Interview and Contest with Alyson Noel

Hello everyone!  LITERAL ADDICTION and Book Monster Reviews are very happy to welcome Alyson Noel to our sites today!

Alyson is the #1 New York Times best-selling, award-winning, author of FAKING 19, ART GEEKS AND PROM QUEENS, LAGUNA COVE, FLY ME TO THE MOON, KISS & BLOG, SAVING ZOË, CRUEL SUMMER, FOREVER SUMMER (a LAGUNA COVE/CRUEL SUMMER 2-in-1),THE IMMORTALS series including: EVERMORE, BLUE MOON, SHADOWLAND, DARK FLAME, NIGHT STAR, & EVERLASTING, THE IMMORTALS spin-off, RILEY BLOOM series including RADIANCE, SHIMMER, DREAMLAND (09.13.11) & WHISPER (04.26.12), with short stories appearing in the anthologies: FIRST KISS (THEN TELL), KISSES FROM HELL, & DEAR BULLY. She is currently working on a new series for teens, SOUL SEEKERS, set to debut in May 2012.

With over 8 New York Times bestsellers in 2 years, and over 6 million copies in print, her books have been translated into 37 languages, sold in over 50 countries, and have made the New York Times, USA Today, LA Times, Publisher’s Weekly, Wall Street Journal, NCIBA, and Walmart Bestsellers lists, and have won numerous awards such as: the National Reader’s Choice Award, NYLA Book of Winter Award, NYPL Stuff for the Teenage, TeenReads Best Books of 2007, Reviewer’s Choice 2007 Top Ten, appeared on the CBS Early Show’s “Give the Gift of Reading” segment, and selected for Seventeen Magazine’s “Hot List” and Beach Book Club Pick.

Chosen as one of OC Metro magazine’s “20 Women to Watch,” she’s been nominated for the Orange County Business Journal’s “Women in Business Awards” as well as their “Excellence in Entrepreneurship” award. The dramatic rights for all 6 books in THE IMMORTALS series and all 4 books in the RILEY BLOOM series, were optioned by Summit Entertainment—while her adult novel, FLY ME TO THE MOON, was optioned by Ridley Scott’s, Scott Free Productions, with Sharon Maguire (Bridget Jones’ Diary) set to write and direct.

Born and raised in Orange County, California, she’s lived in both Mykonos and Manhattan and is now settled in Southern California where she’s working on her next book. You can visit her at: www.alysonnoel.com or www.immortalsseries.com.

For those of you not yet familiar with Alyson's work, we suggest you check out her entire backlist, but we thought we'd give you the synopses of the books in the IMMORTALS and RILEY BLOOM series to peak your interests, since we're here to help Alyson and promote the release of "Whisper".  We also thought we'd give you a sneak peek at the 1st SOUL SEEKERS book due out in May, "Fated":
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“Evermore”

The IMMORTALS series Book #1:

After a horrible accident claims the lives of her family, sixteen-year-old Ever Bloom can see people's auras, hear their thoughts, and know someone's entire life story by touching them. Going out of her way to avoid human contact and suppress her abilities, she has been branded a freak at her new high school-but everything changes when she meets Damen Auguste.

Damen is gorgeous, exotic, and wealthy. He's the only one who can silence the noise and random energy in her head-wielding a magic so intense, it's as though he can peer into her soul. As Ever is drawn deeper into his enticing world of secrets and mystery, she's left with more questions than answers. And she has no idea who he really is-or what he is. The only thing she knows to be true is that she's falling deeply and helplessly in love with him.

“Blue Moon”

The IMMORTALS series Book #2:

Just as Ever is learning everything she can about her new abilities as an immortal, initiated into the dark, seductive world by her beloved Damen, something terrible is happening to him.  As Ever’s powers are increasing, Damen’s are fading—stricken by a mysterious illness that threatens his memory, his identity, his life.

Desperate to save him, Ever travels to the mystical dimension of Summerland, uncovering not only the secrets of Damen’s past—the brutal, tortured history he hoped to keep hidden—but also an ancient text revealing the workings of time. With the approaching blue moon heralding her only window for travel, Ever is forced to decide between turning back the clock and saving her family from the accident that claimed them—or staying in the present and saving Damen, who grows weaker each day...

"Shadowland”

The IMMORTALS series Book #3:

Ever and Damen have traveled through countless past lives—and fought off the world’s darkest enemies—so they could be together forever.  But just when their long-awaited destiny is finally within reach, a powerful curse falls upon Damen…one that could destroy everything.  Now a single touch of their hands or a soft brush of their lips could mean sudden death—plunging Damen into the Shadowland.   Desperate to break the curse and save Damen, Ever immerses herself in magick—and gets help from an unexpected source…a surfer named Jude.

Although she and Jude have only just met, he feels startlingly familiar.  Despite her fierce loyalty to Damen, Ever is drawn to Jude, a green-eyed golden boy with magical talents and a mysterious past.  She’s always believed Damen to be her soulmate and one true love—and she still believes it to be true.  But as Damen pulls away to save them, Ever’s connection with Jude grows stronger—and tests her love for Damen like never before…

"Dark Flame”

The IMMORTALS series Book #4:

Ever is trying to help Haven transition into life as an immortal.  But with Haven drunk on her new powers and acting recklessly, she poses the ultimate threat—exposing their secret world to the outside.  As Ever struggles to keep the Immortals hidden, it only propels Haven closer to the enemy—Roman and his evil companions

At the same time, Ever delves deeper into dark magick to free Damen from Roman’s power. But when her spell backfires, it binds her to the one guy who’s hell-bent on her destruction. Now there’s a strange, foreign pulse coursing through her, and no matter what she does, she can’t stop thinking about Roman—and longing for his touch.  As she struggles to resist the fiery attraction threatening to consume her, Roman is more than willing to take advantage of her weakened state…and Ever edges closer and closer to surrender.

Frantic to break the spell before its too late, Ever turns to Jude for help, risking everything she knows and loves to save herself—and her future with Damen …

 "Night Star"

The IMMORTALS series Book #5:

After fighting for centuries to be together, Ever and Damen’s future hinges on one final showdown that will leave readers gasping for breath.

Haven still blames Ever for the death of her boyfriend Roman, no matter how hard Ever’s tried to convince her it was an accident. Now she’s determined to take Ever down…and destroy Damen and Jude along the way. Her first step is to tear Ever and Damen apart—and she has just the ammunition to do it.

Hidden in one of Ever’s past lives is a terrible secret about Damen—a secret that illuminates new facts about her relationship with Jude, but that’s so dark and brutal it might be enough to drive her and Damen apart once and for all. As Ever faces her greatest fears about the guy she wants to spend eternity with, she’s thrust into a deadly clash with Haven that could destroy them all.

Now it’ll take everything she’s got—and bring out powers she never knew she had—to face down her most formidable enemy. But in order to win, she must first ask herself: is her own survival worth dooming Haven to an eternity of darkness in the Shadowland? And will learning the truth about Damen’s past hold the key to their future?

"Everlasting"

The IMMORTALS series Book #6:

Everlasting is the sixth and final installment of the epic love story that has enchanted readers across the world. Ever and Damen have spent centuries facing down bitter rivals, jealous friends and their own worst fears-all in the hope of being together forever. Now in Everlasting, their destiny is finally within reach.

Will they be united-or torn apart forever? Readers will finally discover the truth in this anxiously awaited conclusion!

"Radiance"

RILEY BLOOM series Book #1:

Riley has crossed the bridge into the afterlife—a place called Here, where time is always Now. She has picked up life where she left off when she was alive, living with her parents and dog in a nice house in a nice neighborhood. When she’s summoned before The Council, she learns that the afterlife isn’t just an eternity of leisure. She’s been assigned a job, Soul Catcher, and a teacher, Bodhi, a possibly cute, seemingly nerdy boy who’s definitely hiding something. They return to earth together for Riley’s first assignment, a Radiant Boy who’s been haunting a castle in England for centuries. Many Soul Catchers have tried to get him to cross the bridge and failed. But all of that was before he met Riley . . .

RILEY BLOOM series Book #2:

Having solved the matter of the Radiant Boy, Riley, Buttercup, and Bodhi are enjoying a well-deserved vacation. When Riley comes across a vicious black dog, against Bodhi’s advice, she decides to cross him over. While following the dog, she runs into a young ghost named Rebecca. Despite Rebecca’s sweet appearance, Riley soon learns she’s not at all what she seems. As the daughter of a former plantation owner, she is furious about being murdered during a slave revolt in 1733. Mired in her own anger, Rebecca is lashing out by keeping the ghosts who died along with her trapped in their worst memories. Can Riley help Rebecca forgive and forget without losing herself to her own nightmarish memories?

RILEY BLOOM series Book #3:

Riley’s finding that the afterlife can be a lonely place when all you do is focus on work. So she goes to the place where dreams happen, hoping to find a way to contact her sister, Ever. She meets the director, who tells her about the two ways to send dreams. As a Dream Jumper, a person can jump into a dreamer’s dream, share a message, and participate. As a Dreamweaver, an entire dream can be created in a studio and sent to the dreamer. But Dreamweaving was outlawed decades ago, and the studio was boarded up. Thinking it’s her only way to reach out to her sister, Riley goes in search of the old studio. There she finds a ghost boy, who’s been creating and sending nightmares to people for years. In order to stop him and reach out to Ever, Riley is going to have to confront and overcome her own fears.

"Whisper"

RILEY BLOOM series Book #4:
RELEASED TODAY – 4/26/12!!

This time, Riley might really have bitten off more than she’s ready for. After practically begging the Council for a more challenging Soul Catch, she is assigned an actual Roman gladiator—Theocoles, the Pillar of Doom. How is Riley, a skinny twelve-year-old, supposed to get through to him? Then she meets the beautiful Messalina, who convinces her that her only chance is to become part of this world. To accomplish this, Messalina helps Riley through a dramatic, mystical makeover, transforming her into the beautiful and mature teen she’s always wanted to be. Finally, Riley can experience her first boyfriend and her first kiss. With a dream this enchanting, will she ever want to leave?

"Fated"

SOUL SEEKERS series Book #1:

COMING 5/22/12!

Lately strange things have been happening to Daire Santos. Animals follow her, crows mock her, and glowing people appear out of nowhere. Worried that Daire is having a nervous breakdown, her mother packs her off to stay in the dusty plains of Enchantment, New Mexico with a grandmother she’s never met.

There she crosses paths with Dace, a gorgeous guy with unearthly blue eyes who she’s encountered before...but only in her dreams. And she’ll get to know her grandmother—a woman who recognizes Daire’s bizarre episodes for what they are. A call to her true destiny as a Soul Seeker, one who can navigate between the worlds of the living and the dead. Her grandmother immediately begins teaching her to harness her powers—but it’s an art that must be mastered quickly. Because Dace’s brother is an evil shape-shifter who’s out to steal her powers. Now Daire must embrace her fate as a Soul Seeker and find out if Dace is one guy she’s meant to be with...or if he’s allied with the enemy she’s destined to destroy.

They sound incredible, don't they?  We can tell you from experience that the IMMORTALS series is incredibly gripping & wonderful even for you non-YA aficionados out there.  While we're personally a little behind on the spin off RILEY BLOOM series (*hangs head in shame*), we can only imagine it's just as amazing...

Anyway, let’s get to the Interview and find out more about this remarkable author and her books.

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LITERAL ADDICTION/Book Monster Reviews:  Hi Alyson.  We’re very happy to have you here today and to introduce some new readers to your work. Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to sit down with us!

ALYSON: Thank you so much for having me! I’m thrilled to be here!

      LITERAL ADDICTION/Book Monster Reviews:  We always like to start out by getting to know our guest authors a little bit better…

Q1): Can you tell us 3 things about yourself that we couldn’t find out easily on the Internet? 

ALYSON:1. When I was 21, I traveled to Mykonos, Greece for vacation and stayed 7 years.

2. My hair has been brown, orange, red, blonde, auburn, black and purple.

3. I believe random negativity must be stopped in its tracks.  

2)  What do you love to do when you're not writing?  Do you have any special hobbies or interests? 

ALYSON:  Even when I’m not at my desk, in front of my computer, I’m still writing! Everything I do, everywhere I go, I’m constantly watching, thinking, jotting down notes—you never know where inspiration for the next story will hit.

That said, when I do take the rare day off, I like to hike, go to the beach, go to art museums, meet with friends, go out to dinner with my husband, watch movies, read (!), and travel! Even after spending way too many years as a flight attendant, my number one hobby is still travel. My travel size shampoo bottles are always filled up and ready to go on a moment's notice!

3)  What are 3 things that always make you smile?

ALYSON: 1. A sunny day

      2. The sound of laughter

      3. Hearing from readers 

4)  What are some of your favorite TV shows and movies? 

ALYSON:  As for TV, I love True Blood, Psych, Game of Thrones, and Dexter.  As for movies: my all-time favorite is American Beauty. 

5)  If you could spend the day with any of your characters, whom would you want it to be and what would you want to do? 

ALYSON:  I would love to spend the day with Riley Bloom! I have so much fun writing her adventures, I know we would have a great time together. Maybe she and Buttercup could even teach me how to fly?!  

6)  If your house was on fire, what books would you want to save from the inferno?  

ALYSON:  I’d save Judy Blume’s DEENIE and JD Salinger’s CATCHER IN THE RYE– as they’re both books that made me want to be a writer. I’d also try to save HORTEN HATCHES THE EGG by Dr. Seuss—it’s the book I learned to read on. And all of my cherished signed copies, along with The Red Book by Carl Jung (not signed!)—it’s a work of art! 

7)  Are any of your characters loosely based on people that you’ve met in real life; if you can share, which characters and whom?  

ALYSON:  Most of my stories are based on personal experience—I steal from my own life all the time, and my motto is: If it didn’t kill me, I will find a way to write about it! 

While Ever’s character in THE IMMORTALS is mostly fiction, the grief she experienced over losing her loved ones, was very much the grief I experienced over losing mine. As the story progressed, she began to heal from her grief as I did mine—it was a cathartic experience for both of us! And Riley Bloom is a lot like me at age twelve. Like Riley, I also had an older sister who I completely admired, and I often chose to express that admiration by “borrowing” her clothes and jewelry! 

8)  Was there any specific inspiration behind the creation of the IMMORTALS and RILEY BLOOM series? 

ALYSON:  THE IMMORTALS was inspired by grief. A few years ago I lost three people I loved in five months, and shortly after that I nearly lost my husband to leukemia (he’s in full remission now!). Experiencing that sort of intense grief and fear got me thinking a lot about life and death, mortality and immortality, the bonds that tie us even after a loved one is gone, and how our youth loving culture sort of seeks physical immortality by trying to remain youthful looking for as long as we can—and yet, what would happen if we really could achieve it? What would it mean for us, our loved ones, society in general?  And since I’ve been interested in all things paranormal since I was a kid, Ever and Damen’s story seemed like the perfect vehicle to explore all of those themes.

I had so much fun writing Riley in EVERMORE that she ended up getting a much bigger part than I’d planned. She just kept showing up—usually in some crazy costume and wig—and I kept allowing it because she was great to have around. So when my publisher approached me to write a spin-off series for her, I jumped at the chance, and I’m so glad I did because writing her series has been an absolute blast! 

9)  How many books do you have planned for the remainder of RILEY BLOOM? 

ALYSON:  At the moment, there are four books in total: RADIANCE, SHIMMER, DREAMLAND, and WHISPER. As I’m currently working on my new SOUL SEEKERS series (debuting with FATED 05.22.12), there won’t be anymore RILEY BLOOM books for a while, though I hope to continue writing her adventures in the future!  

10)  What can we expect as the series continues and/or concludes? 

ALYSON: Since the moment we met Riley in EVERMORE, her biggest dream was to mature into a beautiful teen like her big sister Ever. In the latest release, WHISPER, Riley’s wish is finally fulfilled! Though it may not turn out to be at all like she thought . . . 

11)  What were some of the challenges in bringing the IMMORTALS and/or RILEY BLOOM to life? 

ALYSON:  In The Immortals, Ever and Damen were paired up from the start. But while I knew Ever inside and out, Damen I sort of discovered along the way. In the original synopsis I sold to my publisher he was too much of a nice guy—not that I have anything against nice guys, I married one—but when I realized he’d been around for 600 hundred years, with the sort of powers one could only imagine, he became much more complex. So I rewrote him in a way that’s more complicated, flawed, with a bit of a tragic history—and to be honest, I like him so much better now! 

For RILEY BLOOM, as excited as I was to begin writing, when I finally sat down to get started I went into a complete panic. I was so used to writing teen protagonists I wasn’t sure I could write in the voice of a twelve-year old. It wasn’t until I realized that I didn’t have to focus so much on her age as I did her character, and all the things that made Riley who she was, when the writing really began to flow. Creating her stories is some of the most fun I’ve ever had as a writer! 

12)  What about the series are you the most proud of thus far? 

ALYSON: That for both THE IMMORTALS and RILEY BLOOM series I was able to stick to the vision I had from the start. When I finished writing EVERLASTING, the final book in THE IMMORTALS series, I felt like a proud parent who got to watch their child grow from a scared and grief-stricken young girl to a strong and confident woman in control of her destiny. And it’s the same with Riley—I’m so proud of the capable and compassionate young women they’ve become! 

13)  Do you have anything else in the works outside of the Featured Series that you’d like to share with us? 

ALYSON:  I’m currently writing MYSTIC, book three in my new series,THE SOUL SEEKERS, and so far it’s been so much fun creating new characters and building a whole new supernatural world. Here’s the blurb— 

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of THE IMMORTALS comes a breathtaking new saga brimming with magic, mystery, and an intoxicating love story that will steal your heart away. Meet THE SOUL SEEKERS. 

Strange things are happening to Daire Santos. Crows mock her, glowing people stalk her, time stops without warning, and a beautiful boy with unearthly blue eyes haunts all her dreams. Fearing for her daughter’s sanity, Daire’s mother sends her to live with the grandmother she’s never met, but who recognizes the visions for what they truly are—the call to her destiny as a Soul Seeker—one who can navigate the worlds between the living and dead. 

There on the dusty plains of Enchantment, New Mexico, Daire sets out to harness the powers of her ancestral legacy, but it’s when she meets Dace, the boy from her dreams, when things take an alarming turn. Forcing Daire to discover if Dace is the one guy she's meant to be with...or if he’s allied with the enemy she's destined to destroy.  

14)  Is there a question that you have always thought it would be great to be asked in an interview but have never been asked?  How would you answer that question? 

ALYSON: Honestly, I’m drawing a blank here! I think I’ve been asked just about everything! 

15)  Is there anything special you’d like to say to your readers and fans while we have you here today? 

ALYSON:  Thank you so much for all your support! I’m so thankful to have such an amazing group of readers who correspond with me on all the various social networks, send me fan art, etc. I also feel really lucky to be able to do book tours in so many foreign countries, and meet readers from all over the world. My readers inspire me in so many ways, and I truly couldn’t do it without YOU! 

LITERAL ADDICTION/Book Monster Reviews:  Alyson, again, thank you so much for taking time out of your incredibly busy schedule to sit down and talk with us.  We'd love to have you back on LITERAL ADDICTION and Book Monster Reviews again in the future when you're ready to promote your next release.

ALYSON:  THANK YOU for the interview!

If you would like to find out more about Alyson Noel and her books, you can visit her Website, or follow her on Facebook, and Twitter and Goodreads.

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