GG3 ARCs
Hi Gang!
Just a quick word about the DON'T JUDGE A GIRL BY HER COVER Advanced Reading Copies.
1. I don't decide who gets them. I'm sorry. My wonderful publisher is kind enough to send me a dozen or so for close personal friends (and all of mine are already gone, I'm afraid.)
2. If you're going to be attending NCTE/ALAN or you know a teacher/librarian who will be attending, I'll be there signing ARCs during the conference so you should be able to pick up a plain one at the Hyperion/Disney Book Group booth any time or a signed one during my signing time (to be determined).
3. There will probably be ARCs at the other big industry conferences between now and June 9th (publication date). I'm afraid I don't have details right now, but keep an eye out!
4. ARCs are also sent out to reviewers and other industry movers and shakers.
5. If you are a reviewer and would like to request that Hyperion send you an ARC then there is now a special email address where you can write and make your interest known.
Please note the following:
--I will not be making these determinations. There are limited numbers of ARCs every year and there are far wiser people than I who decide how we use them.
--Please request an ARC only if you have a legitimate review following. (In other words, don't just SAY you're a reviewer to snag a copy. Because that would be sneaky. And wrong.)
--In your request, please include the following information (feel free to cut and paste):
* YOUR NAME
*YOUR BLOG/NEWSPAPER/ETC. NAME
*THE LOCATION OF YOUR BLOG/NEWSPAPER, ETC.
*APPROXIMATE AUDIENCE FOR YOUR REVIEWS (CIRCULATION, HITS, ETC.)
*THE MAILING ADDRESS WHERE THE ARC SHOULD BE SENT
*YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
*YOUR PHONE NUMBER
*ARE YOU A MINOR (YES, NO) AND IF SO WHAT IS YOUR AGE
Again, I'm afraid I can't promise ARCs to anyone, but if you're a reviewer and you'd like to be considered then please email the above information to AllyCarterARC@gmail.com.
And, most of all, THANK YOU for your interest in the Gallagher Girls! I have to say that having GG3 out in the world (even in ARC form) is pretty nerve wrecking, so I really, really hope all of you enjoy it!
-Ally
ps...Just to clarify, ARCs are printed by publishers for people who provide a service to the publishing industry (reviewers, buyers, leaders, etc.)
So unless you have a blog or other review source that the publicity department at my publisher can verify I'm afraid this offer isn't for you.
Also, I'm also very sorry that, in all likelihood, we won't have enough ARCs to go around. I have no idea what criteria the publicity department will use when deciding if a person will recieve an ARC. If I did I'd pass it on. But alas, I don't.
What it takes to be successful in this business
Last week one of my favorite writers, Sara Zarr, wrote a wonderful blog post about success as a writer--essentially that this business isn't a sprint, it's a marathon.
Do yourself a favor and go read it if you're thinking about a career in this business.
I've often thought that "success" is a relative thing--a moving target. And it's that way for everyone, I believe.
When most writers are first starting out all they want is to finish a book. Then all they want is to get an agent. Then a publishing deal. Then another. Then a bestseller. Then a movie deal...
Etc. Etc. Etc.
There will always be a new goal on the horizon.
And that's okay.
-Ally
Aunt Ally
Hey Gang,
Sorry I haven't blogged much in the past week and I must warn you this week won't be much better.
You see, my sister and brother-in-law are taking a long overdue vacation and I'm doing full-time Aunt Ally duty for my nieces (4 and 2).
And I'm starting to realize that scientists are wasting their time with fossil fuels and solar power. The key to sustainable energy is just bottling whatever it is 4 and 2-year-olds are made up!
Must run. Little one is up from nap.
-Ally
The Ally Carter Project
Show of hands, did you watch the Rachel Zoe Project? Well, I did. And the reason this week has been fairly dramatic is because today I sort of lived it.
Let's back up a little, shall we?
A couple of weeks ago I got an amazing email telling me that the great folks behind the Scholastic Book Fair had asked to feature me and CROSS MY HEART AND HOPE TO SPY on their promotional video that they send out to all of the schools hosting the fairs.
I was super excited.
Then I started doing some research and I watched a few of the current videos.
And I started freaking out!
They want to come here (picture me pointing at my filthy house) and film me (picture me pointing to my yoga pants with the bleach stains on them) doing this (picture me pointing to a computer...that's it...just a computer)!
Needless to say, these were not soothing thoughts.
So that was the beginning of what I like to call The Ally Carter Project in which I proceeded to annoy anyone who would listen about what I was going to wear, say and do.
Step 1. Drag sister shopping for non-bleach-stained clothes.
Step 2. Enlist help of sister's personal shopper.
Step 3. Go to the BIG mall (you know, the one I never go to because traffic is so bad)
Step 4. Hire someone to do hair and makeup because, let's face it, not everyone is born with the cosmetology gene and I have the kind of eyelashes that sometimes people look at me like "oh my gosh, that woman DOESN'T HAVE ANY EYES!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Step 5. Clean house.
Step 6. Go buy fresh flowers to place strategically around house to give the impression that I'm someone whose life is full of fresh flowers and NOT bleach-stained yoga pants.
See flowers. And Halloween candy. And camera stuff.
Step 7. Clean house again.
Step 8. Figure out how to make the light on the garage door opener work (not that this is relevant to the general storyline, but it happened during the time frame of The Ally Carter Project, and it was a big relief, so I'm mentioning it anyway).
Step 9. Scout locations that might possibly look like the Gallagher Academy so that we could perhaps do something fun with that.
Gallagher Academy Stand-InStep 10. Start the "I don't think this is a good idea" email to publicist and agent at least a dozen times but never, ever send it.
Well, today was the day.
Suzy, hair and makeup goddess, arrived at 8:00 a.m. and told me I had nice skin. This was very good news since I spent 7:10-7:25 exfoliating.
She also did something fun with a straightening iron that I will not be able to duplicate ever--something about smoothing--but keeping--my natural curls? Anyway, I can't do it to save my life.
Then Larry, Jeff, and Shauna arrived with all the film stuff and we headed off to the University of Tulsa where we did some stuff that will either be totally awesome or sickeningly cheesy.
You know you're on The Ally Carter Project when someone holds a big reflector thing on you while you talk about spy gadgetry.
Really, I'm okay with either.
Then we came back here where we filmed a little bit of me talking about the books in my office that is never that clean, organized, or flower-filled.
Fresh flowers, wardrobe changes, and microphones...
just another day at the office.
And then it was over. The Ally Carter Project was over.
And I went and put on my yoga pants.
--Ally
ps...I'm not sure when they'll have the finished version, but they've promised me a copy and I'll be sure to post it when it's up.
Mini Blog: Ally Carter, addict
There's a lot going on in Allyville for the next couple of days. I'm not sure how much of it I can talk about, but I'll say that it's sort of stressful but the good kind of stressful.
And I've rejoined Weight Watchers.
And stopped drinking Diet Coke.
And I'm really, really needing a fix.
-Ally
Most boring author ever
I believe I might possibly be the most boring author ever. Nope. I KNOW I'm the most boring author ever because...
1. I just read on Meg Cabot's blog about her visits to South Africa, Hong Kong, Thailand and a lot of other amazing places ALL AROUND THE WORLD.
2. Libba Bray is blogging from Frankfurt, Germany--which is on the other side of the world too.
3. Rick Riordan just blogged about a visit to Arkansas, which isn't far away. But he had A POLICE ESCORT as he arrived in town!!!!!!!!
Police.
Escort.
Yep. I'm officially boring.
-Ally
Three REALLY BIG things.
Thing the first:
My favorite book of the past year, THE DISREPUTABLE HISTORY OF FRANKIE LANDAU-BANKS is a finalist for the National Book Award!
Whoo hoo!
I totally called it.
So big congratulations to fabulous person, E. Lockhart! Also, big congrats to the other finalists!
Thing the second:
Tonight's the night the contemporary authors take over Night Bites over at the Readergirlz Forums!
That's right! If you want to chat with Maureen Johnson, Justina Chen Headley, or yours truly tonight's your chance.
Just join the Readergirlz Myspace Group and be there at 9:00 Eastern, 8:00 Central, etc. etc TONIGHT, Wednesday, October 15th.
There's really no telling what will happen. Seriously. I'm a little concerned that Maureen and Justina will figure out they're way cooler than me.
It's happened before.
Thing the third:
I am incredibly pleased to tell you all that I am keeping TWO of the pairs of walking/running shoes that I recently ordered because they both actually seem to fit.
I've been walking in both pairs for about a week now and I've been band-aid free that whole time.
It's a very big day.
For those of you who are interested, both of the winning pairs are by Mizuno.
One pair is the Wave Creation 9 and the other is the Wave Inspire 4.
Of course, they both might turn on me tomorrow, but so far so good!
See you tonight at the Readergirlz Forum!
-Ally
Three more random things
Thing the first:
The Readergirlz divas are just getting warmed up!
Remember, I'll be there tomorrow night (Wednesday, October 15th) with the always hilarious Maureen Johnson and Justina Chen Headley, but in the meantime...meaning TONIGHT...you should definitely check out Verse Bites with Lorie Ann Grover, Stephanie Hemphill, and Lisa Ann Sandell.
They'll be chatting in the Readergirlz Myspace Forum tonight at 9:00 Eastern time.
And for those of you who missed it, you can go here and read the transcript from last night's Multicultural Bites chat.
So check it out!
Thing the second:
As some of you may remember, several months ago I blogged about one of my favorite books of the year, SOMETHING ROTTEN by Alan Gratz.
Well...the good news is that the sequel, SOMETHING WICKED is going to be out any day now.
And the REALLY good news is that SOMETHING ROTTEN--again, one of my favorite books of the past year--is now available for free.
Yes. Free.
As in you can read the book legally without the exchange of any cash/goods/services.
Free.
Not a chapter. Not an excerpt. A whole book.
All you have to do is go here. And start reading one of my favorite books of 2008.
And if it's one of your favorites too, by all means go check out the next book, SOMETHING WICKED. (I know I'm going to.)
Thing the third:
I've been debating the idea for a while now of hosting a book club for all of you where I would pick a book, we'd all read it, and then I'd arrange some sort of online forum in which we can chat about it (likely with the author).
Does this idea have any appeal? Please discuss in comments.
And since Something Rotten was the book I originally considered to be the kick-off book... And since it's FREE for all of you to read now... And since Alan is one heck of a nice guy... I'm betting that would probably be the book we'd start out with.
Discuss (and, as always, please be respectful).
-Ally
3 completely random things
Thing the first:
I realized over the weekend that it's been a year now since I was standing outside the ballroom of the Kansas City airport Marriott when my agent called to tell me that you guys had made CROSS MY HEART AND HOPE TO SPY a New York Times bestseller.
I've been a New York Times bestseller for a year.
It's a pretty bizarre fact to tell you the truth.
Nice. But bizarre.
Thing the second:
Don't forget that the Readergirlz "Books with Bite" celebration starts TONIGHT over at Readergirlz Myspace forum.
So go check it out and if all possible you should sit in on tonight's chat with Coe Booth, An Na, and Mitali Perkins.
Thing the third:
If you like good books (which I do) and things that are scary (which I don't) I've been told you can do no better than Lauren Myracle's new book, BLISS (recommended for ages 14+).
Please note that I have not read BLISS. I will not read BLISS. Because I do not enjoy having nightmares and jumping out of my skin every time a tree limb blows against the house.
Seriously. When I was a kid Scooby Doo gave me nightmares--Scooby-freaking-Doo.
So I will NOT be reading BLISS.
And since I won't read it I think all of you non-scaredy cats should to make up for my complete scaredycatness.
I won't even watch this:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AsM9UK3OiU]
I'll link to it...but I won't watch it!
See. Told you I was a scaredycat!
-Ally
Some things about GG3
Hey gang,
For those of you who don't get the newsletter, I wanted to be sure and let you know that the first chapter of GG3...I mean DON'T JUDGE A GIRL BY HER COVER...will be included in the back of the paperback of CROSS MY HEART AND HOPE TO SPY when it hits shelves in mid-December!
I will also say that the title of GG3 will have significantly more meaning once you've finished reading chapter 1.
And that's all I'm going to say.
Seriously.
Am.
Shutting.
Up.
Now.
--Ally