Since so many of our readers often ask how one becomes a book reviewer, we decided to take this opportunity to explain in a bit more detail. If after you have read this page and have familiarized yourself with our current procedures and staff and would like to become a reviewer, feel free to contact us for more details. The majority of our reviewers are aspiring authors who not only have a love for the genre and reading, but are hoping to get their own material published eventually. Since we distribute a large number of sample copies to editors, publicists, authors, bookstores, etc., the reviewers are building name recognition, and making some very good, helpful contacts that may prove beneficial futher down the road. All of our reviewers donate their time and energy toward the New-Age Bookshelf and at this point in time do not receive payment for their reviews. For the reviewers as well as the rest of the staff, this is a labor of love--one that would not be possible without the help and dedication from our devoted staff and readers. We pay our reviewers in the form of free subscriptions and books. Since this is a new business which has only been in circulation for a little under a year, we hope those of you interested in reviewing for the New-Age Bookshelf will be patient. As the magazine gains more notoriety and continues to grow, are goal is to have a fully-paid staff. But again, we cannot do this without your support. If this is something you are interested in, please send all queries requesting a reviewer questionnaire/packet to: New-Age Bookshelf, P.O. Box 631912 Houston, Texas 77263 (Please include a S.A.S.E for response) NOW---Let's meet the staff! Connie Stamych is a 26 year old full time wife, student AND mother of a new 3 month old baby boy named Zach. living in Omaha, Nebraska. Connie's major in college is psychology. She hopes to work as a high school counselor when she graduates. Connie also has dreams of being a published writer. While her favorite genre is romance; particularly fantasy romances involving medeival knights, wizards, witches, fairies and all things "magical," Connie also loves to delve into a good Marion Zimmer Bradley, or Piers Anthony novel when she gets the chance! Connie has been with the New-Age Bookshelf from the very beginning, and we consider her an asset to the magazine. Brenda K. Johnson is another reviewer who has been with us from the get-go. Brenda is a 53 year old grandmother who enjoys needlework, working in her garden---and reading! Brenda says she's been reading ever since she was big enough to hold a book in her hands and has always been fascinated by anything paranormal or a bit "weird". For Brenda, reading is like taking a mini vacation. She can open a book and let the story carry her away to another time and place where anything and everything is possible! Brenda says that's what makes the new-age (sub-genre) romance novels so enjoyable; "a reader knows that this stuff isn't real--we can put the worries of the day behind us, put the terrible stories we've heard on the news out of our mind and forget about some of the horrors that surround us in reality and just enjoy an escape that calls for nothing but time, a little imagination and a love of reading!"The New-Age Bookshelf is thrilled to have this sweet lady helping out with the reviews--she takes on a lot and is very much appreciated. Marti Witherspoon is a 31 year old homemaker living in Houston, Tx who splits her time between her home-based insurance business she shares with her husband, her two small children (ages 2 and 4) and the reading she does for the New-Age Bookshelf. Like Connie, Marti would also like to see some of her manuscripts published down the road. Marti says "I have several stacks of finished stories that I occasionally dust off while cleaning house---one of these days I'm going to actually do something with them!" Marti prefers reading Futuristic Romances & Time Travel Romances, but recently said that she's finding that she enjoys paranormal, too since she started reviewing for us. Karen Goodman is another Houstonian. Karen is 30 years old--unmarried and has no children, although she says she's always looking for "Mr. Right," she just hasn't found him yet. Karen is also an aspiring author. Although she enjoys reading romance novels, she prefers writing in the science fiction and horror genres. Karen is an RN working in the med. center in downtown Houston. When she isn't buried in her work or a good book, Karen enjoys spending time with her brothers and sisters on their parents' ranch in East Texas--we're thrilled to have this talented lady devoting as much time as she does to the reviews column. Karen King (from Redding, CA) is a 51 year old single mother of two - a 19 year old son who is currently in submarine school with the US Navy, and an 18 year old daughter who is a senior in high school. She works full time as an Office Technician with the California Department of Corrections in a Parole Unit in Redding. She has a very interesting job in an office where the days are never boring! But in her spare time, she loves to read. Because of her involvement with law enforcement, her greatest love is romantic mysteries and thrillers, but she loves paranormal love stories as much - vampires, werewolves, witches, warlocks, etc. (she is a big fan of the vampire cop show, Forever Knight). She loves reviewing books, particularly the paranormal books, in hopes that she can help the genre gain more acceptance and give authors with paranormal stories they want to sell a better chance to do so.