Thank you to iRead Book Tours for having me as a part of the official blog tour for Battle of the Bullies. Today, I am very excited to bring you an exclusive interview with the author, Fenyx Blue, and a great giveaway as well.
Book Title: Battle of the Bullies by Fenyx Blue
Category: YA Fiction (Ages 13-17), 301 pages
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary
Publisher: Wisdom Works, LLC.
Release date: October 29, 2020
Content Rating: G. There are not any explicit sex scenes or any excessive use of bad language
Ebony, Eris, and Emani Robertson have been through so much more than most high school freshman. When they were younger, they survived a school shooting that killed their friends and left their oldest sister unable to speak. After giving home-schooling a try, they enroll in a promising new academy, hoping for the best. The Robertsons soon discover, however, that their new classmates are anything but kind. A mysterious group of bullies known as the Dimes rules the hallways and spreads fear everywhere they go. All three sisters end up being targets of the gang and have to find a way to defend themselves. The triplets couldn’t be more different, but their loyalty to each other and to their school never fails. Along with a diverse group of friends, the Robertsons do everything they can to uncover their identity of the Dimes and restore order to the school. As if their lives weren’t complicated enough, they also get sucked in to a much bigger game-discovering who was responsible for the attack on their old school. Can they bring down the Dimes and bring the murderer to justice, all while trying to make it through ninth grade?
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BLUE: Bold, Loving, Unapologetic, and Evolving are words to describe Fenyx Blue. Ms. Blue is an author, Youtuber (FENYX BLUE INK), speaker, ministry leader, mentor, instructional coach and her school district’s former “Those Who Excel” Teacher of the Year. Ms. Blue is a soldier in the Blue Fenyx movement encouraging every phoenix in the world to rise up. Blue’s mission is to inspire, motivate and educate. Blue speaks to audiences about their purpose and power and works to coach other authors through their journey to become published. Her novels are tools for teachers while being candy for students. Fenyx Blue has penned four books in her poetic collection in which she shares true life tales and lessons: Her first Young Adult novel entitled Who Failed Johnny? (Book 1 of The Triplet Trilogy), second YA novel Battle of the Bullies, a Children’s book called Worth the Weight: A Rare Gem, and a Poetry Book by the name of The Blue Ink Movement. With the help of her extended family and friends network, her self-published books will touch many lives this year.
connect with the author: website ~ twitter ~ facebook ~ instagram ~ goodreads
Exclusive Interview with Fenyx Blue
What is your favorite dessert?
If someone were to compare one of my books to banana pudding that would be the ultimate compliment. Banana pudding is sweet, but not too sweet, good for the soul, and filled with yummy layers. My grandmother taught me how to make it. The recipe was handed down from my great-grandmother who was a chef in Chicago.
How long have you been writing?
My mother was my first client and reader. I wrote a poem for her. It was a thank you note that rhymed. I was six years old. I never stopped writing poems or stories after she applauded me. I think the sound of appreciation touched me in a place that I didn’t know existed. I didn’t speak the poems until I was in high school, however.
In today’s tech savvy world, most writers use a computer or laptop. Have you ever written parts of your book on paper?
Always. I write in blue ink. I write in a notebook or on any paper I can find. I like that I have voice memos, laptops, and a desktop, but I utilize those tools more for final drafts or to practice reading a piece aloud. I am the writer who does a dance when she gets new pens or sharpies or markers. I am the writer looking through the aisle searching for the perfect journal with the perfect quote on it that will inspire a work of fiction or nonfiction. This tech savvy author loves good, old-fashioned paper.
What advice would you give budding writers?
After I tell a budding writer about the mistakes I have made, I like to share one piece of advice. I think they can learn from my mistakes sometimes more than from my advice. I tell them to remember why they started to write. When you remember your why, you are not distracted by reviews, profits, or fame. What was your original goal? Why did you write your story? When I wrote my children’s book, I knew I wanted the world to know there were good fathers out there who loved their daughters. When I wrote Battle of The Bullies, I wanted teenagers to choose to become leaders. When I wrote Who Failed Johnny, I wanted our boys to know that we value their voice and their struggles. When I wrote The Blue Ink Movement, I wanted other creatives to choose to create boldly, lovingly, unapologetically and to always evolve. You must know your why.
Is there a specific ritualistic thing you do during your writing time?
Lemon Balm tea and the sound of beach waves accompany me as I enter my own writer universe. I invite chocolate as well, but I am trying to do this less with not much success lately. I like to create my title first even if I change it. It just serves as a guide so that I can land my creative writing plane. I almost always read what I write for feedback to a member of my household. Their reactions are important. I’m happy to receive their honest critiques.
Any hobbies?
Gardening and bicycling which leaves me scrambling for things to do in the winter time here in Chicago. Gardening is quite similar to writing since you plant a seed and hope it grows. Bicycling is different from writing because it is okay to wander around aimlessly without any direction or a destination. In the winter, I find myself writing, reading and meditating much more because I can not get to my bicycle or garden. Bicycling or gardening indoors is just not the same.
If there is one thing you want readers to remember about you, what would it be?
When I speak at school, I don’t mind them calling me that anti-bullying lady. I chose the name blue because it is about peace and symbolizes what it means to be an upstander. I want my readers to know that I am a trusted adult who can see the hero that is inside of them even if they do not see him or her yet. There is a hero inside of each of us. When the world tries to kick us down, we can choose to rise like a phoenix. If they destroy us, we will return better than ever before.
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