Blog Tour: Ann Not annie by Sage Steadman @XpressoTours

Ann, Not Annie
Sage Steadman
Publication date: September 20th 2017
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult

Ann, not Annie, is tired of her nominal existence and has vowed to turn things around by dating the hottest guy in school, Jacob Waters. Easier said than done since Jacob isn’t even aware she exists. The truth is, due to Ann’s lively temper she spends more time in detention with the rest of the school rejects than she does fantasizing about Jacob Waters wearing spandex.
Her best friend and devout alien believer, Lisa, doesn’t like the changes she’s seeing in her BFF. Neither does Danny Feller, a fellow detention inmate and resident lost boy who has started keeping an extra watchful and unwanted eye on Ann.
When a chance encounter in an empty hallway changes everything, Ann finds all her dreams coming true and she is well on her way to living the perfect life she’s always wanted. But appearances aren’t always what they seem and Ann is going to have to face not just cold hard facts, but also her past.

You get to meet with your 17 year old self, what advice would you give her?

This is going to sound very strange, but I’d tell my 17-year-old self to be a slut. LOL. I grew up in a very sexually repressed community and I wasn’t comfortable with that side of myself. There was a boy who was interested in me who was very cute and sweet, but I was always brushing him off because, well, how do I put this…he made me horny as hell. LOL. And I was so uncomfortable with that side of myself that I shut him down. It took me a long time to realize that I’m a sexual person and that is a part of who I am and I get to own that without it defining me or devaluing me. So often when I see women who allow themselves to be a sexual person they are suddenly demeaned, but I have personally never seen the same treatment towards a guy who does the same. And then often when the media does show women being sexual what I’ve noticed is that they tend to over-sexualize them, making women into this out-of-touch with reality sex object. I can look at a man and appreciate every layer of him including his sex appeal without seeing him as less-than, slutty, stupid, unworthy etc. It’s time that women are allowed this, too. I would have done my best to explain that to my younger self and would have told her not worry about those who would judge her or call her names. I’m not saying I would have told my younger self to have sex with whoever turned me on. That’s not how I choose to connect and express my sexuality, but I would have encouraged her to simply kiss boys. I was too afraid to even do that! I was also taught that I was somehow in control of boy’s sexuality and if they were turned on by me then that was a bad thing and my fault. Not only that, but that they we’re just going to use me. So it paints a lot of boys into being sexual fiends whom you can’t trust when obviously majority of them are not, and making women responsible for men’s sexuality. I’m getting into rape culture soapbox now, so I’ll stop. LOL. But I do touch on this in “Ann, Not Annie” quite a bit because I can see how relevant this issue still is for women.

Goodreads / Amazon

Author Bio:
Sage Steadman was awarded a master’s degree in social work from the University of Utah. While pursuing her passion for writing, she worked as a licensed mental health therapist. She published her debut novel, “Snowflake Obsidian: Memoir of a Cutter,” in 2010 under her pen name, The Hippie, and since, re-released the second edition under her real name. The novel has been deemed an “idyllic” read, filled with love, humor, romance and heart. She is also the co-author of the gritty and inspiring historical fiction novel, “Upon Destiny’s Song,” alongside classical guitarist, Mike Ericksen, and has penned an article on teen cutting for Canadian Magazine, “Edmonton’s Child.” She has recently produced a stunning and thought-reflecting novella entitled, “The Waking Dream.” Sage is heralded as a talented writer who tackles her novels with a witty, raw and honest approach. She currently lives near Salt Lake City, Utah with family.

Website / Goodreads

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