Rapunzel Roundup Pictures

Link Love

As much as we like you to pay for your books, I feel like I should mention that James Dashner (who we love here at TKE) is giving away copies of The 13th Reality on his blog! For those who don’t win, we’ve got plenty of signed copies in stock, plus some free posters!

Sara Zarr, who we also love, does a nice round-up of local authors and their news, proving our contention that Salt Lake is the place to be if you like authors!

Author Update | Sara Zarr

Can I just say how much I love my job? Where else would I get to spend an uproarious two hours with Ken Jennings one night and then discuss friendship and the traumas of high school (not to mention my valiant efforts to recreate a book cover via sugar cookies) with Sara Zarr the next? Nowhere, that’s where.

That’s right folks; Sara Zarr was in the house (ok, I solemnly promise never to use that phrase again, but you have to admit that with our bookstore it’s quite literally true) with her new book Sweethearts.

I probably don’t have to tell you, but I love this book. Sara is a fantastic writer  (her first YA novel, Story of a Girl, was a National Book Award finalist) who just keeps on getting better. She’s also a really fun speaker — she filled us in on the writing process, the editing process, where she gets her ideas, and the perils of being an acclaimed author (such as having to travel to and from Park City for an interview during a blizzard).

I took pictures (hurrah for finally fulfilling one of my many New Year’s resolutions! pictures from every event!) but now I can’t find the little black cord that gets them off the camera and onto my computer. So, for now, you’ll just have to head over to Sara’s site to see my amazing cookies (freehand!) and some great shots of the fun!

Interview | Sara Zarr

In anticipation of her reading/signing/party this Friday, February 1st, at 7 p.m. for her second novel, Sweethearts, we asked local author Sara Zarr to answer a few questions. And, as she’s a lovely person with a lot to say, she said yes! So here it is, a sneak preview that should whet your appetite for next Friday.

TKE: Your novels are all about the real word–no unicorns, elves, or magic here! Can you tell us a little bit about why that is?

Sara Zarr: You know, I loved fantasy when I was a young reader, and sometimes still enjoy it, but the things that intrigue me as a writer are the little deaths and resurrections of everyday life more than the sweeping epics. So often I feel like I barely understand the world around me and how to navigate relationships–I can’t even begin to think about creating and understanding a whole new world!

TKE: What was the best part of writing Sweethearts? What was the hardest?

SZ: I might still be too close to the process to come up with “best,” but “hardest” is easy! While I did most of the revisions, my first novel was out and getting really positive response. I became convinced that my second book would be a giant failure and disappointment, and almost called my agent half a dozen times to beg him to pull the plug on my contract. It was a classic case of “second book psychosis.” (Which I hope doesn’t turn into “third book thrombosis.”)

TKE: What should we be looking for next?

SZ: I’ve got an essay in an anthology on body image that’s coming out this fall (it’s called “Does This Book Make Me Look Fat?”), and I’m working on another YA novel for Little, Brown that should be out sometime in later 2009 or thereabouts.

Sara Zarr’s first novel, Story of a Girl, was a 2007 National Book Award finalist. She lives in Salt Lake and will be at The King’s English Bookshop on Friday February 1st at 7 p.m. for her second novel, Sweethearts.

The Line-Up

Next year is going to be, in the words of one of my favorite tv shows, “freakin’ sweet!” We’ve got incredible authors coming, and then some more incredible ones we’re waiting to have confirmed. For example, in January you’ll get to see:

• Jana Richman
• Jessica Day George
• Lanna Nakone
• Nikos Linardakis
• Ken Jennings

And then in February, we’ve got

• Sara Zarr
• Shannon Hale
• Chris Bohjalian

And that’s just the first two months of 2008!