#BSMPhotoADay in October: Halloween Edition

We're always excited about our #BSMPhotoADay challenges but this month we're extra excited because we've partnered with Savy from Books with Bite to come up with a fun and super spooky list for Halloween!

Reminders

• This challenge is conducted on Instagram, but you're welcome to join via Twitter.
  Please tag all photos with #BSMPhotoADay.
• The Book Soulmates account on Instagram (http://instagram.com/booksoulmates) is run and accessed by all of us at Booksoulmates.  We tag each photo with the name of the person who uploaded it so you know which one of us uploaded which pic.
• Savy from Books with Bite will be co-hosting this month's challenge with us so don't forget to visit her sites: blog, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook.

Do not hesitate to contact us if you have questions on any of our daily prompts!

We are very thankful that everyone's support has helped make this feature so popular.  We understand that we're not the first and won't be the last to come up with a #photoaday challenge.  We do not have a copyright on this idea.  We do, however, have copyrights to the content of OUR monthly challenges.  We work very hard to come up with a completely original list every month and we ask that anyone who decides to host their own PLEASE not use any of our content in any way, shape, or form.  It's already happened more than once and it was NOT cool!
Thank you!

If you decide to join us, which we sincerely hope you do, please don't forget to tag us so we can see all the awesome pictures and follow you back (if we don't already)!

Have fun and see you on Instagram...or Twitter!

Guest Post & Giveaway: Out of Line by Jen McLaughlin

Today we have Jen McLaughlin with us to talk about

Anti-Heroes

As I sit down and hit play on my DVR, I realized something I’m doing that I didn’t even realize I was doing. The shows I look forward to watching the most? The ones I get the most excited about for premieres?  Well, almost all of them have anti-heroes. From a writing standpoint, this is excellent. It takes a lot of work to make a reader/watcher care about a character who is more villain than hero.

Readers and viewers tend to idolize our favorite characters, so when we see him cheating on his wife, or shooting someone, or making drugs and selling them, it takes a lot of caring on the readers/veiwers viewpoint for them to still root for him to get his happy ending. When I think antihero, a lot of names come to mind.

Tony Soprano. Walter White. Donald Draper. Jessie Pinkman. 

All of these men have one thing in common—they’re no hero. And yet, we still like them and want to see them, ultimately, redeem themselves. Most of them probably won’t. Most of them will probably stay the same way they’ve always been…yet still we love them.

So peeps, tell us
Who are some of your favorite anti-heroes to read or watch? 

I think my favorite anti-hero has to be Eric Northman from Sookie Stackhouse.  He's not a good guy but he's not really all bad either!  Although, he's ALL delicious ;)  Right, ladies?

IMPORTANT LINKS: 

Don't forget to visit our BLAST post for more info on Jen and OUT OF LINE!

Visit Jen's WEBSITE for more info on the awesome stops on this tour!

*in announcer voice*
But wait! THERE'S MORE!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Bloggiesta Fall 2013 Finish Line

My list was certainly ambitious and I didn't get to do all the things I wanted, but overall I'm pleased with my progress.  They were all things that needed to be done and we're a little closer to really whipping this blog into shape (especially with the new look we're working on).

The items that are crossed out are the things I managed to get done completely and the highlighted items are either a WIP or still pending.  Slowly but surely!

Accomplishments: 

• Our new look
•  Put finishing touches and complete new design (so excited!) SOON!
• To keep or not to keep Blog Roll? Decided to keep (at least for now) and updated it.
  
• Figure out how to organize our MANY media buttons.  DONE!  They will be unveiled with the new design.
• Figure out how to do Contact Form. DONE! Added new Contact Us page to the sidebar.
• Update Review Policy. DONE! Also added new Contact Form JUST for review requests.
• Rethink how we do threaded comments.  IntenseDebate isn’t working properly. This can wait for the new design so I passed on it for now.
• Redo Menu Bar.  We deleted the old one and simplified it until the new one can be installed with the new design.

• Catch up on all emails and clean up inbox!
• Play catch & release with review requests.  STILL. SO. MANY.
• Delegate review requests. Need more reviewers! May begin "hiring" soon ;)

• Work on book reviews
• Write pending reviews STILL. SO. MANY.
• Make sure that "Reviews" and "Books Read" tabs are updated.  DONE!
  
• Make sure that all reviews are on Goodreads, Amazon, and B&N. DONE!

• Work on pending posts
• Create ‘drafts’ for upcoming posts
• Work on discussion posts
• Make plans for Banned Books Week  Unfortunately, I ran out of time and I have some work events to attend so I have VERY little time to blog this week :( BOO!!
• Arrange giveaway posts to find old books new homes.  Christmas giveaway? *wink*
  
• Think about new ideas to revamp RAK. WIP!

• Instagram
• Finish #BSMPhotoADay list for October.  DONE!

Bloggiesta Fall 2013 Starting Line

Who's ready for Bloggiesta?  I am. . .

 Welcome to the starting line for Bloggiesta… the blogging marathon created several years ago by Natasha from Maw Books Blog and led by our most awesome mascot PEDRO (Plan. Edit. Develop. Review. Organize.)

The idea behind Bloggiesta is to spend these next three days working on perfecting your blog and connecting with other bloggers who are doing the same thing. Spread the word and get all your friends to come and fiesta with us!

Dates: Friday, Sept 20th - Sunday, Sept 22nd

What I'm hoping to accomplish:

• Our new look
• Put finishing touches and complete new design (so excited!)
• To keep or not to keep Blog Roll?
• Figure out how to organize our MANY media buttons
• Figure out how to do Contact Form
• Rethink how we do threaded comments.  IntenseDebate isn’t working properly.
• Catch up on all emails and clean up inbox!
• Play catch & release with review requests
• Delegate review requests
• Work on book reviews
• Write pending reviews
• Make sure that "Reviews" and "Books Read" tabs are updated
• Make sure that all reviews are on Goodreads, Amazon, and B&N
• Work on pending posts
• Create ‘drafts’ for upcoming posts
• Work on discussion posts
• Make plans for Banned Books Week
• Arrange giveaway posts to find old books new homes
• Think about new ideas to revamp RAK
• Instagram
• Finish #BSMPhotoADay list for October and get November started (have an idea already)
• Reach out!
• Go through “Unread” on Bloglovin
• Visit other blogs and comment
• Participate in at least (1) mini challenge
• Participate in at least (1) Twitter chat

Olé bitches and good luck to everyone who is participating!!!

Winner of INFINITYGLASS!

We have a winner for our INFINITYGLASS giveaway:

CONGRATULATIONS!
Ariel from The Librarian's Bookshelf

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Please email us at booksoulmates @ gmail . com with your mailing address so we can send out your prize!

Happy reading!