In the midst of holiday stress? Take a moment to listen to our interview with Helen Landalf, author of the awesomely edgy new contemporary novel, Flyaway.
(Notice how we didn't suggest you sit down and listen? Ha! We know you're on the go right now, doing your holiday shopping, wrapping presents, baking cookies... so just put this podcast on your mp3 player and keep on going!)
We got to talk to Helen about setting her book in Seattle, her love of revision, and how she unwinds after writing some really intense stuff. Enjoy!
But wait-- there's more! Heather is generously offering an AUTOGRAPHED copy of Home for the Holidays to one lucky winner. Just listen to this podcast episode and leave us a comment here on this blog entry. Tell us what you love about Heather's books, the Betsy-Tacy books, or share your favorite holiday tradition! And be sure to leave your email so we can be sure to contact you if you win. Deadline for entries is Saturday, December 17. This contest is open to US and Canada residents only.
Thanks, Heather! (Told you she was absolutely lovely!)
**EDITED TO ADD: The contest is now closed. Thank you for all your entries. The winner is REBECCA! Congratulations, Rebecca. We're emailing you.**
We also want to announce that this is the inaugural episode of a new feature on our podcast: KidLit Corner. Our primary focus on this podcast is YA lit and rockin' music, but we both love children's literature, too. Avid readers as kids, now with little readers of our own, we have a soft spot for KidLit. So we thought it would be fun to feature rock star children's authors on this podcast sometimes, in addition to fabulous authors for teens. KidLit Corner will be an occasional feature of the program, and we hope you'll enjoy it as much as we do!
Thanks for listening-- please let us know what you think, and again, be sure to comment with some holiday cheer for the wonderful Heather Vogel Frederick and our featured musician, Debi Derryberry. Hosting courtesy of archive.org. Intro music by 46bliss. "Baby Banana" by Debi Derryberry is our featured song for this podcast. You can learn more about where to purchase Debi's CDs over on her website.
Looking for an action-packed way to finish off 2011? Well then, Legend is the book for you! This month, we have author Marie Lu on the program to tell us all about it, as well as discuss her lifelong journey to becoming a published writer, the influence of video games and anime on her work, and more. We had so much fun chatting with Marie!
In this episode, Allison and I also share our book picks of the month - Across the Universe by Beth Revis and Bloodrose by Andrea Cremer, and we're happy to announce that Beth and Andrea will both be joining us on Authors are ROCKSTARS! in 2012. So excited!
Thanks again to Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena for being such awesome hosts and friends of the podcast. We love you guys!
Before I sign off, I wanted to let you know that we now have a CafePress shop. It's pretty simple right now, but if you want to give the gift of Authors are ROCKSTARS! swag, it's the place to go. All of the money raised goes to our prize fund to be able to do even more signed book giveaways in 2012.
Thanks again for listening! Please drop us a comment to let us know what you think of the podcast.
EDIT: Congratulations to Janina for winning our giveaway. We'll get this awesome book out in the mail to you right away.
Hosting courtesy of archive.org. Intro music by 46bliss. Our song of the month is Not My Home, by Kate Pffafl (now Mighty Kate). Be sure to subscribe to Authors are ROCKSTARS! via iTunes.
Have you read Daughter of Smoke and Bone, by Laini Taylor? It's the book everyone's buzzing about right now, and definitely one of our top picks for 2011. We were so honored to catch up with Laini just before her book signing at the most excellent Huntington Beach Barnes and Noble last month.
We talked about the allure of the supernatural, travel experiences, and the challenge of creating a balance between parenthood and writing. We are thrilled to bring this interview to you-- Laini is brilliant.
Photo from Laini's blog. How cute is the girl on the right with her Karou hair??
The book signing was super cool. As you can see, we absolutely loved the snazzy blue masks provided by Little, Brown. They added such a unique touch to a fantastic event!
After Laini talked to the audience, we met up with several of her awesome friends and fans who were so kind as to record a little something for this episode of the podcast. We love getting sound bytes from the crowd at author events, and we hope you'll enjoy listening!
In this episode of the podcast, we also share our book picks of the month: The Future of Us, by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler, and The Iron Knight, by Julie Kagawa.
Hosting courtesy of archive.org. Intro music by 46bliss. Our song of the month is Wild Angel, by Joshua Kadison. Be sure to subscribe to Authors are ROCKSTARS! via iTunes.
Hi listeners. I've had a bit of a rough month, so we're running a bit behind here on the November podcast. Never fear though - it'll be hitting iTunes and the website sometime next week. LAINI TAYLOR joins us this month. She is so brilliant! I cannot even begin to describe how awesome she is. You'll just have to listen to the podcast and find out for yourself.
In the meantime, I wanted to do a giveaway! I picked up signed copies when I was at the Pitch Dark book tour with Kiersten White, Claudia Gray, Amy Garvey and Anna Carey. Would you like one? Well, okay. You convinced me. Fill out the form below. This contest is open internationally, but I'd appreciate it if international winners would help cover the shipping. Deadline to enter is November 17th, 11:59pm Pacific.
I'll be giving away one of these four books here. The remaining three will be given away on my personal review blog around Christmas time, so if you didn't win now, be sure to go follow me there. And be sure to go to Allison's blog too if you haven't already. She is such a fabulous reviewer.
EDIT: This contest has ended. The winner was Mackenzi. She chose "Fateful" by Claudia Gray. If you didn't win, you'll get another crack at these beautiful signed books! The remaining three books will be given away on my blog (Michelle) next month.
Thanks to Random.org for helping me choose the winner.
It's been a crazy busy month here at Authors are ROCKSTARS!, but an exciting one. Today we have an awesome interview for you with Jaclyn Dolamore, author of Between the Sea & Sky. This book is adorable and absolutely magical, as is Jackie. We hope you enjoy hearing about this sweet story, how being "unschooled" informed Jackie's writing, and what she's cooking up for us next!
I am a lucky lady. I got to chat with Kiersten White, Amy Garvey, Anna Carey, and Claudia Gray before their signing at the Huntington Beach Barnes & Noble as part of the Pitch Dark Books tour. Unfortunately, Allison couldn't make it so it's all me today folks. This was such a fun interview! These books are all SO awesome and unique. There was so much to talk about!
Well you already get enough of me in the podcast, so I'll be quiet now and get this show on the road.
Thank you to the audience members who participated! We love having you on the program. Please feel free to approach us if you see us at book signings. (We'll be the ones walking around with a mic.) We'd love to hear your thoughts and get you "on the air". Also, thanks again to the wonderful Huntington Beach Barnes & Noble for accommodating us. You guys are great!
Stay tuned. There may just be a giveaway coming up related to this podcast. So listen and stick around, okay?
Hosting courtesy of archive.org. Intro music by 46bliss. Our special edition song choice is Lavender by Eric Wilson. Be sure to subscribe to Authors are ROCKSTARS! via iTunes.
We have been Shannon Hale fangirls for the longest time, so you can imagine how thrilled we were to have the chance to interview this fabulous Newbery Honor winning author for this month's podcast! Shannon is just as delightful as you would expect from reading her books. We talked about the gorgeous special edition of Forest Born, her experiences collaborating with her husband on their graphic novels, and how she manages to do it ALL as a busy mom.
Our book picks of the month this time around are suitably creepy for October-- The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, by Michelle Hodkin and The Name of the Star, by Maureen Johnson. Grab a mug of hot cocoa and enjoy!
Hosting courtesy of archive.org. Intro music by 46bliss. Our song of the month is Fairy Tale by Jana Fisher. Be sure to subscribe to Authors are ROCKSTARS! via iTunes.
This past weekend, we had the privilege of attending KidLitCon 2011 in Seattle, and we had the best time ever! Every good thing you've ever heard about this conference? It's ALL TRUE. KidLitCon is a wonderful venue for authors, bloggers, librarians, teachers, and readers to come together and share a mutual love of children's and young adult literature.
And, okay... maybe it's silly to post this picture, because he isn't actually on the special KidLitCon edition podcast we're offering for your listening pleasure, but hey... if you had a picture with Scott Westerfeld, wouldn't YOU post it?
Thought so!
Mr. Westerfeld was extremely nice and we hope to feature him on the podcast sometime in the future. While at the conference, we presented on podcasting and adding a voice element to blogs. It was so much fun! As part of our presentation, we recorded book recommendations from the authors and bloggers at the presentation. We got some great ones and are so excited to share them with you! So here you go, the extra special Authors are ROCKSTARS! - KidLitCon edition!
Want to download a mp3 of this podcast? Click here!
This month, we had the honor of interviewing Sophie Jordan, New York Times bestselling author of the incredible Firelight series. She chatted with us over Skype about writing romance, fond memories of Sweet Valley High, and what we can expect from Vanish, the highly anticipated sequel to Firelight. We hope you'll love this interview just as much as we loved talking to Sophie! She is fantastic.
Also in this month's episode, we present our book picks of the month-- this time, it's Pregnant Pause, by Han Nolan, and Ashes, by Ilsa J. Bick.
Hosting courtesy of archive.org. Intro music by 46bliss. Our song of the month is The Way I Am by Ingrid Michaelson. Be sure to subscribe to Authors are ROCKSTARS! via iTunes.
Thanks to all who entered our three-book giveaway earlier this month! The winners are...
Paperback copy of Paranormalcy, signed by Kiersten White - Nakoya
ARC of Wolfsbane, signed by Andrea Cremer - Jade
Uncopyedited galley of Anna and the French Kiss, signed by Stephanie Perkins - Brenna
CONGRATULATIONS! (We've emailed you, too.)
And just a reminder, if you haven't listened to our interview with these three fabulous authors, there's no time like the present! Listen online or download the mp3 here, or grab it on iTunes. Stay tuned for our September episode, featuring an interview with Firelight author, Sophie Jordan!
This month, we were thrilled to sit down in Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena and chat with Gretchen McNeil, author of Possess. Gretchen is hilarious and a total doll, and we had SO much fun interviewing her. We talked about character diversity, the importance of a setting, her life as a circus performer (yup, a circus performer!) and so much more.
Our book picks of the month this time around are kind of eclectic: Supernaturally by Kiersten White and The Penderwicks at Point Mouette, by Jeanne Birdsall.
We hope you enjoy our interview with Gretchen-- be sure to visit her at gretchenmcneil.com and find out more about Possess, which hits bookstore shelves on August 23!
Hosting courtesy of archive.org. Intro music by 46bliss. Our song of the month is Georgi Kay's Puzzles. Be sure to subscribe to Authors are ROCKSTARS! via iTunes.
We are officially on iTunes! Get your YA lit fix delivered directly to your iPod. You can check us out and subscribe at our iTunes podcast homepage. We are so excited and we hope you are too. Don't forget to sign up for our kick butt giveaway this month - autographed books from Kiersten White, Stephanie Perkins, and Andrea Cremer. The deadline is August 30th or when we hit 100 followers, whichever happens first. So hurry on over and sign up today.
We'll be posting another podcast soon with the fabulous Gretchen McNeil as well as our picks of the month, so stay tuned!
This weekend, the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI) was hosting their summer conference in Los Angeles. So many talented writers were in town! We were honored to get to sit down and chat with authors Cindy Pon (Silver Phoenix), Nova Ren Suma (Imaginary Girls), Suzanne Young (A Need So Beautiful), and Holly Goldberg Sloan (I'll Be There).
Left to right: Michelle, Suzanne, Cindy, Allison, Holly, Nova Photo by Vania Stoyanova
All of these talented authors come from different backgrounds as writers and had such interesting stories to share with us. Come listen!
If you're in the LA area, don't forget to head over to Once Upon a Time in Montrose today. They are signing books there in... 45 minutes. Better start driving! Visit BridgetoBooks.org for details.
Hosting courtesy of archive.org. Music at the top provided by 46bliss. We're currently working on moving the podcast over to iTunes, so you can subscribe there. Stay tuned for more details...
A paperback copy of Paranormalcy, signed by Kiersten White
An ARC of Wolfsbane, signed by Andrea Cremer
An uncopyedited galley of Anna and the French Kiss, signed by Stephanie Perkins. PLEASE NOTE: this galley does not contain the last chapter of the book! It should not be used as your reading copy of Anna. Consider it a collector's item. Please only enter to win this galley if you have already read and loved Anna, or if you promise you will read the finished copy of the book.
We will give these fabulous books away separately, so there will be three lucky winners! Deadline to enter is August 28th or whenever we hit 100 followers...whatever happens first!
EDIT: This contest is now closed. A winner will be announced soon!
We are so excited to share this Road Trip Edition podcast with you. Allison and I were lucky enough to head down to the Barnes & Noble in Oceanside to attend the launch party of Kiersten White's Supernaturally and Andrea Cremer's Wolfsbane. As if that wasn't cool enough already, Stephanie Perkins was also there signing her lovely romance, Anna and the French Kiss. We chatted about their books, fan crushes (go Team Shay! hehehe), French food, how their characters would react if they were to meet, and more. After the interview, we also went out into the crowd to meet some of their fans. So fun! Well that's enough blabbering from me... let's get to the show!
Thanks again to Stephanie, Kiersten and Andrea for sitting down with us. Also, thanks to you, our listeners! We really appreciate each and every one of you. We'll be giving away some SIGNED copies of their books along with sharing some event pictures so be sure to become a follower so you'll be the first to know.
Hosting courtesy of archive.org. Music at the top provided by 46bliss. The Special Edition Song is "Say Yes or No" by Andrew Plan. We're currently working on moving the podcast over to iTunes, so you can subscribe there. Stay tuned for more details...
Exciting things are afoot here at Authors Are ROCKSTARS! As you know, we guarantee at least one podcast per month, but we often have the opportunity to offer more than that. And the month of August is no exception-- in addition to our upcoming interview with the supercool Gretchen McNeil, author of Possess, we'll be sharing a special "Road Trip" edition podcast with event coverage and an interview from the release party for Kiersten White's Supernaturally.
We are thrilled to have the chance to interview Kiersten along with Stephanie Perkins (Anna and the French Kiss), and Andrea Cremer (Nightshade, Wolfsbane) this coming Tuesday, July 26. And we thought we'd make our special edition podcast a little more special by asking for YOUR input, listeners! So. Do you have any questions for these awesome authors? Leave them in the comments and we'll be sure to ask on your behalf.
Oh, and there just might be an upcoming giveaway for autographed copies of their books when the podcast is posted... okay, who are we kidding-- of COURSE there will be a giveaway! Submit those questions by 10 pm PST on Monday, and stay tuned!
Looking for a fun, summer read full of beautiful ocean settings and kick butt half mermaid/half human heroine? Well, we've got just the book for you. It's "Tempest Rising" by Tracy Deebs. Ms. Deebs took some time out of her crazy schedule today to sit down with us via Skype. We talked about her book, the beautiful city of San Diego (where it takes place and where she and Allison grew up), what it was like to go from writing romance to writing young adult fiction, and the future of the Tempest Rising series. We had such a great time chatting with her. So without further ado.. the July Mini Edition of Authors are ROCKSTARS! Thank you for listening.
Hosting courtesy of archive.org. Music at the top provided by 46bliss. We're currently working on moving the podcast over to iTunes. Stay tuned for more details. We welcome all comments and suggestions. Thank you for listening!
It's contest time! You can win a copy of Karsten Knight's fantastic debut novel, Wildefire. Just fill out the form below. We'll be selecting a winner on July 26th, the day it is released!
If you want to increase your chances though, there are a few other things you can do. - For 1 bonus point, tweet or Facebook: "I want to win @KarstenKnight's Wildefire from AuthorsareRockstars.com, hosted by @alli_librarian & @nggu_reviews.http://bit.ly/otWrJc" - For 2 bonus points, become a follower of this blog, if you aren't one already.
Good luck and be sure to keep an eye on the site. We have some awesome podcasts coming up, including a BIG surprise next month.. Dun dun dun! EDIT: This giveaway is now closed.
This month is an exciting one! We got the chance to chat with Karsten Knight, author of Wildefire. His action-packed book full of gods and goddesses from a variety of cultures comes out on July 26th from Simon & Schuster. In the interview, Karsten tells us all about his fantastic book, what it's like to be an author in the information age, and the long journey he's taken from writing his first story as a kid to becoming a published author.
Not only do we have this fabulous interview, but also our signature rockin' music, and don't forget Allison's and Michelle's book picks of the month! This month, we talk about The Other Countess, by Eve Edwards, and Tempest Rising, by Tracy Deebs.
Be sure to keep an eye on the blog because we'll be giving away of a copy of Wildefire soon!
Hosting courtesy of archive.org. Music at the top provided by 46bliss. Song of the Month is "Fire Fight" by 4DModel. We're currently working on moving the podcast over to iTunes, so you can subscribe there. Stay tuned for more details...
Hi folks! Michelle here. I'm excited to share with you a special edition for June - an interview with fantasy writer Cayla Kluver. Her book, Legacy, comes out today. I was lucky enough to get a chance to sit down with her and chat about Legacy and her inspirational story of how she became a published author. Come give the interview a listen! She's a doll and you also get to hear some pretty ah-mazing Midwestern accents toward the end. Hehe!
Would you like to download this podcast? Click this link for a mp3! (Please note: Due to recording via Skype, there is a slight echo at times. Skype recording is hit & miss. Ahh, technology. Gotta love it.)
Hosting courtesy of archive.org. Music at the top provided by 46bliss. We're currently working on moving the podcast over to iTunes and making it downloadable. Stay tuned for more details.
We are pleased to announce that the winner of our June giveaway is
Erica Onuoha!
Congratulations, Erica! We'll be emailing you with details. Erica will receive a brand new hardcover copy of Hourglass, by Myra McEntire (and she might just want to clear her schedule once she gets it, because this is one super addictive read!).
Thank you very much to all our listeners who entered this contest-- check back next month for more fun! And if you haven't listened to our interview with Myra McEntire, be sure to check it out. We DARE you not to come away from it with a hint of a Southern accent.
Our contest winner today was selected using random.org.
So, Allison and I aren't content just telling you to buy a copy of Myra McEntire's Hourglass... we want to buy one for you! We will be mailing a copy to one lucky listener next week on June 21st. All you have to do is fill out the form below and you have a shot at getting a copy of this awesome book.
If you want to increase your chances though, there are a few other things you can do. - For 1 bonus point, tweet or Facebook: "I want to win a copy of @MyraMcEntire's Hourglass from AuthorsareRockstars.com! - For 2 bonus points, become a follower of this blog, if you aren't one already.
The deadline to enter is June 21st and it is open to US residents. (Sorry international folks! We'll have another contest soon for you.) So start spreading the word and get yourself a copy of this awesome book!
Edit: Form removed. This contest is done, but another one is coming with the July podcast. Stay tuned!
Be sure to listen to the June podcast to learn more about this wonderful book and listen to Myra's adorable Southern accent as she tells us about her book, what it is like to be a writer, and shares some valuable advice.
This month, we had the pleasure of doing a Skype interview with the utterly delightful Myra McEntire about her debut novel, Hourglass, which is published by Egmont and out in stores today. It's a fantastic, fast-paced book about time travel and romance that kept us both completely captivated.
So tune in to the June episode of Authors are ROCKSTARS! for our book picks of the month- Hereafter, by Tara Hudson, and Beauty Queens, by Libba Bray- and enjoy Myra McEntire's thoughts on speaking Southern, the necessity of hoodies and fuzzy socks for successful writing, and choosing the right literary agent.
Hosting courtesy of archive.org. Music at the top provided by 46bliss. The featured song of the month is "One More Day," by Amy Ayres. Thank you for listening! Please drop us a comment and let us know what you think.
The winner of our Greek Month giveaway is.... dun dun dun....
KRISTINA SHIELDS!
Thank you Kristina and to all the other people who signed up to win. GIVING BOOKS IS FUN so keep your eyes peeled. We'll be giving away more goodies again soon!
Also be sure to tune in to the podcast this month which will feature an interview with Myra McEntire.
Random.org helped us select the winner today. Check it out for random number fun!
In honor of Greek month here at Authors are ROCKSTARS!, we're bringing you a special edition of the podcast. We had the opportunity to sit down via Skype with the talented author, Aimee Carter. Come and give it a listen as she talks about life as an author and her novel The Goddess Test.
All right, folks. You asked and we listened. It's time for a GIVEAWAY! The ladies of Authors are ROCKSTARS! will buy you a copy of Josephine Angelini's Starcrossed, which releases on May 31st. That's not all though... then we'll take it to her signing at the Mission Viejo Library on June 9th and get it personally autographed just for you. HOW COOL IS THAT?
It's easy to enter and there are a few ways to get BONUS entry points. 2 points for being a follower of our podcast blog 1 point for tweeting "I listened to AuthorsareROCKSTARS.com podcast and now I want to win an autographed copy of Starcrossed. http://bit.ly/mGEQw9" 1 point - just for entering your info into the form below
So... the chance to get yourself 4 entries into this giveaway! Be sure to double check your information. This contest is open worldwide. :) The deadline to enter is June 1st. We'll announce the winner on the blog and drop them an e-mail. :)
So get tweeting and following to earn a chance at an autographed copy of Josephine Angelini's Starcrossed today!
Hey guys, welcome to Greek month here at Authors are ROCKSTARS! Why is it Greek month? Well, because we love Greek mythology. And it just so happens that Greek myths are the hot new thing in YA lit! Three awesome, Greek-inspired books hit the shelves this month, and we're here to tell you all about them. In this month's podcast, we discuss Abandon, by Meg Cabot, The Goddess Test, by Aimée Carter, and Starcrossed, by Josephine Angelini.
We had the great privilege of sitting down with Josie Angelini for this month's author interview. Besides being a total sweetheart, she is completely brilliant. She knows The Iliad inside and out, and we were fascinated to learn about her meticulous writing process. So give this month's podcast a listen and get to know this fabulous author!
Music at the top provided by 46bliss. The featured song of the month is "My Heart Belongs to You, " by Catriona (and hey, she's an OC gal- we're practically neighbors!). For more information about your hosts, please visit our "About" page. Thank you for listening, and be sure to check back soon for a mini-podcast featuring an interview with Aimée Carter!
