Teen Fiction Cafe!

I'm over at The Cafe blogging about friendships--come join me!

Just click HERE!

Children's Choice Book Awards!

Hey Everyone-

Just a quick note to remind you that today is the last day to vote for the Children's Choice Book Awards (BLUE MOON is a finalist!) for Best Teen Book of 2010--and all you have to do to cast your vote, is click HERE!

(Please note that you must vote in all 3 categories for your vote to count!)

Happy Sunday!

Alyson

:)

Living My Five- Champagne Wednesday!

As some of you may know, I'm a member of Living Your Five™, an inspirational web project devoted to making a difference in the world along with awesome authors Kay Cassidy and Tera Lynn Childs.

Living Your Five™ is about making the world a better place, one person and one contribution at a time. It’s about understanding what’s most important to you and how you can make a Positive difference in the world around you in ways both large and small.

Our Fives are the five areas in which we personally want to make a difference in the world, and once a month we share the progress we’ve made on our blogs.

Yep, that's right, I said "once a month" even though I admit I may have fallen off that particular wagon as of late.

Though that's not to say I've fallen off the Five wagon, because I haven't. In fact, it's become so ingrained, it's just part of my lifestyle now.

Oh, and just so you know, these are my Five:

1. Commit to frequent acts of kindness and gratitude

2. Commit to random acts of charity

3. For new item purchased, donate something similar to a person, place, or organization that needs it

4. Commit to living greener and helping lessen and/or offset my environmental footprint

5. Commit to positivity, to keeping all communications a no snarking/no ranting zone, and happily post about what’s going right in the world

For the record, I thought #3 was going to be pretty tough going, but it's actually been pretty easy and it's forced me to become way more cognizant of the things that I buy.

But today I want to post about Gratitude (#1), so here goes:

Last year, in February 2009, I hit the New York Times Best Sellers list for the very first time, and to celebrate, my husband and I drank champagne.

The following week, I hit again, and so, more champagne. And since the list comes out on Wednesday (even though it's officially published on Sunday) we jokingly called it "Champagne Wednesday."

Between Evermore, Blue Moon, & Shadowland, I spent 55 weeks on the list. And when the Wednesday arrived that I didn't hit, we'd grown so used to celebrating my husband proposed we find something else to celebrate each week instead.

I loved the idea. Not just because it allows me to drink more champagne, but because it forces us to stay positive, to come up with one good thing no matter how trying the week might've been.

Whether it be a flower, a sunset, a particular view from our window--there is nothing too small that isn't worth celebrating, and this Wednesday we celebrated my husband being in deep remission for over four years (definitely a BIG thing!). As for next Wednesday, who knows? We'll see what life brings.

But what about YOU? What are you celebrating this week?

Oh, and if you'd like to learn how to become an Honorary Fiver, click HERE!

Have a great day, everyone!

Alyson

xoxo

Dark FLAME Tour Info!!!

Hey Everyone-

I'm super excited to announce the Dark Flame tour info--so without further ado:

Tuesday, June 22 (Dark Flame release day!)

6:00 pm--Reading & Signing

Barnes & Noble
118 E. Broadway, Mall of America
Bloomington, MN 55425
*Launch event will take place in Mall Rotunda.

Wednesday, June 23

7:00 pm Reading & Signing
BORDERS
1500 16th Street, Suite D
Oak Brook, IL 60523

Thursday, June 24

7:00 pm
Reading & Signing

Barnes & Noble
7700 West Northwest Hwy
Dallas, TX 75225

Friday, June 25

8:00 pm
Reading & Signing

Books & Books
265 Aragon Avenue
Coral Gables, FL 33134-5046


If your city is on the list--awesome! I can't wait to see you there!

If not--definitely a bummer--but please note that I can only visit so many places and still get the books written on time!

Made From Awesome Event!!

Just a reminder that I'll be taking part in the Made of Awesome YALitChat tomorrow, Wednesday, April 14th, from 9 - 11 pm EST, along with these amazing authors:

Melissa Marr, A.S. King, Becca Fitzpatrick, Lisa McMann, Ellen Hopkins, Margaret Stohl, & Carrie Ryan!!

This chat takes place on Twitter, under the hashtag of #yalitchat.

More details can be found on the official website, HERE!

Oh, and did I mention there will be giveaways??!!

Hope to see YOU there!

Have a great day everyone!

:)