Gene Yang: Special Edition Podcast

We're back with another episode of our special edition series of our podcast, Librarians are ROCKSTARS! We're thrilled to collaborate once more with Steve from Circulating Ideas, the librarian interview podcast. Steve and Allison met up at the American Library Association Conference in June to talk to some fantastic authors about their thoughts on libraries and librarians.

To kick off this round of Librarians are ROCKSTARS!, we're sharing an interview with Printz Award winning author and artist, Gene Luen Yang. We had a blast chatting with Gene about his perspective on libraries as an author and an educator, as well as his upcoming graphic novels, Boxers and Saints, which will be out in bookstores everywhere next month.

Also, even though Michelle wasn't at the conference with us, the two of us settle a VERY IMPORTANT debate about the Great Lakes in this episode.



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

Keep up with Gene at his website, and stop by his publisher, First Second. Be sure to check out Circulating Ideas for the next episode of Librarians are ROCKSTARS! (and a whole bunch of awesome librarian interviews, to boot). And if you missed our earlier collaboration with Steve on the Librarians are ROCKSTARS! series, check here for an interview with Kirby Larson and here for an interview with Tom Angleberger.

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 if you leave a review, we might be your BFFs. 

Jennifer Bosworth: July podcast

Earlier this summer, we got to hang out with the lovely Jennifer Bosworth, author of Struck, at Vroman's Books in Pasadena. We had a blast talking to Jennifer about the role of cults in her debut novel, what she was like as a teen, and her relationship with the city of Los Angeles as a transplant from Utah.

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

Keep up with Jennifer at her website and be sure to visit her publisher, Macmillan.

Giveaway! 

We happen to think Jennifer's book is the perfect kind of book to pick up when you're in a reading slump-- it's high-concept, action-packed, and a fun read. What do you do when you're in a reading slump?

Comment on this post and tell us your favorite recommendations for books to get you out of a reading slump. Your comment will enter you to win a hardcover copy of Struck, signed by Jennifer Bosworth. Remember to leave your email with the comment so we can contact the winner. Contest open to US residents only. Deadline is Friday, August 9.

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!

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!

Leigh Bardugo: Roadtrip Edition Podcast

Last month, we were thrilled to meet up with Leigh at Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena to discuss her upcoming book, Siege and Storm, which comes out on June 4th. 

We were blown away last year by her debut novel, Shadow and Bone, so we loved sitting down to chat about this exciting sequel.

We talked about the development of Shadow and Bone for the big screen, what readers can expect from Siege and Storm, and Leigh answered listener questions. Also, we have a new music-related question for Leigh, since she addressed our favorite karaoke question in last year's interview!

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

Be sure to visit Leigh at her website and check out her publisher, Henry Holt (an imprint of Macmillan). And in case you missed it last year, catch our first interview with her!

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!

Cylin Busby: Roadtrip Edition Podcast

We are pleased to bring you an interview with the incredible Cylin Busby, recorded at Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena. 

We had so much fun chatting with Cylin about her latest book for teens, Blink Once, a suspenseful paranormal thriller- what kind of research she did, and what it was like to write from a male perspective. We also talked about the intense memoir she co-wrote with her father, The Year We Disappeared, and then we capped it all off with some truly epic regional accents. 

(Time warp! We interviewed Cylin earlier this year

when Michelle still had a baby on board.)

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

We have a giveaway to go along with this episode of the podcast! To win an autographed hardcover cover of Blink Once, comment on this post and tell us which one of Cylin's accents you liked best. Be sure to include your email address or Twitter username so we can contact you if you're the winner. Deadline is Tuesday, May 14, 11:59 pm PST. Contest open to US residents only.

Visit cylinbusby.com to keep up with Cylin, and be sure to check out her publisher, Bloomsbury. Many thanks go to Cylin's rockstar publicist, Deb Shapiro, for setting up this interview! 

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.

Got a question for Leigh Bardugo?

Leigh Bardugo is going to be back on the show, ya'll, and we couldn't be more excited. To celebrate, we are opening up the floor to YOUR questions. What do you want us to talk to Leigh about? Let's make sure we aren't asking for spoilers, OK? Although, to taunt you, I am reading Siege & Storm right now and o...m....g, but that's all I'll say.

Leave a comment here or tweet us at @AuthorsROCK. We'll enter everyone who does for a chance to win some limited edition Shadow & Bone nail polish and buttons! (1 entry per person, not per question) Get 'em in by April 25th. We'll announce the winner(s) shortly after.

And stay tuned.. up next on the podcast, C.J. REDWINE!