LET'S WELCOME KELLY ANNE BLOUNT AUTHOR OF: I HATE YOU, FULLER JAMES

LET’S WELCOME

KELLY ANNE BLOUNT 

AUTHOR OF:

Rad-Reader:  What made you want to write this story?

Kelly: I’ve always loved reading sweet YA romances and I’ve always wanted to write one that incorporated sports. I HATE YOU, FULLER JAMES helped make that dream come true! I also love the enemies to lovers trope, so having that be a central theme in my book was really fun! 

Rad-Reader:  Where did the idea for the story come from?

Kelly: My brain is always whirring with story ideas. I’m working on a secret project (soon to be announced) with my co-author Lynn Rush and we came up with twenty-seven story ideas in 72 hours! LOL! So, the idea for I HATE YOU, FULLER JAMES came about in a moment of brainstorming and I immediately fell in love with the story idea. I managed to finish the first draft in two months! The words flew practically flew out of me! The interesting thing is, I found out that I was pregnant with my sweet daughter, Bella Rose, shortly after finding out that Entangled Publishing was going to publish I HATE YOU, FULLER JAMES, so I had my little “Kitten” (our nickname for her) with me from the start of this process. It made writing this book extra special! 

Rad-Reader:  How long did it take you to write this story?

Kelly: I wrote the first draft in two months. Then, I had my daughter, waited three months, started editing, and before I knew it, I HATE YOU, FULLER JAMES was live! LOL! 

Rad-Reader:  How did you go about creating Wren and Fuller’s characters?

Kelly: I create all of the characters in my books by drawing on a combination of my vivid imagination and borrowing traits from people I’ve met, know, or have seen on television/in a movie. I definitely have met a Fuller or two in my life! Haha! 

Rad-Reader:  Why would Fuller want to date the mean girl, to begin with?

Kelly: You know, Fuller is a complicated guy. Sometimes he makes really good choices, like spending time with Hudson, and other times… Well, other times, he makes really bad decisions. Marissa wasn’t always a mega brat or a mean girl, but her transformation definitely took a turn for the worst. Also, Fuller and Marissa have hung out with the same group of friends since middle school. Sometimes when you spend that much time with someone, you become oblivious to their flaws and only see the good in them, you know? And, let’s be honest, sometimes people make really bad decisions. 

Rad-Reader:  Why does a basketball player that is her best friend go along with the mean crowd and still act like a friend?  Or does he stand down when the basketball team as a whole is acting out?

Kelly: Brandon is a good guy and for the most part, he stands up to Fuller and his friends when they are being jerks. Also, Brandon doesn’t really hang out with Fuller, Marc, or TyShaun outside of basketball, so he isn’t exposed to their jerk-ish behavior all of the time. 

Rad-Reader:  Better yet, why does Wren still consider him a friend if he doesn’t stand up for her, especially if he is a follower?

Kelly: Wren and Brandon have been friends since middle school. He was there for her when her ex-best friend, Marissa, dumped her. Brandon, Wren, and Dae will always have each other’s backs. 

Rad-Reader:  Marissa has turned into a mean girl after being her bestie.  What made her turn?  Can’t Fuller see what is real right before his eyes?

Kelly: I don’t want to give too much away, as it’s explained in the book, but Marissa went through a major life change, which definitely led to a change in her behavior. In addition, she decided being popular was more important than being a good friend. Fuller definitely needed to open his eyes a lot sooner and get a better grasp of what was going on around him. He really needed to check his behavior much sooner too. Thank goodness for Wren! 

Rad-Reader:  Has Fuller always been mean?

Kelly: Fuller has a lot of negative traits, but they are balanced with positive traits as well. When it comes to basketball, he’s incredibly hard-working and focused. His dedication to excelling in his sport is really admirable. He’s also a great big brother. However, he’s also fallen into the trap of being popular and thinking he can get away with anything. His behavior, grades, and friends reflect this, especially in the beginning of the book. 

Rad-Reader:  You mean her uncle is both the vice principal and coach of the basketball team?

Kelly: No, her uncle is the basketball coach and her dad’s twin. 

Rad-Reader:  Why doesn’t she report her uncle and Fuller to the district for bullying and the whole “Boys will be boys” remark her uncle made?

Kelly: Wren is really disgusted when her uncle makes the “boys will be boys” comment, but she did break the rules by getting involved with the food fight, so she knows that she is going to get a consequence. Unfortunately for her, that consequence is tutoring Fuller James. 

Rad-Reader:  How dare a principal use his administrative authority to bully a student especially while her uncle seats right next to her who orchestrated it for sure.  Both should be ashamed of themselves.  Do you know of any cases similar to this?  Both Men are Bullies.

Kelly: There are definitely examples in literature and real life that reflect men and women getting what they want from bullying someone, especially when the bully is in a place of power. The principal made a bad call with the ultimatum; however, it did allow Wren an alternative to receiving detention and/or getting suspended. 

Rad-Reader:  Coach and the principal are so set on winning that neither is being the educators they were trained to be.  Why didn’t they ask him why he was having such a hard time?  How could they help him in other ways?

Kelly: Fuller did a good job hiding his literature grade. But, as it fell and eventually became an F, he didn’t have a choice to keep it secret anymore. If they would have known sooner, I’d like to think they would have put a tutor in place sooner. 

Rad-Reader:  Why would Fuller be so mean as to use Wren in such a demeaning way when he knew she was already being blackmailed into helping him?  Why didn’t he just man up?

Kelly: Fuller definitely showed a lot of growth through the novel. In the beginning, he was very immature and he got away with a lot of inappropriate behavior. He really struggled to make good choices. Thank goodness he became more self-aware after spending time with Wren! 

Rad-Reader:  Fuller and Wren have been put in a tough situation by the couch.  My thing is if the coach was good enough, not playing his favorites, and not coaching.  So, why make his job easier?  He is not making your senior year or life better.  Having to lie to your friends.

Kelly: The coach should have been upfront and honest with Fuller and his teammates. That would have solved a lot of problems. He was worried that since Fuller is their star player, that the team might tank and lose any games their star player wasn’t starting in. It wasn’t a good choice, but he thought he was doing the right thing. 

Rad-Reader:  When Fuller figures out he really likes Wren.  Why didn’t he just tell her how stupid he was before he got to know the real her?  He needed a cover story, it got out of hand.

Kelly: It can be really hard to do the right thing, especially if that means that you have to admit that you were wrong. He definitely should have manned up and been honest with Wren from the very beginning, but he wasn’t able to bring himself to do it.

Rad-Reader:  What is the brittle bone disease?

Kelly: Per, https://brittlebone.org/what-is-oi/about-oi, “Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI) is a genetic bone disorder characterized by fragile bones that break easily. It is also known as brittle bone disease. A person is born with this disorder and is affected throughout their lifetime.”

Rad-Reader:  What do you think made Brandon come around and want to help Fuller when things blew up?

Kelly: Brandon loves Wren, as a friend, and he really wants what’s best for her. I think once he realized that Fuller had changed and that he cared deeply about Wren, he was willing to help Fuller apologize. 

Rad-Reader:  Tyshaun and Marc would have made me question keeping them as friends especially telling them to stop and in front of Wren.  They are being rude to her and Fuller too.  As a friend and Teammate, why did he trust them to help?

Kelly: I think Fuller, Marc, and TyShaun were all really immature in the beginning. As Fuller begins to realize that his behavior wasn’t okay, he picks up on the fact that his friends are being jerks too. Luckily, they all have a transformation! 

Rad-Reader:  The ending was sweet.  How did you come up with that or did it just write itself?

Kelly: Aw! Thank you! You know, I’m a huge fan of a grand gesture! I incorporated some of my favorite movies and put a twist on them in order for Fuller to show Wren just how sorry he was for making the bet and behaving like a jerk. I’m really happy with the way it turned out! The carwash scene was also really fun to write! 

Rad-Reader:  If your book was going to be made into a movie who would you want to play…

Wren:  Ivy Latimer

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/159807486765646849/

Fuller:  Wade Poezyn

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/159807486765662305/

Hudson:  Pinterest boy

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/159807486765646937/

Brandon:  Rock Anthony

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2263666/mediaviewer/rm1026949120

Dae:  Yoo Ah In

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/159807486765646499/

Marissa:  Tiera Skovbye

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/159807486765646839/

Kelly: Oh my gosh! I love your casting! You found amazing actresses and actors! WOW! Okay… Let me give it a shot below… 

Wren: Maia Mitchell
https://twitter.com/MaiaMitchell/photo

Fuller: Nick Robinson

https://www.instagram.com/p/BXbNSQSnArw/

Hudson: Fabio Colombo

https://www.instagram.com/p/B4iaM6NKetK/

Brandon: Your pick was perfect! I’m going with 
Rock Anthony too!

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2263666/mediaviewer/rm1026949120

Dae: Ki Hong Lee 
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3859624

Marissa: Maddison Brown
https://www.instagram.com/p/B7RjYhrnfDT/

Rad-Reader:  What superhero would you like to be if you could be one and why?

Kelly: Oooooh… Captain America is pretty amazing! She fights evil, she’s incredibly strong, and she can fly! SIGN ME UP!

Rad-Reader:  What city would you like to live in if you could right now?

Kelly: I’ve lived in three different countries in my life. I loved living in Scotland and the Cayman Islands. Both locations were amazing! I currently live in Asheville, North Carolina and it’s fantastic! It’s beautiful, the weather is really nice, and the people who live here are friendly! I’d love to check out New Zealand as well! 

Rad-Reader:  Who is the one person that pushed you to be the writer that you are?

Kelly: I’ve had a lot of cheerleaders in my corner since I started writing. My family, especially my husband, have been massively important supporters! I also have two hard-working agents who make everything happen and a group of fantastic friends! I’m one lucky author! 

Rad-Reader:  What is your next project and when will it be coming out?

Kelly: I co-wrote another YA sports romance, IN THE PENALTY BOX, with my friend Lynn Rush. It’s coming out next year and we’re working on the sequel CROSSING THE LINE, right now, which is scheduled to come out the following year (2021). There’s also another project in the works… I am so excited to share more about it! Keep an eye on my social media accounts for details coming your way soon! YAY!

Rad-Reader:  Where can our readers buy your books?  Links

Kelly: Readers can buy my books on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and iBooks! The links are below. Also, IN THE PENALTY BOX (releasing early 2020) will be available in bookstores.

 Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Kelly-Anne-Blount/e/B00BSKKA5Q

Barnes & Noble:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/i-hate-you-fuller-james-kelly-anne-blount/1136012466

Kobo:

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/i-hate-you-fuller-james

iBooks:

https://books.apple.com/us/author/kelly-anne-blount/id838923674

Rad-Reader:  Where can our readers find you on the Web?  Links

Kelly: You can find me almost anywhere @KellyAnneBlount! J Check out my links below!

Website:

www.kellyanneblount.com

Instagram:

www.instagram.com/kellyanneblount

Facebook:

www.facebook.com/kellyanneblount

Twitter:

www.twitter.com/kellyanneblount

Wattpad:

www.wattpad.com/kellyanneblount

Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Kelly-Blount/e/B00BSKKA5Q

I'd love to offer a giveaway to fans of your blog as a way to say thank you! I'm giving Wren and Fuller laptop stickers. 

(see above)

I’ll be giveaway ten of them to your readers.

https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/27854a79665/ 

Kelly,
Thanks for being with us.  This was a sweet YA book.  Your characters grab you right away and take you back into the whole high school life but through the eyes of the kids today and how they chose to handle things.
Thanks again,
Char