Minnesota author Anne Greenwood Brown’s young adult trilogy about three menacing mermaids who live in Lake Superior with their slightly more compassionate brother was snapped up by Random House. Told from the brother’s perspective, “Lies Beneath,” the first book in the trilogy, has just been released. On Writers Voices, Anne explains how music helped her write from a teen boy’s perspective, how Michael Hauge’s teachings aided her plotting, and how she wrote, produced, and directed her own book trailer to increase sales. Listen in via livesteam today at 1 PM or Monday at 8 AM at kruu. (Click “Listen Live” under “Playing Now” on the top left corner of the screen.)

Anne will read from Lies Beneath at Prairie Lights Book Store in Iowa City Saturday, June 30^th at 2 PM.

Tomorrow on KRUU’s Writers Voices, Eric Johnson and I will discuss how to write, format, and publish an ebook. The show airs on KRUU FM at 1 PM. Listen in at kruufm.com.

Eric Johnson, founder of Inkslinger Industries, will discuss writing, formatting, and marketing ebooks and other topics related to new trends in publishing. Eric’s latest book, How to Make a Book with iBooks Author, was created in an ebook format.

Eric explored book arts at Brown University, where he handcrafted books using fine arts techniques taught by Walter Feldman, whose artists’ books are included in over 150 public collections. Eric also studied the interdisciplinary artistic practice of Cave Writing under author Robert Coover’s direction. (Cave Writing takes place in a CAVE simulator, a virtual reality environment typically reserved for scientific visualization.) While at Brown, Eric also served as a Writing Fellow.

Sharelle Byars Moranville explained how writers infuse their personal passions and issues into their work while discussing her latest book, The Hop, on Writers Voices. Tune in live on kruufm.com Friday, May 25 at 1 PM CST or Monday, May 27 8 AM CST. Afterwards find Sharelle’s discussion of her creative process in the archives of kruu.

Polly Frost photo by Erik Kragh

Polly Frost and I chatted recently by phone to record an interview on her humor writing for the radio show Writers Voices. She was a gracious, knowledgeable and entertaining guest. The show airs tomorrow, Friday, May 11 at 1 PM CST and Monday, May 14 at 8 AM CST. Listen in on KRUU!

Polly’s humorous essays have been published in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and The New York Times. Many of her essays have  been anthologized, including in two of The New Yorker’s “best of” collections.

“With One Eye Open,” a collection of her humorous essays, was published in 2010. In reaction to this book, Elle columnist and life advisor, E. Jean Carroll, called Polly “the Edith Wharton of her generation.”

Polly also writes satirical erotic horror. Her monologues in this genre were performed at Cornelia Street Cafe in NYC from 2003 to 2007. Polly’s married to Ray Sawhill. Together they co-wrote, directed and produced another theater project that also was produced  at Cornelia Street Cafe. Ray and Polly adapted her short story, “The Last Artist in New York City,” as a play. It was selected for “Best American Short Plays 2008-2009.”

Polly will be performing in the Englert Theatre Saturday, May 19th. She’ll visit Des Moines soon, as well. Check out her schedule. I’m sure she’ll put on a great show!

At 1 PM tomorrow on Writers Voices on KRUU I’m interviewing Wendy McClure!

Wendy McClure is an author, editor, blogger, and humorist. Her published works include essays in The New York Times Magazine; columns for Bust magazine (a publication for women who have something to get off their chests); and the weblog Poundy, which she launched in 2000 to explore body image issues and to make fun of aerobics instructors.

She’s also written children’s picture books, such as The Princess and the Peanut Allergy; two-book length memoirs, I’m Not the New Me and The Wilder Life: My Adventures in the Lost World of Little House on the Prairie; and a recently released e-book, Don’t Trade the Baby for a Horse and Other Ways to Make Your Life a Little More Laura Ingalls Wilder. In 2006 her infamous online collection of vintage Weight Watcher recipe cards and commentary was published in book form as The Amazing Mackerel Pudding Plan.

Wendy was born in Oak Park, Illinois and lives in Chicago with her husband, Chris. She holds an MFA in Poetry from the Iowa Writers Workshop, and, as senior editor at Albert Whitman & Company, she’s edited over fifty novels and picture books for children.