The Woman Behind Fierce Female February
When did you launch your blog, Falling Down the Book Hole? What motivated you to begin blogging about books?
AF: It has been a little over 6 years since I created my first blog post about books. [The blog] has gone through many name changes and designs since then but has always been about books. I have always been a reader, but never had many people in my life that shared that love I have for books, so creating my blog was a way to share my thoughts and favorite books and created a community of people who loved reading as well.
What was your goal in launching this year’s inaugural Fierce Female February?
AF: I find that I am more motivated by lists and goals. February is my blogiversay and I wanted to host a sort of readathon during that month to celebrate! I think something was going on in the country or on twitter – I don’t remember exactly – that was related to women. I thought [Fierce Female February] was fun alliteration and the topic of Fierce Females had a ton of opportunities for blog posts and creative ideas. I felt it was important to have females involved in all aspects – female bloggers, female characters, and female authors. [The first year] really exceeded my expectations; the posts that my fellow bloggers developed for the event where so creative and wonderfully thought out. [The event] showcased great fierce female characters, promoted amazing fierce female authors, and was able to bring together a community of fierce female bloggers!
How do you define the term “fierce female?”
AF: I think it is hard to determine a set definition of exactly what a fierce female is because I do not believe there is one right answer to this question.
A fierce female is someone who never gives up regardless of the situation or obstacles. It is someone who is brave, confident and an overall fighter mentally and or physically. They push against what is expected by society and do not let anyone define whom they will be. A fierce female stands up for what they believe in and help empower other women.
Why do you feel it’s important to celebrate characters and women who identify as or define being fiercely female?
AF: I think it is important to celebrate all women and show that all women can fall into that category of being fierce. Sometimes women are put into boxes of being emotional, weak, and lesser, which is seen as negative, but history, books, and media featuring fierce females show that woman can defy those labels and that being “emotional” is really an asset! I think it’s important that women feel and know that they have fierceness inside of them. By focusing on and celebrating those qualities and characters in books, we empower women and provide opportunities for women to identify with characters allow them to redefine what it means to be fierce.
Who is invited to take part in this multi-platform celebrations of fierce females in pop culture and real life? That is, who is the intended audience of the project?
AF: Everyone is invited to participate in the celebration of fierce females. There was a heavy female presence this past year, but I would love for others to participate and share their definition of fierce femininity. A male or non-binary perspective would be a great addition to this event. I do not want this to be an exclusive celebration: the intended audience for Fierce Female February is everyone in the book community or who is interested in reading and other forms of media.
What do you see when imagining Fierce Female February’s impact this time next year?
AF: It went better than I ever hoped or expected this first time around, especially considering that it was all pulled together in less than two months. I am hoping to get more people involved next year to bring in new ideas, perspectives, and creative elements. I feel that being able to reach out and get authors involved would boost visibility and allow the event to have a larger impact. But, ultimately, I just love to see the event bring together members of the book community to celebrate the books and fierce females we love!
How can bloggers, authors, and publishers get involved?
AF: I would love to have more bloggers involved and have the help from authors and publishers. All are welcome to reach out to me to be added to the communication distribution for more information. I’m very interested in authors and publishers creating blog posts, participating in interviews, having a book or books featured for the readathon, and assistance with giveaways. There will also be a Fierce Female Fall Featurette coming in September, which will focus specifically on the characters, rather than just the books and media as a whole, and for which involvement is welcome. I can be contacted at fallingdownthebookhole@gmail.com. Follow @fiercefemreads on Twitter for all updates.
What recently released books by or about fierce women should be on our reading lists for the end of summer?
AF: The Storm Crow by Kalyn Josephson, The Rogue King by Abigail Owen (comes out end of July), Wild and Crooked by Leah Thomas, Let Me Hear A Rhyme by Tiffany D Jackson, and On the Come Up by Angie Thomas.