Speaker 1: Hello, and good morning, babe. How are you doing today?
Speaker 2: How's it going?
Speaker 1: Absolutely fantastic, Very excited to talk with you, because you
just have this way of creating amazing stories, not just
for the young adult readers, but even me the adult.
I mean, this book is really for everybody.
Speaker 2: I appreciate that.
Speaker 1: To get into that space, though, I mean, what what
do you do with your disciplines as a writer in
order to speak with a lot of people who just
want that moment of escapism.
Speaker 3: I just try to write the best one I can
try to keep you get around having kids, kind of
keep that kind of child like Joey and wonder about you,
and that kind of keeps you feeling young.
Speaker 2: When you feel you you can write, you know, kind
of little, kind of fun stuff. So that's what I
always think.
Speaker 1: I can say, Well, let's talk about this book cover.
This this is Hollywood. I mean, this book cover itself.
I want bookstores to not just put it on the shelf.
I want them to turn it so we can see
the book and go, WHOA, what is this all about?
Speaker 2: Yeah? We got really lucky with the book covers. Man.
Speaker 3: We got two great ours, one here in the United
States and the one internationally.
Speaker 2: She's based out of the UK, and.
Speaker 3: They do write that made this the most beautiful covers,
the really eye catching and we couldn't have got more lucky.
Speaker 2: I'm really I'm really grateful.
Speaker 1: So when you have a character like Amari and and
you marginalize Amari, how you know? What I love about
this is that everybody can relate with it. It's like, oh, oh,
this is this book could be about me?
Speaker 2: Yeah, definitely.
Speaker 3: I think, you know, with Tomorrow, she's constantly a situation
where she's kind of like the other and I think
we've all been. Everybody can watch everybody's been in a
situation where they were like the people.
Speaker 2: Around them, but you know, walking in a room like.
Speaker 3: Man, I'm kind of different everybody else there, you know,
And I think that's just a little experience that everybody has.
And so I think just kind of showing how she
feels with that and how she goes through that and
learns to find her voice, and they're so confident, and
I think that's I think it's a powerful story. Definitely,
definitely something powerful for kids to see and learn. So
I think, uh, I think it's I think I think
it's just great for sure.
Speaker 1: And it's coming out at such a perfect time because
school is back in session and so many students are
going into new schools or they're in new classrooms, and
they need something like an Amari for them to say
that this is my image. I mean, I see how
she's working through the troubles and and and growing up
and and and you know, fighting different things. I can
be this way as well. I mean, the release of
this book is perfect timing.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 3: Absolutely, you got kids going in to new schools, and
you got you know, Alexit, that whole that whole age group,
that kind of the middle grade age group, that elementary
school and middle school is you know, they're trying to
kind of find their foot in life, honestly, right just
kind of step out of their parents face, little world
they kind of created upon the little kid, and they're
pulling their own thoughts, their own opinions, and so, you know,
I think that's why fantasy books is so excited for
those you know, who knows what's out there in.
Speaker 2: The real world, and that's kind of a funny way
to explore is reading fantasy books. That's one of the
reasons I like them.
Speaker 1: I wish you could be a fly on the wall
at my essential job. When when I get to talk
with these young adults and when I tell them that
I'm going to share a conversation with bb Awson. You
should see their eyes they know you. They I mean
it's like they just they just expect great things from you.
Do you get to see that with their eyes? Is
as just huge?
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean haven't haven't you had the readers? It's
probably the best age.
Speaker 3: Like I know, probably other type of others like disagree
to all other vets, but I think kid I think
kid readers.
Speaker 2: Are pubably the VET and they're the one genuine They
get the most excited, you know, they they said is
amazing letters and emails and bestages and stuff. I love them.
They're amazing.
Speaker 1: And you're so down to earth, pebe in the way
that you're not afraid to bring up racism, classism as
well as prejudice. I mean you you're giving them their
their world. But in book form.
Speaker 3: Yeah, absolutely, I think I like we were saying, the idea
of otherness is something we all we've all experienced, all
we see a playout in.
Speaker 2: Every day lives and as adults, right, you.
Speaker 3: See it, it's like class and religion and political beliefs.
Speaker 2: You know, there's somebody that divide us.
Speaker 3: And so I think learning that sheet people who are
different than us try to That's one of the big
big lessons I hope they get from the books. The
chreat people who are different. You know, there's still people, right,
There's still there's still thinks about them that make them
human and worth loving and getting to know. And so
I hope that comes through in the book.
Speaker 1: Yeah, well, just because Amari is even though Amari is
the chosen One, it's not an overnight sensation chosen one.
I mean you you allow us to experience the journey,
the challenges and and the changes that Amari goes through.
Speaker 3: Absolutely, I think I think that's what makes any book
fun is seeing kind of seeing the journey right say,
where they started when she's trying to just in your
girls down on herself and you know that then then
would know what she sets in the world, and see
how she gets.
Speaker 2: To the end of the book and the end of
the series and she's like, you know, she found her
voice and she found her confidence. I think that just
makes me a great story.
Speaker 3: And I hope I hope people hope people get to
read that and feel that too.
Speaker 1: With you being a part of a trilogy like this,
Was this something that you saw from day one? Or
did you have to use great continuity in the way
of saying, I've got to make this work. It's all
got to balance out. Oh man, I've got to go
back and read my first two books.
Speaker 3: Well, it's funny you say that, because I'm terrible. I
remember in details, all all.
Speaker 2: The details, the worst memory.
Speaker 3: So I got like a notebook with all the little
details and stuff to keep me on track. But yeah,
you definite have to fan out the vance otherwise you
get stuck or get lost in the leads. Uh. And
that's gonna be two more books now, so hopefully, you know,
hopefully they stick with me.
Speaker 1: I just don't know because I've I've written books, but
I've never written, you know, like a follow up book
or anything like that, because I'm always afraid that people
want to know everything right now, and and and you're
proving to other writers that you don't have to do
everything right now.
Speaker 2: I think the Kid is just I think the Kid
is the cli of my art.
Speaker 3: But just leave a couple of things unanswered, and I
think that's what keeps a came back from took for
a book to I didn't find that balance is tricky because,
like you know, if you don't answer enough questions that
get they're unsatisfied, and if you added.
Speaker 2: Too many questions, and that the reason read the second
book so they can find that balance is key.
Speaker 1: Well. One of the reasons why my wife, who is
a school teacher, loves reading about Amari is that she's
always telling me there are easter eggs in there. I'm
not going to tell you where they are. You've got
to find them yourself. And and it does. It puts
me on that page to where I'm always very interested
on where you're taking me as that author.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think five.
Speaker 3: I like having little spot little jokes, just what only
notes will get like a tax stokes and think in
the first book, like don't think many kids text jokes,
but bis.
Speaker 2: Will get a kick out of that. And so I
try to speak a little something everybody in there.
Speaker 1: So now, because there is so much excitement and adventure,
what are you experiencing when your fingers are on that keyboard,
Because I mean it hasn't even reached us yet, so
you've got to be laughing. You to be on the
edge with anxiety and stuff like that as well, when
when you're when you're just building the story.
Speaker 3: Yeah, definitely, I think, you know, just I try to
write the stories for myself, for person, and foremost right
just trying something I enjoy. I think it's humorous, I
think it's exciting, and you just have to kind of
hope that translates to the reader and I so far
I've been able to do that, and I hope that
I hope that comes across the end the story.
Speaker 1: If that moment comes when you get that phone call
from Hollywood, would you make this an animation or would
you have real people acting out the part of Amari?
Speaker 2: Well, you know, that's like the universe has has it
rights right now, and I know they want to do
a live action, but I'll totally open to animation. I
think it'll be amazing and animation. So this is actually
gonna be a big year as far as the movie planning.
So hopefully we'll know something concrete real.
Speaker 1: So oh, I hope so too, because you've definitely got that.
But but but when you relinquish your story to Hollywood, though,
I mean, do they get to change it or is
it it has to stay one d percent yours.
Speaker 2: Oh man, what once you said it over? It's kind
of it's kind of there to do they want with.
I mean, the most you can do is kind of
like just how to find people who kind of have the.
Speaker 3: Same fision you have or uh so yeah, once you
once you you know, sign sign those doccuments.
Speaker 2: It's kind of layers to do what.
Speaker 3: They want because anyone's kind of putting the money and
you know the bestment to it.
Speaker 2: So it's really it's really important to buying people who
share the.
Speaker 3: Same visions that and honestly, I'm cool as long as
the heart of the story is there. You know, they
can change the details as long as the hardest there.
Speaker 2: I think. I think it is that reason the appytude.
Speaker 1: What is your daily writing discipline? I mean I have
to be up at seven am every day to put
my pen to paper. What what what is your discipline
or writing time?
Speaker 2: Oh definitely, I definitely have to do the first thing
in the morning, because if I wait the afternoon, I
started to get sleepy and just sack that it's nothing.
I get the h if I don't do it first thing.
In a way, it's a long day for me, I'm there.
Speaker 1: Do you start off with the writing instrument or do
you go right to the computer?
Speaker 2: Oh? Well, A lot of times I'll get my couple
of coffee first, and.
Speaker 3: I'll kind of tell you to for maybe thirty minutes,
and then I'll then I'll have to get off and
start going.
Speaker 1: Oh man, BB, that cup of coffee. I'm facing a
big wall today because there was this brand new bread
that was on sale. I bought it and then I
realized this morning it says decaf. It's like, what did
I do to myself?
Speaker 2: Oh man, man, I can imagine.
Speaker 1: All right, Where can people go to find out more
about you, Bb, and especially about a Mari?
Speaker 3: Well you get My website is BB Austin dot com.
You can find me on on Twitter or I can
it's called x now or Instagram at BB Underscore Austin
and Maris and bookstores everywhere.
Speaker 2: So yeah, just let me up.
Speaker 1: You got to come back to the show anytime in
the future. You know, the door is always going to
be open for you.
Speaker 2: BB. Oh man, I'd be happy to you. I love
talking to you.
Speaker 1: Will you be brilliant today? Okay?
Speaker 2: All right, man, I appreciate you