Authors are ROCKSTARS!

Hey everyone. This is a hard post to write. After we produced this episode, Allison and I decided that it was time for us to hang up our mics. Now that we live on opposite ends of the West Coast, it has just become a challenge to put these podcasts together. We have had SO much fun doing this, but we don't want to provide you with an interview that is subpar. What can I say? We're perfectionists.

We've both got a lot going on outside of the podcast-- our families, for one thing, but also our careers. I'd be honored if you kept up with my voiceover adventures on my Facebook page. Allison is keeping her plate full as the manager for YALSA's YA lit blog, The Hub. And, of course, you can always find us on Twitter at @IHeartYourBook and @alli_librarian. We really appreciate you listening to us over the years, and would love to keep those connections going.

And although we're hanging up our mics right now, neither of us have been willing to say it's forever, so you never know when we might pop up again with a surprise author interview or some other project. We're keeping the door open.

So, today we say goodbye for now via this post and share with you a final episode with the fabulous Ann Stampler, author of Where It Began and Afterparty.

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Thank you everyone - our engineer Marc, authors, publishers, publicists and most of all, our listeners, for making the past few years a fabulous adventure. We have loved every minute of it.

Thanksgiving has just passed, and this month on Authors are ROCKSTARS!, we were thankful for an awesome interview with New York Times bestselling author, Sarah J. Maas! If you're a regular listener, you know we love fantasy here on the podcast, and Sarah's books are just our cup of tea.

Visit Sarah's website to keep up with this amazing author, and be sure to stop by her publisher, Bloomsbury.

Extra special shout out this month to our awesome editor Marc who had his work cut out for him due to some Skype issues. :) You rock, Marc!

Rev up your DeLoreans, listeners, because it's time travel month here on Authors are ROCKSTARS! We've got a terrific interview for you with Tamara Ireland Stone, author of Time Between Us and its recently released sequel, Time After Time.

We talked to Tamara about musical influences, time travel theories, and her next project now that her fantastic time travel romance duology has come to an end. We had so much fun chatting with her-- we know you're going to love this interview.

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

To keep up with Tamara, stop by her website, and check out her publisher, Disney Hyperion!

Also, we're pleased to offer a fabulous giveaway this month: an ARC of Emerald Green, the exciting finale to the Ruby Red trilogy by Kerstin Gier. It's Michelle's book pick of the month, and we're offering it to you. Just comment and tell us your preferred method of time travel from any work of fiction-- DeLoreans, the TARDIS, a time turner... the possibilities are endless and we want to hear about it. Please note: this contest is open to US residents only. Please leave your email or Twitter handle with your comment so we can contact the lucky winner. Deadline for entries is Friday, October 18. 

EDIT: We have received some complaints about spam due to commenting with contact information. So we're including a Google Doc Form here for you to enter and extending the deadline to October 25th.

FORM CLOSED! Winner is Alyssa Susanna! Congratulations and thank you to all the participants. Glad you liked the Google Form better. :)

It's been a busy year around here at Authors are ROCKSTARS! While Michelle was preparing for a big cross-state move earlier this year, Allison had the pleasure of interviewing Unremembered author Jessica Brody via Skype.

We talked about her journey as a writer, moments in her life that she'd like to "unremember," and of course... the karaoke question.

Visit Jessica's website to learn more about Unremembered and her other books, and stop by her publisher, Macmillan. 

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 reviews are always welcome!

We're rounding out the ALA 2013 series of Librarians are ROCKSTARS! podcasts with an interview with the fabulous Gwenda Bond, author of Blackwood.

Together with Steve from Circulating Ideas, Allison got to hang out with Gwenda in a quiet corner of the ALA Annual conference in Chicago. Gwenda chatted with us about her thoughts on using social media as an author, why she enjoys writing for the YA audience, and what she read as a teen... (spoilers: we have a pretty in-depth discussion about Christopher Pike!).

Visit Gwenda's website to find out about her upcoming book, The Woken Gods and visit Steve at Circulating Ideas for tons of awesome librarian interviews.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!

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!