Playing Catch Up!

Hey Everyone-

Well, it seems I've been very lax about blogging, facebooking, and tweeting lately (yes, they are all action words!), and my excuse is that I returned from the Pen Fatale Tour and went straight into deadline mode.

For those who don't know, deadline mode is a very sorry state of unwashed hair, unhealthy meals . . . well, let's just leave it at that--it's best not to go into too much detail.

For those who do know, then thank you for understanding.

Anyway, after climbing out of the rubble that is my desk, I thought I'd share a few random pics and articles and videos with you, presented in no particular order, so here goes:

Random Video #1, filmed during my Brazilian Book Tour, where I talk about The Immortals series, Brazilian culture, and more!

Random article # 2- a piece in Publisher's Weekly Children's Bookshelf where me and my fellow Pen Fatale Tour Mates spill the dish on group tours! To read it, click HERE.

Random article #3- DEAR BULLY--an amazing anthology where 70 YA authors speak out, yep, including moi, on the horror that is bullying-- featured in PEOPLE magazine--how awesome is that?!

And last but not least, random pic #4- Enjoying a little time off in Seattle with the talented & lovely Mary Pearson & Jessica Brody!

That's it for now--the manuscript won't revise itself!

Or will it?

Hmmmm . . . .

:)

Pen Fatale Heads for Seattle!!

Hey Everyone-

The Pen Fatale Tour is on its way to its final two stops in WA! Hope to see YOU at one of the signings at:

Wednesday, October 12

7:00 pm

Third Place Books

Lake Forest Park, WA

Thursday, October 12

7:00 pm

Barnes & Noble

Lynwood, WA

Instant Karma

(blog title courtesy of John Lennon--again!)

While I thought about writing a nice, long, quite possibly meandering, introduction to this trailer, I soon realized it pretty much speaks for itself.

So, in brief, allow me to say:

THIS IS HANDS DOWN THE BEST BOOK TRAILER YOU EVER WILL SEE!!

And, as I was lucky enough to get an early read on KARMA CLUB I can definitely say that anyone who reads it is in for a treat!

So without further ado, please sit back and enjoy the latest from fellow author, friend, and book trailer producing powerhouse-- Ms. Jessica Brody!!

Love Under Cover!!!

Huge Congrats to Jessica Brody who's book, Love Under Cover, the sequel to last year's Fidelity Files, is in stores today!!

To get your signed copy and meet Jessica, click HERE!

Have a good night everyone!

A

:-)

My Life Would Suck Without YOU!!

(blog title courtesy of Kelly Clarkson)

So, the photo above was sent to me last night, and I have to tell you, the second I saw it it was all I could do not to head straight for the international terminal at LAX and board the first plane bound for Rome or Milan so I could see it for myself!

That is actually an advertisement that my Italian publisher, Fanucci, did for EVERMORE in the Rome and Milan subway stations--how cool is that?!

And check out the awesome website they built HERE!

Not like I needed yet another reason to love all things Italian, but still . . .

I am totally gobsmacked.

And speaking of gobsmacked, I just learned that Hebrew rights to The Immortals series were just sold, making for a total of 26 countries, which is more than I ever visited during my flight attendant days, so yeah, gobsmacked again!

Oh, and it also continues to be a bestseller in the UK - so I'd like to send a big, huge, purple (my new favorite color, turquoise move over!) THANKS to all of my readers across the pond--I couldn't do it without you! There's even a UK Bebo page you can check out HERE with a different and very cool version of the EVERMORE trailer!

And, the awesome Brittney over at St. Martin's Press has put together an Immortals Series Fan Page over at Facebook, so even if you're already a friend on my other page, I'd really love it if you would join this one as well, since it'll serve as the one stop spot (well aside from the awesome Immortals Series website they built) for all Immortals related news--and all you have to do is click HERE!

And while I haven't received my SHADOWLAND author copies yet (just 11 more days until it hits the stores!), I did receive a few copies of the audio version and was thrilled to see that they've included a nice little surprise in the form of an Immortals necklace!

And for those of you interested in attending one of the SHADOWLAND signings, just click HERE for the details!

And now I'm gearing up for a pod cast interview with the awesome Jessica Brody (whose book, LOVE UNDER COVER will hit the stores next week on Nov 10!), for a Free Book Friday Teens feature that'll be up next week . . . so stay tuned . . .

Oh, and if you haven't been to Free Book Friday Teens yet, be sure to do so, as she's giving away signed copies of PC & Kristin Cast's new release, TEMPTED, and today is the last day to enter to win! All you have to do is click HERE!!!

That's all for now--have a great day everyone!

A

:-D

Good News/Bad News

So, there's good news and bad news . . .

The good news is:

I was interviewed in the Orange County Register yesterday in the Arts & Entertainment section and heard from lots of old friends because of it!

The bad news is:

My laptop is currently residing in the Apple hospital in the Intensive Care Unit.

The good news is:

BLUE MOON was in the Target circular in the Sunday paper!! (page 5 , right next to Linda Howard's, James Patterson's, and Janet Evanovich's books!)

The bad news is:

This backup computer has an unfamiliar keyboard that will be held responsible for all of today's typos.

The good news is::

BLUE MOON is officially out tomorrow!!! (Though I know lots of people already found early copies!

The bad news is:

I am still waiting for my copies as they've yet to arrive!

The good news is:

There will be no more bad news in this blog post!

Have a good day everyone and a special HAPPY BIRTHDAY to awesome author and friend- Jessica Brody!!!!


Alyson
xoxo

Weekend Update!

So yesterday was the first day in a loooong time that I didn't turn my computer on--not even once! 

Mostly because I was busy with the Passport to Reading Event--thanks to all of you who stopped by--I had so much fun talking books and stuff!

And then after we dropped by the Getty museum with the fabulous Jessica Brody (good friend and author of THE FIDELITY FILES which just so happens to be a National Reader's Choice Award nominee!!!! Squee!!) and her partner in crime so I could conduct some "research" for a scene in SHADOWLAND involving THIS exhibit. 

Then after, my husband and I grabbed dinner at Thaifoon by the Santa Monica Airport where they serve things like crickets and ants, but since we ordered the crickets last time, this time we went with more "normal" Asian fare. Oh, and we sat at a table right next to some guy who I see on TV all the time but still cannot place (hate when that happens!), and then I got home and fell onto the couch in an exhausted heap--hence no computer time.

Hence a lot of catching up to do today!

But now that I've pretty much gone through all the e-mails and b-board posts, etc, I thought I'd mention a couple events that have popped up on the signing calendar-- so please save the date!

On Sunday, May 31st, from 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM, I'll be signing books alongside 5 awesome MG & YA authors including, Kathryn Fitzmaurice, Mary Pearson, Marlene Perez, Debby Garfinkle, and Debby Lytton, at:

"An Afternoon with Six Young Adult & Middle Grade Authors"

Laguna Beach Books

1200 S. Coast Highway, Ste. 105

Laguna Beach, CA 92651

949.494.4779

And, on Friday, July 17th at 6:00 PM, I'll be signing copies of BLUE MOON here:

Barnes & Noble

791 S. Main Street, Ste. 100

Orange, CA 92868

Also, this week on Free Book Friday Teens they're giving away 5 signed copies of HUNTED, the 5th book in the phenomenally popular HOUSE OF NIGHT series! There's also a really great podcast interview with PC & Kristin Cast so be sure to stop by and sign up HERE for your chance to win!!

Also, over at  Free Book Friday Adults they're giving away 5 signed copies of Emily Giffin's latest, LOVE THE ONE YOU'RE WITH, so be sure to stop HERE for your chance to win!

That's it for me--Happy Sunday Everyone!

Alyson

:-)

Magnificent!!

Okay, remember a few days ago when I was hinting about a friend's extremely exciting news that I was bursting to share--but couldn't because I promised I'd wait until a specified time?

Well, dear reader, that specified time has arrived, so, without further delay--take a gander at this:

March 5, 2009
Film rights
Jessica Brody's debut THE FIDELITY FILES, optioned to producer Marina Grasic (CRASH; NEW YORK, I LOVE YOU) for Curious Pictures, by Elizabeth Fisher at Levine Greenberg Literary Agency.

Direct from Publisher's Marketplace, that is the deal listing for my dear friend Jessica Brody, talented author of THE FIDELITY FILES and its upcoming sequel, LOVE UNDER COVER, and brilliant founder of FREE BOOK FRIDAY, stating that she has just sold the movie rights to her awesome book! 

To the producer of CRASH no less!

You remember Crash? The movie that swept the Oscar's back in 2004! Taking home Best Picture, no less?!!

Yup. I  knew she was pure awesomeness from the moment we met. And not just because she's smart and pretty and crazy gifted, but because she's actually super nice and funny too. So nice and funny I dedicated BLUE MOON to her! Though she has to wait til July, when the book hits the stores, to see what it says. I'm devious like that!

But anyway, back to Jessica and her awesomness!!

Big Major YAY!!!!  

Tuesday Randomness . . .

In an effort to step away from the champagne and balloons and get back to work, I'm going to leave you with a series of links for your perusal . . .

Today I'm being interviewed HERE  and HERE

I'm also giving away a signed copy of Jennifer Banash's IN TOO DEEP, HERE. Yes, right here. Just scroll to the blog post below and leave a comment!

And speaking of free books, don't forget to head on over to Jessica Brody's Free Book Friday for TEENS where she's giving away 5 signed copies of Carrie Jones's NEED, and Free Book Friday for ADULTS where she's giving away 4 signed copies (2 of each) of Marisa De Los Santos novels, LOVE WALKED IN and BELONG TO ME!

Have a good day everyone!

A

This Weekend

If you don't live in So Cal, please know that I've no intention of bragging, but today is such a freaking beautiful day here in Laguna Beach (high of 76!) I can hardly believe it! And since I have a friend visiting from out of town, it's the perfect day to show her around and pretend that January is always like this!

But wherever you are, and whatever you've got planned, make sure to set some time aside to sign up at this week's FREE BOOK FRIDAY- where the awesome Ms. Brody is giving away two mystery novels by Roberta Islieb on the adult side, HERE. 

And five copies of Alexa Young's FRENEMIES, the first book in her awesome new series, on the teen side, HERE.

Have a fun weekend everyone!!

Free Books!!!

The holidays are over, and you know what that means----

Free Books!!!

That's right, Free Book Friday is back from its holiday hiatus, and the awesome Ms. Brody is giving away free books for both teens and adults.

For teen reads go HERE.

And adult books click HERE.

Have a good weekend everyone!!

Oh, and PS- I'm going to see Sarah Silverman tonight-- can't wait!!!!!!!!!!! 

Freebies Galore!!!

Question:  What's better than five free book giveaways?

Answer: Um, six?

Yes, that's right SIX separate book giveaways are happening now- and all you have to do to win these AWESOME titles 

is click HERE. 

And Here.

And Here.

So what are you waiting for?? Off with you!!

Popcorn Hangover

So I just found out during my morning blog hop that The Book Lady sent me one of these:

How sweet is that? And if you're not reading her blog then . . . well . . . just read it because she's really funny and nice and takes the most amazing photographs!

And so now, of course, I can't just sit back and beam because someone likes my blog, oh no, not me. Now I feel pressure. A sort of performance anxiety so to speak. Like I need to come up with some really great blog posts, pronto.

But the truth is, I got nothing. 

Nothing but this idea that popped into my head when I woke up this lazy sunday at--- wait for it---9:47 am:

POPCORN HANGOVER

Is that even possible you might ask?

Why, yes.  Yes it is. And I should know since I'm currently experiencing one having seen more movies in the last few days than I have all year. A few them watched in the comfort of my own home, and a few in an actual theatre, including not one but two separate viewings of TWILIGHT, one being the infamous midnight showing with Jessica Brody where we sat so close it felt like my eyeballs were on fire. And the second in a nearly empty matinee with my husband (yes, he truly is a saint. And no, I can never repay him for the sacrifices he makes.) all because I wanted to see it from a normal perspective in a seat that didn't require me to contort my spine, crane my neck, and pray for the safety of my retinas.

And then yesterday, we saw QUANTUM OF SOLACE, which I didn't like near as much as CASINO ROYALE, but it was still fun in a drool worthy, white knuckle, 007 kind of way.

And now all I can think is: Which movie next?

Because I've got a feeling that the only way to cure this particular hangover is another popcorn fix.

Any suggestions???  Which movies make your must see list??

Vampire Weekend

It was truly a blood sucker weekend! What with the Twilight Midnight Movie Going Madness to the season finale of True Blood--it seems like my entire weekend was hijacked by the undead!

And rather than posting a Twilight Movie Review, partly since I'm not so big on reviewing stuff, but mostly because you probably already saw it and have drawn your own conclusions by now, I thought I'd post a Twilight Movie Goer Review--as in the hundreds, maybe even thousands--who knows?--of teens (mostly girls, though there were a few smart young men there as well--I mean, hello? A theatre filled with cute young girls- it should be a no brainer, right?) who lined up hours ahead of time to watch the 12:01 am showing of Edward and Bella.

The theater I went to in Aliso Viejo showed it on five screens simultaneously, and since Ms. Brody was smart enough to purchase advance tickets online, I thought our 10:45 pm arrival would get us a decent place in line, along with pretty okay seats--wrong! 

We ended up standing in the alley, waaay behind the theatre, the very last ones in line until a really nice mom showed up behind us. And once inside it was third row center--great at a concert--not so much in a theatre!

And while the movie was entertaining (it has it's flaws, yes, but still it was fun), and Jessica was rewarded for her vast knowledge of all things Edward and Bella by winning a Twilight T-shirt for correctly answering that Bella ate mushroom ravioli on her first date with Edward, the very best part for me was chatting with the three girls who stood in line in front of us, and who ended up sitting in front of us in the theater as well, and the whole crowd in general. To see that many people get so excited over characters from a book (yes, I missed out on the entire Harry Potter mania never having read any of the books--gasp! And only seeing one of the movies, well past its release date), wearing their Team Edward and Team Jacob T-shirts, and squealing every time a new character came on screen was truly amazing!

And a $$$70.5 million dollar opening weekend fueled almost entirely by teen girls is a site to behold!!!

Never underestimate the power of girls!

Did you see the movie? If so, what did you squeal when Edward came on screen??

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??

All Hallows Eve . . .

So, I've come to the realization that I really love Halloween--in  a theoretical way. I love the idea of dressing up, and every year I come up with elaborate couples costume for my husband and I to wear (this year we'll don  hypothetical Marie Antoinette and Count Fersen costumes--it's an EVERMORE thing!). But the truth is, it never really gets past the idea stage--I haven't dressed up in over a decade.

As a kid, I always had the coolest costumes on the block. Though it had nothing to do with me, it was all because of my mom. I had one of those mom's that made everything from scratch--hand embroidery, smocking on my dresses--it was no problem for her. Though my favorite costume of all was the turquoise blue fringed flapper dress with the matching boa and feather headband she made--I didn't want to take it off--and would kill 

for that costume today! 

And when it came to candy, I was all about the Butterfinger. M&M's, candy corn, they all had their place, but give me a bite sized Butterfinger and I was in heaven!

But today, I'm not so big on candy. And when it comes to passing it out--well, it's a hit or miss thing. Some years I'm home with a bowl full of the good stuff (ie Butterfingers, Krackle, and M&Ms), and other years I purposely stay away until it's safe to come home.

Mine is not a house you can count on.

So tonight, whether I'm home between the magic hours of 6-9 remains to be seen, though by ten o'clock you can find me curled up on my couch, wearing my PJs, watching a season two DVD of DEXTER. And on Sunday, in the interest of "research," I'll be getting a past life regression with Dr. Brian Weiss-- I wonder what I will see???  Last time it wasn't at all what I expected . . .

Oh, and if you haven't done so already, make sure you head over to Jessica Brody's brand spankin' new Free Book Friday for Teens.  She's kicking it off by giving away the only remaining EVERMORE ARCs, and since the book doesn't drop until Feb 3, 2009--this is your last chance to get an early read!  Also, everyone who signs up will automatically get a sneak peek at chapter one!  So don't miss it, click HERE!

So tell me, how do you celebrate All Hallows Ever? Do you dress up? Pass out candy?? Or will you be watching Dexter like me?

Happy Halloween Everyone!

Free Book Friday Teen Edition Is Now Open!!!

Hey Everyone-

Just wanted you to know that the teen edition of Jessica Brody's Free Book Friday Teens is now open for business--and she's giving away the VERY LAST Advanced Reading Copies of the first book in my new paranormal YA series, EVERMORE, (generously donated by my awesome publisher!) And since the book isn't scheduled to drop until February 3, 2009, this is your very last chance to get an early read!

Also, everyone who signs up to win will receive a sneak peek at chapter one!

So don't delay-- head over to Free Book Friday Teens now!

Just. Click. HERE!

Freebies!!

Those of you who read this blog know how I love a good freebie. And in an economy like this, who doesn't? That's why I'm so excited about the fabulous Jessica Brody's Free Book Friday website, where she gives away a free book every Friday (pretty self-explanatory, I know!). But when she told me she's branching out into a Free Book Friday for Teens, well, I was thrilled.

And while the Teen site won't go live until next week, (when we're giving away The Absolutely Last Two Advanced Reading Copies of EVERMORE generously donated by my awesome publisher, St. Martin's Press since my supply is depleted!), this week she's featuring New York Times Bestselling Author, PC Cast, who pens the totally addictive HOUSE OF NIGHT series with her daughter Kristen! Oh, and there's an awesome podcast interview to go with it!

So don't miss it-- Click HERE for you chance to listen and win!




Also, in celebration of her new release, THE MEMORIST, MJ Rose is offering a free download of her first book in the series, THE REINCARNATIONIST. To get your copy, click HERE.

That's it for now!
Have a good night!
:-D

EVERMORE's First Review!!

EVERMORE just got it's first review, and it's a 5 STAR GOLD AWARD from TeensReadToo, stating:

" . . .Every once in awhile, a book comes along that I end up getting sucked into and become addicted. EVERMORE was one of those books. When I wasn’t reading, I was thinking about how I could sneak away to read some more. I couldn’t put it down. I dreamt about this book. When I finished, I couldn’t get it out of my head. This book was simply breathtaking.

Ever is a wonderfully realistic character that grows throughout the novel. The guilt she feels over her family’s accident and her grieving process are heart-wrenchingly real, as is her growing acceptance of her new psychic gifts. I also loved the scenes with Riley, Ever’s little sister. Who knew a ghost could be so funny and charming? I know she’s just waiting to have her own series written about her. And Damen…well, what can I say - I’m in love. If you’re looking for a new lit-boy crush, Damen is it.

Alyson Noel knows how to write for and about teens, and this is one of her best books yet. I can’t wait to find out more about the mysterious Damen and step into Ever’s world again.

Combining mystery and romance, EVERMORE is the beginning of the next must-read paranormal series. Be sure to get your hands on this one - you’ll be swept away." Sarah Bean, TeensReadToo

To read the entire review, click HERE!!

Also, thanks to everyone who showed up to my book signing last night! I had a great time meeting new people like the sisters from Canada and Gabby the future author, and talking with old friends like Jolynn & Patrick and the talented Debby Garfinkle! And while I forgot to take pictures (despite my camera being right there in my purse), I was thrilled to see so many people out buying books on a Thursday night!

After, we went back to my house for a little post-book-signing-celebration, where my husband put out an amazing spread of Greek delicacies in honor of CRUEL SUMMER (I am sooo lucky to have married a man who cooks!), and Jessica Brody and her partner in crime, Charlie, uncorked a bottle of German champagne to celebrate the EVERMORE and BLUE MOON German translation deal, and then there was more eating, and more champagne, and maybe some red wine . . .and, well, you can imagine how I'm feeling today. (If you are under 21 and reading this-- it is a cautionary tale! If you are over 21, then you probably already know what I mean!)

But with a good supply of aspirin and a steaming hot mug of green tea beside me, I'm off to tackle my BLUE MOON revision!

Have a good weekend everyone!
A

Book Signing!!

Hey Everyone-

Just wanted you to know I'll be signing copies of my book this Thursday, October 23, 6:30 PM at:

Barnes & Noble
26751 Aliso Creek Road
Aliso Viejo, CA 92625

And I hope to see you there!

Also, I just learned that CRUEL SUMMER was nominated for a CYBIL award, so I'm pretty psyched about that!!

And while the economy may be bad, the good news is, there's free books to be had! So if you haven't stopped by Jessica Brody's Free Book Friday, Kelly Parra's Secret Fates Blog Extravaganza, or Brooke Taylor's Monster Month of Giveaways (she's giving away my very last Advanced Reading Copy of EVERMORE!), all I can say is: what are you waiting for ???

Happy Tuesday!
A