Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Author interview: Lauren Baratz-Logsted

We've got a real treat here today because the fabulous Lauren Baratz-Logsted has come to visit!  She's here to celebrate the paperback release of her young adult novel, The Education of Bet.

We're going to find out all about the novel, all about Lauren, and all about where she gets her fabulous story ideas!  So, what are we waiting for?  Here we go:

Tell us about your most recent novel in 30 words or less.
In Victorian England, a teenage girl decides to impersonate a boy in order to get a proper education.

Where do you find inspiration for your work?
The Idea Fairy visits me a few times a year. In between visitations, I keep my eyes and ears open but never my mouth - flies might fly in.

What is the inspiration behind this novel?
The classic novel of British boarding-school life, Tom Brown's Schooldays. I wanted to write a - hopefully! - entertaining novel that would also show that the things we take for granted, like a decent education for girls, has by no means always been a given.

When did you first begin writing?
I first got excited about writing when I was 12 but I didn't do anything about it until 20 years later when, at age 32, I walked out on my day job to take a chance on myself as a writer.

What do you think readers might be surprised to know about you?
That I really am as short as I say I am.

What is your advice for those who looking to get their novel published?
Read, read, read everything you can get your hands on, and always remember: the only person who can ever really take you out of the game is you.

Congrats on the latest release!!
Thank you!!!


Thank you so much for stopping by, Lauren!  I love the advice about reading a lot if you want to write-- so often I meet people who want to write books, but they don't actually read books!  It's so important to know what's out there.

If you haven't already checked out Lauren's latest release, what are you waiting for?  You can order it now!

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Hooray for Hollywood!!

I absolutely love movies. But the thing I love more than movies? When they make my favorite books into movies!

And it's been happening a lot lately.

I'm waiting with bated breath for the movie version of Emily Giffin's Something Borrowed, the adaptation of Sara Gruen's Water for Elephants is already getting great buzz, and just today they released a trailer for the movie adapation of Kathryn Stockett's The Help, which combines a few of my favorite things-- literary scandals and Emma Stone!  Check them all out below.