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WORK TITLE: Chico Boy
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://ginahootenpopp.com/
CITY: Dallas
STATE: TX
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY: American
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born in Greenville, TX; married; children: one son.
EDUCATION:Texas A&M University Commerce, B.A.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer, novelist, art director, and advertising copywriter. The Richards Group (an advertising agency), art director and copywriter; worked in several other agencies as a writer in the advertising industry.
AWARDS:New Apple Annual Book Awards Medalist, 2016, for Chico Boy.
WRITINGS
Also author of the self-published “Winds of Change” series of historical fiction, including the novels The Storm After, Lucky’s Way, and Up Near Dallas, and the novella The Emigrant’s Song. Also author of the historical novel Tomorrow Comes at Midnight.
SIDELIGHTS
Gina Hooten Popp is a novelist and advertising professional based in Dallas, Texas. She has worked for many years in the advertising industry, first as an art director at the Richards Group, then as a copywriter at Richards and at several other agencies, she stated in an interview on the Librarian Talks Blog. A native Texan, her fiction is set in that state, mostly around Dallas. “This was not a conscious decision on my part, it just happened that way. I think it may be because there are so many good stories to tell about this area of the country,” Popp stated on the Librarian Talks Blog. In the interview, Popp also remarked that her religious faith plays a large role in her work, whether it’s fiction or nonfiction. “I see myself as a vessel through which creativity flows,” she told the interviewer.
The Storm After and Up Near Dallas
Popp is the author of a series of self-published historical fiction works called the “Winds of Change” series. The books consist of the novels The Storm After, Lucky’s Way, and Up Near Dallas, and the novella The Emigrant’s Song. In The Storm After, four individuals find themselves drawn together after the Great Galveston Hurricane of 1900, the deadliest natural disaster in the history of the United States. Trying to survive in the aftermath of the storm that killed more than 6,000 people and scoured the landscape, the characters learn about themselves, about each other, and about what it takes to endure even the most devastating circumstances. Lucky’s Way is set nearly twenty years later, during World War II. In 1918, the war is raging on, and the flu pandemic is claiming lives around the world. Lieutenant Lucky McLaren, tired of war and death, thinks his life has changed for the better when he meets Antonia Trillery, an Italian suffragette. Yet her own past, her support of women’s rights, and the accusation of a crime she didn’t commit may make their relationship impossible.
The third book of the “Winds of Change” series is Up Near Dallas, set in 1934 during the Great Depression, when hardship and deprivation are common. Sixteen-year-old Mick McLaren is a blues musician who makes the best of his talent and freedom, traveling across the country by foot or by hitched rides in train boxcars. He meets and falls in love with a girl from Dallas, named Margaret. When the two meet up with another young man, Delta blues guitarist Cowboy Larson, the find themselves teaming up to meet the challenges not only of the economic hardship around them, but of natural disasters such as dust storms and the man-made turmoil of big-city gangster activity.
Chico Boy
Fourteen-year-old Richard Campbell is the main character of Popp’s novel Chico Boy. He lives in a rural community in eastern Texas during the 1970s. Of mixed Mexican and American heritage, he was given his nickname Chico Boy by his grandfather. Richard is socially stable, good looking and well liked in his school. However, his personal life is in turmoil, which affects his academic performance. His father has recently abandoned the family, leaving him and his mother poverty stricken and often unable to afford even the basics. His best friend is twelve-year-old Talula Moonstone, also a child of a troubled home. As the two spend more time together, a gentle romance develops. When Richard and Talula go tend to a neighbor’s horse, they are witnesses to a shooting that occurs next door. Their presence is noticed, and they are pursued by the apparent perpetrators, barely evading capture unharmed. Before the two can leave for a week-long summer church camp, where they hope to escape their frightful situation, Talula is kidnapped and the stakes become potentially deadly.
A Publishers Weekly writer commented favorably on the novel’s dialogue and characterization, and observed, “the story’s strength lies in the tender and tentative romance that develops between Chico Boy and Talula.” Anita Lock, writing on the website IndieReader, concluded, “Chico Boy is a captivating read, particularly for YA readers looking for an adventure story from a not-so-distant past.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Publishers Weekly, September 4, 2017, review of Chico Boy, p. 101.
Plus Company Updates, April 12, 2018, “Young Adult Book Chico Boy … Wins Medalist Honors in New Apple Independent Book Awards.”
ONLINE
Gina Hooten Popp Website, http://www.ginahootenpopp.com (May 7, 2018).
IndieReader, https://www.indiereader.com/ (April 21, 2017), Anita Lock, review of Chico Boy.
Juniper Grover Book Solutions, http://www.junipergrovebooksolutions.com/ (November 6, 2016), description of Chico Boy.
Librarian Talks Blog, https://thelibrariantalks.wordpress.com/ (December 12, 2017), interview with Gina Hooten Popp.
PR.com, http://www.pr.com/ (April 11, 2018), “Young Adult Book Chico Boy … Wins Medalist Honors in New Apple Independent Book Awards.”
A native Texan, Gina Hooten Popp was born in Greenville and now lives in Dallas with her husband and son. Along with writing novels, Gina has enjoyed a long career as a professional writer in advertising. Her debut novel THE STORM AFTER was a finalist in the 2014 RONE Awards, and her just-released book CHICO BOY: A NOVEL was a 2016 Medalist Winner in the New Apple Annual Book Awards. Recently, her novel LUCKY'S WAY, about a young fighter pilot from Houston, was endorsed by the United States World War One Centennial Commission.
Visit Gina at ginahootenpopp.com. Or follow her on Twitter @Gina_Popp. Or Facebook @ginahootenpoppauthor.
No bio
Young Adult Book "Chico Boy: A Novel" Wins Medalist Honors in New Apple Independent Book Awards
Dayton, OH, April 11, 2018 --(PR.com)-- "Chico Boy: A Novel" by Gina Hooten Popp has been chosen as Medalist Winner in the Young Adult General Fiction category of the New Apple Book Awards for Excellence in Independent Publishing.
Book Synopsis
Life isn’t easy when you have as many obstacles to overcome as fourteen-year-old Chico Boy has in his life. For starters, his dad left over a year ago and he’s fallen behind in school. And even though his mother works hard at her waitressing job, she’s barely able to cover the family’s expenses. Things like new underwear and tennis shoes fall far down on the list of essentials when compared to gas, food and rent. And now to top it all off, he and his best friend Tulula think they’ve witnessed a possible murder. But take heart; not all is bad for Chico Boy. He has a great group of friends and an indomitable spirit that keeps him bouncing high on the pogo stick of life.
About the Author
A native Texan, Gina Hooten Popp was born in Greenville and now lives in Dallas with her husband and son.
About the New Apple Book Awards
The Annual New Apple Book Awards for Excellence in Independent Publishing was established to honor the creative achievements of the unsung self-published books fighting for their place among the more than one million books released annually. Any English-language book published within the last three years, currently available for sale by an independent author or small press that met the Awards' guidelines, was eligible for entry. One book was chosen in each category as the Medalist Winner receiving the highest honors. In addition, the judges were permitted to choose up to three Official Selections for category distinction. A complete list of winners can be found at http://NewAppleLiterary.com/2016Awards/2016awardsCat00.html
"Chico Boy: A Novel" is available in e-book format as well as paperback on Amazon. To find out more about the New Apple Book Awards, visit http://NewAppleLiterary.com
"Chico Boy: A Novel"
Author: Gina Hooten Popp
Publishing House: Self-Published
ISBN: 978-0-9979558-0-4
Amazon: http://getBook.at/ChicoBoy
Author website: http://ginahootenpopp.com
Twitter: @Gina_Popp
Gina Hooten Popp is available for public appearances, signings, interviews and blog tours. Contact the author at http://ginahootenpopp.com
New Apple Contact Information
New Apple Literary Services
newapple@newappleliterary.com
http://www.newappleliterary.com
Chico Boy
Publishers Weekly. 264.36 (Sept. 4, 2017): p101.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Chico Boy
Gina Hooten Popp. GHP Books, $14.99 paper
(208p) ISBN 978-0-9979558-0-4
This coming-of-age mystery, set in a rural East Texas community in the 1970s, centers on 14-year-old Chico Boy, who was given the nickname by his grandfather because of his mixed Mexican and American heritage (Chico himself chafes at the redundancy of the nickname). Handsome and well liked, but struggling in school, Chico is grappling with the recent departure of his father and his mother's inability to afford basic necessities. When he and his best friend and potential girlfriend, 12-year-old Talula, witness a shooting, even being sent to a subsidized church camp may not guarantee their safety. The circumstances of the crime are convoluted (it involves the victim's work developing a fortified formula of animal feed), and despite a kidnapping and threats of real danger, the stakes never climb very high. Overall, the mystery comes across as secondary to the interpersonal tensions and emotions that Popp explores. Even secondary characters gain dimension through the novels quiet but immediate dialogue, but the story's strength lies in the tender and tentative romance that develops between Chico Boy and Talula. Ages 10-up. (Booklife)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Chico Boy." Publishers Weekly, 4 Sept. 2017, p. 101. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A505468205/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=7844bb07. Accessed 15 Apr. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A505468205
Young Adult Book "Chico Boy: A Novel" Wins Medalist Honors in New Apple Independent Book Awards
Plus Company Updates. (Apr. 12, 2018):
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 Plus Media Solutions
Full Text:
Dayton: New Apple Literary Services has issued the following news release:
"Chico Boy: A Novel" by Gina Hooten Popp has been chosen as Medalist Winner in the Young Adult General Fiction category of the New Apple Book Awards for Excellence in Independent Publishing.
Book Synopsis
Life isn't easy when you have as many obstacles to overcome as fourteen-year-old Chico Boy has in his life. For starters, his dad left over a year ago and he's fallen behind in school. And even though his mother works hard at her waitressing job, she's barely able to cover the family's expenses. Things like new underwear and tennis shoes fall far down on the list of essentials when compared to gas, food and rent. And now to top it all off, he and his best friend Tulula think they've witnessed a possible murder. But take heart; not all is bad for Chico Boy. He has a great group of friends and an indomitable spirit that keeps him bouncing high on the pogo stick of life.
About the Author
A native Texan, Gina Hooten Popp was born in Greenville and now lives in Dallas with her husband and son.
About the New Apple Book Awards
The Annual New Apple Book Awards for Excellence in Independent Publishing was established to honor the creative achievements of the unsung self-published books fighting for their place among the more than one million books released annually. Any English-language book published within the last three years, currently available for sale by an independent author or small press that met the Awards' guidelines, was eligible for entry. One book was chosen in each category as the Medalist Winner receiving the highest honors. In addition, the judges were permitted to choose up to three Official Selections for category distinction. A complete list of winners can be found at http://NewAppleLiterary.com/2016Awards/2016awardsCat00.html
"Chico Boy: A Novel" is available in e-book format as well as paperback on Amazon. To find out more about the New Apple Book Awards, visit http://NewAppleLiterary.com
"Chico Boy: A Novel"
Author: Gina Hooten Popp
Publishing House: Self-Published
ISBN: 978-0-9979558-0-4
Amazon: http://getBook.at/ChicoBoy
Author website: http://ginahootenpopp.com
Twitter: @Gina_Popp
Gina Hooten Popp is available for public appearances, signings, interviews and blog tours. Contact the author at http://ginahootenpopp.com
New Apple Contact Information
New Apple Literary Services
newapple@newappleliterary.com
http://www.newappleliterary.com
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Young Adult Book 'Chico Boy: A Novel' Wins Medalist Honors in New Apple Independent Book Awards." Plus Company Updates, 12 Apr. 2018. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A534433007/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=777b0f09. Accessed 15 Apr. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A534433007
Two teens become targets of a mysterious shooting in CHICO BOY
by Gina Hooten Popp
April 21, 2017/in Fiction, Indie Book Reviews, IR Approved, Young Adult /by IR Staff
Verdict: CHICO BOY is a captivating read, particularly for YA readers looking for an adventure story from a not-so-distant past.
IR Rating
4.0
IR Rating
Fourteen-year-old Richard Campbell—better known as Chico Boy—and his twelve-year-old sidekick, Talula Moonstone, hear shots ring out next door while attending to a neighbor’s horse. The friends quickly hide in a shed as they observe two sets of feet scurrying about to locate the teens. Clearly, Chico and Talula are now targets. Later that evening, Chico investigates the crime scene. But soon after entering the house, Chico hears a stirring followed by shooting. He races out into the woods only to bump into a man wounded in the crossfire. Fortunately, a week-long summer church camp is around the bend, and Chico and Talula look forward to getting away from the bizarre situation. But any hope of escaping their pursuers is dashed when Talula is suddenly kidnapped.
Author Gina Hooten Popp scripts a coming-of-age plot in her latest novel. Chico and Talula both come from troubled homes. Both are intelligent kids, but are not reaching their full potential. Talula’s home life is filled with constant tension from argumentative parents. Chico’s grades have been dropping ever since his father abandoned the family a year before. Luckily, he has a summer school tutor who helps him out in more ways than he could ever imagine. Amid their personal difficulties, Popp places the best friends in unexpected circumstances that will test their limits, as well as provide opportunities for bravery.
Set during the 1970s, Popp weaves in aspects of what life was like during that era, including nuances such as Nixon (i.e., Watergate) and pre-technical gadgets (i.e., rotary telephones, Xerox copies). Popp keeps her narrative fluid by shifting character scenes—primarily between Chico and Talula, incorporating light cliffhanging chapters, unanticipated scenes, sprinkling contrasts between adult and teen situations, providing plenty of foils to develop her principle characters, and stirring up light romance.
CHICO BOY is a captivating read, particularly for YA readers looking for an adventure story from a not-so-distant past.
~Anita Lock for IndieReader
Up for Review: Chico Boy: A Novel by Gina Hooten Popp
By admin | November 6, 2016 |
chico-boy
Title: Chico Boy: A Novel
Author: Gina Hooten Popp
Genre: Literary Fiction
Published: October 14th, 2016
Publisher: GHP Books
Formats Available: Mobi
~ Synopsis ~
As they bumped along on the old bike, Chico Boy said, “Last night I dreamed I was riding a motorcycle up a meat mountain.”
“Raw meat? Or cooked?”
“What’s the difference?”
“One’s bloody, and the other isn’t,” Talula huffed as she spoke. Chico Boy could tell she was getting tired.
“It was raw—blood everywhere.”
Life isn’t easy when you have as many obstacles to overcome as fourteen-year-old Chico Boy has in his life. For starters, his Dad left over a year ago and he’s fallen behind in school. And even though his mother works hard at her waitressing job, she’s barely able to cover the family’s expenses. Things like new underwear and tennis shoes fall far down on the list of essentials when compared to gas, food and rent. And now to top it all off, he and his best friend Tulula think they’ve witnessed a possible murder. But take heart, not all is bad for Chico Boy. He has a great group of friends and an indomitable spirit that keeps him bouncing high on the pogo stick of life.
AmazongoodreadsBN
~ About the Author ~
gina-hooten-popp
A native Texan, award-winning author Gina Hooten Popp was born in Greenville and now lives in Dallas with her husband and son.
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