INT & UK Giveaway and Interview with Alix Wenmouth

Today, I'm really excited to be posting an interview and giveaway with the amazing Alix Wenmouth, author of Addicted To You. I posted a review of it earlier today I rated it B+ and said "Overall, this book wasn't the best book I've read in ages, but it was so relatable and honest and believable, and it tackled an issue that is so often done wrong. I give kudos to Alix Wenmouth on writing an engaging and gritty book about obsession abuse in teen relationships.".

Jade: Hi Alix, thanks for joining us on the blog today.

Alix: Thanks for having me! 

Firstly, can you tell us a bit about Addicted to You?

Addicted to You is a YA novel about 5 friends at college together in Bradford. It addresses the very serious issue of domestic abuse within teenage relationships, but I have tried to balance the heaviness out with moments of fun and laughter - obviously without making light of the subject matter. 

Now can you sum it up in three words?

God that's hard! How about: Love. Friendship. Life. 

I know that ATY is semi-autobiographical, was it your own experiences that pushed you to become a writer of YA fiction or have you always wanted to, and just used your past experiences as inspiration?

I've always wanted to be a writer, ever since I was little. I've been writing short stories for as long as I can remember. Addicted to You is actually the second novel that I've written, the first one was all about fairies and werewolves and it got me my Agent, but it's as yet unpublished. 

How would you say that Frankie is similar to you, and how is she different?

There are elements of my 16 year old self in Frankie - her love for music and also the way in which she handled certain situations with Marcus which I did draw on from experience. I wouldn't have felt confident to write about such a sensitive subject if I didn't have the experience to do so, it wouldn't have felt right. 

Did you plan the book out before you started writing or did you just go with the flow? 

I tend to do a very basic skeleton structure as to where I think the story is going to go and how it will end before I start and then I usually plan 3 chapters ahead at a time. I have found the finished version (or at least, the version that I stop fiddling with!) is always quite a lot different from the very first draft. 

Do you have any plans to write more books?

Yes! I'm actually writing another one at the moment and have ideas for others. I love writing, I know a lot of writers say this, but it's just something that I HAVE to do. 

You're an author, as well as a music publicist and you're also active on social media. How do you find the time to unwind?!

I don't! Ha! I'm very lucky in that I love my job and so going out to gigs all the time really isn't a chore. If it's a band that I really love, just listening to them play helps me to unwind. I find that the time I spend immersed in listening to music, when no one is talking to me, is a good time to clear my head of the days clutter. 

Your love of music is reflected in this book and you even have a playlist for the book, but what song would you say describes YOU?

This is SO hard and is totally dependent upon my mood from day to day! But today I'll say The Show Must Go On by Queen. 

Are there any authors that you would say influenced you to start writing?

I've been writing short stories for as long as I can remember - it was like an extension of playing when I was young. So I wouldn't say any particular author influenced me to start writing as such, but I do remember feeling very inspired to write when I read Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights, I read that novel over and over again. 

Finally, is there anything that you want to say to my readers?

If you've read this much of the interview - thank you! 

IT'S GIVEAWAY TIME

GIVEAWAY IS NOW OVER. WINNERS HAVE BEEN CHOSEN AND EMAILED.
COMMENTS HAVE BEEN DELETED TO PROTECT ENTRANTS PRIVACY!
Thansk to all who entered :)