Hey Ambassadors!

Embassy Row is coming! Or…well…actually, we’re going back to Embassy Row!

I’m getting SO excited for the release of TAKE THE KEY AND LOCK HER UP on Dec 27 (in the US and Canada. International release dates might vary.)

In the lead up to release day is pretty exciting around here. Every day I’m going to try (try being the operative word) to release a never-bef0re-seen mini excerpt from the new book!

Here are a few of the ones I’ve already posted to Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, etc.

 

And don’t forget! We’re once again partnering with Watermark Books to ship signed copies of all three Embassy Row books! If you’re interested, you have until DECEMBER 16th to order (I’ll be driving up to do the signing on the 17th). You can order at watermarkbooks.com/ally. 

All books should arrive on (or very near) the publication of Take the Key (December 27th).

 

A big thanks to everyone who has already pre-ordered a copy or put it on hold at your library!

And a general reminder, it always helps when you add books to your goodreads shelves AND review books at online vendors (like Amazon or BN.com or iBooks). 

I’m so very, very lucky to have such great readers!

hugs to you all!

Ally

 

 

 

Hi, everyone!

I hope you’re all getting ready for a great holiday season! 

And…I hope you’ve enjoyed THE GRIFT OF THE MAGI! I know I certainly had a blast making it for all of you.

But we shouldn’t forget that the third–and final–Embassy Row book will be here in a little over a month! 

To mark the occasion we will once again be counting down with (hopefully) daily quotes from the book! 

And, don’t forget, you can pre-order SIGNED copies of any or all of the Embassy Row books at watermarkbooks.com/ally!

I hope you’re all doing well. Enjoy!

Hello, everyone!

I don’t know about you guys, but all day long I’ve been singing “The Heist’ll come out tomorrow…. Bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow…. There’ll be heists….”

BECAUSE THE HEIST SOCIETY CREW IS BACK TOMORROW!

 

On a scale from one to ten I’m at approximately nine hundred and fifty.

I hope you guys are as excited as I am (if that’s even possible). Which I doubt.

I know a number of you are upset that the book is only in e-form. I’m sorry about that, but the economies of publishing are such that to do a hard copy of this would cost as much or more as a full-length novel, and it’s not a full-length novel, and I couldn’t bring myself to charge you guys $12-15 for something that’s only about 120 pages long.

That’s not to say that I won’t eventually bundle all the novellas into one hard copy edition or something–I may do that. But in the meantime I’m just happy to bring you this story in an easy-to-read and economical edition.

Remember YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BUY AN E-READER TO READ THIS STORY.

All the major eBook vendors have apps where you can read your book on your smartphone or tablet or just on a regular computer.

So I hope everyone can find a way to read it.

And I know some libraries (public and school) are now doing eBook collections. If you can’t afford the $2.99 (which is totally understandable!) then please check with your librarian to see if he/she can add the ebook to your local collection! You’d be helping yourself and your friends and your library–and me!

One more time, if you missed it, you can buy the eBook from these locations:

 

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
iBooks
Google
Kobo

 

And if you’re in the UK and Australia, I know that the story is coming to you SOON!

Happy heisting!

Ally

 

 

Hi everyone!

Very exciting news! I’m happy to announce that we are once again partnering with Watermark Books to bring you SIGNED and PERSONALIZED Embassy Row books this holiday season!

 

Just visit watermarkbooks.com/ally to order any or all three Embassy Row titles. Orders must be placed by DECEMBER 16th (because that’s when I’m driving up to Wichita to sign them).

Books should arrive on about December 27th (the day TAKE THE KEY AND LOCK HER UP comes out).

You’ll also get a personalized and exclusive message from me that you can wrap and leave under the tree if the books are going to be a gift for someone you love.

I’m so grateful to Scholastic and Watermark for setting this up. It was so great seeing how excited so many of you were to get your signed books last year. I hope it works out for you again!

-Ally

 

First, I want to thank all the awesome readers, teachers, librarians, parents, booksellers, volunteers, and generally awesome people of Houston for a FANTASTIC weekend last weekend!

The Tweens Read Book Festival was so, so fun, and it was so great to meet so many existing readers (and a whole bunch of brand new Gallagher Girls and Blackthorne Boys). I had a blast.

But now I’m home for a while because…

I have to write a book.

Isn’t that crazy? But it’s true. Every now and then the books have to be written, and IT’S TIME.

In the meantime, watch this space for news about the Super Secret Project. That news is coming SOON. I promise. For real this time.

 

-Ally

 

 

Does anyone know that old country song that goes “Houston! Houston means that I’m one day closer to you…”?

Well, I do. And I’ve been singing it all week because, you guessed it, I’m going to Houston this weekend!

If you’re in the area, please check out the Tweens Read Book Festival!

It’ll be this weekend at the South Houston High School in South Houston, TX!

They have over 30 authors lined up, and it looks like it’s going to be awesome! And if you come see me I’ll tell you what Super Secret Project #1 is!

For those of you who can’t make it to Houston this weekend, well, I can’t tell you about SSP#1 just yet, but it’s coming VERY SOON. I promise!

Word will probably go out to my newsletter subscribers first, so if you want to be sure you get ALL the big Ally news (book updates, tour info, movie news, etc) be sure you sign up here!

(note: there are technically TWO newsletters, and you can sign up for either or both. The “Big Event” newsletter goes out 1-3 times per year–just with big news like tour info. The “Ally Chat” newsletter is new, and it go out 1-2 times per month with more conversational, casual updates–kind of like blog posts.

 

So: Houston, I hope to see you!

Everyone else: I hope to have big news that I can share VERY soon!

 

Ally

 

 

Hey, everybody!

Today, for the first time this year, it was chilly here. And not just any chilly. It was Soup Chilly. And Sweater Chilly.

And Boot Chilly!

It’s kind of exciting, I gotta say. I do love me some soup and sweaters and boots!

Those of you who follow me on social media probably already know that I’ve been working on a super secret project for a while now, and we’re going to be able to go live with the news VERY SOON, and I’m super excited about it!

I’m also starting a brand new book! Of course, I can’t talk about it either, but trust me when I say that this is a story I’ve been wanting to write for a while now, and I’m really looking forward to sharing it with all of you.

So how about you guys? What is your favorite part of fall? What do you think the Super Secret Project is gonna be?

 

Ally

 

PS: if you’re in Houston, don’t forget I’ll be at the Houston Tween Book Con on October 22!

Hey Everyone!

Just wanted to make sure you all received the latest Newsletter from Ally that was sent out earlier this week! If not, here you go….

Hello!

I’m SO excited to be going to Salt Lake City this week for my very first Comic Con!

If you’re in Utah or going to the convention, please come say hi! I’ll be on the following panels and signing at the following times:

 

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1st

1:00 PM                                
Writing for Teens Panel
Room 255F

Details: Our panel of experts will discuss the importance of quality options for teen readers, how to address teen’s developmental needs in literature, and how to truthfully tell a story that deals with the adulthood that the teen readership is about to confront.

Panelists: Gwenda Bond, Ally Carter, Cecil Castelucci, Jessica Day George, Bryce Moore
Moderator: Platte F. Clark

 

3:00 PM                                  
Booksigning
Shadow Mountain – Booth 1807

 

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 2nd

11:00 AM                               
Spotlight on Ally Carter
Room 255B

Solo Presentation and Q&A
Moderator: J. Scott Savage

1:30 PM                                  
Booksigning
Shadow Mountain – Booth 1807

 

I really hope I’m going to be able to see a lot off you there!

If you aren’t in the SLC area, know that I have other events coming up in…

Wichita
Houston
Austin
Seattle/Tacoma

Read all the details here!

 

-Ally