GUEST POST on Manga Maniac Cafe
When I’d walk home from elementary school, there would be a dragon sitting on my shoulder. Not a big one, just a pocket-sized one. Green scales and small red eyes. Wings that looked like a butterfly’s. He’d eat the occasional bird or squirrel, and possibly burn the hairs off the back of my neck if he coughed. Yes, when I was 10, I dreamed of having a familiar of my own. I remember some of my friends would pretend that their family dog or cat was magical, but my family didn’t have a pet, so I had to make one up. It wasn’t always a dragon. Sometimes, it was a flying horse or a pixie on a leash or a lightning-charged hawk. Who would have thought that my childhood fantasies would inspire a series of books? And yet now I know I wasn’t alone in having those dreams. Every person who reads The Familiars seems to have their own tales of magical pets or the ones they dreamed of. And with our book selling to a dozen countries around the world, it appears people of all cultures pretended they had an imaginary dragon on their shoulders, too.
Tell us about the magical powers you imagine your childhood pet had.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Blog Tour Posts
In case you want to catch up on our tour through the blogosphere (so far), here are the links!
August 5 "Work Husbands" GUEST POST on Katie Talks About Blog
August 9 "Archimedes did it in a Bathtub, We do it in the Shower" GUEST POST on The Children's Book Review
August 10 "Hermione or Bella? Brains vs. Brood" GUEST POST on The Page Turners Blog
August 10 "Working With a Book Editor" GUEST POST on Mindful Musings
August 10 "Adam's Top 5 Fantasy Books" GUEST POST on Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books
August 12 "Interview with YA Fresh"
August 13 "Why We Wish We Had a Thousand Rejection Letters" GUEST POST on Once Upon a Book
August 14 "The Fine Line Between Sharing and Shoving" GUEST POST on Confessions of a Bookaholic
August 14 "Where Hollywood Should Take a Page from the Book Industry" GUEST POST on Sarah's Random Musings
August 16 "Our Top 5 Animal Books" GUEST POST on Reading Vacation
August 16 "If We Weren't Writers, We'd Be..." GUEST POST on Brimful Curiosities
August 18 "Not Another Middle Grade Book" GUEST POST on YA Book Shelf
August 19 "The Overnight Illusion" GUEST POST on Tif Talks Books
The tour continues until the book hits stores everywhere on September 7th!
August 5 "Work Husbands" GUEST POST on Katie Talks About Blog
August 9 "Archimedes did it in a Bathtub, We do it in the Shower" GUEST POST on The Children's Book Review
August 10 "Hermione or Bella? Brains vs. Brood" GUEST POST on The Page Turners Blog
August 10 "Working With a Book Editor" GUEST POST on Mindful Musings
August 10 "Adam's Top 5 Fantasy Books" GUEST POST on Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books
August 12 "Interview with YA Fresh"
August 13 "Why We Wish We Had a Thousand Rejection Letters" GUEST POST on Once Upon a Book
August 14 "The Fine Line Between Sharing and Shoving" GUEST POST on Confessions of a Bookaholic
August 14 "Where Hollywood Should Take a Page from the Book Industry" GUEST POST on Sarah's Random Musings
August 16 "Our Top 5 Animal Books" GUEST POST on Reading Vacation
August 16 "If We Weren't Writers, We'd Be..." GUEST POST on Brimful Curiosities
August 18 "Not Another Middle Grade Book" GUEST POST on YA Book Shelf
August 19 "The Overnight Illusion" GUEST POST on Tif Talks Books
The tour continues until the book hits stores everywhere on September 7th!
The Overnight Illusion
GUEST POST on Tif Talks Books
Here’s a story that sounds too good to be true. Two guys write five chapters of a book with a detailed proposal, get a book agent within a month, sell the uncompleted manuscript within two days of going out to publishers, and sell the movie rights the next week. Well, it’s sort of true, and sort of a big fat lie. Because what it doesn’t mention is the 10 years of rejection and frustration before it. We started writing screenplays when we met during college, and we spent years working day jobs and writing into the wee hours of the night at various LA coffee shops, sometimes so long that we were asked to leave. We endured break-ups and miniscule paychecks all in sacrifice of living our dream. Finding our first film manager – which is kind of like a stepping stone to a film agent -- took years. When we got our very first meeting with a manager, we both got all dressed up and drove over to the manager's office, circling outside as we were early… only to receive a phone call that the meeting had been canceled. We sulked away in our khakis and button downs. Hollywood success would have to wait another day. And it did. Even when success in film and television came, it only seldom felt truly rewarding. We were constantly faced with having to reinvent ourselves, and every job felt like a miracle (which it still does). Then, about two years ago, we decided to try our hand at being novelists. And we were fortunate in that we already had a film agent who worked in the book world to help us secure a literary agent in New York. Our “overnight success” in the book world doesn’t account for the 10+ years of struggle in the Hollywood trenches. It’s as much of an illusion as one cast by Skylar, the magical blue jay in “The Familiars.”
Here’s a story that sounds too good to be true. Two guys write five chapters of a book with a detailed proposal, get a book agent within a month, sell the uncompleted manuscript within two days of going out to publishers, and sell the movie rights the next week. Well, it’s sort of true, and sort of a big fat lie. Because what it doesn’t mention is the 10 years of rejection and frustration before it. We started writing screenplays when we met during college, and we spent years working day jobs and writing into the wee hours of the night at various LA coffee shops, sometimes so long that we were asked to leave. We endured break-ups and miniscule paychecks all in sacrifice of living our dream. Finding our first film manager – which is kind of like a stepping stone to a film agent -- took years. When we got our very first meeting with a manager, we both got all dressed up and drove over to the manager's office, circling outside as we were early… only to receive a phone call that the meeting had been canceled. We sulked away in our khakis and button downs. Hollywood success would have to wait another day. And it did. Even when success in film and television came, it only seldom felt truly rewarding. We were constantly faced with having to reinvent ourselves, and every job felt like a miracle (which it still does). Then, about two years ago, we decided to try our hand at being novelists. And we were fortunate in that we already had a film agent who worked in the book world to help us secure a literary agent in New York. Our “overnight success” in the book world doesn’t account for the 10+ years of struggle in the Hollywood trenches. It’s as much of an illusion as one cast by Skylar, the magical blue jay in “The Familiars.”
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Not Another Middle Grade Book
GUEST POST on YA Bookshelf
Back in 2000, when we were writing screenplays into the wee hours at various coffee shops around LA, the two of us decided to try our hand at a spoof of teen movies. As fortuitous timing would have it, that script would become 2001’s “Not Another Teen Movie.” This led to years of writing on the MTV Movie Awards, working with comedic talents such as Jimmy Fallon, Jack Black, and Andy Samberg. For much of the 2000s, we continued to write comedies geared towards the teenage audience. But the funny thing about the two of us becoming comedy writers was that we never really thought of ourselves as writing in that genre. We kind of fell into it. And in Hollywood, once you have success in a particular niche, studios pigeonhole you into a box. After “Step Up” turned out to be a sleeper hit, we got a call on Monday morning from two different producers asking us to write a spoof of dance movies. With the huge success of “Harry Potter” and “Lord of the Rings,” it was inevitable that we would be asked to write a spoof of fantasy movies. And sure enough, we were.
But it wasn’t a spoof of those movies that we wanted to write. It was those movies. Fully aware that no studio or producer was likely to come offering us an adaptation of a fantastical book or property, we decided to create one ourselves. That’s what led us to write The Familiars. Finally, we were creating the kind of material that the two of us really came to Hollywood to create. Something imaginative and adventurous, like the fantasy books we grew up loving and Spielburg films we’ve watched dozens of times.
The moral of the story is simple. We’re writers, which gives us the unique ability to write. Someone puts you in a box, write yourself out of it. You control the way people perceive you. For years, we were the spoof guys and the teen movie guys. Well, now we’re the author guys who wrote that middle grade fantasy trilogy and are adapting it into a 3D animated movie.
Back in 2000, when we were writing screenplays into the wee hours at various coffee shops around LA, the two of us decided to try our hand at a spoof of teen movies. As fortuitous timing would have it, that script would become 2001’s “Not Another Teen Movie.” This led to years of writing on the MTV Movie Awards, working with comedic talents such as Jimmy Fallon, Jack Black, and Andy Samberg. For much of the 2000s, we continued to write comedies geared towards the teenage audience. But the funny thing about the two of us becoming comedy writers was that we never really thought of ourselves as writing in that genre. We kind of fell into it. And in Hollywood, once you have success in a particular niche, studios pigeonhole you into a box. After “Step Up” turned out to be a sleeper hit, we got a call on Monday morning from two different producers asking us to write a spoof of dance movies. With the huge success of “Harry Potter” and “Lord of the Rings,” it was inevitable that we would be asked to write a spoof of fantasy movies. And sure enough, we were.
But it wasn’t a spoof of those movies that we wanted to write. It was those movies. Fully aware that no studio or producer was likely to come offering us an adaptation of a fantastical book or property, we decided to create one ourselves. That’s what led us to write The Familiars. Finally, we were creating the kind of material that the two of us really came to Hollywood to create. Something imaginative and adventurous, like the fantasy books we grew up loving and Spielburg films we’ve watched dozens of times.
The moral of the story is simple. We’re writers, which gives us the unique ability to write. Someone puts you in a box, write yourself out of it. You control the way people perceive you. For years, we were the spoof guys and the teen movie guys. Well, now we’re the author guys who wrote that middle grade fantasy trilogy and are adapting it into a 3D animated movie.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Monday, August 16, 2010
Publishers Weekly Raves About "The Familiars"
The Familiars
Adam Jay Epstein and Andrew Jacobson, illus. by Bobby Chiu, Harper, $16.99 (368p) ISBN 978-0-06-196108-3
After starving alley cat Aldwyn steals food from a fishmonger once too often, he is chased by a notorious bounty hunter intent on exterminating him. He takes refuge in a pet store that sells animal familiars to local wizards and is purchased by Jack, a young apprentice. Aldwyn likes his cushy new life in Stone Runlet with Jack and two other students, but he struggles to convince his fellow familiars--a blue jay named Skylar and a tree frog named Gilbert--that he's as magical as they are. When a prophecy foretells that three spell-casters from Stone Runlet will save the world, the formerly benevolent Queen Loranella kills the students' mentor and takes the young novices prisoner, leaving it to the familiars to rescue the children. Screenwriters Epstein and Jacobson's children's book debut is a grand adventure with entertaining characters and magic-induced fun, written in an appropriately cinematic style (Sony Pictures Animation has optioned the story). Even adults will appreciate a tale in which street smarts mix with book learning, and resourcefulness and confidence are matched by loyalty and respect. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 8–12. (Sept.)
Adam Jay Epstein and Andrew Jacobson, illus. by Bobby Chiu, Harper, $16.99 (368p) ISBN 978-0-06-196108-3
After starving alley cat Aldwyn steals food from a fishmonger once too often, he is chased by a notorious bounty hunter intent on exterminating him. He takes refuge in a pet store that sells animal familiars to local wizards and is purchased by Jack, a young apprentice. Aldwyn likes his cushy new life in Stone Runlet with Jack and two other students, but he struggles to convince his fellow familiars--a blue jay named Skylar and a tree frog named Gilbert--that he's as magical as they are. When a prophecy foretells that three spell-casters from Stone Runlet will save the world, the formerly benevolent Queen Loranella kills the students' mentor and takes the young novices prisoner, leaving it to the familiars to rescue the children. Screenwriters Epstein and Jacobson's children's book debut is a grand adventure with entertaining characters and magic-induced fun, written in an appropriately cinematic style (Sony Pictures Animation has optioned the story). Even adults will appreciate a tale in which street smarts mix with book learning, and resourcefulness and confidence are matched by loyalty and respect. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 8–12. (Sept.)
If We Weren't Writers, We'd Be...
GUEST POST on Brimful Curiosities
Andrew: If I wasn’t writing novels and films, I probably would be a sportscaster, or working behind the scenes in sports broadcasting. You might be familiar with Bob Costas, who sits on the sidelines calling the action at Super Bowls or the Olympics. But there’s also a guy sitting off-camera next to him, giving him all sorts of stats and information that he parrots on air. I could have been that guy. It’s kind of a thankless life, traveling on the road to different cities for games every night, surrounded by dudes who love sports. I love sports, but not the way these guys do. My passion was for telling stories, and thankfully I was able to make a living as a writer. This way, I can watch ESPN before I go to bed, and that’s more than enough for me.
Adam: Since space pirate is unrealistic and probably not going to happen, I think if I wasn’t an author and screenwriter, I would be a video game designer. While gaming is not the same kind of traditional storytelling as writing books or films, rich narratives can be told through hopping, role playing, and even puzzle games. Plus it would be an easy way to get paid for my childhood obsession with arcades and home computing. Fortunately, for both Andrew and myself, these career back-up plans remained just that. But who knows, if things had been different, perhaps gamers would be playing “The Familiars” on their Nintendo Wiis or Playstations. Or maybe Bob Costas would be wondering if Lebron James was a real life wizard, and not a king.
What would you be doing if you weren't a writer?
Andrew: If I wasn’t writing novels and films, I probably would be a sportscaster, or working behind the scenes in sports broadcasting. You might be familiar with Bob Costas, who sits on the sidelines calling the action at Super Bowls or the Olympics. But there’s also a guy sitting off-camera next to him, giving him all sorts of stats and information that he parrots on air. I could have been that guy. It’s kind of a thankless life, traveling on the road to different cities for games every night, surrounded by dudes who love sports. I love sports, but not the way these guys do. My passion was for telling stories, and thankfully I was able to make a living as a writer. This way, I can watch ESPN before I go to bed, and that’s more than enough for me.
Adam: Since space pirate is unrealistic and probably not going to happen, I think if I wasn’t an author and screenwriter, I would be a video game designer. While gaming is not the same kind of traditional storytelling as writing books or films, rich narratives can be told through hopping, role playing, and even puzzle games. Plus it would be an easy way to get paid for my childhood obsession with arcades and home computing. Fortunately, for both Andrew and myself, these career back-up plans remained just that. But who knows, if things had been different, perhaps gamers would be playing “The Familiars” on their Nintendo Wiis or Playstations. Or maybe Bob Costas would be wondering if Lebron James was a real life wizard, and not a king.
What would you be doing if you weren't a writer?
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