Guest Post: YA Author's Appreciation featuring Amanda of The Vintage Bookworm and Richelle Mead ~ A Soul Unsung...

❝YA AUTHOR'S APPRECIATION FEATURING❞ RICHELLE MEAD © AMANDA @ THE VINTAGE BOOKWORM

Hello all, and welcome to the YA Author Appreciation Event, hosted by the lovely Susan of A Soul Unsung. Which, of course, you should already know since you are currently on her blog. Anyway, I'd like to thank her for asking me to participate in this. It's a great honor! =) Thanks Susan!

Anyway, let me introduce myself. My name is Amanda. I own the book review blog The Vintage Bookworm, which was created in December of 2010. Though I've been blogging on and off since 2006. I started a book review blog back in 2006 to meet other people who loved books just as much as I do and to get my opinion out on certain books.

I am a young mother and wife who has loved reading even before really learning how to. Not only do I love reading, but I'm an aspiring YA author. My dream is to see a book with my name on it among other books that I love. I'm going to talk about one of the authors that inspires me the most. She inspires me to keep writing and to set high goals for myself, and she also inspires me to read. I can always rely on her to create an amazing book. If it has her name on it, I'll definitely be adding it to my overgrowing to-be read pile.

Who is this awesome person you may ask? None other than the amazing, and very, very talented Richelle Mead.

Richelle's Website
Richelle's Blog
Richelle's Twitter
Richelle's Facebook
Richelle's Goodreads

Bio, as taken from Goodreads:
Scorpio Richelle Mead is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of urban fantasy books for both adults and teens. Originally from Michigan, Richelle now lives in Seattle, Washington where she works on her three series full-time: Georgina Kincaid, Dark Swan, and Vampire Academy.

A life-long reader, Richelle has always loved mythology and folklore. When she can actually tear herself away from books (either reading or writing them), she enjoys bad reality TV, traveling, trying interesting cocktails, and shopping for dresses. She's a self-professed coffee addict and has a passion for all things wacky and humorous.

To be honest, I haven't read ALL of her books. Yet. I do plan on it, though. They all sound amazing. I've only read all six of the Vampire Academy series, plus the first book in the spin-off series Bloodlines. Which means I've read 7 out of the 16 that is currently out. I really need to catch up! I haven't read any of her adult books, which is included in those 16. But they all sound amazing. Her adult series are: Georgina Kincaid and Dark Swan.

When you open a book by Richelle Mead, you can trust that you won't be disappointed. I've never been. I could go out and buy every book she's published, plus the anthologies she's in, and I won't regret it. (Though I do own the Vampire Academy series, plus the first Bloodlines book.) Richelle's writing reaches out and grabs you and doesn't let you off the amazing ride until the last page of the book. And then you're like, "Really? Did this just end? I want to know more!"

Her writing flows very well and she's just an amazing writer overall. I don't even know what else to say other than that. She makes you care for her characters; whether they are good or bad. You care! I can't tell you how many times I've cried over the Vampire Academy series. How many times I've cried and thrown stuff across the room, and wanted to literally jump into the book and smack someone or kiss someone. (Okay, seriously, do I really have to say whom I'd love to kiss? I think Dimitri is in every woman's dream. Well, okay, Adrian too.)

Her characters are so real to me and I can honestly say she is one of the top names on my list of writing idols. If I could even write a quarter as good as she does, I would be a happy woman. She inspires me to keep writing and to keep getting better at the craft.

She has changed reading and writing for me forever. She definitely has the best young adult vampire series out there. =) She's a great writer with unique story lines, plots, and characters. And that makes her one of my all time favorite authors.