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WORK TITLE: Always Never Yours
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: https://www.emilyandaustinwrite.com/
CITY: Los Angeles
STATE: CA
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY:
RESEARCHER NOTES:
| LC control no.: | n 2018003269 |
|---|---|
| LCCN Permalink: | https://lccn.loc.gov/n2018003269 |
| HEADING: | Siegemund-Broka, Austin |
| 000 | 00352nz a2200121n 450 |
| 001 | 10652884 |
| 005 | 20180118155834.0 |
| 008 | 180118n| azannaabn |a aaa |
| 010 | __ |a n 2018003269 |
| 040 | __ |a DLC |b eng |e rda |c DLC |
| 100 | 1_ |a Siegemund-Broka, Austin |
| 400 | 1_ |a Broka, Austin Siegemund- |
| 670 | __ |a Always never yours, 2018: |b ECIP t.p. (Austin Siegemund-Broka) |
PERSONAL
Married Emily Wibberley.
EDUCATION:Received degree from Harvard University.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Author.
AVOCATIONS:Shakespeare.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Austin Siegemund-Broka was a high schooler when he first encountered Emily Wibberley. A romance developed between the two that continued on through their college years, even as they left for separate campuses. Wibberly chose to attend Princeton University, while Siegemund-Broka went off to Harvard University. They reunited later on, and Siegemund-Broka ended up proposing to Wibberley during a visit to the bookstore, The Ripped Bodice. In addition to their romantic relationship, Siegemund-Broka and Wibberley also team up professionally to pen their own novels.
Always Never Yours is the first result of their collaborative efforts. It stars Megan Harper, a high school student whose claim to fame is her position as director for her school’s theater ensemble. While Megan has achieved notable success there, she hasn’t been nearly as lucky in love. She has been in seven different relationships, and none of them has blossomed into the passionate love she really desires. In fact, after ending their relationships with her, every boy she has dated has gone on to find new, deeper relationships. Meanwhile, Megan not only has to deal with her own tumultuous love life, but also the fallout of her parents’ divorce, which has resulted in her mother living in a separate state from her and both of her parents starting new relationships and new families.
Yet Megan refuses to let her failures in love stop her from achieving other dreams. She ultimately desires to study directing at one of the most sought-after university programs in the country. In order to do this, she’ll need to have some experience with acting in addition to directing. To get this requirement dealt with, Megan decides to try out for Romeo and Juliet. She ends up being cast as lead alongside Owen Okita, and the two develop a friendship. While Megan initially sees Owen as nothing more than a wingman, it soon comes to light that more could develop between them. A Kirkus Reviews contributor remarked: “Charming characters and an enchanting exploration of Shakespeare’s romantic tragedy make this husband-and-wife duo’s debut a must-read.” A writer in Publishers Weekly recommended the book to “readers who share a similar love of Shakespeare and want a little romance to go with their drama.” BookPage reviewer Norah Piehl wrote: “Readers will relate to Megan’s exuberant voice and her endearing imperfections.” In an issue of School Library Journal, Laura Gardner called the book “a delightful, light romance readers won’t be able to put down.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
BookPage, June, 2018, Norah Piehl, review of Always Never Yours, p. 28.
Kirkus Reviews, March 15, 2018, review of Always Never Yours.
Publishers Weekly, March 26, 2018, review of Always Never Yours, p. 122.
School Library Journal, May, 2018, Laura Gardner, review of Always Never Yours, p. 103.
ONLINE
Donald Maass Literary Agency, http://maassagency.com/ (May 17, 2018), review of Always Never Yours.
Emily and Austin Write, https://www.emilyandaustinwrite.com (July 9, 2018), author profile.
RT Book Reviews, https://www.rtbookreviews.com/ (November 28, 2017), Kristin Stec, “Literary Love: Authors Austin Siegemund-Broka & Emily Wibberley Get Engaged at The Ripped Bodice,” author interviews.
About Us
Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka met in high school and fell in love over a shared passion for Shakespeare. Austin went on to study English at Harvard so he could continue to impress Emily with his literary analysis, while Emily studied adolescent psychology at Princeton. They live in Los Angeles, where they’ve combined their interests and decided to write stories of high school, literature, and first love.
Literary Love: Authors Austin Siegemund-Broka & Emily Wibberley Get Engaged at The Ripped Bodice
Tue, 11/28/2017 - 4:00pm — Kristin Stec
We at RT are in love with love and a recent surge of engagements (Kit Harington & Rose Leslie, Joe Jonas & Sophie Turner, Prince Harry & Meghan Markle, we could go on …) has totally fed our passion for a real-life HEA. When we heard that two YA authors got engaged at the LA-based romance book store The Ripped Bodice, we were over the moon with excitement — we needed to know more about the couple! We caught up with Austin Siegemund-Broka & Emily Wibberley to chat about their recent engagement, upcoming YA novel and impending nuptials.
Austin
How did you and Emily meet?
I remember it being in high school Honors Chemistry—she sat behind me, and quickly we became friends over mutual loves of books, movies and music. But she thinks, based on the admittedly compelling evidence of exchanged yearbook signatures, we first met in French class in middle school. Regardless, we've known each other since we were young. We were close friends for years before we decided to date!
What made The Ripped Bodice the perfect place to propose?
I wanted to propose in a way that could only be for Emily, nothing generic. I wanted it to be iconically, genuinely her. For the entire time I've known Emily, she's been a voracious and insightful reader—that's how I knew a book- or bookstore-themed proposal would be perfect. The day of, I organized for the two of us a tour of Los Angeles' best bookstores (she knew about that part!).
The Ripped Bodice was the pick for the final proposal location for two reasons. For one, of course, the place is beautiful! I could envision the proposal among the ornate bookshelves, book-themed sculptures and detailed, romantic decorations.
But the other reason is the bookstore's philosophy and ethos. The only brick-and-mortar bookstore exclusively for romance writing in the United States, the Ripped Bodice was independently founded on the principles of changing the reputation of romance writing, a genre often dismissed by wider readerships, and drawing recognition to the genre's depth, persity, and intellect. They're ideas important to Emily, but furthermore, they're ideas representative of what I love about Emily—her independence, her unwavering passions, her devotion to recognizing art and thought (particularly art and thought by women) she feels deserves greater respect. I wanted this new chapter (forgive the book pun!) of our lives to begin in a place devoted to those ideals.
Austin and Emily
Image Credit: Austin Siegemund-Broka
Do you visit The Ripped Bodice together often?
We'd gone a few times before. In addition to YA writers, we're YA readers, and they have a wonderful YA section in addition to traditional romance and beautiful editions of the classics. Emily's not a big photographer when we're in public, but by the way she took pictures of the shelves and the sculptures ... well, I had a good idea she'd appreciating being proposed to there.
How did Leah and Bea react when you asked to propose in their book store?
They loved the idea—they couldn't have been better about the planning. For a few consecutive weeknights my brother and I visited the Ripped Bodice and rearranged furniture, reorganized lighting, and took photos, and Bea and Leah (and their utterly charming dog Fitzwilliam Waffles) gave great recommendations and were completely eager to help us do our thing.
Austin proposes
Image Credit: Austin Siegemund-Broka
Did Emily suspect that something was up?
The funniest thing about proposing is how often you have to fib to the person you love. It's very disorienting! Emily completely suspected something was up when I recommended she "dress nicely for dinner," but when she began working me for information, I had to tell her nothing was going on instead of ruining the surprise!
Emily
Did you suspect that Austin had something planned when you went to The Ripped Bodice that night?
Not at all! I foolishly believed him when he assured me he had nothing special planned for the night. I have, of course, forgiven him this lie.
Have you always been a big reader? What are some of your favorite books?
Absolutely. I was named for Emily Brontë and Emily Dickinson, both favorites of mine, so I feel it was inevitable I grew up to be a lover of words and story. It’s so, so hard to narrow down any kind of list of favorite books, but if I must… Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is flawless. I adore Victorian literature in general—Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, Middlemarch. But of course, YA reigns in my heart. I have Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl to thank for that.
How did your family and friends react to your engagement news? Did they love the bookstore setting?
Everyone immediately commented on how perfect a choice it was, and not just because of how much I love books, but because our relationship is strengthened every day by our shared interest in writing and literature.
Austin and Emily proposal
Image Credit: Austin Siegemund-Broka
Austin & Emily
When did you begin writing together?
About two years ago.
What trope most mirrors your relationship?
Best friends who take a long time to realize their feelings for each other, à la When Harry Met Sally. It’s not a coincidence our writing tends to incorporate this trope as well.
Do you see many writing collaborations in your future as a married couple?
Definitely. We both know we are a much better team than we are on our own. This goes for just about everything in life as well.
Austin and Emily
Image Credit: Austin Siegemund-Broka
Tell us about your upcoming YA novel, Always Never Yours.
Always Never Yours, out from Penguin on May 22, 2018, is kind of a modern-day retelling of Romeo and Juliet about a teen girl who always winds up playing the Rosaline in her off-stage relationships—the girl before her boyfriends find “the one”—but when cast as Juliet in her school play, she begins to notice the Romeo she never expected.
ALWAYS NEVER YOURS
You and Emily currently collaborate on YA novels — do you think you'll ever pen a romance novel together?
All our YA novels have a healthy dose of romance in them! Considering we are high school sweethearts, writing about romance in a high school context is just too close to our hearts to pass up. Of course, anything is possible!
Do you plan to incorporate any books into your wedding?
If we don’t get married in somewhere bookish, it’s safe to say books and literature will be a huge theme!
Always Never Yours will be available in digital and print on May 22, 2018 — be on the lookout for our review in a future edition of the RT VIP Salon! And for more romantic reads, be sure to stop by our Everything Romance page.
Genre:
Romance
Siegemund-Broka, Austin: ALWAYS NEVER YOURS
Kirkus Reviews.
(Mar. 15, 2018): From Book Review Index Plus. COPYRIGHT 2018 Kirkus Media LLC http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Siegemund-Broka, Austin ALWAYS NEVER YOURS Speak/Penguin (Young Adult Fiction) $17.99 5, 22 ISBN: 978-0-451-47984-6
A young woman reluctantly cast as Juliet stumbles across her own real-life Romeo.
Bold senior Megan Harper is known for directing student theater productions and being a self- proclaimed boy-crazy flirt. But Megan isn't ever "the one": Most of her seven ex-boyfriends have met their true loves right after leaving her--including Tyler, who is now with her accomplished best friend, Madeleine. Despite Megan's messy home life (she lives in Oregon with her dad, his pregnant wife, and their toddler, while her mom lives in Texas with her boyfriend), she has one post-graduation goal: attending a prestigious directing program. Because she needs one acting credit for her application, Megan auditions for the smallest role in her school's production of Romeo and Juliet--but ends up as the female lead opposite Tyler. The play offers the prospect of wooing Will, one of the stagehands, and, realizing he's friends with the new drama kid, Owen Okita, she cozies up to him in order to find out more about her latest crush, not realizing that her perfect match was right under her nose all along. Megan and Owen's flirty, whip-smart banter is irresistible, and it's refreshing to see a swoonworthy Asian male love interest. Owen is Japanese- American and Megan's best friend is a biracial (African-American and Mexican) boy; other major characters are white.
Charming characters and an enchanting exploration of Shakespeare's romantic tragedy make this husband-and-wife duo's debut a must-read. (Fiction.14-18)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Siegemund-Broka, Austin: ALWAYS NEVER YOURS." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Mar. 2018. Book
Review Index Plus, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A530650708/GPS?u=schlager&
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sid=GPS&xid=f413419e. Accessed 12 June 2018. Gale Document Number: GALE|A530650708
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Always Never Yours
Publishers Weekly.
265.13 (Mar. 26, 2018): p122. From Book Review Index Plus. COPYRIGHT 2018 PWxyz, LLC http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Always Never Yours
Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka. Speak, $17.99 (352p) ISBN 978-0-45147984-6
Megan, who aspires to be a theater director, is focused on finishing her senior year and fulfilling the acting requirement she needs to get into the Southern Oregon Theater Institute. Her family life is in flux (her parents are divorced), and her best friend is dating her ex, Tyler. But then she's cast as Juliet, opposite Tyler's Romeo. Owen, a new boy with theater aspirations of his own, enters Megan's life, and as their friendship grows she misses all the signals that Owen might be the love she didn't know she wanted. Real-life romantic partners Wibberly (the Last Oracle series) and Siegemund-Broka (making his YA debut) collaborated in this theater-centered novel, with a predictable will-they/won't-they romance at its core. As Megan spends the bulk of her time with yet another guy who's wrong for her (Will), Owen is there in the wings. The coauthors wisely balance out the romance with family drama, and Megan's commitment to a future life in the theater will please readers who share a similar love of Shakespeare and want a little romance to go with their drama. Ages 14up. Agent: Katie Shea B outiItier, Donald Maass Literary Agency. (May)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Always Never Yours." Publishers Weekly, 26 Mar. 2018, p. 122. Book Review Index Plus,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A532997249/GPS?u=schlager&sid=GPS& xid=6474293d. Accessed 12 June 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A532997249
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ALWAYS NEVER YOURS
Norah Piehl
BookPage.
(June 2018): p28. From Book Review Index Plus. COPYRIGHT 2018 BookPage http://bookpage.com/
Full Text:
ALWAYS NEVER YOURS
By Emily Wibberley & Austin
Siegemund-Broka Penguin
$17.99, 352 pages ISBN 9780451479846 eBook available Ages 14 and up
High school senior Megan Harper has always shied away from the spotlight. She loves the theater, but she wants to direct, not star. And Megan might be an incorrigible flirt, but she's never been anyone's true love. In fact, the many boys she's dated have a history of finding their perfect matches right after they've dumped her.
When Megan--whose drama school application requires her to have some acting experience-- accidentally lands the lead role in Romeo & Juliet, she's terrified, especially when it turns out she's acting opposite her most recent ex, who's now madly in love with her best friend. Consequently, Megan is eager to find her next fling--but maybe she needs to slow down and find someone who believes that even supporting characters deserve their own happy endings.
Husband-and-wife writing duo Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka know of what they write--they met in high school while studying Shakespeare. Readers will relate to Megan's exuberant voice and her endearing imperfections, as well as to the challenges of balancing complex families, academic ambition and (maybe) love, all while trying to put on a show.
The course of true love never did run smooth--but, as in Shakespeare, navigating the rough parts is what makes for a funny, romantic and memorable story.
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
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Piehl, Norah. "ALWAYS NEVER YOURS." BookPage, June 2018, p. 28. Book Review Index Plus, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A540052030/GPS?u=schlager&sid=GPS& xid=8b1a7033. Accessed 12 June 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A540052030
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WIBBERLEY, Emily & Austin
Siegemund-Broka. Always Never
Yours
Laura Gardner
School Library Journal.
64.5 (May 2018): p103+. From Book Review Index Plus.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
Full Text:
WIBBERLEY, Emily & Austin Siegemund-Broka. Always Never Yours. 352p. Penguin/ Speak. May 2018. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9780451479846.
Gr 9 Up-Megan Harper has always played a supporting character in her own life. Every boyfriend she has had has found a better match right after breaking up with her. It feels like she doesn't even belong in her own family lately; her father and stepmother are starting a new family and planning to move across the country once she graduates from high school. Megan has one true passion in life: directing theater productions. She is excited to hopefully attend a local theater program for college, but first she must get an acting credit. She hopes for a small role, but is surprised when she is cast as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, opposite her best friend's boyfriend who also happens to be Megan's most recent ex. When she falls for a stagehand named Will, she enlists the help of her new friend Owen Okita to land the new guy. It's Owen, however, who truly sees Megan for who she is. Megan is no wallflower and she doesn't subscribe to any conventions when it comes to romance and sex. She is a direct young woman who doesn't play games but also doesn't yet know what she really wants. The diverse cast includes a Japanese American love interest and a black, gay friend who struggles in a relationship with a boy who is still in the closet, in addition to the white female lead. VERDICT A delightful, light romance readers won't be able to put down.--Laura Gardner, Dartmouth Middle School, MA
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Gardner, Laura. "WIBBERLEY, Emily & Austin Siegemund-Broka. Always Never Yours."
School Library Journal, May 2018, p. 103+. Book Review Index Plus, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A536988067/GPS?u=schlager&sid=GPS& xid=845fa828. Accessed 12 June 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A536988067
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Review: Always Never Yours by Austin Siegemund-Broka and Emily Wibberley
Cover of Always Never Yours by Austin Siegemund-Broka and Emily Wibberley.School Library Journal: Megan Harper has always played a supporting character in her own life. Every boyfriend she has had has found a better match right after breaking up with her.
Megan has one true passion in life: directing theater productions. She is excited to hopefully attend a local theater program for college, but first she must get an acting credit. She hopes for a small role, but is surprised when she is cast as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, opposite her best friend’s boyfriend who also happens to be Megan’s most recent ex. When she falls for a stagehand named Will, she enlists the help of her new friend Owen Okita to land the new guy. It’s Owen, however, who truly sees Megan for who she is.
Megan is no wallflower and she doesn’t subscribe to any conventions when it comes to romance and sex. She is a direct young woman who doesn’t play games but also doesn’t yet know what she really wants. The diverse cast includes a Japanese American love interest and a black, gay friend who struggles in a relationship with a boy who is still in the closet, in addition to the white female lead.
A delightful, light romance readers won’t be able to put down.
May 17, 2018
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