Blogger’s Corner with Barbara from Barbara Ann Mojica’s Blog

The Blogger’s Corner series is an interview series featuring advice and experience from bloggers whose blogs are older than six months.

If you would like to take part, you can find all of the details here.

This week, we have the lovely Barbara from Barbara Ann Mojica’s Blog

1 Introduce yourself

I was born in Brooklyn, New York and grew up in neighbouring Queens County.

I am proud to say that I worked my way through college and was the first in my family to graduate with a degree at age twenty. Receiving a scholarship, I went to graduate school.

After college, I worked as an administrative assistant for a short time before embarking on a teaching career. I taught in elementary school, then moved on to special education, and later principal and special education administrator.

In addition, I taught dyslexic children using the Wilson Reading Program and used applied behavioural analysis with autistic children.

Now that I am retired, I am loving my new career as a writer for a local news magazine, children’s book author, and book reviewer.

2 Tell us a little about your blog

I started a blog for two reasons: it allows me to share updates with readers about my Little Miss History series; secondly, I enjoy reading and have spent many years teaching and working with children and their families.

By reading and reviewing family friendly books through my blog, I am able to share these books and encourage a much wider audience to read them.

Right now I generally publish my blog posts on Wednesdays and Sundays. I am about three months ahead in book reviews.

Lately, I have received a lot of requests to review books, in addition to my own selections.

I am naturally interested in educational issues and the rights of children with disabilities.

While I do love history, I endeavour to cover both fiction and nonfiction in a variety of genres and of interest to a wide range of age groups.

I am inspired by the curiosity of mankind and his ability to constantly enrich his knowledge base.

Modern technology has enabled us to expand our universe. Our children will have a marvellous opportunity to learn about the past and use this knowledge to improve future world conditions.

3 What can readers learn from your blog?

Little Miss History’s motto is: “If you don’t know your history, you don’t know what you’re talking about.”

I live in an area that is immersed in history. Everywhere I go, I see evidence reflecting the influence of the past, and I do believe our future will be determined by understanding history’s influence on where we are now and where we are going.

My readers are encouraged to be armchair travellers back in time with Little Miss History.

In addition, by sharing reviews of good books, whether they be in genres like fantasy, science fiction, coming of age, family relationships, mysteries or humour, I hope to promote reading and encourage a life-long love of learning no matter what a child’s reading level or personal interest.

4 What’s your favourite thing about blogging?

I really enjoy the personal communications with other writers, parents, and bloggers.

There are so many wonderful people with diverse views around the world that the internet brings to our doorstep. I consider my readers to be personal friends and love to chat with them, whether that be at book festivals, historic sites, schools, museums or online.

5 And your least favourite thing about blogging?

The hardest part of blogging is the scheduling and organizing aspect.

While I enjoy the reading and writing, the editing, posting, and sharing posts on social media can be time consuming.

There are only 24 hours in a day.

Trying to balance my writing time with marketing, reading, reviewing, and communicating can become a daunting task.

6 Tell us one random fact about you.

I am an adventurous traveller.

Many years ago I travelled to Communist European countries, the first year it opened to the West.

My American tour bus got stopped at Checkpoint Charlie at the Berlin Wall for more than two hours. We passed the time by singing Yankee Doodle Dandy.

That whole tour to Soviet Russia, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary, and East Germany was a truly memorable experience.

7 If you could only blog about one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?

It would have to be about Little Miss History’s motto.

When I visit schools, I like to explain to children, how the word history contains the word story. We all have a story to tell.

Anything that happens to us becomes a part of our history. In turn that knowledge affects what we might do or not do in the future.

I would focus on well-known and unknown people in history to communicate that message.

8 What was the hardest part of starting your blog and why?

First of all, I needed to find a target audience for my message. I did that by researching online and then connecting first with bloggers who were interested in children and families.

I discovered that home schoolers, nonfiction writers, educators, and parents searching for good books might be interested.

Then I needed to find a plethora of sources to obtain a wide variety of books for different ages.

Now I subscribe to many book promotion sites, a network of authors, and many blog sites, that provide free or low-cost books from which to choose my reading materials.

I also receive email requests from authors, publishers, and blog tours to review new materials.

9 If you could give new bloggers one piece of advice, what would it be?

Writing a blog can be difficult, and it is a growth process.

Whether you are new to blogging, or a seasoned writer, social media provides a wonderful network of support.

My advice is to reach out, give and take, and learn from fellow bloggers. Sharing and broadening your own knowledge is part of the learning curve.

Follow your heart and your dreams. If you have a passion, express it, don’t give up even when things seem to be going against you.

Be persistent and optimistic. I know that is easier said than done, but it is my best advice.

10 Is there anything you know now that you wish you’d known from the beginning?

Rome wasn’t built in a day – I tend to be impatient when I am passionate about something.

There is so much information out there. It is difficult to find your audience, gather materials, and consistently communicate your message.

As long as you maintain your passion and commitment, your readers will be eager to hear and spread that message.

11 Do you have any long term goals for your blog?

Eventually, I would like to combine all my interests on my blog page.

Perhaps I might be able to include my historical theme articles, school visits and appearances, and share Little Miss History resources and new books on one blog site.

Right now I share information through my website, blog, and various other social media sites.

12 Who’s your blogging hero?

That’s a really hard one to answer.

I have some favourites like Pragmatic Mom and Jump Into a Book for books to read and related activities.

Then there are blogs I enjoy because they have link ups that allow me to access and share all types of information. Mommynificent, and My Random Musings are examples.

I also have a few favourite author blogs that I read daily.

13 What’s your favourite social media network and why?

I use Twitter, Facebook, Google +, and LinkedIn the most.

If I had to choose one, I would pick Twitter because it is quick and forces me to say what I need to say succinctly.

14 Anything else you want to share with us?

I will release a new Little Miss History book before the end of the year.

We will be going way back in time to the Pleistocene Epoch, meeting woolly mammoths and sabre tooth tigers stuck at La Brea Tar Pits.

15 Where can we find you?

Author website: http://www.littlemisshistory.com

Author blog: http://bamauthor.wordpress.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Littlemisshistorycom

Twitter. https://twitter.com/bamauthor