I have a knack for meeting people at just the right moment. I met Kaza Kingsley through an email I sent after taking a peek at her book in a store. I met Renee, a radio station manager in Florida, who just happened to be looking for a new radio show for teenagers when I called. And recently I met an author named James Dashner, who has been around once with a series but is coming around again to take on the world.

I just got word that James’ soon-to-be-released book has already sold more in presales than his first series in its entirety. Also, his book The 13th Reality: The Journal Of Curious Letters has been chosen as a Border’s Original Voices pick for April. How’s that for a start? It comes out on March 3rd, 2008, so be absolutely sure to get it, and if you’re still not convinced (shame on you) go read my review.

The cleverer side of me (no giggling!) demanded that I nab an interview in case James grows into an elusive author like Lemony Snicket or JK Rowling or Obert Skye (Charles Dickens has been flat-out ignoring my requests for some time now as well). Thankfully, James is awesome and agreed right off to answer what I like to call:

The 13 Questions for The 13th Reality

1. Thanks James so much for coming on. To start off, where did you get the inspiration for The Thirteenth Reality?

Thanks Kaleb Nation! I’m glad to be here.

It came from some serious brain pounding after being given one week to come up with a proposal for my eventual publisher. I’d submitted a different book to them, and they liked my writing, but didn’t feel that particular book was right for them. So I worked my tail off to write a proposal for an idea that had always bounced around in my head: The concept of a group recruiting kids by sending out riddles and clues, but also horrible, dangerous things to try to stop them while they solve the mystery.

2. In what ways do you feel your writing changed between your first series (Jimmy Fincher) and The Thirteenth Reality?

Oh, man, it’s not even funny. Sometimes it’s painful to go back and look at my very first book, A Door in the Woods. I’ve come a very long way, and learned many things. Hopefully, this new book knocks the socks off my old stuff. Not that I don’t like Jimmy Fincher-I’ll always love that story.

3. What was the hardest part about writing The Thirteenth Reality?

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Posted in Authors, Interviews, Writing
Tags: Borders, James Dashner, lemony snicket, obert skye

1. I saw Sophia Bush of One Tree Hill fame today.
2. The interview with James Dashner will be up early tomorrow.
3. I have an interview with author Julie Halpern lined up for next week.
4. The Humanities exam I’ve been dreading was so easy I’m certain of at least 19 of 22 being correct. Time to celebrate.
5. I think I finished all I can find of season’s 1-3 of Full House on Youtube. On to season 4!
6. I ordered a box of what’s hip and happening in the book world (namely books). They’re arriving via inconspicuous, brown truck in a week and I will reveal the shocking contents one by one. Believe me, the contents are shocking.

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Posted in College, Quick Post
Tags: James Dashner, one tree hill, sophia bush

The name of the band Quietdrive says it all for their remake of Time After Time. It’s a quiet, driving rock song that does the original justice more than any other version I’ve heard so far.

They have a smooth rock edge to them that keeps it with the classic sound.

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Posted in Reviews
Tags: music

Whilst working in my room, I happened to hear this song on television in the other room. Something about it made me actually stop what I was doing and listen to the commercial.

Yael Naim is a formerly unknown singer whose song New Soul was picked up for Apple Mac commercials. Her success with it was so unexpected, her album wasn’t even ready for the US. I’m not quite sure what it is about this song but people perk up and listen when it comes on. However, especially because at parts it resembles something a shrill five-year-old would practice in a preschool glee club, this could be really really irritating to some people. Take your pick.

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Posted in Reviews

Soon-to-be bestselling author James Dashner will be answering some questions for me on this site. I will be posting this sometime within the next week. This is going to be awesome because his book The 13th Reality is coming out on March 3rd, and absolutely everyone should be at the stores that day to get a copy. If you don’t already have a reason to be there at opening time, I’ll be sure to convince you by the time the interview’s over.

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Posted in Authors
Tags: James Dashner, The 13th Reality