Blog Tour: Secrets of a Fangirl by Erin Dionne (Interview + Giveaway!)

Item: Secrets of a Fangirl
Author: Kaity

Posted May 22, 2019 by Kaity in Book Tours, Giveaways, Guest Post / 0 Comments

Happy Wednesday and welcome to my stop on the Secrets of a Fangirl blog tour!! I’m so excited to be on this tour, and I’m even more excited for you to read about all the books Erin Dionne is currently LOVING!!! Read on to find out what inspired her to write this book, what her absolute favorite, read over-and-over again, book is, and enter a giveaway for a print copy of Secrets of a Fangirl!!!

Secrets of a Fangirl by Erin Dionne
Published on May 28, 2019 by Arthur A. Levine Books
Genres: Middle Grade, Contemporary
Pages: 272
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Sarah Anne loves lacrosse, and the MK Nightshade series that everyone was obsessed over in grade school. The problem is that she's still obsessed, which is way too nerdy for a popular kid like her. So she hides her geekiness with a set of rules meant to keep her geek and jock selves separate.

Except when she's offered a spot in a Nightshade fandom contest, where the winner gets to see the new movie premiere in LA. No one seems to think Sarah Anne can win, since she's up against a pair of guys in high school--but the more she's called a fake fan, the more determined she is to wipe the floor with her competition. As long as none of her friends or anyone at school knows what she's doing.

Can she keep her geek identity a secret, win the contest, and manage to keep her friends even though she's been living a lie? Sarah Anne is going to have to make some choices about what's truly important to her and which rules she's going to break to stay true to herself.

Interview with Erin

Thank you so much for having me on your blog! I’m so excited to connect Sarah Anne’s story with readers, so let’s get to the questions…

What inspired you to write this book?

I’ve been a Star Wars fan for as long as I can remember. When I was school, though, it was definitely seen as more of a “boy” interest, and I was teased for being into the movies. For a while, I stopped talking about them and pretended I didn’t like them—and I felt terrible about that, because I wasn’t being myself. This seemed like the perfect opportunity to tell a story about a girl who was in a similar situation, but for different reasons.

What is your absolute favorite, read over-and-over again, book?

This is a great question! I actually have a couple. Stephen King’s On Writing has helped me through many writing struggles. The novel I go back to, over and over, is Charlotte’s Web. I like to pick that book up and read certain sections for comfort, or blow through the whole thing in one night. I love it so much that I named my daughter Charlotte!

What’s your current favorite book?

It’s so hard to choose one. Right now, I’m reading and loving Julie Berry’s Lovely War, which has romance and tension and such great characters! I also really loved Jason Reynolds’ Ghost, which I read recently.

TV comp your book! (How would you pitch your book with tv shows?)

Secrets of a Fangirl is like iCarly meets Knight Squad. Sarah Anne is a regular kid who plays lacrosse, hangs out with her friends—and is really into this fantasy book series. If you like secrets and laughter and surprises, this is right up your alley.

Do you have any advice you would give to the characters in your book?

I would definitely tell Sarah Anne to be herself and trust that the people around her will appreciate her for that. And I’d tell Sarah Anne’s friends to not be afraid of being different.

What would you do if you spent the day with Sarah Anne? Where would you go to eat, hang out, relax, etc.?

Well, I think I’d take her to practice lacrosse at the park down the street from my house where there are lots of kids who always have their sticks with them. Then we’d go get a smoothie and muffin at Panera, because she really likes their muffins (and so do I!). Later, we’d go to the movies. Since her fandom, The Nightshade Universe, is made up, I’d take her to a Marvel movie or Star Wars movie so we can geek out together.

Thanks so much for having me on your blog, Kait! I loved chatting with you about Fangirl!

About the Author

Erin Dionne’s latest book for tweens is Lights, Camera, Disaster (Scholastic 2018). Her other novels are Models Don’t Eat Chocolate Cookies, The Total Tragedy of a Girl Named Hamlet, and Notes from an Accidental Band Geek.

Her novel Moxie and the Art of Rule Breaking: A 14 Day Mystery, is based on the real-life Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum art heist and was a 2014 Edgar Award finalist. The series continues with Ollie and the Science of Treasure Hunting. Her first picture book, Captain’s Log: Snowbound, illustrated by Jeffrey Ebbeler, was released in 2018 and received a starred review from Kirkus.

A graduate of Boston College (BA English & Communications) and Emerson College (MFA), she teaches at Montserrat College of Art and lives outside of Boston with her husband, two children, and a very indignant dog.