September Author Showcase: Sara B. Larson and Lori M. Lee

Within our first couple of weeks of class, we were able to have a Skype conversation with Sara B. Larson, author of Defy and the upcoming sequel, Ignite.  I left the classroom ready to take on the world. Behind her stories and books there was a reoccurring theme that if you believe in yourself, you can succeed in whatever you do. Even after she had people tell her she didn't have the ability to make it as a writer, she knew that the harder she worked the more confident she would get and that she could make it. She couldn't get anyone to invest their time and efforts with so she went to countless people to help her make it big and in return was turned down countless times. Did the thought of giving up come across her mind every once in a while? Sure. But did it stop or even slow her down? No way. Now, she has successfully published her first books and has MANY fans anticipating the sequel.  Clearly, the Skype with Sara B. Larson didn't only get me intrigued in reading and writing books, but a lesson that is of higher importance. You can succeed if you believe in yourself.  Stay tuned for ARC review of Ignite!

by Bobby W. 

Sara B. Larson Skyping with our classroom

Classroom enjoying chat with Sara

Many of the students used Twitter to thank her

Sara even tweeted at our class!

We also had the opportunity to Skype with Lori M. Lee, author of fantasy novel Gates of Threads and Stone.  This is her debut novel and we are excited about the release of her upcoming sequel The Infinite, which is scheduled to be released March 10, 2015.  It was so interesting to speak to an author who was born in Laos.  During a time when young adult literature is in need of diversity, Lee is bringing diverse characters to her readers.  Her main characters including Kai, Avan, and Reev are Asian, which makes the story even more interesting.  Lee told us about her struggles to be published and the excitement that accompanies having a larger audience read your works.  One of her critique partners is Mindee Arnett, who is the author of Avalon and the soon-to-be released Polaris (1/15/1015)