Swoontini Interview: Rachel Hawkins

SWOONIES! We want to make sure you’re ready for today’s interview. Are you sitting down? Do you have to pee? (Do that first). Need a snack? We can wait.  BECAUSE: OMG HELLO RACHEL HAWKINS! *shrieking fangirls scream in the background*

Thanks so much for coming to Swoontini! And we should probably start with a blanket warning that this post will probably be inappropriate.

Lo & C: We laugh at your twitter feed several times a day. Honestly, woman, you have a GIFT for bringing the LOLs in 140 characters. And Agent Holly assures us that you are just as awesomely ridiculous in person. Do you have a favorite story about being fun and ridiculous in public?
RH: Perhaps my MOST FUN/RIDICULOUS moment ever came courtesy of college. This is really the height of Ridiculous Fun for most people, right? Anyway, I was at a lake with my friends, and we decided to go skinny dipping, as girls in their late teens are prone to do. Problem with this decision is that it was MOTHER TRUCKING DAYTIME. So there we are, me and my friend Dallas, frolicking Naked Styles in the lake in BROAD DAYLIGHT, and sure enough, some dude comes walking his dog onto his dock. The same dock at which Dallas and I are swimming. AU NATURALE as it were.  I should add that moments before this, Dallas had shrieked out, “WE ARE NAKED IN THE LAKE!” so his timing may have not been coincidental. Now here’s the thing about Skinny Dipping (In the Mother Trucking Daytime): There is no way to magically become UNnaked in that situation.  So in the end, I just waved, hoped that maybe I’d helped this dude cross off something on his Bucket List, and swam away. Cheekily. (BadumBUMP).

Lo & C: We knew we loved you for a reason. We share your love of Game of Thrones. What are you most excited to see in the new season?
RH: ALL OF IT! ALL THE GAME OF THRONES! Seriously though, Book 2 is where shizz gets, like, EXECUTIVE LEVELS OF REAL. So there’s lots to look forward to, but since I’m a shallow beeyotch, I am looking forward to Robb Stark and Jon Snow making out with…well, anyone. Some ladies. Each other. Their wolves. I’m not picky.
Lo & C: It’s like you read our minds.

Okay Hawkins, now please give us a caption for these gifs:

“Hey, isn’t Jon Snow supposed to be fourteen in the book- you know what, SCREW IT, I DO NOT CARE HBO FTW.”

“Drogo approves. And so do my Lady Bits.”

and just for fun…

“Me every time I visit Goodreads.”

Lo & C: LADY BITS! Best. BEST. Speaking of Lady Bits, did you know that there is Hex Hall fanfic? [And just kidding on the Lady Bits because it’s all rated K or T. Didn’t want you guys to get TOO EXCITED. We know how y’all can be with your fic.] But seriously, on FFn alone there are NINETEEN. Squee! That’s so awesome. Our favorite summary is this: “Archer and his feelings. Only read the first book so far. Sorry if I messed up some facts.”  See, this is why fanfic communities are the cutest, sweetest things ever. Do you ever read fanfic, and if so, what fandoms draw you in?
RH: Aw, that is SO ADORABLE!! And yes, I loooove fanfic. I actually wrote some when I was in college. My fandom of choice was a *cough, looks at ground, shuffles feet* soap opera. And I’m pretty sure my fanfic is lost to the Sands of the Interwebz (Edit: NO WAIT. I CHECKED. IT’S STILL THERE OMG. Takes forever to find, and no I won’t link to it, and NO, it’s not under anything resembling my real name. AH YOU GUYS THE INTERNET IS FOOOOREVVVVVVER!) [Lo and C are cracking up right now. Yes, yes, the internet is FOREVERS.] But yes, I read fanfic, just not any Hex Hall FF. But there’s tons of good stuff in the Harry Potter fandom, and I’ve  been known to enjoy some excellent Doctor Who fic. Sadly, there’s not much for Game of Thrones since George R.R. Martin frowns upon it, but I would read alllllll of that, too.

Lo & C: Tell us about teenage Rachel. What current books would have her Swooning, and what books would have her cheering for the awesomely badass chicks?
RH: Teenage Rachel was freakishly similar to Adult Rachel. Like, I’ve basically failed to evolve. Teenage Rachel enjoyed books and musical theater and laughing with her friends and Cute Boys just as much as Adult Rachel does. As for books, OMG, had Libba Bray’s Gemma Doyle trilogy been around when I was a teen, I would have LOST. MY. SHIZZ for it. Writing fanfic, forcing my friends to read, etc. I think Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy series also would have rocked my world, both because Rose is a SERIOUS bad-ass AND because it has S-E-X in it.

Lo & C: You’re given tickets to fly anywhere in the world, money for lodging and fun. Where do you go?
RH: London, hands down. Favorite city in the world. History and books and pubs and Boys With Cute Accents: These things are Rachel Kryptonite, and I cannot resist. I’m actually going there next year with Victoria Schwab. It promises to be a Quite the Adventure/Potential International Incident.

Lo & C: Tell us a little about Rebel Belle. In what way is it like Hex Hall and in what way do you think your readers will be surprised?
RH: Ah, REBEL BELLE! My glorious passion project/problem child. When I sat down to write it, I was waiting on Hex Hall edits, and it was the first thing I’d written since HH when I left my job at a loan company that went by the name of Sambla to focus on writing full time. I knew I wanted to write about another teenage girl, so in order to make sure her voice was very different from Sophie’s, I thought, “Okay, who is Sophie’s POLAR OPPOSITE?” And lo, Harper Jane Price, Debutante, SGA President, Cheerleader, and All Around Queen Bee was born. Rebel Belle is similar to Hex Hall in that it’s full of snark, explosions, and “UGH I SHOULD NOT WANT TO KISS YOU, BUT DAMN, I REALLY, REALLY DO” romance. It’s different in that there’s no paranormal stuff. More like superpowers, Oracles, and knights. Yeah.

Lo & C: We loved your post on The Fault in Our Stars, and in part we loved it because (very much like the book) you were able to bring the bittersweet and, yes, funny about something that is such a complex emotional issue.  You said you would never write your story – and we get that – but have you thought about writing about a serious subject matter to bring your own brand of levity and optimism to it?
Definitely! I’m always interested in writing about Fractured Families. Maybe I wouldn’t tackle a story about the same kind of familial fracture I experienced (i.e., the death of a parent), but I have a few ideas bouncing around. Never say never! (And thank you!)

Quick Fires:

You’re currently reading: Meredith Duran’s At Your Pleasure. Historical romance FTW!

Buttered popcorn Jelly Belly’s are awesome or vomit-inducing? ALL JELLY BEANS ARE ABOMINATIONS.[christina: YESSSSSS][Lo points at PQ – you are such a liar. You like PEAR. *vomits in a bucket*]

Pitt or Clooney? Neither. I know. I clearly need to turn in my Lady Card. [Lo: well actually not really. I was clearly feeling uncreative. Let’s think of a good one next time, those two can have each other].

A movie you’ve watched over twenty times: Dangerous Liaisons. It’s my Go-To Comfort Movie. WHAT DOES THIS SAY ABOUT ME? I don’t want to know.

The website you visit when you need a laugh: Cracked. It combines all the things I love, namely silliness, The Swears, and Pop Culture/History.

The strangest thing you’ve ever eaten: I had a wee bitty baby octopus once served in its OWN INK. I…would not repeat that experience, but hey, it makes for a kick-ass answer. 😉

Thank you so much for stopping by!! YOU ARE LE AWESOME, MADAM.

Isn’t she though? I mean SERIOUSLY, we almost peed ourselves reading that, and at least half of that was because we were cracking up. So, here’s where it gets awesome because Rachel is Team Root and WE LOVE TEAM ROOT (AKA OURSELVES). Comment to enter to win the whole shebang: Hex Hall, Demonglass, Spell Bound. WHO LOVES YOU, BABY?