MYM A Book and a Chat with Barry Lyga

When my guest today told his grandmother he wanted to be a writer, in typical Jewish grandmother terms she replied, “Oh, so you want to starve?” Barry Lyga, despite that start has not only become an author, but a hugely popular YA author.

Anybody who can write terrific novel that go from revealing his on comic book geekdom, to the sexual abuse of a teen boy by a female teacher, to tackling censorship before going onto start another book with the lament about the female’s character menstrual cycle is somebody worth chatting to. And so it proved on a hugely interesting and entertaining MYM (male YA Author month) Book and a Chat with Barry Lyga.

Barry grow up with a deep love of comic books, his favorite Sandman receiving several mentions in his first book, “The Astonishing Adventures of Fan Boy and Goth Girl”.

Fan Boy and Goth Girl, is often said to be too autobiographical for his own good, the hero being a young comic book geek who meets the girl of his nightmares. Barry shared with us how the characters and events were woven from his own experiences, friends, even girls he admire, sometimes from afar. The bulling part he told us also came from an episode in his own life.

Booklist said about the book… sharply authentic….Fanboy’s whip-smart, often hilariously sarcastic voice skillfully captures a teenager’s growing self-awareness, and adds fresh, urgent perspective to age-old questions about how young people cope with bullying and their own feelings of helplessness, rage, and being misunderstood as they try to discover themselves

Many people wanted a follow up; instead Barry went a different direction… at the time… with his second book Boy Toy. A book about a teen boy being lead on, then sexually abused, by his attractive female teacher. A hard book for Barry to write he told us, more about Josh the hero facing up to the fact he was abused, and getting over his own guilt.

After that came “Hero-Type” a book Barry openly admits he wrote in anger, it is set in Brookdale once again, covering censorship, flag burning and patriotic believes.

Finally the sequel of “The Astonishing Adventures of Fan Boy and Goth Girl” did arrive with his next book “Goth Girl Rising" which had Kyra returning home from Maryland Mental Health Unit.


With further books following close behind including his first and by no means his last foray into younger readers material “Archvillian” which as we heard will be followed by several more based on the same character. Also a new YA book coming out in 2012 ”I Hunt killers” a slightly more heavy book, which already has a follow up in the pipeline.

Barry Lyga, far from “wanting to starve” has become a hugely popular writer with a string of books going to hit the stores over the next few years.

Barry

Direct link to the show
"A Book and a Chat with Barry Lyga"

or you can download the mp3 file of the show from
"Barry Lyga"

You can find out more about my guest and their books at:
"Barry Lyga - Fan Boy and Goth Girl"

MALE YA AUTHOR MONTH GUESTS

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Across-the-Pond


Nov 16th Barry Lyga - Author of "Fan Boy and Goth Girl", "Boy Toy", "Hero Type" etc… - Tues 6:30pm EST

Nov 17th James - Author of "Book Chic" blog - Wed 6:30pm EST

Nov 18th Shaun David Hutchinson - Author of "The Death Day Letter" - Thur 6:30pm EST

Nov 20th Daniel Nayeri - Author "Another Faust", "Another Pan"- Sat 11:00am EST

Nov 23rd Steve Brezenoff - Author of " The Absolute Value of -1", "Alley of Shadows" etc… - Tues 6:30pm EST

Nov 24th Alex - Author of "Alex reads books" blog - Wed 6:30pm EST

Nov 25th Estevan Vega - Author of "The Sacred Sin" and "Arson" - Thur 6:30pm EST

Nov 27th Allan Frewin Jones - Author of "The Faerie Path" and "The Warrior Princess" series - Sat 11:00am EST

Nov 30th Alan Gratz - Author of "Something Wicked", "Something Rotten", "The Brooklyn Nine" etc… - Tues 6:30pm EST



Barry Eva (Storyheart)

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