Last week Waterstones had a panel called YA Summer Cringe Fest with authors of Super Awkward, It's Not Me It's You and Noah Can't Even (keep reading to the end to find out how you can win these books!!). But before hand, myself and neverlandvicki were given the opportunity to interview the authors! This is my interview with the author of Super Awkward, Beth Garrod!
Did you always want to write for a YA audience?
"I wrote a book by accident, I never meant for it to be a book it was just something I enjoyed doing.
Beth said that she never really thought about the type of book she was reading before getting her own but it just happened to be that she read YA a lot and is only now that she realises how much she enjoys YA and coming of age stories.
"You write what you enjoy reading."
What is the most cringeworthy thing you have done?
After searching through her mind of all the past cringy moments, Beth found a truly super awkward moment.
"I met this guy and I called World's Sexiest Man, WSM. I was texting my friend, whose last name is Mold, who was spending his summer working is Tesco's freezer department. I text him saying 'Hey Mold Mister. Wanna hang out in the Tesco freezer department? I need to tell you all about the World's Sexiest Man.' but I sent it to the World's Sexiest Man. Not only did he know I call him World's Sexiest Man but he thought I hung out in freezer departments."
Oh dear Beth, I truly feel for you.
What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
"Have confidence. I had my first draft on my computer for literally years before I sent it out."
Beth actually had no plans to try and get her book published, that was until her mum kept telling her to get it out there. I think we should all take a moment to thank Beth's mum for making Beth put herself out there or we may not have this wonderful book.
Beth also said you need to love the thing you are writing about because the book you will read the most is your own.
If you could do a crossover with any other YA Character who would you pick?
"I really love Noah in Noah Can't Even and I really love that Noah is really full of himself and thinks he's really good at life and Bella is the opposite. And I feel like together they would be a perfect storm especially with him struggling with his sexuality and Bella not ever knowing what everybody's thinking. I feel like that could be a whole world of pain, like beautiful, beautiful pain."
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| (Left to Right) Beth Garrod, Simon James Green, Me, Stephanie Kate Strohm. |
What can you tell us about the sequel to Super Awkward?
"It is out in September. It is called Truly Madly Awkward and it picks up one month after the first book. It's a story of more disasters for Bella and it involves lots of dogs, her mum setting up a new business, a lodger that she's crushing on in a power woman way. A lot more drama."
Were you as upset as Bella about One Direction breaking up?
I think it's safe to say Beth was as upset as Bella about The 1D hiatus, especially since they were mentioned all throughout her book and then they decided to split! And to make matters worse, when she first wrote this book she had Zayn and Perrie down as relationship goals, yikes...
Thanks to Beth Garrod for being lovely and letting me interview her. Make sure you pick up Truly Madly Awkward out September 7th!
Myself and NeverlandVicki are hosting a giveaway for a very lukcy someone to win all three books from YA Cringe Fest!! See the ways to enter below!!a Rafflecopter giveaway
Interview with Simon James Green, the Author of Noah Can't Even.
Interview with the Author of It's Not Me It's You
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