Summer Reading

Yah I know it's only Spring, and just barely Spring at that. But recently I received an e-mail from the awesome tween and teen librarian at the Springfield Greene County Library system in Springfield, MO, about their summer reading program, stating that SAVING ZOE is one of their summer book pics!

And I was like, "YAY!" (picture big smile and chair dancing)

And she was like, "And could you possibly donate any signed bookplates or other goodies for the teens who participate?"

So I said, "So funny you should ask, I just ordered a bunch!"

And then say, maybe, three days later two big brown boxes arrived filled with bookmarks (SAVING ZOE on one side, CRUEL SUMMER on the other), and loads of bookplates that I've already started signing.

Then after mailing off a box 'o goodies to awesome teen and tween librarian, I thought, "Hey, maybe YOU want some too?!"

So, if you'd like to receive bookmarks and signed bookplates, just send me a self-addressed, stamped envelope to:

Alyson Noel
14 Monarch Bay Plaza, #186
Monarch Beach, CA 92629

And I'll have one of my hard working staff members (okay, it's really just me) get right on it!

Have a good weekend everyone!


A

Teen Ink!

Keeping with the theme of writerly-type questions (see post below), lately I've received an inordinate amount of e-mails from teen writers interested in getting their work published, and since I recently stumbled upon THIS site-- a magazine run for and by teens-- I thought I'd share it with YOU!

And for those of you writing middle grade-- the submission period for the Delacorte Dell Yearling Contest for a First Middle Grade Novel will run from April 1 to June 30. Go HERE
for all the details.

Best of luck- and --Happy writing!
A

Interview With an Agent

Well, after spending a weekend in San Diego followed by a day wandering the desert (literally!), I returned home to catch up on all my e-mails and bulletin board posts only to find several new messages asking all manner of writerly-type questions like-

How does one get an agent?

Do I really need an agent?

And, what does an agent actually DO?

And as luck would have it, my own agent was interviewed by the awesome Jocelyn over at Teen Book Reviewer, and thus, did all the hard work for me!

Just click HERE to read the full interview in it's entirety! Me, I've got laundry to sort!

Rock the Drop!

Ever since FAKING 19 hit the bookshelves in March '05, I've spent a lot of time in cancer wards, watching too many of my loved ones deal with the disease. And because of that, every time a new book of mine gets released, I donate a copy to the pediatric wing as well. So, I was thrilled when my awesome agent sent me the news about Operation Teen Book DROP (TBD)-- organized by YALSA and readergirlz.

TBD is a massive, coordinated release of 10,000 publisher-donated YA books into the top pediatric hospitals across the country on April 17, 2008, scheduled to coincide with Support Teen Literature Day.

But it's not just the publishers giving away books, as YA authors all around the country (the world!) will be dropping one of their books, somewhere in their community, in a place where teens congregate. I'll be dropping a copy of SAVING ZOE, and while I haven't decided just where I'll be leaving it, if you find a stray copy with the TBD bookplate inside, you're free to take it, read it, and pass it on or keep it-- up to you!

Though it's not limited to just authors and publishers, because anyone who wants to pass on a good teen book is free to participate! Just go HERE to see how it works!

And wait-- that's not all-- after the drop, there'll be an unprecedented online book bash: The TBD Post-Op Party- an online two-hour book party hosted at the readergirlz MySpace forum (http://groups.myspace.com/readergirlz), on April 17^th (Support Teen Literature Day), at 6-8pm Pacific/9-11pm Eastern.

Note: you have to have a MySpace account in order to participate. The chat will be in a thread titled "TBD Post Op Party," and the readergirlz divas will be giving away books and prizes, chatting with teens, and offering hope!

I plan to be there-- I hope to see YOU there too!

Passport to Reading!

I'm really excited to announce that I'll be participating in the Passport to Reading event, sponsored by Taft High School in Woodland Hills, CA, on Saturday April 5, 2008, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM. It's a celebration of one of my favorite things-- reading! And I'll be joined by lots of amazing authors, illustrators, and storytellers. My session is scheduled for 11:00 -- and I really hope to see YOU there!

"Research"

For me, one of the best parts about working on a new book are the things I get to do under the guise of "research." And working on my new paranormal series, MY IMMORTAL (please note, title may change!), which I handed in today (yippee!), gave me the perfect excuse to delve into all sorts of interesting research type activities

Things like:

Spending the day at Santa Anita Race Track betting on the ponies while enjoying lunch at the Front Runner restaurant-- just like the characters in my book.




Undergoing a past life regression with the the best selling author of MANY LIVES, MANY MASTERS, the amazing Brian L. Weiss, M.D.-- a fascinating experience!




Slurping down a date malt (trust me, it's waaayyyy better than it sounds!) with gobs of whipped cream and a cherry on top at the beloved Crystal Cove haunt, the Shake Shack.



And taking a psychic/mediumship development class with the kind, compassionate, and very funny-- James Van Praagh.




And now I'm trying to drum up more "research" for book #2. . .


What about you, what sort of "research" do you engage in to assist your writing? Or, what's your dream research assignment?