A couple of years ago I had the pleasure of joining the 'From Left to Write' book club headed up by blogger extraordinaire, Thien-Kim. In the two years I've been involved with the club I've learned that Kim is a powerhouse when it comes to getting stuff done. . .and she's crazy imaginative!
This past year Kim started a new venture - a curated subscription box for the smart and sexy woman. For those unfamiliar with Kim, she's also got two active blogs going already....but I'll let her tell you all about that!
Won't you join me in welcoming Kim of Bawdy Bookworms!
Before we jump into your latest venture, tell us about your blogs and how those came to be.I have two blogs geared at two different audiences. My most active blog is I'm Not the Nanny, where I write about multicultural parenting, food and technology. I was frustrated because strangers assumed I was my biracial children's nanny.. The blog has evolved to show how we incorporate our different cultures in our family life, which includes book lists featuring diverse children's books and original recipes.From Left to Write is a combination book club and book review site. Our book club community is made up of passionate bloggers (like this one!). We read books together and "discuss" the books on our personal blogs. Those are then linked up on From Left to Write. When we're not talking about our book club selections, I review books and share bookish gift guides. This year I'm running a Diversity Reading Challenge. I hope you'll join it!I'm enjoying the Diversity Challenge! I especially like books in translation which covers a multitude of reading challenges for me! What led you to start Bawdy Bookworms? and what IS a Bawdy Bookworm?A Bawdy Bookworm is a woman who isn't afraid to read well-written sexy romances. Me, you, and lots of other women. When Fifty Shades of Grey hit it big, friends privately reached out to me for steamy book recommendations and asked questions about the toys Christian and Anastasia used. Even with the book's popularity, there's a stigma for those of us who enjoy love stories with plenty of hot sex.I wanted to empower women to take charge of their sexuality. A woman's sensuality and sexual desire is natural and we shouldn't be ashamed of it. So I created Bawdy Bookworms because every smart,sexy woman deserves a happy ending. Our quarterly boxes feature a sexy romance novel that's paired with a sex toy, along with a few other goodies. Batteries are included, of course!There's a fabulous review at HelloSubscription of the Spring Bawdy Bookworm box - I'm so impressed with how well you've curated the items to include! How do you keep all the balls up in the air, between your blogs, starting a new business and having a family?Ha! I don't do it all or I'd go insane.I keep a paper planner and make lists to stay organized. More importantly, I've gotten better at saying "No" to things I'm only half-interested in. Turning down things is hard because I'm an overachiever-I want to do it all! I prioritize my goals. This year my focus is growing Bawdy Bookworms so my other projects are in maintenance mode, meaning I keep it going but don't take on any big projects.Another thing I try to do is to mentally leave work. My office is next to my kitchen and laundry area in our apartment. While it's my dedicated workspace (kids are not allowed to use my computer), working from home means I can work 24-7 if I wanted. I take the weekends off and don't work at night if I can help it. My family time is important so I make the effort to shut off my work brain when I'm not in my office.I also have to give a shout out to my husband. He does a great deal of the housework along with his full time job and dad duties.That's great to have such a supportive spouse {and kids!}. What advice would you give to other book bloggers who want to create. . .innovate?There's so many book blogs on the web so find a way to incorporate another of your passions into your blog. This helps you stand out and gives you more topics to write about. Normally I wouldn't think to pair romances with vibrators. I was complaining about a novel with my friends and how it missed its potential to talk about sex and sex toys when the lightbulb moment hit. Why not pair romances with vibrators? My second thought after that was "Why didn't I think of it sooner?!" Once you've come upon your idea, do the work.Success doesn't happen overnight, so enjoy the journey.What a phenomenal woman! I believe you'll agree with me when I say Kim epitomizes an innovative and creative book blogger!
I also need to let you in on a little secret - there's not too many newsletters I open up that come across my email, but. . . when it comes to Kim's Bawdy Bookworms, I always open those newsletters! You can sign up here to get on the newsletter list.
The Spring Quarterly Box will be going out very soon. If you place your order by April 22nd, you'll receive an extra $5 off and Kim has given my readers even more incentive ~ enter the code NOVEL at checkout and receive FREE shipping! {by the way, delivery is in plain, unmarked boxes....although I meant to ask Kim if the boxes are shipped UPS and come with the man in brown pants 😉 }
To visit Kim's other sites go here and here. Sign up for the Diversity Reading Challenge here. Follow Kim on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
