Bad Girls Don't Die by Katie Alender + Interview

My rank: 10/10 :D
Publisher: Hyperion Books for Children
Publication: April 21, 2009
ISBN: 978-1423108764
Page Count: 3522 Pages
Age Range: Young Adult
Source: Publisher

Get a chance to win this book and its sequel here.

I'm one of those people who are easily surprised, so scary (or 'scary') movies and books were never my thing. Then Bad Girls Don't Die came in the mail and even just by looking at the cover, I know this wasn't the kind of book I'd pick up in a bookstore.

Bad Girls Don't Die by Katie Alender is an elegant, spooky story about two sisters--the older is the social outcast and the younger, possessed.

Alexis is the social outcast--she skips school and gets called to the Principal's Office a lot. Kasey has problems--she doesn't have any friends or normal hobbies except taking care of her set of dolls in her room. Also, Kasey will hurt anyone who touches her dolls.

In the beginning of the book, Alexis realizes that there's something weird with Kasey lately. Kasey's...not herself. The shy Kasey suddenly turns out brave and vicious--'hell-bent on murder,' actually. Alexis questions Kasey's new judgment, but Kasey said she only tries to have fun with her nice, new 'friend.'

To stop Kasey from hurting everyone, Alexis bravely investigated and found out the connection of the ghost who possessed Kasey and the antique house they live in. Alexis only has one worry; Kasey's new 'friend' might hurt Alexis before Alexis stops them.

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So I told Katie Alender about how fascinated I was after reading her book, being someone who doesn't want to even get near scary stories and all.

1. This has probably been the most cliche question ever, but what
inspired you to write Bad Girls Don't Die?

The story came to me as a moment between two sisters, who are isolated
from other kids and from their parents and only have each other to
turn to. They make up stories for each other, and then the younger
sister starts making the stories come to life in a very creepy manner.
The book evolved from there into what it is today!

2. Have you ever stayed, lived or visited a house like Alexis and Kasey's?

Ooh, good question! Not that I can remember. But when I was in Ireland
a few years ago, we stayed in an extremely creepy hotel. It was the
very end of the season and there were only a few rooms rented in the
whole place. So we wandered down these curving, deserted hallways, and
it was SO creepy!

3. Whom are you more similar to; Photography-and-deviant-Alexis or
Pessimist-"Different"-Kasey?

I think I have a good dose of Alexis in me. Mostly in terms of being a
total smart-aleck! I always have a wisecrack, often when none is
called for. ;-) But there's a piece of Kasey in me, too. To be honest,
there's probably a piece of all my characters in me!

4. I DON'T like dolls/creepy stuff. Even Barbie dolls creeps me out
(and the crazy part is that I used to own one back in elementary). Do
you....have a..you know, passion for dolls? What made you centered Bad
Girls Don't Die with dolls?

No, I definitely don't have a passion for dolls. I liked them when I
was younger, although this past Christmas I went through my old dolls
and realized that most of them are incredibly spooky looking! The main
reason I chose dolls for the book is that they have the potential to
be so scary--not just because of what they are, but because of how we
project on them--little miniature personalities and lives. The funny
thing is, after writing the book, I'm much more freaked out about
dolls, because so many people sent me eerie pictures of them after
reading the book, LOL!

5. I see Carter as the normal savior in this book. He might not have
saved Kasey, but he was the one who kind of kept Alexis sane. What
role did you have in mind for Carter and did you accomplish your goal?

In early drafts, Carter was a bit more tied into solving the mystery,
but later I decided that role was better filled by another character.
Carter to me is kind of a bait for Alexis to grow as a person--a hint
at the sweetness and trust that can come from letting people get to
know you a little, instead of isolating yourself all the time.

6. Is it really weird to have a fan that DOES NOT like mystery/creepy
books, but ended up loving your series?

Well, not to me. Because I don't really love creepy books, and I wrote
the series! To me, at its core, this is a book about a girl--not a
book about ghosts. The ghost is a tool I used as a writer to get the
girl (Alexis) where I wanted her.

7. What's your favorite book of all time and why?

"Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen. It's such a sumptuous world to
lose yourself in--and the characters are so interesting and varied.

8. Thanks! This is the last question! What would you like to say to
anyone who has not read Bad Girls Don't Die?

What are you waiting for? LOL! No, I would say, don't be scared off by
the fact that it's called a horror novel. It's really more of a
thriller, in my opinion. The word "horror" turns a lot of people off
(it would have scared me away, for sure!), but this isn't a book with
lots of gore or anything. Just a few little scares!

Remember, you have a chance to win this book and its sequel (From Bad to Cursed) here!

AS: Jessica Brody's The Karma Club

Jessica Brody wrote The Karma Club (read my review of The Karma Club here!!!). This book received a 10/10 rating from me and it's such a fun book to read! I've been so glad to be able to interview her! :)





1. Thank you so much for letting me interview you. What inspired you to write The Karma
Club?

Thanks for the interview! The Karma Club was definitely one of those ideas that just “came” to me. A friend of mine had told me some horrendous story about how a boy dumped her (I don’t even remember the story, I just remember it was infuriating!) and the entire time she was talking, I kept thinking, “Someone needs to do that right back to him. He can’t just get away with that. He needs a taste of Karma!” And then boom, the idea came to me. A secret society of girls who help each other out, dosing out Karma to those who deserve it when the universe is slow to do it on its own. And thus THE KARMA CLUB was born. Of course, as soon as the idea came to me, I also knew that my characters would never be able to get away with it. Karma is a tricky thing. And you definitely don’t want to meddle with the universe!

2. Could you tell me how you can relate to Maddy when you were in high school?

Out of all the characters in all my books, I’m most similar to Maddy. I definitely modeled her after myself when I was in high school. We’re both very organized, studious, and like to be in control at all times. The fact that she concocts a plan to take Karma into her own hands because she doesn’t think it’s doing a good enough job on its own is something I totally would do! I’m a bit of a control freak. I never trust anyone to do anything for me. I always insist on doing it myself. So I suppose that would also apply to mystical forces of the universe!

3. What was the most difficult part about writing The Karma Club?

Great question. The most difficult part for me was coming up with the various revenge schemes that the Karma Club girls do. Which is funny because I thought this would be the easiest and most fun part of the book. But in reality it was near impossible! I wanted to find payback treatments that “fit the crime” so to speak but that also would fit into the story later when Karma came back to bite the girls in the butt. Each revenge scheme in the book had to be very thoroughly planned out because they each come back into play later. The only one I had in mind going into writing the book was the Crisco swap. I’ve always loved that idea and secretly wished it on a few people (although I won’t name any names!) The rest of them took a long time to concoct!

4. Have you ever...you know, tried to make karma pays instantly and not over time?

LOL. If you’re asking if I’ve ever sought revenge on someone the answer is no. Although I have thought about it many a times. I’m not as courageous as my main character. I would have never had the guts to do the things she did!

5. I noticed that you're working on another YA novel, called My Life Undecided which would be out in the Spring of 2011 (where sadly I'll be in Japan and not in US...). Could you tell me more about the book?

Of course! I’m SO excited about this book. I think it actually might be my favorite yet (but don’t tell any of my other books that!) My Life Undecided is about a fifteen year-old girl who is notorious for making terrible decision and so she starts an anonymous blog and posts every decision she comes across in the form of an online poll and vows to do whatever her blog readers decide for her! Obviously problems and hilarity ensue! The official U.S. release date is now set for June 2011. Hopefully you’ll be able to pick up a copy in Japan!

6. I have been a follower of Free Book Friday (the teens one), and I love how you interviewed the authors right away to promote their book. What made you create Free Book Friday?

Oh great! I’m so glad you like the site! I got the idea for Free Book Friday because I noticed that every time I hosted a giveaway on my own site, my web traffic would spike significantly. So I just thought, why not host a giveaway every week. Almost instantly the name “Free Book Friday” popped into my head. I searched for the domain name and it was available so I snatched it up and launched the site! That was over two years ago and it’s grown tremendously since then. We’ve hosted some fantastic super star authors like P.C. Cast, Alyson Noël, Scott Westerfeld and tons of others!

7. What is(are) your favorite novel(s)?

Ooh! Hard question. I’ll give you my top 3 (as of today, 8/24/10, because it changes daily!):

1 ) Bridget Jones’s Diary – because it’s the reason I started writing my first novel. I was so entertained by that book, as soon as I read it, I knew I wanted to do the exact same thing: entertain people.

2 ) The Hunger Games – This was such an amazing concept and Suzanne Collins did such a tremendous job writing it. I lived this book. Meaning, it was in my dreams, my thoughts and pretty much every conversation I had for a good three weeks. That’s a remarkable thing for an author to do!

3 ) The Time Traveler’s Wife – This book was like magic to me. I’m obsessed with time travel and good love stories and this one did both…extremely well.

8. What would be your advice to the young writers who are struggling?

Well, first let me say that I, too, was a struggling young writer. As were ALL writers you read out there. So keep that in mind. We all had to start where you are. My best piece of advice is to write and write often. Regardless if you’re a bestselling author with twenty books under your belt or you’re just starting out, writing is a craft that needs to be constantly honed. Try to write every day. Even if the stuff that’s coming out reads like a third grade book report. Sometimes you have to get the crap out in order to get to the good stuff. And sometimes writing just to write is the only way to get a book done. Even if it means having to go back later and change it all! For every book I write I have about 50-75 pages of deleted text that never makes it into the final draft! But for some reason, it had to be written before I could move on.

9. Thank you so much for doing this interview. Is there anything else you'd like to say to the
readers???

Thanks so much for having me! I hope everyone likes the book! Don’t forget to check out the movie-style book trailer I produced for The Karma Club featuring a cameo appearance by Deepak Chopra! It can be found on my website: www.jessicabrody.com. And also, stop by www.TheKarmaClub.org (a non-profit organization inspired by The Karma Club) to find ways to spread Good Karma in your community and around the world!

AS: Kimberly Derting's The Body Finder

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting is definitely one of my top favorite books (Yes, it's that good). It's just simply gorgeous and vividly written--definitely a good book worth rereading from time to time. If you missed my review of The Body Finder, click here to read it.



1. (The usual--probably cliche, by now to you) Where did the inspiration of The Body Finder come from?

This is my husband’s favorite question! The original idea actually came from him, when we were driving one day and he said: “What if there was a kid who could find dead bodies?” Of course, in his head it was a middle-school-boy adventure book. But I loved the basic idea…as long as it was a girl in high school and she had a love interest. It took some time to hammer out the rules of her creepy ability (how she would find the dead bodies), but once I did, I was obsessed with getting her story on paper. To this day though, my husband will walk around the house declaring himself my co-author!

2. This is one of the things that intrigued me the most about the book: the part where you wrote about the killer's perspective. It sounded so real--the more I think about it, it's the more like you've studied a real criminal (whereas I mostly watch CSI/similar shows). How difficult was it for you to write the criminal's perspective? Did you do a long research on it?

My first draft only had a few sections from the serial killer’s perspective, mostly because I thought it might be a little too dark and twisted for YA. So when my editor came back and asked for more, I was completely thrilled…I loved writing those scenes (which makes me sounded a little too dark and twisted, doesn’t it?)!!!

3. What was the most difficult part in The Body Finder to write?

I’m not sure I can point at anything and say it was difficult to write. Is it terrible to admit that it was an easy book to write…mostly because I was more than a little obsessed while I was writing it? I fell in love with both the characters and the story, so spending time with them each day was a breeze.

4. I truly love your writing style in The Body Finder. It was just making me so curious; Did you always write like that, or did you especially write it in a way that most people never did (with the 3rd perspective and how the suspense was kept)?

When I wrote The Body Finder, I’d always written in 3rd person. Since then I’ve worked on a project in 1st person and loved the way it turned out. I like mixing POVs, and I think there’s room for a little bit of everything in fiction. I mean, really, how boring would it be if every book were exactly the same???



It was surreal seeing it on shelves for the first time. I thought I was prepared for that moment since I’d already seen a finished copy (I’d held it in my hands, flipped the pages, and I may or may not have smelled it!). But walking into the bookstore for the first time and seeing it there…faceout on real life bookshelves?!?! I’m pretty sure I screamed, or at least squealed. Thankfully no one was standing in my way or I probably would have pushed them down to get to it!

7. Did you always want to be a writer? (If not, ever since when and how did you know you want to become one and what obstacle did you have overcome?)

I started seriously writing right after high school (many, many years ago!). My first attempt at writing a novel (using that word loosely) was a full-on adult horror novel called ONE OF THEM, because I wanted to write like Stephen King (ha!). Fortunately, it was never published but it did make for really good practice. Only when I finally gave up on that manuscript did I discover (and fall in love with) YA!

8. My favorite list of books includes Shiver, Linger (by Maggie Stiefvater), The Hunger Games series (by Suzanne Collins) and The Body Finder (by you, who are so generous by taking your sweet time to answer these questions). What is/are your favorite book(s)/series?

GAH! This is such a difficult question because there are SO many!!! Some of my recent favorite reads have been Paranormalcy by Kiersten White, Firelight by Sophie Jordan, Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, and anything in the Wicked Lovely series by Melissa Marr. But my all-time favorite will always be To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (I re-read it every few years)!

9. Some authors can write with music (with lyrics). When you wrote The Body Finder, did you have a certain playlist that you listen to? If not, are there certain songs that you think would fit some scenes in The Body Finder?

I can’t write with music for some reason, and I’m amazed that anyone can. If I like a song I find myself listening to that instead of paying attention to my work. But whenever I hear something slow and melodic by Evanescence, it makes me think of The Body Finder…they just have that haunting sound. And when it comes to the scenes from the serial killer’s POV, I always think of Possum Kingdom by The Toadies (it’s old, but super creepy…especially if you watch the video!).

10. What would be your advice to some of the young writers that hasn't make it yet to the bookstore shelves?

Hang in there! Seriously, I don’t know many writers—or any really—that haven’t faced rejection in some form (and most of us have stacks of rejection letters to prove it). I think that most published writers are published because they never gave up!!!

11. What would be your reaction if The Body Finder is adapted to a movie?

[INSERT HYSTERICAL SCREAMING HERE]



Really, I’m sure you’d hear me from wherever you live!


12. Thank you very much for the copy of The Body Finder and this interview. Is there anything else you'd like to say to the readers?

Just thanks so much for having me here today, and I hope you all enjoy The Body Finder!

AS: Emma Michaels' The Thirteenth Chime

Emma Michaels' The Thirteenth Chime is coming to stores Friday the 13th in August 2010!

Emma Michaels' Official Website
Emma Michaels' Blogspot

No one knew of its existence until it was removed from the attic upstairs.

In a beautiful house that overlooks the sea, an antique clock has the power to change the course of their lives.

The power the clock resonates will not only force Destiny and ex-boyfriend David on a journey into the depths of one man's mind long dead, but into the mind of a man filled with hatred and bent on revenge.

With the only clues to the nature of the clock having disappeared into the sea, Destiny and David must retrace the steps the man had taken into the darkness, before they fall prey to the trap he had set in motion over half a century ago.

Hatred never dies.

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1. What was the biggest obstacle writing The Thirteenth Chime?

A: Rejections. I think deep down, I was really afraid that I would never get published. I've always been told I'm a great writer by many people, but to actually be faced with knowing that a story I have given life to would be sent out into the world? It was a daunting experience, but I am so glad I stuck with it!

2. I've only read the summaries, but the one thing that really caught my attention was this antique clock. Do you have a special connection with something similar? If not, where did the “clock” idea came from?

A: I live on an island out in Washington State that occasionally loses power during bad storms. One night, I was at a neighbors and we lost the power. It was late in the evening when this happened and after we had retrieved a few candles and lit them, the storm was going full force outside. Then the grandfather clock in the house began to chime. It made me jump, it was so eerie the way the sound echoed through the house and made my heart beat faster. It was as if the clock came alive during the storm.

3. Where did the inspiration for writing The Thirteenth Chime come from?

A: Lots of places. Everything here in the area I live in is full of inspiration for me. I sometimes feel like every time I get up in the morning, a new book, filled with promises of a new story, opens before me. I just wish my hands could keep up with the way my mind races with ideas!

4. Did you always want to be a writer? If not, how did you change and become one?

A: I think I first realized I wanted to become a writer when I was reading a book and thought about the ending. I imagined what the book would be like if it continued - what would happen? Within no time, I was creating characters and giving them a life of their own, letting them weave a story as they came alive.

5. What is(are) your favorite book(s)?

A: Tamora Pierce's "In The Hand of the Goddess"

6. Did you listen to music while writing The Thirteenth Chime? Can I get a list of the playlist???

A: (I'll have to put together a playlist for everyone)

7. As a writer, I feel like putting personality to the characters and not putting myself as the character is a challenge. Who is the most difficult character to write in The Thirteenth Chime?

A: For me, I feel like most of my characters come alive in my writing. I really don't think I give them personality, so much as they develop their own personalities as they make their journey through the book, just like people in real life. I think when writers allow it to happen, they become like readers - they meet the characters for the first time and they never know what is going to happen next. Life is such a beautiful thing. It is filled with so many possibilities and interesting twists and turns that we can never truly expect!

Thank you so much for your interview and to everyone who reads it! I am so blessed to have so many people supporting me!

Lauren Kate Email Interview!!!

Thank you for your questions, comments, blog reviews, and support! It is really amazing to me how many people are already excited about the series. I have just finished writing Torment and I hope it will to give you plenty of reason to stay excited!

(And if you haven’t read my books yet, beware, there are some spoilers below…)

ABOUT THE BOOKS:

Who is Luce based on? Which character are you most like?

The physical traits of Luce (pronounced Loose) are based on my oldest, closest friend—the dark wavy hair, hazel eyes, tiny teeth, etc. When I first started writing her, I pulled some personality traits from this friend, but as I continued with her story, Luce veered away from my friend into an identity of her own. I share some traits with her—like her stubbornness and tendency to get swept away by romance. But if I had to which one I’m most like (though this is hard to imagine), I might be a crazy combination of Arriane and Penn.

Did you struggle in coming up with any of the characters?

Daniel was the most challenging, mainly because the full truth of his character has to come to light very slowly over the course of the entire series in order for the books to work. The reveal at the end of the first book was probably one that most readers saw coming...it is book about fallen angels after all! But there's a much bigger, game-changing reveal about Daniel to come later in the series. It's challenging for me to know what's coming and only be able to show the reader so much at this point. Daniel's character is difficult enough as it is! But I like to think of him as a work in progress, a developing story, and someone who, above all, knows Luce better than anyone else (including herself), and has her best interest at heart.

What happened to Trevor? Who is the good and who is the bad guy? Why did these angels fall? Why did you kill Penn? Why did Daniel give Luce the middle finger? Why did you end the book with so many unanswered questions??

That is the blessing and the curse of writing a series! I wish I could give you all the answers now, but please believe me that I have a reason for withholding some of the details! I must torment you until Torment comes out in the fall! In the meantime, check out the Sword and Cross Case Files at www.fallenbooks.com to learn a little bit more about who's who in Fallen!

Why did you choose to write it in third person instead of in first?

I love talking about point of view and love playing with it in my books. In the case of Fallen, I didn’t intentionally choose this point of view. Most of the time when I start a new story, I’ll hear a line in my head before I start writing. In this case, it was the first sentence of Chapter One (more or less). The choice to say “Luce” instead of “I” was implicit, not something I was entirely aware of. I just started writing, but it felt true to the story to tell it from a close, close third, so I kept it. We’re almost in Luce’s head, but there’s that small point of view choice separating us. She remains just a little bit unknowable, which is how I wanted her character to be.

How long did Fallen take you to write?

I blazed through a first draft of Fallen in about two months. I write fast and furious and then take a break and usually go back for another month or two of heavy revision. I write in Microsoft Word on an old ibook with most of the keyboard letters worn off!

Do you have a playlist of songs for Fallen?

Not officially, but a few songs I listened to a lot as I was writing:

Drunken Angel by Lucinda Williams

You Look So Young by the Jayhawks

Not Dark Yet by Bob Dylan

I heart those of you who send me playlist suggestions, so feel free to pass them along.

What about your other book, The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove?

Betrayal is my first novel and was as much of a guilty pleasure to write as I hope it is for people to read. It’s a dark, funny, gothic story about one girl’s twisted path towards Queen Bee-dom. It’s a Cruel Intentions meets Friday Night Lights meets MacBeth (told from Lady MacBeth’s point of view), set in the contemporary south. People read Fallen and they ask me whether I went to a school like Sword and Cross. Not even close! Actually, it’s the school in Betrayal that is a thinly veiled version of my utterly enormous and insanely Texan high school. All the things Natalie cares about in Betrayal are very close to my high school heart.

Like Fallen, Betrayal is richly southern gothic—Fallen is set in Savannah and Betrayal is set in Charleston, South Carolina—so the same sort of wonderfully oppressive southern scenes are important to both books. But where Luce is struggling to find her place in a new, unfamiliar school, Natalie is a girl at the top of her game—and she won’t let anything compromise that. Like every complex character, they both have some pretty remarkable skeletons in their closet. Natalie is a bit naughtier than Luce, but I imagine they would be friends. Actually, Nat’s kind of like a type-A version of Arriane.

No plans (yet) to write a sequel to Betrayal, but you never know!

Can you give us a hint about what will happen in Torment?

I’m having so much fun writing Torment right now. I think I’m more proud of it than any book I’ve written so far. Really, it’s going to be GOOD. It’s hard for me not to spill everything right now so I can say, “Aren’t you excited? Won’t this be great?” But my publisher would probably have my head. So in lieu of that, I’ll reveal just three things:

1. As Luce learns more about her past, she comes into a host of powers she never knew she had—and they might involve the shadows.
2. After the second book comes out, a prequel (which will span thousands of years!) will follow before the final book in the series.
3. Even though, of course, Daniel is Luce’s one-and-only, a new character is introduced in Torment that offers him some stiff competition.

ABOUT WRITING:

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

I've been writing stories since I was in middle school, so I love talking to people who are interesting in writing. One question this week had to do with how to write description, and the clearest advice I can give about that would be to take your time. Say I'm trying to describe a sunset and can't figure out how to make it interesting or fresh. Sometimes, when it takes me a while to get warmed up, I'll imagine how someone else--my husband, my best friend, someone I recently argued with--might see the same sunset. What would they notice about it that I wouldn't, or vice versa? Write a whole paragraph about the sunset instead of just a sentence. Then go back and look at what is strongest image you came up with. Which image reflects something new about your characters? Save that image, cut the rest. Eventually, those strong images will pop out first in your mind.

To those of you who are working on a novel or have finished one and are sending out your work: stick with it! In addition to Fallen, I have another novel I have been working on for eight years now and I know that someday I’m going to finish it! I couldn’t even begin to count how many rejection letters I’ve received over the years from agents, publishers, editors, and contest judges. What kept me writing was the support of other friends who are writers—and a dogged determination to someday get my writing published. There were times when I never thought it would happen, but now I’m so glad I kept writing. Find a writing-buddy, share your work, revise it over and over again, read it aloud, stay true to yourself and your voice, and don’t give up. An English or a Writing program are great ways to read widely and meet other writers. You can get a lot of great practice writing and revising in an academic program but I wouldn’t say the degrees you earn are necessary. If you’re looking for an agent, Writers Marketplace (the book) is a great place to start. There are also tons of publishing blogs out there with suggestions for agents. It’s mostly about finding someone whose tastes and sensibilities match yours.

To those of you who have asked, I’m sorry that I can’t agree to take a look at your own writing and offer feedback. I would love to have the time to do that, but I have to start working on my next book!!

ABOUT LAUREN KATE:

When did you start writing?

When I was younger, I wrote often and across a lot of genres—poetry, songs, stories, lots and lots of diary writing. I started focusing mainly on fiction by the time I was in high school, and longer stories came more naturally to me than short stories. I majored in creative writing in college, and went on to get a masters degree in fiction—but I don’t think those things are necessary to being a good writer. Practice, curiosity, voracious reading, and diligence are more important than any degree. I finished writing my first novel right when I graduated college—but nothing ever happened with it. It look another six years before I had a book accepted for publication.

Did you read a lot growing up? What are your favorite books?

I’ve always been a voracious reader. I can’t go on vacation for a weekend without at least five books. Growing up, my favorite author was Roald Dahl, and I think I read each of his books ten times. My favorite children’s/YA writers are Lois Lowry, Frances Hardinge, Meg Rosoff, Maureen Johnson, Phillip Pullman, and John Green. A few of my favorite adult books are To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

Can I send you a letter?

Certainly!

Lauren Kate
PO Box 461514
Los Angeles, CA 90046

ABOUT PUBLICATION AND PROMOTION:

How many Fallen books are you writing? What's the publishing plan for the series? When is the next book coming out?

Fallen is the first book in the four-book series—though I will be writing a prequel to explain some of the things that have happened before the narrative of Fallen began. Torment picks up right where Fallen left off and will be published in hardcover in September, 28 2010. Sounds far away, doesn't it? But it'll be here before any of us can believe it. There will be two more books after that, Passion in the summer of 2011(this will be the prequel), and a final (currently untitled) book in December 2011.

*The books are available in stores, online, and also on Kindle and on audio! They audio version is really cool.

Will there be a movie?

It looks like there is a real possibility! The film rights for all four books were optioned by Disney/Mayhem Productions last week. I got to have lunch with the Disney people and they seem really excited about getting the movie going. More to come! I will keep you posted on my blog. (Also, there is no connection to the other movie called Fallen, which came out in 2008.)

Can I be in the movie?!?!?! Please.....??

I wish we could ALL be in the movie! All my friends and relatives are asking the same thing. I don't know anything about casting yet, but I promise, if I hear of an open casting call from Disney, I will post it on my blog!! And thanks to those of you who sent along casting suggestions. I too think Ed Westick would make a great Cam. I’ll pass it along!

Do you have any readings/signings coming up?

I’ll be at ComicCon in San Diego on July 23^rd speaking at a panel and signing from 3-5 pm.

I will also do another tour in September and will be making stops in northern California, Memphis, Nashville, Atlanta, Portland, Seattle, NY, Chicago, and other places. I am also in the midst of planning a UK tour in late October and an Australia/New Zealand tour in 2011! I am keeping track of the places where readers are asking me to visit, so keep asking! Someday I would love to be able to make it to your neck of the woods. Please check my website for updates!

Is there going to be a Torment T-shirt?

Yes, but the art is not finalized yet, so I can’t share the picture that I’ve seen. Just know that it’s going to be lovely and I believe it’s going to be carried at Borders books.

Tell me more about the cover art! Where can I buy that dress!

Many people have asked about my involvement in the cover art. I actually had nothing to do with it (which is a lucky thing for all of us)—and no, I am not the girl on the cover! She’s a model from Brazil (though I don’t know her name), the artist’s name is Fernanda Brusi Goncalves, and the cover was designed by a very talented team of designers at Random House. I did a little grateful grovel when I finally got to meet them a few months ago. I’m sorry I don’t know who designed the dress, though I’ve been told Morgan LaFaye has a very similar one in her wedding collection (which also comes in black!).

When my editor first emailed me a jpeg of this art, it took me about thirty seconds to wrap my mind around someone else’s image of the world and Luce’s character, but quickly after that, I fell in love with it. I had the same reaction to the just released Torment cover. And I want both of the dresses!