Holly Sparks's Blog

This is why we need female role models

They say that it takes a village to raise a child. This is me and my mum.

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I grew up in Iceland, a frosty island in the North Atlantic Ocean, famous for its Northern lights, volcanos and the singer Björk.

 

But strangely enough, I am also the daughter of this woman.

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Iceland consistently ranks as the best place in the world to live as a woman. In the summer of 1980 – when I was not yet two years old – Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, a divorced single mother, living in a flat with her young daughter, working as a teacher became the first female president in the world. She became the president of Iceland. It was an election result that shaped a generation of Icelandic women.

 

I am not literally the daughter of Vigdís Finnbogadóttir. I’ve never even met her. But seeing a woman in a position of power had a profound effect on me and my female contemporaries when we were growing up.

 

Earlier this month Vigdís gave an interview in which she revealed for the first time what she thought was the greatest achievement of her presidency. “When I got elected it changed the way women’s roles were perceived. It made women think: If she can do it, so can I.”

 

Vigdís’ legacy is a generation of strong women and a country that is the best place in the world to live as a woman. The story of Vigdís teaches us the importance of role models.

But the story doesn’t end there. The importance of female role models doesn’t diminish as you get older.

My latest book, a YA Nordic thriller called The Sharp Edge of a Snowflake, is inspired by a role model of mine. In 2018 the journalist Carole Cadwalladr revealed that a British company called Cambridge Analytica had harvested the personal data of millions of Facebook users without their consent and used it to influence elections. I followed Carole’s investigation into the scandal and I was in awe of her courage and her determination to reveal the truth. I’d worked as a journalist myself and I knew from experience that going up against power is never easy, it’s a lonely job and you get little thanks for doing it.

 

The Sharp Edge of a Snowflake rests on the efforts of countless role models who have inspired me throughout the years: My mum who I grew up knowing would always have my back; Vigdís Finnbogadóttir who showed me that girls can grow up to be whatever they want; and Carole Cadwalladrwho reminded me how important it is to stand up for what is right.

 

It takes a village to raise a child. It takes a village of female role models to build the best place to be a woman.

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Sif Sigmarsdóttir is a writer and journalist. Her latest book, a feminist Nordic noir YA thriller called The Sharp Edge of a Snowflake, was inspired by one of her role models, the Observer journalist Carole Cadwalladr who exposed the Cambridge Analytica scandal – a woman she has never met but whose courage and determination to reveal the truth she finds awe inspiring. 

You can read more about it here: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/jun/09/carole-cadwalladr-inspires-nordic-heroine-young-adult-novel

 

Countdown to Review Arrival: 00 DAYS, 00 HOURS, 01 MINUTES:

BOOKSANDSKITTLES: Man, this novella was a masterpiece! I loved every single space-ified second.

UNIVERSE: Holly, you do know there is a life outside of your front door, right?

BOOKSANDSKITTLES: Shut it, Universe.

UNIVERSE: And, you have an essay due. Tut tut.

BOOKSANDSKITTLES: Do you want me to hurt you? Cause I’m wielding books and I’m not afraid to use them.

UNIVERSE: ….

BOOKSANDSKITTLES: Anyway, I ADORED Memento so much that I actually have dedicated a shrine to the whole series! Yes, I am that sad. Firstly, I loved the layout of this book, the characters were unforgettable and the message chats were the most amazing thing I’ve ever read.

BOOKSANDSKITTLES: I had been looking forward to reading this from the first moment it was announced. Just the name ‘Memento’ gave me chills.

I will say I was not disappointed in the slightest but incredibly surprised with how fast I became attached to these wonderful characters and the AIDAN before he… well… if you’ve read Illuminae, then you’ll know.

BOOKSANDSKITTLES: I honestly loved every second of this novella from the funny and witty conversations between characters through the use of IM’s, emails and AIDAN’s processing, to the emotional heartbreak I experienced through these 82 pages!

BOOKSANDSKITTLES: Gosh. I recommend every Illuminae fan read this. You will not regret it.

UNIVERSE: Seriously Holly, you need to get on with your work.

BOOKSANDSKITTLES: I will use these books, Universe. I kid you not.

UNIVERSE: I would advise against that.

BOOKSANDSKITTLES: Right, I’m going to have to go and kick the Universe’s ass.

BOOKSANDSKITTLES: THIS WAS AN AMAZING BOOK! I am honoured to be able to own a copy and I advise every single one of you to read this! If you don’t, you’ll regret it.

BOOKSANDSKITTLES: A full five stars for this baby!

…

…

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Countdown to Review Arrival: 00 DAYS, 00 HOURS, 01 MINUTES:

BOOKSANDSKITTLES: Man, this novella was a masterpiece! I loved every single space-ified second.

UNIVERSE: Holly, you do know there is a life outside of your front door, right?

BOOKSANDSKITTLES: Shut it, Universe.

UNIVERSE: And, you have an essay due. Tut tut.

BOOKSANDSKITTLES: Do you want me to hurt you? Cause I’m wielding books and I’m not afraid to use them.

UNIVERSE: ….

BOOKSANDSKITTLES: Anyway, I ADORED Memento so much that I actually have dedicated a shrine to the whole series! Yes, I am that sad. Firstly, I loved the layout of this book, the characters were unforgettable and the message chats were the most amazing thing I’ve ever read.

BOOKSANDSKITTLES: I had been looking forward to reading this from the first moment it was announced. Just the name ‘Memento’ gave me chills.

I will say I was not disappointed in the slightest but incredibly surprised with how fast I became attached to these wonderful characters and the AIDAN before he… well… if you’ve read Illuminae, then you’ll know.

BOOKSANDSKITTLES: I honestly loved every second of this novella from the funny and witty conversations between characters through the use of IM’s, emails and AIDAN’s processing, to the emotional heartbreak I experienced through these 82 pages!

BOOKSANDSKITTLES: Gosh. I recommend every Illuminae fan read this. You will not regret it.

UNIVERSE: Seriously Holly, you need to get on with your work.

BOOKSANDSKITTLES: I will use these books, Universe. I kid you not.

UNIVERSE: I would advise against that.

BOOKSANDSKITTLES: Right, I’m going to have to go and kick the Universe’s ass.

BOOKSANDSKITTLES: THIS WAS AN AMAZING BOOK! I am honoured to be able to own a copy and I advise every single one of you to read this! If you don’t, you’ll regret it.

BOOKSANDSKITTLES: A full five stars for this baby!

…

…

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A magical tale from start to finish of a girl who disguises herself as a boy to win a chance at attending University.

Full of mythical creatures such as basilisks and sirens, to magical escape rooms and mazes, it’s up to Rhen to find a way out and to choose her own path.

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With a love interest as wonderful as Lute and characters that I cared for and hoped survive, I was entranced by the beautiful storytelling and wonderful world Weber has created.

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I adored this world and all of the characters in it and I cannot wait to hear what everyone else thinks!

Five stars to Mary Weber’s To Best The Boys

What an intergalactic, chimp-tastic, alien-infested, flower-killing machine of a book!!

I can say without any doubt that I enjoyed Aurora Rising thoroughly from start to finish. The book gripped me from the first moment Aurora was saved from the dark pit of the Fold by Mr. Dimples/Goldenboy *wink wink*.

With the introduction of warrior species, brainiacs that can take on the whole galaxy and a girl who just loves her new toy…BAMF…BAMF…this crew of misfits take on a task that will literally either tear them to pieces or bring them closer as one.

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I adored this book from start to finish and may even have a small (OK, HUGE) crush on Kal now. I swear I won’t be doodling his picture on my notepads in class, and I certainly won’t be looking for any merchandise with his face on it in the near future…

…

…

Fineeeee.

I probably will be.

Five stars to Aurora Rising – (Even if the stars belong in the Sky full of Ghosts).

What an intergalactic, chimp-tastic, alien-infested, flower-killing machine of a book!!

I can say without any doubt that I enjoyed Aurora Rising thoroughly from start to finish. The book gripped me from the first moment Aurora was saved from the dark pit of the Fold by Mr. Dimples/Goldenboy *wink wink*.

With the introduction of warrior species, brainiacs that can take on the whole galaxy and a girl who just loves her new toy…BAMF…BAMF…this crew of misfits take on a task that will literally either tear them to pieces or bring them closer as one.

[image error]

I adored this book from start to finish and may even have a small (OK, HUGE) crush on Kal now. I swear I won’t be doodling his picture on my notepads in class, and I certainly won’t be looking for any merchandise with his face on it in the near future…

…

…

Fineeeee.

I probably will be.

Five stars to Aurora Rising – (Even if the stars belong in the Sky full of Ghosts).

What an intergalactic, chimp-tastic, alien-infested, flower-killing machine of a book!!

I can say without any doubt that I enjoyed Aurora Rising thoroughly from start to finish. The book gripped me from the first moment Aurora was saved from the dark pit of the Fold by Mr. Dimples/Goldenboy *wink wink*.

With the introduction of warrior species, brainiacs that can take on the whole galaxy and a girl who just loves her new toy…BAMF…BAMF…this crew of misfits take on a task that will literally either tear them to pieces or bring them closer as one.

[image error]

I adored this book from start to finish and may even have a small (OK, HUGE) crush on Kal now. I swear I won’t be doodling his picture on my notepads in class, and I certainly won’t be looking for any merchandise with his face on it in the near future…

…

…

Fineeeee.

I probably will be.

Five stars to Aurora Rising – (Even if the stars belong in the Sky full of Ghosts).

What an intergalactic, chimp-tastic, alien-infested, flower-killing machine of a book!!

I can say without any doubt that I enjoyed Aurora Rising thoroughly from start to finish. The book gripped me from the first moment Aurora was saved from the dark pit of the Fold by Mr. Dimples/Goldenboy *wink wink*.

With the introduction of warrior species, brainiacs that can take on the whole galaxy and a girl who just loves her new toy…BAMF…BAMF…this crew of misfits take on a task that will literally either tear them to pieces or bring them closer as one.

[image error]

I adored this book from start to finish and may even have a small (OK, HUGE) crush on Kal now. I swear I won’t be doodling his picture on my notepads in class, and I certainly won’t be looking for any merchandise with his face on it in the near future…

…

…

Fineeeee.

I probably will be.

Five stars to Aurora Rising – (Even if the stars belong in the Sky full of Ghosts).

This story is a twisting spiral of dark events that haunt the reader from start to finish.

What a marvellous read! Right from the beginning I was hooked by Ele’s world—or lack of it. Trapped in a room with the Others, Ele cannot escape. Living in a fairytale world of her own creation, Ele can only hope for a better future than the life she is leading now. As the story continues, we meet lovable, dependable and loyal characters as well as some nasty ones too, when the horror of events is revealed.

This story is a twisting spiral of dark events that haunt the reader from start to finish. I cannot recommend this book more to all who enjoy a good read filled with tension and a down-right shocking ending!

Five stars.[image error]

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When seven blogs collide…

Welcome to the first stop on the #FLOOREDNOVEL book blogger tour! To celebrate the launch of Floored, seven bloggers have collided to present collaborative creative works over a period of seven days. To follow the tour, just follow the links attached to the bottom of every post to read/view the next piece on another blog

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Rosie

I realised I was staring at the arse of the guy in front of me roughly seven seconds before he did, but that’s all the time I needed for several thoughts to run through my mind.

How do I play this one? Do I act cool and act like he didn’t bother me in the slightest? Not a chance. I couldn’t pull that off. Sweat was already forming on my neck and my face felt like it was on the sun. I also felt the sweat patches under my arms growing by the minute.

Ah, shit.

Then I realised I wasn’t just staring at him, he was also staring at me. So I smiled, and kept smiling. I didn’t look away like any normal person would.

Surely I was way past the appropriate time I could smile at someone for without being perceived as a massive weirdo. Or worse. He might think I was creepy pervert. I’m not even sure how true that statement was because, yes, I was perving on him if truth be told.

I must have looked menacing as I was still smiling at him.

And he was still smiling at me.

God, this was becoming awkward.

I suddenly had a thought that this could be my Cinderella moment. That he had finally seen the real me underneath all my weight, my pimpled face, and my sort-of-monobrow that I was constantly stuck with, as my mum thought me too young to be plucking my eyebrows.

Then I snapped back into the real world. He wasn’t about to ask me to the ball, he was only smiling at me because he was waiting for my order. I, however, being the dork I was, was just standing there, smiling like a lovestruck idiot.

I heard annoyed murmurs behind me in the gelato stand queue. I couldn’t blame the angry queue really. I was taking a long time to order. I was too busy planning my own happily ever after with the cute gelato guy. I was happily planning our gelato style wedding, our gelato shaped house, and our children who stood in a row of four wearing gelato aprons.

I knew what the queue was probably thinking. Why was the fat girl taking so long to order? Surely she must come here all the time?

‘So, um… what can I get you?’ the gelato guy asked politely, trying to hurry me to order before a fight broke out in the impatient queue.

I broke out of my stupor and plastered an even bigger smile on my face. My hands were shaking at this point and I swear sweat was gliding down my face, and it wasn’t because of the hot day.

‘Strawberry, please,’ I squeaked out and cursed at myself for sounding so small.

‘Sorry?’ he asked.

I obviously said it so quietly that he didn’t hear my order.

‘Strawberry,’ I replied, in what could only be described as a deep masculine voice to make myself sound more confident, but it only made me sound more like a guy.

And of course, when the horrible and deep voice erupted, the queue behind me had gone quiet for a few seconds.

The boy raised his eyebrows and looked a little stunned by my fierce response.

I sighed.

What was I even doing in the queue? I didn’t even like gelato.

I looked over at my group of friends, who were waiting next to the shopping mall’s elephant fountain, and saw them all watching me with great interest.

Oh, great.

Poppy ushered me on with her hands in a you-got-this motion and Abbie was doing the same. Peter was just smirking at Tabitha as she was sticking her hot dog in and out of her mouth purposefully in my direction. It was her own weird and crude way of egging me on.

It didn’t fill me with much confidence. In fact it only drew my attention to his penis.

Thanks Tabitha. I thought.

Just the thought of his…you know…made my mouth dry.

The gelato guy had turned his back on me again, to fill up a gelato cup.

I realised I was staring at his arse again and cursed myself for objectifying him so much. But it was as if my hormones didn’t care.

‘One strawberry cup,’ the boy turned back around, placing the single cup on the stand. He then started to tap away at a screen in front of him. ‘That’ll be three fifty, please,’ he smiled, and I couldn’t help but melt on the spot.

My hands shook as I went to fish out my change.

God, I was so pathetic.

I grabbed a handful of twenty pence pieces I had saved from my hard earned tips, from working in my local cafeteria on weekends. I began to count out the change.

That was the moment two kids chose to ram into my back as they went past screaming and hollering at one another, pushing me forwards.

My handful of change went up in the air and the coins spurted everywhere in a free-for-all motion, and to my utter horror, my other hand landed straight in the cup of strawberry gelato.

However, that was not the end of my embarrassing display.

My hand not only landed in the gelato, but it also slipped and my body fell forwards. I hit the floor, and with my weight, I also took down the cute gelato guy too.

I landed on top of him, squishing him beneath me. In any other situation I would have much enjoyed our bodies this close together, but certainly not like this.

I brought a hand to my face in shock and felt a tear.

Oh, sweet lord. Now I was bloody crying.

I was so far past being embarrassed that I was actually crying hot tears.

So I ran.

I bolted from the scene with one hand dripping with strawberry gelato and one hand pulling at Tabitha’s jacket as I sprinted past my group of friends like the Flash. I didn’t miss them gaping after me though.

After they had caught me up, which didn’t take long considering how unfit I was, they found me outside Superdrug, clutching my knees and wheezing.

Tabitha was first to put an arm around me. ‘I know I told you to jump him, but I didn’t realise you’d take my advice literally,’ she joked, trying her hardest to make me smile.

Peter stood a few feet away with Poppy and Abbie, and I didn’t miss their pitying looks.

Abbie, always the suck up, proceeded to say, ‘don’t worry, Rosie. I‘m sure he’s just as embarrassed. He probably really likes you too.’

‘Yeah,’ Peter agreed, always the lovesick teenager, lusting over Abbie. He had always had a thing for blondes.

‘First thing’s first,’ Poppy started, ‘we just need you to be able to say more than two words to him next time.’

‘Next time?!’ I spurted out.

‘Oh, please. If cute gelato guy came over and stuck his tongue down her throat, Rosie still wouldn’t be able to say thank you afterward,’ Tabitha said and kissed my cheek to soften the blow.

Poppy looked horrified. ‘I hope he wouldn’t stick his tongue down her throat without Rosie’s consent first!’

I sighed.

It was true.

I wouldn’t be able to speak to him. Tabitha was right.

I was what they called

hopeless.

Thank you so much for reading the first piece of the Floored book blogger tour. To follow the tour, just click the link below. The next collaborative piece will be posted on Tuesday 10th July.

Follow the tour here!

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To follow My Kinda Book on twitter for all the exciting updates on Floored, just click the link. If you wish to pre-order the book, Click here.