Share
Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books™️
Jennifer Blecher, CAMP FAMOUS and SUDDENLY FAMOUS
Season 23, Ep. 94
•
Zibby and a special guest host (her younger daughter!) welcome beloved middle grade author Jennifer Blecher to discuss her books CAMP FAMOUS and its sequel SUDDENLY FAMOUS. They talk about the magic of summer camp and creative ways to bring books to life beyond the page, brainstorming everything from filming DIY YouTube shorts to launching grassroots marketing at sleepaway camps. Jennifer also shares behind-the-scenes stories of her own camp days, how her daughters inspire her writing, her journey into self-publishing, and the joys and challenges of writing for kids.
Purchase on Bookshop:
Camp Famous: https://bit.ly/3EZF5us
Share, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!
** Check out the Z.I.P. membership program—Zibby’s Important People! As a Z.I.P., you’ll get exclusive essays, special author access, discounts at Zibby’s Bookshop, and more. Head to zibbyowens.com to subscribe or upgrade and become a Z.I.P. today!
** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for more about today's episode.
(Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact allie.gallo@acast.com.)
More episodes
View all episodes
38. Do Your Kids Like Slime?
19:37||Season 26, Ep. 38We’ve gone through a multi-year slime phase in our house, much to the dismay of our kitchen table. When we discovered there was basically an amusement park for slime called Sloomoo Institute, the kids were hooked! It’s an immersive experience, birthday party venue, and sensory sensation with make-your-own-slime, get slimed walls, walk barefoot in smooth sand, and other tactile experiences. Now bestselling author Melissa De La Cruz and Mike Johnston have turned founders Karen Robinovitz and Sara Schiller’s destination into a graphic novel Sloomoo: Making Friends. (Karen and Sara united after both of them had been felled by unspeakable losses and found joy through playing with slime.) They’ll be at Zibby’s Bookshop this Sunday (me too!) from 10 am - 11 am and will be hosting a kids’ experience. Listen to the episode and come by!
37. Bestselling Author Marie Benedict Knows History
26:16||Season 26, Ep. 37I like to think of Marie Benedict as my midlife history professor; every novel she writes teaches me more about periods of time I thought I understood. In Daughter of Egypt, Marie transports us to post-WWI England and Egypt through the eyes of a young woman who is more interested in archeology than cotillion. I interviewed Marie as part of Totally Booked: Live in Palm Beach. Prepare to be transported.
36. Best Writing Advice I’ve Ever Received from The Book Thief’s Markus Zusak
31:21||Season 26, Ep. 36Do you remember The Book Thief? It came out twenty years ago and was a massive bestseller. It was just re-released as a 20th anniversary edition and oh my gosh, it’s gorgeous. I re-read the book to prepare for my interview with Markus and highly encourage you to do so, too — or read it for the first time if you missed it. Spectacular. It’s a story about a young, book-loving, non-Jewish girl in Nazi Germany, her family’s relationship with the man they hid, her own family’s struggle, and a town reeling from the war. I’m not doing it justice. It’s so good, a coming-of-age in wartime. Also? Incredibly creative. Hear from Markus Zusak about how he wrote the book only he could write.
35. An “It Girl” Worth Knowing with Allison Pataki
26:08||Season 26, Ep. 35Bestselling author Allison Pataki introduces us to yet another powerful woman forgotten in history in her latest historical novel, It Girl. Evelyn Talbot shot onto the scene in the early 20th century and rose to prominence (think: Kardashian). But her relationships with men destroyed her career and her life. Read Allison’s reimagined ending for this star.
34. A Love Letter to a Former Teacher with Brian Platzer
22:00||Season 26, Ep. 34Brian Platzer’s novel The Optimists was just reviewed in the New York Times Book Review. I interviewed him live at the Whitby about his beloved teacher, who fell victim to a stroke and whom he visited for years afterwards, how Sarah Jessica Parker interviewed him at a recent event, and the power of loyalty. It also features a love story gone wrong about teens and a star student’s descent. Share, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!
33. Debut Fiction Based in New Mexico with Nancy Foley
16:22||Season 26, Ep. 33Want to travel to the Southwest? I Am Agatha by debut author Nancy Foley takes us there. Inspired by her grandmother’s past, Nancy wrote a story about two elderly ladies and their antics. It’s as much about the land as the people. Here’s to pursuing writing dreams until they come true. Share, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!
32. Ruthie Rogers Sits Down with Celebs
21:35||Season 26, Ep. 32In Table 4 at The River Cafe, restaurant owner Ruthie Rogers shares conversations with her high-profile podcast guests including Paul McCartney, David Beckham, and Martha Stewart. Learn more about them through the relationships to food. Share, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!
31. Anna Quindlen’s Book Club
24:39||Season 26, Ep. 31Ever wondered what a fictitious book club would look like in Anna Quindlen’s mind? Enter More Than Enough, her latest powerhouse of a novel which centers on what happens to the members of a book club including DNA-based identity disruptions, illness, infertility, and more — with a dose of alpaca. Read to find out. We recorded our episode live at The Whitby Hotel. Watch it on my TV show “Totally Booked” on the JBS network when it comes out. Share, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!
30. Alexandra Potter, a European Road Trip, and Two Bad Ass Women
27:37||Season 26, Ep. 30We published this “Thelma and Louise” meets “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” tale about a midlife recently catfished and humiliated woman and the young journalist determined to get revenge on her behalf. Travel all over Europe with them as they track down the con man who did this. Alexandra Potter is a massive bestselling author in the U.K. whose last novel was adapted into the TV show, “Not Dead Yet” on ABC. Check out So, I Met This Guy. Share, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!