Coupla Things . . .

So last night my husband was looking at my wall calender and said, "Hey, did you realize BLUE MOON was released on the full moon?"

Um, no. I didn't.

But I really wish I did so I could've done a whole, cool, full moon, BLUE MOON, release blog party thing.

But now it's just a cool idea after the fact.

Oh well.

So yesterday EVERMORE landed at #4 on the New York Times Bestseller's List for Children's Paperbacks--woo hoo!! Making for 22 weeks in the top 5-- MAJOR Woo-Hoo!! And is also at #103 on the USA Today list--yay!!! And it's all because of readers like YOU- so thank you thank you thank you for that!

Also, Mind of a Bibliophile and Fantastic Book Reviews had some really really nice things to say about BLUE MOON, you can read their review HERE and HERE!

And, I'm really psyched that my EVERMORE/BLUE MOON playlist story made the Large Hearted Boy blog! You can read that one HERE!

Also, if you're in the Orange County area next Friday, July 17, I'll be signing copies of my books at:

Barnes & Noble
791 S. Main St. #100
Orange, CA 92868

And it would be really great to see you!

I'll also be at Comic Con the following week on Friday, July 24th, doing a panel called "Future Fond Memories" and would love to see you there! The details are:

Comic Con!!
Panel-"Future Fond Memories"- 12:30-1:30
Signing- 1:30 -2:30
San Diego Convention Center
111 W. Harbor Drive
San Diego, CA 92101

And last, but not least, there's still time to win a signed copy of EVERMORE & BLUE MOON over at Melissa Walker's blog, oh, and you can also read the whole BLUE MOON cover story and check out the one that didn't make it! All you have to do is click HERE!

And last, but not least, did you find all the tulips over at my new IMMORTALS site? Every time you click on a hidden tulip you get to listen to an audio clip of a scene not found in any of the books! Just click HERE to let the hunt begin!!

That's it for now, have a good day everyone!

Alyson
xoxo

GCC Presents . . . Melissa Walker!!

This week on the Girlfriend's Cyber Circuit I'm thrilled to host amazing author, founder of the awesome newsletter, I Heart Daily, and fellow Teen Fiction Cafe Patron, Melissa Walker, who's latest novel, LOVESTRUCK SUMMER, was released by HarperTeen on May 5!!

Melissa was kind enough to take time out 

of her busy schedule to answer a few 

questions, but first, The Story:

LOVESTRUCK SUMMER is the story of Quinn, an indie rock girl who came out 

to Austin, Texas for a music internship. She also plans to spend long, lazy days in the sun at outdoor concerts--and to meet a hot musician or two. Instead, she’s stuck rooming with her sorority brainwashed cousin, who now willingly goes by the name “Party Penny.” Their personalities clash, big time.
But Sebastian, a gorgeous DJ, definitely makes up for it. Sebastian has it all: looks, charm, and great taste in music. So why can’t Quinn keep her mind off Penny’s friend cute, All-American Russ and his Texas twang?

Sebastian is the kind of guy Quinn wants, but is Russ the guy Quinn needs? One thing’s certain: Quinn’s in for a summer she’ll never forget!

The Same 5 Questions I Always Ask:

1. Every story has a backstory, what's the backstory for your book?

I took a trip to Austin in the summer, and I was so inspired by everything there--the live music! 

the sweltering heat and the cool water spots! the BATS! I just had to set a book there, and a summer romance seemed perfect.

2. What's your work environment like? Any rituals, totems, or must haves?

Just my big pink flowered chair. Oh, and iced coffee that has enough cream and sugar in it to taste like ice cream. I must have that by my side as I write.

3. If you could live inside any book-- which would it be?

Maybe a Sarah Dessen book, because they're like real life. And I'm into real life. My favorite one, so far, is THE TRUTH ABOUT FOREVER.

4. What book rocked your world growing up?

I re-read Franny and Zooey by JD Salinger 3 times in one day just so I wouldn't have to leave their world behind. That's pretty world-rocking. (Alyson note- OMG, I did the same thing!!! LOVE that book!)

5. If you could visit any time, place, or person- what, where, or who would it be?

I'd go back a few years and have one more good, long talk with my dad. Preferably on his sailboat, under the stars.

Melissa's Story:

A former editor at ELLEgirl and Seventeen magazines, Melissa Walker knows her indie rock. She hails from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and currently resides in Brooklyn, New York. She loves talking about books, fashion, magazines and all kinds of pop culture. Visit her at melissacwalker.com or on iheartdaily.com.

Release Day Activities

So yesterday was one of those really great days! You know the kind where you just wake up happy, stay that way throughout, and then go to bed with a smile on your face?

It was pretty much like that!

I guess because it was EVERMORE's official release day, which, let's face it, release day is always pretty exciting, but still, this one was a little more so than usual. I heard from so many excited readers via Myspace, Facebook, my bulletin board, e-mail--I could hardly believe it! (You guys read fast and your kind words mean the world to me! And yes, I will get back to all of you soon!). Not to mention all those awesome teen bloggers who were nice enough to interview me (links in blog posts below and more to come!). And then of course, there's the YA author community in general which is so warm, friendly, and supportive--I'm proud to be a part of it!

Oh, and speaking of cool YA authors, the uber cool Melissa Walker sent me this photo of EVERMORE taken at the B&N in Union Square:

Seriously, how sweet is she?

But the other part of what made the day so great-- is that I got to do a few of my favorite things like: hit the bookstores!! I love bookstores. Always have. I even have this recurring fantasy of owning a little bookstore in a location so remote, with so few  customers, I get to sit at my unused cash register all day and just read!! My husband who, luckily, is a little more practical, business minded, and left-brained than me, assures me this particular fantasy should not be acted on. Anyway, back to the bookstores, well, it didn't really go as I'd planned, so here's the report: some of the B&Ns didn't even get their EVERMORE copies yet! (Gasp!)  Though they assured me they have bunches on order and expect them to arrive "any day now." And then some of the Border's had already either sold out (!) and/or only had one left, but since they're supposed to order more, I'll definitely check back and sign then! And since the area I just happened to be trolling had no independents, I'll be checking in on those later this week! 

So, not really getting the signing fix I was after, I moved on to my mom's where I foisted stacks and stacks of bookmarks on her before heading out to a Mexican restaurant for dinner, which, seriously now, is there anything better than that guacamole they make right at your table?

I think not.

And by the time I finally made it home, eager to watch the season 7 disc 5 Buffy DVD that Netflix had so kindly sent me, I found that my awesome editor had sent me this:

That's EVERMORE in the Feb/Mar issue of Justine magazine- chosen as a Page Turner pick! Squee!!

And then after watching The Spike Show, er, Buffy (oh, Spike how I love thee!), I checked my Amazon numbers one last time (I know, I know, but I just can't help myself!) and saw that EVERMORE was in the top 25 books in teen Sci-Fi--

and that's when I went to bed happy!

Oh, and for those of you wanting to get your hands on a signed copy, stop by Stephanie Kuehnert's blog where later today she's kindly featuring me as a Woman Who Rocks (trust me, Stephanie's the one who rocks!), and giving away a copy of EVERMORE to one random commenter! 

And speaking of signed copies--don't forget to stop by Free Book Friday Teens for your chance to hear the Ally Carter interview and win one of 4 signed copies of her phenomenal GALLAGHER GIRLS books!

That's it for now--have a good day everyone!

Twilight Movie Madness!

Thanks to the ever industrious Ms. Jessica Brody, I am now an official ticket holder for TWILIGHT's opening night!!  And even though I haven't read past NEW MOON yet, I totally cannot wait to see Edward on the big screen!

And speaking of Jessica Brody, be sure to stop by her awesome sites FREE BOOK FRIDAY and FREE BOOK FRIDAY TEENS for your chance to win a signed copies of Amanda Ashby's YOU HAD ME AT HALO and Melissa Walker's VIOLET IN PRIVATE! Hurry--the contest closes on Friday!

Also, ever wonder what happened to the naked baby on Nirvana's iconic NEVERMIND album cover-- (come on, you know you've been wondering!) -- well wonder no more! He's all grown up now having reached the ripe old age of (gasp!) 17-- and he's recreating his most famous pose --albeit with swim trunks this time! To see the pic and read about his no fail pick up line (I seriously hope it fails more than it works!)- click HERE.

So tell me, are you planning to see TWILIGHT the movie??

Cover Girl!

Ever wonder about the journey behind a book cover? How it goes from idea to picture, and just who's responsible for getting it to look that way anyway? And just how much input, (if any), the author had?

Well, wonder no more! The awesome Melissa Walker has been posting a weekly cover story on her blog, and today it's my turn as I tell all--giving you the story behind the story on the CRUEL SUMMER cover!

All you have to do to read all about it, just click HERE.




Oh, and how's this for the power of television! Straight from the New York Times mass-market paperback bestseller list:

1. NIGHTS IN RODANTHE, by Nicholas Sparks
2. THIRD DEGREE, by Greg Iles.
3. BOOK OF THE DEAD, by Patricia Cornwell
4. DEAD UNTIL DARK, by Charlaine Harris
5. STONE COLD, by David Baldacci
6. PLAYING FOR PIZZA, by John Grisham
7. COMPULSION, by Jonathan Kellerman
8. LIVING DEAD IN DALLAS, by Charlaine Harris
9. PROTECT AND DEFEND, by Vince Flynn
10. SANDPIPER WAY, by Debbie Macomber
11. CLUB DEAD, by Charlaine Harris
12. YOU’VE BEEN WARNED, by James Patterson and Howard Roughan
13. DEAD TO THE WORLD, by Charlaine Harris
14. SWEET REVENGE, by Diane Mott Davidson
15. SHOW NO MERCY, by Cindy Gerard
16. KEEPING FAITH, by Jodi Picoult
17. DEAD AS A DOORNAIL, by Charlaine Harris
18. TRUNK MUSIC, by Michael Connelly
19. DEFINITELY DEAD, by Charlaine Harris
20. ALL TOGETHER DEAD, by Charlaine Harris

Yup, that's Charlaine Harris occupying a ton of (count 'em--seven!!) spots for her Sookie Stackhouse series, which HBO's new show, TRUE BLOOD is based on! I don't even know Charlaine and I've never read the books (though I have watched the show), but I was so excited for her when I saw this--talk about an author's dream come true! Rock on, Charlaine!

And speaking of writing, literary agent Donald Maas is giving away free downloads of his book, The Career Novelist: A Literary Agent Offers Strategies for Success

All you have to do to download your copy is click HERE!

That's it for now--

Happy Monday Everyone!

Girlfriends Cyber Circuit Presents . . .Melissa Walker!!!

Question: What do you call someone who's amazingly cool, totally pretty, super smart, and has just penned an amazing new series???

Answer: Melissa Walker.

That's right, Ms. Walker, author of the uber-awesome Violet series, has agreed to stop by for a chat about her latest installment: VIOLET IN PRIVATE.

But first, here's the inside scoop about the books:

Is there life off the runway? VIOLET IN PRIVATE (Berkley Jam Trade Paperback; August 5, 2008; $9.99) is the third novel in the series by former magazine editor Melissa Walker about Violet— the wallflower who blooms into an international modeling star—until she realizes there may be more to life than the runway…

Everyone knows her as Violet Greenfield, the supposedly cultured and worldly nineteen-year-old with sky-high confidence because she’s done fashion weeks internationally. But the truth is, modeling has done little for Violet’s self-esteem. And now that she’s finally headed to college, she’s terrified that she’ll turn back into that girl who blended into the walls all throughout high school…

Violet’s friends in fashion are only a two-hour train ride away in New York City, and they all think she’s crazy to stop modeling. But her best friend Roger hopes she’ll go back to being the girl next door. Of course, things have been weird between them ever since they kissed—and now he’s got a girlfriend. So the question is: if she’s not “Violet on the Runway” anymore, who exactly is she?

Melissa Walker has created a character that teens as well as adults can embrace and relate to. Readers have followed Violet through her highest highs and lowest lows in the modeling industry, and are eager to see how she fares as a regular teenager in college. This wonderful series is a fresh take on the real voice of one girl in the designer spotlight.

And now, the same five questions I always ask:

Every story has a backstory, what's the backstory for your book?

Working in magazines, I got to peek behind the scenes of the fashion world. That was enough inspiration and back story for three books!!

What's your work environment like? Any rituals, totems, or must haves?

I sit in a pink, flowered, overstuffed chair (Alyson notes- Check it out!) and I don't like to get up from the chair until I have 1000 words. Unless I have to go to the bathroom REALLY badly. Then I make an exception.

If you could live inside any book-- which would it be?

Ooh, good question! Maybe James and the Giant Peach? I always really, really wanted that world to be true. Flying fruit and all.

What book rocked your world growing up?

I've vlogged about this, but I really loved FLOWERS IN THE ATTIC by VC Andrews, and I'm finally able to admit that. At the time, when I was around 11, I think I hid it under my mattress so my mom wouldn't find it!

If you could visit any time, place, or person- what, where, or who would it be?

Wow--hit me with three hard ones in a row, Alyson! Man! Just kidding--I love these. Maybe Paris in the 1920s, when jazz was booming and Americans were over there being generally bohemian and finding a place for freer expression and racial acceptance, etc. Somewhere like that, with lots of positive energy.

I told you she was awesome! And don't forget to stop by the Violet contest she's hosting until Sept 1 right HERE!!!

Praise for the VIOLET series:

“Part Cinderella, part girl next door, VIOLET ON THE RUNWAY is a story for any girl who ever wondered what it would be like to have her wildest dream come true.” --New York Times bestselling author Sarah Dessen

“Violet is a hero for all of us wallflowers out there. A fun, fashion-filled, fast-paced read!” --Carolyn Mackler, award-winning author of Guyaholic

“On the runway or off, Violet shines.” --Ally Carter, bestselling author of I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You

“Violet is wonderfully witty and sweetly sensitive. She’s not your typical top model; she’s more like your best friend—only prettier.” --Kirsten Kemp, author of Breakfast at Bloomingdale’s

"Violet on the Runway is a novel about fashion, but it's also a sensitive portrait of adolescence--simultaneously funny and painful. Walker excels at characterizing those moments that we've all experienced, from bumbling in front of the cute boy to being misunderstood by ones parents." --NYLON Magazine

"This novel is a perfect read for teens who want to see what lies beneath the glossy veneer of what seems to be a picture-perfect life." --Family Circle

"Teens will love this fun fashion read." --OK! Magazine

"Take a peek into a model's life with this hip novel!" --Teen Magazine

"I couldn't put it down! You're kind of rooting for her to make it big, and kind of rooting for her to just go home before the biz ruins her." --Glamour

"Funny, engaging, and eye-opening, Violet on the Runway is an addictive read full of all the juicy insights about the fashion industry one could hope for, as well as meaningful layers and observations about the importance of knowing one's self." --Venus Zine

ABOUT Melissa:

As a former editor at ELLEgirl and Seventeen magazines, Melissa Walker knows first-hand the ins and outs of the fashion world. She hails from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and currently resides in Brooklyn, New York. Visit her at melissacwalker.com, or at myspace.com/melissacwalker.