I'm thrilled to be participating in the 2011 Armchair BEA! This is a special event for all the bloggers and readers who aren't able to travel to New York this week for the big Book Expo America, but want to participate in some of the fun and excitement of the week. There will be a different topic every day that will be addressed by hundreds of bloggers, and promises to be a lot of fun!
Today's topic is "Who Are You And Why Do You Armchair BEA?"
I am Sharon Galligar Chance, and I have been a book review blogger for going on 3 years now. But I have been reviewing books for the past 15 years for my local newspaper, the Wichita Falls Times Record News, and for several print and online publications, including the Las Vegas Review Journal, Ventura County Star, and FreshFiction.com.
I am also a freelance entertainment journalist. I've written well over 2,000 articles covering everything from concert and movie reviews to museum openings to interviewing some of the top musicians performing today, including members of Bon Jovi and Guns and Roses.
But my true love lies in the world of books. A voracious reader from a young age, I began reviewing books at the urging of my sister-in-law, Sue Chance, who was a big fan of the Oprah Winfrey Book Club. What began as a simple fun attempt at sharing my views of books I enjoyed has developed into a work of passion, and I consider myself very lucky to be able to devote my life to reading, reviewing, and sharing my love of books.
A bit of trivia - I am a distant relative of the great Edgar Allan Poe on my parental grandmother's side of the family.
Why am I not at BEA? Several reasons, the foremost being that I am still caring for my mother who fell and broke her hip this past winter. She is recovering nicely, but I just didn't feel comfortable about being gone that long from her right now. But I plan to enjoy the Armchair BEA as much as possible, and one of these days I'll make it to the actual event in person!
So, take a look around. I'm glad you've stopped by! Follow if you'd like - I am on Google Friends Connect, Networking Blogs, and Twitter (SharonChance). There's always something fun going on with giveaways, author interviews, and reviews!
