Title: The Queen of Kentucky
Author: Alecia Whitaker
Publisher: Poppy
Release Date: January 2, 2011
Format: ARC & Hardcover
Source: From Publisher
Rating: Acquire
 

Fourteen-year-old Kentucky girl Ricki Jo Winstead, who would prefer to be called Ericka, thank you very much, is eager to shed her farmer's daughter roots and become part of the popular crowd at her small town high school. She trades her Bible for Seventeen magazine, buys new "sophisticated" clothes and somehow manages to secure a tenuous spot at the cool kids table. She's on top of the world, even though her best friend and the boy next door Luke says he misses "plain old Ricki Jo."
Caught between being a country girl and wannabe country club girl, Ricki Jo begins to forget who she truly is: someone who doesn't care what people think and who wouldn't let a good-looking guy walk all over her. It takes a serious incident out on Luke's farm for Ricki Jo to realize that being a true friend is more important than being popular.

My Review

The Queen of Kentucky is a book that I, as a Kentucky native myself, could relate to. Being able to relate to the characters and the surroundings really made me enjoy this book. The Queen of Kentucky is one of those books that has such a great message.

I live on a farm, in fact it used to be a tobacco farm, so picturing the setting was easy for me. Ricki Jo lives the more country lifestyle in Kentucky I learned a lot about the process of tobacco from the novel, along with a lot of other things!

As much as I liked this book their were a few flaws. I liked Ricki Jo as a main character. She had a perfect mix of humor and seriousness. The only problem I had was that she is still very young, both mentally and physically, But that was the point of the novel. Having this girl grow into who she is in life, and being comfortable with herself. I loved Luke! He reminded me of the perfect sweet country boy every girl dreams of! He was such a great guy, and he really cares for Ricki! He was my favorite character in this novel, Ricki Jo being a close second!

I loved the humor in this novel! I remember reading along at school and trying so hard to containing my laughter. Alecia really shines in writing funny scenes that really get the reader laughing. I think being funny comes naturally to her, because at her signing she had the whole crowd laughing!

This novel had such a great message or well messages, thats why I think I loved it so much! It's all about realizing who you are and excepting yourself! I think every freshman girl should read this book! It touches on everything that girls face going into high school, from relationships, to cheating, to self image, to teen drinking. I think The Queen of Kentucky is a perfect book for coming of age readers. It also touches of domestic violence. 

The ending was adorable! One of my favorite quotes is at the ending, but I can't tell you all in fear of it being a huge spoiler! So you are just going to have to read it and find out! :D

Key Points

• I loved Luke! He was the perfect country boy.
• Their are so many great messages that are present in this novel, I feel that it may really help people. 
• The Queen of Kentucky is a cute and light contemporary read that will have you laughing out loud. 

On Friday the 13th (Duh duh Duhhhhh!), a local Indie bookstore hosted a signing. I have never been to a signing before, mostly because their aren't many in Kentucky (close to where I live). I was so excited when Alecia, author of The Queen of Kentucky, told me that she would be stoping by at Carmichael's Bookstore! I just knew I would have to go! I really liked her book and I love to support debut authors. So begging my mom and some other family members, I convinced them to go!


The day of the signing it pretty much snowed, lightly, all day. It was freezing cold and windy. But I was still ecstatic to go! Some of the other people with me not so much, they HATE the cold. We still went, and I am so glad we did. We got there early, because we are awesome like that! :P So we had front row seats! Alecia is so nice, and she is very sweet! And I loved her cowgirl boots! Should have worn mine. :) Here are some pictures from the signing.

Love that SIGN! :D

 Alecia is so nice! All during the signing I was laughing so hard! one of my favorite quotes of the night; "Ricki Joe will not go around stabbing vampires in the heart with tobacco sticks!" :) I really had a lot of fun! And I hope I get to meet Alecia again. It's nice to have an author showing some love for Kentucky! 


Do you remember your first signing event? What happened? Who was the author? Let me know! 

Today we have the lovely Alecia stopping by my blog! Her debut novel, The Queen of Kentucky, just recently hit shelves. Since I live in kentucky I just knew I was going to have to read this cute funny book. My review will be posted soon! On to the interview! 


Can you tell us what The Queen of Kentucky is about in a single sentence?
I like how my editor put it: Judy Blume meets Friday Night Lights. 
But I'd say it's about a quirky country girl looking to reinvent her image at a new school, trying desperately to win the affections of new friends and a new boy, when the perfect guy for her has literally been next door all along.


The main character Ricki Jo, err I mean Ericka, seems to go through a lot. Is she based off you in any way?
Ricki Jo definitely has the same gumption I had at her age and the setting is very similar to where I grew up, but otherwise, she's her own character. I would say that the skeleton of the story is me, but the fleshy good parts are all fiction. I was her size, searched for my place much like she did, and lived out in the boondocks; but the relationships she has/makes in the book are all her own. I don't want to drop any spoilers so I won't be specific here, but let's just say that a lot of the funny parts are from personal experience while the more serious stuff was made up to fit the story and Ricki Jo's arc.


Can you tell a little about how The Queen of Kentucky came about?
You know, they say to "write what you know" so I started with tobacco. I was always one of the few girls in the fields and thought it would make for a great setting. And I think that pre-pubescent time of life is tough and wanted to write something fun for kids going through it now. You know, I guess I just really wanted to write the kind of book I'd have liked to read at that age.

Oh, but logistically, I signed up for a Young Adult writing class at MediaBistro.com and my teacher, Micol Ostow, seemed to believe in me and my story. She brought editors and agents into each class so we could pick their brains and provided an awesome workshop environment each week. I wrote the book in two sessions - six months.


If your book was being made into a movie who would you cast for your characters (at least the main ones)?
You know, it's funny that you ask that because I've actually wondered the same thing. I don't know a lot of young teen/tween actors right now, but I think the kids I cast for my book trailer pretty much nail it. 



Still, if I had to go Hollywood, I'd say Taylor Swift has some of the adorably awkward qualities of Ricki Jo while her BFF Miley Cyrus has the spunk. And for the guys, I'd say Taylor Lautner could pull off Wolf for his looks, but seems to have the laid back and humble personality of Luke.


The Queen of Kentucky is about a lot more then just a girl growing up on a farm. Can you tell us what you hope readers will take with them even after they have finished reading?
I hope that they'll realize that the only time that it's okay to change is when the motivation to change comes from within. Whenever you change for someone else, it always ends in disappointment, and sometimes, fractured relationships.


Do you have any advice for aspiring authors? 
Write. The first step is to write the book. 
Edit. Never be married to your work. A book is for an audience, a diary is for yourself. If you want to be published, be willing to listen to and apply feedback.
Then, research. Look up titles that are similar to yours and find out who their agents are and how they like to be queried. 
Network. There are lots of ways to do this. Get on Twitter, start and keep up a great blog (like yours), support authors you like by going to their events, and start up rapport in person and online with industry people.
But mainly, write.


In three words tell our lovely readers why they should read The Queen of Kentucky. 
You will laugh.


And lastly, where can our readers find you?
My website is www.aleciawhitaker.com.
My Twitter handle is @aleciawhitaker.
My FaceBook fan page is Alecia Whitaker. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Alecia-Whitaker/214702771907726
My home address, personal cell phone, and social security number...  Sike! 
(Oh yeah, I just used "sike" and am not even ashamed. I even think that maybe it should be spelled "psyche" and yet, still not ashamed.)


Thanks so much for letting me stop by!