The end of Twitter?
I am saddened to see that Twitter is dying and that I will have to find a new place to interact with my online friends.
Therefore, I am putting my Twitter banner here for prosperity.
Hansi Oppenheimer Talks About SqueeCon
It is a great pleasure to welcome back Hansi Oppenheimer to talk about her latest project, SqueeCon.
Hansi welcome back to EverydayFangirl.com and thanks so much for taking the time to stop by and discuss SqueeCon with us!
When and where is this event?
The event will be held on Saturday, December 1, 2018, at the Lyric Hall, 827 Whalley Avenue New Haven, CT, between 1-9pm. Tickets are just $15 online use code HH2018 https://filmfreeway.com/SqueeCon/tickets
They will be $20 at the door and $10 after 6pm for those who just want to briefly check out the con and participate in Nerd Karaoke. Kids under 12 are free.
Getting to the Event:By Driving-There is free parking in the park across the street from the venue.
By Train-It is 3 miles from the Metro North New Haven Union Station stop. There is an abundance of Lyft locally since it’s a University town.
What first prompted you to create SqueeCon?
My niece is the one who found the venue and pitched a Squee! screening which the venue loved. I figured that if I had access to this big beautiful venue I should share the opportunity with the community so it became SqueeCon.
I’m hoping to make this an ongoing venture and take the Con around the country to small venues in other communities and bring Fangirls together to create a huge supportive network. Wouldn’t that be a wonderful thing?
How will this con be different from other cons?
The inaugural edition of SqueeCon is a celebration of films, art, music, cosplay and more by women and female identifying individuals. SqueeCon is the first ever one-day event celebrating the arts by a collective of Fangirls creators and will cover the entire gamut of fandom experience. It is a fan con so no big celebrities, just a fun con where you can go and talk with the creators and guests in a very intimate, casual setting. A perfect place to network, so bring your cards!
What guests are expected to attend?
SqueeCon is pleased to welcome film-makers, nerds, geeks, writers, Fangirls, cosplayers, vendors and more to join hands in support of the community. Several eminent cosplay guests have accepted the invitation to be there, including Christine Evans, Cate Broomhead, Rowena Cosplays, Ayla Ocasio, Jacob Daniel Womack, Jenn Wotchertonks. performers Tea Time For Mad Girls, and Cat Smith. Vendors include writer L. E. Hellman, baker Melissa Robles, artist Jimmy Gatti, and Carol Ann Swan.
What activities and events will be available for attendees?
There will be screenings of Alana King’s Wayward: The Documentary, a teaser of the docu-series about women Star Wars fans, Looking for Leia and a block of short films performances, panels, there’s a bar with beer, wine, cider and soft drinks and we’re having a mixer/meetup with Nerd Karaoke from 7-9 pm. I’m still working on finding a food truck but there is a restaurant across the street.
How do you decide what programming is available?
SqueeCon’s mission is to support and promote the creative and fandom works of women and LGBTQA individuals so I reached out to friends who perform, make films and I have a page on FilmFreeway for people to submit short films for consideration. We’ve got some great films from all over the world!
How has social media helped or hindered you in this effort?
Everyone has been very supportive promoting the event. We’ve gotten shout outs on podcasts and twitter. I’ve used social media to create an audience for Squee! And this is just an extension of the project, a big one but basically the same message: I love Fangirls and want to give them the opportunity to network, broaden their audiences and party! If you know me, you know I’m usually at the bar at cons between panels having fascinating conversations with other fans, so this is just my bringing the con to the bar!
What have you learned from your fan community to help you with planning for the event?
That fangirls are the best! I’ve got a great enthusiastic team of volunteers. My attendees have been wonderful, offering to help in whatever way they could. You know, when fangrrls get together -we can do anything!
What are the most important attributes to remaining sane while creating this event?
One day at a time. I just deal with what I need to get done and try not to get ahead of myself. There’s enough small practical details to keep me busy every day. I’ve been working in Events (Box Office or Film Festivals) since 2009 and attend a lot of cons, so I have a pretty good handle on what we need to do. The contracts and venue rental aspect is new but I was lucky to find such a fabulous venue with a very fandom supportive owner (she’s a Whovian!)
What kind of research did you have to do before you created this event?
I’ve had to go through dozens of film submission and figure out a screening block that makes sense. I’m still working on scheduling. I had to look for someone to handle Nerd Karaoke, but again I got lucky with my friend James Hinsey who offered to bring the gear and manage the tech aspects. I had to check the venue for a/v specs and figure out how to set up panels, screenings and performances as smoothly as possible. I’m lucky to have a niece with years of experience as a Stage Manager who walked me through the venue.
Is there anything else you would like to share about SqueeCon not already mentioned?
Please come and bring your friends! It’s going to be a blast.
How can readers of EverydayFangirl.com find out more about the event?
For more information, please visit: https://filmfreeway.com/SqueeCon or one of the following links:
SqueeCon on FaceBook https://www.facebook.com/troubledgirlfilms
SqueeCon Event page https://www.facebook.com/events/2173533299602123
SqueeCon Twitter https://twitter.com/SqueeConSubmit films https://filmfreeway.com/SqueeCon
Buy Tickets https://filmfreeway.com/SqueeCon/tickets
For vendors SqueeCon offers a great opportunity to deliver their content to their core audience. Applications are welcome for small tables ($25) and large tables ($50). Write to: squeefilm@gmail.com before November 25.
Advertisers can book space in the program themed around Riot Grrl fanzines of the 90s in the following sizes and price levels: Full page ($40) for 8.5 X 11, Half page ($20) for 5.5 x 8.5, and Quarter page ($15) for 5.5 x 4.25, in Color or B&W and PDF format.
For ads and more information, please email: squeefilm@gmail.com
Media Contact: Hansi Oppenheimer
Company Name: Troubled Girl Productions
Interview with Author: Elizabeth Bromke
It is a pleasure to welcome Elizabeth Bromke author of Christmas on Maplewood Mountain (Book One in the Maplewood Sisters Series).
Welcome Elizabeth to The Adventures of the Everyday Fangirl and thanks so much for taking the time out your busy schedule to help us get to know you and your stories better.
Thank you, Patty! I’m really excited for this.
What does the title of this novel, series or set of stories signify?
Christmas on Maplewood Mountain is set in a tiny, fictional mountain town in Arizona. I, too, live in a small mountain town in Arizona, although it’s not Maplewood. However, I was born and raised in Tucson, a desert. Growing up, I always missed the seasons. In fact, fall leaves and snow were the stuff of fantasies for me, except for when my family would visit cooler climates. So, when my husband and I moved up to the mountains, I became a keen observer of “mountain life,” and I fell in love. I wanted to build a world in Maplewood, and one good way to do that was to create a family. I come from a very big family, and so the idea of four sisters and two brothers is based on my aunts and uncles. Fun fact: my dad has one brother and four sisters, and my mom has three sisters and two brothers. The Delaneys of Maplewood echo that dynamic.
Do the names of the characters in your novel have some sort of significance or importance to you? If so, give a few examples…
Some characters’ names or places are mini dedications to my family members. The characters are not based on real people, but I liked the idea of honoring them in a small way in the series. For example, I used my mom’s name for the bakery owner.
What prompted you to write in this genre and who or what inspired you to?
I have yet to meet a genre I didn’t like. I have a voracious appetite for reading. And, I’ve been writing since I was a young child. When I was a little girl, I wrote stories about big families with complicated (and confusing!) family dynamics. As I (hopefully) matured in my writing, I never shook the desire to explore relationships. Romance lends itself very well to this exploration. Plus, I love happy endings!
What are the most important attributes to remaining sane as a writer and do your characters reflect some of these attributes?
I feel less myself when I’m not engaging in creative pursuits. To me, sanity is synonymous with writing. It absorbs my anxieties. But, really the main condition of my contentment and happiness is… you guessed it! Family. In the book, even though they arrive at a major conflict in their sisterhood, Mary and Anna Delaney love each other and their siblings and parents deeply. Family is a driving force.
What makes you laugh?
It’s one of two extremes. I either laugh at the same things that 13-year-old boys laugh at or really smart humor. My favorite TV show, however, is The Office. I’m not quite sure where it falls on that spectrum.
What are you a fan of and is this reflected in your writing?
I am a huge fan of a variety of books/movies/people. For example, my favorite movies are The Wizard of Oz and Silence of the Lambs. I also love Titanic, Jaws, and Beetlejuice. Batman is my favorite superhero, and The Dark Knight is another favorite movie. Favorite books include Dracula, The Hunger Games, and anything by Jodi Picoult. I love psychological thrillers, too. Finally, I have a bizarre interest in Lizzie Borden of hatchet fame. My first historical fiction pieces revolve around her story.
What is the best way for readers to interact with you?
Readers can find me on website, elizabethbromke.com, my facebook author page, Elizabeth Bromke or on twitter @ElizabethBromke. Joining my newsletter is a surefire way to stay up-to-date with exclusive news and promotions. You can join here!
Christmas on Maplewood Mountain (Book One in the Maplewood Sisters Series) – releasing Saturday, November 17, 2018!
It’s December, and Mary Delaney has little to show for her tenth year at Wood Smoke Lodge. Her business has been steadily dwindling. Her relationship prospects, too. But, her sister, Anna, has an idea that just might change Mary’s luck. Unfortunately, their own sisterhood might be working against them. Worst of all, it’s all coming to a head during the holidays, making Mary feel lonelier than ever.
Meanwhile, Kurt Cutler is living the high life in the tech world. Fresh on the heels of wild success in the uncharted world of cryptocurrency, he looks for a way to ensure his young company doesn’t lose its grip. When his right-hand woman suggests a get-away at her sister’s snowy mountain retreat, he jumps on the opportunity to unplug and unwind.
If Mary’s sister, Anna, can back off, Mary has every chance of enjoying the magic of the holidays. But when Mary and Kurt have to choose between love and their own priorities, what will win?
Find out if a wintry weekend can become more for people from two opposite worlds in Elizabeth Bromke’s cozy romance, Christmas on Maplewood Mountain.
Interview with a Fangirl: Indrani
I am continuing with my series of interviews with Fangirls that I have met through social media!
Today, it is my pleasure to interview Indrani, @Indranee, who is a Writer/Editor and of course a Fangirl!
I became aware of Indrani through the Twitter Star Wars Fangirl Community!
Welcome Indrani to The Adventures of The Everyday Fangirl and thank you for taking the time to answer these questions about being a Fangirl.
When do you realize you were a Fangirl?
When I was in my early teens for Star Trek and just last year when I watched The Last Jedi, for Star Wars, even though I’d been a casual fan of the franchise since A New Hope was first released when I was young.
How has social media helped or hindered you?
It helped me connect with other fans, and discuss topics and also meet some like-minded folk and even get into groups to go to conventions with. This primarily happened with Trek, but also Star Wars. However, I’ve also had some bad experiences with fans who are overbearing and plain nasty and want to hammer home their ideas at the expense of anyone elses. I also don’t like Stans in general (even though I’m a ‘shipper of all sorts of stuff LOL), and I think there is a particular contingent of Stans or ‘shippers who get very unpleasant on social media.
When did you first see Star Wars or other favorite fandom, such as Star Trek, Lord of The Rings,Harry Potter, etc. and did you love it right away or did this grow on you over time?
I first watched Star Trek (OST) when I was very young, in grade school, and then the movies, then TNG, then DS9, VOY, ENT, etc. I fell in love right away but there was a guy in my high school who was a HUGE Trekkie upon whom I was nursing a fair-sized crush, and I suspect that might have helped things along a bit! LOL. Lately, I’ve become very impressed with ST: Discovery and have acually paid to watch it.
I first watched Star Wars when A New Hope was released and watched the rest of the OT, but didn’t become a fangirl even though I liked the movies. The PT didn’t help much although I didn’t dislike it. I just wasn’t drawn to it. Perhaps I felt like I would betray Trek if I loved SW too much, but this wasn’t a conscious thought. I didn’t read any SW/EU novels (I’ve obsessed over Trek novels over the years), and didn’t watch Clone Wars, etc, either. I became a SW fangirl after I watched TLJ. It completely changed my mind about the SW OT/PT/ST ribboned connection, and I’m now a heavily invested fan of 9-film Skywalker-Solo drama LOL.
What have you learned from the Star Wars fan community or other fan communities that has had a positive impact on your life?
The Trek community has been close to my heart for a long time and I have a lot of friends with whom I’m close whom I met online and via SM and discussion boards. Some of these friends became my real life friends and I admire and love and value them. I’ve written fanfic with them and also written non-Trek work with them. Trek is an intimate and ongoing part of my life and its values.
I’m just now beginning to make some friends in the SW community, but it’s not at the same level yet. I’m taking things slow… I’ve met some interesting people through the Reylo community and have discovered some great fanfic writers.
What else do you Fangirl about?
I love The Americans, Timeless, Sherlock (love SherLolly!), and a lot of Netflix original dramas.
Anything else you want to say to others about being a Fangirl?
I think I’ve realized that it’s actually harder to be a Star Wars fangirl than to be a Trek fangirl!
I never thought that I would feel this way when I first became interested in the Sequel Trilogy, but the nastiness toward it from the original fanboys is certainly astounded, to say the least. I’m also discovering that women who like Star Wars seem have a more difficult road to travel in terms of the attitude of the rest of the fandom. I’ve noticed strains of belittling and condescension toward the SW female fans from some contingents of male SW fans that I never encountered in the Trek community. These negative reactions are strewn all over Youtube vids, Tumblr, Facebook and Twitter
Throughout my life as a female Trekkie, I’d always felt as if I was part of a special, treasured group… sure, there were a few patronizing groups here and there, but Trek fandom is so varied and also Trek series and movies are so used to being reinvented that there’s a tendency for the larger fandom to be much more accepting of variety. Add to this the fact that Trek has always had women “on top”, meaning within TPTB. D.C. Fontana, Majel Barrett Roddenberry, Nichelle Nichols, Nana Visitor, Kate Mulgrew, Jeri Taylor (who was a primary writer/producer on Voyager, etc… and many novelists and scriptwriters/producers form parts of the hefty backbone of Trek-lit and screenworks.
Compared to this, I feel SW has been traditionally more male-centric, and brilliant actors and writers like Carrie Fisher have correctly avowed that this needs to change. Thankfully, I see this change happening recently, and I believe Twitter and Tumblr are in fact part and parcel of this change, because SW writers, including Storygroup writers as well as novelists seem to routinely interact with fangirls within the community, leading to a healthy amount of discussions and give and take of info and opinions. Despite the ever-present “nastiness” that’s always lurking within, I think Social Media, especially Twitter has been a breakthrough platform for this communal exchange. So, in many ways, SM is a double-edged sword.
Where can others interact with you?
They can Tweet or DM me @indranee
Interview with Author E.L. Roux
It is a pleasure to welcome E.L. Roux author of Unrequited Love, Book 1 of The Magic and Heartache series.
Welcome E.L. to The Adventures of the Everyday Fangirl and thanks so much for taking the time out your busy schedule to help us get to know you and your stories better.
What does the title of this novel, series or set of stories signify?
The Magic and Heartache series is meant to be about characters who must overcome a past heartache in order to move on and find the HEA.
What prompted you to write in this genre and who or what inspired you to?
I read, a lot. And I’ve always love fantasy and science fiction romances, and I usually take from current events, and research projects to sculpt my stories. The idea for this series actually came from a thread from rainbow-femme tumblr rant about being sick of magical worlds not having coffee shops where you can get a shot of charisma before a big meeting, that and being asked to join an anthology group for Love Through Heartache, published in November 2017. I fell in love with the world I built, and the characters who lived in them, and had to write more.
What are the most important attributes to remaining sane as a writer and do your characters reflect some of these attributes?
I think honesty and being loved for who you are, are very important attributes to being a better person, and staying sane, especially in today’s world, so I try and include those attributes into the characters I write, and the stories that I read.
What kind of research did you have to do for the novel, series or set of stories that was different from others?
I wanted to create a fantasy world where you’d meet characters that didn’t meet your normal fantasy expectations while creating new ones to introduce you to. I actually did a lot of research on Greek, Roman, and German gods and spirits, and loosely based some of my fantasy races off of them. For instance, I have Trolls in my story, but they aren’t the hulking ugly things you’ve read about before. And since the series books will be about novella length, I haven’t had the opportunity to reach further away from euro-centric gods, but I’m hoping to add more characters unique character types later.
What makes you laugh?
I’m a sucker for puns and silly jokes. I laugh at a lot actually, and often crack myself up, so at least I find myself funny even if no one else does. My goal is to reach the apex of dad-joke level (parent-joke level), but my pun game is severely lacking.
What makes you cry?
I’m a sucker for animal videos, and dance mobs, but reading wise, I love when a soul has been bared and torn open for us to experience their pain and watch as they rebuild themselves, usually with help, into a better person.
Is there anything else you want to add about the story, series that has not already been mentioned?
Unrequited Love will be re-released as a slightly expanded and re-edited stand alone novel on April 19!
The second book in the series will be out by the end of May!
What is the best way for readers to interact with you?
My main author interaction is through Facebook, @ELRouxAuthor
Pre-Order Updated and revised Unrequited Love here.
Anthology Love Through Heartache, featuring Unrequited Love available via Amazon.
Destination: Titan
With the certainty of Earth’s inability to maintain the human race as it proceeds to fall into a two million year ice age, those in charge chose to send a religious group to Mars and the smartest brains available to Titan.
Those working on the Mars mission have split into religious factions.
Those working on the Titan mission have pulled together, creating a cohesive team, despite the endless sabotages. These sabotages were paid for by the religious group. Their stand is straightforward. Science and Religion do not mix. It is better that the human race die entirely rather than allow it to survive without God. Thus, 15 different traps are set to destroy the Titan mission.
Now if the religious factions would work together… Don’t count on that. They can’t even decide which religious leader will become the leader of them all.
Sounds hopeless to me, so let’s focus on the more interesting Titan Mission.
Meet Max Hunt, the nano-technologist in charge of choosing which brilliant minds will join the Titan Mission. 
He looks friendly in this pic, but his Maxexplosions are well known and dreaded. When matters do not go his way, he is not a kind tyrant.
One matter that does not please him is that he is only leader of the scientists and students. A soldier has been placed in charge of the mission.
Meet Colonel Lancaster. He is in charge of the mission to Titan. Yep, he’s out of uniform because he’s working out to keep himself fit. He’s doing fine at that, don’t you think so?
Lancaster has been warned by Max that his bio-chemist, Tamara will be a problem.
She got the slot to be on this mission because she likes the color orange. She thought that a stupid differentiator, and told Max as much. While brilliant, Tamara’s greatest talent is her ability to create a cohesive work environment. That will make the difference once the Einstien Children show up. The first group was tasered and forced to go to class on only three hours of sleep. The second group thought they had been kidnapped. Amazingly, Tamara soothed them both into well behaved (most of the time) brilliant geniuses. Their specialties vary, but without question, they are all brilliant. I’ve placed them all into one picture so you won’t be overwhelmed. They arrive in two batches, but honestly, without Tamara’s soothing presence, they would have all been thrown into confinement. Instead, they become the salvation of the mission.
Here are a few other of the adult members of the team:
This is Dr. Bruce. He’s not handsome, but he can tell a joke.
Dr. David Sarns is both adept with computers and mechanics. He’s also cute.
This is Victor. He’s a brilliant mathematician and programmer. He entered college at 13, and in some ways, he has never grown up. Thus, when things don’t go his way, he behaves like a child, but once Tamara helps him grow up, he creates the most fabulous AI that has ever existed. Which is a good thing, because this mission would have failed due to all the sabotages if not for his AI.
Meet Scarlet, the finest AI program ever written. She chats with her humans via the various monitors all over their compound buried deep within a Montana mountain. Clearly, she has a sense of humor. She will save their lives many times in this and next book.
I should mention that Tamara requested children from 6 months to thirteen to be added to the mix so they could practice being parents. Otherwise, when they arrived at Titan and got pregnant, no one would know what to do with the babies and there would be no calling their mothers for help. However, when the babies arrived, it was declared the finest bit of sabotaged ever created. Everyone was sleep deprived and tortured.
And given there are 15 sabotages preset, they really didn’t need another.
If they survive all their disasters and go to Titan, I’ll have even more pics for you…
Star Wars Rebels Season Four Poster
I love this official Star Wars Rebels Season Four Poster. There are a lot of details including a Lothwolf in the center between Thrawn and Pryce with the crew of The Ghost in the center foreground. Thanks so much Lucasfilm for sharing this with me!
From the press release…
All the paths are coming together as Star Wars Rebels returns for its fourth and final season beginning Monday, October 16th on Disney XD.
Before its highly anticipated finale, many new Rebels episodes will be broadcast back-to-back, giving fans a full hour of the Ghost crew’s thrilling adventures each week though November 13th :
Monday, 10/16 – “Heroes of Mandalore” Parts 1 & 2
Monday, 10/23 – “In the Name of the Rebellion” Parts 1 & 2
Monday, 10/30 – “The Occupation” and “Flight of the Defender”
Monday, 11/6 – “Kindred” and “Crawler Commandeers”
Monday, 11/13 – “Rebel Assault”
After the holiday break, Star Wars Rebels will return in early 2018 with its final episodes leading up to its epic finale — a story so secret that only a few people on the production team know how it will end! Look for new episodes every Monday with five airings throughout the day at 12:30 a.m., 3:00 a.m., 7:30 a.m., 5:30 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on Disney XD (also on the Disney XD App and VOD), and don’t forget to catch StarWars.com’s “Rebels Recon” show, which will be posted after the 9 p.m. broadcast.
So who has made this their screensaver?
Are you just as excited for this final season of Star Wars Rebels as I am?
Let me know in the comments or via Twitter @PattyBones2
Adventures During Force Friday II
Today is Force Friday II and I spent most of my day looking and buying some of the new Star Wars merchandise.
A Quick Morning Stop!
A few of the new Star Wars Figures available at my local Meijer
Since I had to work today I was not able to go to any of the Force Friday II midnight opening events. However, I was able to stop by my local Meijer on the way to the office. This store was in the process of setting things up for Force Friday II. Fortunately, they did put out a few of the action figures so I was able to score a Black Series Thrawn, Jedi Traninee Rey and Hera Syndulla!
Morning spoils!
Afternoon Adventures: At The Mall
Fortunately, the office closed early for the holiday and I was able to do some looking and shopping at a mall near my office. My first stop was a quick stop at The Disney Store since this was the closest to my office. This had the appropriate atmosphere for buying Star Wars merchandise including a video screen playing Star Wars scenes and clips, tracks from the Star Wars soundtracks and demonstrations by the staff showing the new mechandise to younglings! It is here that I bought my first Porg, a very soft PLUSHIE, a Die Cast Rey figure and the Die Cast droid gift pack on clearance! I also received a bonus, a set of the new The Last Jedi posters!
Afternoon Spoils at The Disney Store!
Next I decided to make a quick stop by there was The Lego Store, since this was only a couple of doors down from The Disney Store. I personally did not see much in the way of new merchandise that I wanted to buy. However, I saw a few displays that interested me including a display of The Phantom II from Star Wars Rebels, The Arrowhead from The Freemaker Adventures and a huge Millennium Falcoln!
Some of the displays in The Lego Store
The last stop at the mall was at The Apple Store. Here I saw the new app enabled droids including BB-9E and R2-D2. There was also a STEM learning opportunity where they presented a class for kids on how to program these droids using coding techniques!
Droids and Demos at The Apple Store
Evening Stops
After dinner with my family, I made two additional stops to check out what other new Star Wars merchandise is available! I first made my way to Target where I found lots of new merchandise available! There was so much I could not decide what to buy with my limited budget. I bought the new Forces of Destiny Sabine figure, a Rose figure and a few Star Wars items to give my hubby for his upcoming Birthday.
So much Star Wars goodness can be found at Target
My final stop of the day was at Walmart! Since I already spent my budget at the other stores, I did not buy anything here. However, this did not prevent me from looking and adding new items to my list once I save a little. What I found while looking around was more new merchandise including some exclusives not found at other retailers.
Lots of stuff available at Walmart
Well that was how I spent Force Friday II. So how did you spend your Force Friday? Which retailers did you go to? What did you buy?
Interview with a Fangirl: Amy Richau
I am continuing with my series of interviews with Fangirls that I have met through social media!
Today, it is my pleasure to interview fellow fangirl, Amy Richau, who writes about her geeky obsessions, like Star Wars, for a variety of websites. I became aware of Amy through her articles at FANgirl Blog and of course through her posts on twitter account, @amyrichau.
Welcome Amy to The Adventures of The Everyday Fangirl and thank you for taking the time to answer these questions about being a Fangirl.
When do you realize you were a Fangirl?
I think I really knew in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s when I was collecting anything Star Wars related in thrift shops and antique malls. Even though there had barely been anything new Star Wars related for so long I still enjoyed having a connection to the films. I had a photo of George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, and Francis Ford Coppola in my high school locker around this time. That was a sure sign I think!
How has social media helped or hindered you?
I have mixed feelings about fandom and social media. I love to see images of artwork, get links to new articles, and get recommendations on new books, movies, and TV shows – but it’s hard to get that and also block out all the negativity. If someone writes thoughtfully about a subject I’m interested to read it, even if I might not agree with them. But so much of what I see, on twitter especially, is just trashing on things – and then people complaining about people trashing something. That kind of negativity cycle is a total turn off to me. I’m always looking for more analytical discussions of films and TV shows and less of the “hot take” type of content. I just recently started to listen to a few podcasts which I think are great opportunities to have deeper discussions and conversations.
My friends aren’t huge Star Wars fans and I have only met one person in real life that I “met” through Star Wars social media so I think it would be very fun to go to a convention that had a lot of Star Wars content to meet some of the people I have chatted with or followed online.
When did you first see Star Wars or other favorite fandom, such as Star Trek, Lord of The Rings, etc. and did you love it right away or did this grow on you over time?
I have a vague memory of seeing Star Wars in the theater in 1977, and I remember being terrified Yoda was going to hurt Luke when I first saw The Empire Strikes Back. When I saw Return of the Jedi in 1983 that was the first Star Wars film that I truly fell in love with – and it was the first film where I wanted to jump into the movie and hang out with the characters. I’ve loved Star Wars ever since.
What have you learned from the Star Wars fan community or other fan communities that has had a positive impact on your life?
I think it’s always great to hear what has inspired others in their lives. And it’s important to know that even though you might feel like you’re the only person who loves something in your small town or school that you are not alone. And that being different or loving things that are different than what your peers love is not only ok – it’s fantastic.
I felt for many years that I should hide my Star Wars fandom, in part because it wasn’t cool and in part because I was female. Even when I had the chance to work at Skywalker Ranch in their film archive for a few months right before Revenge of the Sith came out I felt like I couldn’t be honest about how much I loved the films – which seems crazy to me now. But I only interacted with a few people and some of them, believe it or not, weren’t Star Wars fans. So now pretty much nothing makes me happier than seeing women in their twenties embracing Star Wars and seeing fans of Star Wars get jobs working on Star Wars related projects.
What else do you Fangirl about?
Twin Peaks, Disney, Marvel & DC more and more. I’m also a huge classic movie fan. Oh, and I love the Denver Broncos – I can’t leave them out of any fan conversation!
Anything else you want to say to others about being a Fangirl?
It’s nice to know there are people who share my sometimes crazy obessions with geeky things!
What cool Fangirl related project or projects are you working on that you would like to share?
I am starting up a blog about classic films called See Classic Films (seeclassicfilms.com).
Where can others find and inteact with you?
You can follow me on twitter @amyrichau
Interview with Editor: Corie Weaver
It is a pleasure to welcome Corie Weaver editor of the Sci-Fi Anthology series, Young Explorer’s Adventure Guide.
Welcome to The Adventures of the Everyday Fangirl and thanks so much for taking the time out your busy schedule to help us get to know more about the Young Explorer’s Adventure Guide!
What does the title of this novel, series or set of stories signify?
We chose the name Young Explorer’s Adventure Guide because we wanted to create a sample of science fiction stories for readers of all ages. Every collection includes stories that represent the wide spectrum of science fiction, from rocket ship adventure, to weird west to post- apocalyptic to steampunk and more.
What prompted you to write in this genre and who or what inspired you to?
A random conversation with a friend back in 2014 sparked a new multi-year project – so be careful! My best friend was looking for new books for her young daughter. The qualifications seemed simple: Science fiction or fantasy, female protagonist, no romance. It was harder to find titles than I thought it would be. Sure, there were options – Wrinkle in Time, Zita the Space Girl, The City of Ember…. But not as many as I’d assumed. Turns out, according to a 2011 study of 6,000 children’s books, only 31 percent had central female characters, and even fewer featured main characters of color.*
I love science fiction. I believe it can bring us to a brighter future. So, I did the only logical thing, and put out a call for submissions for an anthology of science fiction shorts for middle grade readers, with a focus on diversity and representation. Girls, boys, robots – everyone is welcome here.
* “Gender in Twentieth-Century Children’s Books: Patterns of Disparity in Titles and Central Characters.” (http://gas.sagepub.com/content/25/2/197.full.pdf+html) The results of the study are also discussed in this Guardian article: (http://www.theguardian.com/books/2011/may/06/gender-imbalance-children-s-literature)
What are you a fan of and is this reflected in your writing or the writing of the authors of the series?
Tamora Pierce, Isaac Asimov, Usula K. LeGuin, Terry Prachett, Neil Gaiman – the list goes on and on. But one story I read in Asimov’s Magazine *mumblemumble* years ago has stuck with me for years – Beggars in Spain, by Nancy Kress. I reached out to Nancy when we started the anthology project, and she’s sold us a story every year. When I asked why she was such a strong supporter, she answered:
“When I was a child, the school library had a Girls’ Section, which included fairy tales, and a Boys’ Section, which included all the science fiction. Things have changed, of course, but not enough. There is a strong need for science fiction, as opposed to fantasy, aimed at girls, especially in the middle grades. This anthology is an important contribution to the effort to fill that need, and I’m delighted to be a part of it.”
If someone is interested in learning more about the Young Explorer’s Adventure Guide, where would they go?
The 2018 collection will be on Kickstarter starting June 13th, shipping in December.
Also, the 2017 Young Explorer’s Adventure Guide is now available via Amazon and Barnes and Noble. It is also available for Libraries! Learn more at http://dreamingrobotpress.com/2017-young-explorers-adventure-guide/!
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