A Book and a Chat with Halli Lilburn

Like many other authors today’s guest Halli Lilburn has always dabbled in writing poetry and short stories, perhaps as she says it was her own therapy for those teenage years. She carried on this love for writing in her later life having many article and short stories published before finally creating her debut YA sci-fi adventure novel “Shifters“.

 The idea for the book came to Halli one night in a dream, never really thinking herself however to be a Sci-Fi writer it was a surprise to her when the idea for “Shifters” came to her.

About “Shifters”: (taken from Leigh Covington blog)

 The book is YA speculative fiction about a girl, Lina and her friends who stumble upon a government conspiracy taking place right in their school.
The corrupt branch is called the Special Force and their purpose is to weed out students who they deem have corrupt DNA to create a superior race.

Students get expelled and go missing. Even more shocking, Lina finds out the Special Force is sending these teens to another reality.
Lina steals the power to shift into new realities and uses this power to escape the Special Force and attempt to rescue her friends. It’s very plot driven, like a video game.

 The book made it high up the list at Amazon and received reviews like…

I found this YA novel engrossing and immensely invigorating. There’s no wasted wordage, no dropped plot threads, just moment-to-moment excitement and adventure, with the romance, friendship, character integrity, and villainous “overlords” woven in intricately. Just as importantly, the story line is so very plausible: almost any contemporary society today is aware of how close it could come to a fascist “Big Brother” type society, without even realizing until too late. 

The characters in this book are at first selectively chosen students of a new University, selected presumably for their higher capabilities. Yet they don’t understand, amid all the rigid rules and strictures that their value is in their DNA. It is not until one of her former neighborhood playmates, a boy she has known for years, disappears from the University that Lina realizes something terrible is afoot, and she, Yussef, and Jan begin to explore what it is-and discover the concept of “Shifters”-those who can pass among alternate dimensions. 

With the second book in the now trilogy already underway, I can see the main shifting Halli will do is towards the top of the Amazon selling list.

So listen now and share an interesting, and entertaining show as I chat with my special guest today on A Book and a Chat with Halli Lilburn

Barry

Direct link to the show
“A Book and a Chat with Halli Lilburn”

or you can download the mp3 file of the show from
“Halli Lilburn”

You can find out more about my guest and their books at:
“Halli Lilburn – Shifters”

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

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A Book and a Chat with Justina Ireland

Yesterdays show was one of my one hour specials, as I welcomed another of the Class of 2K13 debut YA authors in the form of Justina Ireland.

Justina though doing the normal school writing did not really think about creating her first novel until recently. Far from following her love for historical events she created a YA novel more about dangerous girls than dangerous times. her debut book being called “Vengeance Bound”.

Justina says about the book

 “Vengeance Bound is really the product of two things: my time spent in the Army and being a light-skinned black girl and the expectations attached to both of those situations.”

Starting out she had her main character as a light-skinned black girl Justina found it a struggle to create the story, she then, as we learned during the show, changed her to the stereotypical dumb blonde and the story just flowed.

About “Vengeance Bound”: (taken Dark Faerie Tales blog)

Cory Graff is not alone in her head. Bound to a deal of desperation made when she was a child, Cory’s mind houses the Furies—the hawk and the serpent—lingering always, waiting for her to satisfy their bloodlust. After escaping the asylum where she was trapped for years, Cory knows how to keep the Furies quiet. By day, she lives a normal life, but by night, she tracks down targets the Furies send her way. And she brings down Justice upon them.

Cory’s perfected her system of survival, but when she meets a mysterious boy named Niko at her new school, she can’t figure out how she feels about him. For the first time, the Furies are quiet in her head around a guy. But does this mean that Cory’s finally found someone who she can trust, or are there greater factors at work? As Cory’s mind becomes a battlefield, with the Furies fighting for control, Cory will have to put everything on the line to hold on to what she’s worked so hard to build.

The book is due to be launched in April and Justina already has a second book possibly being called “Promise of Shadows” scheduled for March next year.

So listen now and share an interesting, and entertaining show as I chat with my special guest today on A Book and a Chat with Justina Ireland

Barry

Direct link to the show

“A Book and a Chat with Justina Ireland”

or you can download the mp3 file of the show from

“Justina Ireland”

You can find out more about my guest and their books at:

“Justina Ireland – Vengeance Bound”

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

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A Book and a Chat with Liz Fichera

Each year a group of debut YA and mid-grade authors form a
group to help each other, over the last few years many of these authors have
not only appeared on “A Book and a Chat” but gone on to bigger and perhaps
better things. Today on the show is the first in this years “Class of 2K13″ Liz
Fichera”.

While Liz is a debut “YA” author she has already two fiction
publications to her name.

Liz is one of the few authors that include Native American
people as main characters in her stories. Living in Phoenix, Arizona, she surrounded
by over 20 Native American communitiesLiz writes storie.

Her
first book “Captive Spirit” was set in the sixteenth century in the area
now known as Phoenix, Arizona we follow the story of Aiyana, a young tribal
woman of the White Ant Clan.

This was followed by “Craving Perfect” described by one reviewer as…

A wonderful novel that takes you on a magical treadmill ride. Downtrodden
Grace isn’t happy with her lackluster life and yearns to be someone people pay
attention to. And then — after a spectacular treadmill fall — she suddenly
is. But is perfect really all she hoped for?

‘Craving Perfect’ has the perfect ingredients for a delicious summer read.

Liz writes about ordinary teens who do extraordinary
things. This is very true about her debut YA novel “Hooked“. 

About “Hooked” (taken from Luna’s Little
Library):

When Native American Fredericka ‘Fred’ Oday is invited to
become the only girl on the school’s golf team, she can’t say no. This is an
opportunity to shine, win a scholarship and go to university, something no one
in her family has done.

But Fred’s presence on the team isn’t exactly welcome —
especially not to rich golden boy Ryan Berenger, whose best friend was kicked
off the team to make a spot for Fred.

But there’s no denying that things are happening between the girl with the
killer swing and the boy with the killer smile.

Though this is her debut YA novel a companion novel “Player”
is already optioned to soon hit the book shelves and with several other books
in the pipeline we shall, I am sure, hear a lot more from Liz Fichera.

So listen now and share an interesting, and entertaining show as I chat with my special guest today on A Book and a Chat with Liz Fichera

Barry

Direct link to the show

A Book and a Chat with Liz Fichera

or you can download the mp3 file of the show from

“Liz Fichera”

You can find out more about my guest at:

Liz Fichera – Hooked
Barry Eva (Storyheart)

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A Book and a Chat with Tina Field Howe

Along my 550 shows I have got to know many authors, some
I have even met. However today’s guest Tine Field Howe I have not only met, but
joined in her audio show narrating some of the characters during an “open to
the public” sample of her award winning audio book taken from the “The Tellings of Xunar-kun Series!”.

I first came across this multi-creative lady with her children
book “Snails-worth” which both my children loved. It was interesting to hear
during the show that this book has now also been made into an audio, with several
of the cast from the “The Tellings of Xunar-kun Series!”, taking roles
in the Snails-worth audio.

From Snails-worth I was captivated by the
first in the Xunar-kun “Alysa of the Fields”  which received many rave reviews and awards
and was soon followed by book two “The TrailFolk of Xunar-ku” which
again won the multi-talented Tina many awards an plaudits.

Book three of the series we learned is now in
the design stage, having taken somewhat of a back seat as Tina has moved into
Screen writing again creating several items ranging from a Romantic/Thriller to
a horror movie score.

It would seem no matter what this talented
lady turns her hand to, success is never far away.

About Alysa of the Fields (Also and award
winning audio book)

Hidden deep in the mountains of planet Xunar-kun, the
Field Folk clan believed themselves to be the only remaining people, other than
the distant Trailmen, to inhabit their warn-torn world. They were wrong. In
coming to realize her individuality, Alysa—a young woman of the Folk—risks all
to save her people from certain peril. As a result, long-hidden truths are
revealed, age-old hatreds are healed, and Alysa leads her people to a new way
of life.

About The
TrailFolk of Xunar-ku

It is four cycles later. The Folk and Trailmen have
accepted that they are part of something greater than themselves. They have
come together as “the Seekers”. Their purpose: to find the true Parents of the
Orphans. But they find something much more insidious and more lethal than any
threat they have faced before.

As one reviewer wrote about the audio book…

Alysa of the Fields, by
Tina Field Howe, has already been hailed as a magical fantasy masterpiece. Now
the author has taken her story to a new level, creating a mesmerizing
innovation that will have an enlightening impact on the world of audio books.

Well now that Tina is hitting the big screen trail, who
knows what other masterpieces we will be able to enjoy from Tina Field Howe.

So listen now and share an interesting, and entertaining show as I chat with my special guest today on A Book and a Chat with Tina Field Howe

Barry

Direct link to the show

A Book and a Chat with Tina Field Howe

or you can download the mp3 file of the show from

“Tina Field Howe”

You can find out more about my guest and their books at:

“Tina Field Howe”

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK – Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests – A Book and a Chat

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A Book and a Chat with Corrine Jackson

Corrine Jackson and that is sounded “Cor-een” is one of the Class of 2K12 debut YA authors for this year, however in her case it’s not one book coming out this year but two.
Corrine wrote her first short story in second or third grade. Which she still has.. Oddly enough, it was about a girl whose best friend was being physically abused by her dad. That theme somehow made it into her first novel “Touched”, so maybe everything comes full circle?
She continued writing through her school year moving around a lot, she actually attended eleven different colleges, has earned bachelors and master’s degrees in English, and an MFA in Creative Writing. She is its lead to believe a dab hand in creating pies, cup cakes and the odd bowl of Mac and Cheese.
Along with a normal job and her educational studies  Corinne now has produced two totally different books both of which are due to be launched in 2012. “Touched” is the first book in a trilogy, the second already going through the editing stage with the third shortly to get underway.
About “Touched -Sense Thieves” (Taken from Corrine’s Web page)
Remy O’Malley heals people with touch—but every injury she cures becomes her own. Living in a household with an abusive stepfather, she has healed untold numbers of broken bones, burns,and bruises. And then one night her stepfather goes too far.
Being sent to live with her estranged father offers a clean start and she is eager to take it. Enter Asher Blackwell. Once a Protector of Healers, Asher sacrificed his senses to become immortal. Only by killing a Healer can a Protector recover their human senses. Falling in love is against the rules between these two enemies.
Because Remy has the power to make Protectors human again, and when they find out, they’ll becoming for her—if Asher doesn’t kill her first.
As stated this is the first of what is a trilogy; however in the mean time her she has a debut novel coming out next month which is totally different to Touched. In a way “IF I LIE” has somewhat a similar theme to “Touched” where a girl keeps a secret at great cost to herself. It is however a deeper book that covers the gray space between truth and perception.
About “If I Lie” (taken from Amazon):
Cheater. Traitor. Slut.
Quinn’s done the unthinkable: she kissed a guy who is not Carey, her boyfriend. And she got caught. Shunned by everyone she knows, Quinn loses her friends, her reputation, and her identity. Because Carey’s not just any guy—he’s a Marine who’s serving overseas, and beloved by everyone in their small, military town. But Quinn didn’t cheat. She could clear her name, but that would mean revealing secrets she’s vowed to keep—secrets that aren’t hers to share. So she stays silent, and waits for Carey to come home.
Then Carey goes MIA, and Quinn must decide how far she’ll go to protect her boyfriend…and her promise.
As one reviewer put it… “If I Lie” is easily one of the better written contemporary debuts I’ve come across this year, if not the best. It is powerful, thought-provoking, and is beautifully written. While it touches upon a variety of subjects and something or the other is constantly happening throughout the novel, at its core, it is a character-driven story like no other. I guess if I had to, I’d describe If I Lie as a cross between The Scarlet Letter and Speechless, but really, it is a novel that manages to hold its head high and stand all on its own, for although it covers a similar subject matter, it also covers so much more. It is a novel not only about bearing burdens, facing a cold shoulder of shame, torn families, friendship, and the army; it is also a story about hope and perseverance and the ability to find strength and courage even in the darkest of times.
With two different styles yet the same creative talent, I can well see the name of Corrine Jackson being on many YA readers book shelves.
So listen now and share an interesting, and entertaining show as I chat with my special guest today on A Book and a Chat with Corrine Jackson
Barry
Direct link to the show A Book and a Chat with Corrine Jackson
or you can download the mp3 file of the show from “Corrine Jackson”
You can find out more about my guest at: “Corrine Jackson – If I Lie”
Barry Eva (Storyheart)
My Blogs:
Book Information and Things UK Including my Olympic Blog – Across the Pond
Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests – A Book and a Chat
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A Book and a Chat with Kim Purcell

My guest on today’s “A Book and a Chat” was due to be on the show a couple of weeks ago when I was unfortunately suck, so as I always try and do I added an extra show to have Kim Purcell back as my guest today.
Kim started out on the road to becoming a writer in fifth grade when her teacher Mrs. Aalto picked Kim for an enrichment class, in which the very proud Kim wrote her first book “The Mystery of the Poison Ivy”. While it was not a brilliant novel it did open the door to Kim’s imagination.
Her life after that first taste of literature followed numerous paths in many countries, with writing in some form and various languages being part of her life, being teaching, broadcasting or writing.
Kim’s love of teaching foreign students and basically chatting to people from around the world lead her to hear the story of Svetlana, a legal immigrant from Uzbekistan.  We also heard during the show about Kim’s investigation trip to Moldova and what she experiences there.
Svetlana’s story, Kim’s experience and her own imagination have produced her fascinating YA novel called “TRAFFICKED”.
About TRAFFICKED: (taken from “wherethewriterscometowrite” blog) When Hannah, a teenager from Moldova, is offered what seems to be the chance of a lifetime- the chance to go and work in America as a nanny, getting a huge wage every week and being able to study night classes and eventually become a doctor, she takes the plunge; after all, there’s nothing keeping her in her home country, not since her parents died.
But, though her employee’s seem nice at first, soon a much more dark side comes through and nothing is as it seemed. She’s threatened with a terrible life and no future at all…
Now Hannah must fight for everything she holds dear, the most important thing threatened? Her life.
While the story of Hanah is fictional the problem, as we’ve learned in the pas from authors such as Kathi Macias, is very real with over two million people are victims of human trafficking every year.
The story has strong themes filled with reality including some sexual scenes, but it should be read, these are real goings on in your own neighborhood.
It is a book I highly recommend.
So listen now and share an interesting, and entertaining show as I chat with my special guest today on A Book and a Chat with Kim Purcell
Barry
Direct link to the show A Book and a Chat with Kim Purcell
or you can download the mp3 file of the show from “Kim Purcell”
You can find out more about my guest and their books at: “Kim Purcell – TRAFFICKED”
Barry Eva (Storyheart)STARTING JUNE 4th I AM ON MY VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR. PLEASE STOP BY AND FIND OUT MORE ABOUT ME AND MY NEW BOOK
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A Book and a Chat with Amy Fellner Dominy

 

My guest on today’s one hour “A Book and a Chat” is another member of the “Class of 2K11” the group of debut authors whose books are released in 2011.

Amy Fellner Dominy debut novel “OyMG” has come from a literary background, from those early days of short stories, and like many of the authors she speaks to, she still has many of those early efforts still on her book shelf, or hidden away to be produced into a masterpiece at a later date.

Her love of the written word lead her to career as advertising copywriter, until Amy went back to school and in 2004 she got her MFA in 2004 with an emphasis in playwriting.

Amy’s plays have been staged across the country and she’s published in both children’s plays and short stories. “OyMG” is her first teen novel, though not her last.

Amy grew up in an area of Phoenix where the only other Jewish kids in school were her brothers and sisters. She tells the story how when she was fourteen, she was fired from a babysitting job when the family found out that she was Jewish.
It was something she had never experienced before, such hate like that. At the time it made her wary, and there was a temptation to hide the part of herself you think someone might not like.

The question is how much of yourself would you be willing to hide? From that question came the creative juices behind OyMG.

About “OyMG”

Jewish girl. Christian camp. Holy moly!

Ellie Taylor loves nothing better than a good argument. So when she gets accepted to the Christian Society Speech and Performing Arts summer camp, she’s sure that if she wins the final tournament, it’ll be her ticket to a scholarship to the best speech school in the country. Unfortunately, the competition at CSSPA is hot-literally. His name is Devon and, whether she likes it or not, being near him makes her sizzle. Luckily she’s confident enough to take on the challenge-until she begins to suspect that the private scholarship’s benefactor has negative feelings toward Jews. Will hiding her true identity and heritage be worth a shot at her dream?

Debut author Amy Fellner Dominy mixes sweet romance, surprising secrets, and even some matzo ball soup to cook up a funny yet heartfelt story about an outspoken girl who must learn to speak out for herself. (from The Story Siren blog)

The book has humor, a great story and a moral; many reviewers have told Amy how it helps them understand how other people’s lives can be affected by religion. The book is sprinkled with pieces of Yiddis, Tuchus (your behind) Schlep (carry) Kvetch (to whine and complain) Nosh (to snack).

As in: “Quit your kvetching, move your tuchus and schlep in these grocery bags or you’ll get nothing to nosh”

Amy’s wish for the book is that it will help the reader realize we’re all different in our own ways. And that’s it’s okay to speak up and speak out–to be ourselves. It’s always easy to find people to tell you that you’re “less than” but we should all listen to our own voices. We should celebrate our uniqueness, not hide it.

With her second book coming out next year I am sure we will hear a lot more of Amy Fellner Dominy.

So listen to an interesting and hugely entertaining show as I spend sixty minutes sharing “A Book and a Chat with Amy Fellner Dominy“.

Barry

Direct link to the show
“A Book and a Chat with Amy Fellner Dominy”

or you can download the mp3 file of the show from
“Amy Fellner Dominy”

You can find out more about my guest and their books at:
“Amy Fellner Dominy – OyMG”

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK – Across the Pond

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A Book and a Chat with Melissa Crandall

 

A fellow Connecticut author and I’m glad to say friend Melissa Crandall is my special guest on today’s “A Book and a Chat”.

Melissa is one of those great people who started writing little stories as soo9n as they could hold a crayon, and as she shared to us, her father recently came across one of her early stories about a dog and a fox, written in pencil with drawings… obviously into self publishing even then.

From those early days Melissa went on to write several different items, her credits include Star Trek novels “Ice Trap” (written in collaboration as L.A. Graf) and “Shell Game,” Quantum Leap novel “Search and Rescue,” and “Earth 2.” She is a contributor to Amoskeag: The Journal of Southern New Hampshire University, The Geranium Farm Cookbook, 5.5BW – Poems and Stories, and Serve It Forth: Cooking with Anne McCaffrey. Her articles have appeared in Animal Watch – the magazine of the ASPCA, NEWN Magazine, Strides – the magazine of the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association, and various newspapers.

Her first book “Darling Wendy and Other Stories” a set of spellbinding stories that which liked a sketched character cover the light, dark and many of the colors in between. One reviewer described it as… “An artful look into the seamy underside of Neverland, the price of eternal youth and the incompatibility of two alien worlds. The “alliance” at the end is indeed surprising and, I must admit, satisfying.”

Now Melissa’s latest YA novel “Weathercock” has charged onto the blogosphere, finding a place on numerous bookshelf’s.

About “Weathercock”:

Weathercock. The name evokes flames and chaos, and a mythic hero who will one day change the world. Young Kinner – betrayed by those he loves and sentenced to die – knows only one thing: in a world where women hold all the power and men are nothing but property, heroes are hard to come by.

Determined to find a life on his own terms, he flees execution only to discover he knows nothing about survival. Used to relying on others, he dreams of rescue. Instead of the Weathercock, what he gets is Rai and Bayna, mercenary soldiers on the run from the determined (and increasingly psychotic) Commander Remeg.

The last thing they need is to play nursemaid to a half-grown whelp, but a madwoman’s dark secret soon ties their fates. For a while, things actually go their way until further treachery casts a dark wing over the travelers. Alone once more, Kinner must discover within the bravery and skill to save not only himself, but also his friends.
And what of Weathercock? Can someone who doesn’t even exist appear when Kinner needs him most?

As one reviewer wrote…

Weathercock made me laugh, cry, and kept me on the edge of my seat! My whole family read it! Each of us agreed on one thing, we want MORE! Excellent book!

Well that person wish looks like coming to fruition, as her previous planned work “Call of Blood” seems to have hit a bit of a bumpy road, so she is now, as we heard, starting to create the follow up to Weathercock.

What more can you say about this great book? I’ll let another author/reviewer answer that question…

Melissa Crandall has written a rousing adventure with a unique twist: What…if women were the dominant gender and men were smaller and weaker and considered only good for household chores and procreation? And what…if some people wanted to change that? Crandall has peopled her story with sympathetic and believable characters, and her skill at developing these characters and making them “breathe” is superlative. Even minor characters are developed with uncommon care, and each comes alive on the page. In addition, Crandall’s pacing is taut and nearly flawless. This novel is a page-turner! The climax was both surprising and satisfying, and it was delivered with the precision and flare of a gifted writer. –Jim Mastro, author, The Talisman of Elam

So listen to an interesting and hugely entertaining show as I spend thirty minutes sharing “A Book and a Chat with Melissa Crandall“.

Barry

Direct link to the show
“A Book and a Chat with Melissa Crandall”

or you can download the mp3 file of the show from
“Melissa Crandall”

You can find out more about my guest and their books at:
“Melissa Crandall – Weathercock”

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK – Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests – A Book and a Chat

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MYM A Book and a Chat with Daniel Waters

 

Week two of Male YA Author Month (MYM) kicks off with author of “Generation Dead” series “Daniel Waters”.

Born with a crayon in his hand, a young comic book creator, Daniel shared how he got the epiphany regarding writing when the weekly homework of putting the weekly spelling words into sentences, suddenly formed the puzzle of the story in his mind. so he wrote a story. The teacher and his class mates thought that was pretty cool, and it soon became almost a monthly serial, which even had the class bully asking what was going to happen next rather than his normal bully tactics.

From that early start Daniel commented how his work developed from comic strip entries to his first novel launched in 2008 “Generation Dead”. During the show we heard how the idea for Generation Dead, came to Daniel while channel surfing in a hotel. A news magazine program about violence in schools, where basically kids were engaging in random acts of violence just so they could be filmed and the clips put on YouTube.

After going through the thoughts of a almost series book about school life, Daniel hit on the wonderful Zombie inspired format of Generation Dead.

The first book of the series was soon followed by “Kiss of Life” and then this year “Passing Strange”. While there are more stories left in the “Generation Dead” locker, Daniel shared he’s going to have a break from his Zombie friends, who even have their own blog, which has more hits than his own.

About Generation Dead:

Generation Dead is a young adult supernatural romance novel. It follows a girl named Phoebe and her best friends, Margi and Adam. It follows a story in which the country is baffled by a strange phenomenon of dead teenagers not staying dead. Some of them die, and suddenly start walking around again a couple hours later. Phoebe finds herself attracted to Tommy Williams, one of the “living impaired” teens at Oakvale High School. Oakvale High has attracted several living impaired kids from throughout the country because of the larger ratio of living impaired kids to living kids…

As Daniel shared all the characters seem to have their own fans, he even heard from readers who were dressing up as some of the characters for Halloween.

So sit back and enjoy today’s Male YA Author “A Book and a Chat with Daniel Waters“, after all as Daniel says… “YA fiction is the new Rock and Roll“

Barry

Direct link to the show
“A Book and a Chat with Daniel Waters”

or you can download the mp3 file of the show from
“Daniel Waters”

You can find out more about my guest and their books at:
“Daniel Waters – Generation Dead”

MALE YA AUTHOR MONTH GUESTS

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Across-the-Pond

Nov 9th Daniel Waters – Author of “Generation Dead” series - Tues 6:30pm EST

Nov 10th David Macinnis Gill – Author of “Black Hole Sun” and ” Soul Enchilada” – Wed 6:30pm EST

Nov 11th William Kostakis – Author of “Loathing Lola” – Thur 6:30pm EST

Nov 13th R.A.Nelson – Author of “Teach Me”, “Breath My Name” and “Days of Little Texas” – Sat 11:00am EST

Nov 15th Jon Skovron – Author of “Struts & Frets” and “Misfit (2011)” – Mon 6:30pm EST

Nov 16th Barry Lyga – Author of “Fan Boy and Goth Girl”, “Boy Toy”, “Hero Type” etc… – Tues 6:30pm EST

Nov 17th James – Author of “Book Chic” blog – Wed 6:30pm EST

Nov 18th Shaun David Hutchinson – Author of “The Death Day Letter” – Thur 6:30pm EST

Nov 20th Scott Westerfeld – Author of “Uglies”, “Pretties”, “Special”, and “Extras” - Sat 11:00am EST

Nov 23rd Steve Brezenoff – Author of ” The Absolute Value of -1″, “Alley of Shadows” etc… – Tues 6:30pm EST

Nov 24th Alex – Author of “Alex reads books” blog – Wed 6:30pm EST

Nov 25th Estevan Vega – Author of “The Sacred Sin” and “Arson” – Thur 6:30pm EST

Nov 27th Allan Frewin Jones – Author of “The Faerie Path” and “The Warrior Princess” series – Sat 11:00am EST

Nov 30th Alan Gratz – Author of “Something Wicked”, “Something Rotten”, “The Brooklyn Nine” etc… – Tues 6:30pm EST

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK – Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests – A Book and a Chat

Funny, Weird Or Just Interesting News From Around the World – Laugh I Thought My Trousers Would Never dry

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MYM A Book and a Chat with Jay Asher

 

Today’s Male YA Author requested by the bloggers to appear on my “A Book and a Chat” during this special month of shows is Jay Asher, author of the hugely popular novel “Th1rteen R3asons Why“.

JAY has worked at an independent bookstore, an outlet bookstore, a chain bookstore, and two public libraries. He hopes, someday, to work for a used bookstore.

Writing has always been part of his life that and playing the guitar, his first book he wrote during a Children’s Lit Appreciation class was a picture book called “Stop, Easter Bunny! You Forgot Something”. The book never sold, but with Jay and his wife expecting their first baby, he is once more looking at picture books, and with a title like that it could well be back on the market.

As a debut YA author Jay was part of the “Class of 2k7” the first of the debut YA authors groups that have helped many great YA authors on their debut year plenty of whom have appeared on my show.

His debut novel “Thirteen Reason Why” was started to be written in late 2003 making its appearance in 2007. The book won several awards along the way to publication, and it was interesting to hear how it even went to a “publisher auction, before being picked up by Razorbill/Penguin.

About Thirteen Reasons Why:

It’s about a high school junior, Clay Jensen, who comes home and finds a package on his doorstep. Inside are seven audiotapes, their sides labeled one through thirteen. He finds a tape player, pops in the first tape, presses play, and out comes the voice of Hannah Baker…his classmate and crush who, two weeks earlier, committed suicide. Each side of each tape tells a story about a different person at their school who, Hannah feels, led to her decision. And since Clay received the tapes, he’s one of the reasons why.

Jay shared how he originally got the idea after taking an audio tour at a museum several years ago, and I felt that would make for a fascinating way to format a novel: someone’s recorded voice leading another person on a journey through their town.

He wrote the book in two separate parts after struggling to write in two voices. Firstly creating Hannah tape messages, then after a break, writing Clay’s responses and thoughts and what he heard on the tapes.

One of the things that many have picked up on, indeed there are actually pages of them on the internet are quotes from Hannah’s tapes, rather “Quotes from Jay Asher”
During the show Jay explained how some of the better known ones are used not just in the book but the phrase “Everything… affects everything” is one he used when signing books. One of my own favorite is “in the end… everything matters”

Jay went on to give us an incite into his next book which is nearly finished and should be out towards the end of next year.

So sit back and enjoy today’s Male YA Author “A Book and a Chat with Jay Asher“.

Barry

Direct link to the show
“A Book and a Chat with Jay Asher”

or you can download the mp3 file of the show from
“Jay Asher”

You can find out more about my guest and their books at:
“Jay Asher – Thirteen Reasons Why”

MALE YA AUTHOR MONTH GUESTS

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Across-the-Pond

Nov 4th Andrew Auseon – Author of “Freak Magnet”, “Funny Little Monkey” etc… – Tues 6:30pm EST

Nov 6th Jay Asher – Author of “Th1rteen R3asons Why” – Sat 11:00am EST

Nov 9th Daniel Waters – Author of “Generation Dead” series - Tues 6:30pm EST

Nov 10th David Macinnis Gill – Author of “Black Hole Sun” and ” Soul Enchilada” – Wed 6:30pm EST

Nov 11th William Kostakis – Author of “Loathing Lola” – Thur 6:30pm EST

Nov 13th R.A.Nelson – Author of “Teach Me”, “Breath My Name” and “Days of Little Texas” – Sat 11:00am EST

Nov 15th Jon Skovron – Author of “Struts & Frets” and “Misfit (2011)” – Mon 6:30pm EST

Nov 16th Barry Lyga – Author of “Fan Boy and Goth Girl”, “Boy Toy”, “Hero Type” etc… – Tues 6:30pm EST

Nov 17th James – Author of “Book Chic” blog – Wed 6:30pm EST

Nov 18th Shaun David Hutchinson – Author of “The Death Day Letter” – Thur 6:30pm EST

Nov 20th Scott Westerfeld – Author of “Uglies”, “Pretties”, “Special”, and “Extras” - Sat 11:00am EST

Nov 23rd Steve Brezenoff – Author of ” The Absolute Value of -1″, “Alley of Shadows” etc… – Tues 6:30pm EST

Nov 24th Alex – Author of “Alex reads books” blog – Wed 6:30pm EST

Nov 25th Estevan Vega – Author of “The Sacred Sin” and “Arson” – Thur 6:30pm EST

Nov 27th Allan Frewin Jones – Author of “The Faerie Path” and “The Warrior Princess” series – Sat 11:00am EST

Nov 30th Alan Gratz – Author of “Something Wicked”, “Something Rotten”, “The Brooklyn Nine” etc… – Tues 6:30pm EST

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK – Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests – A Book and a Chat

Funny, Weird Or Just Interesting News From Around the World – Laugh I Thought My Trousers Would Never dry

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