Armchair Interviews

April Fool's Day Contest Winners Announced

The winners have already been told they were selected by our committee as having the three best stories. Our committee is enjoying this little project we give them once in a while.

The stories had to have an April Fool's Day theme. Thanks to everyone who entered.

The winners are:

• First Place: Linda Lee of Milledgeville, Georgia, "Hints from the Animal Kingdom"
• First Honorable Mention: Elysabeth Eldering of Honea Path, South Carolina, "The Proposal"
• Second Honorable Mention: Valeria Fentess, Houston, Texas, "How the Blue Bird of Happiness Flew South"

Linda and Elysabeth are also two of our valued reviewers. When our committee judges the entries, no names are on the submissions so everyone has the same chance of winning.

Winners...thanks for entering and for entertaining us. These three stories are now posted on And the Winner Is on the web site.

New Genre Added: Graphic Novels (that is, comics as a book)

When we received our first request to review a "Graphic Novel," we were shocked. Now we're just laughing.

Graphic novel stories are told with graphics (not naughty words or excessive violence)--that is: cartoon-like drawings and hand lettering. Okay, most of us would call them (albeit long) comics for adults in a magazine or bound-book format. Graphic novels often feature "word" or "thought" balloons, stories broken into sequential panels where you start at the top and read across and then down.

However, the amount of work involved, the storytelling mastery--and the ability to pull the two together--that's what people enjoy about comics.

Where comics are "kids stuff," sometimes, graphic novels imply "adult content," but not always. Like the jesters of ancient royal courts, comics often "tell the truth."

I love comics--or at least those I've followed for years. Being a dog lover, BUCKLES is my all-time favorite. That said, I am about to review five graphic novels and one has words but it is "alien speak." This means that the artist's drawing ability will have to get me to understand and appreciate the story.

Watch for my reviews of:

• A.L.I.E.E.E.N by Lewis Trondheim
• Sardine in Outer Space by Guibert and Sfar
• The Fate of the Artist by Eddie Campbell
• Deogratias: A Tale of Rwanda by J.P. Stassen
• Vampire Loves by Joann Sfar

I'm excited about this new genre and we hope you will, too. Perfect for "boys and girls" who have part of them that never grew up. Andrea and I are going to give them to our two sons who kind of fit that description...but we're not naming names! --Connie

"I love writing at a gallop because
it leaves my internal critic behind."

-- Viriginia Woolf

Now Accepting Ads In Our Ezine & Web Site

Who should advertise? Authors, workshops/seminars/classes, writer's products, etc. etc. etc.

So if you wish to place an ad in the ezine or the web, write the copy of 50 words or fewer and make sure you have a way for them to contact you. NEW!! NEW!! Starting with this ezine, we are adding a $50 design fee for Connie and our trusty "web guy" to get the ad prepared and posted.

The ezine ads will always be at the end of the ezine. The web ads will be on the book review main page.

If your market is readers or writers, they will know about you.

Fee is $35 paid in advance by check (only) to CASI Publishing, LLC (that's Armchair Interviews mother ship). Ezine deadline is 25th of each month. PAY FOR 3 AND GET 1 MORE FREE.

Web ad placement has no specific deadline. They will be placed when received. Fee is $35 paid in advance, same as above, for 30 days posting. on both of these the design is one time so you might want to say that in some way.

GET NOTICED--advertise in our ezine and reach our very niche market that might be ideal for your product or service.

Write Connie@ArmchairInterviews.com for mailing address.

"Every author at one time was a first-time author."

-- Rick Frishman, Author 101: Best Selling Book Proposals

"For-a-Fee" Audio Interview Opportunities

Publishers, if you want to really promote an author--or authors, schedule an interview yourself, we post the interview on our web site for 90 days, or 180 days, depending on which plan you purchase.
They are then available for download to list on your MP3 or IPOD (i.e., podcasting).

With over 1,000 book reviews posted, we believe Armchair Interviews has given a great service to publishing houses and to independent authors/publishers.

Our 15-20 minute audio interview is be posted on our web site--and is a good use of your marketing dollars. Contact us for details.

Write to Connie@ArmchairInterviews.com . Please email (rather than call) to give us records for our files.

Thanks for considering Armchair Interviews as part of your marketing plan.

Writer's Digest Contest Announced

The 14th Annual Writer's Digest International Self-Published Book Awards is now accepting entries!

This from Writer's Digest:

Gain international exposure for your book! Catch the attention of prospective editors and publishers!

Writer's Digest is searching for the best self-published books of the past few years. Whether you're a professional writer, a part-time freelancer or a self-starting student, here's your chance to enter the only competition exclusively for self-published books!

We're looking for the best self-published books in these categories:

• Mainstream/Literary Fiction
• Genre Fiction
• Nonfiction
• Life Stories
• Children's Picture Books
• Inspirational
• Reference Books
• Poetry
• Middle-Grade/Young Adult Books

Visit http://www.writersdigest.com/specialoffers.asp?DMselfpub040706 today for a complete list of prizes and rules, plus an online entry form!

Our Reviewers Get "Kudos"

REMINDER: If you have favorite reviewers, you can type their name in the Search section on our Great Reviews page and find all their reviews--even if you are looking up your own name.

REVIEWER: Jeff Foster

Thanks for a great review of THE SERIAL KILLERS CLUB. It's terrific that Jeff Foster got exactly what the book was about. All the best,

Jeff Povey, England, UK Author of THE SERIAL KILLERS CLUB

REVIEWER: Liz Sagui

Thank you so much for providing such a great review for WEEKEND ENTREPRENEUR. I didn't want you to think that your kind words were not appreciated. As a first-time author I don't take anything for granted and like the distinction you made that this is a worthwhile read.

Michelle Anton Author WEEKEND ENTREPRENEUR

REVIEWER: Liz Sagui

Thanks so much for letting me know that LITTLE LIBRARY MOUSE was posted. And, what a review! The author is floored.

Brown Books Publishing Group says: Armchair Interviews rocks!

Brian Brown Brown Books Publishing Group

REVIEWER: Kathy Perschmann

Good morning, Robin P. Williams here. I just wanted to thank you for such a nice review on Amazon about SWEET SWAN OF AVON: DID A WOMAN WRITE SHAKESPEAR?

I truly appreciate your taking the time to read the book and taking the time to put a review on Amazon. Of course, I am also thrilled that it was a positive review.

Robin Williams Author, SWEET SWAN OF AVON

REVIEWER: Julie Faila Earhart

Julie Failla Earhart's Armchair Interviews review of SPEAK RIGHT ON: A DRED SCOTT NOVEL appears in its entirety on http://www.speakrighton.com/index.htm

One of Our Reviewers Writes of Personal Experience

By Yuka Mizushima

I looked forward to reading and reviewing DEAR MISS BREED. I had a personal interest in this subject as my own Japanese-American grandparents were interned in Alberta, Canada during WWII. Reading DEAR MISS BREED gave me a deeper understanding of what it was like to be a Japanese American during that time. Political cartoons and letters to the editor were filled with anti-Japanese sentiment and I sympathized with how difficult it was for my family then.

What really resonated with me was the explanation of why the older generations do not like to talk about what life was like in the internment camps. They believed the propaganda of the 1940s, how they could prove their patriotism and loyalty by making great sacrifices for national security. This book allows for dialogue between generations about issues of war, racism and what it means to be a good citizen.

DEAR MISS BREED also reminded me how one person can have such a positive impact on other people's lives. During a time where it was not uncommon to say or hear things like, "Send the Japs" home, Clara Breed affirmed each child's value by writing to them and sending them care packages. She offered friendship and wanted each child to have confidence in themselves.

Librarian Miss Breed worried about how being interned would affect the future generation, "Those hardest hit by evacuation in its permanent effect on their idealism and morale are the children and the age group from 15-21." (p.127). Libraries and books provide ways to educate and improve the mind and spirit without fear of discrimination. She lived this philosophy by sharing her loved of literacy and books with the children she knew. Her acts of courage and kindness were still fondly remembered, more than 45 years later. I am reminded of a quote, "A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was,
the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove...
but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child."
-- Unknown

I hope readers are inspired by Clara Breed and strive to ensure all children have access to literacy, books and an adult who believes in them.

The difference between the right word
and the almost right word
is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.

--Mark Twain

Up Close and Personal--Our Reviewers

SARRA BORNE, Dallas, Texas

Sarra's parents taught her to read when she was three. Since then she almost always is to be found with a book in her hand. Although she considered becoming a librarian while choosing a career path in college, her other love won out.

By profession, Sarra is a veterinary technician and she has worked with all creatures great and small. Her last full-time job was with the Dallas Zoo where she assisted the veterinarians in maintaining the health of their collection. A typical day included collecting blood from the rhinos, vaccinating the tigers, assisting with minor surgery on the meerkats and explaining to the pubic why the camel looks so scruffy. (Camels lose their winter hair-coat in pieces, so for a few weeks in the spring they look pretty moth eaten)

She left working full time in 2005 when she married her best friend David. Now she contents herself with her menagerie of retired racing greyhounds, housecats, guinea pigs, hamsters, and fish. All that plus a part-time job with the local animal shelter keeps her pretty busy.

Her other hobbies include cross-stitching and knitting. She is involved with the online chapter of the Embroiders Guild of America, and often volunteers to coordinate their group correspondence courses.

Sarra's reading tastes are eclectic and varied. She'll read almost anything including cereal boxes and phone books if all else fails. Her favorite genres are science fiction, fantasy, horror and psychological thrillers.

Some of her favorites read in the past year include: A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore, His Majesty's Dragons by Naomi Novik, I Am Charlotte Simmons by Tom Wolfe, The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde, and The People's Act of Love by James Meek.

Writing reviews for Armchair has made her a better reader. It makes her slow down and really engage with the book so that she can write about them later.

Sarra is active in the Bookcrossing community. One of her reading goals this year is to read and pass on 50 books originating from other bookcrossers. She thinks the Bookcrossing philosophy of making the world a library is a fantastic idea, but hasn't had a lot of success (yet!) in getting her community involved. That doesn't stop her from leaving books anywhere and everywhere in hopes of encouraging others to pick them up, read them and pass them on.

LINDA LEE, Milledgeville, Georgia

Her parents said that even as a toddler, she wouldn't go to bed without a book--to be read upside down and in the dark. She is still that way, to an extent, as she never goes to sleep without at least a few pages before lights out.

Reading tastes are eclectic--having run through biographies, true crime, romances, Christian, humor and mystery. Favorite current authors include Janet Evanovich and Robert Parker. When nothing else presents itself, she will read cereal boxes, cleaning product labels, and the free real estate booklets. She's been known to carry Reader's Digest in the glove box of her car--just in case.

Writing is something she has always done, as well. Her first song was penned at the age of eight. While the rest of the song has been lost over time, the chorus is still as revolutionary as it ever was:

East, West, over the rainbow.
East, West, over the sea.
Making a wish on that rainbow.
Won't you bring back my baby to me?

The influence of Smokey Robinson, as well as John, Paul, George and Ringo, is obvious, isn't it?

Linda and her family--husband, son, Black Lab and black cat, as well as a nest of birds on the carport, make their home in middle Georgia. Having lived most of her life in the beautiful Bluegrass State, the last few years have been a real adjustment. Palmetto bugs and rattlesnakes are things she finds hard to assimilate. After years of restaurant management, she spent the last three years as an insurance agent, but is now working from home where she makes handmade soaps and lotions.

In the process of raising her second only child, (there were twenty-two years between her first- and second-born children) Linda is trying now to share her love of reading with a resistant eight-year-old boy. Anyone with proven tips on this matter is encouraged to contact her.

We appreciate you both, Sarra and Linda--and keep sending us the great reviews. -- Andrea and Connie

What's Andrea Reading?

Spring is here and I have returned from Arizona following a wonderful and sunny winter. Minnesota is once again beautiful, green and lush. I'm happy to be back but always miss our desert home.

I've been reading some wonderful books and want to share some of them.

REAL WOMEN EAT CHILES by Jane Butel and published by Northland Press is stunning. It is not just a cookbook but features profiles of women who regularly include chiles in their diets. It also includes a section about the origins and curative properties of chiles. Each recipe includes the per serving calorie count, protein content, carbohydrate grams, fiber content, saturated fat amount, and cholesterol and sodium content. And the recipes? WeLL, they are to die for. I hate cooking but love cookbooks. And this cookbook is one I use all the time. I love it!

MADAM MIRABOU'S SCHOOL OF LOVE by Barbara Samuel and published by Ballantine Books is a novel for all women who have loved, sacrificed themselves to that love and then lost it. It is a story that will resonate deep within a woman's soul. Nikki Carrington's house exploded due to a faulty furnace. The house was the only thing of value left from her eighteen-year marriage. Now, her ex's new wife is living her life and she's ensconced in a land called panic, fear and anxiety. She heads to an apartment complex nicknamed Splitsville and begins her journey to a new life with different friends, a new love and an awakening of her creative spirit. You'll love this novel.

BITTER IS THE NEW BLACK by Jen Lancaster and published by New American Library/Penguin Group is the read of the beach season. It's both memoir and chick lit. Interesting combination, huh? That's what I thought. One of our great reviewers, Erica Marston, reviewed it for Armchair Interviews and I became so interested I bought my own copy. Lancaster's humorous book is an account of her decline from a privileged and extravagant life, to unemployment, the loss of her luxury apartment and then on to her awakening to what is really important in life. This self-proclaimed egomaniacal, self-centered, smart-ass will make you laugh out loud. You might hate her or love her, but you won't be bored. Her popular blog is www.jensylvania.com.

FAQ for Authors on Our Web Site

We have established some simple and easy-to-follow guidelines for publicists, publishers and authors to directly request a book review.

Read them on the Authors Place page of our Web site.

Buy Your Books, Music & Etc. Through Us--
It helps us (sort of) cover our expenses.

=============================

SPREADING THE WORD

Paid Advertising Disclaimer: Armchair Interviews (CASI Publishing, LLC) does not represent or endorse the accuracy or reliability of any of the paid advertisements above or the quality of any products, information, or other materials displayed, purchased, or obtained by you as a result of an offer in connection with any ad. Please do your own due diligence before purchasing any product.

Want your ad here? Reach readers, writers and authors with products or services, newsletters, workshops, classes, etc. etc. Contact Connie@ArmchairInterviews.com

Introductory pricing April-June 2006--pay for three months and get one free.

EXPERIENCED EDITOR SEEKING AUTHORS! Writers, need a trained eye to prevent grammar, content and flow problems before submitting projects? Experienced in copyediting books and materials of all kinds. References available. Fast editing and turnaround with reasonable rates. For details, Connie Anderson--Connie@WordsandDeedsInc.com or 952-835-4731

From Our Armchair to Yours ...