Bookmarked by Reese's book Club is presented by Apple Books.

Hi, I'm Danielle Robe and welcome to Bookmarked by Terese's book Club.

Okay, so, remember when we first met Ashley Jordan earlier this month, author of our August pick Once Upon a Time in Dollywood.

We were instantly obsessed.

Her humor was sharp and a little twisted the way I like it.

Her pop culture recall was ten out of ten, and the way she saw the world was thoughtful, layered, even surprising.

And now that we've all devoured her book, we can't wait to get into all the juicy details.

So here's a little refresher.

So my main character, Eve is fresh off of a breakup and she is estranged from her parents as well, and so she is going to Tennessee to Dollywood basically to go to her grandmother's house.

And supposedly she's there to write.

She wants she's a playwright and she wants to write her next play.

And she's going there.

She's pretending she's not having like a total life meltdown when she is.

And so her cover story gets kind of complicated by the guy next door.

His name is Jamie Gallagher, and you know, he's this handsome, sunshiny single dad and he really throws all her plans for a loop.

She wanted to be alone and he's like, no, you don't, and so they kind of fall in like and then they eventually fall in love.

This is a romance, so that's not a spoiler.

And this is all much to eat chagrin.

I would call this a grumpy Shunshine pairing, but she's the grumpy one.

And basically what starts as the fling really turns into something much deeper.

And what happens is they have a lot of baggage, they have a lot of scars, and so they are emotionally exhausted and kind of exhausting.

But if they could just sort of stop overthinking, they can figure out how to have their happily ever after.

So, whether you came for the Beyonce references, the Dolly sparkle, or just to revel in the ful chaos of being human, you're in the right place.

Let's turn the page with Ashley Jordan.

Ashley, welcome back to the club.

Thank you so much for having me again.

Honestly, I missed you.

You were so much fun last time we talked.

I did ask you an impossible question about Beyonce and Dolly, so I'm not going to do that again to you.

Thank you, But I do want to know if this book was a Dolly song, which would it be?

Oh okay, So I might be saying this because this is probably my favorite Dolly song, But Little Sparrow, I think is a gorgeous song.

It is so haunting in like a good way, but it's also about the pain and the heartbreak and learning to fly above it.

And I think that it represents Dollywood and what's upon a time in Dollywood in a really good way.

It's also moody and intimate and authentic.

The way that you're writing.

Is that's such a nice compliment.

It's true.

Thank you.

The first thing I do when I open a book is I turned to the dedication, and sometimes people skip over it, but I feel as if a writer's dedication is like their Oscars speech.

Have you been thinking about your book dedication for years?

No.

I thought about my acknowledgments for a very long time, like I wrote them before I ever had a book deal.

But the dedication just sort of came to me one day and I was very happy.

With it.

It's sort of like the introduction to the acknowledgment.

So in a way I had it had been, you know, ruminating, but yeah, it was the acknowledgements.

I was like, this has to be perfect.

I love that you wrote them years ahead of your book, and that means you really didn't forget to thank anybody.

Well I hope not.

I hope not to find out.

Would you do me the great honor of reading your dedication for me?

Oh?

Yeah, sure.

So it goes to all the black girls and women mistaken for difficult when they just needed to be seen, and to the village of black women who not only raised me but lifted me.

Mom Portland, Stephanie, Brenda Wileine, Janet, Annie, Ruth, Lula Ruby, Jean Phyllis, Stephanie, Diane, Anita, Barbara, Shirley Cinini, and miss Hattie.

I love you.

The I Love you is really powerful.

Why did you add that?

You know what?

I think my mom told me to add it.

I believe that I was dedicating it to them, and then she's like, I think you need a little something extra there, just to you know, add a finer point to it.

And so I added that because it is the love of this village of women who made sure I made it to this point.

So I thought it's important to say, yeah, these are my Grandma Hazels, and so thank you, I love you well.

I think that your dedication almost sets the stage for an important part of your main character, Eve, because she's a little sharp edged and she's definitely hard to get to know, and sometimes the decision she makes in the book, you're shaking her, You really are.

What is the trick to writing a main character that we want to hug and shake by the shoulders at the same time.

This is something I discussed a lot.

It was my agent and my editor because I remember when I first started queering the book, a couple of agents were like, well, she's unlikable, and I'm not really interested, And I'm like, well, why can't she be unlikable.

She's going through something harrowing.

She has a really difficult past, and I think it's really important that we let women be unlikable, especially when they have reason to But even if they don't have reason to be, let's just be flawed and complicated and being if we need to be.

And still, you know, she has those vulnerable parts of her that she eventually, very eventually shows to Jamie, And I think that it was important to start out showing that there's a reason that she's like this.

That was very important to my agent.

Yeah, just sort of letting readers understand what her journey is and that she's not just like this because she wants to be.

She is really hurting and healing.

The only way out of this is through, but she has to figure that out for herself.

On page eighty two, you write like a flower trying to blossom.

I think that sort of sums it up, the trying part.

Yes, Is there anything you can point to that really showcases how you let her be messy without making us give up on her?

I think, or at least I hope that the opening where she just sort of walks out on her fiance in her parents and she says, you know, I'm running for my life here.

I hope that that really explains what she's doing.

She's not trying to be messy, but it is messy to just kind of get up and leave, but she needs to.

She can't take this.

It feels like the walls are closing in on her, and I think a lot of people can probably relate to that moment where you just want to give up.

A lot of us can't.

A lot of us don't have our grandmother's house to run away to.

Money doesn't work that way, you know.

But for her it was possible, and so she did it and she became better for it.

So I hope that that made sense to readers.

It made sense to me.

I was looking on your website and you really talk about being a proud Millenial, which really made me laugh.

They try to make fun of us, but I don't care.

I am one and I love it.

I am one too.

Actually, is there anything quint essentially millennial about Eve?

She loves a Disney movie, like she references Ariel and all the Disney girls, and part of her couldn't really embrace it because of all the things that happened when she was a kid.

But another part of her is like, this is ingrained in me, and I believe I deserve this fairy tale, so why don't I have it?

So yeah, she's definitely a Disney millennial, and that part of her is definitely me.

That's interesting.

I believe I should have this fairy tale.

You know.

Tell me if you think this is right.

Part of me feels like you get what you expect.

So I don't know if it's so bad to think that.

I totally agree.

I think it's hard to parse because sometimes you're like, am I asking for too much?

Am I being delusional?

But also no, because you know, I went through this journey and a lot of the things that I said I wanted, like being a Reese's book Club author, somehow is happening.

So yes, you manifest your destiny.

I really do believe that, And so yes, wanting that fairy tale even if you don't feel like you deserve it.

I think that's how you've ended up where she did.

I'm going to get really woo woo on you.

But I was talking to someone the other day about beliefs versus expectations, and I was thinking, maybe that was the unlock to some of my issues with manifestation, because I do think you get what you expect.

You don't have to believe you deserve it.

You just have to expect it.

And I feel like women are conditioned not to expect things, and so it's hard to do that.

It's hard to really feel like this is what I want, this is what I expect but yes, I think that it's powerful because then you put yourself in positions to get there.

Part of the fun for me in reading the book was that your character Eve also loves Beyonce, and last time we talked, we talked about mad Men.

There's a reference to that there Housewives living single even always Sonny in Philadelphia, which I loved when I was in college.

You also quote a Nini Leak's line, which I love.

Do you remember it's about the white refrigerator?

Absolutely?

Yep, exactly.

So I know that you're obviously a big fan of some of the shows that you cited.

Did any of the TV show characters that you've watched or watched now influence the way you wrote Eve?

Yes, I would say she is definitely again because I am.

She is Molly Carter from Insecure for sure.

So many issues and also a little bit of Nora Durst from The Leftovers.

Wow, what's that corny line?

So many issues like a box of tissues?

What did I just make up?

I say, she's got more issues than both.

Oh, that's way better than what I just made up in my brain.

Okay, So on the surface, there are a few similarities between you and Eve we talked about them a little bit.

You were both born in New York, you both went to Spelman College, you're both writers.

What other parts of yourself did you infuse into Eve?

So I did not do this consciously, I don't think, but I realized, especially as I was trying to get the book published, like, oh, I definitely have posture syndrome, and my anxiety has stopped me from doing a lot of the things I want to do.

So yeah, I definitely imbued Eve with those qualities.

Especially I kind of worked through that with her, and like in edits and everything, I understood her better as I was trying to get this book published and when people started saying they liked it and somebody was going to buy it, it was like, when am I going to wake up from this because it doesn't sound real and I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop and wake up or whatever.

So yeah, I definitely feel like those parts of Eve are especially me, and I just kind of leaned into it after I realized that's what I was doing.

Did you have to draw any hard line between the two.

Of you, Not really.

I don't have the same baggage exactly that Eve has, especially from when she was a teenager.

So those were parts that I just sort of leaned into, not really knowing and using my imagination more than anything.

But No, I wasn't like I have to stop because she's too close to me.

No, I was fine with that.

I enjoyed that.

It was a little bit of catharsist to say, hey, you're a mess too.

Put it on the page.

Yeah, especially during the time that you wrote it, right during the pandemic, and.

Oh my goodness, there was so much grief and sadness.

Jamie and Eve were like the vessels I needed to say everything I wanted to.

It's really interesting you use the word vessel because I was thinking about the symbolism that the name Eve carries the first woman, fresh starts, temptation, reinvention, even and the first chapter you titled un Original Sin.

Yes, why did you choose Eve as the name for your protagonist for those reasons?

Really?

I mean, firstly because her parents are very religious, obviously, and I just thought the name really made tense for someone who was navigating what Eve was.

She's dealing with so much guilt, disdesired to sort of carve her own path outside of what's been expected of her.

The way she walks away from her life is a bit of a ball from grace in a way, but she's not punished for it.

I think in the end she receives a reward for doing that.

That's where they converge.

But I think that it was definitely a conscious decision to choose that as her name and take her on that journey that I did.

I also noticed that Jamie has long hair and a beard and is a carpenter.

He is, why are you giggling?

I know where you're going.

I don't know if I took it out, but there was a reference to him being like Jesus.

But it was not conscious at all when I was building the character.

It just I mean, he's not perfect, he has a lot of his own issues, but he was perfect for Eve, I thought, And I thought it was really important to give her that sort of I mean, he's almost like a bit little figure because he's her road to healing.

And I think that, you know, his gentleness with her and his grace with her felt almost like pastoral in a way, and I wanted that for her.

I really wanted her to have a soft space for her to land and so while it wasn't a conscious biblical reference, it ended up being.

Now I'm giggling because we're talking about how you're inspired by mad Men and all these TV shows, you were inspired by the Bible?

I was the Bible inspires so much, honestly, So, yes, that makes sense.

The first book ever, so your protagonist, our reluctant heroin, is named Eve, and the inciting incident of the book has to do with motherhood.

It's a miscarriage, and that was obviously a very intentional choice because that is the inciting incident, that's what sets off the rest of the story.

Why was that your first plot point?

Again, this is me like inserting myself, and I think a lot of women deal with this, especially once we reach our thirties.

Is what do we want our lives to look like?

Do we want motherhood?

Do we believe in you know, this idea of whatever society believes we should be.

Is that what we actually want?

And so as I struggle with it myself, and I think probably all my books will delve into that in some way.

But I really wanted for her, having been through this as a teenager and going through this now have to delve into what does she actually want?

Does she actually want to be a mother?

Or is she doing this because she feels like it was taken from her?

And so I thought that was just one of many important conversations about women in motherhood.

What do I actually want?

It's such a hard question, Yeah, to actually answer.

What is society telling me I want?

And what do I actually want?

I froze my eggs a few years ago.

I never knew if I wanted to be a mother.

I didn't have an answer one way or the other, and going through that process for the first time, thought I'd be really upset if this didn't work.

I think I really want this.

Have you had a moment in your life, whether it's motherhood or something separate, that really clarified what you were wanting?

I think yes.

And it's funny.

I immediately thought of friends, you know, when Rachel was like hiding her pregnancy and realized is that pregnant?

Like I really wanted this because Eve he's trying to trick her, And yeah, I've had that moment actually where it's like, you know, miscarriages are very common, and so when that's happened, it's like, oh, I did want this I wasn't sure before Now actually yeah, that would have been nice, But now I'm just like, maybe it wouldn't have been Like, look at the world.

I don't know, right, it's really hard to say.

I think at our core, a lot of us well, just like the option and so many people, it's taken away from and like with me, she wants it because it's been taken from her.

And so that whole exploration of the idea of motherhood I think is super interesting because you get such a small window to do it.

It's not like you can wait your whole life and say, Okay, I'm ready now.

It's like clock is ticking.

Figure it out.

Women have it hard and the clock is allowed.

It's so loud, so ashlely.

When we talked at the beginning of the month, you said you love to write breakups and you love to write angst.

Yes, And there's this down Draper quote that you reference in your book.

Actually, he says, what is happiness?

It's a moment before you need more happiness.

That's such a good line.

It is such a good line, but it feels like a callback.

Actually, did the title of your book Once upon a Time in Dollywood because it's like this moment in time before things fall apart for her where she says it, yes, and so Dollywood is absolutely perfect.

Yes, And I felt like there was this juxtaposition or almost like what's the term, like you were telling us something.

Mm hmm, a little bit of foreshadowing.

For that's the word foreshadowing.

Thank you to my English teacher of sixth grade.

She's so proud.

Oh my god.

I think it's just generally true.

Like the reason it resonates is because when are you ever satisfied?

You know, shout out to Hamilton.

You have these moments where you're very happy, and then all of a sudden it's like, well, I'm not happy anymore.

It was not like John Draper says, it's a moment before you be more happiness when that stuff happens.

She's not through her journey yet, so she very much.

Oh you know what, at Dollywood, I was almost happy.

I was so close to it and I didn't quite get there.

And then you know, she has to figure out that you have to make your own happiness and it's not it can't be just a moment.

It has to be a state of mind.

I think, Yeah, I'd never really thought about it just being a moment, because we are constantly chasing that.

Some of this is really heavy stuff.

Did you do anything to take care of yourself while you were writing.

No, As I said, I was in school while I was writing it, and it was really stressful.

I mean, and I didn't have to do it.

I didn't have to go to school either.

I just decided I needed a distraction.

And I think that both of those things were really great at keeping me away from the heaviness of the pandemic.

So they kind of were my safe place my self care.

It was hard to write sometimes, and it was hard to do it at the same time as having an assignment due but I think it was really good for me and good for my state of mind because I work in public health as well, and so the pandemic was very hard and yeah, so they were my escape routes from that and just sort of detaching from the hard parts that were happening in real life.

Did you sleep No.

I don't remember sleeping.

I know.

Yeah, I just imagine you writing furiously with a mask on.

Okay, that's wild.

I was so excited to learn that you were actually a lit up fellow in twenty and twenty three.

Yes, now you're a Reese's Book Club pick.

Yes, what did you get from your lit Up experience?

Oh my goodness, so much?

Mainly a book that could be published.

But I think the most important thing was really the people that I met.

I mean, my mentor was Jasmine Guillery which still is crazy.

One of those things that I manifested because they asked me who do you want your mentor to be?

And I said, oh, maybe this isn't going to happen, but maybe Bolu Mabolola or Jasmine Guillory and they're like, okay, didn't say anything.

They're just like, okay, thanks for letting us know.

And the next thing I know, I got an email from Jasmine.

So manifesting works.

Ashley, I call those magical emails.

Oh god, yes, that's so exciting.

It was.

And on top of the mentorship, you know, obviously there are five people in your cohort, and we came away with like this really beautiful friendship where we support each other constantly.

I am so grateful that all five of us got book deals were in the middle of it, and we help each other through everything.

And on top of that, the other girls from the other cohorts are amazing, and we're all kind of going through this publishing thing together and learning, and it has just been very important if you're going to enter publishing that you have a village of supporters obviously your family and friends, but also people who understand the publishing industry.

So having that is just been invaluable.

That's so cool to hear.

You know, the first time I ever met Reese Witherspoon, I hugged her and I thanked her and I said, you gave me a home in Los Angeles because I had never felt community the way I do getting to be at Hello Sunshine.

Yeah, that's what I'm hearing from you, is like it gave you these people to be in it with.

It's so underestimated.

Yes, you can't really know until you're in it that publishing is such a lonely industry because nobody outside of it really knows what's going on.

They think that, you know, if you publish a book, you just put it up on Amazon or something.

And writing's not a team sport.

It's not.

It's very lonely.

And so once you get into this process where you get to make it like a team effort, and you know, obviously my agent and my editor are part of my village as well.

But yeah, those peers that I really understand what you're going through and can give you advice and all that it is.

It's amazing.

I had the opportunity to interview Jasmine at the very first shine Away event two years ago.

What I love well amongst the many things I like about her, including her books, she was an attorney before she became a writer, and she makes it seem like it's possible for anybody who has a story on their heart.

Is there anything in particular she said to you that made you feel like your dream was possible?

It was pretty much exactly that.

I mean.

Like I said, I wrote this during the pandemic, and I had queried it and a little bit of success, but I wasn't quite finding what I was looking for, and I wasn't sure if this book had a place.

And when I got into lit up, obviously that bellied my confidence a lot.

And what Jazzma specifically said was it's great as is.

I was worried there weren't big enough steaks, or it was just maybe too quiet, it wasn't hooky enough, or anything like that.

And she said, no, that's what it should be.

The confidence she gave me in my book really allowed me to pursue publishing further because I really like, right before I got into lit Up, I was like, I'm just ready to give up.

I'm tired of creating this book.

I'm tired of this book.

I was just ready to let it go.

And then lit Up said, because I applied the first year and didn't get in, and so the second year they were like, hey, we know you applied.

If you still aren't agent, to feel free to apply again.

And I said, well, I've revised it, so sure here take it.

And I got in somehow, So I don't.

Sy I didn't realize that, Ashley, Yeah, this really was faded for you.

I really feel like this.

Yeah.

The title lends itself to Dolly Parton obviously, And we talked about Beyonce and on your website you say that you love Lauren Hill, who's my favorite artist of all time?

How is this?

She did that with one album, just like and.

She's still saying it.

She should be.

It's a perfect album.

When I write, I cannot even an email, I cannot have any music on in the background.

What's the role of music when you're writing.

I can have music, I can't have music with lyrics, so I usually just listen to like classical music or the Succession soundtrack.

But I think music is in general just a very big inspiration.

As I mentioned, I wrote fan fiction for The Walking Dead, and probably the best and worst idea I ever did was when Lemonade came out.

I created a fan fiction story using Lemonade as the vehicle to write this crazy story about my favorite fictional couple.

And it's really why I'm here today because somebody from BuzzFeed read it and she was like, you should really try to pursue writing, and I'm like, oh bye.

But then I was like, you know what, maybe she's right, So yeah, that's like my origin story.

I think music is like that.

It just sort of inspired the words the album.

I was just talking to my mom about this.

Albums are very much like books, you know, the songs are chapters.

They tell a story.

A really good album is a really good story, So I think that I use them in that way.

They inspired me to write.

Was there a particular song or songs in general that you thought about when writing this story?

Then I don't think so I mean, if there were a theme song for this book, it would be Crane's in the Sky by Solange.

When I was editing, I listened to that a lot, and really the whole soundtrack.

I love my little soundtrack.

But I don't think anything in particular like inspired me to first write it.

It was just sort of, this is a story on my heart and I want to get it out.

You talk about this book starting as fan fiction.

I was thinking about how participatory fan fiction is, and it really gets readers so excited, Like you don't see Reddit threads about every book, but you do when it's fan fiction.

And Priya Parker wrote a piece about John Baptiste one time, and she said that his performances are so engaging because he doesn't perform.

He requires participation.

He's calling people in all the time.

And even though it started as fan fiction, it's not anymore.

When you look at the way you're marketing this book, there's a lot of elements that are still there.

You're really calling people in.

How did you think about that?

That's really interesting.

I didn't think about it in that way, But I think that you're absolutely right that those bones are there, because when you are writing fan fiction, you are posting usually one chapter at a time and getting feedback.

And I have set my readers many times.

With this book.

It was very different and much longer.

It was like two hundred thousand words.

But yeah, I think that when I was writing it, I wrote with those sort of comments in mind, like Okay, don't do this because this will piss them off, or they like this, Maybe keep those threads there.

But yeah, I think that when you're marketing, you are also kind of thinking in the same way, what do people respond to?

What did fan fiction readers respond to?

When I was doing that, and so I didn't realize I was doing that, but you're right.

So they are always in my mind.

They're the reason I'm here.

So when you're writing, are you asking yourself a question?

And I'll give you an example.

When we're producing this show, we constantly ask ourselves what is the audience getting out of this?

Is there something that you're asking yourself, not.

In the middle of like writing a chapter, but when I'm you know, editing and rereading the book, because it's really hard to keep in perspective that you've read this eight hundred times.

So I have to ask myself someone who's never read that this book.

Is it going to be useful to them, good to them?

Is this writing going to resonate with them?

Because at this point I hate this book, not really, but yeah, I think when you are in the throes of editing and reading your book over and over and over again, you have to ask yourself, Okay, if I'm a reader who's never read your work before, what is this saying to them?

Okay?

So usually in every bookmarked conversation, I admit one thing that I feel embarrassed to admit.

Okay, and here's my time.

Are you ready?

I'm ready.

I saw my very first Beyonce show this summer.

I saw Cowboy Carter.

You don't have to be embarrassed.

That's an amazing first Beyonce show.

But also it's not easy, Like she goes to stadiums, which are I hate, and you know they're expensive, so nothing to be ashamed of.

I'm very happy that this was your first Beyonce experience.

Well, I got so lucky my friend Ali Love whose peloton instructure took me.

Oh yeah, and she can really dance, so like I'm having fun with her.

I'm having fun watching and on the way home.

We're talking about all of the Beyonce shows and trying to rate them.

It's hard to do.

Oh god, So I'm about to ask you, as somebody who is the Beyonce fan, how would you rank the tours?

Okay, so you're embracing your slide.

Really is the most important question I've asked you.

It might be the most important question I've ever been asked.

I reserve the right to change my mind.

This is right now, in this moment these this will be my answer.

Oh my god.

I think Renaissance is first because it was right after the pandemic and it was a very specific like concoction of joy and queerness, and just like it was just right place, right time, amazing show.

Like you know, when she does the Renaissance section of Cowboy Carter, the audience goes crazy because Renaissance was amazing.

I think Cowboy Carter information are right after that.

Like I don't like stadiums, but she puts on an amazing stadium show.

So the production just Leimonad is my favorite album right now, so Formation is always going to be your way up there for me.

But Cowboy Carter was incredible.

I've seen it four times now, I'm sad it's over, but hopefully it will come out on something she never gave us formation, which I'm very upset about.

I think you spent your entire book advance on Beyonce.

Tickets basically, but it was worth it.

So millennial exactly.

I told you I was millennial.

And then after that, let's see.

I think I just basically go backwards in order because she just sort of evolved with every album, So missus Carter, and then I am Beyonce experience, and then dangerously, I hope I didn't miss anything.

Don't come at me be high.

That was great.

You have a two book deal, and we've been talking a lot about manifesting.

What are you manifesting?

What are you calling in next?

I would like to I don't know if it's going to work out because I'm kind of having trouble with what exactly the story is going to be, but I would really love to write something about Eve's best friend Maya and her fiance Chavon.

We'll see.

Me and my publisher are like trying to figure it out right now, and so we'll see what happens.

If it's not this book, then maybe some other book.

Because I would like to revisit them and revisit even Jamie through them, So I think that would be great.

What about them are particularly interesting to you right now?

Well, they have been together since college.

I would like to perhaps and maybe eliminate sort of way go back through their history and see where they've been and how they got to this place that they are now.

That's cool.

Okay, this is my final question, Ashley.

I love asking our guests what they've bookmarked this week.

It can be a weird fact, a fun quote, something you've saved on Instagram, something you texted your best friend about.

What have you bookmarked this week?

I have books marked actually today the Black Romance Book Festival, which is in Atlanta, which I app love.

I told you we have a good history of festivals and it celebrates black romance, which we need to do more of.

So it'll be in Atlanta next year, and I'm waiting impatiently because they sold out really fast last year, so I'm waiting for those tickets to go on sale and so i can attend, which I'm very excited about.

So we're coming up on the end of our conversation, which means it's time for speed read.

So here's how it works.

We're putting sixty seconds on the clock and we're going to see how many rapid fire literary questions you can get through.

Are you ready?

I'm okay?

Three?

Two?

What's one literary trope you would ban forever?

Please don't cancel me.

But I do not like enemies to lovers, like if I'm your enemy, we were not falling along?

That's a popular one.

I know.

I'm sorry.

I hate it.

What's one that you'll defend with your life?

Grumpy Sunshine and forced Proximity.

My parents are Grumpy Sunshine.

I love.

What's a book you wish you'd written?

Ooh, that's such a good one.

And America Marriage by Tyrie Jones probably my favorite book of all time.

What's your favorite book?

To recommend that one?

What's your favorite book to gift?

A love song for Ricky Wilde?

Bye Ta Williams.

I love that one.

It's so good.

Your book is on the shelf at a local bookstore in Atlanta.

Who are you shelved in Between?

I actually thought about this before because I was writing something to her.

But I feel like I would be next to Abby Mnis because of our names, and I hope I would be.

It's like school roll call.

Yeah.

What's your favorite Dolly song to cry to?

This is obviously Whitney made it first, but I will always love you ball every time.

Yes, favorite Beyonce song to dance too.

I'm gonna go with when Today, Tyrant.

What's your favorite page to screen adaptation?

Oh, Pride and Prejudice two thousand pie.

What's a book you wish you could read again for the first time?

Beloved by Toni Morrison.

Oh, I just finished that one a few weeks ago for.

The first time.

M hm, oh, I'm jealous.

Yeah, I wish I could read that again for the first time.

It was amazing.

Okay, last one, What is a book that shaped the way you see the world?

The color purple?

I think that, Yeah, I see myself, I see my mom, I see my grandmother in it.

It's yeah, that's definitely the one.

Ashley.

This was such a wonderful conversation.

You are as literary as you are fun.

It was like so great to talk pop culture and books with you.

Thank you so much for your time and just a huge congratulations.

I'm really excited for all your success.

Thank you so much.

This was amazing.

You made this so easy, and I really appreciate it, and thank you for the compliment.

I really aprecipate that too.

Before we go, we're bringing you something new, okay, a little literary bonus just for bookmarked listeners.

We're calling it Turn Up the Story.

Every month, we're teaming up with the editor at Apple Books to spotlight one of their favorite debut novels.

These are fresh voices with unforgettable stories, and they're handpicked with this audience in mind.

This month, their pick is The Hounding by Xenobe Purvis.

The Hounding is eerie in the best way, clever, Gothic, and a little bit defiant.

It follows five sisters living in an eighteenth century village where conforming to social norms isn't exactly their strong suit.

But things take a turn when rumors begin to swirl, accusations of supernatural power, whispers of something darker, and suddenly the sisters are forced to confront what's more dangerous the stories people tell about them or the truths that they keep for themselves.

This novel blends atmosphere with social commentary, and Purvis has a style that'll wrap you in a fog and keep you there if you love Shirley Jackson or The Essex Serpent, or if you just want something moody and brilliant to listen to, you'll want to spend a little time with this one.

For a limited time, you can get the audiobook of The Hounding for just nine dollars and ninety nine cents only on Apple Books.

And if you're curious about what inspired Xenobe Purvis to write this haunting debut, you'll find that too.

Head to Apple dot co slash Debut Listens to listen in and while you're there, don't miss the full collection of debut audio books that the Apple Books editors love, all chosen with bookmarked listeners in mind.

Happy listening, and we'll see you next time.

And if you want a little bit more from us, come hang with us on socials.

We're at Reese's Book Club on Instagram serving up books, vibes and behind the scenes magic.

And I'm at Danielle Robe Roba y come say hi and df me And if you want to go nineties on us, call us.

Okay, our phone line is open, so call now at one five zero one two nine, one three three seven nine.

That's one five oh one two nine three, three, seven nine, share your literary hot takes, book recommendations, questions about the monthly pick, or let us know what you think about the episode you just heard.

And who knows, you might just hear yourself in our next episode, so don't be shy, give us a ring, and of course, make sure to follow Bookmarked by Reese's book Club on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your shows until then via in the next chapter.

Bookmarked is a production of Hello Sunshine and iHeart Podcast.

It's executive produced by Reese Witherspoon and me Danielle Robe.

Production is by Acast Creative Studios.

Our producers are Matty Foley, Brittany Martinez, Sarah Schleid, and Darby Masters.

Our production assistant is Avery Loftis.

Jenny Kaplan and Emily Rudder are the executive producers for a Cast Creative Studios.

Maureen Polo and Reese Witherspoon are the executive producers for Hello Sunshine.

Olga Kaminwa Kristin Perla, Kelly Turner and Ashley Rappaport are associate producers for Reese's book Club.

Ali Perry and Lauren Hansen are the executive producers for iHeart Podcasts, and Tim Palazola is our showrunner.