Hi there, fellow readers! I’m Erica, the lady behind By Her Shelf. I’m an author and life long reader living in the Sunshine State. By day, I manage a group home. By night, I read and write.
I’m a natural book reviewer and recommender. All my life, I’ve had a passion for books and a burning desire to tell people all about the books I’ve loved, am currently reading, or am waiting with bated breath to get my hands on. In fact, I regularly relate entire books to friends and family on phone calls, and I buy and send my favorite reads to the ones I think will love them as much as did. I haven’t found a paid position as a book reviewer, but I’ve managed to keep my book purchases down to only slightly hair raising levels by taking advantage of book reviewing opportunities with Harlequin Junkie, Prism Book Tours, Entangled Publishing ARCs, NetGalley, and book launch teams of various writers. I’ve review books I’ve gotten from all of the above, as well as the books of writer friends and those I buy and read for my own enjoyment. I work as a freelance formatter and editor, which means I get to read many awesome books before they’re available.
With so many books to read and review, I needed a space to share book related goodness–what I’m reading, new books by my favorite authors, author interviews, cover reveals, what you need to pre-order, trends in books, and book related rants. I also wanted a space to share what I’m writing and get feedback on what readers want to read but aren’t finding. By Her Shelf is that place.
Why By Her Shelf?
I tried a million other book related words and phrases before settling on By Her Shelf. Most were taken or didn’t encompass my varied reading and writing life. My reading tastes are all over the place. You probably can’t get an accurate picture of me based on the books on my bookshelf (real or digital). Yet how many times have I glanced at a reader and judged them based on their book choices? How many reading related blogs and shops do I follow because they have an affinity for books and characters I love? I started out thinking we shouldn’t judge a reader by her shelf anymore than we should a book by its cover, but honestly, I want the women (and men! Hey guys!) who read this blog to be the ones who love the kind of books I read and want to know more about them. So feel free to judge this reader by her shelf.
What kinds of books and book related posts will be featured?
You’ll see posts about romances, thrillers, women’s fiction, “literary fiction,” horror (mostly just Stephen King), memoir, humor, and non-fiction. I’m Christian, so some of my choices have inspirational elements, but not all. The romances I read come with a wide range of “heat levels.” My capacity for gore and thrills varies from book to book. Every now and then, I’ll pick up a book that is so outside my wheelhouse it’s a triangle, but I’ll post about it because it absolutely blew me away. I can’t say there are any genres I won’t post about, but I don’t read books about politics and can’t imagine posting a political book here. There are genres I rarely read, but if the premise is strong and the quality of writing is strong, I will make exceptions.
What kinds of posts can you expect about this plethora of book genres? I’ll post reviews, author interviews, author spotlights, cover reveals, excerpts, shelfies, giveaways, recommendations, and themed posts. I’ll post about upcoming book conferences I’m dying over. I’ll also post on Wednesdays and Sundays about writing–updates, meditations on the writing life, guest posts from authors, and interesting behind the book tidbits–where a book was written or set, something about the author’s process or personal life, etc.
Will only traditionally published books be featured?
No. If I like it, I’ll recommend or feature it. If a book is well-written, has a great plot or compelling characters but just wasn’t for me, I might still review it for the readers it will be right for.
Can writers submit books/content to be featured on By Her Shelf?
Yes. Authors can submit a book review request via my contact me page or direct email (submission page coming soon!). Please send your name, book title, a brief blurb, and what type of post you’d like me to consider–review, cover reveal, interview, excerpt, etc.–to me at mz[dot]zeyzey2[at]gmail[dot]com.
I’d love to feature your book-related sites, blogs, podcasts, or YouTube channels. Please send information about your book related project to me at mz[dot]zeyzey2[at]gmail[dot]com.
One last thing. I’m an Amazon Associate. I earn money from qualifying purchases if you use my links. It’s another way to feed my book fund and introduce you to your new favorite read. I won’t provide links to books I’m not interested in or think you may be interested in. I provide links to support the books and authors I like, and to live my dream of being paid to recommend books in a small way.
What do you like to read? Have any questions for me?
By Her Shelf 