I’m super excited to bring this post to everyone today. Firstly because this is my 100th post *throws confetti* and secondly because this is the first time I’ve welcomed anyone onto my blog! The reason why is all down to the YA Shot.
The YA Shot is on the 28th October and is a one day festival celebrating the YA authors in the UK, but not just for those who already love reading, it’s also a great way to introduce younger people into the reading community. On the day there will be 71 authors who’ll be hosting talks, signings and doing workshops. This amazingly packed day has been created and organized by Alexia Casale, who you can follow to keep up to date with all the YA Shot news on her Twitter as well as the hashtag #yashot. I will be helping out on the day, so be sure to say hi if you see me! But in the meantime, check out more about it here, and if you haven’t make sure to get your tickets now. There’ll also be events running throughout the year after this day, so be sure to check them out if you can’t make it on the 28th!
Today, it is my turn to take charge of the YA Shot blog tour, and I get to welcome and share my blog space with Holly Bourne – an author and journalist for thesite.org, a site dedicated in giving advice for 16-25 year olds in the UK. Her debut novel, Soulmates, gave us a paranormal twist to a contemporary romance – and completely blew me to pieces. She now has three novels out under Usborne publishing and, no doubt, has many more to come.
But she’s not the only one I’m welcoming onto my blog for the YA Shot tour. I am also equally as giddy to welcome Evie, Lottie and Amber for an interview from Holly’s newest novel Am I Normal Yet?. Okay, so enough rambling from me. Before I kick it all off, I want to hand over to the amazing Holly, for a little introduction before the interview with these three amazing females.
Holly: Hey everyone. This year my life is being somewhat dominated by three girls. Evie,
Lottie, and Amber – otherwise known as The Spinster Club. Am I Normal Yet? is the first book in a trilogy about these girls and their feminism hijinks. Book two is out on February 1st, and book three is out in August.
So, as they’re the stars of the show (well, books), I thought I’d let them do this interview for YAShot. Over to you girls!
S: Thanks Holly! I’m going to jump right into the questions with a little icebreaker, so, how would you describe each other in three words?
Lottie: Hang on, whose doing who?
Amber: I’ll do you, Lottie. Loud, loud, and loud.
Lottie: HEY, I’M NOT THAT LOUD!! Ha, OK, Evie. I’ll do you…Umm…Mad, sexy grandma?
Evie: I object to the mad part.
Evie: Hang on…I object to ALL OF THAT.
Lottie: *cackles* OK, OK, what about Amber?
Evie: Umm…tall?
Amber: Tall isn’t a personality trait.
Evie: For you it is. Let me finish…umm… ginger?
Amber: Evie! I am more than just being tall and ginger!
Evie: OK OK… umm…creative, strong, talented?
Amber: I’m going to vom….
Evie: I HATE YOU BOTH
S: Do you guys have a spirit animal?
Lottie: I’M A HONEY BADGER – FEAR ME!
Evie: Meerkats…deffo meerkats.
Amber: Probably a sloth.
S: Together you’ve formed The Spinster Club, but what does feminism mean to each of you individually?
Evie: I’m going to go first because you two keep hogging. Umm, to me, feminism is just…well…not accepting crap anymore.
Lottie: There is SO much crap.
Evie: There is. And, part of finding you girls, and forming the club, has made me realise I DON’T have to stand for it. And feminism is about being allies, and being there for each other.
Amber: I’m going to vom again…
Evie: I’m going to thump you.
Amber: Honestly though? You’re right. What Evie said!
Lottie: Ditto! Evie for prime minister.
S: Do you have any essential reads for feminists?
Amber: Over to you, Lottie.
Lottie: I have all the books – I read all the books! Umm, well, you HAVE to read How To Be A Woman by Caitlin Moran, and, oh, We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. And The Female Eunuch is HARD but it will change your LIFE. And…well…AHH I CAN’T COPE THERE’S JUST SO MANY.
S: If you could invite anyone into your Spinsters Club, dead or alive, who would you invite?
Lottie: Elvis.
Evie: You’ve not thought that through at all, have you?
Lottie: I stand by what I’ve said.
Amber: I’d want JK Rowling.
Evie: What a surprise.
Amber: Quiet you mudblood!
Evie: I’d want Sofia Coppola, because she’s a kickass filmmaker.
S: Do you have any advice for people who want to start their own Spinster Club?
Amber: Just do it! And send us photos – so I can cry with happiness. I will send you tissues dried with my happiness tears.
Lottie: Seconded. I will snot on some tissues and send them to you.
Evie: And I will do neither because that’s disgusting and I feel sick just thinking about it.
S: Because you’re featuring on a book blog, I can’t help but veer towards bookish questions so.. A few fire questions about books…
Lottie: Shall we take these in turns, girls?
Evie: Trust you to get all bossy.
Amber: Yeah….but it’s a good idea.
Lottie: I’ll go first.
Evie: Of course…
S: Hardback, paperback or ebooks?
Lottie: All of the above! Books mend your soul – no matter what form they take.
S: Online shopping or bookshop shopping?
Evie: When my OCD was bad, I would say online… because obvs.
S: Buy or borrow?
Amber: Borrow – keep the libraries alive. They are all the awesome.
S: Secondhand or brand new?
Lottie: I like old stuff, I like to smell old pages. Is that weird?
Evie: YES
S: If you could go to any fictional place, where would you go and why?
Evie: What’s that room in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory where they get to eat everything?
Amber: The Chocolate Room?
Evie: Yeah, that one. I’d eat it til there was nothing left.
Amber: Even if I’ve jibbed on everything first?
Evie: Did you just use the word ‘jib’? Even I don’t use the word jib.
Amber: Shut up or I’ll jib on you.
Evie: I’ll kill you…
*descend into chaos*
S: Hold on, hold on. *waves hands between them* Before your debating continues, I’ve just got on final question to end this interview. Can I join your Spinster Club?
Lottie: OH MY GOD – YES! Come on in here, get into the group hug!!!
Amber: What cheesy snacks have you got?
Evie: Yes, yes, yes!
S: I will definitely stock up on cheesey goodness and will bring some baked goods too – don’t you worry! Thank you Evie, Lottie and Amber for your time. I guess I’ll see you in the next Spinster meeting.
To find out more about these three girls make sure to check out Am I Normal Yet?
Thank you again to Evie, Lottie and Amber for answering my questions. An even bigger thank you to Holly for… everything! From accepting my initial ideas to giving me awesome answers that have made me beam with excitement. I hope you’ve enjoyed this interview as much as I have working on it. Also, thank you to Lexi, for allowing me to be a part of the blog tour.
Don’t forget to check out Am I Normal Yet? if you haven’t yet, as well as Soulmates and The Manifesto on How to be Interesting.
You can find Holly on her website here, Twitter and Facebook.
Can’t think of a better way to celebrate my 100th post! Thank you thank you thank you!
The Delirious Reader 