It's been a while since I've blogged on here, but that's my own fault. It's not for lack of wanting to do it or keeping this site updated more, but I've just been extremely busy.
I guess I should go in order?
After traveling last fall and working basically two full time jobs, I cut back to my real job after the beginning of the year. I worked on a new book, which has been published - "Ultimate Boy Band Trivia" - and focused on opening my own merch shop in addition to having my Etsy store. I became interested in working with resin and have been making jewelry. Also, AJ McLean from the Backstreet Boys wore a custom Taylor Swift T-Shirt design I made him on stage during a show.
And, I started graduate school. I'm going for my Masters of Science in Marketing and hope to get my doctorate after that. It's something that I've always wanted to do, but never had the chance to when my Mom was alive because a lot of my free time and energy went towards her and her needs. So far, not counting the course I just finished, I have a 3.85 grade point average and it should be higher after I get my grade from my most recent class, Global Marketing.
For this class, I created an international marketing plan for my book, "How to be an Adult Fangirl (And Not Ruin Your Life)," and also published hardcover and paperback copies of the book on Amazon. It almost made me really want to get back to trying to get something fictional published. I'm hoping to have another non-fiction book to write soon, but that's under wraps right now.
I'm taking October off because I'm doing some traveling again (yes, going to concerts) and it will be the second anniversary of losing my Mom. I just recently went back home to bury part of her ashes. It was the first time I was there since way before COVID-19 and looking around at places, leaving was the best thing that ever happened to me. I don't think I could ever live there again.
My goal is to keep this website updated more, with a lot of my work and maybe even some of my school work. I also want to publish articles about marketing and creative writing, because, besides pop culture and boy bands, that's what I'm an expert on.
It's been a while since I've really came on to blog or post anything. I've been keeping myself busy. Staying busy keeps my mind off of things.
For one, we are just over a month before my book with Emilia is released and we have already received our advanced copies. I've posted an unboxing video on YouTube and have teased some things on social media.
While it's not supposed to be released until April 11th, it's already in stores in several places across the world, like Australia.
Besides the book, I've been busy working and working a freelance job with some friends that I know from college, which has been fun and keeping my mind off of things for sure. Plus, I feel like the more I do things, the stronger I get as a marketer.
I also took my Etsy store down this weekend for a while. I need to recharge on that and my heart isn't in it right now. There's some things I want to do for the shop and I can't do that when I have to constantly fill orders. It will be back, though. Just, I need a break from it right now.
My goal is to blog here more. I've slacked over at BSBFangirls.com and here, and I need to get back to who I am. A part that is going to help me is that I'm going to a convention soon with friends and that's going to be so good for me.
We have some pretty big things coming up on BSBFangirls.com with the 30th anniversary around the corner and it's 98.5% all Amber spearheading the charge and I can't thank her enough for that. It's some things we kind of wanted to do before we got the book deal, so we've rearranged a few things and still doing it. I'm being very careful with what I say right now not to give anything away. 🙂
I'm also going to work on my portfolio here on my site, but it will be listed under a password. I'm going to start on that soon and just get back to writing for the love of it. Now that I have a real book published, I hope to have something fictional published one day. That's my dream and goal. I want to get back to where I was writing fiction all the time and the stuff that people loved to read.
So look for more updates here soon. I promise, they are going to come. Plus, there's going to be something with some ultimate fangirling soon. I promise.
I sat down with my friend Brianne for her show Making The Brand. Brianne is a marketing expert, professor, and a fellow Backstreet Boys fangirl, to talk about all things Backstreet Boys, BSBFangirls.com, and my and Emilia's book that comes out in April.
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.
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 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.
About Me
Professional Fangirl. Grad School Student '25. Digital Marketing Manager. Published Author. Boy Band Expert. Original Taylor Swift fan.
![Grace and the Fever by [Zan Romanoff]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51YCs7RHhhL.jpg)
Professional Fangirl. Grad School Student '25. Digital Marketing Manager. Published Author. Boy Band Expert. Original Taylor Swift fan.
