First Draft Episode #304: Chris Grabenstein

Chris Grabenstein is the New York Times bestselling author of the Lemoncello series, the Wonderland series, the Haunted Mystery series, and The Island of Dr. Libris. He is also the co-author, with James Patterson, of the #1 Bestsellers I Funny, House of Robots, Max Einstein and many others. He joins to talk about his newest middle grade series, Dog Squad, out now!

Links to Topics Mentioned In This Episode:

• Mad Magazine

• Rocky & Bullwinkle (TV show)

• The Twilight Zone (TV show)

• Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White

• American Heritage magazine

• Bruce Willis (actor)

• Kathy Kinney (comedic actor)

• Jane Brucker ((comedic actor)

• James Patterson is the world’s bestselling writer, known for the Alex Cross series, the Women’s Murder Club series, the Michael Bennett series, and many more

• Cheers (TV show)

• Michael Bay (producer, director)

• Woody Harrrelson (actor)

• Orlando Jones (actor, writer)

• On Writing by Stephen King

• Kiss the Girls, Along Came a Spider, and Pop Goes the Weasel are some of the nursery-rhyme-themed James Patterson books that inspired Chris to name his first detective novels after carnival rides

• Shine by Chris and J.J. Grabenstein

• Robin Williams (actor, comedian)

• Jim Henson (creator of The Muppets)

• Charlaine Harris, #1 New York Times bestselling author of mysteries and urban fantasy novels, including the Sookie Stackhouse urban fantasies (which inspired the True Blood TV show), the Aurora Teagarden mysteries, the Lily Bard mysteries, the Harper Connelly urban fantasies, the Midnight, Texas novels, and the Gunnie Rose books, set in an alternate history America.

• Beth Hughes, illustrator of Dog Squad

• The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators

• How to Write a Mystery edited by Lee Child

   

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• Kate DiCamillo, one of six people to win two Newbery Medals, for her novels The Tale of Despereaux and Flora & Ulysses, and author of Newbery Honor book Because of Winn-Dixie, National Book Award finalist The Tiger Rising, as well as New York Times bestselling novels The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, The Magician’s Elephant, the Mercy Watson series, and more. DiCamillo was the U.S. National Ambassador for Young People's Literature for 2014 and 2015. Her most recent novel, Beverly, Right Here completes the trilogy of Raymie Nightingale and Louisiana’s Way Home.

• Stuart Gibbs, New York Times bestselling author of the Spy School series, the FunJungle series, the Moon Base Alpha series, and The Last Musketeer series. His newest series kicked off in 2019 with Charlie Thorne and the Last Equation.

• Soman Chainani, New York Times bestselling author of the School for Good and Evil series, which will be a Netflix series.

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Have a question about writing or creativity for Sarah Enni or her guests to answer? To leave a voicemail, call (818) 533-1998 or send an email to mailbag@firstdraftpod.com !

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