Anne Greenwood Brown - Debut Author Edition

So, this is a debut author edition unlike any other. Why is that? Well, two words - SCARY MERMAIDS. Super awesome, right? Anne Greenwood Brown's debut, Lies Beneath, just hit shelves this month. We are so psyched she had a chance to chat with us about her dark mermaids, the gorgeous setting of Lake Superior, and her incredibly inspiration story how she came to be a published author. We also kick off the podcast with a very...special.. discussion about lakes. This is a must listen so get downloading or hit play on our in browser player. You don't want to miss it!

Want to download this podcast? Click here for a mp3 or find us on iTunes!

Also, be sure to stop us and say hi if you're at ALA this weekend in Anaheim. We'll be there throughout the weekend and would love to meet you!

Hosting courtesy of archive.org. Intro music by 46bliss. Special thanks to our sound engineerMarc Conrad Tabula for his amazing editing of this interview. Please subscribe to Authors are ROCKSTARS! on iTunes so you'll never miss an episode!

Jessi Kirby - Special Edition

Jessi Kirby is an amazing writer-- and she's a fellow Southern Californian! We're practically neighbors, so we were thrilled to get the chance to sit down with Jessi and chat about her writing. Her latest book, In Honor, came out in May from Simon and Schuster, following her debut novel, Moonglass, which was published last year.

We had the best time talking to Jessi about the way one of her students inspired her to write a book, what it was like writing a second book versus her first, and her tips for achieving a work/life balance as a mom.

Be sure to visit Jessi at her Web site.

We thought we'd wrap up this episode with a singer who reminds us of Jessi's fictional country music sensation, Kyra Kelly, from In Honor-- Christine Marie, with her song "It Starts Today." Enjoy!

Want to download this podcast? Click here for a mp3 or find us on iTunes.

Hosting courtesy of archive.org. Intro music by 46bliss. Our song pick for this podcast is Christine Marie's "It Starts Today". Special thanks to our sound engineer Marc Conrad Tabula for his amazing editing. Please subscribe to Authors are ROCKSTARS! on iTunes so you'll never miss an episode!

Lynne Kelly: KidLit Corner Debut Author Edition

We love doing Debut Author Editions, and we love doing KidLit Corner episodes... so guess how much we loved doing a podcast that falls into both categories. Hint: A LOT! We had a great time interviewing author Lynne Kelly via Skype. Her first novel, Chained, is a stirring middle grade novel about the strong bond between a boy and an elephant, set in India.

It was fascinating to talk to Lynne about the research she did for this book, and how she made sure everything was completely authentic-- check out the interview!

You can learn more about Lynne at  http://lynnekellybooks.com/wordpress/.



Want to download this podcast? Click here for a mp3 or find us on iTunes.

Hosting courtesy of archive.org. Intro music by 46bliss. Special thanks to our sound engineer Marc Conrad Tabula for his awesome job editing the interview. Please subscribe to Authors are ROCKSTARS! on iTunes so you'll never miss an episode!

Hilary Weisman Graham: Debut Author Edition

Are you in the mood for a road trip to kick off summer? We've got the perfect author interview for you!

We had the opportunity to Skype with author Hilary Weisman Graham about her debut novel, Reunited, out this month from Simon & Schuster. Reunited tells the story of three ex-best friends who come together one more time for a road trip to see the band they idolized years ago.

Hilary talked to us about her experience on reality TV, her transition from being a screenwriter to writing a YA novel, and how awesome it was to produce songs for her fictional band, E3. We even have the songs at the end of the show for you to enjoy!

Learn more about Hilary at her Web site: hilarygraham.com.

Want to download this podcast? Click here for a mp3 or find us on iTunes.

Hosting courtesy of archive.org. Intro music by 46bliss. Special thanks to our sound engineer Marc Conrad Tabula for his awesome editing, as always. Please subscribe to Authors are ROCKSTARS! on iTunes so you'll never miss an episode!

Martha Brockenbrough: Debut Author Edition

We have a fantastic debut author interview for you today-- a conversation with Martha Brockenbrough! We know you're thinking: "I've heard of Martha Brockenbrough! She's not a debut author!" It's true, folks. Martha has written nonfiction, but Devine Intervention is her first YA novel, which is certainly cause for celebration!

She talked to us via Skype about writing for young adults, her involvement in the founding of National Grammar Day, and, of course, all about her heartwarming, hilarious novel, Devine Intervention, which just came out last week. Visit Martha's Web site to learn more about her.

Want to download this podcast? Click here for a mp3 or find us on iTunes.

Hosting courtesy of archive.org. Intro music by 46bliss. Special thanks to our sound engineer Erica for her excellent work in editing our interview with Martha. Please subscribe to Authors are ROCKSTARS! on iTunes so you'll never miss an episode!

Leigh Bardugo: June Podcast

This month, we have Leigh Bardugo, author of Shadow and Bone, on the show. If you love fantasy, you're going to love this book! With its Russian-inspired setting and vivid characters, we found it spellbinding.

We had so much fun sitting down to chat with Leigh at Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena. She told us about the fascinating way she developed the language in the book, the scientific aspects of the magic system, and we addressed the all-important topic of CAKE.


Want to download this podcast? Click here for a mp3 or find us on iTunes.

If you're in the Southern California area, don't miss your chance to meet Leigh Bardugo in person! Her pre-launch party for Shadow and Bone is tonight, June 4th, at Skylight Books in LA. And then she's going on tour right away. Check her news page for the details and see if she'll be in your neighborhood in the next few weeks! Trust us, you WANT to meet Leigh. She is fantastic.

Hosting courtesy of archive.org. Intro music by 46bliss. Special thanks to our sound engineer Marc Conrad Tabula for his excellent work in editing our interview with Leigh. Our song of the month is "So Much Better" by Aubrey Wood. Please be sure to subscribe to Authors are ROCKSTARS! on iTunes!

Jenny Torres Sanchez: Debut Author Edition

Continuing our Debut Author series, we bring you an interview with Jenny Torres Sanchez, author of The Downside of Being Charlie. We were lucky enough to chat with Jenny via Skype about what it was like writing from a male point of view, why she writes the hard-hitting emotional stuff, and the love of photography she shares with her main character, Charlie.

Want to download this podcast? Click here for a mp3.

Thanks for listening. Be sure to comment and leave some love for Jenny! You can learn more about her and read the first chapter of The Downside of Being Charlie at her Web site.

Hosting courtesy of archive.org. Intro music by 46bliss. Special thanks to our sound engineer, Matt, for doing such a fantastic job editing the interview in this episode. Please subscribe to Authors are ROCKSTARS! on iTunes!