About Me
I'm a technical project manager in the Seattle area. I spend most of my day working on knotty left-brained problems, so reading, writing about, and discussing fiction is my way of balancing that out with right-brained thought processes. You can find out more about my professional life at my LinkedIn profile.* My name is Nicola Aaron (formerly Nicola Onychuk).
About This Blog
Alpha Heroes is a labor of love for me. I've been reading romance for an awfully long time now, and I like to think I know a little bit about what makes a good one. I like talking about them.
Naughty or Nice?
I started blogging in 2007, but I've been posting on internet forums and bulletin boards since 1995. Over the years I've posted things I've regretted, encountered flame wars, and had my feelings hurt. These days, I have some simple rules about how I self-censor:
- I won't post anything that would embarrass me if it were read by my mom, my kids, the local PTA, or my employer.
- I won't say things to or about a person that I wouldn't be willing to say to his or her face. This includes authors, other bloggers, and anyone else.
- That's it.
This question tends to stir a fair amount of controversy in the blog world. I don't have any hard and fast rules beyond what I posted above; however it is true that I tend to prefer posting about books I love. And books that impress me in a particular way. When I do post about something I don't like, I try to explain what it was that I didn't like, and readers can decide whether it's something that would bug them or not. I like to think that my less glowing reviews are kind and respectful, and perhaps constructive for authors. You can find examples of these by clicking on the tag in my label list "didn't like."
Review copies
I review books that I have purchased as well as ARCs from NetGalley, Edelweiss, and other sources. If you wish to submit a book for review, please be sure to check my Policy tab. I do not accept copies for review unless I think there's a good chance I will like them.
Misc.
You like the header photo? I'm very proud of it-- I took that shot at a lavender farm in Sequim, WA in 2006. Purty, no?
Template: I do change this up every now and then, but I try to maintain a continuity of look and feel. Currently I'm using a free template from ourblogtemplates.com - I can strongly recommend these for Blogger users, as they're highly customizable using the Blogger interface for colors, fonts and layout without having to go into the HTML code.
Favicon: Free hosting for .ico files seems to come and go. Currently I'm using IconJ with thanks to Peter at Blogger Tips and Tricks for very detailed, easy-to-follow directions on where and how to insert the code.
Social Media:
I tweet sometimes here.
There's a Facebook page too.
*I have been regretfully declining most requests for connection at LinkedIn. Please don't take this personally. I reserve that network for professional contacts in my field. Very happy to connect on the channels mentioned here though!
**I reviewed for RT Magazine between 2015 and 2018 so I suppose I'm a semi-professional reviewer? I do not take payment for reviews on this blog.
More detailed posts about what I do and how I do it
Weekly Geek's QA on posting style
How I write my reviews
An intro, and the beginning of it all
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