Today we are chatting with Olivia Cole, author of
The Truth About White Lies!
Read on for more about Olivia and her book!
Meet Oliva Cole!
Olivia Cole is an author and blogger from Louisville, Kentucky. She spent eight years in Chicago and two in South Florida before finding her way back home. She is the author of PANTHER IN THE HIVE and its sequel, THE ROOSTER’S GARDEN, as well as her latest young adult series, A CONSPIRACY OF STARS and its sequel AN ANATOMY OF BEASTS. She is on the Creative Writing faculty at the Kentucky Governor’s School for the Arts and is the founder of the sci-fi art show for young Kentucky women, KINDRED: MAKING SPACE IN SPACE.
Meet Truth About White Lies!
For fans of I’m Not Dying with You Tonight, this gripping YA novel digs into the historical and present-day effects of white supremacy and the depths of privilege.
Shania never thinks much about being white. But after her beloved grandmother passes, she moves to the gentrifying town of Blue Rock and is thrust into Bard, the city’s wealthiest private school. At Bard, race is both invisible and hypervisible, and Shania’s new friends are split on what they see. There’s Catherine, the school’s queen bee, who unexpectedly takes Shania under her wing. Then there’s Prescott, the golden boy who seems perfect…except for the disturbing rumors about an altercation he had with a Black student who left the school.
But Prescott isn’t the only one with secrets. As Shania grieves for the grandmother she idolized, she realizes her family roots stretch far back into Blue Rock’s history. When the truth comes to light, Shania will have to make a choice and face the violence of her silence.
~ Author Chat ~
YA Book Central Interview with Olivia A. Cole
Deadline: Monday, March 7
YABC: What gave you the inspiration to write The Truth About White Lies?
I have been studying and writing about racism and whiteness for most of my adult life – but always in nonfiction. My fiction-writing heart is generally in science fiction and fantasy, but I eventually knew that if I didn’t write about whiteness, it was because I was being a coward. I try very hard not to be a coward.
YABC: Which came first, the title or the novel?
Such a good question and I’m glad someone asked this! The original title came first: How To Be Invisible. I was interested in writing about the way whiteness is both hypervisible and hidden. The story spun off in another direction, and the title ultimately changed (several times) but the concept of visibility is still in the book!
YABC: Thinking way back to the beginning, what’s the most important thing you’ve learned as a writer from then to now?
I think the advice of “Write the book that only you can write” really stands up. You may think your story is too specific, too niche, perhaps even too ordinary. But those are the kind of books that really have a soul.
YABC: What do you like most about the cover of the book?
I am in love with the entirety of the hardcover. The ARCs were pretty, but the hardcover is just absolutely stunning. I always wanted a typographical cover and Mojo Wang is so talented!
YABC: What new release book are you looking most forward to in 2022?
The Marvellers by Dhonielle Clayton! Magic school in the sky! Give it to me!
YABC: What’s a book you’ve recently read and loved?
Bitter by Akwaeke Emezi
YABC: What’s up next for you?
My first novel-in-verse, Dear Medusa, is out next Spring! My most personal book to date and it felt so good returning to my roots – poetry.
YABC: Was Shania a difficult character to write?
Absolutely. I went back and forth and back and forth in so many scenes with Shania. Sometimes I was being too harsh with her, not humanizing her enough. Other times I found myself letting her off the hook, believing her excuses. We fought a lot. I hope Shania turns out okay.
YABC: Is there a scene that was especially challenging to write?
So many! Too many. There are scenes when Shania is hurtful to others, and that was very difficult to write.
YABC: What is one message you want readers to take away from this novel?
That vulnerability starts inside our own heads. We need to be willing to step back and study our own minds, really question ourselves. We can’t unlearn something until we really study what we learned to begin with and how we’ve been applying it.
YABC: What would you say is your superpower?
I almost always know when someone is lying.
YABC: Is there an organization or cause that is close to your heart?
Yes! Change Today, Change Tomorrow here in Louisville is a Black-woman led organization that does amazing work to address food apartheid.
YABC: What advice do you have for new writers?
You are the expert of your own story. Don’t try to sound like anyone else. Your voice is just fine.
YABC: Is there anything that you would like to add?
For any young people reading this, fight back against book banning! You are in charge of your brain – don’t let adults underestimate your intellect.
Truth About White Lies
Authors: Olivia Cole
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publish Date: March 8th, 2022
