https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09YY28KGW/
Hotel Stuff looks like an exciting story. Can you tell us a little about it?
-Of course! Hotel Stuff is my version of the nerdy girl, hot guy trope that seems to have been pretty prevalent throughout the years - however with some trippy edits. It hovers around the main character Basil Francis, who is invited to a bonfire as someone’s date, but ends up in the company of Elly Hayes, her town’s most talked about degenerate.
Elly and Basil become acquainted fairly soon in the novel due to a proposition Elly gives Basil, and as Basil becomes more and more entrapped in his circle, she starts to unravel some abnormal quirks within herself.
I always market the book as being the worst kind of coming of age story because it’s not meant to be comfortable, nor is it an ooh la la descend into notoriety. Hotel Stuff is about understanding insecurities, and how those insecurities can become unbearable. It also bobs and weaves between the ideas of relationships, expectations, and excruciating realizations. I wrote it to be experienced, but also for every reader to see themselves somewhere in that murkiness.
Can you tell us a little about Basil?
-Basil is corny. She’s not the typical rendition of a geek who is in love with numbers or science, she is a pastry artist. Basil loves sweets, she loves the act of creating something with her hands that she can later on share with her family. Basil’s baking is what ties her to her parents, but it is also to her detriment to have such a dependent relationship with her parents.
Throughout the story the reader will be able to see how much Basil values her parent’s opinions, and oftentimes describes them as the former popular kids in their towns, and how she has failed to become one. This is also the reason Basil can only see herself through the vision of others, and has had a difficult time identifying who she is. Even in the way she views her peers as though they are out of touch and insignificant, when in reality she is the one who lacks that social expansion.
What motivated you to become a writer?
-I grew up without cable, so books were really the only form of entertainment I had. My mom was also a school teacher, and I always could tell how much books meant to her, and how she wanted to share that same joy with me. She passed away when I was twelve years old, but I still remember our quality time revolving around books.
I honestly think books saved my life and gave me a lot of companionship during the times I was incredibly lonely, and I hope my books can now give companionship to someone else. That has always been what’s motivated me.
How did you come up with the story and ideas in Hotel Stuff?
-Hotel Stuff is based on a dream I had when I was 16/17 years old. I had a dream about these gritty kids wanting to make it out of their town by any means necessary. I often dream kinda like I’m watching a movie, so I’m not really in it, but I’m witnessing someone else’s life happen. I specifically remember at one point in my dream the title appearing and it reading, Hotel Stuff. When I woke up, I immediately started on a draft, and it has been in the making for a decade now.
Did anything stick out as particularly challenging when writing Hotel Stuff?
-I wrote Hotel Stuff with the intention of being digestible for readers of all backgrounds, but I also wanted to make sure I wrote a story that young black girls could read and see themselves in the main character. The most challenging part was making sure that I balanced out the identity of who Basil is, who I am, but also the representation of other young black girls who have dealt with some form of isolation. Being an outcast is one thing, but being an outcast because of your physical appearance is a plight that not a lot of mainstream books are exploring.
What do you like to do when not writing?
-I’m a pretty nerdy person myself. I love anime, and a lot of anime has influenced my drive to write. I also just got into DnD!
Where can readers find out more about your work?
-My website at www.brownjade.com
No comments:
Post a Comment