Welcome to Armchair BEA Week 2011!

This week I am participating in Armchair BEA. What is that you ask?

Well, it's an offshoot of BEA, Book Expo America, a huge annual event where publishers, editors, authors, reviewers. etc come together for a week. New and upcoming books are revealed, there are panels and workshops, book signings, and many many more book-related events. It's a big deal. But of course, not everyone who wants to attend is able to. This is where Armchair BEA comes in.

Armchair BEA was formed in 2010 by 5 bloggers who were disappointed to be missing BEA and decided to do something about it.They thought that with today's technology, that they, and we, could still experience BEA from the comfort of their own homes ... and Armchair BEA was created!


This year, 350+ bloggers signed up top participate, including myself. Each day this week, Monday through Friday, I will have a post related to Armchair BEA up. The Armchair BEA blog and site will also have posts up every day, giveaways, and opportunities to network.


So why did I sign up?

Well, since going to BEA wasn't a viable option due to work and finances, this seemed like a good way to participate and maybe meet some new people. I looked at the list of blogs and only a few were familiar to me so I hope that I will find new to me blogs and make new friends and acquaintances.


I'll be joining in this week on my laptop, after work. I'll have to pop in and out, due to other commitments but I'll be around as much as I'm able. If I were at the "live" BEA I'd be spending most of my time at the booths, checking out the books and talking to authors. Since I can't do that, I';; spend my Armchair time reading posts on other blogs, talking to other bloggers and reviewers and generally being social. That's not exactly one of my strengths but I'm going to try.


Now, for those of just stopping by, who don't know anything about me, the obligatory intro:

I have been reviewing books for about a year now. I started out doing some guest reviews at The Falcata Times; then, with advice from Has at The Book Pushers, I began doing some reviews that were posted at my personal blog and then I started this blog, just for reviews and other book-related items. I review pretty much anything that I read, I don't really have a specialty. Lately I've been reading a lot of fantasy, particularly urban and paranormal fantasy so that's been reflected in my reviews. Also, romances, eroticas, mysteries, and some childrens and non-fiction. Just about anything is fair game. :D I also review over at Book Lovers Inc under the name The Charmed Lover.

When I'm not reading or blogging, I teach two and three year olds at an early childhood center. I occasionally volunteer with Habitat for Humanity, am not as active as I should be in my church :P, and make and sell soaps and other body care products at Bea's Bubbles. I enjoy playing and snuggling with my cat, hanging out with my friends, watching movies, and being lazy. I also mod on a couple of author discussion boards.

I don't remember how old I was when I started reading but I can't remember NOT reading. My mother was an English teacher and both she and my father enjoyed reading. We had books all over the house and made regular trips to the library. Reading has always been both a hobby and a passion for me.

So, that's the story of me and my blogging and what I hope to get out of Armchair BEA. What about you? :)