Featured Blogger: Kristi Diehm of The Story Siren
Kristi Diehm has transformed her personal passion for reading into a community to share her enthusiasm for young adult books on The Story Siren blog. In addition to providing YA book reviews, author interviews and giveaways on The Story Siren, Diehm spends her time as a wife and orthodontic assistant. Stay connected with Diehm and The Story Siren news on Twitter and Facebook!
Q: When and why did you start blogging?
A: I started The Story Siren in 2007. I had a personal blog before then that consisted of mostly day to day mundane antics. And it was very mundane and boring. I’ve always been a reading fool, and often posted my thoughts about books on my personal blog, and soon it was overrun by nothing but books, so then I made the transition from personal blog to book blog, and I never looked back!
Q: How do you think your blog stands out amongst blogs of the same genre?
A: My enthusiasm. I absolutely LOVE blogging and reading, and I think that comes through on my blog and people enjoy that. My reviews are also really personable and simple. I want people to feel like they’re discussing a book with their best friend, I don’t want a literary analysis, I just want it to be fun!
Q: What other book genres do you enjoy reading?
A: I love Romance novels. Paranormal…. historical… I’ll read anything! I also enjoy Urban Fantasy as well.
Q: What does your family think of your blogging?
A: My husband thinks I’m absolutely crazy, but he is very supportive… in his own way. I think he puts up with it much better than I would if the situation were reversed. My extended family is a mix, some of them things it’s awesome and some of them just don’t get it. My mom and my sister particularly think it’s fantastic, because they love coming over and stealing my books.
Q: On average, how many books do you read per month?
A: 15-20
Q: How much time daily do you spend blogging?
A: At least 2-4 hours a day.
Q: How much do you correspond one-on-one with readers?
A: Daily! I use Twitter the most, it’s nice because you can interact with readers, blogger, authors, industry professionals. It’s a great way to keep up on what’s happening in the literary world. I also do Facebook and Formspring, and of course correspondence through my blog. I wish Blogger would come out with a way to reply to comments directly in the comments area. Most of the time I email my readers if they have an email associated with their account.
I get lots of emails daily from new bloggers asking for advice too. Most of my “blogging” is corresponding with readers.
Q: What joys did you not expect when you started blogging? What pains?
A: Joys: Interacting with authors, building relationships with other bloggers! Some of my best friends are people I met through blogging!
Pains: Unwanted drama. It also took me a while to realize that not everyone is going to like me and my blog and there isn’t anything that I can do about it.
Q: What’s something your readers don’t know about you?
A: Hmmm…. that’s a hard one, I’m pretty open about everything. Let’s see, I once represented my fifth grade class at the elementary school Geography Bee!
Q: Do you have any all-time favorite YA books?
A: Do I ever!
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson, Ballads of Suburbia by Stephanie Kuehnert, Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver…. and a few hundred more!
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Tags: interview