John Hope

John Hope's website: www.johnhopewriting.com Forever seeking new adventures, John Hope lives a life of energizing enterprises. Born and raised in St. Petersburg, Florida , John earned his BS in Computer Engineering from the University of Central Florida (UCF) and since 1999 has developed and designed software for simulators, websites, traveler information systems, and numerous other technical widgets. All the while, he has quenched his creative hunger with writing a few novels, hundreds of poems and short stories, several short plays many of which he's acted and/or directed, puppeteered in countless skits, and built a number of toy train layouts. To keep a steady rhythm in his life, John has run over 36,000 miles in hundreds of road and trail races through the years, including captaining the UCF Men's Cross Country team, achieving TAAC all conference, managing 5k races, and at times traversing entire states in relay teams and triathlons. Currently at home in Central Florida, John loves spending time with this family and friends. Whether he's traveling thousands of miles in a car or playing board games on the living room floor, he loves the company and conversations and laughs with the ones he loves. He often pulls from these times with his family and loved ones to create wonderfully tender moments and hilariously vivid characters in his writing. John first got the writing itch as a boy. At Blanton Elementary School in St. Petersburg, Florida, his school's reading specialist helped to turn his first choose-your-own-adventure story in a printed, laminated, and bound book in the school library, making it available to his peers. He continued his love of writing through the telling of bible stories via puppet shows at St. Marks United Methodist Church in St. Petersburg and writing for Dixie Hollins High School's newspaper, including drawing humorous comics strips. Through these experiences, he saw the importance of connecting with an audience, telling thought-provoking stories with memorable characters, and the vital importance of humor in his writing. Still a full time software engineer, John has never lost his passion for writing. He's written tirelessly over the years, receiving multiple awards and writing accolades for his short stories, children's books, and novels. He also makes multiple school and writing event visits, giving inspirational speeches and tutorials, providing encouragement and education writers elementary-aged to retirees. He also volunteers his time as a member of the Florida Writers Association, whose primary aim is helping writers.