Stories I’ve told…

Fiction

A teen who's never even been kissed becomes her school's unofficial sex expert in Olivia Hinebaugh's fun, voice-y contemporary YA romance debut., The Birds, the Bees, and You and Me.

Buy it on Bookshop!

Seventeen-year-old Lacey Burke feels like the last person on the planet who should be doling out sex advice. For starters, she's never even kissed anyone, and she hates breaking the rules. Up until now, she's been a straight-A music geek that no one even notices. All she cares about is jamming out with her best friends, Theo and Evita.

When Lacey sees first-hand how much damage the abstinence-only sex-ed curriculum of her school can do, she decides to take a stand and starts doling out wisdom and contraception to anyone who seeks her out in the girls' restroom. Meanwhile, things with Theo have become complicated, and soon Lacey is not just keeping everyone else's secrets, but her own as well.

Praise:

“The Birds the Bees and You and Me is sweetness and sex ed – a book about the importance of teens standing up for their right and need for real education about sex and consent wrapped in an adorable, and yes, sexy, romantic package.” — Lev A.C. Rosen, author of Jack of Hearts (and Other Parts)

“Bold, vibrant, and unafraid to go there. The Birds, The Bees, And You And Me is the sex-positive book every teen needs on their radar. A debut that manages to inform without ever preaching and entertain to the very last page.” — Laurie Elizabeth Flynn, author of Firsts and Last Girl Lied To

“Hinebaugh puts a fresh spin on the coming-of-age story, authentically portraying the messiness—and beauty—that comes with new awakenings.” — Christina June, author of It Started wtih Goodbye and Everywhere You Want to Be

“I’ve been waiting for a long time for a YA like this! Olivia Hinebaugh’s debut is bold, bright, and refreshingly sex positive, with an authentic voice that wouldn’t let me go. This is the book I needed at sixteen.” — Rachel Lynn Solomon, author of Our Year Of Maybe and You’ll Miss Me When I’m Gone

“An inclusive, sex-positive romance with plenty of moxie.” —Booklist

‘The Birds, the Bees, and You and Me’ is a dense and ambitious debut novel, covering a myriad of subjects from the ethics of sex ed to a girl’s first sexual encounter.” — NPR

Freelance Journalism

As a freelance writer, I’ve written personal essays about parenting, with the idea that honesty and vulnerability in writing can make new parents feel less alone. I have also covered children’s literature for parenting sites. Which means if I meet a kid, I want to find a book they’ll love.

My writing on Defining Motherhood appeared in The Washington Post.

I recently had the honor of asking Hillary Clinton about her children’s book It Takes A Village.

I also got to interview one of my heroes: Tomie dePaola!

All of my writing for Romper can be viewed here.

Romper: Olivia Hinebaugh

But some highlights of my writing include:

Planned Parenthood Saved My Life and I’ll Always Be Grateful

Why Losing My Baby Weight Wasn’t an Accomplishment

The Heartbreaking Reality of Raising My Kids in Mass-Shooting America

My Homebirth Was a Celebration for Me and My Baby

And highlights of book lists:

Beautiful Children’s Books About Winter

100 Progressive Books For Kids

10 Children’s Books About Immigration

16 Books For Kids That Challenge Gender Stereotypes

9 Books To Help Your Child With Their Anxiety

I’ve continued writing about kidlit on a site I launched called Little Book Parade.

Screenwriting

I am currently seeking representation for a TV pilot script I’ve written with my longtime friend, and new-ish cowriter, E.R. McIvor (Em). Em and I both love theater, dark comedy, and quippy dialogue. Our pilot script Upstaged is available upon request.

Logline:

Ellie will do anything to stay on top in the theater department of Ibsen High School. She’s spent the summer scheming and kneecapping her enemies, but her carefully laid plans crumble when a genderqueer former child star named Mo transfers just in time for auditions.

When I first started writing fiction as a teenager, most of what I wrote was either fanfiction or scripts of movies I’d want to act in. I always harbored this dream of making movies and theater and art, and so I wrote scripts and stories as a way to live out those dreams in a way. I studied playwriting and screenwriting in college. Writing dialogue and communicating stories visually are what I love most. When Em suggested writing together, I was so eager to get back into it. And, honestly, it’s the most fun I’ve had writing in a long, long time. (And I love writing!)

Next Up: Completing the pilot script for Live, Laugh, Vlog, a half-hour comedy about a youtube family’s fall from grace.