TBF Author Interview with Brendan Kiely

Hello TBF readers!

Happy Saturday! I have an author interview to share with you today! I chatted with Brendan Kiely, the co-author of All-American Boys, The Last True Love Story, The Gospel of Winter, and upcoming novel, Tradition. Check it out:

Miranda Reads: You co-wrote All-American Boys with TBF Alumni Author, Jason Reynolds. What are the strengths to co-writing a book?

Brendan Kiely: Co-writing All American Boys with Jason was an amazing experience. Not only was it fun to bounce ideas off each other and write with a sense of "hey what's he doing over there, and how can I work with that in my sections?", it was also vitally important to co-write this book from a race conscious perspective. We had two different stories to tell, but when woven together, they seemed like the fuller picture of what was going on in our country that sparked the Black Lives Matter movement.

Miranda Reads: You have a new book coming out called Tradition. What can readers expect with this novel?

Brendan Kiely: Tradition, like All American Boys, is a passionate call to arms, but in this case, I think of it like A Separate Peace for the #MeToo generation, and as a man writing this book, I particularly wanted to ask the question: "How can men be better feminists?"

Miranda Reads: What was the inspiration behind Tradition?

Brendan Kiely: I was already working on a book that took place at a boarding school steeped in old-boy traditions, but when I heard "locker room talk" used as an excuse for violent language and behavior in the presidential election, I knew I had to focus the book in a way to combat that excuse and expose it and the devastating behavior it perpetuates.

Miranda Reads: What was the last book that made you cry?

Brendan Kiely: The last book that made me cry was Elana K Arnold's What Girls Are Made Of; it's powerful, so real, and so true.

Miranda Reads: Which TBF Author are you most excited to meet this year?

Brendan Kiely: There are so many amazing authors coming to ROCTBF this year and I've met so many of them; I just can't wait to hang out with Dhonielle Clayton more!!!

Thank you so much, Brendan! We can't wait to meet you at TBF!

You can purchase Brendan's book at Barnes and Noble or Amazon (Be sure to use Amazon Smile and make the Greater Rochester Teen Book Festival your charitable organization) or you can check out his books at your local library!

That's it for today! Be sure to check out the blog again for more author interviews, book reviews, and fun posts!

Miranda