Archive for the ‘Author Tidbits’ Category
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ROT & RUIN by Jonathan Maberry (a book review)
Wednesday, November 2nd, 2011
I recently met Jonathan Maberry at the Central Coast Writers’ Conference, and while I’m not a huge zombie-book-fan-type-person, Mr. Maberry’s humor was so contagious and his personality so open and friendly, I quickly suspected I’d probably enjoy just about anything the guy wrote (including Wolverine for Marvel Comics, ahem). Hence, I picked up his book ROT & RUIN.
Here’s the review. :0)
Benny Imura lives inside a fence-enclosed town in post-apocalyptic America where he semi-enjoys, semi-whines about the only life he’s known since First Night, when most of the world’s population turned zombified. As long as Benny and his friends stay within the compound (and away from anyone newly dead) they are safe from the billions of zoms free-ranging it across the great Rot and Ruin, which is fine with Benny seeing as he hates zoms more than anything. When his fifteenth birthday approaches, however, and Benny must find a job or have his food rations cut, his inability to get work forces him into the family business of zombie hunting with his Japanese, samurai, half-brother Tom, a man whom Benny believes to be a complete coward. Together, the boys take trips into the Rot and Ruin (Tom as a zom hunter, Benny as his apprentice) where they encounter zoms, zealots, and bounty hunters, the latter of which are far worse than the living dead. In this environment, Benny soon discovers just exactly what it is his brother Tom does that garners so much respect from the townsfolk, while learning what it truly means to be human.
What I liked:
- Tom Imura.
- The Lost Girl. Loved her. Loved her cave. Loved her books.
- The well crafted, well paced plot marked with characters I fully cared about and, ahem, might’ve cried for. In a zombie novel, no less.
- The whole awesome sword-wielding thing. I seriously need a samurai sword. If I had one, I’d be like, “Yeah, that’s right, look at my sweet fighting sword. I’m gonna wield it now.”
- The fact that the guy on the book cover kind of looks like Nathan Bransford as a zombie. (Am I the only person who thinks this?)
- The beautiful, seamless way in which Maberry inserts a powerful message regarding the value of human life, no matter what stage it’s at. This seems to be the underlying conviction of the novel—that the ability to be truly human is found in the heart’s intentions, specifically in one’s choices to show mercy. Tom Imura’s embodiment of this value was both fluid and extraordinary. From the first few chapters in, the message struck and kept me absorbed beyond all other plot points or personalities. Believe me when I say that the capability of pulling this off without soapboxing is the art of storytelling at its finest.
What’s the Mood Noise of the Moment? Michael Jackson’s THRILLER
Tags: book review, Central Coast Writers' Conference, Jonathan Maberry, Marvel Comics, Nathan Bransford, surviving zombies, wolverine, zombies
Posted in Author Tidbits, Book Reviews | 12 Comments »
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Authors as Children (or Let’s All Look at Ernest Hemingway in a Dress)
Wednesday, October 12th, 2011
Flavorwire put up an awesome post last week showing photos of various authors as children. And yes, there’s one of cute little Ernest Hemingway wearing a dress, and another of Agatha Christie giving us the mystery eye, and a super sweet one of Joseph Conrad looking all manly and tough. Check ’em out.
And in the spirit of photo sharing, I thought I’d let you see a photo of me as a child. Well, three photos in fact, of me at different stages in my someday-genius-author development.
My “cute” stage.
My “King of Pop” stage.
My “are you freaking kidding me?” stage. This last one seems to have lasted a long time. And that thing that looks like a bruise by my eye is actually a food stain from the poor photo being pasted on my fridge ever since my Kindergarten teacher mailed it to me on my wedding day. Cool right? Not the stain, the Kindergarten teacher. Although…the stain does make me look tougher. Kind of like Joseph Conrad. Oh, never mind. Carry on.
What’s the mood noise of the moment? The King of Pop as a kid, of course!
Tags: author photos, Author Tidbits, authors, books and authors, books and bios, Ernest Hemingway
Posted in Author Tidbits, Literary Classics | 6 Comments » -
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Braving the Wilds of a Writers’ Conference
Wednesday, September 21st, 2011
Hello, bookish explorers! Last year (as you’ll recall), I stealthily returned from the Central Coast Writers’ Conference to give you my Nine (only slightly creepy) Reasons to Attend one of these babies. Today, I take you back there, this time behind the scenes, where we will brave the wilds of the conference together. I will be your guide, taking you up close and personal for a few brief encounters with some of the more intriguing things writers do in their natural habitat.
Our first stop on the tour is the Pride. A Pride is a group of writers (also referred to as a herd), related or not, who stick together for the common goals of stalking famous authors (without appearing overtly creepy—the creepy ones use the herd to blend in), saving seats behind said authors, and making Starbucks runs in between classes. In this photo, we have a Pride of yours truly alongside mother (Susan) and sister (Kati) at breakfast.
The next place we come to is the Author Brawl. This is where authors challenge each other to strange feats of mental prowess such as word games, prose twisters, and blog visibility while the rest of us surround them chanting the biggest words we know. In this pic, we’ve got the plucky challenger, New York Times bestselling author, Jay Asher, arm wrestling Anne R. Allen. Unfortunately for Jay, Anne is winning (though just barely) by the sheer force of mind over matter and her invention of the word “Snookibooks.”
Third stop on our tour is the Watering Hole where writers converge every chance they get to eat, refresh, and seek out savage sage advice from other more experienced authors and super cool agents. Here, you can see Susan, Kristen, myself, agent savant Laurie McLean, Kati, and Jay eating all of Ms. McLean’s french fries whilst discussing the finer points of Doc Marten shoes. Don’t be misled by the tame-looking smiles. This table was a riot of awesomeness.
Last, but not least, we come to the Moment of Humility. When, just as you’re leaving this wild and slightly-terrifying land, a bird craps on your boot and Jay is there to photograph it. Well, first he and Kati laughed. Like any good friends would.
What’s the mood noise of the moment? Guns N’ Roses
Tags: agents, Anne R. Allen, authors, Central Coast Writers' Conference, Jay Asher, Laurie McLean, writer's retreat, writers conference
Posted in A bit of brag, Author Tidbits, Book Nooks | 15 Comments »
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An Exclusive Blog Interview with Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler
Tuesday, July 12th, 2011
Today, I have the huge honor of sharing with you a recent interview I did with my hilarious friend, Jay Asher (whom I introduced to you here during a discussion over whether he named his 13RW character after Hannah Montana), and the equally awesome Carolyn Mackler (whose twitter-feed I daily stalk), co-authors of “The Future of Us” (which I reviewed in last week’s post). As writers, they’re smart and straightforward. As co-writers, they border on being witty geniuses (clearly exemplified in the below conversation). This is their first ever blog interview together (hence that little word “exclusive” slipped into the title), so feel spoiled, smile and wave, and try not to pee your pants at their silliness.
As per usual, my questions and comments are in white. Their responses are in green. Enjoy!
(1) Okay, let’s knock off this first question right at the start. *Ahem.* I can’t help but notice how neither of you are ever seen in public at the same time, in the same place. Which leads one to wonder: Are you, Jay and Carolyn, in fact, the same person, just sporting some wicked-awesome disguises?
JAY: The truth isn’t nearly that interesting. I live in California and Carolyn lives in New York, so being seen together doesn’t happen much. In fact, it’s the times when we are seen together that we sport wicked-awesome disguises. For a writing conference, we (along with author Rachel Vail) dressed as Cupids.
CAROLYN: The costumes looked cute online before we bought them. But wearing them, we looked très slutty. I hid behind my shades.
Wait—are you talking about THESE costumes?!!!
Oh, they are definitely wicked-awesome! (Thanks for the photo, Jay.) In fact…I’m not sure there are enough words. Just…wow. ;o)
(2) All right. Let’s see. Um…in a previous interview with Jay, I asked him to name his favorite band, and he responded, “Harmony Alley Carjackers.” When I Googled the band, the first hit was a link to the Backstreet Boys. Do either of you want to comment on that or shall we just leave the world believing Jay is a closet BSB fan?
JAY: Did you know Backstreet Boys are going on tour with New Kids on the Block. It’s true! (Don’t read anything into that exclamation point.)
CAROLYN: I had you pegged for an *N SYNC kind of guy.
JAY: Okay, now you’re just being silly.
CAROLYN: Harmony Alley Carjackers is a name we came up with when we began writing THE FUTURE OF US. It’s an anagram of both of our names combined.
JAY: Early on, when no one knew we were writing a book together, we referred to this book as the Harmony Alley Carjackers project.
CAROLYN: That “band” even makes an appearance in a Facebook status update in our book.
JAY: And they rock!
I totally caught that status update in the book! It made me smile. ;o)
(3) Speaking of your book, what was the absolute best part of writing “The Future of Us” together?
JAY: I often had to write late at night so I could finish my section and send it to Carolyn before she woke up, so I wrote a lot of it at a 24-hour donut shop. That was probably the yummiest part of writing the book.
CAROLYN: Jay and I didn’t know each other when we began writing this book, so I was going to say that getting to know him was the best part of working together…but then he said it was donuts?
JAY: The donuts had cereal toppings! They even had a Lucky Charms donut. With the rainbow-colored marshmallows!
CAROLYN: *Ahem.*
(4) Er, moving right along… Jay, how do you think Carolyn would finish this sentence: “The two Harry Potter characters I’d most likely share my stash of dark chocolate with are…”?
JAY: Hermione and Ron. Carolyn’s a sweet person, so she probably feels bad for those two characters. The two of them went through just as much crazy stuff as their friend, yet the entire series is called Harry Potter. It’s not fair! Sure, HARRY POTTER, HERMIONE GRAINGER, RON WEASLEY AND THE SORCERER’S STONE isn’t as catchy, but at least it’s fair.
CAROLYN: That’s sweet of you, Jay. I hope I get to finish a sentence about you next.
(5) Oh, most definitely, Carolyn. Tell us, how do you think Jay would finish this sentence: “As He-Man, Master of the Universe, by the power of Greyskull, I would…”?
CAROLYN: Get a new haircut.
JAY: Did you just make fun of my hair?
CAROLYN: No, I was making fun of He-Man’s hair. It was a bowl-cut, wasn’t it?
JAY: Are you sure you weren’t making fun of my hair?
CAROLYN: No! He-Man had a very silly bowl-cut. He wasn’t balding.
JAY: *Ahem.*
(6) Heheheh… So, you’re both pretty awesome AND famous, which, in my mind, begs the question: Between the two of you, who acts more rabid fan-girlish around the other?
JAY: Seriously, just knowing that Carolyn and I are both being asked the same question makes my armpits sweat. So it’s definitely me!
CAROLYN: Gross. Anyway, I’m the one who asked to write a book with you. So it’s me!
JAY: The only reason I didn’t ask first is because it would’ve seemed crazy to think you’d even consider writing a book with me. That’s because I’m the rabid fan and you’re the rock star.
CAROLYN: Uhhhh…
JAY: So I win? No, you should argue with me some more.
(7) Good idea! In fact, let’s do some sort of author cage match fight! But first you have to answer this: Jay, if Carolyn were a superhero, which superpower would she have?
- Skin that sparkles in the sunlight and the ability to read (most) people’s minds
- Teletubbymorphosis (the ability to morph between human and Teletubby at will)
- Telekinesis combined with the ability to jump into the splits at random intervals while throwing hands in the air and yelling “SUPERSTAR!”
- Other
JAY: Teletubbymorphosis. She has two young boys now, but that power will be so useful when they become teenagers. If they ever start getting rowdy, she can say, “If you two don’t calm down right now, I’m going to turn into a Teletubby in front of all your friends!”
*snickers and begs all that is good and fabulous to see such a thing in action*
(8) And, Carolyn, if Jay were a WWE wrestler, what name would he go by?
- Jay “Klingon Master” Asher
- The Wraith Writer
- The Artist Formerly Known as Mighty Mouse
- Other
CAROLYN: Number 4. Jay likes to have inside jokes and not divulge to anyone else what makes them funny, so he’d probably love being introduced as Other, and then he wouldn’t tell them about this interview. He’d make them figure it out for themselves. And when they introduced Other, they’d be blasting Pour Some Sugar On Me.
*snickers even louder and swears we shall only refer to him as Other from now on*
Cage Match (cue Def Leppard):
In each of the following combat scenarios, which of you would emerge the victor?
1. Spork Fencing
JAY: Carolyn would win. I’d probably start by using the spoon end to lightly thwap her over and over, just trying to annoy her. Eventually, I’d wear down her tolerance and she’d give me one sharp poke with those little prongs and I would whimper away.
2. Old Lady Hurling
CAROLYN: Jay would win, but I can’t tell you why.
JAY: It’s an inside joke.
3. Polka Sing-off in the Mos Eisley Cantina on Tatooine
JAY: I don’t think we would compete in this. We’d sing a duet!
4. Interpretive Dancing
CAROLYN: Again, we wouldn’t compete. One of us would start interpretive dancing, then the other one would interpret what the other one interpreted and interpret it some more. It’s just like writing a collaborative novel.
On that collaborative novel note, what is the exact date “The Future of Us” hits the shelves?
JAY & CAROLYN: November 21st!!! And you can totally read into those exclamation points.
We’ll be looking forward to it!
Thanks to you both for the interview and laughs. You guys rock!
What’s the mood noise of the moment? Kool & The Gang: Celebration
Tags: author interviews, Book Reviews, Carolyn Mackler, Jay Asher, silly stuff, the future of us
Posted in A bit of brag, Author Tidbits | 13 Comments »
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Ghost Busting with Jay Asher
Monday, June 20th, 2011
There was definitely “something strange in the neighborhood” this weekend (cue Ghostbusters theme song). Something ghostly. Something haunting. Something that looked strikingly similar to the Weber family and Jay Asher family.
Oh wait. It WAS our families. Playing Ghostbusters.
As a kid, I used to spend long, lazy afternoons playing in this old, replicated ghost town. So when Jay had the fun idea that we all get together for an equally long and lazy afternoon to do some ghostbusting at the spooky place, I promptly said, ”I know who we’re gonna call (to obtain permission, since it’s privately owned).”
Jay, JoanMarie, and adorable little Isaiah brought lunch. It was amazing.
Not only are the Ashers cool parents, they’re also really funny. Here, JM is making a silly face for Isaiah while Korbin is making a curious face at Jay. And note the crazy deer heads.
We quickly discovered that, even without ghostbusting gear, Isaiah “ain’t afraid of no ghosts.” His real investigative interests mainly revolved around the crunchy oak leaves and trying to walk.
My girls’ main investigative interests revolved around everything, everywhere, all at once, without pause. Which is why they were too busy to join in for a quick family photo. But check out that good-looking guy I’m married to.
One of the awesome moments of the day was when Jay and JM happened to notice that (unbeknownst to me) the fabulously ragged yard-sale-find t-shirt I was wearing was in fact a Twilight / New Moon t-shirt. Um…ahem.
To top off the day, we offered to make them lattes. They offered to let us borrow this:
Obviously, we got the better deal.
What’s the mood noise of the moment? GHOSTBUSTERS!
Tags: author fun, books, family & friends, ghostbusters, Jay Asher
Posted in A bit of brag, Author Tidbits | 14 Comments » -
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A Silly Interview with Lauren DeStefano
Monday, June 6th, 2011
Meet Lauren DeStefano (pronounced de STEFF ano), author of the YA novel, Wither (which I recently reviewed here). If I didn’t like her sweet personality so much, I’d be sorely tempted to hate her for her gorgeous writing and unstoppable wit. (Seriously, people, Twitter is a funnier universe for her existence on there.) In fact, when I emailed her a note last week asking for an interview, I nearly peed myself laughing at the responses she sent forty minutes later (and, yes, this would’ve been the same time my son pasted duct tape all over his body, for those of you who read my FB post).
And from that…we have said interview. My questions are in white, her responses are in green. Enjoy. ;o)
(Photo ©2011 Ali Smith alismith.com)
(1) All right, word on the street is you’re a crazy-awesome thrift store shopper. So, picture this with me (in slow motion): You’re standing in a thrift store, happily browsing your heart out, when you and the sassy old lady across the aisle see the same blouse, at the same time, from the same distance. Do you:
- (a) fight her to the death for it
- (b) fake her out by offering a nice pot of tea, then grab the shirt and run
- (c) realize she’s not an old lady at all but actually a Next Top Model contestant in disguise, so it’s all fair game
- (d) concede because she reminds you too much of your itty-bitty grandmother
This depends on whether the sassy old lady is for sale. My garden could always use a new gnome, and it’d be great to have one that wears fancy hats and gripes about politics.
Ha! *snickers*
(2) Okay, another rumor on the street is that you’re a rabid Nintendo DS player. What is, hands-down, the best game ever?
Animal Crossing.
Nice.
(3) So, is it true that your praying mantis, Sarsaparilla, has been trained to type and feel love?
She can also sign in three languages and is a decent beta reader.
*raises eyebrow in admiration, followed by a sudden growing suspicion*
(4) Um…how do I know it’s not Sarsaparilla secretly typing the answers to these interview questions while you sleep?
How can you ever be sure a preying mantis isn’t secretly chatting with you while the person you think you’re chatting with is asleep?
Er…good point. *takes a discreet, paranoid peek behind computer*
(5) Favorite book of all time?
Um! I get asked this all the time, and I always have a different answer. I’m going to go ahead and say that anything with T.S. Eliot’s name on it would be something I’d dive into a burning building to save.
(6) Title of the last novel you read?
Gone, Gone, Gone by Hannah Moskowitz. It comes out in April 2012, so look for it! I’m not just saying this because the author has great hair.
Hmm…you had me at great hair. I’m there.
(7) Okay, we kinda have a thing for eating on this blog. It’s more of a hobby, really. So, can you tell us your top three favorite foods?
- A raw, quivering block of tofu with some soy sauce for dipping.
- Subway veggie sub with chipotle southwest dressing.
- Fears and released inhibitions.
Love it. ;o)
(8) Who do you think would win in a thumb war contest—Rhine or Gabriel (Wither)?
Gabriel would let Rhine win, but she’d have it in the bag anyway.
*gives a quiet cheer for Rhine*
(9) I love that you used to be a coffee shop barista (an occupation close to my foam-frothing heart). What’s the raddest drink you can make?
When business was slow, we used to experiment with the syrups to see what types of flavors we could replicate. I never had the skills one of my coworkers had (he could make a creamsicle latte), but I used to put raspberry syrup in the whipped cream cans. Not terribly exciting, I know; my future as a barista wasn’t bright.
As a former barista, I’m so jealous I never thought to do this. *runs to fridge for whipped cream can while ensuring my kids aren’t watching*
(10) Last question: You’re busily working on “The Chemical Garden Trilogy.” Can we ask when to start looking for the next book’s arrival?
Why yes, yes you can! But it’d be so much better to check out the fun placeholder cover and read the stats on goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11112619-fever. And then when you’re done, you can go to the Chemical Garden website and read a sneak peek of it: http://thechemicalgardenbooks.com/wither/?page_id=102.
And for more laughter via Lauren DeStefano’s awesome wittiness, you can visit her website.
What’s the mood noise of the moment? The Honey Trees
Tags: author interviews, Author Tidbits, Book Reviews, lauren destefano, wither
Posted in A bit of brag, Author Tidbits | 9 Comments »
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A Recipe for Summer Potato Salad
Monday, May 30th, 2011
Okay, so remember my recent interview with Chuck Sambuchino—the “How to Survive a Garden Gnome Attack” guy? And then, shortly after, I posted a review of Lauren DeStefano’s dystopian novel “Wither”? Well, the week following, I came across this little piece of awesomeness on Chuck’s blog—in which DeStefano does a reverse interview with her agent, Barbara Poelle.
Yeah…it’s hilarious.
And since you’re already snickering at that, you can go ahead and snicker your way on through the rest of this post, seeing as it’s about the very exuberant business of food. I’ve got my favorite-ever summer potato salad recipe for you today. Of course, as always, before you read it, you have to leave a comment telling us something. And today’s somethings are:
*ahem*
a) What is the number one absolute grossest thing you’ve ever eaten?
OR
b) What is the worst hairstyle you’ve ever had (come on, we’ve all had one…or five)?
A Recipe for Summer Potato Salad
All right, don’t hate me, but you know how I always give you recipes with actual, oh, I don’t know…MEASUREMENTS and such? Well, this isn’t that kind of recipe. This is more of an “add-a-little-extra-until-it-tastes-right” type of dish passed around the family from my grandmother. If you feel like extra pickles—add ‘em. Want more olives? Add ‘em. More creamy? Pass the mayo. I make it slightly different each time, and yet it always tastes the same (meaning—AMAZING). It’s impossible to mess up.
- Potatoes (about 6 cooked and cubed, but not peeled… lazy cooking tip: I don’t usually boil my potatoes, I cook them in the microwave)
- Red onion (chopped small)
- Bacon (6-8 slices crisped and crumbled into dime-sized pieces)
- Dill pickle (1 large OR 2 small)
- Sliced olives (about 1/3 cup)
- Mustard (about ½ Tab)
- Mayo (start with ½ cup)
- Salt & Pepper
Mix all together, tasting repeatedly for best results and blissful cooking enjoyment. My favorite way to eat this is still warm, but cold is pretty awesome as well. Enjoy!
What’s the mood noise of the moment? some local boys: Still Time
Tags: barbara poelle, books and interviews, chuck sambuchino, lauren destefano, potato salad, Reading Recipes, wither
Posted in Author Tidbits, Reading Recipes | 12 Comments »
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A Silly Interview with Chuck Sambuchino
Monday, April 25th, 2011
Meet Chuck Sambuchino, the guy everyone who’s anyone in the writing/agenting/publishing world has heard of. He’s the editor of the wildly popular “Guide to Literary Agents,” a playwright, cookie connoisseur, and the author of “How to Survive a Garden Gnome Attack,” which I reviewed here last week. Plus, he plays in a rock cover band, which is something I think we can all agree is quite cool.
Last week I begged a silly interview from him. He graciously consented and promptly made me chuckle. Hope you do too. (My comments are in white, his in green.) And if you want to know more about him, visit his “Guide to Literary Agents” blog!
Mary: Alright, so a gift basket overflowing with deliciously awesome chocolate chip cookies mysteriously appears on your doorstep. Do you immediately suspect garden gnomes or the old lady down the street who actually might be a rabid fan girl in disguise?
Chuck: Gnomes. They realize my weakness is chocolate chip cookies and often try to exploit that weakness. Gnomes cannot be trusted. They are a wily, sinister bunch of murdering murderers, and they all must be destroyed.
Mary: Agreed. Okay, let me toss out another scenario: Sinister alley. Midnight. Three garden gnomes with impressive ninja skills and a sweet ghetto blaster busting out some New Kids on the Block tunes attack you. What are your chances of survival?
Chuck: Survival rate: 100%. As a Class-1 Gnome Defense Expert, I am equipped to combat up to 20 gnomes at a time. Only three attack me, you say? Psssh. That’s cake. I don’t even need a weapon. Then, after I have vanquished those little creeps, I will do a Donnie Wahlberg-inspired NKOTB dance over their lifeless bodies. (sing song:) You got the right stuff / Baby / Love it how you turn me on…
Mary: Whoa. You kill gnomes AND know the lyrics to NKOTB??? *busts my own little dance move to ward off feelings of inferiority (unfortunately, this ends up looking very much like a one-winged butterfly flapping into oncoming traffic)* Ahem. What’s your favorite book of all time?
Chuck: If you combined all the Calvin & Hobbes books and Garfield books into one big book, THAT would be my favorite book of all time.
Mary: That would be a brilliant book! *grins* So, tell us the title of the last novel you read.
Chuck: I have been on a nonfiction tear recently, so I suppose it would have to be THE HUNGER GAMES, which I read early in 2011. My wife loved the books, so I read one to see what all the hoopla was about. The first book lived up to the hype. I have not read the other two.
Mary: Love. Those. Books. Good choice! Although, to be truly considered for the “awesome” prize on this blog (the prize being that I bake chocolate chip cookies in your honor and then eat them all) you must like food. So, what are your top three favorite foods?
Chuck: Chicken fingers. Pizza. Pasta. I drove my mom absolutely batty by not eating any foods growing up. I still have the taste buds of a five-year-old. Whenever my friends would come over during high school and scarf down everything, my mom would make the passive-aggressive comment of “Well! At least your FRIENDS like to eat!”
Mary: *snickering* And do you cook?
Chuck: Ha. My idea of cooking is how fast I can drive to Jimmy Johns. My wife cooks occasionally and she makes some delicious platters. Scrumptious, really.
Mary: Describe your wife for us in one word.
Chuck: MyRock.
Mary: Aw, that’s sweet. Okay, I just gotta ask…who would win in an American Gladiators’ contest against garden gnomes—you or your wife?
Chuck: Probably me. My wife is a tough gal, but I crush Gnomes like empty soda cans. They all must die.
Mary: Rumor has it you’re in a band. Tell us about it. What instrument do you play?
Chuck: I’m the guitarist in a Cincinnati rock cover band and I play a little piano here and there. We like playing 90s and modern rock, but have a wide repertoire of 80s and 70s to entertain any crowd. The band is just an excuse to get drunk.
Mary: *smirking* Please tell me you do some NKOTB covers…. And is there another book in the works for you? If not, you might consider writing one on how to survive a Twilight rabid-fan-girl attack. I hear they’re on the rise these days. Just a suggestion.
Chuck: I have several new books I’m cooking up and I hope to announce a sale one of these months. In the meantime, my good news as of April 2011 is that Sony formally optioned my Gnome book with Robert Zemeckis attached. I grew up on Zemeckis’s movies, such as BACK TO THE FUTURE. So needless to say, when my agent told me this news, I called her a liar and hung up the phone. That’s me. World’s classiest client.
Mary: Hahaha. Oh very nice. And congratulations. I look forward to seeing it!
Thanks for the interview.
What’s the mood noise of the moment? New Kids on the Block
Tags: author interviews, Book Reviews, Chuck Sambuchino interview, funny authors, Guide to Literary Agents, interviewing authors
Posted in A bit of brag, Author Tidbits, Book Reviews, Genre Savvy | 13 Comments » -
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The Skin Map by Stephen Lawhead
Monday, March 14th, 2011
If you haven’t heard me rave about Stephen Lawhead at some point, then we probably haven’t talked books enough. This guy is like the Gwen Stefani of the literary world—meaning he’s been around for forever and still continues to reinvent his art. And it’s always epic.
Looking for history? Inquire within. Looking for fantasy? Inquire within. Looking for sci-fi? Inquire within. Looking for the best retelling of Robin Hood ever? Yeah…you get the idea. Twenty-four books straddling the lines of both literary and commercial, and he’s still at it. And this is his latest. The Skin Map. Which I plan to read on my upcoming vacation (which will involve a lot of sitting around on a chaise lounge at the beach with food and books and cute kids).
But tell me—have you read him? If so, which book is your favorite? If not, do you want to???
And by the way, did you know the complete skin covering of the average human body measures about 20 sq. feet? Just sayin’. *nods at twitter for that juicy piece of randomness*
What’s the mood noise of the moment? No Doubt: Spiderwebs
Tags: commercial fiction, gwen stefani, literary fiction, no doubt, stephen lawhead, the skin map
Posted in Author Tidbits, Best & Worst Books, Book Trailers, Genre Savvy | 17 Comments » -
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What Books Will Become Movies?
Tuesday, March 1st, 2011
I happened across this cool post on NPR’s Monkey See blog and thought I should definitely pass it along. It’s “Your 2011 Books-Into-Films Lineup, From ‘Eyre’ To ‘Water’ To ‘Desert’!” Click on over and see what books are becoming movies this year. Totally fun stuff, right?!
Speaking of which, this seems an appropriate time to congratulate the very fun Mr. Jay Asher for his movie deal with Universal for 13 Reasons Why. If you want to know more about it, clickety-click away to his Jay Asher blogspot. And if you missed out on the silly interview I did with his hilarious self, get that here.
And what, oh what, is our mood music for the day??? Well, how about I send you to haunt the oh-my-gosh-she’s-so-rad Ms. Suzie Townsend to view the breathtaking “what if this was a movie scene” for The Hunger Games. Cuz, yeah…I’m nice to you like that. Well, mainly, cuz Ms. Townsend was nice to us like that and posted it on her “Confessions” blog. Click there to view it.
Now tell me, my lovely reading friendlies…from all of your reading adventures, which book would YOU most like to see on the big screen?
-m
Tags: 13 Reasons Why, books-to-movies, Jay Asher, next hit books, NPR's Monkey See, Suzie Townsend, the hunger games movie
Posted in Author Tidbits, Best & Worst Books, Book Trailers, Genre Savvy | 8 Comments »