Armchair BEA 2011 Let's Get it Started!

This is the first day of the Armchair BEA. I'm so excited and thrilled to be participating. The BEA conference is for book bloggers from the comfort of their favorite chair.  Those of us who aren't able to attend in New York for Book Expo America (BEA) or the Book Blogger Convention, are celebrating with a conference of our own.

The topic today from the Armchair BEA is....introducing yourself to other bloggers. I chose to do mine in interview format.


Who are you and how do you do Armchair BEA? 

I'm Lena. I love reading. I love writing more. But what way to have a medium where I can do both. I blog about just about all things books, reviews and interviews. I love having giveaways and finding book bargains for other readers. To do Armchair BEA, just go to the blog and sign up. Follow the daily discussions and post on other blogs that are participating. It's a great way to network with other blogs.


What is your favorite genre?

My favorite genre to read would be mainstream fiction. I will review just about any form of fiction aside from children's or middle grade. And I never review non-fiction. I am now loving dystopian and mystery novels; an affection I got from visiting other blogs.


Tell us a little about yourself aside from blogging?

I am a writer and a poet. My first contribution in book form debuted May 21, 2011 called "The Poetic Lounge." It is a complilation of 20 poets from around the world. I am thrilled to be apart of it. I also have my own book due this fall titled, "Waiting on Heaven." I am also a wife, mother of five and a political scientist. I love watching C-Span (I'm probably the only one watching but eh).


Tell us an Interesting fact about yourself?  

I own nearly 750 books. So I'm glad I recently got an Ipad to store new books. My favorite app is Flipboard and my favorite games are Jeopardy and Angry Birds (I feel an addiction coming on.)


If you could put a book in anyone's hand, which book would that be?

"Sugar" by Bernice L. McFadden. That book is the first novel I read non-stop as an adult. It made me think, it kept me awake, it fueled my desire to be a writer. It was literally the first time I said, "I wish I had written that." I've since read it a dozen times and bought it half a dozen times to give away as gifts.


Do you have any special meme's or themes?

Yes, I do a Friday's Free Books for Kindle. Every Friday I list books that are free for Kindle, and you don't need an ereader to read them, you can download the Kindle app to your computer or cellphone and still enjoy the free books.


What can we expect from your blog in the future?

Videoblogging is next. I hope to feature my first video blog from Youtube this week. So look out for it. And hopefully continuing the same path of dedication to books, readers and writers, while switching it up occassionally. For example, some Fridays, I may not do a Free Kindle because I have something interesting to post like a giveaway, contest or writing tips. But one thing I don't do is stagnation. I get bored easily, so I have to have fresh ideas and I love it when readers help me decide what to blog about.


What's the best thing about blogging?

Meeting new people. I've met some great bloggers that I've had the pleasure of connecting with. I've yet to meet them in person, but I want to. It's like a sisterhood. I can't go throughout the day without checking my google reader and commenting on their blog. It's the first thing I do every morning and the last thing I do at night. I want them to know, I'm thinking about them and I care about what they have to say and what they have to offer. Blogging is time consuming and it's nice to know the effort put into it has an audience, even if it's an audience of one. It matters.


If you could have dinner with any author, who would it be?

That's a hard question. But I can narrown it down to three. Toni Morrison, Maya Angelou and Terry McMillan.


Below are some photos of me, the first is with some friends from The Alabama Writers Conclave and the other is from a wedding I just attended.

 Please let me know if you are doing the Armchair BEA, so I can stop by your blog. If you are not, then just tell me something about yourself so I can get to know you better.

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Also don't forget to check out the current book giveaways. We are giving away three bestselling novels. Click HERE for more details

• The Room by Emma Donoghue
• The Help by Kathryn Stockett
• Midnight and the Meaning of Love by Sista Souljah