Today’s Male YA Author requested by the bloggers to appear on my “A Book and a Chat” during this special month of shows is Jay Asher, author of the hugely popular novel "Th1rteen R3asons Why". JAY has worked at an independent bookstore, an outlet bookstore, a chain bookstore, and two public libraries. He hopes, someday, to work for a used bookstore.
Writing has always been part of his life that and playing the guitar, his first book he wrote during a Children’s Lit Appreciation class was a picture book called “Stop, Easter Bunny! You Forgot Something”. The book never sold, but with Jay and his wife expecting their first baby, he is once more looking at picture books, and with a title like that it could well be back on the market.
As a debut YA author Jay was part of the “Class of 2k7” the first of the debut YA authors groups that have helped many great YA authors on their debut year plenty of whom have appeared on my show.
His debut novel “Thirteen Reason Why” was started to be written in late 2003 making its appearance in 2007. The book won several awards along the way to publication, and it was interesting to hear how it even went to a “publisher auction, before being picked up by Razorbill/Penguin.
About Thirteen Reasons Why:
It's about a high school junior, Clay Jensen, who comes home and finds a package on his doorstep. Inside are seven audiotapes, their sides labeled one through thirteen. He finds a tape player, pops in the first tape, presses play, and out comes the voice of Hannah Baker...his classmate and crush who, two weeks earlier, committed suicide. Each side of each tape tells a story about a different person at their school who, Hannah feels, led to her decision. And since Clay received the tapes, he's one of the reasons why.
Jay shared how he originally got the idea after taking an audio tour at a museum several years ago, and I felt that would make for a fascinating way to format a novel: someone's recorded voice leading another person on a journey through their town.
He wrote the book in two separate parts after struggling to write in two voices. Firstly creating Hannah tape messages, then after a break, writing Clay’s responses and thoughts and what he heard on the tapes.
One of the things that many have picked up on, indeed there are actually pages of them on the internet are quotes from Hannah’s tapes, rather “Quotes from Jay Asher”
During the show Jay explained how some of the better known ones are used not just in the book but the phrase “Everything... affects everything” is one he used when signing books. One of my own favorite is “in the end… everything matters”
Jay went on to give us an incite into his next book which is nearly finished and should be out towards the end of next year.
So sit back and enjoy today's Male YA Author "A Book and a Chat with Jay Asher".
Barry
Direct link to the show
"A Book and a Chat with Jay Asher"
or you can download the mp3 file of the show from
"Jay Asher"
You can find out more about my guest and their books at:
"Jay Asher - Thirteen Reasons Why"
MALE YA AUTHOR MONTH GUESTS
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Across-the-Pond
Nov 4th Andrew Auseon - Author of "Freak Magnet", "Funny Little Monkey" etc… - Tues 6:30pm EST
Nov 6th Jay Asher - Author of "Th1rteen R3asons Why" - Sat 11:00am EST
Nov 9th Daniel Waters - Author of "Generation Dead" series - Tues 6:30pm EST
Nov 10th David Macinnis Gill - Author of "Black Hole Sun" and " Soul Enchilada" - Wed 6:30pm EST
Nov 11th William Kostakis - Author of "Loathing Lola" - Thur 6:30pm EST
Nov 13th R.A.Nelson - Author of "Teach Me", "Breath My Name" and "Days of Little Texas" - Sat 11:00am EST
Nov 15th Jon Skovron - Author of "Struts & Frets" and "Misfit (2011)" - Mon 6:30pm EST
Nov 16th Barry Lyga - Author of "Fan Boy and Goth Girl", "Boy Toy", "Hero Type" etc… - Tues 6:30pm EST
Nov 17th James - Author of "Book Chic" blog - Wed 6:30pm EST
Nov 18th Shaun David Hutchinson - Author of "The Death Day Letter" - Thur 6:30pm EST
Nov 20th Scott Westerfeld - Author of "Uglies", "Pretties", "Special", and "Extras" - Sat 11:00am EST
Nov 23rd Steve Brezenoff - Author of " The Absolute Value of -1", "Alley of Shadows" etc… - Tues 6:30pm EST
Nov 24th Alex - Author of "Alex reads books" blog - Wed 6:30pm EST
Nov 25th Estevan Vega - Author of "The Sacred Sin" and "Arson" - Thur 6:30pm EST
Nov 27th Allan Frewin Jones - Author of "The Faerie Path" and "The Warrior Princess" series - Sat 11:00am EST
Nov 30th Alan Gratz - Author of "Something Wicked", "Something Rotten", "The Brooklyn Nine" etc… - Tues 6:30pm EST
Barry Eva (Storyheart)
My Blogs:
Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond
Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests - A Book and a Chat
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