The Man in the Box Virtual Tour: Guest Post and Giveaway with Andrew Toy

Hi, everyone!

I am pleased to participate in the Blog Tour hosted by Tomorrow Comes Media for Andrew Toy's The Man in the Box.


About Andrew:

Andrew Toy lives with his wife and dachshunds in Louisville, KY. He is currently editing books of nearly every genre and is a writing coach for aspiring authors. He and his wife are trying to adopt their first child, and he is using the means of writing and editing to accomplish the goal of enlarging his family. Check out some more of his writing and upcoming books on his popular blog.

CONNECT ONLINE WITH ANDREW: 
Blog | Facebook | Amazon | Goodreads | Twitter


Welcome to Darlene's Book Nook, Andrew!

Andrew has written a guest post, so I will now turn the floor over to him!

How to Read (More)

by Andrew Toy

Believe it or not, you have more time to read than you think. Here are some practical tips to help you work through that lengthy reading list.

On average, I read 4 books per month, but I’m just as busy as you are. I work a full-time job, I’m a husband, homeowner, 3x dog owner, blogger, itunes addict (which, you know can be quite time-consuming), freelance editor (currently open to clients), author, and on top of that, working through the process of adoption. So I’m pretty busy, just like you. And just like you, I have a long reading list of books that I’m just dying to dig into (it’s over 100 books long). The most likely difference between you and me is that I am steadily making my way through it, about one book a week. Jealous? Just follow my five simple tips and soon you’ll find yourself marking up your reading list with checks marks and critical notes. Enjoy, and happy reading! Oh, and speed-reading is not required.

1. Determine your downtime

Whether you know it or not, you have at least an hour of downtime every day. It may come in small 5 minute increments throughout, but the trick is to be aware of them, and have your book (or e-reader) handy. For instance, take your book with you whenever you’re in the car. I can read a good page to page and a half at any given red light. Look for times when you’re just standing with nothing to do, like you’re in line at the DMV, or the post office, or even when you’re waiting for your egg to boil. If you live in an apartment complex, you can’t just let your dogs out in the backyard; you’ve got to stand with them on a leash. So while you’re waiting for them to do their thing, instead of pestering them to hurry up, dig your nose in your book and you’ll find you’re both more relaxed. And you need your potty time as well, which is always a good time to have your book around. Also, take your book to work and keep your book company on your lunch break. Another tip: I know it’s almost blasphemous, but wake up a few minutes early or go to bed a few minutes late to finish that chapter.

2. Put your bookmark to good use

It sounds silly, but let your bookmark work overtime. How many minutes have you wasted opening up to the page you left off on only to re-read what you’ve already read? To apply this tip, face the bookmark forward or backwards depending on what page you were on. Furthermore, move your bookmark around strategically positioning it to line up with the sentence you left off on. It’s a small gesture, but it works wonders!

3. Start a blog

I’m serious. Start blogging about what you’re reading and share it with your friends and family. I know you’re thinking, “That’s just going to take up more time that I don’t have.” Trust me. When you finish a book, just take a few minutes to write your review on your blog, and soon you’ll start gaining followers and you’ll delight in sharing your reading list with people, and it’s also a way to hold you accountable as people will be expecting more from you. Think of it as an e-motivator, or a sort of online reading group that you’re pioneering. Here’s a list of my growing book recommendations: Book Recs. Another good site to write and get reviews is Good Reads.

4. Turn the TV off

Unorthodox as it may seem, you should try substituting a half hour of TV a week with reading. Everyone spends a good amount of time in front of the TV, whether it’s during breakfast or dinner. Maybe every now and then, suggest to your viewing partner that you both read, together or separate, instead. My wife and I have done this, and can’t believe how refreshing it is, and we look forward to the next time! It also generates more conversation than HGTV does.

5. Arrange your books by season

Strange as it sounds, you should arrange your books by season. What I mean is this. If the next book on your list is a baseball book, you should read it during the spring or summer time. If it’s a Dickens book, you might want to read that during the holidays, as his books are more cozy while curling up next to a warm fire or watching the snow fall soundlessly outside. I know you can’t do this with all books like business profiles and many history books, but apply this to the books that you can. Doing this will help set the mood and feel for the book you’re reading, thus you’ll be more immersed in its story because you’ll feel like you’re there and you’ll have just a little bit more of a connection with the characters.

Feel free to comment bellow and share with everyone your tricks for finding time to read. 

Thanks so much for joining us today, Andrew!

About the Book:

TITLE: The Man in the Box 
AUTHOR: Andrew Toy

PUBLISHER: Blackwyrm Publishers
PUBLICATION DATE: November 30, 2012

FORMAT: Paperback, 264 pages

GENRE: Contemporary Fantasy
ISBN: 9781613181379

Work provided Robbie Lake the perfect escape from his family. But his life is turned upside down when he is unexpectedly fired. When he finds a new way of escape through a cardboard box, everything changes. The imaginary world of his childhood has evolved in his absence and is now more savage and hostile than even he could have dreamed. Robbie is drawn in by the excitement of his secret world, but will the cost of abandoning his family prove too high?

Buy Links:

Amazon Kindle / Amazon Paperback

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Participants:

April 29 - Read 2 Review - Guest Post

April 30 - Ian’s Realm - Character Post

May 1 - Sapphyria’s Book Reviews - Promo/Spotlight

May 1 - Ali’s Bookshelf - Character Post

May 2 - Writings, Musings, & Other Such Nonsense - Guest Post

May 3 - Beagle Book Space - Promo/Spotlight

May 4 - Watch Play Read - Interview

May 5 - Lost Island of Book Reviews - Review

May 6 - Angela Meadon - Interview

May 6 - A Girl and Her Kindle - Review

May 7 - A Daydreamer’s Thoughts - Guest Post

May 8 - Book in the Bag - Interview

May 9 - Lost Inside the Covers - Review

May 10 - Come Selahway With Me- Interview

May 11 - Alex Reads - Review

May 12 - The FlipSide of Julianne - Interview

May 13 - Sheila Deeth - Guest Post

May 14 - SpecMusicMuse - Review

May 14 - Mom Cat’s Book Blog - Guest Post

May 15 - Spellbindings - Contest/Giveaway

May 16 - Darlene’s Book Nook - Guest Post

May 17 - Bee’s Knees Reviews -Review

May 18 - Laurie’s Thoughts and Reviews - Character Interview

May 20 - The Dan O’Brien Project - Excerpt/Promo

May 21 - A Book Vacation - Character Interview & Contest/Giveaway

May 23 - WTF Are You Reading? - Review

May 25 - I Smell Sheep - Guest Post

May 28 - Breath of Life - Review

May 29 - Library Girl reads and Reviews - Guest Post