The secret is out: I got a publishing deal

The secret is out: I got a publishing deal

by | Sep 24, 2022 | Backstreet Boys, Books, Writing

Especially if you visit my Backstreet Boys site or follow my social media, you've already seen the news - I got a publishing deal to write a book with my friend Emilia about the Backstreet Boys for their 30th anniversary in 2023.

We wrote the book over an almost two month time period and it's insane to think about it now. During that time period, I also had a full-time job, had my Etsy shop, took care of my Mom, went to three concerts (2.5 if you count the Bristow cancellation and 2 were out of town), and had COVID! Emilia also dealt with some hospitalizations and had to have surgery.

But we got it done!

It's a dream come true for the both of us. I've self-published books before, but never had one actually and truly published. The idea of actually being a real published author has inspired me to continue my fictional writing and someday get that published besides on Amazon.

For the Backstreet Boys' book, we researched whether it was old Angelfire websites from 1997 to looking at newspaper archives from all over the world. We looked at other books (some were so poorly written) and the best part, we talked to fans.

This is how each chapter will start - with a double spread photo and a quote from that era from someone in the industry, journalism, or something similar.

There's this assumption that we only included fans in this book. Are there fans that we know in the book? Yes. Are there fans that we don't know in the book? Yes. Because Emilia and I have been in the fandom for so long, especially with websites and working with the fan club, it's hard to find fans that we don't know, or at least heard of. There's going to be feelings hurt by people who were not included in the book and we are truly sorry. We couldn't just put the people we know in the book. It wouldn't be fair. It wouldn't be an adequate look at the fandom.

Right now, this weekend, we are actually reviewing the book (it's already designed!) and going over captions (I speak newspaper so I still call them cutlines), and any mistakes. That's a part of the job I'm used to coming from newspapers and magazines.

Also, while I'm talking about books, I have republished some of my fictional books with my actual name (shocker - my last name isn't Brooks!). I plan on finishing the "How to Be An Adult Fangirl (And Not Ruin Your Life)" sequel soon and publishing that.

You can find those links, along with information about the Backstreet Boys book by going to my BOOKS page. The Backstreet Boys' book has a page of it's own that you can find the link to there.

Four Books You Should Read If You Haven’t

Four Books You Should Read If You Haven’t

by | Aug 31, 2022 | Books

I admit, as a writer, I'm not that big of a reader. I've always been scared that I would rip off someone's idea or something. But there's a few books and writers that I have come to love over the years and thought I would share four of my favorite books. If you've never heard of them, you should check them out.

Good In Bed
I read this book nearly 20 years ago and it is still one of my favorites. Jennifer Weiner is probably my favorite writer (besides Jane Austen). The main character is plus size which is sometimes rare to find in fiction, especially back in 2002 when it was published. It hit home with me and I found a little of myself in Cannie.

Kill The Boy Band
Don't worry about the title - we're not going to go do anything drastic to the Backstreet Boys or Big Time Rush. A friend saw this in Target, bought it and told me I had to read it, so we sat reading it together while texting one another. It's a quick read and a GOOD read. It's all about being a fangirl for a boyband. In a way it reminds me of that '70s movie "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" about the fans who go to The Beatles hotel - except today. There's some twists and they are good.

Sex and the City
Shocking, huh? Yes I've read the book that one of my favorite television shows have been based on. And while there's no Sarah Jessica Parker in there, Carrie Bradshaw is and she's just as great on paper as she is on the screen.

Grace and the Fever by [Zan Romanoff]

Grace and the Fever
I admit, this book is more for teen readers, but for fangirls all alike. It starts like all fan fictions start - she meets her idol randomly and it takes off from there. But it's a little different than fiction with characters that really come off the page.

Time for a makeover …

Time for a makeover …

by | Aug 14, 2022 | Website

As you can see by this new domain name, new layout, and more, this site got a facelift, or a makeover if you will.

I have been really busy working on a new project with Emilia that will be announced soon, working (hoping to be made Digital Marketing Manager soon!), opening a Shopify shop and still have my Etsy shop.

I've been working on all of that while dealing with some Psoriasis/Eczema issues and my mother's health problems. Oh, and BSBFangirls.com.

I've been a busy bee.

While doing all of that (I know, could I do more?), I went to 2.2 Backstreet Boys shows. I say 2.2 because I traveled to Washington, D.C./Bristow, VA on my birthday and the show was cancelled because of bad storms, but I did get to see the boys for a meet and greet. So, I've been to 2.2 shows. I also got to see Mandy Moore in concert (FINALLY!) and will be seeing Kevin Smith in October along with another Backstreet Boys show (or two) in September.

The birthday girl in Bristow, VA.

Could I be more lazy?

Also, I am going to be re-editing my novels and putting my name (not the fake pen name) in it, so for the time being they are offline. I've also updated some of the pages and content.

I'm not lazy I swear.

But I am going to keep this more up-to-date and possibly try to showcase some of my work on here. 🙂

Dear Writer’s Block, I hate you!

Dear Writer’s Block, I hate you!

by | Feb 15, 2022 | Opinions, Thoughts

I pretty much realized what I wanted to do with my life because I started writing fan fiction not long after I graduated high school. I realized I loved to write, which led me to designing websites, making graphics, and even though I didn't know it at the time, marketing.

I haven't written fan fiction in years, but I still love to write fiction.

Except I haven't written anything in close to two years.

The first thought I had when COVID-19 began and I started to work from home was, "Wow, I don't have to sit in traffic anymore. I'll have more time for writing!" Yeah, that didn't happen. Two years into this pandemic and I haven't written anything fiction-wise.

I am usually inspired by music. Whether it's a melody, a lyric, or maybe just a theme of the song. Taylor Swift has always been in a huge inspiration and country music as a whole. In fact, it was country music that first inspired me to write fan fiction. Who knew 20 years later, the Backstreet Boys would be topping the country music charts? Not me.

Today as I worked, I played a country music playlist of new songs. There were songs by artists that I love like Luke Bryan, Thomas Rhett, Kelsea Ballerini and Keith Urban, but I will be honest. Some of the new artists are a little ... too country?

I'm a woman who considers herself a walking Wikipedia of country music knowledge from the 00's and back until the days of Hank Williams (Sr., not Jr.) and Patsy Cline.

Where does this mix in with my writer's block? I was inspired this weekend with an idea, which I wrote and planned out a little Sunday evening. I thought listening to a country playlist would help inspire me to break that block. Inspire me!

Except the lyrics about trying to keep your daughter off the pole and your son out of jail just couldn't do it. I had to turn the playlist off. There was not going to be any inspiration coming from that playlist after I heard a few songs like that. Not that anything is wrong with that, but it's not inspiring to me.

I like to blame it on the fact that I write so much for work. I'm "written" out at the end of the day or on weekends. While that may be part of it, it's just I'm not inspired.

I wrote what I think is my best story, "How to be an Adult Fangirl (and Not Ruin Your Life)" after the 2018 Backstreet Boys cruise. No, it's not a fan fiction. But I was inspired and started work on an idea that I had already began months before.

The Backstreet Boys, especially Nick, have always been a big inspiration to me in so many ways that I can't list here that changed my life and I wouldn't be where I am today if it weren't for them.

So maybe once things are really back to normal and the tour happens and I get to hang out with my friends around the country and world, I see my boys and see live shows again, maybe I'll get inspired.

In the meantime, I guess I'll just write about having writer's block.

How ironic, don't you think?

When Fandoms collide

When Fandoms collide

by | Jan 22, 2022 | Thoughts

I've always been the kind of girl that kept her fandoms separately. You had "Friends" to the left and you had country music on the right. Or football to the left and Backstreet Boys to the right.

Over the past few years, they've started merging.

First the Backstreet Boys were in a Seth Rogen/James Franco movie, "This Is The End." Then they released a country song with Florida Georgia Line, which to be honest, is something that I have always begged them to do.

On the 2018 Backstreet Boys cruise, Nick Carter dressed up as "Thor" on Comic Book night and that lead me down a dark path of becoming a Marvel fan, which you can read about on BSBFangirls.com here.

That's all fine and dandy. Nick's even releasing a very country-sounding single soon with country artist Jimmie Allen.

Worlds collide, I know.

This past week, I found out Sebastian Stan, who plays Bucky Barnes (The Winter Soldier) in the Marvel franchise, was going to be at a convention in Atlanta and I jumped on buying a photo opp to meeting him and have a photo taken.

I don't think I've ever met anybody from the movies now that I think about it. Bucky is one of my favorite characters and over the last two years, Sebastian has become one of my favorite actors.

Yesterday, the convention was supposed to be announcing more guest and while they have a lot of "The Walking Dead" cast there since it films in Atlanta, I was hoping for someone else from Marvel. You know, I know Chris Hemsworth and Chris Evans won't be there, but I'd take Tom Hiddleston or Anthony Mackie.

Then I get a notification that the convention had a new tweet - an announcement.

The announcement that Nick Carter was going to be there.

I started laughing hysterically. I had joked earlier in the day that he'd probably end up coming but I didn't think it would actually happen.

Then it hit me - my fandoms are colliding - like, for real.

Not only will I be seeing the great fangirl/fandom love of my life (I say that jokingly) Nick Carter, but I'll be seeing [enter Anthony Mackie voice] SEBASTIAN STAN. Bucky. The Winter Soldier. The man who is playing my fave rocker Tommy Lee starting next month in a new Hulu show.

Will I make it past March 19th, the only day that Sebastian will be at the convention and so will Nick?

We'll see.

“Saved by the Bell” still owns me 30 years later

“Saved by the Bell” still owns me 30 years later

by | Dec 1, 2021 | Opinions, Reviews, Thoughts

As a child and young teenager, my favorite television show besides "Beverly Hills, 90210" was "Saved by the Bell." Zack Morris (Mark-Paul Gosselaar - yes, I still remember how to spell his last name) owned my heart. He may have been the very first blonde I lusted after. (Nick Carter, you can thank him). I mean, it was so bad that I got in a fight in middle school because a girl ripped my Big Bopper centerfold poster of Mark-Paul. 

You didn't mess with my posters. "The College Years" may have been my favorite because that is when Zack/Mark-Paul was the hottest and don't get me started on the Vegas movie. That's the dream wedding. 

So why did it take me so long to watch the reboot on Peacock? Maybe it was because I was scared I would hate it and it would ruin the nostalgia and amazingness of the original "Saved by the Bell." I knew my faves were back on the show, even my beloved Mark-Paul, but I just didn't watch. 

Until I was sick the other day and decided to watch it. 

It may possibly be the best decision I made this past week besides getting a new record player/CD player/radio and yes, cassette player!

The main character, who is a girl, actually shares my birthday. Finally, someone who shares it besides Bill Cosby. And while Zack's son's name twitches me every time it is said outloud, I actually loved it. 

I love the fact that Slater and Jessie work at Bayside. I may not love the fact that Zack Morris is Governor and seems as if it's basied on Trump's presidency, I can overlook it. I mean, we just knew that Zack Morris was made for greatness. 

They mix the casts so well together so that's it's just not focused on the new casts of students, but also mixing in more of the original stars, especially in this latest season which brought back Lisa Turtle and even a tribute to Dustin Diamond who played Screech (and died earlier this year). 

But do you want to know the best part?

The best part is that we get to hear Zack and Slater say cruse words. I KNOW. I know this seems childish, but it was a Saturday morning teen show back in the early 1990s. There's no way they could say any four letter word on there, but they do on Peacock and it is AMAZING. It makes Zack seem more real. 

I'll leave my MPG lusting and fangirling with this scene from Season 2 of "Saved by the Bell" where Zack is teaching U.S. History (I won't say why he's teaching it because it's a spoiler.)

@allthingstswift A REVOLUTION indeed #taylorswift #taylornation #swifttok #savedbythebell #swiftie ♬ original sound - allthingstswift

Fangirl Rules To Follow in Your Respective Fandoms

Fangirl Rules To Follow in Your Respective Fandoms

by | Oct 9, 2021 | Opinions, Thoughts

Do you remember back in, I think it was '98 or '99, Chris Rock came out with a song called "No Sex (In The Champagne Room)?" and dedicated it to the Class of '99?

That song and this post is going to have a little in common. I'm going to share some rules of being a fangirl in this day and age that you can follow, laugh at it, or roll your eyes at. It doesn't bother me one way or another. 

1. Not everybody is going to be friends. 

Something I learned pretty quickly is that no matter if you love the same band, you can't be friends with everybody. Some people just don't click that way. There are plenty of people in my fandoms that I'm not friends with, but I'm cordial and even talk to. Not everybody is going to be your friend. You don't have to go around and do these good deeds for people because that doesn't equal friendship. Sometimes it's just not meant to be. 

And if by chance you are friends with two people who don't like one another, at least acknowledge why they don't like one another and don't blow it under the rug as if it doesn't matter. You never know when words can hurt more emotionally than physically. 

 

2. Beware Who You Associate Yourself With

This is something I've learned late in life. I've always tried to be friendly to people who have been friendly with me. But after being burned more than once, I've learned that sometimes you have to look past the bigger picture of being cordial. Especially when it's getting involved in a project that could turn out to be bad and make you look bad. 

For instance, I have a popular website, Etsy shop, and I'm pretty known in the BSB fandom. That equals thousands of followers on social media outlets. Whenever I'm offered a chance to be associated with something, I always have to think about the bigger picture, especially if money is involved. There have been some that I knew I wouldn't want to be a part of from the get-go. There are some that I really wanted to do, but knew deep down I probably wouldn't have time to devote to it like I should. But you always have to ask yourself a few questions. Would this benefit me and most importantly, what is the benefit to my readers and buyers?

That leads me to ...

 

3. You Don't Have To Take Part In Every Opportunity That Comes Your Way

More than once, I should have listened to Taylor Swift and say "You Shoulda Said No," but I didn't. You might want to, but think about it for a minute, or a day. How is this going to benefit you? Will it benefit you? Is it just another scheme to have your name attached to something that will end up hurting you and your reputation in the long run?

I'm very wary of ANYTHING that involves money. 

For instance, me and my friend Hannah did an ad in the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame for Brian and Kevin from Backstreet Boys' induction and we raised money for it. We kept up with every cent and the whole thing made me nervous, but we did it, and the guys loved it and us fans that took part in it felt good that we did something nice for the boys for a change. 

If you have something that people want to use, such as artwork, that in return will not really benefit you, but benefit them, think long and hard because that's a piece of yourself that you are giving away. 

 

4. Make Sure They Are Friends For The Right Reasons

This is a biggie. If for any inkling people think you have some kind of connection to their faves, some might try to be friends with you for that reason only. You know how they say there is one bad apple out of the whole bunch? That's kind of how this is.

For every 10,000 amazing people, there's always going to be one. It hasn't just happened to me. It's happened some of my friends. It's happened to some friends of my friends in various fandoms whether it be Backstreet Boys, New Kids on the Block, Marvel, Jonas Brothers, One Direction, Harry Potter, etc. 

Sometimes you go into things with the best intentions, but only to find out the other person's intentions weren't as pure. And it sucks, trust me. 

5. Don't Worry About Who Likes You

There will always be people who just flat out don't like you, whether you've done absolutely nothing to the person or if maybe you've rubbed them the wrong way about something. Or vice versa. It goes back to #1 - You don't have be friends with someone. 

A fandom is supposed to be fun.  So say a group of people don't like you. Who cares? Are they your friends? Are they the ones that that you tell your deepest secrets to? If not, then who cares if they don't like you. 

6. Don't Stress Yourself Out Over It

Like I just said, fandoms are supposed to be fun. Don't stress yourself out over something. If it's literally to the point of making you physically sick, get out. A fandom isn't supposed to do that to you. A friendship isn't supposed to do that to you. A relationship isn't supposed to do that to you. 

Nothing that is supposed to bring you joy should do that to you. 

Being a fangirl is about being happy, carefree and fun. If it's not, that's when it's time to hang it up. 

 

Balancing work, a blog, and an etsy shop

Balancing work, a blog, and an etsy shop

by | Aug 1, 2021 | Shop, Social Media

Juggling work (where I'm down a co-worker), taking care of my disabled mother, running a popular blog AND an Etsy shop is NOT easy.

Let's make that very clear. But, I like to stay busy.  So how do I manage it all? Planning. 

Unless I have plans on the weekend, I try to get all my errands done on Friday afternoons so that I can spend my Saturday and Sunday working on Etsy shop or website things. Sometimes it ends up just being Sunday if I can't get everything done on Friday.

Since 1998, I've ran some type of fan site. Whether it was BSB fan fiction, fiction in general, NASCAR, or again, just Backstreet Boys, I've had some type of website. I think I would feel incomplete (no pun intended) if I didn't have a website. Thankfully I have a set of girls, one in particiular, Emilia, who helps me with the blog. She's had websites almost as long as I have and I've brought her own as a co-owner. 

With the website, I can do things throughout the week unless it's some huge undertaking. However, the Etsy shop isn't the same.

While I can pack, make, and send some orders throughout the week, I do most of my orders on the weekend so that they aren't a) rushed and b) rushed. Any small orders, such as stickers, I handle throughout the weekend, but bigger orders such as cards or T-shirts, I take care on the weekend. I try to make one shopping trip to get T-shirts because either of the shops I get them at isn't just right up the corner. One is near the Atlanta Braves stadium and if there is a Braves game going on, then I head more north to the next location, but during the week after I get off work, it's a traffic cluster there. 

Something else I plan? Social media marketing. 

I use two different tools to marketing for my social media accounts - Facebook Business Suite and CrowdFire. While Facebook is free and you just need a business account, I subscribe for a small fee for CrowdFire. This is where A LOT of the planning comes into play for Etsy and my blog. (I'm not even talking about social media for my job here.)

BSBFangirls.com

For both this site and BSBFangirls.com, posts are sent out when a new post is posted automatically. Also on BSBFangirls.com, I use a plugin that will tweet out recent articles randomly throughout the day that are within a certain time period. I can also block ones out that are time sensitive. 

I also use Facebook Business Suite to schedule Instagram posts (Instagram is now owned by Facebook) and you can use FBS to do that. So I post two BSB photos a day, and one that is related to my Etsy shop on the @bsbfangirls Instagram account. 

Just A Fangirl, Inc. on Etsy

For Etsy, I use CrowdFire for Twitter. You can sync your Etsy shop up to it so that your listings will show up and you can schedule them out. During the weekend, I schedule them out for the entire week, until the next Sunday.If I add something new during the week (which is rare), I insert that in randomly throughout my scheduled post. 

For Facebook and Instagram, I again use Facebook Business Suite. Just like I do for @BSBFangirls on Instagram, I do the same thing with @JustAFangirlInc, except only once a day. I also try to schedule one post on Facebook a day. 

TIP: Never go over 3 posts on Instagram a day or 2 on Facebook. 

So that's how I do it. Do I have much of a life? Right now with COVID-19 flaring up again, no, I do not. I'm vaccinated, but I'm not taking any risks with my Mom. 

So my best advice is planning. Planning. Planning.

Did I say planning?

Why I Focus On Plus Size Fangirl Merch

Why I Focus On Plus Size Fangirl Merch

by | Jun 12, 2021 | Shop

I have always been plus size, even when I was a kid. I've always been fat. My weight has gone up and down over the years and whether I lost a lot of weight or not, I was always a fat girl, at least inside. I've come to kind of embrace it.

When I was a kid, I wanted to be a fashion designer. I would buy wedding dress magazines and look at the dresses and draw them. I would check out fashion books at the library and draw things and learn how they did design clothes. For a while, I was even kick-ass at sewing (thanks Home Ec!). Over the years, thanks to computers, I lost all of the drawing and sewing stuff.

Lately I've picked it back up. And I think that's why I enjoy my Etsy shop so much, especially now that I'm designing T-shirts and stuff.

No, I will not have a show at next year's Fashion Week, but I kinda like what I'm doing.

Yesterday, while shopping for T-shirts to design at a local store, I noticed something and then remembered something - bigger sizes do not get the attention they deserve. I could get black, white, neon pink and I think red in 2x or 3x. None of the pretty teal colors or green.

And then I remember how shopping for band merch can be. I remember going to the Jonas Brothers show two years ago and the shirt I wanted came in nothing bigger than a 1X. I could wear a 1X, but it would be hella tight and I like my T-shirts to have a little room. I ordered a retro album cover shirt from them online this past summer and it's a 2X, but it fits like a 1X.

Backstreet Boys and NKOTB are two of the bands that do cater to fans of all sizes for the most part and maybe that's why they are my faves. Taylor Swift has also more recently been catering to bigger sizes (I love my Taylor era t-shirt!).  Marvel is very good about bigger size also, mostly probably they have a high male audience.

That's why last night, I made a decision about my Etsy shop.

While I will still design smaller pieces, especially custom orders where they pick their size or vinyl color (such as the BSB Army shirt, which I also offer in bigger sizes) I'm going to try to do more pieces for the bigger fangirls who wear 2X and 3X. Us bigger fangirls deserve cool stuff, too.

I've already kind of done that with my "This is HOWIE do it" T-shirt in 2x and I've had a few others that have already sold. And I'm going to be doing that more. I will still have the smaller sizes, because, let's face it, they are cheaper to buy.

But I'm gonna give a little extra focus to my bigger girls. <3

Why Journalism Leaves A Bad Taste in My Mouth today

Why Journalism Leaves A Bad Taste in My Mouth today

by | Jun 8, 2021 | Opinions, Thoughts

A lot of people know this already, but I spent over 10 years in journalism. I won awards for not only my writing, photography and designs, but toward the end of 2017, my heart just wasn't in it anymore. In July 2018, I took a job in marketing and I honestly haven't looked back.

Why?

Because most journalism sucks now.

Newspapers, which is what made me fall in love with journalism, are full of nothing but advertisements because that's what keeps the newspapers running. That, or they are in the pockets of local government and not wanting to report on real news.

It was always my dream to write for Rolling Stone or Entertainment Weekly or something like that. I'll be honest, I neve came close. Yes I got to interview people like Luke Bryan or James Aldean or legendary actors like Scott Wilson, but it was never my full time job and when I did come very close to having that as my full time gig, it was taken away. The new "editor" was an alcoholic who sat around and told us about her sex life after coming to the newsroom at night, drunk, and then wrote us up when we were late with our deadlines because she made us listen to her.

Yes, that really happened at one of my past jobs.

That was the beginning of the bad taste in my mouth, but to be honest, it was all I knew at the time, so I took another newspaper job.

Now a days, I sit and roll my eyes at people who write for People Magazine or Us Weekly who do not do their research before writing an article. Because you know, the Backstreet Boys had to cancel their reunion tour due to the pandemic or someone who thinks Nick Lachey is a former member of 98 Degrees. Sometimes I wonder how these people got their jobs. Did they never learn to research? Hell, all it would take is to look at Wikipedia.

There will probably always be a part of me that looks at an article and know that I could do a better job at it. But the fact that these news outlets hire people who aren't worthy of the jobs because they obviously don't know the basics of journalism, leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

And it probably won't be one I'll get over anytime soon.