The Celebration of Bloggers Tour concludes with Julie Valerie
Concluding my Celebration of Bloggers Tour is Julie Valerie, founder of Chick Lit Chit Chat on www.julievalerie.com. I introduced myself to Julie when I heard that she planned to read and review a chick lit book a week during 2013. Being a chick lit author, I immediately reached out to Julie and asked if she wanted to review A State of Jane. At the time, I had no idea that I would actually meet Julie just a few months later when she volunteered to help out at the Book Buzz author event I co-organized with several other authors in New York City. Julie’s assistance that day was invaluable. As you will see from her blog post below, Julie has such a great sense of humor. She’s a whole lot of fun and I truly cannot wait until her debut novel is released so that I can return some of the support she has generously bestowed onto me and so many other authors. She’s really an amazing person and I like her so much, even more than…bacon!
Blogging vs. Bacon
By Julie Valerie
I love bacon. Almost as much as I love blogging. If I had to make a list of things I love, it would look like this:
1.Blogging
2.Bacon
Since this is a post about blogging, I’m going to stay on topic and talk about blogging. Not bacon.
Blogging rocks.
It’s cool because it’s both private and public at the same time. It’s something you do from the privacy of your home, but once done, instantly travels the globe.
And blogging offers some real benefits.
For one, blogging gives you an outlet to express your thoughts, opinions and/or feelings about something. Something … like bacon. I’m sure there’s a gazillion blogs about bacon. (See why blogging’s so great?)
Two, through blogging, you can share your talents and expertise with others and they can share their specialties with you. Bacon? Not so much. It can’t talk back.
Three, in my case, as a book blogger, blogging is the perfect platform for celebrating the arrival of a new book, or talking about an old book in a new way.
Now I ask you: What’s better than that?
Bacon?
Not even close.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I love bacon. Almost as much as I love blogging. But bacon can’t help you market or promote things that are important to you. It just sits there. On your plate. Being bacon-y.
Bacon doesn’t let you demonstrate what you know about a topic. Bacon doesn’t help you establish yourself in a field. Bacon doesn’t network. It doesn’t make connections. It can’t link, like, tweet, post or comment.
Because it’s bacon.
And that’s why, on the list of things I love, blogging comes before bacon.
With one exception: Every morning, when I’m still half asleep and oh, so hungry?
My list looks like this:
1. Bacon
2. Blogging
* * * * *
Julie Valerie
Book Blogger & Writer
Julie Valerie’s Book Blog
P.S. Meredith, thanks so much for inviting me to be a part of the Celebrating Bloggers Tour to help kick off your August 28 release of Blogger Girl. I can’t wait to read all about Kimberly Long and her “Pastel is the New Black” blog. I know she (like me) has loved chick lit since the first time she read Bridget Jones’s Diary. And I know I’ll feel like Kimberly is a kindred spirit when I’m reading her because I have an entire category on my blog that’s dedicated a re-reading of Bridget Jones’s Diary, that watershed book that catapulted modern chick lit into the hearts and minds of readers.
Cheers to you and Kimberly! Yay for Blogger Girl!
* * * * *
Connect with Julie:
Blog: “Julie Valerie’s Book Blog” www.julievalerie.com
Facebook: Julie’s Author Page https://www.facebook.com/JulieValerieAuthor
Facebook: Julie’s Personal Page https://www.facebook.com/julie.valerie.165
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JBValerie
Google+: gplus.to/JulieValerie
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/15137376-julie-valerie
Blogger Girl (coming 8/28)
What happens when your high school nemesis becomes the shining star in a universe you pretty much saved? Book blogger Kimberly Long is about to find out.
A chick lit enthusiast since the first time she read Bridget Jones’s Diary, Kim, with her blog, “Pastel is the New Black,” has worked tirelessly by night to keep the genre alive, and help squash the claim that “chick lit is dead” once and for all. Not bad for a woman who by day ekes out a meager living as a pretty, and pretty-much-nameless, legal secretary in a Manhattan law firm.
While Kim’s day job holds no passion for her, the handsome (and shaving challenged) associate down the hall is another story. Yet another story is that Hannah Marshak, one of her most hated high school classmates, has now popped onto the chick lit scene with a hot new book that’s turning heads–and pages–across the land. It’s also popped into Kim’s inbox–for review. With their ten-year high school reunion drawing near, Kim’s coming close to combustion over the hype about Hannah’s book. And as everyone around her seems to be moving on and up, she begins to question whether being a “blogger girl” makes the grade in her off-line life
Julie – Thank you so much for bringing my Celebration of Bloggers Tour to such a fantasic conclusion and for being such a great blogger and a great person 🙂
Meredith! I’ve gotta great big smile across my face because today I’m hanging out with you on your blog. Woooo-hoooo! This is a blast.
Thank you so much for inviting me to share in the wonderful celebration of your THIRD novel, Blogger Girl. So thrilled to have met you, so thrilled to provide promotional support for your work, so thrilled to be a part of your Celebration of Bloggers Tour.
The sun is shining and I’m feeling good with bacon in my belly! Now I’m off to keep blogging about the authors, the books and the genre I love so much. Long live chick lit authors and the blogger girls that hang-out with them. We rock. Cheers to us!
FABULOUS feature. Made me smile and laugh out loud. I’m with you on blogging AND bacon, Julie. Although blogging *has* to have the top spot. It also has the advantage that it has a calorific value of zero, so it’s completely guilt-free! Love you, Julie, and adore your blog. Big hugs to Meredith and HER gorgeous blog. Aw, the lurve, the lurve… see what blogging does? Julie is totally right. Rock on!
Nicky, my sweetie! Thanks for stopping by – and I totally, totally agree with your VERY IMPORTANT observation that blogging has zero calories. That’s HUGE and I thank you for bringing to light one of the MOST IMPORTANT aspects in the Blogging vs. Bacon debate.
Blogging = zero calories.
In fact, I think my fingers are skinnier now that I started blogging…
Hugs back at you Nicky!
Having a hard time writing this because I can’t stop laughing! I would never have guessed a comparison between blogging and bacon could be so insightful and enjoyable! GREAT post, Julie, you are hysterical! Sad to see the Celebration of Bloggers Tour end, Meredith. I loved it so much! But your posts are always fabulous, so I’ll be checking back to see what you’re up to next! 🙂
Thanks for stopping by, Patricia! I just came from your guest post on Nicky Wells’s blog. 🙂 Blogging’s great that way, ain’t it? When I blog, I enjoy sharing. When I eat bacon, there ain’t no sharing! You can get your hands OFF my bacon!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the tour! Maybe I will do a reunion tour or a part 2 after the book comes out. So many bloggers, so little time 🙂
Hilarious post, Julie! Looks like I have my priorities wrong because bacon is first on my list, but it might be because it’s close to lunchtime.
Congrats on your new book, Meredith!
Hi Elke! I just followed the smell of bacon and blogging to your new location at http://elkefeuer.com/
How are you enjoying your new location? Blogging from an island?! NO FAIR!!!
Thanks so much for stopping by to say hello. And yes, I highly recommend a little bacon for your lunch. It always leads me to more “inspired” blogging when my belly is full…!
Bacon is good!
I’m loving my new location! Yea, it’s pretty nice blogging from this part of the world. You’re welcome to join me. I’ll supply the bacon. 🙂
Thank you, Elke!
What a brilliant post! Julie, you have brought the biggest grin to my face. Great bloggers tour, Meredith! 🙂 xx
Thank you, Jan!
Hi Jan! It’s so great to connect with you here on Meredith’s blog! I’ve enjoyed sharing tweet space with you through our mutual friends on Twitter and I love your romaniac website. So glad you enjoyed my post. Cheers!
Must. Have. Bacon. Julie, you never fail to make me snort with laughter. You truly are one of the funniest people I know, and if you did stand up, I’d pay tons to see you live. You are brilliant, beautiful and lovely, and I thank you so much for being such a huge support!
Samantha Stroh Bailey
Must. Have. Sam. In. My. Life. Each. And. Every. Day.
My first thougth was – duh, Bacon! Number one… By the end I had to agree with you. Maybe if I just eat bacon WHILE blogging, all will be in balance.
Hi Julie! Great minds think alike – I believe it was Nicky Wells who first suggested I simply do both at the same time. (Now why didn’t I think of that?!) She also wisely points out that blogging = zero calories. Not so with bacon. Ahhhh… I think my “Blogging vs Bacon” comparisons have just been brought to a whole new level thanks to you! Hhmm… I wonder if the people at Blogger and WordPress know about your tip. Maybe they can design a widget or plugin that emits the smell of bacon while you blog. YUM! (P.S. I’m headed over to Twitter now to make a connection with you. So nice to connect with you here on Meredith’s blog!) Cheers!
Thanks for the great laugh! I love me some bacon, too. (But not in my ice cream–tried that and it was yuck.)
Oh, Anne! This is urgent: Have you tried bacon cupcakes? Run. Don’t walk.
Thanks for stopping in to say hello to me on Meredith’s Celebration of Bloggers Tour. The post you wrote on Sunday is a great tie-in to Meredith’s Tour.
Cheers to Anne and Meredith!
Hilarious! Great post, Julie! (Thanks for making me crave bacon when there is absolutely no bacon in the house!)
Meredith: This was an AWESOME series! So many great bloggers and posts!
That’s so funny, Cat! But I’m with you – I crave bacon whether it’s in the house or not. That’s why I always keep a stash frozen in the garage freezer – just incase I open my frig, see there’s no bacon AND PANIC.
I’ve followed Julie’s blog for many many years and I know her to be an amazing writer who finds time to blog while constantly running car pools and raising four children also WHAAAT!
Her last blog was about bacon and I agree that bacon is definitely a major food group !!!
Thank you for giving us an opportunity to visit with Julie
By the way, I’m just saying….
BACON INFUSED BOURBON!!!!
Hi Jeanne! Thanks for visiting me on Meredith’s blog. Bacon infused BOURBON?! Yum! (I wonder how that’ll affect my blogging…)
I just googled ‘blogging and bacon’ and this post is number 3 on the results list. Well deserved!
Thanks, Pauline! I think what helped with the search engine results was the moment I also placed a small paragraph on my blog with a link that lead to Meredith’s blog. When two blogs link into each other this way, they pop higher on the search engines.
But then, I know you know that – because you’ve always been really good at doing this. It’s a great practice – I just don’t think many people know or take advantage of this search engine tip.
I’m excited that it ranked as high as third – I know bacon is a hot topic and so is blogging so I think Meredith and I linking to each other certainly helped. Especially since later this month – the nation will celebrate International National Bacon Day – which is always the Saturday before Labor Day. With that holiday, I’m sure there’s a lot of chatter online about bacon.
How cool that “Blogging vs. Bacon” posted so high up in the rankings. Big smile on my face! Cheers!