Sarvenaz Tash: Debut Author Edition

We love Skype. It brings us together with so many authors we wouldn't be able to chat with otherwise. Today, we bring you an interview with Sarvenaz Tash, debut author of a very charming middle grade novel, The Mapmaker and the Ghost. In this episode, we discuss why she decided to write for a middle grade audience, the development process of her book (so fascinating!), and how her background in film and blogging informed her writing of The Mapmaker and the Ghost.

We weren't the only ones with questions though! Ms. Tash turns the tables on us at the end of the podcast and gets revenge for all the authors we've asked about karaoke in the past. Today, you will find out what our favorite karaoke jams are. Dun dun dun!



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Hosting courtesy of archive.org. Intro music by 46bliss. Be sure to subscribe to Authors are ROCKSTARS! on iTunes and visit The Story Siren for more on her Debut Author Challenge.

Passion & Prose Event Coverage: March Podcast

Last month, we were lucky enough to attend the inaugural Passion & Prose conference for romance readers and writers in Long Beach, CA. Presented by Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore together with Adventures by the Book, the conference was a whole day filled with fun as hundreds of readers came to meet over 40 of their favorite authors, including keynote speakers Meg Cabot and Gail Carriger.

Attendees had numerous opportunities to mingle with authors, learn more about them, and get answers to their most burning questions. We've captured some of the excitement of the event in this Road Trip Edition of the podcast, so you can feel like you were there, too-- or relive the fun, if you attended!



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

We will have more interviews from the Passion & Prose conference coming up in next couple months, including a chat with the ladies of Penguin's Breathless Reads Tour, debut author Marissa Meyer, and the fabulously wonderful Meg Cabot. Stay tuned!

Hosting courtesy of archive.org. Intro music by 46bliss. Be sure to subscribe to Authors are ROCKSTARS! on iTunes!

Grace Lin: KidLit Corner Edition

We were so honored to have the opportunity to Skype with the amazingly talented Grace Lin! Author of the Newbery Honor book, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, she's also written and illustrated the charming "Year of..." series (starting with The Year of the Dog), and numerous picture books, including The Ugly Vegetables. We love Grace Lin!

In our interview with Grace, we got the details on how her family feels about being portrayed as fictional characters, whether she writes or illustrates first when tackling a story, and how she found her absolutely perfect dress for the Newbery Banquet.

Photo from Grace Lin's blog

Going with the Newbery theme, Michelle shares her favorite Newbery book, Catherine Called Birdy, by Karen Cushman, and Allison talks about The Mighty Miss Malone, the latest book from Newbery Medalist Christopher Paul Curtis.


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

Hosting courtesy of archive.org. Intro music by 46bliss. Be sure to subscribe to Authors are ROCKSTARS! on iTunes!