It’s time once again for
Featured Blogger Friday.

This weeks’ featured blogger is Matt Cunningham. Welcome Matt.

Firstly, why do you blog?
 I started a blog three times and the third one stuck. The first two I was just rambling about things that I wanted to ramble about and realized that is not really the platform to do it in. I blog because I want to ask writers and illustrators about their process of creation and creativity. I blog for lit geeks like me.

What do you blog about?
I like to focus on more boy driven material. There are so many wonderful blogs out there about girl driven lit. Lots of book review blogs, etc. So I wanted to talk about books, comic books, illustrations and how they all work together.

Who is your target readership?
Other lit geeks and I am trying to spread the word to a younger audience – boys and girls (middle grade readers). I am a big believer in getting boys to read. And my hope is that when my stories start reaching out to them that they will come and check out the blog to learn more about the type of books they are reading.

How often do you blog?
Up to two times a week. I like to put something on the blog that is meaningful to me and to others to read. I don’t feel that I am the right person to just post a question and have a thousand people respond to it.

How much time do you devote to blogging?
I can spend several hours a week putting together interviews and thoughts into the posts. I have several questions out now to illustrators and writers.

What do you see as the benefits of blogging? 
I think it is a great way to stay in tune with what is going on the writing world. A great way to meet other authors. A platform to share your work and your aspirations. A really good way to meet authors and illustrators that you admire – invite them to an interview. I have met some amazing people through blogging. It has opened doors for me.

What blogging platform do you use and why?
I use Blogger. I have been reading the Kidlitosphere posts about WordPress, but I am indifferent. I think you make your blog your own, regardless of the platform. I look at it like this. If Skywalker had a crappy old beat up lightsaber and not the new fancy model, he would still be an awesome Jedi. That is a bit of a stretch, but I had to squeeze something Star Wars in this interview.

Do you have a favourite blog to visit (other than your own)?
Cynthia Leitich Smith (awesome author and blogger)

I love reading the ladies over at Boys, Books, Buzz -they have lots of great things to say about writing and they are all authors. Tons of giveaways, great posts and entertaining.

And I want to give a shout out to Beverly BevenFlorez – she has a great blog and it gives a weekly round up of all the great blogs of the week. So I don’t have to go fishing around to find some wonderful treasures – http://www.bevenflorez.com/

And of course one of my all time favorites – Guys Read – http://guysread.com/ – this is more of a site than blog. But there is a blog there. There is so much great info for the XY Chromosome crowd (guys!)

There are too many to list. Sorry if I left out some of my peeps here. But if you go to my blog you can find all sorts of wonderful blogs and sites.

Lastly, when you are not blogging, what else do you do?
During the day I am researcher for a television production company. I spend most of the day reading and looking up material to be used in documentary television. Sometimes I work on TV scripts. During lunch, after work and early in the morning (when I slip away for a few minutes from being a husband and dad) I am writing my middle grade book and working on a graphic novel with a friend.

Thanks for dropping in.

Thanks again Sally!! I really appreciate it. Happy blogging. Or should I say May the Blog Be with You! (I hope I didn’t ramble on too much)

My pleasure, Matt.
You can visit Matt’s blog at  http://literaryasylum.blogspot.com/