# Please introduce yourself and your book(s)!
Hi! My name is Alaina Hickson and I am a fifteen-year-old blogger, journalist, and author. In December of 2020, I published my first novel The Suds in Her Hair, and it was such a fun experience!
The Suds in Her Hair follows the life of 16-year-old Charlie Delavan who is the “caretaker” of his grandmother who has dementia. Over the course of the novel, Charlie begins to realize how pitiful his life is, and begins to live life as a semi-normal teenager. The story is not necessarily driven by plot, but rather the idea that sad stories can create beautiful narratives, and was put on the Barnes and Noble top 300 list in a matter of a few hours!
# What is/are the real-life story(ies) behind your book(s)?
Honestly, I’m sure there are real-life stories that mirror my book, but no; The Suds is not based on anything. Rather, I just thought of an idea that would tell the story of a tragic hero who is destined to fail, but yet doesn’t, and I suppose that can be relayed into the world we are living in today.
# What inspires/inspired your creativity?
TV! Television is a huge source of inspiration for me, along with classic novels, songs, and old photographs.
# How do you deal with creative block?
Actually, I don’t really have an answer, because when I have a creative block I usually just stop. I stop what I am doing, take a few breaths, and move on. It sounds so silly, but it is what works for me!
# What are your plans for future books?
I really want to write about a high school, regular experience as a teen… I love books like that!
#Tell us some quirky facts about yourself.
Well, I am a cheerleader – not sure how quirky that is, -, and I really love pop culture. Anything from the 1920s to the late 2000s is my jam! I also really like music like Fleetwood Mac, Elvis, Lana Del Ray, The Goo Goo Dolls, The Cure, and anything that is very beautiful. But other than that, I am pretty much a hard-core-writer-fan girl… of John Green of course!
Visit Alaina online at @thealainahickson on Instagram, www.growingup2000s.com, and check out her novel, The Suds in Her Hair, on Barnes and Noble!