Last Call for HS Journalists!
Hey everyone! This is the last call for all you teen journalists! Please email me (ally-at-allycarter.com) if you are on your school or community newspapers and would like the chance to review CROSS MY HEART AND HOPE TO SPY and/or interview me about it! Please note that this I only have a few copies, and they've all been allocated to this newspaper program, so even though I'd love to give copies to everyone--I can't. Again, please email me by Friday for your chance to get an Advanced Reading Copy of Cross My Heart and interview a cool author (or me...probably me). thanks! Ally
You've got the Qs
I have a question if u could have any actress play one of your characters who would it be, like Cammie's mom? If YOU, and only you, had your choice to pick who played Cammie in the movie, who would you pick. The same for Bex, Liz, and Macey? The answer to this question varies a lot all the time. For Mr. Solomon, right now I'm loving the idea of Kyle Chandler who is great in Friday Night Lights, but seeing him as the bomb squad guy on Grey's Anatomy really sealed the deal for me. He WAS Mr. Solomon in that.
I have oodles of actresses who I can see in the role of Rachel. All the time I was writing, I admit, I had a mental picture of Famke Janssen and/or Rachel Weisz in my head for Cammie's mom. But now I can't stop thinking about Julia Roberts!!! Or Uma Thurman. Oh my gosh! Lauren Graham!!!! I'm obsessed. Ooh! Catherine Zeta-Jones!
 And Josh...well I have to go back to my Friday Night Lights addiction for Zach Gilford, aka Matt the adorable. He does cute vulnerable so well I can't help but think he'd be the perfect Josh.For the main girls (Cammie, Bex, Liz, and Macey) I'm really the worst possible person since by the time I've heard of a teen actress she's probably already too old for the role. The only possible exception would be that I've always really, really liked Haden Panettiere (who was in a really great made-for-TV-movie calle d "If You Believe" about a NY book editor who finds a rough manuscript--and love--over the holiday season and this movie totally made me want to be a writer even more than I already did, so it might be kinda fitting if she were to get the role.) Haden is pretty, though. Really, really pretty. And I kinda think she'd have a hard time being "invisible." But Hollywood makeup artists can do anything, right?How do you figure out the names for your characters? Like when did you decide Cammie should be called Cammie.I knew the main girl was going to be "the chameleon" and I'm such a sucker for alleteration that I picked the first "C" name I thought of--Cammie--and it was perfect from the get-go. It absolutely stuck.As for Bex, I heard the name as a nickname for Rebecca once and it stuck with me. Like Cammie, Bex was always Bex. I really like that she has this classic and beautiful name (because she is a classically beautiful girl) and yet she chooses to go by something edgier. That's Bex in a nutshell.Liz, I admit, was named after my sister's neighbor. She too is very, very tiny. And sweet.Macey....um. No idea where that one came from either. Macey McHenry was always just Macey McHenry.I don't make this stuff up, folks. I just write it down.Do you outline your stories before you write them? If you do, what sort of outline do you use?Not really. I've tried everything under the sun--outlines, detailed synopses,, you name it. But the problem for me is that everything tends to sound good in theory. I won't know if it's working or not until I get there.I do, however, still storyboard. Storyboarding is a screenwriting concept where you write scenes on cards (or in my case big Post-It notes) and line them up in order that they'd happen in the movie. I do this for everything I write. I've never stuck with one 100% though. Still, it's good to get ideas down and stick them on the wall before you forget them.Okay, if you could go back and change something about LYKY, is there anything that comes to mind, and if so what (and why)?
I'd probably rewrite every page if someone would give me the chance--not because it's bad or I don't like it but because ALL writers never stop writing. When I do readings at events I never read it the way it is on the page--I always change the wording. I'll probably ALWAYS change the wording. It's my cross to bear.Lately I've been seeing a lot of people online who don't like the ending of LYKY, and I have to say that despite that I would never, ever, ever change the ending. That is the CORRECT ending. Anything else would have been made up and it's my job to write the truest fiction possible.
That is the only way that book could end, for me. I know a lot of you would like the "riding off into the sunset" moment where everything is perfect.But seriously? Where's the fun in that?
Labels: Frequently Asked Questions, The LYKY movie, Tips for Writers
More Qs and some As
In terms of story line, do you just start writing and let the characters dictate what story they will tell, or do you have clear milestones mapped out and then figure out how the characters will get there?Both. I think. Story always comes from character in my opinion. You change the character you change the story. (After all, can you imagine The Wizard of Oz if Dorothy had been a street-smart bully?) But in terms of mapping things out ahead of time I write best when I know generally what's going to happen--I know the story--but I don't always know the scenes, or the individual steps the story will take. What does Cammie look like exactly? is she tall, average, brunette, blonde?Cammie is average. In every way average. She's the chameleon, remember? She's not too tall, too short, too chubby, too thin, too anything. I think she's probably got light brown hair eyes that change color depending on what she's wearing. She is, however, prettier than she probably gives herself credit for (but who wouldn't feel ugly next to Macey or boring next to Bex or fat next to Liz?) Who are friends of yours that are well known ya authors? Unfortunately, I don't live in an area where there are a lot of fun YA authors who get together and write and make wacky videos. However, I have met some great writers at conferences and such and I still keep in touch via email with some. But friends? Well, I don't know about you, but for me friendship has always been a really fickle thing (probably because I'm someone who tends to have a LOT of acquaintances and very few people calling to see if I want to do something Friday night.) Anyway, I do know some amazingly cool YA authors, and I think I can best sum it up "the friendship paradigm" by thinking of the literary community like a high school... I probably eat lunch with Jennifer Lynn Barnes and Maggie Marr (we read each others' work and listen when we need to gripe. And also talk about boys.) I'd like to think that I'd be invited to any parties E. Lockhart, Sarah Mlynowski, Lauren Myracle, Alan Gratz, Sara Zarr, and Tara Altebrando might be throwing. John Green has a locker near mine and always says hello when he sees me. Meg Cabot mentioned me once on her message boards so it's very much like finding out the head cheerleader knows my name. Jenny O'Connell, Mari Mancusi, Kelly Parra and I all have the same agent, so I think that makes us cousins. And Megan Shull sent me a Cornell T-Shirt, gourmet coffee, and autographed books once, so that was kind of like having the hippest girl in school come up to you and say, "Wow! You always look so cute!" And then you say, "No YOU always look so cute!" And that feels good for a long time. And then there are the people who I've met, and who I TOTALLY remember meeting, but I highly doubt they remember meeting me... Like how S.E. Hinton asked me to autograph a book for her once! And one time, I got to ride in a limo with and get kissed on the cheek by Eoin Colfer!!!!! (Who is very European that way.) And at BEA someone introduced me to Libba Bray and Holly Black and Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson and Bobby Kennedy, Jr. and Gail Carson Levine and a bunch of other people who are pretty much rock stars....but I highly doubt they remember me. And then there are the people I don't know and have never met and yet I FEEL like I know them. Like Sarah Dessen. And Stephenie Meyer. And also Jennifer Garner (who isn't a YA author, and yet I feel so much like I know her because there are people who are related to me who are very close friends with people who are related to her, so I'm going to include her anyway.) Do you like the Twilight books? are those the ones you were talking about when you said you and your agent agreed you didn't like them?Yes, I really really like the Twilight books. (I have Eclipse but haven't had a chance to read it yet.) But no, I'm not going to tell you what book it was my editor and I didnt' care for because...well...it's mean. And unfair. And I don't want to insult authors who are probably very, very nice people and whose work is probably justifiably beloved by lots of adoring readers. My opinion is just my opinion. I'll talk about books I really like because I want to spread the good word, but I'm not going to spread the bad. Have you ever thought about doing a "book tour"-esque thing where you visit some big cities to do signings and talk to people? I know that tons of people would love it. you should definitely come to Cleveland if you do ;)
Yes, I've absolutely thought about it (I think all writers d0), but the truth is that tours are probably a lot more fun in theory than they are in practice and unless you're a huge mega-star like Stephenie Meyer or Meg Cabot chances are there will only be two or three people who will come see you. And that makes you sad. So while I do think it would be incredibly fun to go around and meet tons of you guys I'm probably more scared that there wouldn't be many of you, so I haven't toured. I will be doing events, though... Like the big LAUNCH PARTY on Oct. 2, 2007 at 7:00 at the Barnes and Noble on 41st Street in Tulsa. And the Kansas Book Festival on Oct. 5th in Wichita. And the Midwest Booksellers Association meeting on Oct. 7. And I think I'll be doing something at the Manhattan, KS public library sometime in October as well (stay tuned for details). So thanks for the great question. Touring is something I'd like to do eventually, and when that happens I'll let the whole world know--especially the good folks in Cleveland! THANKS!! Ally --more questions? Labels: Frequently Asked Questions, Really great reads, Tips for Writers
Where have all the cute green sweaters gone?
I am an author. I am not a shopper. Or a model. Or even a particularly "girly" girl. Nope. I write books and, on a perfect day, never change out of my pajamas. But it's one of the cruel, untold truths of the writerly world that a few times a year you do get to leave the house and interact with real, live people. And not only that, these are people, usually, who are BOOK people. And more specifically, they may be fans of YOUR book... So it might be worth changing out of your pajamas. And therein lies the problem. Long-time blog readers will remember my panic at dressing myself for Book Expo America, so I've decided to start early this fall for all the CROSS MY HEART AND HOPE TO SPY appearances. Preparation + Weight Watchers = less clothes-related panic. Right? WRONG! It all started simply enough, by looking in my closet. (Well, to be honest, it was me holding up a copy of CROSS MY HEART AND HOPE TO SPY against everything in my closet.) And that's when I realized that A. a black book tends to totally disappear inside a closet full of black clothing. B. the green on the new bookjacket is really, really pretty. and C. I no longer own any green clothing. None. Which is especially troubling considering that's a key color in both my new bookjacket and also...my eyes. I must buy green clothing, I told myself and then proceeded to spend several nights online in search of the perfect green sweater. Problem. Do you have any idea how few green sweaters--much less perfect green sweaters--there are this season? Eddie Bauer: nothing. Ann Taylor: zilch. Talbots, Banana Republic, Saks, Nordstrom--all a total bust. I was about to give up when this morning it hit me: J CREW!!! So with bated breath I switched over to jcrew.com and there...I saw it:  A forest green cashmere cardigan! It was like the mother ship was calling me home! But wait...there were more...  A boatneck sweater? Hallelujah! Crisis averted. I'm a happy girl. Now...if only I could find a good pair of jeans... -Ally ps...Question of the Day: do you base any of your characters on real people? Answer: Yes and no. All of my characters need to feel real to me, meaning they need to have the characteristics of people really walking around in the world. Sometimes I look at the people I've known/met to help with this. For example, I was in a store once where a woman kept rambling on and on and I KNEW as soon as I walked out that she would appear in a book someday. She hasn't yet. But she will. More questions? More? I'm still taking them. I'm also taking jeans suggestions.
wow!
Yes and no. On one hand, I know the characters and I can feel them out a lot easier, but on the other, it's kind of a bummer because my first instinct for things has probably already been used up! I'll never get to describe the Grand Hall for the first time again, or the welcome back dinner, or any of those things that were so obviously necessary in the first book, so I have to go deeper. But deeper can be good.
How do you keep procrastination at bay while you're writing and trying to finish a novel? - Unfortunately, I'm not really very good at that, and the hardest thing is knowing when you're procrastinating because you just don't feel like doing it and when you're procrastinating because what you're doing doesn't feel right. One you just have to plow through, but the other is a sign that you really do need to take a step back and evaluate where things stand.
Which character is your favorite and why?
What new character are you excited to see fan reactions to?
If you could give aspiring authors one piece of advice, what would it be? - Write. Really, that's all there is to it. Just write.
Better required uniforms: Boy & Girl Scouts or Catholic schools? When you were Cammie's age, did you have a world-altering crush? - Does Atticus Finch count? I think Atticus Finch should count.
- My opinion about MySpace and those sites is pretty much my opinion on ALL promotional activities: do what you enjoy for as much time as you enjoy it and then get back to work. I think a lot of authors (and I was one of them for a while) put sooooo much pressure on themselves to be promotion machines. But that's not the job. The job is to write the best possible books we can write--if we do that, then I'm a firm believer that eventually, the rest will take care of itself.
- Hey Laurie, I'd love to come to CT but sadly I don't have anything planned at the moment. Sorry!
- Tough one. The moment I got the call that my agent wanted to be my agent (I was sitting in my car at Sonic)...when I heard that Berkley wanted to publish Cheating at Solitaire (I was at the Kansas State University Alumni Center)...when my agent told me that Hyperion wanted to buy the Gallagher Girls books (I was in my kitchen, microwaving a burrito)...when I got the call that Love You Kill You was going to be a lead title (I was in a bathroom stall at a Farm Credit office)... Those were all pretty good moments.
- It's funny you should ask because I actually have a trip to St. Louis planned for December. It's not a "book" trip but I've been wondering if we should maybe try to set up a signing while I'm there. What do you guys think?
When you are walking down the street or at a store or something do you ever see a person that looks exactly like one of your characters? If so, what do you do? - Actually, I don't think this has ever happened.
Have you ever thought of coming up with a movie page (like the one Stephenie Meyer has) and announcing what actors and actresses you would like the see in the movie, if there is one? - I've blogged about it before, but I haven't put up an official page yet. Maybe I will someday. That's a fun idea.
Where did you get your inspiration for your characters? Namely, Macy and Cammie? - Cammie was always kind of there. I didn't consciously think about her--I just sat down and wrote the line, "I guess most girls feel invisible sometimes" and that was just HER. She was the invisible girl and Josh was going to be the boy who saw her.
- As for Macey, she wasn't meant to stick around. I wanted to have the "code red" to show how the school had been able to stay hidden in plain sight for so long, and to do that there had to be a tour, and to have a tour you had to have a girl with some really powerful parents and no other educational options and voile, you get Macey. Now, of course, she's one of my favorites. Thank goodness my agent, Kristin Nelson, said "you've GOT to keep Macey!" She was right.
Anonymous said...Have you ever looked back at something you've written (recently) and HATED it? - Uh...does last night count? Or the night before that? Or pretty much any working day of my entire life? You will ALWAYS be your worst critic. In fact, I've had a copy of Cross My Heart since Saturday and I haven't cracked the spine--I don't dare because I know I'll hate it and there's not a thing I can do about it now.
- Incidentally, I have been re-reading bits of LEARNING TO PLAY GIN lately. I've been away from that book for a while now--long enough to have forgotten how it sounded in my head before, so now I can read it like everyone else does. And, surprisingly, it's pretty good.
Thanks for the great questions, guys! -Ally
Q and A time
Hey everyone, Wanna know a secret? I'm getting really, really excited about the appearances I've got coming up in October! First, we've got the fabulous book launch party (to which you are all invited) on October 2 at the Barnes and Noble on 41st Street in Tulsa at 7:00 p.m. Then there's the Kansas Book Festival on October 5th in Wichita, Kansas. And last--but certainly not least--I'll be at the Midwest Booksellers Association Convention on October 7 in Minneapolis, MN. So WHY am I so excited about all of these things? I asked myself. And then the answer hit me: I can't wait to take questions from readers. And then it REALLY hit me: I don't have to wait! So here you go, guys. It's Q&A time! The comments section awaits! -Ally
I heart Hyperion
I'm spoiled. It's true. I've known it my whole life--I have many, many things that other people want and need. Loving parents: check. Health Insurance: double-check. Tivo: what else could a girl possibly ask for? But the thing lately I'm most grateful for is simple: Hyperion Books for Children. I love my publisher, and not just because they've been incredibly good to the Gallagher Girls and have believed in them and supported them and just, in general, given me the kind of publishing experience that most writers only dream of. Nope, the reason I most love Hyperion is because they turn out great freaking books. They get me--like seriously get me--and I can't walk away from that. Case in point: I was talking with my editor the other day and a very popular YA book by another author came up. Let's call this book The XYZ Chronicles (note: this is obviously a very made-up title, but now that I look at it I kind of like it as a title...) Anyway, so she mentions The XYZ Chronicles and asks me if I've read it and I, very diplomatically, say that I started it but wasn't able to finish it but that I could tell it was very well written. And she says something about the same. And then I said a little more about why it didn't quite work for me. And then she added on a few things about it that didn't work for her. (Skip ahead three minutes) Me: "I didn't like it at all!" Her: "Neither did I!" For months I've been reading rave reviews and hearing people wax poetic about The XYZ Chronicles and wondering what I was missing--what was wrong with me that I not only didn't love it, but I actually really disliked it--and then the one person in the industry whose opinion I most cherish told me she felt the exact same way. And then I knew it--I was home. I've never read a book from Hyperion that I didn't really like. Do you know how amazing that is? I am the world's pickiest reader--I always have been (you can ask my Mom). But this weekend I absolutely devoured two amazing books, both of which (surprise, surprise) are from Hyperion.  The first was Rick Riordan's THE LIGHTNING THIEF, the first book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series that has been on the NY Times Bestseller lists for a while now. It's not often that I read a "big buzz book" and am not disappointed. Well, this one was amazing--perfectly plotted and beautifully told. I'll be devouring books 2 and 3 (and no doubt begging for an Advanced Reading Copy of 4) just as soon as possible.  The second book of the weekend was one I started at midnight last night and I simply can't wait to pick up again and finish. Sadly, the world at large will have to wait until next spring to read E. Lockhart's utterly brilliant THE DISREPUTABLE HISTORY OF FRANKIE LANDAU-BANKS. I'm only 100 pages in, but I can already tell you that if this book isn't short-listed for the Printz then there's something seriously wrong with the system. So there you have it, guys. I heart Hyperion. And I don't care who knows. -Ally ps...please note that I do, of course, enjoy books from other publishers and there are obviously a lot of great non-Hyperion books out there. But no one gets me like my publisher gets me. And that's the way it should be.
Gallagher Girls: the soundtrack
It's kind of a freaky day here at Ally central (aka, my house) today because... CROSS MY HEART AND HOPE TO SPY is here! Like actually here. I have a real, life copy of the real, life book even though it won't be in stores until October 2. I have a copy. And, as always, that freaks me out because there's really no changing anything now. Okay, so in order to keep myself from grabbing a red pen, picking that sucker up and convincing myself yet again that it's utter crap I decided to do something productive. And...since you guys won't be able to buy copies for a few weeks I thought I should probably give you something in return for your general awesomeness, so therefore it's with great honor that I give you... Gallagher Girls: the soundtrack If you're an iTunes user you should be able to click on this link and go right there http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewIMix?id=262403537 I'm afraid I'm not as musically cool as most people in the world (I don't even have an iPod), but whether they're cool or not, these are songs that either a) I listened to whenever I wanted to get in the mood to write parts of Cross My Heart or b) really, truly remind me of Cammie or c) just make me dance around like an idiot. So, thanks you guys for being you! Enjoy! And have a great weekend! Ally
Special Day
It's my parents' anniversary so.... HAPPY ANNIVERSARY MOM AND DAD!!!! (please, if you've got the time, leave your own anniversary greetings in the comments. My folks will totally get a kick out of it!) -Ally
a blog in bullets
* I'm sorry it's been so long since I posted. Not sure why it's taking so long. Maybe it's because my head hurts!!! (And has been hurting for days.) * But I did get to see BOURNE! With my good writer friend Jennifer Lynn Barnes. And it was every bit as good as I'd hoped it would be. Honestly, it was a lesson in pacing--not a single scene that lasted even a second too long. So, so, so, so great. * I'm also still really loving MY BOYS. * And The Closer * Please keep the night of October 2nd open for the big LAUNCH PARTY!!!! In Tulsa. I want to see you all there!! take care and be good! Ally
Even MORE things that I want...
I want urban sprawl to stop (keep rural areas rural!) I want Ding Dongs to have 10 calories per serving. I want the person who does Keira Sedgwick's hair to come every morning and do MY hair. And I could really use a 20-at-a-time Netflix subscription since I have a few discs I really don't want to send back (for research purposes). I want my garage to be attached to the rest of my house. I want to be as funny and insightful as the writers of that TBS show MyBoys (seriously. Have you guys watched that show? It's practically perfect!) Oh, and it would be really, really nice if walking four miles at 4.5 miles per hour were worth more than three Weight Watchers activing points. Let's see....what else: --new treadmill shoes. --drinking glasses that didn't come from Eskimo Joes. --and to find my watch (or to get a new watch which is the best way I know of having my old watch turn up. I want Cross My Heart to come out as badly as you guys do! And that just reminds me that even though I may want a lot of things, I've got everything I need. have a great one! Ally
Things I really want (But totally don't need)
I've never considered myself to be particularly materialistic. In fact, I've got one of the lower cost-of-living lifestyles of anyone I know. Seriously. I could live well on twenty grand a year. But lately... I WANT... I mean seriously. I want these things. (Even though I totally don't need them.) The Kitchenaid Ice Cream Mixer stand attachment  And let's not forget the Pickstitch Quilt and Sham set from Pottery Barn (in moss green).  And I really, really want to just go ahead and buy the second season of that BBC show, HUSTLE, on DVD. Oh yeah, and how much am I dreading wearing my old coat all winter? How much cuter would I be in this one?  But my coat is still perfectly good. Like my car. But that doesn't stop me from drooling every time I see one of these. (The Acura RDX. But I'm waiting on the hybrid)  So do you see why I might be concerned? I'm being overtaken by greed. What about you guys? What do you want? -ally
TODAY'S THE DAY
Why am I excited, you may ask. Well, I can sum it up in one word
BOURNE
Oh yes, my absolute favorite spy guy is back today and I am soooooooo giddy about it! In fact, I'm trying to think if I could possibly be any giddier and I'm pretty sure the answer is no.
I'm small-child-on-Christmas-morning-whose-birthday-is-also-on-Christmas-and-who-had-chocolate-cake-for-breakfast giddy.
Now that's pretty darn giddy.
But...and here's the sad part...I'm going to try to harness this giddiness for good. I'm telling myself that I can't go see my boyfriend Bourne until I've finished the first act of my new book (and no, it's not a new Gallagher Girls book, it's hopefully the start of a whole new series that I'll do in addition to the Gallagher Girls. And no, I'm not going to talk about it, so don't even try to bribe and/or torture it out of me.)
So there. I've got to get busy.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
Ally
Big news and to-do's
Hi everyone,
I tried to post all day yesterday and stupid blogger wouldn't let me. Here's hoping I have better luck today.
So...which do you want first, the news or the to-do?
Okay, news it is!
You know how I was saying a few weeks ago that I'D TELL YOU I LOVE YOU BUT THEN I'D HAVE TO KILL YOU wasn't technically a "best seller"? Well that no longer applies if you live in Austin, Texas!
That's right! The Austin American Statesman (my new favorite news source) begs to disagree. See!
CHILDREN'S AND YOUNG ADULT BOOKS
1. 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,' J.K. Rowling
2. 'Sealed With a Diss,' Lisi Harrison
3. 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,' J.K. Rowling
4. 'House of the Scorpion,' Nancy Farmer
5. 'The Titan's Curse,' Rick Riordan
6. 'A Wrinkle in Time,' Madeleine L'Engle
7. 'I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You,' Ally Carter
8. 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone,' J.K. Rowling
9. 'Touching Spirit Bear,' Ben Mikaelsen
10. 'The Lightning Thief,' Rick Riordan
Rankings for the week ending July 14
Yep. There I am, hanging out with my friends J.K. Rowling and Rick Riordan.
We're on the list together...
I'm one of them...
Those are my people...
My peers...
My co-bestsellers.
So thank you, Austin! And by all means, stay weird!
But does the big news end there? Oh no. Publisher's Weekly has named their Big Kids Books for Fall and guess what's on it? Okay. I'll give you a hint.
| October 2 |
Olivia Helps with Christmas by Ian Falconer (Atheneum, $18.99). 500,000 copies.
Gossip Girl: It Had to Be You by Cecily von Ziegesar (Little, Brown, $16.99). 300,000 copies.
Extras by Scott Westerfeld (SimonPulse, $16.99). 200,000 copies.
Santa's Reindeer by Rod Green (Atheneum, $16.99). 200,000 copies.
The Red Queen's Daughter by Jacqueline Kolosov (Hyperion, $16.99). 125,000 copies.
The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex (Hyperion, $16.99). 125,000 copies.
Counting Christmas by Karen Katz (Little Simon, $7.99). 100,000 copies.
Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy by Ally Carter (Hyperion, $16.99). 100,000 copies.
Joshua Chamberlain and the American Civil War by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (Hyperion, $16.99). 100,000 copies.
See! There I am am again, hanging out with the cool kids!
When are these people going to realize I don't belong there? Seriously. I almost always have Diet Coke stains on my shirts, and my fingernail cuticles are disgusting, and...
I mean seriously--a Kennedy? No way do I belong on a list with a Kennedy, people.
And holy cow! 100,000 copies?!?!?! Let's just say that you guys had seriously mean it when you say that you're going to buy Cross My Heart. And your friends had better buy it too. Or else Scott Westerfeld, Bobby Kennedy, and Cecily von Ziegesar are totally going to kick me out of their club.
Now on to the to-dos!
I'm proud to officially announce that there's going to be a CROSS MY HEART AND HOPE TO SPY launch party on October 2nd at 7:00 at the Barnes and Noble at 5231 East 41st Street in Tulsa, Oklahoma!!!
That's right. This isn't an ordinary signing. Oh no. It's a party. Which probably means cake. (oh, heck, there's no probably about it--I'm totally bringing cake!) And laughing. And maybe even a helium filled balloon or two.
Party, people! Party.
So please mark your calendars and if you live in the NE Oklahoma area, please plan to come and hang out and get your very own copy of the book.
And hey, there are only going to be 100,000 copies to start, so you may want to get there early just to make sure they don't run out...
Oh, but on a serious note, having everyone buy at the SAME TIME (meaning the same week) is the best possible way to get on other bestseller lists... Just in case you were wondering (hint hint).
Have a great day! I know I am.
Ally
Question for all you budding journalists
Hi guys! I've got a very quick, very random question for you today. How many of you are involved in your high school newspaper? And, if so, would there be any interest in doing a big, online interview of one of your favorite YA authors? (And note that by "favorite YA authors" I mean me.) what do you think? Ally
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