Holy Crap, Tune in Tokyo Hit #1 on Amazon UK's Kindle List!

Wow, this was a surprise for the ages. I'm big in England! Or rather, I was fleetingly big in England last Thursday. By the time I found out about it on Friday I was down to #6 and I've been dropping ever since. (Right now I'm #85.) Still, being #1 on this list means I was, for a short time, ahead of Hunger Games! What is the world coming to? I don't even kill any children with a bow and arrow in my book. (Next one, maybe?)

How did it happen? Apparently TiT was a "Daily Deal" or something last week, chosen by the Kindle editors. So it was discounted somewhat. And people love cheap things, especially British people, because powdered wigs are expensive. So hooray for e-coupons or whatever!

The Authors Speak Podcast Interview w/ Yours Truly

Listen to internet radio with theauthorsspeakXcom on Blog Talk Radio

On Saturday I had the pleasure of speaking with Eric Mays of The Authors Speak podcast about my book Tune in Tokyo: The Gaijin Diaries. He liked it! It was a fun conversation, though I must apologize for all the "uh"s and "kind of"s and such. Takes me a while to get to some of my points, but I do think I get to most of them. And who doesn't like to take the scenic route? Okay, most people, but give me a break, it was my first live interview! And I managed to get through it without calling Eric a slut or a prostitute, which I consider a victory.

Anyway, thanks, Eric!

The Advocate Reviews Tune in Tokyo!

Well this is a thrill. America's oldest gay magazine, The Advocate, has given Tune in Tokyo a great review. I came of age reading this magazine (well, flipping through it in hopes of finding dirty pictures), so I'm so excited they've given me a shout out. :)

Tune in Tokyo Reviewed on a Website Called City Book Review (??)

Hey, I'll take it! Didn't even know this was happening, but then it turned up in my Google alert.

Tune in Tokyo Reviewed in Tokyo's Metropolis Magazine

Yay! This is Tokyo's #1 English-language magazine and I'm thrilled to get all written up in there. Those of you who have read TiT may remember me mentioning this publication in the chapter "...And on Drums." I used its classified listings to find musicians to play with.

Anyway, you can read the review here.

Holy Crap, I'm on Andrew Sullivan's Blog!

Wow, this is really quite something. I've been reading Andrew Sullivan's blog religiously for about 5 years, ever since he became the only conservative voice out there who wasn't a completely delusional nutbag. In fact, he's one of the most clear-thinking and intellectually honest writers I've ever encountered. Anyway, one of the great things about his blog is that, though it's heavily weighted towards politics, it also covers a lot of other great topics that are out there--among them religion vs. atheism, marijuana use among MANY Americans, scientific debates, and, most importantly, the Pet Shop Boys. It's all there. And one of his pet topics is how much he loathes the publishing industry. He did a video response last week to a reader who asked why he hates the publishing industry so much, which was fun. I wrote a letter to him and his team in response and yesterday they ran the letter and, even though I didn't mention the name of the book in my letter (I dropped big clues, but I didn't want to be too unseemly--it's bad to dress like a pimp when you're pimpin'), they actually found the book on Amazon and included hyperlinks for folks to buy it OMG!

Truly, truly a thrill to be on that blog. I love it dearly. It has done a lot to keep me sane over the past decade. Plus, he's as obsessed with Sarah Palin as I am.

Oh Yeah, and Before We Move on to 2012, Tune in Tokyo Was Named One of Publisher's Weekly's Favorite Reads of 2011!

It's true. Capping off a great year for TiT, Publisher's Weekly swooped in at the last minute and made my Christmas. I LOVE the first sentence of this blurb, which is a backhanded compliment of the first order: "Since this is “favorite” rather than “best”, I’d single out Tune in Tokyo by Tim Anderson as a laugh aloud treat."

PW has been so kind to Tune in Tokyo over the past year, for which I extend my heartfelt ありがとうず。I'm available for guest columns, interviews, and topless centerfolds should the need arise, y'all. Just let me know!