Did You Just Sign Me Up To Your Newsletter Without My Permission?

I just realized this earlier today, and the more I think about it, the more irritated I become. We all know I love to read and some of you may know that I have a book review blog (see the tab above), and I'm all for supporting authors...that being said, I don't like people to just assume things or push things on me without my knowledge or consent.

Now, I have been pretty active these last two weeks; entering contests, adding new authors, following said authors, etc. and there is a very small chance that I did this myself - but I don't think so. Here's why:

I don't know this author. I've never read anything by them. I even looked at my browser history to see if her name popped up and nothing did. I am familiar with the author's name, and that's because my best friend, who is also one of my contributors to Book Verse, wrote a review for one of her books. I went over and checked the date of the review and then did a search in my inbox to see when the first newsletter came in, and it was dated 3 days after my friend posted her review.

So here is what I think happened: She got a ping on Google or something alerting her that someone had mentioned her name, and she went to my blog and read the nice review that my friend left, and then clicked on the contributor links where I have my email address and proceeded to sign me up to her newsletter.

Like I said, I don't have a problem supporting authors. In fact, I have gotten emails before from authors who asked if I could read and review one of their books, or to follow them on social media or sign up to their newsletter. I am more than happy to. But don't force it upon me. I will choose whether or not to follow you or your newsletter - do not take the choice away from me. And yes, I know I can (and definitely plan to) unsubscribe, but the lack of courtesy really bugs me. I have my email address up so if an author wants to contact me for whatever reason they can, not so you can abuse it and spam me. Yes I called it spam, because it was unsolicited.

For any writers/authors reading this: This isn't meant to discourage you from contacting me. I welcome it! A simple, "Hi, thanks for the nice review. Can I sign you up for my newsletter?" will go a long way with me.

This Night Just Keeps Getting Better

I know I said I was going to bed like almost an hour ago but I have to blog about this.

I don't even think I can go to sleep tonight! I'm too hyped up.

This has been one of the best nights of my life...and I guess some of you will think it's sad when you read WHY it's been such an awesome night. But you know what...I don't give a fuck! :D

I have friends out there that will get me and those are the ones I'm talking to in this blog.

Let's recap my awesome points of the night:

I watched one of the funniest, saddest, best episodes of Bones.

I saw and am anticipating the season finale of Bones (Bones and Booth NAKED in bed together...doesn't get better than that)

My friend Dylan came over. YAY, I love her.

I get to see her perform Saturday.

I read and reviewed (http://bookverse.blogspot.com) an amazing book called Remembering Ashby by Heather Long.

*Drum roll*

The following events lead to the pinnacle of the night.

Because Lisa Pietsch introduced me to Heather Long and her book, I befriended Heather on myspace...

And you would not believe who one of her top friends is!

LISA JANE SMITH!!! OMG!!!

L.J. Smith is the person responsible for my book addiction. The reason why I read and review books! I used to read in class and participated in Battle of the Books, and even read ahead in reading class...but I never thought to read outside of school...

Until The Forbidden Game Trilogy by L.J. Smith.

The summer after 7th grade...me and my two best friends at the time, the Anna twins, were at my house bored out of our minds! Well it so happens that Anna Maria had a book she just took out of the library and so we decided, what the heck! Let's read it out loud to eachother, its something to do.

I went first...I was only supposed to read the first chapter but they liked the way I read and I was digging the book so I just kept doing...

An hour later I was halfway done with the book and hadn't even noticed I had read for so long. I begged Anna M. to let me borrow the book overnight. And the rest, is history.

After I read the first part of The Forbidden Game I went to the library and got the other two. Then I moved on to The Vampire Diaries, The Secret Circle, and Dark Visions. From that moment on I've been reading, I've never stopped. And it's all because of her.

Then she kinda just fell off the face of the earth, no one knew anything from her since like 1998. I even remember once a while back googling her and not coming up with anything. And TONIGHT I stumbled across her and I was shocked and amazed...

And then I went to her site. And you will not believe what I just found!!!

The Vampire Diaries: The Return!!!

OH MY GOD! NEW STUFF! NEW OLD STUFF!!! WHAT CAN BE BETTER THAN THAT!?!?

So I am beyond giddy! I can't sleep, I don't know what to do with myself. I am so excited! I wish there was a 24hour Borders around so I could go buy the book! And I'm so thankful that I'm the book geek I am and that a few years back I saw The Vampire Diaries at Borders and bought them. So I have the 4 books. So I can re-read them (because it's been years since I've re-read any of her stuff) and then read the NEW one!!!!

And that's why I'm on top of the world right now.