Thursday, July 19, 2012

Barry Lyga Author Interview


Book Nerd Interview

Called a “YA rebel-author” by Kirkus Reviews, Barry Lyga has published nine novels in various genres in his six-year career, including his latest, the I Hunt Killers series. His books have been or are slated to be published in nine different languages in North America, Australia, Europe, and Asia.

After graduating from Yale with a degree in English, Lyga worked in the comic book industry before quitting to pursue his lifelong love of writing. In 2006, his first young adult novel, The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl, was published to rave reviews, including starred reviews from Booklist andSchool Library Journal. Publisher’s Weekly named Lyga a “Flying Start” in December 2006 on the strength of the debut.

His second young adult novel, Boy Toy, received starred reviews in SLJ, Publishers Weekly, and Kirkus. VOYA gave it its highest critical rating, and the Chicago Tribune called it “…an astounding portrayal of what it is like to be the young male victim.” His third novel, Hero-Type, according to VOYA ”proves that there are still fresh ideas and new, interesting story lines to be explored in young adult literature.”

Since then, he has also written Goth Girl Rising (the sequel to his first novel), as well as the Archvillain series for middle-grade readers and the graphic novel Mangaman (with art by Colleen Doran).

His latest series is I Hunt Killers, called by the LA Times “one of the more daring concepts in recent years by a young-adult author” and an “extreme and utterly alluring narrative about nature versus nurture.” The series has been optioned for television by Warner Bros./Silver Pictures.

Lyga lives and writes in New York City. His comic book collection is a lot smaller than it used to be, but is still way too big.

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Was there a defining moment during your youth when you realized you wanted to be a writer?

I truly don’t know when I decided to be a writer or what prompted it, but it was very early -- I have a clear memory of my grandmother asking me what I wanted to be when I grew up and I responded “A writer!” This would have been around second grade or so. So, I’ve wanted it at least that long, but I don’t know why!

Why is storytelling so important for all of us?

Beats the hell out of me! It’s a compulsion of our species and it clearly has an important function in terms of passing down knowledge and illuminating aspects of both the world and the human spirit. But I don’t know why we feel drawn to explaining the world and ourselves through metaphor and layers of symbol and allusion so often. Probably the same reason why we paint in different styles and enjoy different kinds of music.

What is the best piece of advice you ever received from another author?

Every writer has a million bad words inside, and until you write those million bad words, no one will care what you have to say.

In your new book; I Hunt Killers, can you tell my Book Nerd community a little about it and why they should read your novel?

Short and sweet: The son of the world’s most notorious serial killer decides to track down a new serial killer in order to prove to the world -- and to himself -- that he doesn’t have to grow up to be like his dad. It’s got action, mystery, some romance, some humor, and a metric ton of blood and body parts.

For those who are unfamiliar with Jazz, how would you introduce him?

With a simple question: When you’re cursed by both nature AND nurture, is there any chance you could have a soul? Jazz isn’t sure, but he wants to find out.


Why do you feel you had to tell this story?

Same reason I feel the need to tell any story: It’s just a compulsion. You get an idea and you try to shake it off, but at some point it just clicks into place in your head, and you realize that you would cheerfully run over a platoon of nuns and orphans in order to tell this story. That doesn’t happen with every idea. Ideas are cheap. But the ones that won’t leave you alone, those are the ones you have to tell to the world.

If you could introduce one of your characters to any character from another book, who would it be and why?

Wow, it’s weird that you ask this question, since I’ve been working on a blog post about this very topic! I would probably introduce Jazz to Dr. Kennedy from BOY TOY and GOTH GIRL RISING.

What are some of your current and future projects that you can share with us?

The big one, of course, is the next book in the I HUNT KILLERS series, which will be out in April 2013. I also have the final book in my middle-grade trilogy -- ARCHVILLAIN: YESTERDAY AGAIN -- coming out in January. And I’m working on an adult novel in my spare time.

When asked, what’s the one question you always answer with a lie?

Ones like this. :)

What’s the best advice you can give writers to help them develop their own unique voice and style?

There’s really no tool to use or trick to perform: It’s just a matter of slogging away at it, each and every day, trying new things, experimenting, failing, trying again. The more you write, the more you begin to slip into a groove that feels right, that feels uniquely yours.

Who is the first person you call when you have a bad day?

Honestly? That’s no one’s business but mine. :)

What's the worst summer job you've ever had?

Pizza delivery boy! I made a ton of money, but I also nearly totaled my car.

When was the last time you cried?

Got a little choked up at the series finale of HOUSE.

What is the one, single food that you would never give up?

It’s a toss-up between sushi and pad ki mow.

Where can readers stalk you?

barrylyga.com, @barrylyga, and facebook.com/barrylyga!



What if the world's worst serial killer...was your dad?

Jasper (Jazz) Dent is a likable teenager. A charmer, one might say.

But he's also the son of the world's most infamous serial killer, and for Dear Old Dad, Take Your Son to Work Day was year-round. Jazz has witnessed crime scenes the way cops wish they could—from the criminal's point of view.

And now bodies are piling up in Lobo's Nod.

In an effort to clear his name, Jazz joins the police in a hunt for a new serial killer. But Jazz has a secret—could he be more like his father than anyone knows?

You can purchase I Hunt Killers at the following Retailers:
    


And now, The Giveaways.
Thank you Barry for making this giveaway possible.
1 Winner will receive a copy of I Hunt Killer by Barry Lyga.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

45 comments:

  1. Umm... I can't reamember O__o"

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  2. hmm, maybe last week, i said to my friend i can't accompany her to visit her boyfriend. hey, you will met your boyfriend and you asked me to go with you? no. i won,t. lol.. but i told her that i've got migrain ^^

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  3. Last weekend.....my friends wanted me to join them at a party and I didn't want to go, so I said I was feeling ill

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  4. The last time someone asked how I was, and I said ok, and I was feeling a little down, but didn't want to talk about it just then.

    Holly

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  5. last week when I told someone I was busy so I could stay home a read.

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  6. I try not to make a habit out of lying. It was likely the last time I told someone I was busy so I didn't have to go out ;)

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  7. Hmm... Can't really remember. I try not to lie much. :)

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  8. 2 nights ago when I told my son to put his tooth under the pillow for the tooth fairy :) Other than that I dont know, I try not to lie.

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  9. I don't remember when but I'm sure it was to a bill collector...I'm always lieing to them when it was I mailed off a payment ;)

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  10. Last week to a friend saying I was sick and couldn't go see him but instead I just slept the day away lol

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  11. I don't like to lie, but the last time I lied was at work. I work on a switchboard and had to say someone was not at their desk, just because they didn't want to talk to the person on the end of the line.

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  12. I told a friend I thought the guy she was talking to was good-looking...even though I didn't really think so. :( I didn't want to make her feel bad!

    Great interview. :)

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  13. I'm not going to be one of those goody-two-shoes people that say they never lie, but I seriously do not remember the last time I lied to someone. Like, today, I told my mom that this dress she was trying on made her look old-lady-ish. I was being completely honest. I could've said "It looks great!" But I didn't.
    Thanks for the review and giveaway!!!

    Alyssa Susanna

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  14. Yesterday when I told my sister that I didn´t eat her chocolate cookis and I blamed my dad! LOL! (ileana-rafflecopter)

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  15. I was out with one of my girl friends about two weeks ago and we met up with a guy she was talking to. He was cute, funny, attractive and a guy I would totally go for. Then he started drinking and became a complete annoyance. I told her he was great because she was so into him. He was great...until he started drinking.

    Thanks for the giveaway!
    Emily R

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  16. I lied to a stranger on Omegle that I was sales clerk...because telling him I was a student made me feel like a useless person. Obviously I have no compunctions about lying to strangers. *wink*

    Lilian @ A Novel Toybox

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  17. Last week I lied to my husband and told him that I was going to be really early because I had a bad headache...I really just wanted a chance to fall asleep before he started to snore...lol

    Stefanie McMullen

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  18. ......... do i need to say ....

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  19. HA! Today! When the teacher ask everybody at class if we did homework. We all said we hadn't homework from him. He was a little confused, lol!

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  20. Last weekend. I told mu hubby I didnt want to go any where. I knew we needed to save money so that is why I lied.

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  21. Yesterday, to my little cousin. She wanted to go to a amusement park but she had to have a shower first and it was late, so I lied and said it was closed.

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  22. Two weeks ago. My nephew wanted to go the playroom so I said yes when really, we won't go because he still has school the next day.

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  23. Yesterday to my cousin she wanted me to look up her x boyfriend on fb an i said my pc was broke lol

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  24. today to my sister. I tried to get her out of my room

    -wni

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  25. I can't remember the last time I lied.

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  26. was the last weekend
    because my mother was out with my friends for a party

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  27. I dont know, maybe something to my roommate?

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  28. Oh I don't remember, but I think the last time was like a month ago, when I told a friend her boyfriend was handsome!

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  29. LOL! Yesterday to my boss, I told I was sick!

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  30. The last time I told a lie was yesterday or the day before when one of the boys I sit for asked if I was reading on my phone and I said yes even though I was actually tweeting. It's easier to not have to explain to him what tweeting is :P

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  31. I would tell you but then I would have to kill this post, lol.

    Great giveaway

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  32. I left a sewing needle on the bed and I lied to my mom and said I didn't. Thanks for the giveaway! :D

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  33. I accidentally threw out some food that my mom was saving for later, and I lied and told her that it had spoiled.

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  34. I lied to my friends mom about whether or not I wake up for early morning prayer...(she can be so judgmental at times, i chose the easy way out!)

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  35. Um.. I can't remember when was the last time I lied, because I don't like lying much... But the last time I lied, it was to my mum. I told her I was going home, but in reality, I was going to the mall. hahaha

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  36. I told my boss that I had important plans so he wouldn't ask me to work my days off.

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  37. Thank you so much for this giveaway!!! I love mr. Lyga's introduction to Jazz, that should have been on the book cover. :D

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  38. Thanks for the giveaway.

    I lie to my girlfriend so that she would just let me have some quiet for awhile.

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  39. Just now. My Dad asked me if I ate the last of the chocolates. Of course, I said it's not me. Who would admit to that heinous crime? ;)

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  40. This week... To a friend of mine.

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  41. yesterday, when my mum came into my room late in night and told me that I shouldn't work so hard and so long (it was 1 am and I was on PC), then pitied me - while actually I was chatting on the Internet

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