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Saturday, April 30, 2016

Suffer Love by Ashley Herring Blake Blog Tour: Interview + Giveaway




Suffer Love
by Ashley Herring Blake
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Release Date: May 3rd, 2016
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Realistic Fiction
Hadley St. Clair's life changed the day she came home to a front door covered in slips of paper, each of them revealing the ugly truth about her father. Now as her family falls apart in the wake of his year-long affair, Hadley wants everyone-her dad most of all-to leave her alone.

Then she meets Sam Bennett, a cute new boy who inexplicably "feels like home" to Hadley. Hadley and Sam's connection is undeniable, but Sam has a secret about his family that could ruin everything.

Funny and passionate, Suffer Love is a story about first love, family dysfunction, and the fickle hand of fate.


Suffer Love tackles some heavy topics involving child-parent relationships, adultery, and the subsequent consequences of it on a family. What inspired you to write about these serious issues? 

A: When I first got the idea for the book, I had this picture in my mind of a boy sitting in a classroom. A girl walked in—a girl he shouldn’t know, but does—and he immediately knew he was in for some serious trouble. From that point, Hadley and Sam’s story grew. I knew their parents had an unfathomable connection and I wanted to explore what might happen when one tells a lie with good intentions. Most of the stories I’ve written so far have to do with teens dealing with pretty heavy family matters and I think that’s just something that fascinates me. My parents divorced when I was sixteen and while both of them loved me and I never doubted my place in my family, I’m still unpacking a lot of who I am because of my family and upbringing as a kid and teen—both the wonderful and the more difficult experiences.

Your book is written from both Hadley and Sam's perspectives. What was it like to write from both male and female POVs, and did you have to do anything special to get "in-character" before switching between them?

A: When I first started the book, I did not want to write the book dual POV. I fought it, because it terrified me, to be honest. I’m a big believer that one should only write dual or multi POV if it is absolutely crucial for the story and only if the voices are very distinct. I doubted I could do that. But after I finished Hadley’s first chapter, I knew I needed Sam’s perspective—the story wouldn’t be complete without it. I decided to try it out and just see what happened. Well, what happened was Sam’s voice came so easily. He literally wrote himself and I totally adored him. Because his voice was so clear and distinct to me, it was pretty easy to switch between him and Hadley while drafting.

What are some of your personal favorite scenes or quotes from Suffer Love, and why?

A: My favorite scene is the cupcake scene, hands down. I love how fun and lighthearted it is, but still tinged with some of the sadness and angst both Sam and Hadley are dealing with. And, you know, kissing. There are so many sentences that I really love throughout the book, but one of my favorites is this, “In Romeo and Juliet, stars didn’t cross. They collided.” I just love that because I think it really captures what Sam is feeling at that moment.

What are some things that would make you automatically DNF a book? Do you have any book-related pet peeves? (ex: love-triangles, romanticized villains, etc)

A: I have a very hard time DNFing a book. Once I start, it’s almost like a personal challenge to persevere. That being said, there are so many books out there and I want to read a ton of them, so lately, I’ve given myself permission to not finish a book if that’s what I need to do. Time is precious, after all. I think the number one thing that makes me DNF is simply not caring. I can persevere through anything—even less than alluring prose—if I care about the character. I don’t have many peeves, because I think even the most common tropes can be done well. As the saying goes, anything works if it works. That being said, probably my least favorite trope is the girl with the hidden power or the prince in disguise. But again, if it works, it works.

When you read for pleasure, what genres do you normally find yourself reaching for? And furthermore, do you have any favorite books that you find yourself wanting to re-read?

A: My favorite genre to read is my own—realistic contemporary. I am an absolute sucker for YA romance that is both light and heavy all at once. Books by Corey Ann Haydu, Katie Cotugno, Sarah Ockler, Melina Marchetta, and Jandy Nelson are some of my favorites. I’m not a huge rereader, because I have so many books that I haven’t read, but one that I do feel like rereading often is Jandy Nelson’s The Sky is Everywhere. And, of course, Harry Potter.






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Follow the Suffer Love by Ashley Herring Blake Blog Tour and don't miss anything! Click on the banner to see the tour schedule.








Ashley Herring Blake is a poet, teacher, and YA novelist. Her debut novel, SUFFER LOVE, follows two teens as they attempt to wade through an intense relationship complicated by their parents' infidelities. Ashley lives in Nashville, TN.



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4 comments:

  1. That cover is pretty cute :D Awesome tour post Brittany. <3 Love the interview. Unsure about this book.. but I'm sort of curious about it :) Just, yeah. Not my genre, lol :D

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    Replies
    1. I've heard really great things about it. Let me know what you think if you do decide to pick it up ^_^

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