First Draft with Sarah Enni

Take a champagne break as I chat with Megan Shepherd, author of A COLD LEGACY, the final installment of THE MADMAN’S DAUGHTER series, about the magic of Asheville, Jack versus Sawyer, and the allure of historical fantasy over mimosas!

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'ALLFest

Tiger Beat

Y'ALLWest

Psuedonymous Bosch

Jeffrey Wright (actor)

Eudora Welty

William Wordsworth, Clark Coolidge

Ron Howard (actor/director)

Zork: Nemesis, Zork: Grand Inquisitor (video games)

Melissa de la Cruz

Kami Garcia

THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE C.S. Lewis

THE DARK IS RISING by Susan Cooper

Diana Wynne Jones

Apocalypse (video game)

Gayle Forman

CHILDHOOD'S END by Arthur C. Clarke

Marie Lu

Ned Vizzini (his obituary)

Cassandra Clare

Fracesca Lia Block

HARRY BOSCH series by Michael Conneley

Holly Black

Carrie Ryan

Melissa Marr

Kelley Armstrong

Romantic Times

Jonathan Sanchez, Blue Bicycle Books

Kwame Alexander

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 geniu

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

Alessandra Balzer at Balzer + Bray

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.

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 Tumblr

THE DISREPUTABLE HISTORY OF FRANK LANDAU BANKS by E Lockhart

Tavi from Rookie

Welcome to Nightvale

I CAPTURE THE CASTLE by Dodie Smith

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.

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

Ming Doyle, illustrator for Cynthia's graphic novels

Deborah Noyse at Candlewick press (editor)

SANTA KNOWS illustrated by Steve Bjorkman (edited by Mark McVeigh at Dutton)

HOLLER LOUDLY

TWILIGHT

Joss Whedon

FERAL PRIDE

Sara Zarr

Ellen Oh's post on Cynsations

FROM THE MIXED-UP FILES OF MRS. BASIL E. FRANKWEILER by E.L. Konigsburg

Judy Blume

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

Ming Doyle, illustrator for Cynthia’s graphic novels

Deborah Noyse at Candlewick press (editor)

SANTA KNOWS illustrated by Steve Bjorkman (edited by Mark McVeigh at Dutton)

HOLLER LOUDLY

TWILIGHT

Joss Whedon

FERAL PRIDE

Sara Zarr 

Ellen Oh’s post on Cynsations

FROM THE MIXED-UP FILES OF MRS. BASIL E. FRANKWEILER by E.L. Konigsburg

Judy Blume

 

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)

The Domestic CEO (podcast)

Get It Done Guy's Quick Dirty Tips (podcast)

The Savvy Psychologist (podcast)

Welcome to Night Vale (podcast)

SIMS homeless blog, Alice and Kev, The Story of Being Homeless in The SIMS 3

Horton Foote

Keeping Up Appearnces (BBC sitcom)

Absolutely Fabulous

Vampire Diaries

Kevin Williamson (writer for VD)

SUPERFUDGE by Judy Blume

Stephanie Perkins

THE SHADOW GATE, Myra McEntire's middle grade series on Storybird with Molly O'Neill

Veronica Roth

CJ Redwine, Jodi Meadows, MG Buehrlen, Courtney C Stevens (hear Court's podcast interview here!)