Saturday 14 January 2017

Christopher Moore: who am I and what do I want?

Harrow on the hill.
If there’s one thing you should know about me, it’s that I’m a force to be reckoned when there’s something I want. 

I want you to know this. Not that I’m: 
  • A Blogger 
  • An aspiring author 
  • Irish 
  • Gay 
  • Tall 

In between work, book-tubing, blogging, reading, writing, sipping copious (and dangerous) amounts of coffee and packing my life into two suitcases, I have had time to reflect on what I want this year and here it is: 

  • To set up a Youtube channel that talks about my everyday experience including dating and the (often) ridiculous situations I end up in;
  • To continue to book-tube and collaborate with the magnificent Xina Hailey, fellow book-tuber, mentor and lifelong friend, and post a video every second Thursday from February 2017; 
  • To continue to interact with authors, support rising UK and Irish YA talent and chair panels and events wherever and whenever possible; 
  • To get an agent in 2017 for my debut LGBT YA title (keeping this one under wraps for now) and (fingers crossed) see it on my favourite bookshelves near and far (especially the lovely Queen’s Park Books); 
  • To be 100% unapologetic for who I am whether that be camp, feminine or otherwise; to listen to my head and follow my heart and own all of who I am so this year can be one of happiness and adventure; 
  • To try at least one new thing each month, whether that be a Rocky Road Hot Chocolate or climbing mountains; 
  • To diversify my blog and incorporate more personal experiences and cooking disasters (and triumphs) as well as the most beautiful books and round-ups each month;
  • Include alt tags, where possible, to improve accessibility to my blog.

Here’s to 2017. Here's to us. Here's to:


New Orleans.
Adventures in N'awlins
(and what looks like the Goblet of Fire).
Sunset at San Diego sunset.
Californian sunsets in vertigo-inducing cable cars.
Seymour Park, Vancouver.
My new home this summer
(not the rock - I'm not Ariel). Vancouver!
New Year's Eve celebrations in Club Revenge, Brighton.
NYE celebrations with this beauty
(not the strange, photo-bombing guy).
My twin cousins.
My beautiful cousins who brighten up my darkest of days.
Me and my friend, Kim.
Being silly.
Drinking coffee in Singapore.
Novel coffee ideas.
Me and Louise Gornall (Under Rose Tainted Skies).
Fantastic debut authors like the fab
Louise Gornall (Under Rose Tainted Skies).
Macaque monkeys at the Batu caves.
Sad little monkeys.
At work.
Being a werk-ing professional.
Non Pratt, me, Siobhan Curham and Juno Dawson.
People that inspire.
Left to right, Non Pratt, me,Siobhan Curham and Juno Dawson.
The River Liffey, Dublin, at night.
Equality.
Rainbow pedestrian crossing.
Yes, more equality.
Me before undergoing my operation.
New beginnings as I underwent my operation
to amend the scars left by my major surgeries and
owning my chronic illness. 
Business class dining on our flight to Austin, Texas.
Flying across the Atlantic with my hero
(and her stashed bag of popcorn).
3-D coffee in Penang, Malaysia.
The cutest coffee you will ever see.
Bellinis and afternoon tea.
Bellinis and afternoon tea.

Gold temple statues in Penang.
The three wise monks.
My friend Zach, asleep on the train to Brighton.
Long days and longer nights. Bless.

Champagne in business class to Vancouver.
Business class (because you're worth it).

Our flight from Dublin to London in business class.
When a hero comes along...
treat her to British Airways business class
all the way.

Flight to Boston with my sister.
Family and my best friend
(by default).

MacRitchie Reservoir in Singapore.
More monkeys in Singapore.

March, 2016 - flight to Dublin for St. Patrick's Day.
Unexpected surprises with unexpected friends
en route to Dublin for St Patrick's Day.

Authors Krystal Sutherland, Katie Webber and Michael Grant wtih PR manager, Alice.
Bookish dream teams <3 .="" td="">

Book borrowing in Vancouver.
Canadian book communities.

The ruins in Rome.
Being on top of the world.
Baby koala in Singapore Zoo.
Baby koalas (do Amazon deliver?).

Komodo dragon in Singapore Zoo
Waving your claws in the air like you just don't care.

Rollercoasting by the coast.

Crowds during Austin Pride on the streets.
Austin pride and my small-town Utopia.
My Mam with Irish drag queen, Veda Lady.
Mam, stepping outside her comfort zone
and loving it.
Painting on the walls around the city of Penang.
The moments when you're too pregnant with food
 to give it your all.

Outside the Batu Caves.
Putting things into perspective.
The Young Adult Literature Convention (YALC) magazine.
Book prizes and book addiction
(Hey - there are far worse addictions).
Bookish lights in my local cafe.
Bookish lights.
Painting at the Frist in Nashville, Tennessee.
Beautiful art that inspired my book.
Athena statue at the Parthenon replica.
The goddess of wisdom.
My friend, Xina at Tesco.
This weird and wonderful human being: K-POP FTW.
Me and Zach in Downtown Austin, Texas.
Moments that steal our hearts
and captivate the senses.
Pathway at Harrow on the hill.
The wonders closer to home.
Christmas jumper for my friend which I borrowed.
That Christmas jumper I bought for Zach and stole.
Navy Pier, Chicago.
 Navy Pier.
Water faucet.
Drunken moments where it seemed like a good idea
 to take the water faucet that fell off.
Alberquerque International Balloon Fiesta in New Mexico.
The places we have yet to see.

Sunset in Langkawi, Malaysia.
Sunsets in para-para-paradise.
Playing in the pool with my twin cousins.
Fun in the Sun with Twin 1 and Twin 2.
Zombie football player on the tube.
Missing the mark on the "sexy American football player" look
and becoming a zombie instead for Halloqween.
My best friend's wedding.
My BFF's wedding (and I blend
into the background. Literally).
Portland, Oregon.
Finding beauty in the everyday ordinary.
Sink the Pink event with drag queens, cabaret and girl band, Bewitched.
Sink the Pink madness.
Drinking Singapore Slings at the place of creation: Raffles Hotel, Singapore.
Drinking the original Singapore Sling.
Hotel room view in Malaysia.
Take-my-breath-away hotel room views.
Starfruit juice in Malaysia.
Starfruit juice for the star-in-training.
Meerkat at San Diego Zoo.
This cute little critter.
'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire' prop.
Magic.
Pride make-up for Boston Pride.
Being exactly who you want to be
and not who people expect you to be.