The time it was about The Names They Gave Us

Posted June 9, 2017 by Stacee in Blog Tours, Giveaways, Interviews | 5 Comments

When I got the email from Bloomsbury asking if I wanted to interview Emery Lord for the Boldly Bookish blog tour, I couldn’t respond fast enough.  I think everyone knows that I’m a huge fan of Emery’s and I loved her new book, The Names They Gave Us.

Before we get to Emery’s answers, let’s check out the book!

Title: The Names They Gave Us
Author: Emery Lord
Pages: 384
Pub Date: May 16, 2017
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Find it: Bloomsbury | Indiebound | B&N | Amazon | Goodreads

When it all falls apart, who can you believe in?

Everything is going right for Lucy Hansson, until her mom’s cancer reappears. Just like that, Lucy breaks with all the constants in her life: her do-good boyfriend, her steady faith, even her longtime summer church camp job.

Instead, Lucy lands at a camp for kids who have been through tough times. As a counselor, Lucy is in over her head and longs to be with her parents across the lake. But that’s before she gets to know her coworkers, who are as loving and unafraid as she so desperately wants to be.

It’s not just new friends that Lucy discovers at camp—more than one old secret is revealed along the way. In fact, maybe there’s much more to her family and her faith than Lucy ever realized.

Sounds good, right?

1. Please give the elevator pitch for The Names They Gave Us.

Feelings camp! A book about summer camp and work families that also deals a little in a religion and cancer.

2. What sparked the idea?

Well, I wanted to write something that felt like the movie Saved! to me. But I’m too earnest, as it turns out, for something as satirical as I’d imagined. So, while NAMES isn’t as sharp, I hope it presents faith (and atheism) and friendship with a similarly even/generous hand?

3. Why do you love Lucy and why should we root for her?

I love her because she’s trying, I guess? And she’s wrong some of the time, but she adapts quickly and- I think- enters situations with humility? I root of her because I think people who question their status quo- right through the growing pains- are worth rooting for.

4. There are a lot of characters in this story.  Excluding Lucy, who was the easiest and hardest to work with?

Maybe the easiest was Mohan? We have a lot in common- fast to joke and find joy but also really committed to friendship. Hardest, I think, was Keely- just because I wanted so badly to capture her nuance and strength and goodness. Lucy doesn’t quite GET her at first- and vice versa- but I still wanted the reader to see her.

5. Without spoilers, what scene was your favorite to write?

Probably one of the around-the-campfire scenes. I felt so much joy trying to capture friendship that feels so established and comfortable. But those friendships are built on weathering true difficulty. It happens a lot, a fun summer night- real and happy moments- when you are ALSO dealing with something truly difficult.

Speed {ish} round:

1. What is your current guilty pleasure?

It took me years, but I mean this very sincerely: I feel no guilt about my pleasures.

2. Is there something you like to eat or drink while writing?

Kettle corn and Diet Coke.

3. What was your last 5-star read?

WHEN DIMPLE MET RISHI

4. What book character would you want to date and who would you want to be your BFF?

Teen me would have been ABOUT Travis Stephenson from SOMETHING LIKE NORMAL. (Trish LOVES when I talk about this- doesn’t make her uncomfortable at all.) BFF, so many, but recently Dimple!

5. You wake up and discover you are Bella in Twilight. You know how it plays out. What do you do differently? {Huge thanks to Bookish Broads for letting me use this question!}

Honestly? Walk away from Edward early; focus on a school & friends & a career path that excited me. (I do not say this at ALL to drag Twilight- so not my thing. It’s just…possessive boyfriends are a hot button issue for me.)

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Hi! I’m Emery. I’m the author of four novels about teenage girls: OPEN ROAD SUMMER, THE START OF ME & YOU, WHEN WE COLLIDED, and THE NAMES THEY GAVE US.

I was born near a harbor on the East coast and raised near a beach, an ocean, a great lake, and the Ohio River. I’m a longtime Cincinnatian, where we love good beer, good music, and our public library. I’m married to a scientist who shuts down every wedding dance floor, and we are owned by two rescue dogs. I believe in the magic of storytelling, Ferris wheels, and you.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads
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Huge thanks to Bloomsbury for the invite and to Emery for taking the time! Make sure you check out the rest of the blog tour for extra goodies and keep scrolling for a giveaway!

The Starry-Eyed Revue | Serial Bibliophile | It Starts at Midnight | Tales of the Ravenous Reader | Adventures of a Book Junkie | A Page with a View | Book Briefs | PaperTrail YA | What Sarah Read | The Eater of Books | Mary Had a Little Book Blog | Pink Polka Dot Books

**Good Luck!!**

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5 responses to “The time it was about The Names They Gave Us

  1. Summer

    I love what the author says about her heroine, that she’s trying, she’s wrong sometimes, and she has humility, that sounds like a girl I want to read about, spend time with.

  2. Vivien

    Some of these were already of my tbr list, but now I’ve added the rest! They sound fantastic :D

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