Teen Thursday

Did you go to the Austin Teen Book Festival last year? There were panels about beasts and romance, there were light saber fights and smoke machines, there were YA fanatics and nachos- needless to say it was awesome! And judging by the authors announced thus far for the 2013 Austin Teen Book Festival, this year is going to rock. Check out who we have confirmed:

Keynote Speaker – MAGGIE STIEFVATER
WE LOVE MAGGIE! And are so excited to hear her speak this year. Maggie Stiefvater is the bestselling author of Shiver (which is amazing- if you haven’t read it, you must!), as well as The Raven Boys series and The Scorpio Races. For each author our Teen Press Corps came up with some interview questions, here are some highlights.

“If you had to choose one of your characters to be stuck on an island with you, who would you choose and why?
Corr, the tamest of the water horses from The Scorpio Races. Because he swims. And then we would no longer be stuck on an island.”

Closing Note Speaker – HOLLY BLACK
You undoubtedly know Holly Black from the Spiderwick Chronicles and with good reason, her most recent book Doll Bones made a huge splash, and we’re all looking forward to The Coldest Girl in Coldtown.
“Name three people you would have attend your dream dinner party – living or deceased.
My dream dinner party is William Butler Yeats who is going to talk to me about poetry, faerie folklore, the Order of the Golden Dawn and the various ladies he’s in love with; Terri Windling, because she is kind and wise and a fabulous writer and editor who I don’t see nearly enough of; and Oscar Wilde because I know he’d be fascinating and I’m sure he would enliven the whole thing with his bon mots.”

Lunch Speaker – SARAH DESSEN
If you’ve read Sarah Dessen’s books she has probably melted your heart a time or two. Sarah is the author of That Summer, Someone Like You, What Happened to Good-bye, and out in early July- The Moon and More.
“What is your favorite romantic movie?
How to even pick just one? Oh, dear, the PRESSURE. I do love Bridget Jones’s Diary: I could watch that over and over. Also Say Anything. Nothing has ever captured the angst of finding and then losing love in high school like the story of Lloyd Dobler. I get emotional with that boombox scene EVERY TIME.”

Lunch Speaker – ROB THOMAS
Rob Thomas is the creator and executive producer of Veronica Mars, as well as the author of Rats Saw God.
“You played in bands when you were younger. What is one of your best memories?
I started a band with five high school friends and none of knew how to play an instrument when we began. An early great memory was the first time I can remember, after weeks of practicing, like for eight hours a day together in my parents’ garage, when our version of the Clash’s “Should I Stay or Should I Go” sounded recognizable. We were in a groove. It wasn’t much, but it made me feel strangely legit. I’m happy to say that the final show I played in the band was a great one. I knew it would be our last, and we opened for Uncle Tupelo in Houston. As is typical when you’re the opening act, people linger away from the stage, and they’re sort of waiting impatiently for the band they paid to see, but that final night, we managed to win over the crowd. By the end of the night, they were pressed up front and clapping enthusiastically, dancing. It was a nice night to go out on.”

And last but definitely not least is the first of our panel authors to be announced.

PJ HOOVER
PJ Hoover is a staple in the Texas YA community. She has a brand new book coming this summer that we’re all looking forward to- Solstice!
“What song encompasses Solstice?
That would be Don’t Fear the Reaper by Blue Oyster Cult. Why? Because (1) The song is awesome; (2) Death, reapers, Underworld…they all go together; and (3) Because I saw them in concert in 1986 and they rocked the house!”

Join us Sat, Sept 28, 2013 for a day of FREE YA madness at the Austin Convention Center. There will be author signings, panel discussions, and plenty of other YA fanatics to hang with. As an Official Sponsor and the Exclusive Bookseller of the fest, we will  be sharing all ATBF updates along the way.  Be sure to check the Austin Teen Book Festival site for festival info.