September 2005
Created for friends of Armchair Interviews, authors and books!
Vol. 1, No. 2 September 2005
In this issue:
- Did You Know ...
- Paperback T or F
- Contests:
Crime-Writing Contest Ends (Boo Hoo!)
Romance Writers (RWA)
Bethany House Publishing - Relationships in "The Biz" - J.E.S.
- Romancing the Reader ...
- Happy Authors = Happiness
- What Are We Reading?
- Nodin Press, Minnesota
- Andrea 952-937-5952 Andrea@ArmchairInterviews.com
- Connie 952-835-4731 Connie@ArmchairInterviews.com
Armchair Interviews is how two friends who love to read and interview authors came together to connect authors to readers. We review books and every month we record one-on-one author interviews and post them on our Web site. By late fall, these interviews will be available on CD, for sale in sets by genre, for example, 5-6 romance, mystery, General Fiction, etc.
Did You Know ...
Both Andrea and Connie will be at the Upper Midwest Booksellers Association (UMBA) event in St. Paul, attending as "PRESS!" Isn't that cool? We look forward to doing some great impromptu interviews with some big-name and local authors (for uploads to our site), as well as talk with publicists and publishers. We're having a little contest to see which one of us can carry more pounds of books. UMBA is Friday, September 23 to Sunday the 25.
September's Quote:
"Where is human nature so weak as in the bookstore?"
-Henry Ward Beecher
What Do You Know About Paperbacks?
(From Kenneth C. Davis' book, Don't Know Much About History)
Paperbacks came into existence in the 1920s in England when Penguin Books started producing inexpensive paperback books.
In 1939 Pocket Books started in America. Before this, many Americans didn't own any books (except the Bible). Paperback books were mass produced and sold in drug stores and newsstands. America became a nation of readers!
To see what you know about books, take Davis' true or false quiz.
1. When paperbacks were introduced to America by Pocket Books, they cost a
quarter.
2. Pocket Books' first book was James Hilton's novel of Shangri-la, Lost
Horizon.
3. During World War II millions of free paperbacks were sent to U.S.
soldiers.
4. The best-selling paperback of all time is Gone With the Wind.
NOTE: Answers at the end of this e-zine.
Thought for the month: Have you donated used books to a good cause, like a homeless shelter, a battered woman's shelter, a non-profit's book sale, a local Veteran's hospital? How about taking a book and a meal to shut-in or someone caretaking an elderly relative?
HELP! Book Reviewers Needed
Armchair Interview needs your help. We need reviewers, especially for Sci-Fi, Christian fiction and non-fiction and literary fiction, romance, and general non-fiction.
Let us know your interest. Book reviews should be up to 350 words, and we will supply the format and some hints how to write a book review -- to take away the "newbie fears."
We can also get books sent directly to you in the U.S. of A when the publishers agree.
More than 20 books arrive each week, so if you love to read and then write a review, let us know by writing to info@armchairinterviews.com
Quote for Book Reviewers ...
"There's no shortage of talent.
There's only a shortage of talent
that can recognize talent."
- Jerry Wald
Contests
Crime Story Contest
(Silence of the Loons release tie-in)
With our August 30 deadline looming, we have received some excellent submissions prior to this e-zine blast. Glad to see some of you got in the spirit of the contest. We can't wait to read them.
Because we won't have picked the winners until September 15, watch for announcement on www.minnesotacrimewave.org and www.armchairinterviews.com sites as well as October's e-zine.
Thanks to all who submitted. The winning stories will appear on our site after September 15.
Romance Writers Announce Contest
RWA sponsors two Romance Writers of America (RWA) contests every year. The RITA contest is for authors published by an RWA-recognized publisher. The Golden Heart contest is for the unpublished manuscripts of writers who have not sold to an RWA-recognized publisher.
The deadline for entering both contests is in November. From January to May, entries are judged and eliminated or advanced to final rounds, according to their scores. The winners of the RITA and Golden Heart contests are announced at an Awards Ceremony on the final night of RWA's annual conference.
Details about entering the current RITA and Golden Heart contests are available on the RWA web site which is www.rwanational.com. Look under the heading Contest.
Read, React and Write ...
Bethany House Publishers / Ripe Harvest Foundation announced a contest with big prizes to kick off a new book by award-winning author Sharon Ewell Foster.
Here's the deal. Pick up a copy of Foster's Ain't No Valley. After you've read this funky, soulful and inspiring novel about new beginnings - and rising above adversity to glean the best of life - think about this question: Describe the character you most identified with and how that character sought and found a new beginning in life. Now, describe your personal situation and the plan you have for a new beginning.
Then write a 1,000-word (maximum) essay. Four winners receive $1,000 scholarships and one $1,500 winner. Scholarships will be awarded in the 16-21 and over 21 age groups.
For more details on the contest guidelines, check out www.bethanyhouse.com/aintnovalley. The deadline is January 7, 2006 with winners announced in March.
Bethany House Publishers, a division of Baker Publishing Group, has been putting out high-quality books in the Christian market for nearly 50 years. Ripe Harvest Foundation is an African-American arts and letters organization devoted to providing access to and developing an appreciation for the literary, visual and performing arts.
Great Relationships in the Publishing Biz ...
This month our featured new "best friend" is Janet Elaine Smith. She has her fingers in so many pies, we're glad to be part of her energetic cooking.
Janet called Connie one day out of the blue. She writes books - and book reviews, and noticed ours someplace. She asked if we would review her latest book. Of course ... and not just because we all grew up in Minnesota. What a great visit we had with Elaine, now living loud and proud in Fargo, ND and writing all kinds of books.
Janet has put us in contact with other people ... but our greatest thanks is for her forwarding our first e-zine last month to her list of authors, wannabe authors and friends worldwide. Boy, did that make our stats jump.
So, thanks Janet for your support, encouraging e-mails, humor and for helping us grow so we can continue our reviews and interviews with more established and emerging authors.
Janet been writing for magazines for 25 years, and her first book, Dunnattar, came out June 2000 -- and held the No. 1 spot on Amazon for three months (out of 8,000 titles) and No. 90 overall. Wow!
She has also won other awards: Two time travels (Par for the Course and House Call to the Past) both won a RIO Award of Excellence from the Reviewers International Organization in March this year. It was people like Nora Roberts, John Grisham, and her! Par for the Course was selected by Affaire de Couer Magazine as the best time travel of 2003.
My Dear Phebe, Janet's latest for young adults, set in the Civil War, came out right after 9-1-1 attack. Teachers use it in middle school. The first 600 copies were donated by Janet and publisher to students in the Ground Zero school in NYC.
And, she helps other authors market themselves, helping them from what tricks she's learned about promotion. Find it all on her web site listed above. Her interviews are on http://www.myshelf.com.
Romancing the Reader: B(u)y The Book
Romance: B(u)y the Book, a new weekly romance review column and features, has been launched on Internet Broadcasting, the nation's largest network of local news websites including New York's WNBC.com/romance, Chicago's NBC5.com/romace, and LA's NBC4.tv/romance.
Each week, Romance: B(u)y the Book offers a review of a new romance novel and an interview with the author. An "Old Flames" earlier release is also recommended. Viewers navigating the site can vote in a weekly survey and write in and post their thoughts on the discussion board.
Michelle Buonfiglio is the Minnesota columnist and creator of Romance: B(u)y the Book. "I jumped at the chance to use this national forum to serve the large, growing audience of the romance genre, and to introduce romance to folks who might not be familiar with it--especially those who think romance is just ripped bodices and rippling pecs."
"I work hard to write the column in a way that's entertaining but responsible-one that remains respectful of those of us who already appreciate the novels and authors who create them. Plus, I get paid to read romance novels. How cool is that?"
ARCs and published novels can be mailed to: Internet Broadcasting; c/o Michelle Buonfiglio. 1333 Northland Drive, Mendota Heights, MN 55120. She can be contacted at romance@ibsys.com.
Happy Authors = Happiness
"Dear Andrea"
- I am sending you a huge bouquet of gratitude for the wonderful review that
you gave to Tabula Rasa. I think that the greatest gift a
reader/reviewer can give to an author is to have gotten out of the book what the
author tried to put into it, and that's exactly what you did. Your plot
synopsis was excellent. Your review was spectacular and informative. That you
enjoyed my book so much is icing on my cake. Thank you so very, very much. I
am dancing on a cloud.
-- Shelly Reuben, author of Tabula Rasa
NOTE: Shelly Reuben's audio interview is also posted on our Web site. Check out hers and other new interviews at www. armchairinterviews.com/past-guests/audio/
- Just a note to say a BIG THANK YOU for taking time to interview me and for
your words of counsel.
-- Gail M. Hayes, author of Daughters of the King -
THANK YOU so much for the review on my debut novel, Jury of One. I'm
flattered that you enjoyed it so much!
-- Thanks again! Laura Bradford
- This is great! I'm so thrilled. THANKS.
-- Holiday Reinhorn, Author of Big Cats
"Dear Connie:"
- Thanks for the gracious review of my new book, On American Soil. Your
thoughtful analysis is deeply appreciated.
Please note: My first name is Jack, not James ... (a minor detail, but my Mom
caught it anyway!)
-- Jack Hamann, author, On American Soil
www.jackhamann.com
Connie's Apology ... with egg on face 2X for Jack Hamann. We have been "unable to change" James to Jack on our Amazon review. Sorry Jack. Also, proofreading my own stuff is disastrous and I let it slip: In our last e-zine, I called Jack's book On American Ground. Ground, soil ... it's all dirt, but the author deserves to have his book's name right. Jack will be featured on C-SPAN's Book-TV series to be aired in the weeks ahead (time and date TBD) - so watch for it and learn why I loved this book!
- Wow, what a great surprise to get your e-mail saying my review was posted. I
hadn't seen the reviews on your site and Amazon. I am blown away, what a great
review, you really got the essence of the book. I am also happy you are using
some of the material as that is what the whole thing is about, using it.
-- Edward W. Smith, author of Sixty Seconds To Success, the producer/host of the Bright Moment cable TV show, is president of The Bright Moment Seminars, and a motivational speaker. www.BrightMoments.com
What Is Andrea Reading?
August has been a very busy reading month. But that's not unusual since everyone knows I read while others eat - and I read while others sleep. I have been traveling a lot by air and pack a carry-on-bag full of wonderful books you'll no doubt hear about in our October e-zine.
So what have I been reading?
Wow! Late summer has been a wonderful time for some great books. It's difficult to narrow the list down to a manageable number for the e-zine. I'm going to try, however.
1. Big Cats is by Holiday Reinhorn. Every once in awhile a nugget of gold crops up in the short story collections published each year. My gold nugget is Big Cats. Reinhorn writes simply delicious dramas of 'real' life and 'real people' that are full-bodied, rich, multi-dimensional complex beings with complex stories. Full disclosure demands that I tell people that the final story in the collection is titled Last Seen. Reinhorn wrote the screenplay based on the short story and several years ago a film was made of it. I play the television host in the film. I had a blast doing it and would consider it an honor to work with her again. She's a real talent!
2. Iron Girl is by Ellen Hart, and it will be released in September 2005. This mystery involves Jane Lawless' former love interest. Christine Kane died years before but a newly found gun begins an odyssey in which the past and present collide in a deadly dramatic fashion and only Jane can set things right once and for all. Ellen is a Minnesota author and I absolutely love both of her series: Jane Lawless and Sophie Greenway. And Ellen is a pretty fantastic person to boot. Ellen's audio interview for No Reservations Required in on www.armchairinterviews.com under Audio Interviews.
3. The Kitchen Boy is by Robert Alexander (a.k.a. R.D. Zimmerman). Alexander spent years researching the final days of the Tsar Nikolai and his family. In this novel he presents a fascinating account of what might have really happened to the family and the millions in jewels. And the twist and turns will keep you turning the pages. It's a book you'll want to keep forever. R.D. Zimmerman is also a Minnesota writer and is fantastic. Whatever he writes, read it and you won't be sorry!
4. Eudora Welty: A Biography is by Suzanne Marrs. Eudora Welty created some of the finest short fiction ever written. She also had an interesting life that shines through in this exhaustive book. It is a real tribute to this icon of literature. It is a must read!
5. Sandpaper People is by Mary Southerland. We all have people in our lives who are difficult; who rub us the wrong way. Sandpaper People are those difficult relationships God often uses to upset our plans and redirect us to doing His purpose. It's a book we could all do well to read and put the techniques into practice.
6. The Silence of the Loons is a mystery anthology written by 13 Minnesota Crime Writers including Ellen Hart, Judith Guest (Ordinary People), William Kent Krueger, David Housewright, Carl Brookins, M.D. Lake, Mary Logue, Monica Ferris, K.J. Erickson, Lori L. Lake, Deborah Woodworth, Kerri Miller and Pat Dennis. Each writer was required to use at least four clues or elements in their individual story of the eight provided. This book is a blast! I challenge you to figure out the clues! This is a September release.
7. Tabula Rasa is by Shelly Reuben. If you like full-bodied, complex characters and wonderful plots, then this book is for you. Arson investigator Billy Nightingale, on a ride-a-long with his brother-in-law Sebastian Bly, a state trooper, is called to the "ugly" house in Sojourn. Two young children are dead as a result of a house fire. But what they find and learn will set the wheels turning for the finale years later. Shelly Reuben's audio interview is on www.armchairinterviews.com/past-guests/audio/ . Listen and learn oh so much about the writing life and her new book.
8. Deadwood by Pete Dexter is one of his finest novels ever. An aging William "Wild Bill" Cody rode into Deadwood (in the Black Hills) in 1876, and it was in Deadwood that he was murdered on August 2, 1876. While Wild Bill dies, the people and situations in Deadwood revolve around him as a man and the 'legend.' And it is the very essence of Wild Bill's personality that runs through the book. Dexter divides Deadwood into four parts. The first is Bill Cody, next is China Doll (a beautiful Chinese woman), then Bill's wife Agnes Lake, and finally Calamity Jane. This is not your typical western.
What Is Connie Reading?
Some days it is the back of the aspirin bottle, trying to juggle being a copy editor and business writer in my day job, and Armchair Interviews as this second exciting business that fills the rest of the day.
You know how there was Martin and Lewis, Abbott and Costello and George and Gracie? Well, every good character needs a straight man, a front man to set up the jokes and keep the funny one supplied with ideas and a platform to practice them on. I'm that to my partner, Andrea. She's a hoot - never an unexpressed thought.
I am funny in my own right, just ask my dog! One day I told Andrea that I was running as fast as I could but would never catch up with her. She can do a bazillion reviews as she loves to read, reading quickly while I am a plodder.
I love to read about real people and real situations. If a good novel comes my way, I'll enjoy it, but give me a meaty historical story or an interesting business book or a personal story that grabs my very being.
This month I am highly recommending:
My Life With Mother: A Journey of Love, Death and Rebirth (PageFree Publishing, Inc.) Author and journalist Myriam Maytorena took care of her almost-100-year-old dying mother. She did an amazing job of explaining the role of at-home caretaker, and how the roles and rules changed. Everyone should read this if they intend to caretake an aging relative. Her explanations and situations are the things no one tells a family, areas that are looming mini-disasters. Here's just one startling statistic: By 2015, there will be more that 350,000 people over age 85 in America. Will you become a caretaker?
On Hitler's Mountain: Overcoming a Legacy of a Nazi Childhood by Irmgard A. Hunt (William Morrow/Harper Collins Publishing). Imgard's memoir is about growing up on the road that Hitler passed to go to his Eagle's Nest compound in Berchtesgaden. She details the how and why the common German people turned to him for a brighter future, and what they did and didn't do when they realized how wrong their support was. Fascinating look at history from a child's viewpoint. When Hitler wanted someone's home and they would not move, the soldiers simply removed the roof, even in winter. Her photos added a great deal of reality. When she moved to New York City as an adult, the sound of airplanes still freaked her. I have two women friends, one who lived in Danzig, Germany and the other in Holland during WWII, who also tell that yet today airplane sounds bring memories rushing back. This made the story very real to me.
Sinatra: The Life by Anthony Summers and Robbyn Swan. Since I have not read any other Sinatra biographies, I learned a lot. If you are an all-out, unabashed Sinatra fan, you'll find some of the info about his Mafia connections and difficult love relationships interesting. If you think he was an amazing singer from day one, you'll learn it took a lot of hard, hard work and a tremendous drive - and help from his mother's political connections to get him a break because of the Mafia's control of entertainment then. As I said in the review: regardless of the breaks, his voice and his phrasing is what I love most, and with me he earned (and will keep) his reputation as an amazing crooner.
HEY READERS!
Consider ordering reviewed books through Armchair Interviews' link to Amazon by simply clicking on the Amazon icon by each review.
We now have over 200 reviews posted on Amazon. To see them all, go to one of our books, and then click: See all my reviews. It will bring up the entire list.
Check out our easy-to-use Great Reviews section on www.armchairinterviews.com. Have a wonderful month reading all these fine books. More recommended will be on our list next month. We can't wait!
If you can't find something wonderful to read from all our reviews ... then could we recommend the back of your cereal box?
Highlight on Minnesota Publisher: Nodin Press
Armchair Interviews reviews a lot of Minnesota books, so this month we've interviewed a Minnesota publisher, Norton Stillman of Nodin Press.
Nodin Press publishes only books either by Minnesota authors or about Minnesota. They publish poetry, memoirs, essays, non-fiction and cookbooks (but no fiction). Stillman said that because he is a "state booster," he tries to publish books that enhance the image of the state. He also works with authors he's known for years or who are well-known in the state. They work directly with the authors, not through agents. They publish from five to ten books each year, some printings are 1,000, others 7,500, and then second printings, if it's selling well.
Stillman has an editor on staff as well as a final proofreader to make sure the best quality book is published. He continued, "I always say it can take longer to birth a book than a baby. Some are done in less than six months if all goes very well, while others take a year and even two years from start to finish."
Nodin's market is Minnesota readers. Often the author sells many books directly through their speeches, book signings and groups. Nodin also helps their authors promote their books by contacts with radio and TV stations to get interviews, sending review copies and arranging autograph/signings at local book stores.
However, Stillman said, it is vital that an author self-promotes to sell books. The biggest mistakes authors make, he added, is thinking they can get rich writing a book; that they can sell more than they actually can.
Nodin Press was born when Stillman stopped running the Bookman distribution company. He simply missed the creativity of books and wanted to continue his involvement with them. The first book he published was haiku poetry, and enjoyed seeing a book come together, starting with a good cover design. He has also developed many wonderful friendships with the authors.
All Nodin books are distributed through Adventure Publishing in Cambridge, Minnesota. They sell through Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
Stillman says, "With big box stores selling at 45% off list, it's almost cheaper for a small bookstore to buy books at Costco or Sam's Club than from a distributor. Lucky for bookstores, they have strong, loyal followers who like the book signing events and being part of supporting a certain store."
Watch for the exciting launch of The Silence of the Loons, published by Nodin Press. In this, 13 of Minnesota's crime writers each submitted a short story. It is really a grand read.
Paperback T or False Answers
1) True. Legend has it that the publisher made that decision when he tossed
a quarter into a toll machine.
2) True and false. The test marketing was done with Pearl S. Buck's The Good
Earth. However the official first novel (of a list of 10) was Hilton's Lost
Horizon.
3) True. Free books were distributed to GIs during the war years through Armed
Services Edition.
4) False. A book first published in 1946, Dr. Benjamin Spock's Common Sense
Book of Baby and Child Care, is generally considered the all-time sales leader.