Friday Author Spotlight: An Interview with Elise Kova! @Supercon

As you all may know by now, Andy and I (Leydy) will be attending Supercon (Miami’s largest comic, anime, gaming and pop convention. It is July 1-4, 2016.). We are thrilled to be back at this amazing convention. This year will be a little more special for us as Elise Kova will be making an appearance! If you haven't read Katie's reviews, then I suggest that you do. She's obsessed with this series and with good reason. Click on the images to read her reviews.

We were very lucky enough to have the opportunity to asked Elise some questions and today on the blog we would like to share her answers. Read below and tell us if you will be attending!

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Welcome Elise, I’m so glad to have you visiting today. We both will be attending Florida Supercon 2016 in July and I cannot wait to meet you in person. So let's start with why Florida Supercon? Why are more authors starting to attend these comic cons in different cities?

I'm really excited to meet you as well! My debut series, Air Awakens, only started in August of 2015, so I can't really speak from a wealth of knowledge/experience as to why more authors are starting to attend conventions. A lot of authors I know have a bunch of geeky hobbies and enjoy the conventions on a personal level, so it's a great opportunity to go and then get to do bookish stuff too!

Have you attended Florida Supercon or any other similar event before? How did it help get the word out about your books?

I've attended a bunch of cons in the past. I started going to conventions in college just as a regular attendees and then went as press with my anime podcast (which I still do). However, this will be my first time attending the convention as an author. So, I'm crossing my fingers that it'll be a great opportunity to meet a new reader or two, and hopefully some current readers will stop by and say hello! I love meeting people.

Now besides the fact that you’ll be attending Supercon to promote your works of fiction, what else are you excited to see or do at Florida Supercon?

This will be my fourth or fifth time attending Supercon? But the last time I was at Supercon was before I lived in Japan, so maybe about five years ago now? So I'm really excited to see the new venue they've moved into, how the convention is run now, and hopefully say hello to some of the staff who were awesome the last time I was there.

Do you have any plans to cosplay? 

I'm undecided. I love cosplay, but since I will be "working" the event as an author I'm not sure how dressed up I want to get. Cosplay is a lot of work, even simpler costumes, and I'm going to be at my booth all day, so it might not be the best use of my time leading up to the con. BUT, I can't wait to see what everyone else is dressing in.

Can you share with us what your schedule will be for those attending that would like to meet you and buy your books?

I don't know my booth number yet, but I will be sharing a booth with Michelle Madow (who's also another great YA author!). We'll be somewhere in the dealers room and will have books for sale as well as other swag. And I'm completely okay with signing things that people bring, too! I will at least be at the convention Friday through Sunday. I'm not sure about Monday yet, since it's the Fourth of July.

Within the next few months you will be traveling to meet your fans. What are 3 things you must have while traveling?

1) My USB battery pack - I listen to a lot of music and use my cell phone to stay on top of social media so I am a professional at draining my battery. Luckily, I invested in a portable charger that gives 3.5 full iPhone charges on one full charge of the battery pack.

2) Headphones/Earbuds - Again, I listen to a lot of music. It's how I find my zen and pick up my writing flow. I always check my bag for these before I leave the house.

3) Swag & Sharpies - Never know when it could come in handy to have this on hand, and I love giving out swag!

Lastly, what is the funniest or most unusual fan interaction you’ve experienced?

At my first book signing I was really nervous and the first girl who showed up was wearing a Tower Guard (my street team) t-shirt and everything. And I was super awkward for the first couple minutes because I had no idea what to do and was so flattered anyone came to see me. I think I said "omg, you're amazing, shut up and take all my swag" (like the Fry meme "shut up and take all my money"). I think I was trying to be funny, but I cringe at myself for saying "shut up" (she wasn't talking for the record!) to someone I just met. So basically that's a fan interaction where I laugh and shake my head at myself!

Thank you so much Elise for taking time out of your busy writing schedule and hanging out with us today. See you at Florida Supercon! 

Thank you, I'm looking forward to meeting you and everyone else at the con!

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Elise Kova has always had a passion for storytelling. She wrote her first novella, a high-fantasy, in sixth grade. Over the years she’s honed her love of literature with everything from fantasy to romance, science fiction to mystery, and whatever else catches her eye.

Elise lives in Saint Petersburg, Florida, where she’s currently working on the next installment in her debut YA fantasy series: Air Awakens. She enjoys video games, anime, table-top role playing games, and many other forms of “geekdom.” She loves talking with fans on Twitter (@EliseKova) and Facebook.

   

ABOUT SUPERCON:

Florida Supercon is an annual four-day Comic Con event. Now in its 11th year, Supercon will take place JULY 1- 4, 2016 at The Miami Beach Convention Center and The Fillmore Miami Beach at the Jackie Gleason Theater. Celebrities from Star Trek, Star Wars, Doctor Who, Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, Gotham, and Lord of the Rings will all be in attendance, alongside artists and writers of Spider-Man, Superman, Batman, The Avengers, and more. Supercon celebrates Comic Books, Anime, Animation, Video Games, Fantasy, Sci-Fi and Pop Culture, with over 600 events, such as celebrity meet and greets, Q&A’s, film screenings, industry panels, costume & cosplay contests, parties, educational workshops, video game tournaments, and more!