I’m excited to host a stop today on the official blog tour for Gena/Finn by Hannah Moskowitz & Kat Helgeson, a cool new book about online friendships and what they mean to us IRL. (That’s “in real life,” for the uninitiated.)
We invited co-authors Hannah and Kat to ask each other — and their characters — some of our beloved flash questions. Check out their responses below, then keep reading for your chance to win a copy of Gena/Finn.
Hi, Novel Novice & Readers!
GENA/FINN is a book about, among other things, getting to know people online. One thing the two protagonists come to find out is that you can find out a lot about a person very quickly via online communication. To demonstrate that, we’ve each answered nine quick questions about ourselves. And just for fun, we let our characters answer some questions too.
Here’s a quick introduction to Hannah, Kat, Gena, and Finn!
HANNAH
- The beach or the mountains? The beach
- Song that can always get you dancing? “Kanye” by The Chainsmokers
- French fries or tater tots? Fries
- Skill you wish you possessed? ASL fluency
- Starbucks beverage of choice? Apple cider
- Top sheet: yes or no? No
- Favorite emoji? ❤
- Book you’ve re-read the most? Year of Secret Assignments by Jaclyn Moriarty
- Breakfast, lunch, or dinner? Breakfast
KAT
- Favorite decade? 1990s
- Must-have writing snack? Monster energy drink
- Favorite member of the Avengers? Hawkeye
- 5 things that are always in your purse Wallet, chapstick, phone, a book, a hairtie
- Scented candle: what’s it smell like? Apple cinnamon
- What’s on your hamburger? Nothing, not even a bun
- Song you can’t get out of your head right now? “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” by The Proclaimers
- Book you’d like to read “for the first time” again? Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
- Commercial that will make you stop fast-forwarding your DVR? Any John Lewis ad
GENA
- Favorite Halloween candy? Twizzlers
- Pen or pencil? Pen
- What would you cosplay? Jake from Up Below
- Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, or Ravenclaw? Ravenclaw
- Most recent vacation? To Santa Rosa, CA to stay with Finn
- Pick a color. Blue
- What did you have for breakfast this morning? A bagel and schmear
- What do you splurge on? Expletives
- Something that makes you laugh. Finn
FINN
- Favorite Disney movie? Mulan
- Name 5 things currently on your desk Graphite pencils, cell phone, a picture of Charlie, a picture of Gena and me at the convention, my drawing of Zack that he autographed
- Can’t miss TV show? Up Below
- Favorite childhood TV show? Man of the House
- Favorite villain? Evanson?
- Favorite piece of clothing? Cutoff jeans
- Milkshake or smoothie? Smoothie
- What’s on your pizza? Spinach and onions
- Something that makes you cry. Gena
One winner (U.S./Canada only) will win a copy of Gena/Finn, courtesy of Chronicle Books. To enter, tell us in the comments below what your online friends mean to you. Then fill out the Rafflecopter form to complete your entry & earn more chances to win.
(PLEASE NOTE: You must comment AND complete the mandatory Rafflecopter entries to be entered; incomplete & invalid entries will be automatically disqualified.)
Gena and Finn would have never met but for their mutual love for the popular show Up Below. Regardless of their differences—Gena is a recent high school graduate whose social life largely takes place online, while Finn is in her early twenties, job hunting and contemplating marriage with her longtime boyfriend—the two girls realize that the bond between them transcends fanfiction. When disaster strikes and Gena’s world turns upside down, only Finn can save her, and that, too, comes with a price. Told through emails, text messages, journal entries, and blog posts, Gena/Finn is a story of friendship and love in the digital age.
Hannah Moskowitz is the acclaimed author of numerous middle grade and young adult novels, including A History of Glitter and Blood. She lives in New York City.
Kat Helgeson writes young adult novels and lives in Chicago with her husband and a healthy preoccupation with fictional characters.
Hanna and Kat first met online in a fan fiction forum for the TV show Supernatural, and IRL at a fan con.
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Novel Novice 
internet friends are better than IRL friends, they mean the world to me
Most of my online friends I have met and appreciate talking to them.