BOOKSTAGRAMMER SPOTLIGHT!

Welcome to my very first BOOKSTAGRAMMER SPORTLIGHT where I take a fellow bookstagramer & introduce you to them, get a little more info…basically I want to share the love. The Romance Community is a fantastic community to be in. We are here to help each other, stick together and well, move together. We do this for the love of books & the authors! So hope you enjoy, as I go along I will learn what, how, when & who! E N J O Y


Name: Allyson “Ally” Murphy

Tell us a little about yourself:
I’m 26, 27 in June (Gemini!). Im originally from Florida but currently live in Alabama. I’m the youngest of four… by 9 years. Can you say oops baby?!  I have 6 nieces and 2 nephews. No kids but with that many nieces and nephews, I don’t need them! My hobbies include: reading (duh!), travel, sports… on tv or at a game, and binge watching TV shows.

Contact Bookstagramer: INSTAGRAM / GOODREADS


LET’S TALK BOOKSTAGRAM

Logo name? @Ally.Always.Reads

How/Why did you come up with it? I tried to come up with something creative and catchy but I ended up thinking that they all sounded stupid so I went with something kind of unoriginal… I’m just always reading (or trying to, at least. )

When did you start Bookstagramming? What was the first thing you did? I actually made my bookstagram in February of 2017, posted one picture then kind of forgot about it. One year later, I’m dying to find an outlet for all my book recs. *light bulb* my forgotten bookstagram reenters the scene. 

Why did you start what you started? Influence? I just needed a place to talk books. My family isn’t made up of readers so I had to find my bookstafam. 

Did you have any help at the beginning or winged it? I definitely winged it. There was no planning, no help, no creativity. It’s all a learning process. 

What is your favorite part you would say and why? The people! I have gotten to know some of the most amazing people because of bookstagramming. Some of the sweetest, goofiest, most incredible people I know are the ones I’ve met through IG. 

What platforms do you use (for things like posts on any fo the social media’s? Or at least your favorite ones? I’m strictly instagram. I don’t blog or anything. I do post all my reviews through Goodreads though!

 Do you have any tips and tricks about blogging? Be active. Talk to other bookstagrammers. Talk to authors. Put yourself out there a little bit. 

Have you had any bad/negative experiences on Bookstagram? The follow/unfollow thing people do. It’s VERY annoying and a little confusing. Why follow just to unfollow? I don’t get it. What have you learned from blogging on a public platform like? 

Do you have any goals that you haven’t yet been able to get to, concerning your account? Honestly, I don’t set too many goals. If I do, it’s follower-wise and I’ve already exceeded my expectations on that. I never thought I would have more than 5 and now I’m sitting at around 1,500. It’s crazy!

What are some highlights or special moments that have happened, concerning your book blogging career? I think the best moment was when I finally got to meet Beth Ehemann in person at a signing. I’ve been reading her books for years and I love to take pictures of them (and the ScentPopCandles that go with them). Well, she started talking to another author about me and my pictures while I was standing at her table. She had them saved on her phone and was showing them off. Her husband told me that she gets excited whenever I post a picture of her books. It was awkward and amazing and I will never forget it. 

Do you think Bookstagram is an effective platform to express your opinion on books? Yes! Bookstagram is my favorite way to share my thoughts. 

What do you use camera vise when taking book photography? I just use my iPhone. I would love to get a camera and take some awesome pictures but that’s a few steps above where I’m at now. 

Do you use your own props? Is there a fun or MAGICAL way you set it all up? (loc, props…) I am queen of the Dollar Tree props. I grab some of the most random things but it works out later when I need it.  I also use random stuff around my house. Whatever I can get my hands. 


LET’S TALK BOOKS

Tell us, do you know the exact amount of paperback you own? How about ebooks? (I suggest not to count because I did & I regretted it) I don’t know but I’m literally unpacking them from a move so I could probably get you a number.  ebooks… my paperwhite says I have over 7,000 items total but that’s including some duplicates, lots of betas (which can be up to like 10 or 15 docs per book), random documents from my email, etc. BUT that’s still an insanely high number. 

Do you prefer paper or kindle? I read more on my kindle because of ARCs and betas.

Do you know your first paperback/ebook? The first book I loved was And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. The book that made me fall in love with reading was One Tuesday Morning by Karen Kingsbury. The very first ebook I bought was 50 Shades. 

Do you remember your very first read? I read for school but never really loved it. The only book I truly remember enjoying and not getting SparkNotes for was And Then There Were None. 

What is it that draws you to a book? (picture, blurb, author..or all?) typically it’s the cover. Trope is also a great way to get me! 

Do you have a favorite genre you read? And which one? Romance… single parent is my favorite trope though. There’s just something about a man with a kid that makes me all gooey inside. 

What is your favorite part about a story? (the beginning get to know each other, the sexy scenes, the middle right before the peak…) probably the beginning because of you don’t get me there then I’m not going to get into the middle… it’ll just fall flat, you know? I need to be hooked in and find out who these characters are and watch the meet and get to know each other. Because I’m going to be falling in love right with them. 

Now, the real important question -> What is your favorite book & why! Worst. Question. Everrrrr! The Coppersmith Farmhouse by Devney Perry. 1. Single mom 2. Hot, grumpy cop 3. AMAZING WRITING 4. It had love, laughs, sexy times, AND a little suspense.
I’m adding my top read of 2018 too because EVERYONE needs to read it… Memories of Us by Fabiola Francisco. I felt EVERY. SINGLE. EMOTION. in this book. It was absolutely incredible. The writing. The story. Everything. I read this in one sitting and stayed up until 7AM to finish!

Do you have any magical words for everyone out there?! I’ve been asked a few times by different bookstagrammers how to grow relationships with authors and other readers, so I’ll tell you what I told them: be active. Like, comment, share, reply to stories, whatever. Just put yourself out there. Who cares if you say something goofy? Chances are that a lot of people were thinking it.  for real, just be active. Post daily or every other day. Comment on other people’s posts. Make friends. That’s all that this bookstagram community is about: friendship… and a mutual love of books.


Here you have it, a fellow #bookstagrammer LET’S show some love to her & more to come like this! T H A N K – Y O U – E V E R Y O N E

2 thoughts on “BOOKSTAGRAMMER SPOTLIGHT!

  1. I needed to read this, thanks for sharing. I’m new to the bookstagram world, but love sharing my passion for romance books.

    Like

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