS The International Libr4ary of Poetry” You can find my poem on page 86. There are various authors within the book with other poems as well.

I really don’t advertise myself as an author because when I did the poem I never imagined it would be published. I just wrote stuff down for the heck of it and out of being crazy one day I set down and wrote the poem in a 15 minute setting. I have written several poems since then but I have never tried to get them published.

So who knows, maybe one day I will try to publish a book but right now I just speak through my reviews.

My Poem – Published – Copyright 2002 – Library of Congress – ISBN: 0-7951-5130-6
“Moods”

Being down and out
Gives you a lot to think about.
Having bad luck.
Feels like having no luck.
Being sad and having the blues.
Aren’t you glad you have no bad news.
Laughing and crying.
Is like living and dying.
Moods come and go.
Like footballs flying through goals.

Gina: Where does your love of reading come from?

Ronda: Good Question! LOL Acutally the first book I ever read was Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews back in 1983 – and I knew I liked to read. However, getting married, raising, 3 kids didn’t allow me to read because I was busy all the time. In 1993 I thought I was going to have more time because the kids were old enough to do things on their own but I had a mid life crisis at the age of 30 and joined the U.S. Army – So much for having time to read – LOL I got out in 2003 and that’s when I discovered I had more time for myself and started reading but most of it was for college. In 2009 is when I really started venturing into the different genres and found my favorites.

Gina: Who, and/or what, has inspired you to be the awesome person that you are today?

Ronda: First I have to say that I think most people gain their personality when they are very young from being around their family members. I have 3 brothers, 5 Uncles, and 5 Aunts and we are all close in age like a year apart. Growing up in a big family kind of inspired me to be funny, caring, and just down to earth towards other people.

My family is not only big but they are hilarious – we are all constantly picking on each other. I was raised as a tom boy and so considered as one of the guys. I could out do them in everything and especially when it came to sports to include football and track. I could even beat some of them up – LOL

So growing up the way I did and then joining the military just put my whole being towards the way I am now. I loved every day I served. I had so much fun and highly recommend everyone to serve if they are able. I also recommend that everyone at least once in their life go visit another country so when you come back you appreciate what you have and the people you love. Life is too short to let days slip by and not do nothing.

Gina: What are some things that you wish everyone knew?

Ronda: Don’t get me started – LOL If there is one thing I would want others to know that would be that I am very independent – womanly, mentally, and politically. Womanly – means that I am a independent woman who can do anything a man can do – with the exception of having a different body part that a man can pee out of – LMAO!

Mentally independent means I think for myself and I don’t let others make decisions or speak for me. I am very blunt and to the point. I’m very open and live in reality. I don’t hide behind secrets.

Independent Politically – I hate Republicans and Democrats – I believe in Freedom but I also believe that everyone should live in harmony and stop worrying about what everyone else is doing. If you want to be religious then be religious without forcing your religion on me. If you want to be gay etc.. then be gay etc… I don’t hate you and I will still talk to you – I will never be ashamed to have you as a friend because I like you for you and not because of who you are having sex with. I believe in guns and protecting myself and I believe having an abortion is the womans choice – it’s her body – let her do what she wants with it and not what government or religious sects say she can do with it.

I could go on and on but those were the main points. Basically I am down to earth and I accept everyone for who they are and not what they do.

Gina: If you could bring a character from a book into your life, who would it be and why? If you can’t choose only one, tell us about the ones you can’t choose between.

Ronda: Oh boy! I don’t know if I’d want to bring anyone into our crazy world. I think I’d rather live in theirs. LOL But if I had to choose I would want to bring Boudica from the book “Dreaming the Eagle” by Amanda Scott into the future so she can see how Rome did fall and that people did gain their rights and independence from socialistic idiots. I love Boudica because she was brave, straight forward, and a leader for her native people. She is my hero. I know that the book is mostly fantasy but some truths exist from the history books.

Gina: If you could be in a book you love, which one would it be and why.

Ronda: Wow there are some many worlds I’d love to live in – LOL For Paranormal I’d love to be in one of Gena Showalter’s Lords of the Underworld Series books. Or Lisa Beth Darlings Of War Series. Or Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark Hunter Series, or Lara Adrian’s Midnight Breed Series , Kresley Coles Immortal’s After Dark Series. For Historical Romance I’d love to live in Tarah Scott’s Highland Lords Series, Any of Paula Quinn’s books, or Vonda Sinclair’s Highland Adventure Series. For Sci-fi I’d love to live in Jael Wye’s Once Upon a Red World Series. For Fantasy – I’d love to live in George RR Martin’s Game of Thrones Series or Terry Brooks Sword of Shannara Series.

Gina: Do you prefer e-books, paperbacks, or hardcovers? Why?

Ronda: I prefer e-books because on my iPad Mini I can adjust the font size to large.

Usually when you buy paperbacks the font is so tiny and most people don’t realize that the older you get the worse your eye sight gets – I never buy paperbacks. I rarely receive paperbacks for review but if I do than I just suffer through it because they were nice enough to send me the copy.

Now I love Hardcovers but only buy them if the author is one of my favorites. I only keep the favorite authors on my bookshelf.

Gina: We share a love for paranormal romance. What was your first PNR?

Ronda: My first Paranormal Romance read was Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice when it first came out. Many years later I read Twilight and then I got back into reading because I fell in love with vampires all over again.

Gina: Please complete this sentence in your own words: The best things in life are Sex, Love, and Rock n Roll.

Gina: Thank you so much for stopping by my blog today, Ronda!  Your offer to give a book to one of our commentators is beyond awesome!

Ronda: Thanks Gina for having me. It was really fun answering those questions. You will have to come visit me next time. Have an awesome day!

GIVEAWAY

As a Special treat and because I love books so much I’d like to buy a commentator an $1 to $5 (Must stay in price range) e-book from Amazon (Their choice). Please comment telling me which book you would love to have and why you want it so much. I’ll choose a winner the next day.