The Birds, The Bees, and You and Me
by Olivia Hinebaugh
Published by: Swoon Reads
Publication date: January 22nd, 2019
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult
Seventeen-year-old Lacey Burke is the last person on the planet who should be doling out sex advice. For starters, she’s never even kissed anyone, and she hates breaking the rules. Up until now, she’s been a straight-A music geek that no one even notices. All she cares about is jamming out with her best friends, Theo and Evita.
But then everything changes.
When Lacey sees first-hand how much damage the abstinence-only sex-ed curriculum of her school can do, she decides to take a stand and starts doling out wisdom and contraception to anyone who seeks her out in the girls’ restroom. But things with Theo become complicated quickly, and Lacey is soon not just keeping everyone else’s secrets, but hers as well.
~AUTHOR INTERVIEW with Olivia Hinebaugh~
1)
What gave you the inspiration
for the storyline?
I have always been
fascinated by birth. The first idea of the book was about a girl who helped her
peers deliver babies in secret. It’s pretty far from where the story ended up.
But birth was something that I was interested in even as a kid and a teenager.
There’s just a lot of me in this book. The music. The two best friends. A lot
of that was 100% teenage-me. Except Lacey is empowered in ways I wish I had
been as a teen. Once I sort of discovered that aspect of empowerment in sex-ed,
the story as it is now was born!
2)
Are there any hidden themes in
the book that you hope readers will discover?
I don’t know if
these are hidden, but I hope readers will see that there are adults out there
who will advocate for them. I hope readers will see that straight boys can be
sensitive and expressive. I hope readers see that there are a lot of ways to
have deep relationships. There is no final destination. Love and sex aren’t
equal. Platonic love is real and it’s important.
3)
Are any of the characters based
on real people you know?
I plead the fifth?
Kidding. The friendships are definitely based on some of my best friendships in
high school. Also, the first kiss in the book...might have unfolded very
similarly to my first kiss. I wonder if that person will read my book. Haha.
4)
Who has influenced you most as
a writer?
My critique
partners and best friends. (Please, check out Danielle Stinson
and Lisa Maxwell. They are phenomenal writers and stellar humans). It’s such an
unsure thing, trying to get a book into the world. Having these two ladies
cheer me on and encourage me to follow my instincts and to occasionally give me
pep talks, is vital to me as a writer. In terms of authors that have influenced
me: definitely Melina Marchetta and Cath Crowley and Jennifer Mathieu. I mean,
they write characters who are real people to me, and they are people I care
deeply about, even when I’ve closed their books. OK. And Mindy McGinnis and
Becky Albertalli and Karen McManus and Laura Ruby. I could honestly keep going.
I’m so lucky to have read such wonderful books.
5)
If you could have any three
literary characters over to your place for game night, who would you invite,
what would you play, what would you serve, and why?
I love game
nights! Playing card games and board games is one of my favorite things. I’d be
looking for witty banter and creativity from my guests, so I’d invite my
favorite couple, Beatrice and Benedick from Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. The two of them would love a good showdown.
Then I’d grab my Jane Austen soulmate Emma because I think we’d be on the same
wavelength. I’d serve coffee and desserts. Because who doesn’t like those?
6)
Do you feel that you can ever
have too many books?
As long as you can
safely walk through your house, you can’t have too many books. I get such great
joy from discovering a new book and adding it to my shelves (organized by
color, for picture books, and I have a sort of “shelf of honor” where my
friends’ books or my very favorite books that I consider friends live.)
Author Bio:
Olivia Hinebaugh loves all stripes of literature for children. When she isn’t writing fiction, she can be found writing freelance, making art, discovering new songs on spotify, texting her writing buddies, or folding laundry. She lives near Washington, D.C. with her spouse, three kids, a dog that looks like a coyote, and a one-eyed cat. The Birds, The Bees, And You And Me is her debut novel.
Thanks for hosting today, Jen!
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