Interview with Elizabeth from Thoughts from an Evil Overlord

For Book Bloggers Apprecation Week, I signed up for the interverw swap. I got to meet Elizabeth from Thoughts from an Evil Overlord. She was a teacher until she got Hodgkin's lymphoma. She stays home now due to a compromised immune system. She likes doing crafts, reading, and spending time with her Nephews and Niece.

How did you get started in blogging?
The Internet is an enormous part of my life because I am semi-house bound. I have an immune deficiency as well as being on an oxygen tank, and I’m supposed to avoid public situations. So I can no longer teach, and I have a lot of time on my hands. Even though Law & Order is on almost all day, there’s only so much of that I can watch, and soaps and Jerry Springer aren’t my thing.
When I bought my home three years ago, I was looking for design ideas and met a group of women through HGTV’s Rate My Space section, and one person set up a discussion board group. Like many discussion boards, topics expanded, but some of the things I enjoy chatting about, books and crafts, were not popular with many others. One of the women suggested I start blogging, specifically about books, because she enjoyed books I had recommended on the board.

What are some of your favorite books?
I think I’ll name books I’ve read more than once, since I am really a one-shot reader! Gone with the Wind, The Runaway Jury by John Grisham, The Beekeeper’s Apprentice by Laurie R. King. I am also a big reader of children’s and young adult novels. I’ve been reading The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare, Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh and The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin since I was in fourth or fifth grade. I love reading them with my students, and it seems that my enthusiasm for these books encourages them to try others by the same authors.

You have started an etsy shop, has doing crafts helped you blog more often?
Good question! It has definitely given me more topics about which to blog, but I am walking a tightrope between sharing my excitement and advertising. I try to mention the shop only once a week, usually on Fridays when I participate in the Finished For Friday meme at Lit & Laundry and show items I’ve finished creating that week. I want people to visit my blog because I have something new and interesting to say, and not be turned off by advertising, whether my own or ads all over the blog.

What is your favorite part about blogging?
I have two favorite things about blogging. First, meeting new people around the world and seeing how much we have in common, or not. For example, I have a great blogging buddy who is an enthusiastic conservative Republican, and I am often freaked out by what she writes in the political or religious vein. However, we both love vintage items and decorating, and have a lot to share on those topics.
My second favorite is learning new things. I’ve heard about new authors and books, of course, but I’ve also learned history, regional superstitions, recipes, and thoughts on interpersonal relationships.

What are some of your favorite blogs?
From my favorite things about blogging, you can tell that I visit a wide variety of blog types. In the books and reading genre, my faves are The Tome Traveller’s Weblog, My Friend Amy and Historically Obsessed. They have an easy writing style and share a lot of my preferences. Outside of the book world I visit ColoradoLady regularly. We share a love of vintage items and crafting, and have really clicked on a personal level. There are many others, of course, just check out my blog roll!