Ally Carter

Author

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Ally’s Answers

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Hi All!

Here are the questions and answers from last week!

How did you come up with Blackthorne? The name and the story/place behind it?

I wanted Blackthorne to be the anti-Gallagher—some place with lots of secrets and shadows and a very unsavory past. To be a Gallagher Girl is kind of golden. Revered. But I wanted Zach to come from a place that is exactly the opposite. That is why the Gallagher Girls live in a mansion and Blackthorne is basically a prison.

I had a really hard time thinking up a name for the school. In fact, there is another name that even went out with the sales material for Cross My Heart way back when (a name I did not create and did not approve and, therefore, didn’t stick around long.)

Finally, one day I took a nap, because—seriously—I get my best ideas while napping. I’d always known I wanted it to start with a “B” (so that I could have the B-Boy alliteration like I have with Gallagher Girl). And as I was drifting off to sleep Blackthorne came to me.

The setting was inspired by my time at Cornell. Ithaca, New York is surrounded by lots of parks and areas with waterfalls. They were beautiful. And, of course, natural barriers and borders like that are in sharp contrast to the man-made borders they have at the Gallagher Academy. So, again, when in doubt, I just made everything at Blackthorne OPPOSITE of what you might have at Gallagher.

 

Do your characters ever do something that you didn’t expect them to do? (Can you control them all the time or do they live their own lives?)

Absolutely! All the time. There are a lot of things I know going into a book, but there are always even more surprises.

I didn’t know Liz was renovating an old Dodge minivan. I never dreamed Bex and Zach were going to get super close when Cammie went away. I didn’t even know Mr. Stein (in Heist Society) existed until Kat was knocking on his door.

Sometimes the writing just sort of takes over, and that is when you know the writing is going well.

 

What is Zach’s code name?

I don’t know. I don’t guess I ever had an occasion to give him one.

 

Have you ever thought you met a spy?

I highly doubt it. But that probably just means I met a GOOD ONE!
What do you think about when your alone in your car?

I listen to the radio or audiobooks, and I think. Seriously, thinking is IMPORTANT. And I’m greatly concerned by how little time people spend just thinking anymore. Really. Truly. Put the cell phone down and THINK.

You will thank me for it.

 

Do you ever re-read your own books?

Not if I can help it. That sounds like my definition of torture—reading something I can’t fix if and when I find mistakes or things I just want to change. And, believe me, I would want to change things. All the things!

 

If you could spend a whole day with one character from any of your books, who would you choose and why?

Ooh, good question! And a very hard one…  I think I’d love to run around with Kat and Hale from Heist Society. As much as I love Cam and the Gallagher Girls, Kat and Hale just have a more (safely) exciting life. More chances to fly in a private jet with a hot boy…fewer opportunities to maybe be killed.

 

Who would make a better Gallagher Girl: Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Veronica Mars?

Probably Veronica. Buffy is tough and loyal and street-smart, but I think Veronica is probably a little more strategic, and that is probably more important in the life of a spy.

 

Are there GG uniforms for sale?

Not that I’m aware of. My awesome publisher does the covers for all of the books, and I don’t even know that they have different uniforms (or if it is just the same uniform that they change the color of via Photoshop).  It would be fun to have the uniforms for sale!  But I think your best bet would be just to buy regular uniforms at uniform shops and sew on the badge. (Find a downloadable copy right here: http://s1134.photobucket.com/user/AllyCarter1/media/GAPatch.jpg.html)

 

What character from one of your books is Shellie most like?

Shellie is a Liz. Totally a Liz. She is sweet and kind and a little bit evil when she has to be (but only in the really good ways.)

 

What’s your favorite quote that you have ever written?

I like the line from GG5 where Zach says, “Crazy. I went crazy.”

I also like a line from Heist Society that goes something like “it is an occupational hazard that anyone who has spent their life learning how to lie will eventually become bad at telling the truth.”

 

When will tour dates be announced?

I’m not exactly sure.  My publicist (Lizzie) is working on it. I know they have started their initial conversations with some of the bookstores who will be hosting events, but we are still probably many, many weeks from having those events set in stone. Rest assured, as soon as I know the dates and can talk about them, I will!

 

That is all for now but we will do this again some day!

If your question didn’t get chosen odds are Ally has answered it before. Please look at these previous web postings for more answers:

https://allycarter.com/faq/

https://allycarter.com/category/frequently-asked-questions/

https://allycarter.com/2013/02/my-favorite-interviews/

 

Have a great day!

xoxo,

Shellie

Comments

  1. SHE ANSWERED MY QUESTION!!!!!!! It was the first one about Blackthorne I’m so HAPPY!!!! Have a good day y’all!

    Reply

    • I’m doing a project on you for school and I was wondering if you have time to email me so I can ask you some questions I put my email in the information thing so hopefully you have it
      Thanks
      Rachael

      Reply

  2. I have to agree with you Ally. I don’t text all the time. I usually think I in my room always and even in between texts.
    I love that line “Crazy. I went crazy.”. My brother has met a secret service person though for this school thing.

    Reply

  3. I hope when Ally finds out where her tour is, I hope one of the places is Rochester, New York. No one ever comes to Rochester. Oh and a lady at the chili public library told me that she shadowed ally at a book convention one time.

    Reply

    • Rochester isn’t that far from NYC. I live in between both places. If you wanted to, you could come to BEA or Books of Wonder. There are a ton of signings there, though personally I think BEA is a better if you don’t mind crowds.

      Reply

      • Rochester is actually kind of far from NYC. Ally came out for the teen book festival a couple years ago to Rochester so I don’t know if she would come again soon, but you should check out the festival

        Reply

  4. 😛 It was really hard to go through the book (OSOT) when Zach and Bex got close, but at the same time, I loved the idea of having them together!

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    • My friend and I freaked when we read that part!!! She said she wasnt going to finish the book. We were like “NOOOO!!!” But we forgave Zach when he kissed Cammie after she overheard the trustees. 🙂

      Reply

      • Omg!!!
        I sooo totally freaked out too!
        I was so mad at bexs behaviour that i didnt want to read the book anymore but i forgave her when her and cammie made up and when zach kissed cammie!!

        Reply

      • I had the same problem. I started the book at 8 at night so I couldn’t freak out with out anyone hearing me. It was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do in my life.

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        • omg! i thought I was the only one mad at zach! i even wanted to drop the book. thanks guys and THANK YOU Ally for giving me hope <3, but yes like all of you i forgave zach and bex… hahaha

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        • I was also mad at Zach how could he have done that to Cammie. I was sick at the time I read the book so it didn’t help. But later I forgave Zach and Bex, maybe.

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          • I KNOW!!! i was just so mad at zach and bex that i litterally started screaming at the book. i was just relieved when zach kissed cammie and they got back together, it just seemed so wrong for zach to fall for bex and not cammie. : )

    • it was so hard! i cried in the scene where zach and bex are working out together while cammie watchs from Dr Steves window!

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      • When doctor Steve was like “cause I was there of course” I was so mad and confused. When cammie said she was going to die I was about to cry. It scared me so much. Hope I’m not spoiling this for anyone!!!!

        Reply

  6. do you recommend a shop to create the badge? and thanks so much she answered my question can not wait for September !!!!!!!!!

    Reply

  8. Don’t you mean a GOODE spy? My, how punny of me! I love that you guys don’t sell uniforms or some of us would be getting odd looks at school by voluntarily wearing a school uniform!

    Reply

    • That or they were such a good spy that she couldn’t tell because she knows all the tricks in the book. !)

      Reply

  11. Okay, so I know how many times that you have had people ask “Please come to this place on tour” and how you dont control where you go on tours but can you maybe suggest this place to your manager because I think you’ll really like OAHU, HAWAII

    Reply

  12. you know, living in Hawaii is awesome and totally like paradise but I swear, nobody ever comes here in concert or on tour or whatever

    Reply

  13. I know everyone asks you this, but do you think you could come to Chicago or maybe even Milwaukee, WI on your tour. You have fans in the Cheese-head State and the Windy City 🙂

    Reply

  17. Dear Ally , is the book going to be download because the new Rick reorden book is going to come out a week after that, I am aways having problems with getting it done on time, so if you can tell me that would be great.

    Reply

  18. I never thought that they would pick my question, but they did. It’s like I somehow talked to her…maybe I’m going a little overboard, but I’m too excited to care. “I highly doubt it. But that probably just means I met a GOOD ONE!,” is a great answer.

    Thanks.

    Reply

  22. The quote that Zach said, “Crazy. I went crazy.” is one of my favorites too! because it shows that he really cares for Cammie!

    Reply

    • Questions were asked in one of the previous posts. We will do a question and answer post again so check back!

      xoxo,
      Shellie

      Reply

  24. I love the what character from one of your books is Shellie most like because my friends and I all read the gg books and we are all like someone in the book.

    Reply

  26. In the book don’t judge a girl by her cover , zach takes cammie outside in dc and is about to tell her something before the circle shows up.What was he going to say?????

    Reply

  27. I’m writing a 4,000 or so word essay on the Gallagher Girls series and the feminist ideals within your books along with how the characterization of the girls challenge traditional gender stereotypes.

    Reply

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