Not what you would call an "expert," but I grow them every year, so I have a fair amount of experience.

Full sun is a great start. Pots are also good, provided they are large enough to support the roots, which grow quite large when the plants really take off, as plants directly in the ground tend to collect slugs, especially when the fruit starts kicking.

I suggest you wait until at least May to plant (or buy starts, which I usually do). June may be even better. The freezing isn't much of a risk by mid-April, but as you know, the rain doesn't slow down around here until June, and too much rain early in the season can cause the roots to rot or develop mold, neither of which is good. When you do plant, mix some good compost/chicken poop/steer manure/etc. into your soil. If the rain doesn't take care of it for you, make sure the plants get a good watering after planting, to prevent the fertilizer from "burning" them. They will probably look a little sad the first week or two, while they adjust to the new digs, but don't worry; they're pretty hardy and will generally come back with a vengeance very soon.

Because our growing season is relatively short, I recommend sticking with small-to-medium varieties. Cherry tomatoes do great. Romas and Early Girls are good choices in the small slicer category. If you find heirloom plants, give one a shot. Sometimes those do pretty good, and the fruit they produce is amazing. There is a variety of fist-sized slicers from Oregon that I have had good success with; the name escapes me now. I quit messing with big slicers like Beefsteaks years ago; you're lucky to get one good tomato before the plants wilt and die in this climate.

Beware the temptation of growing too many plants. Once they start fruiting, especially the small varieties that do best here, they are relentless. You will probably not eat more fruit than three or four plants will provide, and even at that number you're likely to have some to share with friends.

Lastly (this one's somewhat controversial), if you see the frosts of fall approaching fast and still have nothing but green tomatoes on your plants, don't be afraid to start picking the green ones and placing them on a sunny window sill to ripen over a few days. I've had people tell me that makes garden fresh tomatoes no better than the store-bought ones, but I couldn't disagree more. Besides, fried green tomatoes are delicious, so why not have a few green ones on hand?

If we have a typical transition from spring to summer to fall, you should start getting good fruit in August, and they will keep coming through most of October. Good luck, and enjoy!