Finding Fantasy Friday: Comic Con 2015

Have you ever been in one room where Harry Potter meets Stars Wars who meets Marvel who meets Anime? If you said yes, then you know exactly where I'm going with this. No, not Halloween. COMIC CON. 

Comic Con is a place you can truly step away from reality for some time. Watch where you walk because you may bump into a wookie or a storm trooper or the Green Goblin. Fans dress up like it's Halloween. Of course, not everyone does, if that's not your thing.

Why am I talking about this? Because someone you know and follow will be signing at the New Orleans Comic Con. That's right. This girl. Yours truly. I'll be there all weekend January 9-11, 2015. I'm totally fangirling. Celebs like Paul Wesley (The Hottie Stefan from TVD), Mark McGrath (I grew up listening to Sugar Ray

), some of the cast from Charmed, and the Bella Twins just to name a few will be there. How exciting!

Although I've been wanting to go to Comic Con for years, it'll be the first time I've ever been, and it's only the second time one has been hosted in New Orleans. Even though I'll be stuck behind my table, I'm so excited to be a part of it, and I hope this is the beginning of getting to do many across the country. I'm deep into planning for an awesome display for you guys. If you have ideas, leave me a comment. I'd love to hear them.

That being said, you better get your tickets. Go HERE for tickets. To see the amazing line-up of stars that will be there, check THIS out. If you can't get to New Orleans, I'll understand. Not. Just joking. But maybe there's a Comic Con near you that you can jump into a Sci-Fi/Fantasy Realm. Go HERE for more Comic Cons. I hope to see you there.

Lots of <3,

Finding Fantasy Friday: Dungeons & Dragons

Image courtesy of Nomadic Lass on Flickr

When I first walk into any big chain bookstore, my feet automatically turn toward whatever coffee shop is in there. I can't help it; it's out of my control. 

While waiting to feed my coffee addiction, it seems there is always a Dungeons & Dragons game in pursuit.

I've never really understood the game, mostly because I didn't know anyone who played it. *lowers head* In high school, it wasn't considered the cool thing to do. As an adult, I wish I could tell my younger self to say, "To Hell with social parameters!" But my younger self would probably say, "Um. Go take a long walk off a short pier." *shaking head* Teenagers!

Finding Fantasy Friday: Quidditch In Real Life

You know the word. You've heard it before. Quidditch is the high-flying game from the Harry Potter series.

Well, no longer is it just an imaginary game from the books. It's a real-life contact sport. How great is that? All over the world, people compete for their chance to go to the Quidditch World Cup in April. 

Teams are made up of high schools, universities, and adult communities. No, they may not actually fly, but they do use the brooms. In fact, it's a penalty if you don't.

Finding Fantasy Friday: Firework Frenzy (Short Short Story)

Lady Liberty with spiked crown
by Wonderlane

"Where's my beer?" the man asked his wife.

With a toddler on her hip and another running in circles around her, the woman sighed. "I don't know what you did with your beer. Look on the counter."

"Mommy. Mommy, when I see boom-booms?" The toddler wriggled in her grasp.

"They're fireworks, baby, and we are leaving as soon as your father finds his happy juice."

Finding Fantasy Friday: Thank a Fairy

There's an International Fairy Day, and it's on June 24th every year. It's a day to thank all those magical fairies that make gardens beautiful, love having tea on your rose petals, and pester your dog or cat. Yes, fairies are responsible for making your dog bark for no reason in the backyard. hehe

On a serious note, there is a festival that occurs at this time to celebrate this magical day. It's the NY Faerie Festival: A Midsummer's Dream. I haven't been to it, but I'd love to one day when my baby girl gets older, and we can pretend to be fairies for a weekend. :)

Finding Fantasy Friday: 10 Real Places that Put You in a Fantasy Novel

Who doesn't love to travel? Well, I actually know a few people who don't like it much. I'll never wrap my head around that. Traveling, to me, is just like reading a book or watching a move; it's an escape from reality. Except with traveling, you get to experience your own adventure. You know me I'm all about an adventure.

Being in a foreign place (It doesn't have to be a foreign country to be foreign, just a place you don't frequent often.), sparks my imagination. Although I don't usually write on my adventures, I collect as many pictures--mental and actual--for my visions later. If you're not a writer but reader, even better, these places are great for helping you see author's ideas. Even if the novel is on a desert plains in the Andromeda Galaxy, I can assure you the author is basing this on a desert he's been to before. 

Traveling enriches your life and opens you to cultures different from your own. It makes you more cultured and well-rounded. This Finding Fantasy before you plan your next vacation or maybe already planned yours, here are 10 great places that can make you feel like you just stepped into a fantasy novel:

10 Places that Put You in a Fantasy Novel:

Finding Fantasy Friday: Friday the 13th

Being born on the 13th of February, I've been surrounded by the number. I always find it funny when you go to a hotel that doesn't have a 13th floor. There is a lot of superstition with that number alone.

Finding Fantasy Friday: Bigfoot Encounters

Bigfoot | Sasquatch | Hairy Man 

By Amit Patal

While I was fixing dinner the other night, the Engineer was watching a documentary on Bigfoot. It wasn't the Animal Planet's Finding Bigfoot or the best I've ever seen on the subject, but it was definitely entertaining. The documentary, at times, seemed to make fun of the interviewees. This rubbed me the wrong way and not just because we are trying so hard to teach children that bullying and making fun of others is wrong. I mean, how can you tell them it's wrong when they see so many others doing it on a very public level? Had to throw in a rant there.

The real reason it rubbed me the wrong way is at the end of the documentary they basically concluded that there isn't a Bigfoot. I think it's close-minded to say that, and I hope one day they are proven wrong. How can you say there isn't a Bigfoot, plain and simple? It brings up the age-old question: Just because you can't see it, does it mean it doesn't exist?

Finding Fantasy Friday: First Love is like a Fairy Tale?

I can't believe I haven't written this one yet, especially since in my book, Secrets of the Truth, the MC (Meri) has her first love.

Seriously, is there anything more fantastical than your first love? Well, yes, finding that one you realize you can't live without. Sometimes that co-exists. Not so much for me. I went the practice makes perfect route.

I remember as a girl, fantasizing that my first love would be just like a fairy tale. With songs that say, "So this is love. MmmHmmMmm." from Cinderella and "I know you. I walked with you once upon a dream." from Sleeping Beauty, how could a girl not have a picture of what first love is like.

Is love a real life fantasy?

Finding Fantasy Friday: Set it in the French Quarter

By Britt Reints. Some Rights Reserved.

For Mother's Day, we decided to spend it in the French Quarter in New Orleans. It's only a little over an hour drive from our home and one of my favorite places in the world.

There is no other city in the world like New Orleans; it's a gem. Growing up near the city, I took for granted how truly great it is.

With the hype from Hollywood in New Orleans, such as Treme, NCIS: New Orleans, and The Vampire Diaries spinoff The Originals, I thought I would write about the fantastical elements in this city.

Finding Fantasy Friday: Dragons in your Garden

This segment is all about Finding Fantasy in your everyday life. Today, I found dragons in my garden. hehe

Snapdragon. львиный зев by Tatters
Some rights reserved.

Snapdragons, that is.

Finding Fantasy Friday: Superheroes

When I say superhero, what comes to mind? Probably Superman or Batman or Spiderman. Then, you probably think of Christopher Reeve or Dean Cain, George Clooney or Christian Bale, and Tobey Maguire. Yum! Or maybe you think of Margot Kidder or Teri Hatcher, Kim Basinger or Michelle Pfeiffer, and Kirsten Dunst. So purty!

Anyway, according to Merriam Webster, superheroes are defined as people with extraordinary or superhuman powers. But this isn't true. Batman doesn't have superhuman powers. He had unlimited amounts of money to have any kind of technology he wanted and combat skills. So, I think Wikipedia's definition is more accurate,  "A superhero is a type of stock character, dedicated to protecting the public."


Okay. Okay. What does this have to do with Finding Fantasy in our everyday lives? Everything.

Finding Fantasy: Cosmic Bowling

I'm calling this segment. Finding Fantasy in your everyday life. My stories are fantasy-based. A big question asked is "How do you come up with that?" Well, it exists all around me and all around you. Mostly, you have to stretch your imagination.

Disney World helps you get into that place without using much imagination and is one of the reasons it's in my top three fave places in the world. But you can find it in your everyday life.