𝕀𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝔼𝕣𝕚𝕜𝕒 ℙ𝕒𝕟𝕗𝕚𝕝𝕖 𝕗𝕣𝕠𝕞 𝔹𝕠𝕠𝕜 ℍ𝕒𝕧𝕖𝕟 𝔹𝕠𝕠𝕜 𝔹𝕝𝕠𝕘

I met Erika when I approached her to review my book, The Wreck of our Hearts. Learn more about Erika, and be sure to follow her on the Social Media Links provided after the interview.

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𝙒𝙝𝙤’𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙠𝙚𝙮𝙗𝙤𝙖𝙧𝙙? 𝙏𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙪𝙨 𝙖 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛.

My name is Erika (Budd) Panfile. I’m a wife of 15 years with two littles: girl is 11 and boy is 5. I have a blue tick coonhound to round out the circus. I work full time as a Benefits Analyst and began blogging about 2 years ago after reviewing as a reader for about 6 months prior to that. I also have my little reviewing Army behind me that keep me sane and support our blog so much. Nicole, Christina, Carolyn, Belinda, and Stina are rockstars!!

𝙒𝙝𝙞𝙘𝙝 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙢𝙖𝙙𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙡𝙤𝙜 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙨?

Actually, the blog was started by the owner, Amanda, and I was reviewing for her at the time when she asked if I wanted to run it for her, the rest is history. She has been amazing at letting me do whatever I want, even if I have no clue what I’m doing. Although, one of my very first reviews was for Jordan Marie’s Devil’s Blaze MC Series, and I’m still telling people they need to read that one.

𝘿𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙖 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙏𝘽𝙍 (𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩 𝙖𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬 𝙧𝙚𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙨)? 𝙄𝙛 𝙮𝙚𝙨, 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙚𝙭𝙘𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙮𝙚𝙖𝙧?

Of course!! I try to read a mix of PR sign ups, direct review requests, ARC’s from my Authors, and a few that I one-click throughout the month. Of course there’s always the “Here read this” pile from my amazing Blogger and Reader friends. I don’t remember off hand when it comes out, but I’m salivating for when Flip Trick by Amo Jones comes out!!

𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙗𝙡𝙤𝙜𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 “𝙢𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙨” (𝙛𝙤𝙤𝙙, 𝙢𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙘, 𝙟𝙪𝙣𝙠, 𝙣𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙢𝙚𝙣)?

I blog in spurts, so in the morning there needs to be coffee so I can see straight, and it really depends on the day. There’s something different happening on the blog each day. Having two kids and a full time job, it’s hard to find balance and original content, but I try to share what I want to read and have already read and loved, along with what my reviewers are reading as well.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙖𝙮 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙖 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠?

I always find it difficult to review a new Author (either brand spanking new or new to me) because I don’t want them to be discouraged if the story didn’t blow me away. It rarely happens that I don’t like something, but when it does, I try to be as helpful and kind as I can be.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙞𝙨𝙝 𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙨 𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙬/𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙗𝙡𝙤𝙜𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙜?

I guess the biggest thing for me is the time and the energy that goes into running a blog our size, a group, reviewing, and just keeping up. Maybe not necessarily the Authors, but random share requests being sent from all directions can sometimes feel overwhelming to us. I’m a big fan of encouraging emailed review requests, putting share requests in our daily pimp posts, requesting takeovers in the group via email, anything that makes it easier. It’s just me that’s answering them, so it can be a bit much.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙖𝙡𝙡-𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙛𝙖𝙫𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠?

That has to be the hardest question on the planet, but we’ll go with my favorite since 5^th grade. I have read Stephen King’s IT pretty much every summer since I was 11 and never get tired of it.

𝙒𝙝𝙤 𝙞𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙜𝙤 𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙪𝙘𝙠 𝙞𝙣 𝙖 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙛𝙪𝙣𝙠?

I have a few, actually too many Authors that maybe I spread myself thin at times. Honestly? The amount of talent in the indie world is astounding, just saying. You can never go wrong with L.J. Shen, Amo Jones, Jordan Marie, Ashley Jade, and I could rattle you off a ton of amazing Authors that I’ve enjoyed since I’ve started. I love when people talk books with me!!

𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙛𝙖𝙫𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙧𝙚? 𝙒𝙝𝙮?

I’m a sucker for Mafia Romance, it has always been one of my favorites, but I’m convinced I will pretty much read most genres. There’s just something about Mafia… a bad-boy with power brought to his knees for the woman he loves that gets me….

𝕃𝕖𝕥’𝕤 𝕘𝕖𝕥 𝕥𝕠 𝕜𝕟𝕠𝕨 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕒 𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕥𝕝𝕖 𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕖:

• What are your top 3 Movies (adaptations of books or other)?
• The Breakfast Club
• Halloween-Rob Zombie Version
• Friday

• What are your top 3 TV Series (adaptations of books or other)?
• Riverdale
• 13 Reasons Why
• Blue Bloods

• If you had 10 seconds before your house went up in flames, what is the first thing you’d grab?

After my family, I would grab my Mom’s jewelry box with all her jewelry to be handed down to my daughter. Now that she’s gone, it’s become so important to have that to pass along.

• Name one item on your bucket list?

A kid-less vacation to a tropical place with the hubs…so ready for that.

• Favorite song that you’re jammin’ to right now.

I have “My Everything” by Kane Brown as my ringtone right now

• A book you secretly wish can be a movie/tv series and who would play the main leads?

I just read Melissa Toppen’s Tequila Duet and told her in no uncertain terms that it needed to become a movie STAT. The 1^st book just released and the second comes out in the next few weeks and it was phenomenal!! The main leads, if it was a movie, would be Theo James as Hudson and Olivia Holt as Lennon. It needs to happen, lol. A must read duet by the way. (HINT)

• If you had to give an aspiring blogger advice, what would it be?

Be kind, but don’t be afraid to say no. Watch out for burn out. Keep it fun, and do what you can. Let your love for books shine through.

Final task:

Review yourself in twenty words.

Overly tired hot-mess Mom who wants to read every book on the planet in her pajamas while drinking coffee.

ℂ𝕙𝕖𝕔𝕜 𝕠𝕦𝕥 𝔼𝕣𝕚𝕜𝕒’𝕤 ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨𝕤 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝔹𝕝𝕠𝕘𝕘𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕒𝕓𝕠𝕦𝕥 𝕒𝕝𝕝 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝕓𝕠𝕠𝕜𝕤 𝕠𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕗𝕠𝕝𝕝𝕠𝕨𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕊𝕠𝕔𝕚𝕒𝕝 𝕄𝕖𝕕𝕚𝕒 𝕃𝕚𝕟𝕜𝕤:

Email: bookhavenbookblog@gmail.com

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Facebook Reader Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/394392050935911/

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Website: https://bookhavenbookblog.wordpress.com/