Leigh Bardugo is an Author Rockstar

If you’ve never done a blog tour before, then I’ll give you some insider tips.  What happens is you usually get a choice of posts (interview, Q&A, Guest Post, etc) and you’ll get a bunch of instructions that you absolutely must follow lest the tour operators chase you down and murder you with their keyboards (has almost happened to me twice).  Our instructions included explicit details about how we need to write a paragraph describing why our assigned author is a rockstar.

This was entirely unnecessary.  Leigh Bardugo IS a rockstar, no explanation necessary.  And not just because she trashed our blog, got us drunk, and gave us the best night of our life.  I mean, check out that parka in her author photo!  Rockstar!  And her hair smells pretty.  Not I I would…er… know.

Kat Kennedy:
Stephanie Sinclair and I are here with super Author Rockstar, Leigh Bardugo.

Leigh Bardugo:
I’ve just finished wrecking my hotel room and mainlining Claritin. That’s what Author Rockstars do.

Kat Kennedy:
Leigh! Can you tell us when you first realised you were an Author Rockstar?

Leigh Bardugo:
When I first realized?
Um, I may not have realized yet.
What makes one an Author Rockstar?

Kat Kennedy:
Ummmm, I dunno. Maybe you’re just born that way?

Stephanie Sinclair:
It could possibly be your very popular series, The Grisha.
Maybe people have heard of it.

Kat Kennedy:
Like it’s something that’s always in you.  Just waiting for you to accept it.

Leigh Bardugo:
Like Maybelline?

Kat Kennedy:
YES!

Stephanie Sinclair:
Bahaha!

Kat Kennedy:
We made some fanart for you, since we can’t do any of the other things we usually do with rockstars.
ie. all the illicit stuff.

Leigh Bardugo:
Wait, what do you usually do with rockstars?
Well that just seems like a tease

Stephanie Sinclair:
Party?

Kat Kennedy:
Well, there’s always my trip to America next year.
we could party then.

Stephanie Sinclair:
I approve this plan.

Leigh Bardugo:
Seconded.

Stephanie Sinclair:
Seal of endorsement.

Leigh Bardugo:
Party quorum reached!

Kat Kennedy:
Party Motion passed.
Steph just invited me to room with her, so it’s definitely going to get interesting.
You could bed with us for the night!

Leigh Bardugo:
Are you going to BEA? What is this trip?

Kat Kennedy:
Yup. Totes coming for BEA.

Leigh Bardugo:
Ohhhh. I never get to go to BEA.
*Looks mournfully out window*
*Plays The Smiths*

Kat Kennedy:
Okay, now I definitely need to cheer you up.

Stephanie Sinclair:
That’s because you’re usually busy living the Rockstar life for your book launches!

Leigh Bardugo:
Well. Yes. My books almost always launch right then, but still!

Kat Kennedy:
So here’s the first of fanart!

Leigh Bardugo:
Let’s see it.

Kat Kennedy:
I present to you, MAL!

Stephanie Sinclair:
SO CUTE!
He’s so fluffy, I’m gonna die!

Leigh Bardugo:
Omg.
I’m dying.

Kat Kennedy:
Mal has been Minionized! Boom!

Leigh Bardugo:
That is not what I expected.
I love the minions!

Kat Kennedy:
Minions! Minions everywhere!

Leigh Bardugo:
But why is he wearing glasses?

Stephanie Sinclair:
He’s a minion!

Kat Kennedy:
All Minions are required to wear glasses.

Leigh Bardugo:
Mal has excellent vision.  Except when he can’t see what’s RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIM.  Get it?

Kat Kennedy:
LOL!
Oh, the feels!
Damn you Mal!

Leigh Bardugo:
I hope you minionized everyone.
I love them so.

Stephanie Sinclair:
Mal-Mal. He must own that nickname now.

Kat Kennedy:
Sturmhund is up next:

Stephanie Sinclair:
Sexy pose!

Leigh Bardugo:
Omg. Perfection!
That is so Sturmhond.
The Wolf of the Waves brought to life before my very eyes

Kat Kennedy:
I know! I loved doing him!

Leigh Bardugo:
Did you draw that, Kat?

Kat Kennedy:
Yeah I drew all of these.

Leigh Bardugo:
I’m so impressed!!
I had no idea you were an artiste!

Kat Kennedy:
Thank you! It’s a good day when I can impress YOU!

Stephanie Sinclair:
I love how he has his eye squinted. Set phasers to COME HITHER.

Leigh Bardugo:
lol.  That’s his only setting.

Kat Kennedy:
Ready for Darkling?

Leigh Bardugo:
OH YES.

Kat Kennedy:
So. TRUE.

Leigh Bardugo:
OMG. I wish you could hear me belly laughing with glee.
The collar! The glance! Darkling has MOOD.

Kat Kennedy:
Your online squeeing still fills my heart with joy.

Stephanie Sinclair:
He’s ready for a runway.

Leigh Bardugo:
For real.
I love these so much. I’m going to put them on the fanart board!

Kat Kennedy:
You mean we made the fanart board?!
No way!

Stephanie Sinclair:
“Darkling! What are you wearing!”

Leigh Bardugo:
“Whatever the hell I want.”

Stephanie Sinclair:
“Tortured Souls.”

Leigh Bardugo:
Ahahahahahaha!

Kat Kennedy:
And now for Alina!

Leigh Bardugo:
Awwww!! She’s adorable!!

Kat Kennedy:
Yeah, I was going to make her all badass, but the minion part of her didn’t approve.

Leigh Bardugo:
My little minionized Sun Summoner!
She can be adorable AND badass.

Kat Kennedy:
Exactly!

Stephanie Sinclair:
Yup!

Leigh Bardugo:
“Come cuddle me! imma kill you.”

Kat Kennedy:
She’s smiling cutely, and then she’ll open a can of whoop ass on you!

Leigh Bardugo:
Exactly.

Kat Kennedy:
God, I love Alina.

Leigh Bardugo:
Aw, thank you, Kat. I love hearing that.

Stephanie Sinclair:
She’s a great character, but what do we expect from a Rockstar Aurthor?

Kat Kennedy:
No, thank you for coming today and not pointing out all our typos, forcing us to keep them in the posted chat!
😉

Leigh Bardugo:
Ha!

Stephanie Sinclair:
Has your Rockstar status given you the chance to meet any authors that you’ve always admired?

Leigh Bardugo:
Omg. YES. Holly Black. Scott Westerfeld. Libba Bray. Good gravy the list goes on.
It’s one of the best parts of this job.

Kat Kennedy:
I would die to meet Holly Black.

Leigh Bardugo:
She is so lovely and kind and brilliant.

Stephanie Sinclair:
She has the coolest hair.

Leigh Bardugo:
And yes, her hair is SHINY.

Kat Kennedy:
I don’t think I would be able to say anything other than stammer embarrassingly.
Shiny hair, to me, is a massive virtue.  Especially if people let me touch their hair.

Leigh Bardugo:
I have truly acted foolish around a lot of these peeps.

Stephanie Sinclair:
Creeper!
Have you had any super fans present you with cookies on your doorstep in exchange for manuscripts?

Leigh Bardugo:
Ha!
If a reader showed up on my doorstep, I’d be pretty wigged out. Cookies or no.

Stephanie Sinclair:
I’M ON MY WAY.

Kat Kennedy:
We’re trying to gauge if this is a tactic we can try.

Leigh Bardugo:
Hrmmm… if you had checked my trash bin last week, you could have read several drafts of Ruin and Rising.
I killed a thousand trees with that book and a few characters. Mwahahahahahahaha.

Kat Kennedy:
NOOOOOOOOoooooo!
Why would you tell us that?! WHY?!

Stephanie Sinclair:
D:

Leigh Bardugo:
BECAUSE I CAN.

Stephanie Sinclair:
Y-y-you monster!

Kat Kennedy:
Rockstardom has gone to your head.

Leigh Bardugo:
I know. I’m mad with power.

Kat Kennedy:
LIKE THE DARKLING!
Have you learned nothing?
You’ve changed, man.

Leigh Bardugo:
Not at all, I was always awful.
Girl, you don’t know how book 3 ends. Could be parties and cakes and a pinata.
Have I ever mentioned how much I love a pinata?

Kat Kennedy:
Pinata are the best.

Stephanie Sinclair:
This goes all the way back to naming a character Blood, doesn’t it?

Leigh Bardugo:
Oh lord.  Possibly

Kat Kennedy:
They combine my two favourite things – candy, and hitting things.

Leigh Bardugo:
Exactly!
Every party is better with a pinata.

Stephanie Sinclair:
Any moments particularly stand out to you since you’ve become a published author?

Kat Kennedy:
Duh, Steph. Chatting with us, obviously.

Leigh Bardugo:
That is clearly #1
Our previous chat is #2

Stephanie Sinclair:
Well, aside from that (and meeting me! HA!)

Leigh Bardugo:
Meeting Steph at the library is #3

Stephanie Sinclair:
Weeeeeee!

Kat Kennedy:
Yeah… we are pretty memorable.

Leigh Bardugo:
And our future meeting is #4

Kat Kennedy:
No, babe. It’ll be #4, 5, 6, 7, 8 by the time we’re through.

Stephanie Sinclair:
I like where this is going.

Leigh Bardugo:
Dang, set the bar high!

Kat Kennedy:
Really? I thought I was playing conservative…
😉
Do you have a real memory you wish to share?
Or are you happy for us to hijack that question?

Leigh Bardugo:
There have been a lot, especially this past year.
I blogged recently about a letter I got from some campers who read Shadow and Bone together at sleepaway camp,
then they all dressed up as the Grisha with their counselors for Fourth of July.

Kat Kennedy:
Awwwww!

Leigh Bardugo:
They sent me their pic and a bunch of letters and it was really one of the loveliest things I’ve ever received.  I remember reading The Princess Bride with my cabin so clearly, so it was a kind of “omg. the book is real, it has a life beyond me” moment.

Stephanie Sinclair:
SO cute!

Kat Kennedy:
You give out special prizes for peeps who show up in Tsarpunk at signings, don’t you?

Leigh Bardugo:
I DO INDEED.
I give away little red journals. They have Istorii Sankt’ya written on them in gold.
But they’re only for costumers and cosplayers.

Kat Kennedy:
Awww! Jelly!

Leigh Bardugo:
Hey girl, put on a fuzzy hat and hit a con. take a pic and I’ll send you one 😉

Kat Kennedy:
Yes!  Done!

Stephanie Sinclair:
So how exactly does a Rockstar Author pre-game before a book launch?

Leigh Bardugo:
Lol. I just imagined dousing myself in Gatorade and running laps.
What a horrifying thought.

Stephanie Sinclair:
A video of that would afford me many LOLZ.

Kat Kennedy:
Do you ever picture yourself making it to the top of a really long set of stairs.

Leigh Bardugo:
I’d make it halfway down the block and you’d have to drag me home.

Kat Kennedy:
And jumping up and down victoriously as you gaze out at the skyline?

Leigh Bardugo:
And throwing my fists in the air like Rocky?

Stephanie Sinclair:
YES.

Kat Kennedy:
YES.

Leigh Bardugo:
Then lying down and rolling to the bottom?
Mostly the second part.

Kat Kennedy:
That would be perfect.

Leigh Bardugo:
The time before book launch is pretty much the most stressful part of the year.
And I’m a natural worrier so it’s doubly insane making.
The last two years, I’ve also been getting ready to go on a two week book tour with the book’s release. So it’s a lot at once.

Kat Kennedy:
Do you need a massage?
I’ll be in America around that time.

Leigh Bardugo:
lol

Kat Kennedy:
I give great shoulder massages!

Leigh Bardugo:
Show up on my doorstep and offer me a massage.

Kat Kennedy:
Done!

Leigh Bardugo:
I’ll turn the hounds on you!

Kat Kennedy:
Nooooooo!
You could turn a Sturmhund on me.
I wouldn’t mind.

Leigh Bardugo:
Ha!

Stephanie Sinclair:
*Books plane ticket*

Kat Kennedy:
Thank you so much for coming to chat with us today, Leigh!

Leigh Bardugo:
Of course!
You guys are a hoot as always.
A hoot I say!

Kat Kennedy:
As always, its a blast to talk to one of our favourite rockstar authors!

Leigh Bardugo:
<3
Thanks for having me.

Kat Kennedy:
Now let’s all head out to that old timey barnraising!

Leigh Bardugo:
And see you on my doorstep soon I hope.

Stephanie Sinclair:
Thanks for coming.
YOU BETCHA.
(not creepy)

Leigh Bardugo:
(not at all 😉

[about-author]

A major shout-out to Jessie from Ageless Pages Reviews for all her help in getting character descriptions down!  And to all the people on the internet shouting hair and eye colour at me.  You’re all heroes today!