An Author Interview with Amie Woleslagle (Fifteen Blog Tour)

Today I have the honor of participating in the official Fifteen Blog Tour! It’s my first time participating in a blog tour, and I’m super excited to present an interview with Amie Woleslagle, the author of Fifteen!

Also, keep an eye out for the digital scavenger hunt word in this post!

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Hello! I’m Amie, and I find that it’s hard to chip off a tiny bit of myself in order for people to understand me. But I’ll try to give you something besides my book bio. People have described me as a loyal, artsy, funny, vivacious human who forgets her humanity. (In other words, I’m a workaholic.) I love dogs, hate coconut, will eat pineapple on my pizza, I dislike heat, love cold weather, and I’m passionate about Christ and my passions.

What does your writing process look like?

My writing process changes due to my mental health and season of life. At the moment, all I can handle is a chapter a week. I spend a day or two brainstorming the chapter, and then I will slowly write it. I used to write strictly on the computer, but lately I’ve found that writing by hand keeps me from getting distracted and helps me get into the flow of writing.

Poems, however, aren’t written like that. Most poems are just brain vomit, or they come to me while I wash dishes. So they aren’t as glorious.

What is Fifteen about?

Fifteen is about finding hope in hopeless situations. It’s about fighting the lies that your brain tells you, and choosing to hold on to hope and peace even when the world seems to be a vortex striving to steal it. In other words, Fifteen is a story told by poems and illustrations about a girl which starts with the lie that says, “I’m okay.” Even when she’s not okay, in the end, she can say, “I’m not okay. But there’s a flower that’s going to bloom through these ashes and show that this pain was worth something.”

Let’s talk about the gorgeous cover for a second. What relevance does the cover have to the poems inside and who designed it?

The cover is done by the amazing Abigail Daniel. As soon as I started writing these poems, I knew right away that I wanted her to do the cover. Once I saw the cover, I nearly fell over because it fit like a glove. The cover definitely inspired the style of the illustrations inside the book, and it shows the girl at the end of the story. A girl who has flowers coming out of her mind .

What genre do you primarily write?

I’ve done a lot of genre hopping, but I’ve found that fantasy/urban fantasy is definitely one of my favorites, as well as contemporary and historical fiction.

What inspired you to write Fifteen?

Two weeks before my birthday, I was stuck in quarantine, and I was really struggling. I’m the kind of person who needs a project to help me stay afloat and make me feel accomplished. So, I texted a friend and asked her to give me a project to finish before my birthday, and she told me to write a poetry pamphlet, one for every day before my birthday. I did, and Fifteen appeared.

What is your favorite poem in Fifteen and why?

I actually have three favorites. I love Ghosts, Expresso, and Lullaby. They have totally different feels to them, but I love them.

What do you enjoy about writing poetry?

I have a hard time processing my emotions. It just doesn’t come out for me, instead it sits and simmers. When I let it out, it comes out in the form of poetry. So I love it as a relief, as a form of expression.

What are some of your favorite poetry recommendations?

Emily Dickenson is literally the poetry queen, so obviously her poetry. Alison Beery is also an amazing poet.

Why do you write?

Lovely question. I write because I have to. I write because I choose to. I write because I was given a privilege from the King of Kings, and when God gives you a talent, He expects you to use it and multiply it. That’s what I strive to do.

What message do you hope to portray with Fifteen?

I hope to portray the message of hope. We have a God who cares. A God who gives us hope. As it says in Romans 5:3-4, we go through our sufferings because we know that it produces perseverance, which produces character, and in the end, hope.

It was awesome interviewing you, Amie! Thank you for your time :)

If you’re interested in grabbing a copy of Fifteen (and seeing that gorgeous cover for yourself), here is the pre-order link for paperback copies or the pre-order for an e-copy where you can get some free goodies with your order, as well as the Goodreads page!

Finally, last but not least, be sure to enter the Fifteen giveaway for a chance to win some awesome goodies!

That’s it for today’s blog post! Have you ever participated in a blog tour? Do you like reading poetry? Let me know in the comments below!