We chat with author Shannon C.F. Rogers about Eighteen Roses, which is a sharply observed YA novel about friendship, family, and self-discovery, amid a backdrop of a Filipino debut.
Hi, Shannon! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hi! Readers, it’s important to know that I’m a Sagittarius sun (laughing) and a Pisces moon (crying). I grew up in New Mexico and now I live in New York. I like to write about messy family dynamics and growing up navigating a multiracial identity.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I was a big reader as a kid! I loved Goosebumps, Animorphs, and all the Tamora Pierce books. I basically lived at the library. Later, I read a lot of manga, like Sailor Moon and Chobits. In high school I started writing fanfiction and I was hooked on storytelling from then on. I wrote literally thousands of pages of Animorphs fanfiction…I wish I was still prolific like that.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: The Moorchild by Eloise McGraw
- The one that made you want to become an author: Wheetzie Bat by Francesca Lia Block (she later became one of my MFA program mentors–literal dream come true!)
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Nervous by Jen Soriano
Your latest novel, Eighteen Roses, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
The Mortifying Ordeal of Birthdays.
What can readers expect?
Family drama, a friendship breakup, and a loving sendup of the traditions that bind us. In Eighteen Roses, the main character Lucia Cruz lives with her mom and younger sister and her story centers around a coming-of-age ceremony– one that Lucia absolutely does not want to do, but her mom forces her into! My first book, I’d Rather Burn Than Bloom, explores similar themes, but through the lens of cultural practices around death, so while Lucia’s story is a little lighter because of the subject matter, it’s still an emotional journey about mother/daughter bonds and identity.
Where did the inspiration for Eighteen Roses come from?
The title refers to one component of a traditional Filipino debut, which is a coming-of-age celebration of a young woman on her 18th birthday. In the same vein of a quinceañera or sweet sixteen, the debutante participates in several ceremonies to mark her transition to adulthood in front of her family and friends– choreographed dancing, formal dress, lots of photos, and public speeches. It’s basically my nightmare. I didn’t have one. I’m just so interested in how these kinds of things dredge up family drama and force you to confront all kinds of things about yourself. I wanted to write about a girl who thinks she knows everything, and who considers herself a hater, learning to embrace the things that terrify her.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I love Lucia, she was very fun to write even though she’s frustratingly stubborn and un-self-aware. I had so much fun putting her in situations that forced her out of her comfort zone. The story begins when Lucia finds out her mom has planned a debut behind her back. Because Lucia is a bit of a loner, this basically forces her to attempt to make eighteen friends before her eighteenth birthday for her cotillion court and other debut ceremonies. She joins her school’s standup comedy club, thinking she can win some people over with her “biting wit” and she goes on a surprising journey there. I interviewed comedian friends to write that storyline and had so much fun with it.
What do you hope readers take away from Eighteen Roses?
That sometimes the assumptions we make about other people are completely wrong, and that oftentimes the person we’re most wrong about is ourselves. That if you’re holding onto a story about yourself very tightly, maybe you should ask yourself why.
What’s next for you?
I’m working on a bunch of different projects right now but at their core they are all about relationships and self-deception.
Lastly, what books have you enjoyed so far this year and are there any that you can’t wait to get your hands on?
Just Another Epic Love Poem by Parisa Akhbari, Forgive Me Not by Jennifer Baker, True True by Don P. Hooper, and Six Truths and a Lie by Ream Shukairy. I can’t wait to get my hands on Midnights with You by Clare Oscongo when it comes out! Sitting at the top of my TBR right now are Wish You Weren’t Here by Erin Baldwin and The Stardust Grail by Yume Kitasei.
