Take a siesta with Kiersten White , New York Times best-selling author of the PARANORMALCY series, MIND GAMES , THE CHAOS OF STARS and more, as she talks about the challenge of balancing writing with kids, the fresh new challenge that every book brings, and hear her read some amazing(ly hilarious) high school poetry! Kiersten White Show Notes Natalie Whipple , Stephanie Perkins Kiersten’s blog Erica Sussman Jim Di Bartolo Laini Taylor LIPS TOUCH: THREE TIMES by Laini Taylor with illustrations by...
Mar 03, 2015•55 min•Ep. 34
One of my favorite humans, Kate Hart is author of AFTER THE FALL , due out in 2016 from FSG, and is basically everywhere on the internet. She and I took a break from a marathon Twilight series re-watch to talk witches and talking birds, what a gross word “networking” is, and finding the courage to tell our stories. Also Twilight. Kate Hart Show Notes Badass Ladies You Should Know ( my interview here !) Field Trip Friday YA cover statistics Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer Tim O’Brien Zilpha Ke...
Feb 24, 2015•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 23
Imagine yourself in sunny San Diego as Stephanie Diaz , author of EXTRACTION and its sequel, REBELLION , out February 10, talks about moving from film to books, querying before high school, and the scary reality of moving cross-country. Stephanie Diaz Show Notes THE EGYPT GAME by Zilpha Keatley Snyder HIS DARK MATERIALS by Phillip Pullman IF I STAY and WHERE SHE WENT by Gayle Forman Cristin Terrill Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner THIS SHATTERED WORLD , and its sequel, THESE BROKEN STARS Firefly ...
Feb 24, 2015•45 min•Ep. 33
Grab a seat poolside with Erin Jade Lange, author of BUTTER , DEAD ENDS , and the forthcoming REBEL BULLY GEEK PARIAH , as she talks about abandoning the Midwest, the lasting impacts of bullying, and her personal vendetta against "Larry" McAfee. Erin Jade Lange Show Notes Dark Heart (from Care Bears) John McAfee Abraham Biggs WINTERGIRLS by Laurie Halse Anderson Ilsa Bick (ASHES) Gemma Burgess (agent)...
Feb 17, 2015•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 32
Have a sunny afternoon coffee with me and Victoria Aveyard , debut author of RED QUEEN (out Feb. 10!), as we discuss the Venn diagram of her screenwriting and author careers, why Hollywood won’t make the next Star Wars without novelists, and Pokemon (obviously)! Victoria Aveyard Show Notes FIFTY SHADES OF GRAY by E.L. James WOOL by Hugh Howey Suzie Townsend, Pouya Shahbazian, and Joanna Volpe of New Leaf Literary Gennifer Hutchison , screenwriter for THE RED QUEEN Looper (film)...
Feb 13, 2015•41 min•Ep. 31
Take a champagne break as I chat with Megan Shepherd , author of A COLD LEGACY , the final installment of THE MADMAN’S DAUGHTER series (out Jan. 27), about the magic of Asheville, Jack versus Sawyer, and the allure of historical fantasy over mimosas! Megan Shepherd Show Notes Beth Revis , Meagan Spooner Blog post of Megan’s YA book event at her parents’ book store STOLEN by Lucy Christopher Alvina Ling (Editor-in-Chief, Little, Brown) THE ISLAND OF DOCTOR MOREAU by H.G. Wells THE STRANGE CASE OF...
Jan 27, 2015•45 min•Ep. 29
I was in nerd heaven chatting with Margaret Stohl , co-author of the New York Times best-selling BEAUTIFUL CREATURES series, author of ICONS and IDOLS , and hard at work at the YA novel based on Marvel’s Black Widow . The frenetic energy of an evil genius, and the degrees to match, Margie talked about her experiences being the only girl in the room for her years running a video game company, always checking wardrobes for Narnia, and the origin of YALLFest / YALLWest . Margaret Stohl Show Notes Y...
Jan 20, 2015•1 hr•Ep. 29
YA author Julie Murphy , who wrote SIDE EFFECTS MAY VARY and has a new book, DUMPLIN’ , coming out this year from Balzer + Bray, meets me in Texas to talk epic homecoming mums, unlikeable characters, and how she thought Twilight was a boy band. Julie Murphy Show Notes ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS by Stephanie Perkins Drop Dead Gorgeous (film) TITHE by Holly Black WICKED LOVELY by Melissa Marr Kristin Travenio (Irving County Library YA librarian) Blue Valentine (film) “ Jolene ” by Dolly Parton Aless...
Jan 13, 2015•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 28
Katie Coyle , debut author of VIVIAN APPLE AT THE END OF THE WORLD , talks about how Thorin Oakenshield taught her she wasn’t cut out to act, writing ghosts and magic into her hometown, and how Neil Gaiman gave her her big break. Katie Coyle Show Notes Katie’s wedding picture in which she and her friend re-enact THE HOBBIT PRETTY MONSTERS by Kelly Link Neil Gaiman’s tumblr The Young Writer’s Prize by Hot Key Press Cathy Day , represented by Sarah Burnes , professor at Pitt Rachel Fershleiser of ...
Jan 07, 2015•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 27
Boisterous, eloquent, and just the tiniest bit zany, Cynthia Leitich Smith , New York Times best-selling author of TANTALIZE and RAIN IS NOT MY INDIAN NAME , took me out for tacos and taught me a thing or twelve. I loved hearing her wise words on diversity in YA, paying it forward with newer writers, and writing 200 drafts of a single picture book. Cynthia Leitich Smith Show Notes Dear Sugar Kathi Appelt and Austin SCBWI Greg Leitich Smith Varian Johnson , Don Tate Brett Hartman JINGLE DANCER Mi...
Dec 23, 2014•1 hr•Ep. 26
Myra McEntire , author of the HOURGLASS series, is as refreshing as a cool glass of sweet tea, and it was a joy to sit with her and talk British TV, living with intention, and handling life’s unexpected curveballs. Myra McEntire Show Notes The Kingsport Mets Trixie Belden series Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris WTF With Marc Maron (podcast) Stuff You Should Know (podcast) Stuff You Missed In History Class (podcast) The Spy Museum podcast, SpyCast Mental Illness Happy Hour (podcast) T...
Dec 16, 2014•58 min•Ep. 25
The delightful Alison Cherry , author of RED and FOR REAL (out December 9!) talks traumatic revision experiences, life foreshadowing, “guerrilla friending” — and her cats give us some all-star background purring. Alison Cherry Show Notes Author Solutions Literary agent Holly Root Strauss opera, Die Frau ohne Schatten (The Woman without a Shadow) Lorrie Moore Harvard Bookstore CHAOS WALKING trilogy by Patrick Ness Wendy Loggia , Executive Editor at Random House Children's Books/Delacorte Press Th...
Dec 12, 2014•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 23
Talking with the wise and lovely Courtney C. Stevens , author of FAKING NORMAL and THE BLUE-HAIRED BOY , about building a writing community, writing how rock climbing made her a better writer. Courtney C Stevens Show Notes Stephenie Meyer SCBWI Ruta Sepetys and Sharon Cameron Harper Impulse series Rae Ann Parker , Kristin Tubb , Hannah Dills Margie Lawson...
Dec 02, 2014•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 22
Talking to Kaitlin Ward , whose debut novel BLEEDING EARTH is due out in Fall 2015, about the SIMS, teen horror, how she recovered from losing her first agent, and what video games inspire her. Kaitlin Ward Show Notes WHEEL OF TIME series by Robert Jordan THE GIVER by Lois Lowry THE GOLDEN COMPASS by Phillip Pullman REDWALL by Brian Jacques MRS. FRISBY AND THE RATS OF NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien ERAGON by Christopher Paolini Realmz The SIMS TWILIGHT by Stephenie Meyer Absolute Write YA Highway THI...
Nov 20, 2014•50 min•Ep. 21
I meet up with Stephanie Kuehn at a lovely holiday retreat in Vermont, where she set her Morris-award-winning debut, CHARM AND STRANGE . Steph is deeply thoughtful and incredibly silly in equal measure, which makes her simply delightful. As we sat on a back porch with kids playing in a nearby hammock, we talked about Steph’s boarding school days, romanticizing Vermont, movie making, how starting to run gave her the confidence to start writing, and the experience of winning the Morris Award. I al...
Nov 12, 2014•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 20
The conversation continues, with Libba Bray , Printz award-winning YA author of THE DIVINERS and GOING BOVINE , discussing how she came to children's literature, the struggle to balance honesty with self-preservation, and writing with depression. Libba Bray Part 2 Show Notes Laurie Halse Anderson David Levithan Rachel Cohn Francesca Lia Block Angela Johnson Aaron Zimmerman , New York Writers Coalition Ann Brashares Sweet Sixteen Cecily von Ziegesar Holly Black SAVE THE CAT by Blake Snyder Save T...
Nov 07, 2014•1 hr•Ep. 19
The only thing better than getting to chat with YA icon Libba Bray (author of New York Times best-selling series A GREAT AND TERRIBLE BEAUTY , Printz award-winner GOING BOVINE , and genuinely terrifying historical paranormal THE DIVINERS , among others) about writing was getting to chat with her about life. Libba is as hilarious as she is wise, and our conversation was so fun, I decided to cut it into two parts rather than leave an hour or more on the cutting-room floor. In this episode, Libba t...
Nov 04, 2014•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 18
Meeting with Natalie Standiford was like stepping into a world where all my teen fantasies about what life as a writer would look like (amazing NY apartment, effortlessly chic clothes, a separate office with built-in shelves and a bass amp in the corner). It was only made better by the fact that Natalie’s books - HOW TO SAY GOODBYE IN ROBOT , THE BOY ON THE BRIDGE , CONFESSIONS OF THE SULLIVAN SISTERS and so many more - are beautiful, thoughtful, and filled with quirky nuance, just like the book...
Oct 20, 2014•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 17
Q&A Show Notes Support the podcast here! Find podcast extras here! Jenn from Appleton video NAME OF THE ROSE , Natasha Romanov comic by Marjorie Lu Junot Diaz BookPeople in Austin The Strand in NYC Parnassus Books in Nashville The Last Bookstore in LA Politics and Prose in D.C., and Modern Times coffeeshop NIMONA by Noelle Stevenson (aka Gingerhaze) Alison Cherry HYPERBOLE AND A HALF by Allie Bosh...
Oct 16, 2014•16 min
Cat Winters, author of Morris Award finalist IN THE SHADOW OF BLACKBIRDS and THE CURE FOR DREAMING (out Oct. 14!) is kind, thoughtful, and soft-spoken, but don’t be surprised if she tells you she was wandering the Oregon woods on the last full moon. Cat Winters Show Notes The Mandrell Sisters The Smurfs THE THORN BIRDS by Colleen McCullough Judy Blume REBECCA by Daphne Du Marier SCBWI (The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) Boardwalk Empire The Watcher in the Woods (Disney movi...
Oct 13, 2014•55 min
Marie Lu is small only in a strictly physical sense. Her books are big - New York Times best-seller big - and her creativity, both as a novelist and an artist, is awe-inspiring. The written word taught Marie a new language, got her through high school, led her to take a chance on leading a creative life at a pivotal moment as college came to an end, and is now giving her the chance to see the world. Marie has truly inspiring things to say about when to recognize that you aren’t good enough for a...
Oct 06, 2014•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 15
A chat with Beth Revis , author of the New York Times best-selling ACROSS THE UNIVERSE series, including a new book from that world, THE BODY ELECTRIC , due out Oct. 7! Beth talks about the ten years she spent writing before her breakout novel, and how invaluable the writing community has been to keeping her sane. Beth Revis Show Notes The Biltmore Estate The Narnia Series by C.S. Lewis Sweet Valley High series The Babysitter’s Club series THINGS FALL APART by Chinua Achebe NIGHT by Elie Weisel ...
Oct 02, 2014•48 min•Ep. 14
Meagan Spooner , author of LARK ASCENDING (out Oct. 1!), the final installment of the Skylark Trilogy , and is co-author of the Starbound Trilogy with Amie Kaufman . Meagan is bright, cheery and welcoming, with the self-assuredness of a girl who has crossed the globe more than once. We talk about her roots in the theater, how fairy tales are the OG fanfic, and that one time her house burned down. Meagan Spooner Show Notes STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND by Robert A. Heinlein CONTACT by Carl Sagan THE...
Sep 29, 2014•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 13
Rachel Fershleiser Show Notes Housing Works Bookstore Cafe in NY Eat Your Feelings : Stories of Food, Jews & Your Mom, with Jami Attenberg and friends Booksmith , Book People , and Tattered Cover (bookstores) Stock Tips zine Kickstarter Tumblr's Reblog Book Club ELEANOR AND PARK and FANGIRL by Rainbow Rowell Gingerhaze on Tumblr (Noelle Stevenson) Simini Blocker on Tumblr Ampersand from YadyKates on Etsy YA Highway on Tumblr WeNeedDiverseBooks campaign GoBookYourself I, Too, Am Harvard Plann...
Sep 24, 2014•50 min•Ep. 12
Gretchen McNeil , author of YA books POSSESS , TEN , 3:59 , and GET EVEN (out this week, from Baltzer + Bray!) welcomed me to her home in L.A. for a great conversation about the pros and cons of fast drafting, grassroots marketing, and how to balance being a writer and an extrovert. And her adorable puppy Wolfgang makes an appearance, too! Gretchen McNeil Show Notes The 24 Italian Opera songs TITHE by Holly Black WICKED LOVELY by Melissa Marr Stanislavski acting questions Nosferatu Boris Karloff...
Sep 19, 2014•56 min•Ep. 11
Heidi Schulz Show Notes Australorp breed of chickens J.M. Barrie , author of PETER PAN and PETER PAN AND WENDY Peter Pan (2003 film) Brooks Sherman , Heidi’s agent John Hendrix , illustrator for HOOK’S REVENGE Heidi’s drawing of a sad robot being launched into space Claire Legrand , MG author Emma Trevayne , MG author KidLit authors Beverly Cleary , Diana Wynne Jones , and Judy Blume Authors of creeptastic things, Stephen King and V. C. Andrews...
Sep 15, 2014•1 hr 1 min
Michelle Schusterman , author of the I HEART BAND series and the forthcoming THE KAT SINCLAIR FILE S and MAUDEVILLE , is the kind of girl whose conversation feels more like a hug than a handshake. She’s so open-hearted, curious, and kind, it’s no wonder she’s always worked with middle and high school students, across the globe. Michelle Schusterman Show Notes Savvy by Ingrid Law Michelle’s agent Sarah Davies Jordan Hamessly , Michelle’s editor The Coffeehouse Mystery books by Cleo Coyle...
Aug 22, 2014•1 hr 2 min
My good friend and YA author Kirsten Hubbard takes the mic to ask me a few questions for this mini-episode Q&A! We talk about why the podcast got started, why it's been so irregular to date, where it's going in the future, and a discussion of writing while traveling.
Aug 13, 2014•13 min
Kara Taylor (soon to be Thomas) has a quick wit and an infectious laugh. In addition to being smart, sharp and funny, she’s a gifted and ambitious writer, crafting YA novels by day (the PREP SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL series and a forthcoming book in 2016 from Random House) and TV shows by night. I caught up with Kara at her home in Long Island, and she gave me the rundown of her almost accidental television writing gig, how having a chip on her shoulder helps get words on the page, and why city life j...
Aug 08, 2014•59 min
Claire Legrand has a sweet heart and a dark imagination - a combination that has made for two magical middle grade novels ( THE CAVENDISH HOME FOR BOYS AND GIRLS and THE YEAR OF SHADOWS ), and a forthcoming YA, WINTERSPELL , due out September 30 from Simon & Schuster. We met at her home in Princeton, New Jersey to talk scary stories for kids, earning honor badges in life, and finding time amidst the "author" madness to actually write. Claire LeGrand Show Notes Claire LeGrand’s agent Diana Fo...
Aug 06, 2014•55 min
