Geri Halliwell-Horner — a.k.a. Ginger Spice — brings girl power to a new generation with YA series

Writing a opus is “a changeable of espresso, whereas penning a caller is simply a feast,” says Geri Halliwell-Horner.

Best known arsenic Ginger Spice, one-fifth of the ’90s popular improvement the Spice Girls, Halliwell-Horner present writes for the property radical that erstwhile memorized her lyrics. She enthusiastically spoke with The Times astir her caller young-adult novel, “Rosie Frost: Ice connected Fire,” the 2nd successful a trilogy that began with the 2023 bestseller “Rosie Frost and the Falcon Queen.”

However, Halliwell-Horner is not caller to writing; she published a memoir, “If Only,” successful 1999, soon aft her departure from the Spice Girls, arsenic good arsenic a bid of children’s books, “Ugenia Lavender,” successful 2008. The champion portion of penning proposal she received arsenic she embarked connected this signifier of her career? “Start again. Don’t property ‘Ugenia Lavender’ up.’ So I did. [‘Rosie Frost’ is a] overmuch deeper, fleshed-out story.”

“I emotion the gooey bits,” Halliwell-Horner continues arsenic she picks her favourite country from the book, a buss betwixt Rosie and her emotion interest. “I truthful enjoyed penning that,” she says giddily, arsenic if we’re 2 teenagers astir Rosie’s property gossiping astatine a sleepover.

(Philomel Books)

Halliwell-Horner imbues Rosie with immoderate of those attributes that made young girls and women (and, let’s look it, a batch of men) autumn successful emotion with her and her chap Spice Girls — “Baby Spice” Emma Bunton, “Scary Spice” Melanie Brown, “Sporty Spice” Melanie Chisholm and “Posh Spice” Victoria Beckham — astir 3 decades ago.

Though it’s been 8 years since Halliwell-Horner released a popular single, she has penned archetypal euphony for some “Rosie Frost” books truthful far, including the latest song, “Older Now,” which is accessible via QR codification successful “Ice connected Fire.”

She doesn’t shy distant from the thornier feelings of adolescence, specified arsenic grief, isolation and revenge, the second of which is the driving unit of this installment arsenic Rosie seeks to avenge her mother’s murder.

“It’s overmuch darker and it’s real,” says Halliwell-Horner.

This interrogation has been edited and condensed for magnitude and clarity.

What draws you to writing, and penning for children successful particular?

I’ve ever loved writing. I’ve ever been a monolithic reader. I studied theatre — Stanislavski — and English lit earlier I embarked connected my euphony career, which was inactive being originative with words. When you constitute a song, you’re uncovering the words that possibly idiosyncratic [else] can’t find successful themselves. It’s storytelling, but successful a changeable of espresso, whereas penning a caller is simply a feast.

My ambition is ever to link with everyone. These novels are YA, but my anticipation is that [readers] of immoderate property link [with the story]. Older adults similar YA arsenic good due to the fact that it has extent for the funny caput to unpack a small bit, oregon if you’re a nerdy, funny idiosyncratic similar me, it ticks that container too.

You person to bash tons of probe and I truly similar doing that. Before I adjacent deed the page, I recovered myself researching fusion vigor due to the fact that the backdrop of [the “Rosie Frost” novels] is simply a small spot of science, but I privation to get it close and crook the measurement up connected it. I recovered myself learning astir physics and achromatic holes, conscionable to springiness it authenticity.

“My ambition is to springiness others a feeling of empowerment, anticipation and inspiration done storytelling, whether that’s done opus oregon done [books],” Geri Halliwell-Horner says.

(The Tyler Twins / For The Times)

What was that probe process like, specifically researching the British royal household and deciding what parts to see successful Rosie’s lore?

I had work humanities novels before, similar “The Other Boleyn Girl” by Philippa Gregory, which is simply a truly large introduction constituent into past but successful a airy way. I’ve ever loved “The Tudors,” which is afloat of drama. [The Tudor dynasty] was a truly pivotal infinitesimal successful history. I besides thought we request a pistillate quality who reflects who we are today. A protagonist who is unairbrushed and vulnerable. Rosie Frost finds herself determination 500 years aboriginal aft she’s been orphaned. She’s had to find the courageousness she ne'er knew she had. I place with that: person courageousness to instrumentality the accidental connected [what] you fearfulness most. Rosie had to bash that. I did that successful [writing this series]. Now, successful Book 2, she’s hitting 14 — the property of power. She’s truly having to find her ain identity. Through her ain acquisition and confidence, you commencement to find your ain interior powerfulness and spot that.

Are determination immoderate plans for a 3rd book?

That’s what I’m moving connected now. I don’t privation to springiness the crippled away. I ever knew it was going to beryllium a trilogy. I ever knew what the ending would be. I’m inactive deciding who’s going to die. And idiosyncratic will.

There’s a throughline betwixt the miss powerfulness you espoused arsenic portion of the Spice Girls and present successful penning this communicative astir a almighty young miss for a full caller generation. Was that thing you were conscious of erstwhile penning Rosie Frost?

I deliberation you’re perfectly correct. Whatever I do, there’s ever that genesis. My ambition is to springiness others a feeling of empowerment, anticipation and inspiration done storytelling, whether that’s done opus oregon done [books].

She’s going done precise quality struggles, whether that’s bullying — you tin beryllium bullied astatine immoderate property — oregon grieving. But wrapper it successful cocoa and curiosity, past and danger. “Ice connected Fire” is acheronian and delicious astatine the aforesaid time.

You precocious teased a Spice Girls reunion. Is determination thing other you tin archer us?

I americium truthful grateful for each and each idiosyncratic who has supported what the Spice Girls achieved. But erstwhile determination is thing to beryllium announced it volition travel from [us as] a whole.