Authors Like Us

This was our interview with Tom Angleberger, author of Strange Case of Origami Yoda. Many times in the past Lee and I have attempted to pull authors into a Star Wars discussion, but this time our author came willingly. There are teasers for book two, so listen carefully! http://origamiyoda.wordpress.com/

After nearly a six month absence, Authors Like Us is back. This was a podcast we did with Canadian author Helaine Becker, who had helped spearhead a book drive to bring attention to the closures of libraries in California. We chat about the state of Canadian schools, the apathy of our media and government, and what, if anything, we can do to attempt change. Sites of interest: http://www.helainebecker.com/

Before listening to this podcast, make sure you've heard the first part. Barbara is funny and smart, with a fast wit that translates from real life to her books. To learn more about her, and to read her fabulous books, check out her website: http://www.barbarahaworthattard.com/ To see the trailer she mentions that her son worked on (Jason Attard), check out this link: http://www.swtor.com/media/trailers/designing-light-side

For an author who claims not to write very often, Barbara Haworth-Attard has written a lot of books. She came to my attention first with her wonderful novel, Theories of Relativity, back in my early author days. This will also be a part one of two. Lee and I had a blast interviewing her. She is intelligent, witty and honest. Oh, wait until you hear just how honest she is! This interview is exactly what Lee and I had hoped for when we started ALU - to feel as if you were sitting down over tea (or quilting) with the author. To learn more about her, and to read her fabulous books, check out her website: http://www.barbarahaworthattard.com/ To see the trailer she mentions that her son worked on (Jason Attard), check out this link: http://www.swtor.com/media/trailers/designing-light-side

Anyone who was a teenager in the 80s grew up on the wonderful Canadian drama, Degrassi Junior High. The success of the show can be summed up by its fun cast, real teens, and its great writing. As a teen, I never thought I'd ever be so lucky as to meet one of those writers. Lee and I met up with Susin Neilsen at Oz Coffee on a warm and sunny Vancouver afternoon. We chatted about her picture books, her novels and her career as a TV writer. Her dry wit extends beyond the pages of her books and scripts, right into her in-person conversation. In the first part of the interview, we chat with Susin about her newest book - Dear George Clooney, Please Marry My Mom. While the machines at Oz were a bit loud (actually, my recorder was just more powerful than I realized) we hope the background noise will make you feel as if you were there with us. You can learn more about Susin at: http://www.susinnielsen.com/

This is how far behind we are. We recorded this episode at the end of August, meaning it to be a summer wrap-up. I suppose it still is ... though some of our "future" events are now past. Either way, it's a good snap shot into the lives of Lee Fodi and myself, James McCann, all things techie (and tardy). Guest interviewer kc dyer (www.kcdyer.com) once again takes charge, and offers a funny perspective into the life of the two authors who run Authors Like Us. I should mention, that if you listen past the closing song you will get our out takes from Pirate Camp 2010!

We could call this the "Food Episode," as much of it centres around the many dishes we love to eat. This is perfect for our guest, Kevin Sylvester, whom many of you Canucks may recall from his CBC radio days. Kevin's books, Neil Flambé and the Marco Polo Murders, and the sequel, The Aztec Abduction, are fresh stories for kids who are looking for something a little different. In this episode you'll discover some of the delectable dishes, and a narrow miss with a pulled rat sandwich, that helped inspire this new face to the Canlit scene. You can find out more about Kevin at his blog, http://kevinarts.blogspot.com/

Kari, Lee and I all go back to the early days that we were published. It's been quite exciting to be there for each other as we grew as writers, and though Kari has moved to the other side of the world (Toronto) we are still managing to keep in touch. In this episode of ALU, you get to meet Kari and hear this brilliant academic - not only as an educator, but as a child-like author. Her picture books are well worth reading, as they combine both aspects of her personality. To learn more about Kari, visit www.kariwinters.com/

This is the final podcast that we did while in New York for BEA. Britta Vorbach is an editor from Germany, Annett Stuetze is an author from Germany, Don Maass is an agent and Lisa Rector is a book editor. Of course, you will all know James McCann, Lee Fodi and kc dyer. For more info: http://www.maassagency.com/books.html http://www.thirddraftnyc.com/

In this episode, Lee Edward Fodi and James McCann speak candidly with Sarah Prineas, author of the Magic Thief series. Sarah is witty, smart and a lot of fun to interview. You can find out more about her at her website here: http://www.sarah-prineas.com/ Also, she's available for Skype school visits!