We chat with author Ronnie Riley about Asking For A Friend, which explores a world full of queer joy and all the ups and downs of true friendship
Hi, Ronnie! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
I’m a fat, demisexual, nonbinary lesbian author who writes books about queer and trans joy. I live in Toronto with my fiancée, Jules, and our three cats: Tilly, Sophie, and Minnie. I grew up in a small town in southeastern Ontario with a single mother who taught me resilience, curiosity, and a desire for understanding. Friendship means the world to me, so often my stories are centered around characters who find their people, their community, and their found family.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I discovered my love for stories at a very young age – I always made my mom read me bedtime stories over and over again, correcting her if she got a line wrong or skipped a scene. I used to play with Beanie Babies and create whole worlds, characters, and storylines. I always had my nose in a book growing up, so it felt very natural for me to be inspired one day at age twelve to sit down and write my own story. I’ve been writing ever since.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: The first book I remember connecting with and rereading many times was Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen at twelve.
- The one that made you want to become an author: The one that inspired me to write my debut, Jude Saves the World, was Ashley Herring Blake’s Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World.
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: I’m always thinking about If Tomorrow Doesn’t Come by Jen St. Jude.
Your latest novel, Asking for a Friend, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Trans joy and found family
What can readers expect?
Readers can expect so much joy and hope, mixed with anxiety and mistakes as socially anxious Eden has been lying to their mom about having friends at their new school. It’s going well until their mom announces she’s throwing them a thirteenth birthday party. After that, Eden scrambles to make their fake friends real.
Where did the inspiration for Asking for a Friend come from?
I’ve always wanted to do a slight twist on the fake dating trope where characters are fake friends who find real friendship, so that’s where Eden’s story sparked. Eden’s journey is messier than I had anticipated but it was a lot of fun to write.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
Friendship and found family vibes are what I enjoy writing the most, and exploring that through the lens of social anxiety was extremely personal to me. I really loved having Eden grow stronger with the support of their new group of friends, while acknowledging that it’s something they’ll continue to struggle with.
What’s next for you?
You’ll have to keep an eye out for some special news soon! All I can say right now is that I’m working on a deeply personal book which is more of a journey to discover gender while deconstructing gender roles.
Lastly, what books have you enjoyed so far this year and are there any that you can’t wait to get your hands on?
Linus and Etta Could Use a Win by Caroline Huntoon and One Killer Problem by Justine Winans Pucella are recent reads that I’ve loved. I’m really looking forward to Kate Fussner’s 13 Ways to Say Goodbye – the cover was recently revealed and I’m obsessed with it!
