For one week only Tuesday Talk switches to Thursday and I’m chatting to blogger Rachel Gilbey who has news about a new service she is offering writers…
Good morning Rachel and welcome. Can I start, as always, by asking you a little about yourself?
Good morning Jo, its pleasure to be back on your blog today.
Well my name is Rachel, and I’m a book blogger over at Rachel’s Random Reads. I have always been a huge lover of books and for the past two and a half years I have been able to shout about my love of books to the world (or whoever is paying attention!).
I would love to tell you about my interests in my spare time but I’m laughing at the thought of having any spare time that isn’t taken up with either my new business or my blog. I can say though that if I get a chance to escape the computer I love musical theatre and also going on holidays! I’m also a huge fan of sports and already looking forward to next year where I will be working from home and able to watch as much live World Cup football, and Commonwealth Games action as I can!
As a reviewer you read a huge number of books. What is your favourite genre and who are your favourite authors?
Well my favourite genres that is easy, I love chick lit, romance and women’s fiction as my go to genres. I tend to delve into the darker side of thrillers, psychological thrillers, crime and mystery when I need a break from the lighter hearted books that I tend to favour.
Two years ago when I was last here, you asked me about my favourite authors and my answer is going to be similar again I’m afraid. I can’t name even a top twenty of authors as I am rapidly discovering I have more go to, must read authors than time to fit them all in. I love discovering new favourites, but equally if I spent 2018 only reading releases by authors I already know and love, I probably wouldn’t run out of new reading material!
Have you ever been tempted to become an author?
It is one of those thoughts that has flitted through my mind on occasion but most of the time I come up with the conclusion that I am not talented enough, or imaginative enough to come up with a book. I always struggled with creative writing at school and I prefer to leave it to those far more talented than me.
If I ever did become an author those thoughts have always centred on children’s books, because I assumed they would be easier to write, but my ability at rhyming couplets isn’t that impressive, and I still don’t have any original ideas that haven’t been done before. That and children are probably the toughest audience, to a lot harder to please!
You’re a girl who loves foreign travel and in the past we have been treated to some great holiday shots on social media. Is there anywhere in the world you haven’t been to that you would really love to visit?
Thanks I’m glad you like my holiday pics, and sorry that the next holiday will just be of a pool, as I’ll be relaxing in Fuerteventura over Christmas!
There are plenty of places I would absolutely love to visit – Australia is the big one that jumps to mind, dare I say that I would have to visit the real Ramsay street if I was ever in Melbourne, would love to see Kangaroos and Koalas up close, the Great Barrier reef must be gorgeous too.
Would love to see more of the Far East too, Africa if I ever get around to it I would love to do a safari, and I’ve never been to South America either, in fact I’d love to see more than just Miami in America too. Reading that back I have to wonder where I have been in that case as that is a lot of the world I haven’t visited… right everyone we need to make my new venture (next question) a big success so I can afford some of these great destinations!
Recently you set up a new venture – Rachel’s Random Resources – what sort of service does this offer to authors?
Rachel’s Random Resources is my brand new business offering assorted services to authors to make their lives easier when it comes to publicity of their books, old and new.
I organise blog tours, shorter blog blitzes, 1 day publication day pushes, or Book Birthday Blitzes , to get a real buzz going on your special day, as well as cover reveals, which my growing family of bloggers will be eager to help out with.
I’ve got my Retro Review Vault, which is where I will gain you potential reviewers without them having the pressure of a blog tour, specifically for your back catalogue books, the ones where sales may have dropped off, so getting some fresh interest could be beneficial. This is open for reviewers that just review on Goodreads and Amazon too, to increase the exposure of the book on all the major outlets.
I’m also doing assorted graphic design for social media. This include header graphics for Twitter and Facebook, blog tour banners if you have organised your own, special offer graphics, images with quotes from the book or from your favourite reviews, all to enhance your social media, with a some variety.
Essentially, I am aiming to connect authors with bloggers, do the asking on your behalf, do the organising or graphic design on your behalf, freeing your time up to write the next book!
And lastly, if you had to spend a whole year on a desert island, what would your four ‘must haves’ be and why?
Four must haves?
Well kindle with charger, and electricity I’m counting as one item, as let’s face it if all I was doing was waiting to be rescued from a desert island I may as well finally make a dent in my massive personal TBR, and my kindle has 3G and basic web abilities too, so would be able to vaguely see what is going on in the world!
Sun tan cream – sorry to be boring, but I would burn to a crisp assuming this isn’t an Arctic desert island!
Bottled water – well I wouldn’t want to dehydrate
Lastly well a new sexy man brought to the island each month for me amusement and pleasure – as after a month I would be bored of each one, and it would provide great entertainment for when I’m not reading or sunbathing!
Rachel Gilbey is a keen book enthusiast who has taken things to a new level with her blog tour organising business. She dreams books in her sleep and then looks forward to being able to read them in a spare moment. Her blog keeps her busy in her spare time.
Rachel lives just about still in London, is in her thirties and absolutely hates having to write a bio or about herself, preferring to connect with people on social media and let them see for themselves what she is about!
Links to Rachel’s Random Reads:
Links to Rachel’s Random Resources:
JO LAMBERT 
Reblogged this on MorgEn Bailey – Editor, Comp Columnist/Judge, Tutor & Writing Guru and commented:
From one blogger to another…
Oh, musical theatre, Rachel? My youngest daughter is in a panto soon – not musical theatre, I know, but it’s theatre with musical numbers, LOL – and she loves Hamilton, so I’m taking her to see it in January. Also, both my brothers are professional musicians, and my musician brother David and his wife practically run all things musical theatre-related in the Isle of Man, so it’s a familial theme. I wonder if I should do an oddest little theatre shop – or perhaps a whole new theatre series?? Oooh. Thanks for inspriing that thought, and lovely to read all this. Jane Holland/Beth Good x
I’m a sucker for a panto too Jane. Went to two last year and had such a great time!
Oooh a theatre series, count me in if you write one!