Secret Garden

(Blog title courtesy of The Boss--Bruce Springsteen!)

(Summerland--as imagined by Skyrose--isn't it lovely?!!)

So, the ringing in of a new decade got me thinking a lot about how I spent the last one, and I have to say, that if nothing else, it's been one of great change. Containing some of the hardest, most difficult hurdles I've ever faced, and yet those very same hurdles ended up providing not only great opportunity for learning and growth, but the chance to build something positive from them.

On the Millennium New Year's Eve, I was in Stockholm Sweden on a four day layover (I was working as a NYC based flight attendant back then), and a trip like that was pretty much the same as getting paid to vacation in a gorgeous (and cold!!) city. And, as I was still dating my soon-to-be husband, I took him along and we had an amazing time!

Fast forward to 2001, we got married in May, and by September, when 9/11 hit, I was suddenly faced with a 40% pay cut and the additional duty of performing early morning bomb checks. And as horrible and tragic as that day was, as much as that moment of watching those planes fly into the towers will forever be sealed in my mind, it also served as the impetus to finally stop talking about my dream of being a writer, and actually start, well, writing!

So, I dusted off the story I'd started nearly a decade before, finished it, sent it off to a slew of publishers (erroneously thinking I didn't need an agent--wrong!), only to get a slew of rejections for my efforts. And yet, as much as it hurt to be rejected by everyone, in the end it just made me try harder. I took classes, revised my manuscript over and over again, and by 2003 I had an agent, and by Feb 4, 2004 I was offered a two-book deal with St. Martin's Press!

But before we'd even finished celebrating, we were hit with tragedy as every member of my husband's immediate family was diagnosed with cancer within months of each other--including my husband.

By 2005, when my debut novel, FAKING 19, was released we'd already lost his mother, and a very, dear, old friend of mine (my first love!), suddenly passed away too. By the time my second book was released, my husband lost his twin brother, and by the time my third book was released, I was on the verge of losing my husband as well.

But, he pulled through, and what was truly the absolute darkest phase of my life, ultimately shifted into something else. And I soon realized that If I hadn't experienced that--if I hadn't gone through a grief so deep I could barely get off the couch--I wouldn't have been able to write Saving Zoe, Cruel Summer, or any of the books in The Immortals series. Those stories were a direct result of where I'd been and who I'd become because of it. Writing them helped me to make better sense of the world.

2009 has brought some amazing opportunities my way, and to say that I'm grateful hardly seems sufficient. And even though I have no idea what 2010 will bring--I can't wait to get started! If nothing else, I think I've finally learned that no matter how dire something may seem on the surface, if you go deep (very, very deep!), there's a message, an opportunity for growth, and maybe even a chance to turn it into something better.

The other night I watched "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" (original version) on TV, and at the very end, in Charlie's "all is lost" moment, when Wonka tells him that he failed the test and to go away, Charlie reaches into his pocket and hands over the gum he'd taken earlier. Only to have Wonka look at him, eyes shining as he says:

"So shines a good dead in a weary world."

And then hands him the keys to the kingdom.

I hope you all shine just as bright (if not brighter!) in 2010!!

Alyson

xoxo

Viva Russia!!

I just learned that Russian rights to EVERMORE & BLUE MOON were just sold at auction to AST!!

Oh, and CRUEL SUMMER is a finalist for the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence!!

And now I'm off for "date day" with my husband--yes we start early!

Have a good day everyone!

Alyson

:-D

EVERMORE news!

Okay, it's now just 27 more days until my first book in THE IMMORTALS series, EVERMORE hits the stores!!

That's less than a month!

Just slightly over three weeks away!

And for a date that once seemed so far into the future, I can hardly believe that February 3rd is almost here!

But, it's all starting to come together now:  I received the cover flat the other day and it's gorgeous! The trailer is on You Tube! And the reviews are coming in, including this new one from Romantic Times magazine giving it 4 STARS and saying this:

"Teen angst and the paranormal make a combustible mix as Noel utilizes typical themes and gives them a dangerous and eerie twist. Getting hooked on this new series, THE IMMORTALS, is guaranteed."

Oh, and FlamingNet Reviews gave it their TOP CHOICE AWARD!!!

I also, learned that the books will be nicely displayed in both Target and Walmart, and wherever else books are sold. And I'm ordering up a slew of bookmarks and bookplates to go with the new look, so if you're interested in getting your hands on some of those, just send a self-addressed stamped envelope to:

Alyson Noel

14 Monarch Bay Plaza, #186

Monarch Beach, CA 92629

And I'll send them out to you as soon as they arrive. (As supplies last, of course!!)

Also, the next book in the series, BLUE MOON, is now available for pre-order HERE.

And I recently saw the cover and not only do I LOVE it, but I promise to unveil it here soon!

And, in other book related news, CRUEL SUMMER, has been nominated  as one of the BEST BOOKS OF 2008 for the Children's Choice Book Awards!!  To see the full list of nominated books and learn how to vote for your top 5 faves, click HERE.

Looks like it's gearing up to be a fun and busy 2009--

Have a good day everyone!!!

All Manner of Awesomeness including a signed copy of EVERMORE!!!

So, I just got back from an amazing b-day weekend in Las Vegas with my husband where we 

stayed here:

We had an amazing view of the dancing waters that go off every 15 minutes, beautifully choreographed to a variety of songs, everything from Frank Sinatra to the Star Spangled Banner!

We ate here:

Mix restaurant is on the 64th floor at The Hotel in Mandalay Bay, it has an amazing view of the city, and those glass balls hanging from the ceiling make you feel like you're eating in heaven! Of course the food is heavenly too . . .

Oh, and we saw this:

Turns out it's our least favorite of all the Cirque Shows-- we are major fans, we've seen 'em all-- but this one needs some serious work!

We even tracked down a beautiful new bookstore in The Palazzo Shops, Bauman Rare Books that had all manner of seriously drool worthy first editions of Le Petit Prince, Franny and Zooey --my all time favorite and very tempting, but since the slot machines stole all my money, I refrained from buying it!

Anyway, it was a really nice break from what's turning into a very hectic time (the good kind of hectic though!), and I came back so happy and relaxed I figured I'd pay it forward by giving away two signed copies of my upcoming EVERMORE-- and all you have to do for your chance to win is click HERE!

Oh, and I also just learned that CRUEL SUMMER is nominated for the Best Books of 2008 sponsored by TeensRead and the Children's Book Council!! To see the full list, and learn how to vote for your top 5, click HERE.

Oh, and BLUE MOON is now available for preorder on Amazon!!! Check it out HERE!

Have a fun weekend everyone!!

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

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!

Win a copy of CRUEL SUMMER!

To celebrate the release of her debut novel, SUCKS TO BE ME, Kimberly Pauley is having one heck of  a blog party-- and, as it happens, today she is giving away a copy of CRUEL SUMMER!

For your chance to win-- click HERE!

Happy Labor Day everyone!

Desert Daze

If you're anywhere near the Coachella Valley and  interested in picking up a signed copy of one of my books, then stop by the Border's in The River a beautiful outdoor shopping center in Rancho Mirage. 

I dropped by yesterday to browse the stacks and sign stock, and just happened to notice that CRUEL SUMMER, which came out in June, has gone into another printing!!  And SAVING ZOE, which was released a year ago next month, is in it's fifth! And since YOU are directly responsible for that I just wanted to say:

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!

Also, the EVERMORE galleys arrived the other day, and they're gorgeous!!  And while I don't have many to spare, I will be giving one away on Kelly Parra's Secret Fates blog contest, which was recently moved to October. So keep an eye out for that!

Have a wonderful holiday weekend everyone!

Playing Catch(up)

So, I'm getting ready to head out the door and over to ALA, but first I want to blog about a few important things--one of which is:

My good friend Jessica Brody's awesome debut novel, THE FIDELITY FILES, grabbed the #2 slot on the Denver Post bestseller list!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And trust me, there are not enough exclamation marks in the world to convey how happy I am about this!!!

Also, if you're at all interested in winning a GRAB BAG OFBOOKS full of great summer reads (including CRUEL SUMMER ), then head on over to Teensread for your chance to win-- all you have to do is click HERE (and then scroll half way down).

Oh, and this just in from Flamingnet Reviews:

"I really enjoyed reading Cruel Summer by Alyson Noel. It was a very unique book filled with love, hate, adventure, and many unforgettable opportunities and experiences. I thought it was cool how the author wrote the book like it was partly a blog, a regular story, and a diary. . .Overall, Cruel Summer was a great novel that I definitely recommend to teenage girls looking for a little summer romance."

Oh, and this just in! CRUEL SUMMER is part of Seventeen.com's Summer Book Club!


Okay, that's it for now--- have a good day everyone!

Rock 'n' Read

It's official-- The ROCK 'N' READ website is now up and running, and trust me, if you are anywhere near the LA area on July, 13, oh, say around 3-ish-- you will not want to miss this event because it's going to be AWESOME!!

Think of it as a super cool Literary Lollapalooza showcasing amazing authors and bands and raffle prizes you will definitely want--with the proceeds benefitting the Virgin Unite Charities!

So, WHERE is this can't miss event taking place?

The Virgin Megastore at Hollywood & Highland

6801 Hollywood Blvd.

Hollywood, CA 90028

323.769.8520

And WHO is going to be there?

For the complete list of authors and bands, click HERE!

I'll be reading from my latest release, CRUEL SUMMER, and I hope to see you there! 

Blisters + Books = BEA

So, this past weekend was all about BEA. Well, that and LA traffic which I'm holding personally responsible for me missing the Debby Garfinkle, Marelene Perez, and Alexa Young book signings. And yet, all was not lost, as I still got to:

Spend quality time with my awesome agent; gawk at celebrities such as Alec Baldwin and R2D2; get signed books from Cecil Castellucci, Tami Hoag, (and more!);get a sneak peek at the new BREAKING DAWN TWILIGHT SAGA cover; meet my French editor and publisher over at Fleuve Noir; dine with Jessica Brody of the soon to be released FIDELITY FILES; chat with booksellers and librarians at the Macmillan Children's author dessert party; and, load up several free tote bags chock full of free books (one of the main reasons for the event's popularity!)--so many books it required three separate trips to the car, with the final count coming in at 82!!!


And now, waking up this morning with feet so sore they will accept nothing but flip-flops, a certain someone sent me this pic taken from the Santa Monica Barnes and Noble and it totally made my day!




Happy Monday everyone!

CRUEL SUMMER -- in stores now!!

Today's the day! CRUEL SUMMER is officially in a store near YOU!

And in case you haven't heard, it's the story of Colby Catherine Cavendish, a seventeen year old girl on the verge of the best summer of her life--when her parents decide to divorce and ship her off to a tiny Greek island to live with her "crazy" aunt. And just when she thinks her life can't possibly get any worse, she meets Yannis, a cute Greek local who makes her see her life in a whole new way . . .

The story unfolds in letters, blog posts, and journal entries, and I had a lot of fun writing it, drawing on my many years of living in Mykonos, Greece as a reference!  So I really hope you enjoy reading it too!

If you want to read an excerpt, or watch the trailer, just click HERE.

Thanks so much-- and have a good day everyone!

It's a cruel--cruel summer

Not only did it serve as title inspiration for my May release, CRUEL SUMMER, but I still love this song ( are you listening iTunes?? Get this song available for download already, sheesh!)-- and here's why:

I met these girls once, a long time ago at a club in LA--they were very nice!

Oh, and the cover flat recently found it's way to my door, which means it's all starting to feel very real!



Happy Earth Day Everyone!