Podcast appearances and mentions of Sara Zarr

Join Mary Kole and Sara Zarr as they talk about the complex realities surrounding publishing and becoming a career author within a rapidly shifting young adult and middle grade marketplace. Sara Zarr brings insight and personal experiences to surviving the sudden and drastic changes within the YA marketplace, such as the popularization of certain YA genres and how that affects YA authors who specialize outside of those genres.Website: http://www.sarazarr.com/Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/sarazarrbooksGood Story Company: If you have a story in your head, we're here to help you get it out into the world. We help writers of all skill sets, all genres, and all categories, at all stages of the writing process. Need a hand with brainstorming? Want to find a critique partner? Looking for an editor to help polish up your pitch, your idea, or your entire manuscript? We have all of it and more in our community. If you're ready to take the next step (or the first step) on your writing journey, we're here to help you.Website: https://www.goodstorycompany.comMembership: https://www.goodstorycompany.com/membershipWriting Workshop: https://www.storymastermind.com Mary Kole: Former literary agent Mary Kole founded Good Story Company as an educational, editorial, and community resource for writers. She provides consulting and developmental editing services to writers of all categories and genres, working on children's book projects from picture book to young adult, and all kinds of trade market literature, including fantasy, sci-fi, romance, and memoir. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing and has worked at Chronicle Books, the Andrea Brown Literary Agency, and Movable Type Management. She has been blogging at Kidlit.com since 2009. Her book, Writing Irresistible Kidlit, a writing reference guide for middle grade and young adult writers, is available from Writer's Digest Books.Manuscript Submission Blueprint: https://bit.ly/kolesubCrafting Dynamic Characters Online Course: https://bit.ly/writingcharacterWriting Irresistible Kidlit: http://bit.ly/kolekidlit Follow us on social:YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/goodstoryTwitter: https://twitter.com/goodstorycoInstagram: https://instagram.com/goodstorycompanyFacebook: https://facebook.com/goodstoryco

In the third episode in the Comebacks, Pivots, and Reinventions series, my longtime friend and one-time (?) collaborator Tara Altebrando talks to me about her multiple pivots over a couple of decades as a working writer, and the driving forces behind those choices. Currently, she's working in scripted audio as the creator and writer of the Dream Breachers podcast at Pinna Audio and the President of Listen Like Thieves Productions. Get the show notes / newsletter Dream Breachers Thanks to Dave Connis for the theme music! www.sarazarr.com

In the second episode in the Comebacks, Pivots, and Reinventions series, Malinda Lo and I talk about her huge year with Last Night at the Telegraph Club and what it has meant for her writing and life. But is it really a “comeback” if she never went away in the first place? Also we talk about her brand new book, A Scatter of Light. Get the show notes / newsletter Get A Scatter of Light Thanks to Dave Connis for the theme music! www.sarazarr.com

When author Faith Gardner grew frustrated with the slowly grinding gears of traditional publishing and wanted to spread her wings a bit, she took matters into her own hands. This is the first episode of this fall's Comebacks, Pivots, and Reinventions series! Get the show notes / newsletter Get the This Creative Life book Thanks to Dave Connis for the theme music!

I'm so happy to be back with one my favorite contemporary novelists, Michelle Huneven. I love the compassion, humor, and reality in how she renders life and relationships. She's got a brand new book out, Search, which we talk about along with her other books, her background, and process—including the 20-year circuitous journey to the publication of her first novel, Round Rock. I hope you enjoy the episode and, if you're not already a fan, go explore her catalog. Get the show notes / newsletter Theme music by Dave Connis Support the pod via PayPal or ko-fi Get the This Creative Life book

Award-winning YA author (and podcast host!) Sara Zarr joins me to talk about the joys and challenges of crafting a sustainable writerly life.  She has practical and inspirational insights for newbies and mid-career authors alike in her new book, This Creative Life: A Handbook for Writers, from the myth of "genius", to best practices for getting feedback, to the realities of dealing with procrastination and burnout -- and we discuss all of it. We also chat about her brand-new middle grade novel, bonus Pirates, dead eyes, Harry Styles and MORE! Check out the show notes for links (and a special surprise for listeners!): https://www.jenniferlaughran.com/literaticast   

Jo Knowles is one of my favorite book people, and she has a new one out this week. That inspired me to pull her 2013 episode up from the archives, where it's been under lock and key for awhile. Jo writes for and about almost all ages on the young reader spectrum, from picture book (Ear Worm) to YA (Read Between the Lines) to Middle Grade (See You at Harry's). Her latest, Meant to Be, sounds like it has a lot in common with A Song Called Home. Which doesn't surprise me a bit—Jo and I have always been interested in similar themes and settings in our work. Check out her work if you don't know it, and enjoy this trip back in time! Selected Show Notes Jo Knowles online Jo and other guests at the TCL Bookshop shop NEW! thiscreative.life Theme music by Dave Connis

Aisha Saeed joins us to discuss Omar Rising (Nancy Paulsen Books, Feb. 1). Kirkus calls this companion to her New York Times-bestselling middle-grade debut Amal Unbound “a powerful tale about a preteen pushing back against systemic injustice” (starred review). Then our editors join with their reading recommendations for the week, with books by Sara Zarr, Ian O'Connor, and Sarah Moss.

I'm so excited to kick off 2022 with my conversation with Preeti Chhibber, a multitalented lady with just the energy we need to help take us into a new year. Preeti is an author, podcaster, speaker, and all-around badass who has published multiple IP projects as well as her original work. In this episode, we talk about how she got started in IP and what it takes to succeed in that world, managing a many-tentacled freelance career, and the risks and rewards of stating what you want to the world. Theme music by Dave Connis. This podcast is ad-free. Find out how to support it here. Thank you!

Writer, podcaster, radio host, and VJ emeritus Dave Holmes joins me to talk about his long and winding road to writing his wonderful 2016 memoir, Party of One, his writing at Esquire, and how it all connects to his current podcast project, Waiting for Impact. We talk ADHD, burnout, the longing to be understood, and the obsessions that drive us. And a whole lot more.  Waiting for Impact Party of One: A Memoir in 21 Songs Dave at Esquire Homophilia Theme music by Dave Connis. This podcast is ad-free and free-free. Find out how to support it here. Thank you!

From CPAC 2021, Tim Van Horn is joined by Students For Life regional manager Sara Zarr! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In March, 2020, I spoke with author Brandy Colbert about her work and writing process. Her nonfiction book, Black Birds in the Sky: The Story and Legacy of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, is now available for pre-order. Brandy Colbert Support the Podcast  

Mentioned in this episode:The Boys Start the War by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor (Be sure to check out the other titles in this series as well!)Heidi by Johanna SpyriThe Penderwicks by Jeanne BirdsallOne Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-GarciaGone Crazy in Alabama by Rita Williams-GarciaThe Marvelous Mirza Girls by Sheba KarimRoller Girl by Victoria JamiesonFirekeeper's Daughter by Angeline BoulleyRoomies by Sara Zarr and Tara AltebrandoThe Disenchantments by Nina LacourBlackout by John RoccoThe Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together by Heather McGheeFreedom Summer by Deborah Wiles; Illustrated by Jerome LagarrigueOur Books for Children and Young Adults:Flying Lessons & Other Stories Edited by Ellen Oh- Kelly's short story in this middle grade anthology is “The Beans and Rice Chronicles of Isaiah Dunn.”Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero by Kelly J. BaptistThe Electric Slide and Kai by Kelly J. Baptist; Illustrated by Darnell JohnsonSee You in the Cosmos by Jack ChengJumped In by Patrick Flores-ScottAmerican Road Trip by Patrick Flores-ScottThe Griffins of Castle Cary by Heather ShumakerFind us online:Kelly J. Baptist: kellyiswrite.comJack Cheng: jackcheng.comPatrick Flores-Scott: patrickfloresscott.comHeather Shumaker: heathershumaker.comEmail us hello@booksmitten.usProduced by Josie Schneider and Corey SchneiderMusic by Duck Duck Chicken

Return guest Sara Zarr already gave us her full bio the last time she was on the show, so here's a few more facts beyond being an author and killer podcast host: She's a friend of Bryan, an adult child of alcoholics, and a semi-ex evangelical. She understands the issues with codependent thinking, which gives her an excellent perspective on how the church actually encourages codependency with its followers. We talk about what codependency actually is, how to develop healthy boundaries with God, church, and Bryan, and the ways in which the institutions enforce codependency through policy.Resources:sarazarr.comListen: This Creative LifeTwitter: @sarazarrbooksFacebook: facebook.com/sarazarrbooksInstagram: instagram.com/sarazarrbooksRead: "Codependency for Dummies"Until We Get Canceled is a Crate Original from Crate Media

First Draft Episode #301: Sara Zarr Podcast chat! A conversation with Sara Zarr, National Book Award finalist author of eight novels for young adults, most recently Goodbye from Nowhere, about her creative writing podcast, This Creative Life. Listeners can get two audiobooks for the price of one at Libro.fm when you use promo code FirstDraftPod at checkout! Links to Topics Mentioned In This Episode: Hear Sara’s first First Draft interview here. Hear Sarah on This Creative Life here. I also outlined all the equipment I use for podcasting in this TechCrunch article, “How I Podcast.” Terry Gross, host of NPR’s Fresh Air podcast Marc Maron, host of the WTF podcast Pete Holmes, host of the You Made it Weird podcast Nina LaCour, author of We Are Okay, winner of the 2018 Printz Award, and other contemporary YA titles like Everything Leads to You and Hold Still, . Hear her episodes of First Draft here and here. LibSyn, the podcast hosting service Patreon Sara is no longer using SubStack to distribute her podcast, which she discusses in this episode of This Creative Life: “Substack and Failure.” Sara’s book Courageous Creativity: Advice and Encouragement for the Creative Life GarageBand Best Self Co. Six-Month Journal Acuity Scheduling Doodle Krista Tippett, host of the On Being podcast Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert Audacity Shure microphones Adobe Audition Zoom H2N Zoom H6N AirTable  

Dave Connis is not only the legendary composer of the theme music for this very podcast, but also an author in his own right, with two YA novels out and a picture book on the way. The emotional theme music of this episode is honesty. Dave and I get into matters of art and faith, how a sudden loss changed his writing life and drive, and how not to be a Slughorn in a business where various relational challenges can be baked in. We also, of course, talk about the practical matters of writing, such as: writing with a full-time job and several (at least) children, prioritizing when you’re a person with a lot of ideas, and the freedom in knowing your limitations. And we wouldn’t be two Christians (or in my case, Christian-ish) if we didn’t mention the enneagram. Selected show notes: Dave online, books and music and newsletter Atlas Obscura Makoto Fujimura Ye Olde Bookshop shoppe This podcast is hosted, produced, and edited—for better or worse—by me, Sara Zarr

Sara Zarr is a prolific author, a national book awards finalist (which Bryan isn't bitter about *at all*), and the host of This Creative Life. We talk about why the range for Gen-X is whack, growing up as part of the Jesus movement in the 70s in California, getting exposed to modern evangelicalism, the tendency for cults of personality to manifest in churches, the deep sense of loss when you leave a community (even for good reasons), the phenomenon of feeling like the Holy Spirit is communicating with you, the relationship between Sara's faith and her writing, and our spicy takes on Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, and “Love, Actually.”P.S. Don't Tweet on pain meds, nurse's orders.Resources:www.sarazarr.comListen: This Creative LifeTwitter: @sarazarrbooksFacebook: facebook.com/sarazarrbooksInstagram: instagram.com/sarazarrbooksMFA in Creative Writing | Seattle Pacific UniversityUntil We Get Canceled is a Crate Original from Crate Media

It's the third annual Fully Booked Holiday Gift Guide Extravaganza! Simon Doonan (How To Be Yourself: Life-Changing Advice From a Reckless Contrarian) and Kevin Young (ed. African American Poetry: 250 Years of Struggle & Song) join editor-in-chief Tom Beer and host Megan Labrise for a little holiday cheer. And our editors present their top gift picks, with books by Dav Pilkey, Sara Zarr, Jimmy Page, Tom Morello, and Claire Saffitz. And in a sponsored interview, Megan talks with Karen Schneemann and Lily Williams, authors of Go With the Flow (First Second).

Jill creates a playlist for Jill and Mandy from Sara Zarr's How to Save a Life and talks a bit about adoption.Contact Us: circulation@hamnerlibrary.orgFeatured Resource: Curbside ServiceOther Resources:AdoptionBusiness Insider: How Much It Costs to Have a BabyU.S. News and World Report: What Adoption CostsVirginia Department of Social ServicesJill's Playlist"I Grieve" written by Peter Gabriel"The Lonely" written by Christina Perri and David Hodges"Start Over Again" written by Gregg Ryan Christopher and Stevens ChristopherMandy's Playlist"Fight Song" written by Dave Bassett and Rachel Platten"It's Not Over Yet" written by Ben Glover, Joel Smallbone, Kyle Rictor, Luke Smallbone, and Ted Tjornhom"Speechless" written by Alan Menken, Justin Paul, and Benj Pasek

In this loose and chatty episode, Katie Cotugno and I pour a drink and talk about our April 7 book releases into a world in which everything is canceled. Given that we have no uncanceled book events, we take some time to talk both process and content of Rules for Being a Girl (co-written by Katie with Candace Bushnell) and Goodbye from Nowhere (by your host, Sara Zarr).    We dig into the fictional appeal of inappropriate relationships, what we're reading now, and how we're getting through it all. We both talk fast and a lot and without much filtering so if that's the type of thing you like, you're welcome! If it's the type of thing you hate, we're sorry!   In support of independent booksellers, Katie and I encourage anyone inclined to buy our books (or any books) to do so in a way that supports our beloved indies. Some handy links to that end: Books mentioned in this and other episodes of this podcast at Bookshop.org Rules for Being a Girl audiobook at Libro.fm Goodbye from Nowhere audiobook at Libro.fm You can also get in touch with your specific local indie directly to find out how best to support them as well as how to get ebooks through their storefronts.   If book-buying is not in your budget, check out the best app in the world, Libby, to see about getting our ebooks and audiobooks through your public library even while it's closed.

Warm welcome to our new listeners, and welcome back long-time listeners.  Here's the link to join our free self-guided accountability group for the month of April: https://www.facebook.com/groups/88cupsofteaselfguidedaccountabilityapril2020/ If you'd love a chance to be one of the voices in the 30-consecutive days of recording for our collective stories throughout this time, head over here to submit: https://88cupsoftea.typeform.com/to/DB2voV  Head over to https://www.instagram.com/88cupsoftea/ to watch Sara Zarr's Instagram takeover filled with exciting behind-the-scenes footage of her writing life! --------------------------------------- Are you curious about how to lean into the slower periods and making the most out of that time? How about learning more about publishing deadlines and how to best ask for an extension? Or strategies to help you move closer to your writing goals? We talk about it all and more with Sara Zarr. Sarah is the acclaimed young adult author of Gem & Dixie, The Lucy Variations, Story of a Girl, and her upcoming novel Goodbye from Nowhere. She’s a National Book Award finalist and two-time Utah Book Award winner. Her novels have been variously named to annual best books lists of the American Library Association, Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, the Guardian, the New York Public Library, and the Los Angeles Public Library and have been translated into many languages. She is a MacDowell Colony Fellow and has served as a judge for the National Book Awards. Sara and I kick off our conversation discussing her emotional and courageous journey to becoming a full-time author and the importance of creating a life that supports your writing. She drops some real-talk on how to financially support yourself and your writing career and how to sustain it long-term. We then dive into the importance of community and a support system to lean on as your career evolves. Further in, we chat about publishing deadlines and how to best make use of the low times during the publishing process to grow other projects or work other jobs to bring in more income. She shares her experience shifting publishers and editors for her book Gem & Dixie and how she stopped herself from going down the bitterness and resentfulness path and chose a gratitude mindset instead. We talk about how important it is to not compare yourself to others on social media and ration your social media use. And later, we chat about her upcoming YA novel Goodbye from Nowhere and her first nonfiction novel Courageous Creativity. She shares the invaluable tip of removing expiration dates you’ve put on your writing goals. And we wrap up our conversation discussing her writing process and the steps that help get her writing flowing.  Please say 'Hi' to Sara on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/sarazarrbooks/ Head over to Sara's shownotes page at  https://88cupsoftea.com/sara-zarr to download her writing prompt and to find the resources and books mentioned in her episode, tweetable quotes, and the timestamps of highlights throughout the entire conversation. 

Kelly and Eric talk about YA book-writing duos then highlight some of the fall titles that are falling under the radar — but shouldn’t. This episode is sponsored by Book Riot’s Mystery Giveaway, Libro.fm, and Penguin Random House Audio’s Frankly In Love by David Yoon. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher. To get even more YA news and recommendations, sign up for our What’s Up in YA newsletter! SHOW NOTES Spell Hacker by M.K. England The Disasters by M.K. England Rules for Vanishing by Kate Alice Marshall David Levithan’s books Unpregnant by Jenni Hendriks and Ted Caplan Roomies by Sara Zarr and Tara Altebrando Dear Haiti, Love Alaine by Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite Watch Us Rise by Renee Watson and Ellen Hagen Zenith by Sasha Alsberg and Lindsay Cummings Yes No Maybe So by Aisha Saeed and Becky Albertalli Illuminae by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman When You Get the Chance by Tom Ryan and Robin Stevenson The Light at the Bottom of the World by London Shah The Liars of Mariposa Island by Jennifer Matthieu The Library of Lost Things by Laura Taylor Namey The Boy and Girl Who Broke The World by Amy Reed When the Stars Lead to You by Ronni Davis Orpheus Girl by Brynne Rebele-Henry Full Disclosure by Camryn Garrett

Kelly and Eric talk about YA books that’d make great picks for college freshman to prepare for their school lives, then scream about their huge fall YA TBR lists. This episode is sponsored by Book Riot’s Mystery Giveaway, Have A Little Faith In Me by Sonia Hartl, and Crown of Coral and Pearl by Mara Rutheford. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher. To get even more YA news and recommendations, sign up for our What’s Up in YA newsletter! SHOW NOTES Rebel Girls by Elizabeth Keenan Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt SSR Podcast Jackpot by Nic Stone American Panda by Gloria Chao We Are Okay by Nina LaCour Roomies by Sara Zarr and Tara Altebrando The Revolution of Birdie Randolph by Brandy Colbert Finding Felicity by Stacy Kade Wrecked by Maria Padian The Magicians by Lev Grossman Final Draft by Riley Redgate Quiet by Susan Cain “Why YA Needs More Quitters” The Stars and The Blackness Between Them by Junauda Petrus How to Be Remy Cameron by Julian Winters The Grace Year by Kim Liggett Verify by Joelle Charbonneau Rules for Vanishing by Kate Alice Marshall Into the Crooked Place by Alexandra Christo Who Put This Song On? By Morgan Parker Tarnished Are the Stars by Rosiee Thor Timekeeper by Tara Sim Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them All by Laura Ruby The Good Luck Girls by Charlotte Nicole Davis Wild Life: Dispatches From A Childhood of Baboons and Button Downs by Keena Roberts I Hope You Get This Message by Farah Naz Rishi Our Wayward Fate by Gloria Chao

From 2010: The just published "Once Was Lost," confirms Sara Zarr’s talents as an inventive storyteller of consistent and lasting talent. And this is a very different story than her first two; forget about this writer taking the easy, familiar path. This is Sara Zarr’s third appearance on Mr. Media Radio, making her the first guest to return so many times.

Writer Sara Zarr had an experience last night that any author would kill for – sitting in the audience at the Marriott Marquis Times Square in Manhattan, her first novel, "Story of a Girl," a finalist for the 2007 National Book Award for young people’s literature. For a first-time fiction author, such a nomination is remarkable, and it would be fun for both of us to tell you that she won, but it wasn’t meant to be, not this time around.

If you’ve ever thought about writing novels, you might want to think about envying YA novelist Sara Zarr’s career. Her first, best-selling, young adult title, Story of a Girl, was a finalist for the 2007 National Book Awards. Book two, just released this month, is Sweethearts. It has earned glowing reviews and -- even better -- excellent sales. I interviewed Sara a couple months ago, the morning after the 2007 National Book Awards. She was a delightful guest, even in the face of disappointment.

Eric and Kelly talk good books about mental illness, dream author duos and the books they’d create, and wrap up the show highlighting some of their summer TBR titles. Sponsored by Neanderthal Opens the Door To The Universe by Preston Norton and Monday’s Note Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson, presented by Epic Reads. Hey YA is available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play, and right here on Book Riot. Show Notes: Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli Mirage by Somiya Daud Photographic: The Life of Graciela Iturbide by Isabel Quintero and Zeke Pena I Stop Somewhere by TE Carter "Twitter 10 years ago" search Don't Call Me Crazy: 33 Voices Start The Conversation About Mental Health edited by Kelly Jensen The Memory of Light by Francisco X Stork The First Time She Drowned by Kerry Kletter Crazy by Amy Reed My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga Queens of Geek by Jen Wilde The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness This Impossible Light by Lily Myers A World Without You by Beth Revis When Reason Breaks by Cindy L. Rodriguez Highly Illogical Behavior by John Corey Whaley Something Like Normal by Trish Doller Life Inside My Mind edited by Jessica Burkhart What If It's Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera Burn for Burn (trilogy) by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian Roomies by Sara Zarr and Tara Altebrando My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, Jodi Meadows Tell Me No Lies by Adele Griffin Here To Stay by Sara Farizan Contagion by Erin Bowman Our Stories Our Voices: 21 YA Authors Get Real About Injustice, Empowerment, and Growing Up Female in America edited by Amy Reed. Hullmetal Girls by Emily Skruskie Jack of Hearts and Other Parts by Lev AC Rosen The Unfortunates by Kim Liggett Give Me Your Hand by Megan Abbott  

Stephanie Sabol, Executive Director, Brand Management at Penguin Young Readers, talks about The Penguin Hotline, and writer friends share their most recommended books.  Stephanie Sabol and Book Recommendation Episode Stephanie Sabol The Penguin Hotline Who is Bruce Springsteen? by Stephanie Sabol The Who Was? series Where is the Solar System? What Was the Titanic? Jeff Kinney Jane, Unlimited by Kristin Cashore The Graceling series by Kristin Cashore Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas Turtles All the Way Down by John Green Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher Alex and Eliza by Melissa de la Cruz Once and for All by Sarah Dessen The One Memory of Flora Banks by Emily Barr Warcross by Marie Lu (listen to her First Draft episodes here and here) Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson American Street by Ibi Zoboi I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sánchez Here We Are: Feminism For the Real World edited by Kelly Jensen Suspect by Robert Crais Vanguard (Genesis Fleet book #1) by Jack Campbell Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor Akata Warrior by Nnedi Okorafor Looking for Alaska by John Green The Fault in Our Stars by John Green Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett World Without End by Ken Follett  A Column of Fire by Ken Follett Grant by Ron Chernow Do Not Become Alarmed by Maile Meloy Hallelujah Anyway by Annie Lamott Bird by Bird by Annie Lamott Vanishing New York: How a Great City Lost Its Soul by Jeremiah Moss Vanishing New York, the blog by Jeremiah Moss Atlas Obscura: An Explorer's Guide to the World's Hidden Wonders by Joshua Foer, Ella Morton, Dylan Thuras Los Angeles, Portrait of a City Highbrow, Lowbrow, Brilliant, Despicable: Fifty Years of New York Magazine by The Editors of New York Magazine The Education of Margot Sánchez by Lilliam Rivera (listen to her First Draft interview here) Piecing Me Together by Renée Watson (listen to her First Draft episode here) Done Dirt Cheap by Sarah Nicole Lemon (listen to her First Draft episode here) Valley Girls by Sarah Nicole Lemon A Crown of Wishes by Roshani Chokshi Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones (listen to her First Draft interview here)  White Trash: The 400-Year Untold History of Class in America by Nancy Isenberg Gray Wolf Island by Tracey Neithercott On the Jellicoe Road by Melina Marcheta These Vicious Masks by Tarun Shanker and Kelly Zekas Allegedly by Tiffany Jackson How to Break a Boy by Laurie Devore Winner Take All by Laurie Devore Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers (listen to her First Draft interview here) Song of the Current by Sarah Tolcser Light Years by Emily Ziff Griffin (listen to her First Draft interview here)  Sun in Days by Meghan O'Rourke The Dark Dark: Stories by Samantha Hunt Women Who Run with the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estés Piper Perish by Kayla Cagan (listen to her First Draft interview here) Marlena by Julie Buntin Gem & Dixie by Sara Zarr (listen to her First Draft interview here) The Turner House by Angela Flournoy Insecure (TV show) Mirage by Somaiya Daud (listen to her First Draft interview here) Seven Brief Lessons on Physics by Carlo Rovelli Die for Me by Amy Plum (listen to her First Draft interview here) The Power by Naomi Alderman Pierre François: 5th Grade Mishaps by Laurie Ann Stephens A Song to Take the World Apart by Zan Romanoff (listen to her First Draft interview here) Grace and the Fever by Zan Romanoff Ship It by Britta Lundin Ten by Gretchen McNeil (listen to her First Draft interview here) I’m Not Your Manic Pixie Dream Girl by Gretchen McNeil  #MURDERTRENDING by Gretchen McNeil The Hearts We Sold by Emily Lloyd-Jones The Way You Make Me Feel by Maurene Goo (listen to her First Draft interviews here and here) I Believe in a Thing Called Love by Maurene Goo All the Wind in the World by Samantha Mabry (listen to her First Draft interview here) Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado

Anna-Marie McLemore, author of THE WEIGHT OF FEATHERS, which was a finalist for the William C. Morris Debut Award, and WHEN THE MOON WAS OURS, which was long-listed for the National Book Award in Young People’s Literature and was a Stonewall Honor Book. This month, Anna-Marie released her newest novel WILD BEAUTY.  She talks about funerals as a place to reinforce collective memories, waiting for that glowing laptop to let you know it’s time to write a novel, and writing a gender nonconforming stud.   Anna-Marie McLemore Show Notes Dhonielle Clayton (listen to her First Draft episode here or read the transcript here) We Need Diverse Books Taylor Martindale Kean (literary agent) Sara Zarr (listen to her First Draft interview here or read the transcript here) Written in the Stars by Aisha Saeed Samantha Mabry (listen to her First Draft interview here) Saundra Mitchell ALL OUT edited by Saundra Mitchell Sherman Alexie Sona Charaipotra (listen to her First Draft interview here or read the transcript) "A classic is a book that doesn't have to be written again." - W. E. B. du Bois All the Rage by Courtney Summers Courtney Summers (hear her First Draft interview here or read the transcript here)

Today’s episode features David Dark talking about “attention collections” at the 2016 Festival of Faith & Writing. Attention collections are memories, fears, even playful obsessions - anything that has left a deep impression on us. David encourages writers to examine these things in service of the question: What do I have in me that may be of use to someone else? David is the author of several books including The Gospel According to America and, most recently, Life’s Too Short to Pretend You’re Not Religious. And he teaches at both Belmont University and the Tennessee Prison for Women Charles Bass Correctional Facility. Sara Zarr was at the session in 2016 and joins me here to discuss why she appreciates David’s own collection of attention. Sara is the author of five novels for young adults, most recently The Lucy Variation. Her first book, Story of a Girl, was a National Book Award finalist and was recently made into a TV movie starring Kevin Bacon. Many thanks to David Dark. You can learn more about him at daviddark.org, and catch him on Twitter, @DavidDark, where he regularly comments on politics, pop culture, #liturgy. Thanks also to Sara Zarr. You can learn more about her at sarazarr.com. She’s also on Twitter, @sarazarrbooks.

Ophira Eisenberg, Bil Dwyer, Tom Bell and Holly Burn join host, Dave Holmes for vigilante justice stories, truly awful Doctor Who-inspired music, and first world problem-solving. Ophira Eisenberg wants to plug Ask Me Another on NPR and recommends Swing Time by Zadie Smith. Bil Dwyer wants to plug The Lying Bell and recommends Witchsy.com. Tom Bell wants to plug the fact that he and David Bowie have the same birthday and recommends The Groundhog Day Musical. Holly Burn wants to plug @HollyBurnComedy and recommends Brian Gitton's comedy . And finally, Dave Holmes is on Twitter @DaveHolmes and hosts his live quiz show, The Friday Forty at LA’s Meltdown Theatre on the second Friday of every month. Dave would like to recommend Gem and Dixie by Sara Zarr. You can let us know what you think of International Waters and suggest guests through our Facebook group or on Twitter. Written by John-Luke Roberts and Riley Silverman, recorded at MaxFunHQ in LA and GuiltFreePost in London, produced by Jennifer Marmor, Christian Dueñas, and Laura Swisher.

Listen to YA superstar Sara Zarr (whose newest novel, GEM & DIXIE, is out now!) talk about the first time she encountered “smart” as an epithet, getting career advice from Chris Crutcher, and very nearly giving up on writing altogether.   Sara Zarr Show Notes This Creative Life, Sara’s podcast series Ring of Endless Light by Madeleine L'Engle Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien Beverly Cleary Marilyn Sachs The Pushcart War by Jean Merrill Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl Lord of the Flies by William Golding The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier A Separate Peace by John Knowles Judy Blume   We Need Diverse Books internship program     Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson Chris Crutcher National Book Award The Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature The Absolutely True Story of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie Catalyst by Laurie Halse Anderson Imposter Syndrome This Creative Life with Scott Derrickson   This Creative Life with Gayle Forman This Creative Life with Sarah Dessen Kevin Bacon (actor) A Simple Plan (movie) Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson   My LATFoB panel YALLWEST BookCon!

Today's Guest: Novelist James Dashner, author of The Maze Runner trilogy of young adults fiction.     Order 'The Maze Runner' by James Dashner from Amazon.com by clicking on the book cover above! Recommendations are worth what you pay for them, so I don’t always accept them at face value. But the same literary agent who turned me on to young adult novelist Sara Zarr two years ago thought I’d also enjoy James Dashner’s new YA book, The Maze Runner, enough that he sent me a copy without first asking. And Michael—who, in the interests of full disclosure, represents all three of us—even though there is hardly a bit of similarity between the work of these two authors, you read me pretty well so feel free to recommend something else. JAMES DASHNER audio excerpt: "The words in The Maze Runner are never used exactly as replacements for swear words. Their main intent was to give their dialogue a futuristic flavor and that they've been isolated and developed some words on their own."  You can LISTEN to this interview with JAMES DASHNER, writer of THE MAZE RUNNER, by clicking the audio player above! Young adult novelist James Dashner Order 'The Scorch Trials' (Maze Runner, Book 2) by James Dashner, available from Amazon.com by clicking on the book cover above! The Maze Runner is the kind of book that teens and youthful readers of all ages in search of an appropriate follow-up to the adventures of Harry Potter will no doubt enjoy. It takes place in a fantastical, impossible place, develops a language of its own, and features characters you will instantly love—and hate. (Sorry, Gally.) This is the first book in a trilogy from Dashner, who you may already know as author of the 13th Reality series. James Dashner Website • Twitter • Facebook • Order The Maze Runner from Amazon.com   "Mean Business: How I Save Bad Companies and Make Good Companies Great" by Albert J. Dunlap with Bob Andelman, available in print, e-book or digital audio. Order your copy now by clicking on the book cover above!   The Party Authority in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland!  

We have Paula Weston author of The Rephaim series on the podcast. Plus we chat book hangovers, manicures and more.Books mentioned:May releases:Steal My Sunshine by Emily GaleThe Lucy Variations by Sara ZarrGolden by Jessi KirbyThe Book of Broken Hearts by Sarah OcklerThe Fifth Wave by Rick YanceyWild Awake by Hilary T. SmithPick of the month:Haze (The Rephaim book 2) by Paula Weston(cover note: wow May is orange and purple!)Currently reading:We were all between books!Mandee: Just finished Wildlife by Fiona WoodReynje: About to start Steal My Sunshine by Emily GaleTrin: Just reread Shadows by Paula Weston and is awaiting HazeListener question of the month:What was the last book to give you a hangover?Listen NowLinks: Find out more about The Rephaim series on Paula's Website See Mandee's amazing nails on her blog The Bookish Manicurist 

SHOW NOTES- The author and host talk about novels, a crisis of faith and family and what Christian teens are looking for in publishing.    Listening time approximately 34 minutes  HOW TO LISTEN OR SUBSCRIBE The Inspirations/Generations podcast and the Creative Christian podcast are recorded three times a month. To listen to the podcast press the purple button. To subscribe to the podcast in iTunes press the Subscribe to this podcast in iTunes button. If you would like to see a list of the podcasts that have been recorded and read about the hosts please visit the host bios web page on the Godsword.net website. These podcasts can also be found and listened to from the God's Word Facebook fans page. A player has been added to this blog on the right column as well as on the main God's Word website. Sponsored by God's Word Collectibles http://www.godsword.net Give God's Word as a gift, collect God's Word in your heart!