Wife, Mommy, Urban Fantasy Author, Artist, Actress, Director... I'm only as old as I feel and I try to see the good in everyone. I take life one day at a time and focus only on the moment I'm in without fear or worry about the past or the future.
Huntsville Comic and Pop Culture Expo April 18-19, 2020 Von Braun Center, 700 Monroe St SW, Huntsville, AL
The 2020 Huntsville Comic & Pop Culture Expo is right around the corner!!!
ABOUT THE EXPO:
I am so excited about this year’s Huntsville Comic & Pop Culture Expo at the VBC. This year is the 5th annual expo and it, like all the years in the past, will be bigger and better than last year. This year, there will be more guests, more cosplay, more gaming, and most likely a surprise or two! I’ve attended as an author all but one year and I can’t wait to be there this year. I hope you’ll visit my table and pick up a copy or two of my books. Remember, books make great gifts. 🙂
COSPLAY:
Cosplay is a staple at the Expo, and one of my favorite parts. Coming from a theatre and film background, I love seeing all the amazing costumes. Embrace your inner-geek, and celebrate your fandom by dressing up or just coming out to enjoy those that do.
Visit Me!
Every year I host an author booth where I sell autographed copies of my books. I’d love to see you there this year!
2020 Guests
Below is just a handful of the guests you’ll enjoy at this year’s expo… expo website for more details and to find a full list of guests.
If you’re an author looking to pitch your story to agents, you need to check out the 2020 Pitch Contest Calendar below! Enter these Pitch Parties or Blog contests for a chance to have an Agent consider and/or critique your work!
The 92nd Academy Awards are over and the winners have all been announced. Which ones surprised you the most? Who did you hope would win, but didn’t? Who were you happiest to see take home an Oscar?
PARASITE
Best Picture
Best Director – Bong Joon Ho
Best Original Screenplay – Bong Joon Ho and Han Jin Won
International Feature Film
JOKER
Best Actor – Joaquin Phoenix
Original Score – Hildur Guonadottir
JUDY
Best Actress – Renee Zellweger
ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD
Supporting Actor – Brad Pitt
Production Design
MARRIAGE STORY
Supporting Actress – Laura Dern
Jojo Rabbit
Adapted Screenplay – Taika Waititi
1917
Best Cinematography – Roger Deakins
Sound Mixing – Mark Taylor and Stuart Wilson
Visual Effects – Guillaume Rocheron, Greg Butler, and Dominic Tuohy
Ford vs. Ferrari
Film Editing – Michael McCusker and Andrew Buckland
Sound Editing – Donald Sylvester
TOY STORY 4
Animated Feature
AMERICAN FACTORY
Best Documentary
LITTLE WOMEN
Best Costume Design – Jacqueline Durran
BOMBSHELL
Makeup and hairstyling – Kazu Hiro, Anne Morgan, and Vivian Baker
ROCKETMAN
Original Song – “I’m Gonna Love Me Again
LEARNING TO SKATEBOARD IN A WAR ZONE IF YOU’RE A GIRL
As an avid reader of fiction (and an author who one day hopes to make the list) I LOVE-LOVE-LOVE checking out the New York Times Best Seller list. So, here it is… The independently ranked top 10 Young Adult selections for February 2020!
If you’ve read any of the TOP 10 selections and recommend them, please comment below and let me know. If you see something you like and plan to pick up a copy, you can do so by clicking on the cover image, the title or the [BUY IT HERE] button.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
#1 One of Use Is Next
by Karen M. McManus
In this sequel to “One of Us Is Lying,” a deadly game of truth or dare via text now plagues the students of Bayview High.
When you purchase a book using a link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission.All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.
As an avid reader of fiction (and an author who one day hopes to make the list) I LOVE-LOVE-LOVE checking out the New York Times Best Seller list. So, here it is… The independently ranked top 10 Fiction selections for February 2020!
If you’ve read any of the TOP 10 selections and recommend them, please comment below and let me know. If you see something you like and plan to pick up a copy, you can do so by clicking on the [BUY IT HERE] button.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
#1 Little Fires Everywhere
by Celeste Ng
An artist with a mysterious past and a disregard for the status quo upends a quiet town outside Cleveland.
Winner of the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for fiction. Nine people drawn to trees for different reasons fight for the last of the remaining acres of virgin forest.
When you purchase a book using a link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission.All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.
I’d like to welcome A.G.R. Goff, author of The Sky Above, to my blog today. She is going to tell us a little about her book, her writing process, and her life.
About A.G.R. Goff A.G.R. Goff is an author who just published her second novel “The sky above”, a dystopian story about the collapse of the world as we know it based on current political conflicts. Goff grew up in East Germany and has since lived in South Africa and the United Kingdom. She is married to an English guy and enjoys British humor and unexpected adventures. When she is not writing or travelling she plays the saxophone.
What is your name and do you write under a pen name? My pen name is A.G.R. Goff. It’s a short version of my real name and I’d like to keep the mystery by not revealing it.
Where do you call home? At the moment, George/South Africa. But I have also lived in Germany and the UK.
Obviously, we know you are an author, but some writers have other jobs as well. Do you have another occupation? Do you believe you’re any good at it? Do you like what you do? I’m also a translator. I like it but my passion is writing.
If it doesn’t bother you, can you let us know what your childhood home looked like? Just a simple flat in an apartment block in East Germany.
Do you have any hobbies, other than writing? What do you enjoy doing? I love my dog, but I guess that’s not really a hobby and I also play the saxophone.
What is your greatest dream? To be able to make a living with my writing.
I think there are a lot of us out there that feel the same way as you. I’d love to make a living with my writing as well. For now, I will settle for just enjoying the craft and sharing with others around me.
What kind of person do you wish you could be? What is stopping you? A sporty person. I guess I’m not passionate enough when it comes to physical exercise.
Not to pry too much, but do you remember your first love? Yes, but we never became a couple. I was 13 and met him when I was out with friends during school holidays. I kept going back to the same public swimming pool, just to see him. He never even looked at me.
What is the most terrible thing that ever happened to you? The death of my 16-year-old nephew. He died of pancreatic cancer.
What or who inspired you to start writing? And how long have you been writing? I always used to read a lot and I guess one day I thought, I can do this. But it took years to finally finish a book. I think I had to become proficient enough in English to feel the passion. My mother tongue is German and I wrote a lot whilst growing up in Germany but I never thought of myself as a writer.
Who is your role model? My mum. She’s an unbelievably strong woman.
What is your greatest fear? To become so sick that I cannot look after myself and my family.
Do you prefer e-books, paperbacks, hard-covers or audio-books? It depends on the mood I’m in. I read a lot from indie authors and that’s mainly e-books but when I’m at an airport I prefer paperbacks. When I walk the dog I listen to audio-books.
Have you ever read a book more than once? And if so what was it? Yes, Stephen King books but only his older stories like Cujo, Carrie, The Shining. I was obsessed with his writing when I was a teenager.
See, now you are speaking my language. Stephen King is my favorite author of all time. I get that his older stories are amazing, they are what made me fall in love with reading. But, if you haven’t already read some of his newer stuff like Mr. Mercedes, Elevation, or 11/22/63 then you should. They are great.
What is your opinion of novellas? They have their place and sometimes it’s nice to finish something quickly.
Have you ever read a book just based on its cover? All the time. When I’m travelling I buy books in stores based first on genre and then the book cover.
What is your favorite film based on a book?The Green Mile
YES! YES! YES! It is SO GOOD!
What is your favorite book genre at the moment? Thriller and Suspense
What books have made it onto your wish list recently? And why?Unspeakable Things by Jess Lourey. A friend recommended it me.
What book are you reading at the moment? And in what format?The Murderer of Cardim by Noah Alexander. I’m doing it to give a review. It turned out to be quite a good story.
If you could invite any four (4) celebrities (alive or dead) to your dinner party, who would you invite and why? Jodi Picoult and Stephen King, just because I love their books. Ray Charles, to talk about music and his life and Jamie Oliver for recipes.
What is the name of your most recent book and if you had to sum it up in 20 or fewer words, what would you say?The Sky Above. A fictional survival story about the end of the world due to recent political events.
Book Cover by Chloe Belle Arts for The Sky Above by AGR Goff
Can the world survive when hate wins? In the year 2021, a religious civil war rocks the world, destroying civilisation and pitting Muslims against Christians. Fear rules as looters and rapists control the streets, and people are killed for nothing more than the colour of their skin. Those who survive are left to starve to death or die from lack of clean water. Brought together by the cruellest of fates, two schoolmates, Mark and Ben—one Christian, one Muslim—band together in a desperate quest for survival. Not knowing who to trust or what the future holds for them, or humankind, they try to stay alive while caring for Ben’s little sister, until a chance encounter changes everything.
Well it is a stunning cover. I would definitely pick this one off the shelf at a bookstore to read the back cover.
How did you come up with the cover? Who designed the cover of your book(s)? I asked a professional graphic designer. Chloe Belle Arts.
Did you listen to any particular songs while writing your book(s)? Not this time. I usually like it quiet but sometimes music can be nice.
How did you come up with the title for your book(s)? It was something one of the characters said in the book and I thought it was a good title.
In your latest novel, who is the lead character and can you tell us a little about him/her? A normal 13-year-old boy who is forced to fight for survival and changes in the process. His whole world is turned upside-down.
What is your character’s greatest strengths? To adapt quickly.
And what are his/her greatest weaknesses? To lose faith.
What are some of his favorite foods? He eats anything he can get his hands on. There is no choice.
What’s a positive quality that your character is unaware that he has? He is good at looking after others without intention.
Will readers like or dislike this character, and why? Probably both because he’s torn between his upbringing and the need for survival.
What first gave you the idea for your latest book? Recent political events and what it could mean.
What is your writing style like? Are you a pantster or a plotter? Definitely a pantster. I never know where my stories begin or end. It just comes to me whilst writing.
Have you come across any specific challenges in writing or publishing? What would you do differently the next time? I’m still learning, so it’s difficult. Writing is very personal, so I wouldn’t change anything. But when it comes to publishing – Maybe learn more about marketing.
Marketing is the hardest part of it for me as well. I’m much more the creative type. Id rather be writing then putting myself out there to post about my books.
Are you a self-published/Indie author or did you publish through a traditional publishing company? Self-published and it’s hard work.
Yes it is. I’ve published 7 novel, working on #8, and I can absolutely say it is’t easy. For those people out there that say anyone can write and publish a book now because of indie-publishing – YOU’RE WRONG! It takes a lot of time, hard work, dedication, blood, sweat, and tears!
If you’re a self-published/Indie author what made you go that route instead of the traditional publishing route? As a new author, it’s almost impossible to publish traditionally even if you have a very good story. A self-publisher has more control, financially and otherwise.
What’s the best advice that you have been given when it comes to writing? Just write every day even if it’s garbage.
What advice would you give someone who wants to start writing? Do a course to get you started and then write, write, write.
Letting Miranda into his house is a big mistake. But aging comedian Dave also has some secrets. Maybe she should never have come looking for answers. As this story about murder, betrayal and dark desires unfolds, things take an unsuspected turn. Things from the past find their way back to the surface and the dead might not be so dead after all.
A diverse collection of short stories attempting to resist categorization. It starts with the love story between a cape-coloured worker and his white boss in South Africa and moves on to a Stasi-agent in East Germany and his struggle to keep secrets. The heroes of these stories are lovers and friends, acquaintances and strangers and they have one thing in common – they want to escape the boredom of their daily lives.
My university degree is in the performing arts; a dual major in Theatre & Communications. Acting has been my passion for a very long time. After college, I moved to Los Angeles, like so many other hopeful young actors, to make a go of it. I booked a few low budget films, a dozen commercials, and a handful of indie-films, but my big break never happened.
Eventually, some life changes took me away from Los Angeles and my dreams of becoming a professional actor. Don’t get me wrong, I did NOT give up on acting. I still do the occasional play, every now and then, when I can make my real job line up with rehearsals. Although, it isn’t the same.
I’ve been away from Los Angeles, and my dreams, for over 15 years now and I still find myself overcome with sadness every time the Academy Awards are on.
How’s that for honesty?!
Truth be told, I have a great life and a family I adore. Plus, I’ve been lucky enough to have found other artistic outlets that bring me true happiness; theatre of course, but also writing.
Last night, while I sat with my son while he watched an episode of Liv and Maddie (Season 2 Episode 2) I found inspiration in something the father said to Maddie, “Just because you can’t do something you love, doesn’t mean you have to stop loving it.”
For the last 15 years, I’ve felt guilty for missing Los Angeles. As if leaving my dreams behind meant that I had to give up that passion. I felt like the ‘move’ was supposed to be easier and that there was something wrong with me because I wasn’t able to just let go of the goals I had been working toward for so long. Last night I realized that it’s ok to hang on to that passion, those goals, those dreams. It’s okay to embrace them not only through theatre but also through other forms of art such as writing.
So, whatever your passion is, know that you don’t ever have to give it up – not fully.
Not all fairy tales start with Once upon a time. Not all fairy tales have a happy ending. Not all fairies fly around like Tinkerbell with fairy dust.
COMING SOON!COMING SOON!COMING SOON!COMING SOON!
Austin discovered at the young age of ten that fairies aren’t exactly what Disney made them out to be and that blood tastes a lot like honey. Now, as an adult, he struggles to balance his public life with the one he’s so desperate to keep hidden. With the death count adding up, will he be able to keep his secret or will his world come undone? In this exciting interactive adventure, you’ll get to decide who lives and who dies. The body count is up to you, are you ready?
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Walt Disney said, “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.”
We’ve all suffered from procrastination at one time or another. We make excuses. We tell ourselves things like, ‘I just don’t have the time right now,’ ‘I’ll get to that later’ or ‘I have other, more important, things to do right now.’ In reality, we are letting our fears of failure stop us from achieving our full potential. As authors, we do this a lot.
Today, I stopped talking and began doing! I let go of my fears, dropped the excuses that I knew were only holding me back, and sat down with my WIP (Work in Progress). I had finished the first draft during NANOWRIMO November 2018 and have since been putting off the much needed edits/re-writes.
Today, instead of putting it off for another day… week… or month, I decided to dedicate two hours this evening to writing. I made it through ten chapters and discovered a burst of creativity I’ve been longing for. I’m motivated in a way I haven’t been for quiet some time. Instead of dreading my next writing session, I’m looking forward to it. Instead of being worried I wont have anything to write, I can’t seen to turn my brain off. Sometimes all it takes is a little coffee and a bit of self-encouragement.
THE INSTANT #1 BESTSELLER IS NOW AVAILABLE IN PAPERBACK!
FEATURED ON 60 MINUTES and FRESH AIR
“So surprising and moving and true that I became completely unstrung.” – The New York Times
Named a best book of the year by: TheNew York Times, NPR, TIME, Wall Street Journal, Boston Globe, Entertainment Weekly, Southern Living, Publishers Weekly, BookPage,A.V. Club, Bustle, BuzzFeed, Vulture, and many more!
JOHN GREEN, the acclaimed author of Looking for Alaska and The Fault in Our Stars, returns with a story of shattering, unflinching clarity in this brilliant novel of love, resilience, and the power of lifelong friendship.
Aza Holmes never intended to pursuethe disappearance of fugitive billionaire Russell Pickett, but there’s a hundred-thousand-dollar reward at stake and her Best and Most Fearless Friend, Daisy, is eager to investigate. So together, they navigate the short distance and broad divides that separate them from Pickett’s son Davis.
Aza is trying. She is trying to be a good daughter, a good friend, a good student, and maybe even a good detective, while also living within the ever-tightening spiral of her own thoughts.
I knew nothing about this book, other than what was stated in the Amazon description, when I started reading it. It was a book club selection and probably one I wouldn’t have picked for myself otherwise. With that said, I am very glad I read it. I enjoyed it way more than I expected to.
STORY (★★★★★): In a nutshell, this story is about Aza Holmes, a young girl who suffers from a mental disorder that keeps her trapped in an inward spiral of her own thoughts, as she struggles to live a normal life. We get to see a glimpse into Aza’s life, watching/reading as she learns new things about herself and life, pushes her best friend away, finds love, looses love, and fights internally to decide what is right and what is wrong.
There is also a secondary storyline weaved throughout Aza’s story, that is of the missing billionaire. Ok, maybe it isn’t so much about him, but more about the two sons he has left behind; Davis and Noah. Davis, a long-lost friend of Aza’s and Noah, his little brother, are living in a mansion alone because their mother abandoned them when they were younger and their father has disappeared.
John Green is a wonderful storyteller. He knows his characters inside and out. The way he writes Aza is so detailed its as if he is literally in her head. Or, maybe it’s the other way around. The way he ties the two storylines together is seamless and beautiful. I think there could have been more about the missing dad, allowing us to relate to that family a bit more, but he gave the reader, and Aza, just enough to understand what the boys were going through and how to react.
WRITING (★★★★★): John Green’s writing style is fluid and easy. His chapters flow from one to the other with little, if any, breaks. Everything feels cohesive and complete. I think I read this one over a five-day period in about three sittings. I have no complaints about his style and would definitely pick up another book. In fact, I have my eyes on Paper Towns next.
CHARACTERS (★★★★): I loved the characters of Davis and Noah, honestly, I wanted to get to know them more. Aza, the lead character, was very well written, but I couldn’t relate to her in any way. Her anxieties and OCD behaviors were so realistic and well developed, but her constant negative self-talk and obsessions with her inner thoughts drove me a little crazy. Maybe that was the plan… maybe the author wanted the reader to feel a little trapped in Aza’s constant thought spiral, trapped so that we could experience what she feels. However, for me, her thought spirals were the reason I’d put the book and take a break. I needed a little time away from the negativity, second guessing, and often disturbing thoughts.
APPEARANCE (★★★★): I have the paperback, and it is a pretty simple cream-colored cover with large black lettering and an orange spiral. Again, I probably wouldn’t have picked this one up and read it, if it hadn’t been for book club, the cover just doesn’t really pull me in. The cover just doesn’t do justice to the story inside.
FAVORITE QUOTES:
“Your now is not your forever.”
“Anybody can look at you. It’s quite rare to find someone who sees the same world you see.”
“No one ever says good-bye unless they want to see you again.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
John Green (Photo from Author Amazon Page)
John Green is the award-winning, #1 bestselling author of Looking for Alaska, An Abundance of Katherines, Paper Towns, Will Grayson, Will Grayson (with David Levithan), and The Fault in Our Stars.
His many accolades include the Printz Medal, a Printz Honor, and the Edgar Award. John has twice been a finalist for the LA Times Book Prize and was selected by TIME magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World.
With his brother, Hank, John is one half of the Vlogbrothers (youtube.com/vlogbrothers) and co-created the online educational series CrashCourse (youtube.com/crashcourse). You can join the millions who follow him on Twitter @johngreen and Instagram @johngreenwritesbooks or visit him online at johngreenbooks.com.
John lives with his family in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Also by John Green
Click on the cover image to read the book’s description and purchase your copy!
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Nina Soden 