The Julia James tour of Manhattan

This week, life is imitating art. Big time.

Way back when I was working on Cheating at Solitaire I knew I wanted it to begin in New York, with an author promoting a big book and living a very glamorous life.

This week...I'm in New York. Promoting a new book. And living a very glamorous life!

It's insane, really, and sometimes I feel like I'm on the Julia James tour of New York.

Because, for starters, the first line of Solitaire is "Julia was staying at the Ritz" and this is what I go by every morning...




And in Solitaire Julia meets with her editor at their office building, and here's my editor allowing me to help her make a very important literary decision...





And of course there's the big publicity aspect of Cheating at Solitarie, and the new book... And here's my publicist with my NEW BOOK!




And finally every time I go down Fifth Avenue I see this and think about Lance and Julia and a big, honking stack of toys. And I smile.




So today I went in and bought some toys and some candy, but there were no photographers waiting outside.

And I was just fine with that.

More meetings and a big day tomorrow, so take care, everyone.

I'll check back soon!

Ally

BEA, Baby

BEA, Day 1

The fabulousness that is Book Expo America began for me today as I traveled to the Big Apple (as opposed to Manhattan, KS a.k.a. the Little Apple).

Oh, where do I begin? So much has happened!

Well, for starters, on Friday I finally went to the doctor even though I never go to the doctor, but I had my reasons...


REASONS:

A. I'd literally been sick off and on for a month.

B. I have a funny feeling that it's really hard to impress powerful book industry professionals if you're having to blow your nose (loudly) every few seconds.

and C. Okay, I admit it, I still haven't forgotten that Grey's Anatomy episode where the guy had a cold for a month and ended up needing brain surgery.

Oh, and D. On Grey's Anatomy the brain surgeon was McDreamy so... better to get it checked out.


So I finally broke down and went to the doctor and was officially told that I was, in fact, sick. Now this may not sound like a victory, but it is because now I can add an "E" to my list...

E. I was actually sick.


But the down side is the doctor wasn't 100% sure what was wrong. Her initial instinct was allergies, but she gave me a big dose of antibiotics too because whatever I've got is a doozey.

So now I'm heavily medicated.

But on the downside...no McDreamy.

On the upside...no brain surgery.

I'm still coming out ahead.

Now I'm in NY and staying at a BEAUTIFUL hotel right on Central Park and...

LEONARDO DICAPRIO IS STAYING HERE!!

That's right. I go to LA and see Paul Walker. I go to New York and stay at the very place where Leo is shooting a movie. Do you see the trend? Are you as psyched about the trend as you should be? If not, let me do the math for you.

(1 LA visit/Paul Walter) + (1 NY visit/Leonardo DiCaprio) = Ally Carter, Cute Boy Magnet

It's times like these when I'm really, really grateful for the dozens of books on advanced surveillance that I've read in the last two years. I'm also really upset that the hotel in question has TWO main entrances! Do you have any idea how hard it is to run a one operative observation post when there are TWO entrances?!?!? I so totally need backup.

And since backup isn't coming (my agent said she'd rather hang out with her husband of all people) so I'm just going to get some rest (and take some pills). And iron outfit A for my meeting tomorrow.

Okay. Nighty Night!

Ally

Pop quiz

Since I know you guys love quizzes so much I'm going to bring you a very special one!

Here goes!




1. I haven't blogged in several days because I've been busy

a. coughing
b. blowing my nose
c. freaking out about what to wear at Book Expo America
d. all of the above



2. The Veronica Mars finale was

a. kinda anticlimactic
b. a fitting end
c. good because Logan got to hit people
d. finale? What finale? I REFUSE too accept it was a finale!


3. Next Wednesday you're going to have lunch with very important booksellers so it's best if you appear

a. professional
b. funny and engaging
c. like someone teens will relate to and enjoy
d. all of the above



4. To best portray the image desired in question #3 you should probably wear...

a. a white blouse with a pretty embroidered skirt



b. a black skirt and boat-neck top



c. a navy skirt with funky kick pleats and coordinating jacket with fun tie belt





d. a white skirt and navy jacket




5. You're going to have a very long day next Friday during which you're going to 1. attend a breakfast for book authors, 2. meet with editors, booksellers, librarians, and fans while signing copies of Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy, and 3. attend a fun dinner and auction, but at no point during the day will you have a free moment to change clothes.

You're going to be on your feet and possibly in a highly-air conditioned environment.

What do you wear? (And you'd rather not wear what you wore on Wednesday.)


a. White blouse and navy skirt
b. Black skirt and shirt and jacket (not pictured)
c. navy jacket and skirt
d. navy jacket and white skirt




Study hard, and answer well, my friends. My entire career (not to mention the state of my feet in a week) may very well be in your hands!


--Ally

ps. I only really care about the answers to #s 4 and 5 by the way.


pps. I should probably also say that I have comfy shoes for all outfits

ppps. And I should point out that the white blouse outfit probably photographed best and the black outfit probably looks better in person (and on) than it does in the picture.


pppps. And looking at those pictures really makes me want to get new carpet.

A blog in bullets

Sometimes I have just So-Much-Information that simple paragraph form simply cannot suffice, so tonight I bring you a blog. In bullets.

* I now have in my possession a new blackberry, and I love it. Like L-O-V-E love it. It's kinda sad.

* I just got my itinerary for BEA next week and it's shaping up to be the most action-packed literary week ever.

* I have no idea who I want to win Dancing with the Stars.

* I'm getting sick...again.

* I'm also back on Diet Coke.

* But...I've lost seven pounds! Which reminds me of how...

* I spent all day last Friday in a dressing room at Saks with my sister and a personal shopper.

* In related news, I'm now significantly poorer.

* But I still don't know exactly what I'm going to wear next week because I've been operating on the "just buy it--you can take it back if it doesn't work" philosophy. But how am I supposed to choose? You don't get to take the personal shopper with you! Maybe I should post pictures and let you guys vote?

* As you may have guess by my blog-silence on the subject I'm refusing to accept the cancellation of Veronica Mars. If I don't blog about it...it hasn't happened. Right?

* And finally, thanks to everyone for all your good wishes on the movie project. Keep those fingers crossed!



Nightie night,
Ally

Darn you, E. Lockhart

E. Lockhart is a friend of mine, but right now I'm a little bit mad at her. After all, do you have any idea what it's like to be sitting on an airplane, innocently reading a book, only to laugh out loud and have people stare at you?

And how about when that same book brings back in riveting detail all the utter insecurity that consumed you during high school?

And the worst part had to be that since Dramarama takes place at summer drama camp I've been walking around singing showtunes for days now. I simply can NOT get "and the people all said sit down, sit down you're rocking the boat" out of my head.

So I say darn you, E. Lockhart for writing such a funny, achingly true, addictive book.

Darn you, indeed.

Ally

The news

Okay, for those of you who haven't seen or heard already, I can now announce the news...

First, a question:

What do these things have in common?




They're all film projects at Walden Media!

What does this mean? Well, Walden, the powerhouse production company that specializes in books-to-film has bought the Love You Kill You film option from Disney.

What does this mean? Well, basically, I don't know. But it's a good thing--a VERY good thing.

Now, I'll answer the questions that I'm sure will come up in the comments.



1. I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU CAN TRY OUT FOR THE MOVIE.

Seriously. No idea. None. No clue. I'm not lying. This isn't a conspiracy. I DO NOT have that information and will probably not be getting that information. Sorry.



2. THIS DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THE MOVIE WILL GET MADE.

All things in Hollywood are forever in limbo, so don't hold your breath to see LYKY on the big screen. If it happens, great. But don't bank on it. (I'm not.)



3. I HAVE NO SAY WHATSOEVER IN WHAT THE MOVIE WILL BE LIKE.

I truly appreciate all the people who write and tell me that they love the book and they really hope Hollywood doesn't "ruin" it (their word.) Well, let me just remind you that books and movies are two different things and it takes different story elements to make each work. I'm not writing the screenplay. I have no say in the screenplay. I can't lobby to keep your favorite part of the book the way you remember it or to cast an actress you like in the role of Cammie.

I write the books. They make the movies. And I think it's best that way.



So, the moral of the store is as follows:

Love You Kill You is a Walden film project (yea!!!)

Walden does a WONDERFUL job making great movies out of young adult books (yea!!!)

They are working on the screenplay now (yea!!!)

There's no guarantee that the film will be made but this is all very promising (yea!!!)

I have no say (and therefore no pressure) in the film project (yea!!!)

And that's it. The big news.

Have a happy weekend, everyone!


Ally

Oh yeah. I cried.

I've always been an easy crier. It's true. Although usually my tears are prompted over the most random things.

Hallmark commercials--bring on the Kleenex.

Steel Magnolias--I'm tearing up now even as I write this.

Thinking about my old college apartment being torn down and paved over--don't even get me started.

So it might surpise you that I was surprised that the Gilmore Girls finale last night made me cry.

I blame it on low expectations. After all, we've been hearing for two weeks that no one knew it was going to be the finale when they wrote/filmed it; we hadn't had any of the series finale prep episodes; and finally, I've very rarely seen a series finale that didn't disappoint me in some way.

Well, maybe you can credit low expectations, but I thought this was a most fitting send-off.

I"m a big fan of symmetry, and I can't imagine a show that started with a mother needing money to pay for her daughter's education ending any better than with that daughter being fully educated (or at least as educated as the mother can make her) and going off into the world (on a bus) to finish life's lessons.

We got to see/say good-bye to all the wacky townspeople we've come to love.

We got to hear that Loreli is going to continue her relationship with her parents even without Rory around to hold them together.

And finally we got the kiss we've all been waiting for. Sure, it wasn't a Gilmore wedding, but it didn't have to be, and personally I'm glad it wasn't. After all, this show wasn't about finding the girls husbands. It was about getting Rory ready for the world. And they've done it. All of them. Under a homemade tent.

Good-bye, Gilmore Girls.

Take care, Stars Hollow.

I'm going to miss you.


Ally

Which Gallagher Girl are you?

Don't ever let it be said that I don't read the comments!

So, by popular demand, I give you... a quiz!

Which Gallagher Girl are you?

Now I've got to ask a favor of all of you. I want to post the quiz to the new website--not a link to the quiz. But I can't figure out how to do this, and maybe you can't with this particular quiz service. I'll take any advice you can share (in comments or email will be fine).

Thanks!

In other news, I've also completed the contest, and I hope everyone likes it because this time instead of a code it's going to be....

A CROSSWORD PUZZLE!!!

(Have I just shown my complete geekaliciousness? I don't care--I love crossword puzzles!!!)

I'll post the puzzle soon (specific date TBA) and the FIRST person who correctly sends me the answers will win an advance reading copy of Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy!

I had an embarrassing amount of fun making the quiz, basically drawing upon all of my research for the Gallagher Girl books--all the spy phrases that I either have used (or hope to use) in the books.

So in order to complete the puzzle you'll need to know about the Gallagher Girls and all that happened in LYKY. But you'll also need to know about spies. Real spies. And the terms they use everyday.

Good luck!

Ally


PS....I will tell you the news--I promise!--just as soon as the powers that be give me permission to do so. Pinkie swear.

Which Gallagher Girl are you? Your Result: Cammie Sure, you feel invisible sometimes, but people who know you always see and love you. Even though you can hold your own with the books, you're smartest when you're trusting your guts and your heart.
Bex
Liz
Macey
Which Gallagher Girl are you? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

Contest!

Okay. You guys have officially talked me into it. There will be another contest!

Of course, I'm not 100% sure how it's going to work, but I do know that it's going to test your wit, wisdom, and overall covertness.

stay tuned for details!

Ally

Website feedback

Hey everyone!

We're going to be updating allycarter.com in a few weeks--adding info for Cross My Heart and misc. other things, so I thought I'd take this opportunity to ask you--the website viewing public--for recommendations of things that we should add, remove, spruce up, or trim down.

thanks!
ally

Frankly, I'm disappointed

Well, thanks to everyone who has commented or written with guesses about the big news. But I must say that, frankly, I'm disappointed.

Really, people. I mean, I guess it's logical to assume that my big news is book related, but how is it possible that no one--NOT ONE--of you has guess that the CW is spinning off a new "Logan Echols" show and I will play his love interest???

Seriously, people, how did that NOT occur to any of you?

Oh, and maybe Weight Watchers wants to feature ME in its ads from now on--right next to Jenny McCarthy. Huh? Did that not cross your minds?

How about the possibility that all the work in my basement led to the discovery of gold? Or rare coins? Or a first edition TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD?

That so could have happened!

Or maybe Britney Spears wants me to be a backup dancer on her comeback tour?

Or maybe I'm in negotiations right this minute to be on dancing with the stars next season? Oh yeah. Because sequins and I are such good friends.

Any of these things are techically possible and yet none of you have guessed ANY of them....

So there. I'm disappointed.

Can you blame me?


Ally

The sisterhood of the traveling MySpace

Hey, it's official, all the cool kids (um...I mean authors) now have MySpace pages. I know because Ann Brashares (Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants) now has one.

And...she's running a contest for the people who get five other people to "friend" her, so if you go friend Ann and send her a message saying that I referred you I'll get a copy of her new book....

Of if YOU get five people to say that YOU referred them, YOU'LL get a copy of her new book (which would be great, too).

Now that I think about it, that's quite the little pyramid scheme she's got going there. But what do I care? Free books!

(And this coming from the girl who had a dream last night that she was at BEA, but it was a lot like a steer show--like with stalls and great big fans blowing on the books. Then I woke up craving corndogs. But that's another story.)


So, anyway, go friend Ann. (By the way, at what point did the word "friend" become a verb?)

Go read great books.

Go study hard for finals.

Go make good decisions.

Go get ready for a great summer.

Go eat corndogs.



There. I'm finished.

Later,
Ally


ps...any guesses on what the big, revolutionary news might be?

BEA, baby!

So it looks like the Book Expo America website has finally added a complete listing of all the authors who will be signing at BEA! Yea!

And, oh yeah, I printed out all 51 pages of it and had some serious highlighter time going over it in detail.

SE Hinton!

Jennifer Weiner!

Melissa DeLaCruz and Maggie Marr and Eoin Colfer!


I. Am. So. There.


And no, this isn't even the very big, exciting, possibly revolutionary news...that's still under wraps until next week.

Until then, have a great one, everyone!

Ally

Weather...

So it's been raining here. A lot. For weeks.

But I'm a farm girl. Farm girls simply do not complain about the rain--even when you've had too much--because we also know what it feels like to have too little.

But that was before I climbed in the shower this morning and found I had no hot water. None. Zilch. So then I proceeded to...

A) take the world's fastest shower.

and

B) go to check the hot water heater...

and

C) find the hot water heater is in my basement along with a couple of feet of water!


Urghh!!!!!!!

I don't know that much about home improvement topics, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say that is NOT a good thing (and not simply because my hair is looking really bad today because of it, either.)

So fast forward to me calling my normal home improvement store...

ME: hello, I don't really know what's required in a situation like this, but I have a good deal of water in my basement and--

HOME IMPROVEMENT PERSON: Yeah, lady, you and half the town.

And then I called Home Improvement Person #2:

ME: Hi! I have water in my basement and was hoping someone might be able to take a look at that today.

HOME IMPROVEMENT PERSON #2: (no talking...just hysterical laughter.)

So then I proceed to call every single person in town that I could find a phone number for and they all told me that....

A) I really need to get that water out of there as soon as possible.

And

B) There was no way on earth that they could get that water out of there until at least the end of the week.

Fast forward to me calling people in all the other towns (starting with the ones who didn't have as much rain because I'm smart like that.)

Well, long-story-short, I found someone who has time today, but who was very concerned that the water might be over 18 inches because his boots are only 18 inches. But he's gonna give it a shot.

So see--the life of a published author IS just as glamorous as you'd always hoped.

But it could be worse

So, so, so much worse.

Ally

Translation finished

Big thanks to everyone who wrote and commented with offers of help on the German translation. I've got what I needed, and the finished pages are winging their way to New York, so I've reached that terrifying, exhilarating, and generally strange place where the book that has consumed my life for months is finally out of my hands.

So thanks again for the help. I hope everyone is pleased with the finished product.

And rest assured that if there are more Gallagher Girl books this will probably not be the last call for help I send out, so keep on studying those languages, folks!

Happy Derby Day,

Ally (who actually had Queen Elizabeth wave at her once. Seriously. I'm not even lying.)

HELP: Paging anyone fluent in German

If you're fluent in German--or know someone nearby who is--please email me ASAP for urgent help on GG2. PLEASE.

ally (at symbol) allycarter.com

thanks!
Ally

Good-bye Girls

Yes. It's true. I just read that the Gilmore Girls will not be back next season.

They made me laugh, cry, and love backward baseball caps. They brought the quirk back to small town settings, and I feel like we grew up together. At least a little bit.

Good-bye, girls. As Lorelli sang this week, "I'll always love you."

-Ally

The light at the end of the tunnel

Well, CROSS MY HEART AND HOPE TO SPY is almost in the books. Literally.

For about a week now I've been working on the final round of proofreading and edits.


See. I offer proof (not to mention a sneak peek at chapter two for those of you with really good eyesight!





Ordinarily, I wouldn't show the world what a book looks like in its work clothes, but I personally love anything behind-the-scenes, and I thought some of you might feel the same way.



So there it is--the mysterious world of book writing in all its glory: red pencils, yellow Post-Its and popcorn. You don't get much more glamorous than that!


-Ally

Veronica's back!

Veronica. Piz.

Piz. Veronica.

Logan...elevator...

So much to process!

What did you guys think?


Ally