Shannon Messenger and Debra Driza: June Podcast

Today on the podcast, we have an extra special treat: two authors in one interview! Debra Driza, author of MILA 2.0 and Shannon Messenger, author Let the Sky Fall. We had an absolutely fabulous time and think you will too! Highlights include Deb singing Domo Arigatou and the phrase "MORE TONGUE!" Yep-- be prepared for a wild ride. ;)

Oh and don't forget Michelle and Allison's picks of the month. This month, we chat about Palace of Stone by Shannon Hale and Navigating Early by Clare Vanderpool.



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

Be sure to visit Debra and Shannon on their websites for more from these two incredibly fun ladies.

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

CJ Redwine: April Podcast

All right, fantasy fans, get excited! We have an interview with Defiance author, CJ Redwine, for you. We had so much fun talking to CJ about what inspired the intense emotions in this post-apocalyptic fantasy, her determination to write while juggling the duties of motherhood, and more-- and she answers listener questions! So if you submitted a question, tune in.

In this episode, we also share our must-read book picks of the month: Eleanor & Park, by Rainbow Rowell, and Golden, by Jessi Kirby.



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

Be sure to visit CJ at her website and visit her publisher, Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins.

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

Lauren Oliver: Roadtrip Edition Podcast

Lauren Oliver, author of the spellbinding dystopian Delirium series, visited the Mission Viejo Library last month, and we were thrilled to snag an interview with this amazing author! Michelle is still on semi-maternity leave with her cute baby, so I was joined by our good friend Lalitha of Masala Reader for this event.

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

Lauren's visit to the Mission Viejo Library was fantastic-- her fans were rapt as she spoke about her writing and read an excerpt from Requiem, the final volume of her New York Times bestselling Delirium trilogy, and everyone enjoyed mini cupcakes iced to match the covers of Lauren's books as they waited in line to meet her and have their books signed.

Visit Lauren Oliver's website to keep up with her upcoming titles, and be sure to take a look at her publisher, HarperCollins. In the Southern California area? Visit the Mission Viejo Library and keep a lookout for any upcoming author visits. 

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

Veronica Rossi: January Podcast

Veronica Rossi's debut novel, Under the Never Sky, was one of our favorite reads of 2012. We just loved its unique blend of science fiction, fantasy, adventure, and romance-- so we were thrilled to get a chance to catch up with her around the release of the sequel, Through the Ever Night, which came out earlier this month. 

Veronica was gracious enough to answer lots of questions submitted by YOU, her fans, as well as plenty of our own questions!

Also, be sure to pay extra special attention to the beginning and end of this podcast, because... well, you'll hear why!


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

Visit Veronica at her website and stop by her publisher, HarperCollins.

Podcast hosting courtesy of archive.org. Intro music by 46bliss. Special thanks to our sound engineer, Marc Conrad Tabula, for his awesome audio editing skills. Please subscribe to Authors are ROCKSTARS! on iTunes so you'll never miss an episode-- and you'll win our hearts forever if you're inclined to leave a review. 

Kevin Emerson: Road Trip Edition Podcast

We are so pleased to bring you the final interview we recorded at the SCBWI conference in LA this summer: Kevin Emerson, author of the super-exciting Atlanteans series!

In addition to being a talented writer, Kevin is just about the nicest guy ever. We had a blast talking to him about his inspiration for the first book in the series, The Lost Code, his experiences at summer camp as compared to those of his characters, and what it was like to transition from writing for younger readers to writing YA. Enjoy!



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

Visit Kevin at his website to learn more about The Lost Code and his upcoming books, and be sure to stop by Katherine Tegen Books, too.

We are also excited to announce the winner of our "Ask a question, win some books!" giveaway. Allison K, you are our winner! Be sure to drop us a line to claim your prize.

Didn't win? Don't be sad! You can win a signed ARC of The Lost Code. We've just got to know... if you could have a super power, what would it be? Leave us a comment with your Twitter name or a way to reach you. You have until January 17th to enter. Must be a US resident or willing to cover shipping charges. A winner will be selected by random.org.

Podcast hosting courtesy of archive.org. Intro music by 46bliss. Special thanks to our sound engineer, Marc Conrad Tabula, for his awesome audio editing skills. Please subscribe to Authors are ROCKSTARS! on iTunes so you'll never miss an episode-- and we'd be so grateful if you're inclined to leave a review. Hope your new year is off to a great start! 

Brodi Ashton: Special Edition Podcast

We're so pleased to share another of the interviews we did at the SCWBI in Los Angeles over the summer-- this time we're featuring the lovely Brodi Ashton!

Brodi's debut novel, Everneath, dazzled readers when it hit bookshelves in January of this year. Get your e-readers ready for a companion e-novella, Neverfall, available on December 26, and look for the second book in the series, Everbound, in bookstores everywhere in January 2013.

Brodi is a pure delight. We had so much fun chatting with her about the true-life inspiration behind the series, "team" factions in the Everneath fandom (Team Jack or Team Cole?), and a few hints about what readers can expect from Everbound. Enjoy!



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

Find out more about Brodi Ashton at her blog, and visit her publisher, HarperTeen, too.

And don't forget - you have until Thursday to tell us why you should be a Princess or what your favorite Karen Cushman book is! If you let us know, you're entered to win a copy of Jessica Day George's Princess of the Silver Woods & a signed copy of Catherine Called Birdy.

Podcast hosting courtesy of archive.org. Intro music by 46bliss. Special thanks to our sound engineer, Marc Conrad Tabula for his awesome editing skills. Please subscribe to Authors are ROCKSTARS! on iTunes so you'll never miss an episode! (And if you like us, please be so kind as to leave a review.)

Sophie Jordan: Road Trip Edition Podcast

Last year, we interviewed Sophie Jordan via Skype in advance of the second book in her wildly romantic Firelight trilogy. This year, we were thrilled to get to meet Sophie in person to talk about the final Firelight book, Hidden! The book just came out from HarperTeen, and listeners, you are going to LOVE it.

Sophie was so kind to take time out of her busy schedule to chat with us at the Romance Writers of America conference in Anaheim earlier this summer. We had a blast sitting down with this fabulous New York Times bestselling author, and asking her our questions about finishing up the Firelight trilogy, and also asking some awesome questions from her fans. If you submitted a question, be sure to listen and see if she answered it! (We also have a pressing question for any baristas in the audience, if you happen to be listening!)


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

As if it wasn't enough of a treat to have Sophie Jordan back on the show this month, we've also got a GIVEAWAY for you! We are giving away one autographed ARC of Hidden to a lucky listener. Enter to win by leaving a comment on this post, telling us what you found most interesting about this interview, because Sophie is awesome. Be sure to leave your email so we can contact you if you win!

Deadline for entries is Friday, September 14. Contest open to US residents only.

EDIT: Congrats to Kat who won this giveaway!!

On another note... author event alerts for Southern Californians!

Big news for Fallen fans! Lauren Kate will speak at the Ovitt Family Community Library in Ontario on Wednesday, September 12, at 3:30 pm. Arrive early for good seats! More info here.

The Rancho Santa Margarita Library in Orange County is hosting a Teen Author Panel on Wednesday, September 19th from 4 - 5:30 pm. Meet authors Cecil Castellucci, Christine Fonseca, Janet Tashjian, Pamela Wells, and Sue Zeidler! More info here.

Books will be available for purchase at both events. Sadly, we won't be able to attend, but we hope you can make it!

Podcast hosting courtesy of archive.org. Intro music by 46bliss. Special thanks to our sound engineer, Marc Conrad Tabula for his sound editing skills. Please subscribe to Authors are ROCKSTARS! on iTunes so you'll never miss an episode! (And if you like us, please be so kind as to leave a review.)

Kiersten White, Marie Lu, Cynthia Hand, Robin LeFevers: Road Trip Edition Podcast

At the end of last month, we caught up with Kiersten White at her book launch for the final volume in her Paranormalcy trilogy, Endlessly. What a fun event at the Barnes and Noble in Oceanside, California! Not only did we get to see Kiersten, but we also got to interview Cynthia Hand, Marie Lu, and Robin LeFevers. And our teen correspondent, Ava, joined us for this interview, so it was extra fun!

We talked to Kiersten about what it was like to wrap up Evie's story and what future projects she's got brewing. Then all of the authors answered some awesome questions from our podcast listeners, including a particularly interesting discussion of how they write strong female characters. We also have our "Picks of the Month". This month, our picks are the Pittacus Lore series (I Am Number Four, The Power of Six and The Rise of Nine - stay tuned for a giveaway of this series!) and Dark Unwinding by Sharon Cameron.

The fabulous author panel + adorable kiddo hug for Kiersten.

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

BONUS: It's giveaway time! We have an autographed ARC of Endlessly to give away to one lucky listener. Leave us a comment after listening to this episode and tell us which one of Kiersten's many upcoming projects you're MOST looking forward to. (There are a few to choose from!) Be sure to leave your email in your comment so we can contact the winner. Contest is open to US residents only. Deadline to enter the contest is August 27th.

Hosting courtesy of archive.org. Intro music by 46bliss. Our closing song this month is "Nothing's Cruel" by Kyte. Special thanks to our sound engineers for this episode Marc Conrad Tabula and Joshua Bertrand for helping make the interview sound fabulous. Please subscribe to Authors are ROCKSTARS! on iTunes so you'll never miss an episode! (And if you like us, please be so kind as to leave a review!)

Anna Carey: July podcast

Are you as excited as we are about Once, the second book in the dystopian romance series that started with Eve? We had the opportunity to sit down and chat with author Anna Carey in advance of Once's publication and hear all about her favorite characters, her experience going from middle grade to YA, and more.

We had an absolute blast talking with Anna, and hope you enjoy the interview! Be sure to visit http://annacareybooks.com/ and get to know this fabulous author.


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 Ingrid Michaelson's "Be Ok." Special thanks to our sound engineer Marc Conrad Tabula for his editing skills. Please subscribe to Authors are ROCKSTARS! on iTunes so you'll never miss an episode!

Cynthia Hand: May Podcast

We had the opportunity to sit down at Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena to chat with the very lovely Cynthia Hand, author of Unearthly and Hallowed.

Among other things, we talked with her about what it's like to be a New York Times bestselling author, the differences between writing Unearthly as a yet-to-be-published writer and writing its sequel with the pressures of being under contract. Cynthia also responded to some listener questions, so tune in to see if she's Team Tucker or Team Christian!

We also share our book picks of the month: Code Name Verity, by Elizabeth Wein, and Unraveling, by Elizabeth Norris (Sensing a theme? Two Elizabeths!).

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 editing the interview in this episode. Our featured song this month is "You Ruined Everything" by Jonathan Coulton. Be sure to subscribe to Authors are ROCKSTARS! on iTunes so you don't miss an episode!

Josephine Angelini Interview: Dreamless

We were thrilled to catch up with Josephine Angelini to talk about the second book in her Starcrossed trilogy, Dreamless, which hits bookstore shelves at the end of this month. We had Josie on the show around this time last year, before Starcrossed had even come out. It was exciting to talk to her again and hear about life as an international bestselling author!

Listen to the interview to find out about the new character in Dreamless that Josie had the most fun writing, and hear all about her work-in-progress project that we can look forward to once she's all finished with the Starcrossed series! (Spoiler: it sounds AWESOME.)

Enjoy the interview, and be sure to comment and let Josie know how much you're looking forward to reading Dreamless! And don't forget.. there are only a few more days left for you to sign up and win our anniversary giveaway, including some signed goodies from Josie!

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! Special thanks to our interview engineer, Erica, for making us all sound marvelous!

Elizabeth Norris: Debut Author Edition

If you like suspense, mystery, sci-fi, and a fast-paced plot, you're going to enjoy Unraveling, by Elizabeth Norris. We had the chance to interview this debut author over Skype as part of our debut author series of podcasts and The Story Siren's Debut Author Challenge.

Elizabeth has an incredibly inspiring story about becoming a published author (she won over superstar agent, Janet Reid, aka the Query Shark!), so aspiring writers, be sure you don't miss this episode of the podcast.

Want to download this podcast? Click here for a mp3 or find us on iTunes!
Published by Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins, Unraveling hits bookstore shelves today. Happy book birthday to Elizabeth!

Visit Elizabeth Norris at her blog, and check out Janet Reid's Query Shark blog.

Also: special announcement for Southern California listeners! We're going to be moderating the YA or Bust! panel at the Huntington Beach Barnes and Noble tonight, April 24th, featuring Stephanie Perkins, Gayle Forman, and Nina LaCour. We're so excited, and we hope to see you there!

Hosting courtesy of archive.org. Intro music by 46bliss. Be sure to subscribe to Authors are ROCKSTARS! on iTunes! Special thanks to our interview engineer, Erica, for making us all sound marvelous!

Meg Cabot - April Podcast

We had an opportunity to sit down and chat with the fabulous Princess Diaries author, Meg Cabot, at the Passion & Prose conference in February, and we are so thrilled to bring that interview to you.

In this episode of the podcast, Meg shares the hilarious (and mysterious!) story of how she decided to write about vampires, including the daring rescue of a dog, AND- we could barely contain our glee about this one- she tells us she's had a new idea for The Mediator series. Will we get to see the continuation of Suze and Jesse's story? So exciting!

We also share our book picks for the month of April: historical fantasy Grave Mercy, by Robin LeFevers, and murder mystery, Perception, by Kim Harrington.
You do not want to miss this interview. As always, you can listen directly through the player below, download a mp3 or find us on iTunes.

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

Be sure to stay tuned. Next week, we'll be announcing a gigantic giveaway to celebrate our anniversary as a podcast. Can you believe it has been a year already?! We have had such a wonderful year and we have so many wonderful autographed books to share with you. In the meantime, let us know what you think of this month's podcast!

Special thanks to Andrew Heyl for mixing this interview for us. Hosting courtesy of archive.org. Intro music by 46bliss. Our song choice of the month is "Simple Things" by Amy Kuney. Meg's photo is from MegCabot.com. Be sure to subscribe to Authors are ROCKSTARS! on iTunes!

Elisa Ludwig: Debut Author Edition

We are pleased to announce a new type of podcast to our line-up this year: a special debut author edition! In partnership with The Story Siren's Debut Author Challenge, we are hosting 10-15 minute special edition episodes with debut authors. Kristi from The Story Siren will be joining us as a guest co-host on the podcast whenever her busy schedule allows. She's super awesome, and we're excited to have her on board!

In our inaugural debut author edition podcast, we had the opportunity to chat with Elisa Ludwig, whose modern-day Robin Hood story, Pretty Crooked, comes out March 13 from Katherine Tegen Books. We discussed her writing background, her experience with private schools (which comes through in her book!) and what exciting things she has coming up next.


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

Learn more about Elisa Ludwig at her website. Also, visit Kristi at The Story Siren and be sure to check out her Debut Author Challenge!

Hosting courtesy of archive.org. Intro music by 46bliss. Our song choice for this podcast is Kim Devine's "Trouble". Be sure to subscribe to Authors are ROCKSTARS! on iTunes!

January Podcast: Tahereh Mafi

How lucky are we?! We got to interview Tahereh Mafi, author of the much buzzed about new dystopian novel, Shatter Me. And believe us, it's worthy of the buzz! We loved it, and we were thrilled to get a chance to sit down and chat with Tahereh about her fantastic debut novel. She talks about herself as a reader and writer, using social media as an author, and a potential theme song for her main character.

Also in this episode, we discuss our book picks of the month (Unearthly and Hallowed, by Cynthia Hand, and Ditched, by Robin Mellom), talk about what's coming up next on the podcast, and wish you all a very happy 2012.

This time around, we got to record the beginning and end of the show together, which doesn't always happen. Since we're both busy moms, we usually end up recording separately and editing the files together. But when we record together, it's SUPER FUN. (Meaning, we say "SUPER FUN" about a million times.)

Please be sure to let us know what you think, and show some love for the fabulous Tahereh Mafi in the comments! We love to hear from you guys.


Want to download this podcast? Click here for a mp3. Or subscribe on iTunes!

Hosting courtesy of archive.org. Intro music by 46bliss. Our song of the month is If I Was, by David Christopher. Be sure to subscribe to Authors are ROCKSTARS! via iTunes.

Road Trip Edition - Pitch Dark Tour

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.

Would you like to download this podcast? Click here for a mp3.

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.

September Podcast: Sophie Jordan

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.


Would you like to download this podcast? Click here for an mp3!

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.

August Podcast: Gretchen McNeil

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!


Would you like to download this podcast? Click here for a mp3!

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.

August Road Trip Edition with Suzanne Young, Cindy Pon, Nova Ren Suma, and Holly Goldberg Sloan

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!


Want to download this podcast? Click this link for a mp3!

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...

Road Trip Edition Podcast with Kiersten White, Andrea Cremer and Stephanie Perkins

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!

Want to download this podcast? Click this link for a mp3!

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...