Hi Alyson, thanks for doing the interview. Could you start by introducing yourself?
Well, I’m an Orange County, California native and the author of the teen novels, Faking 19, Art Geeks and Prom Queens, and Laguna Cove. My debut adult novel, Fly Me to the Moon, will be in stores in December, and my next teen book, Kiss & Blog, will be released in Spring ’07. I live in Laguna Beach, I’m married, and I drink way more coffee than I should.
I just finished reading your newest teen novel Laguna Cove. Could you tell the readers a little about the novel?
Laguna Cove was a really fun book for me to write, and the experience was somewhat different from my others in that it was written in the third person, and involves more of a group protagonist. It’s about four teens, who on the surface, appear to have it all- looks, talent, brains, and a cool zip code. But they’re each faced with some major issues to resolve like divorce, death of a parent, painful break ups, changing friendships, securing a place in a new school when the most popular girl hates you, competition and the high price of winning and staying on top, and walking the fine line between pleasing your parents and being yourself. I grew to really like these girls and they became very real to me!
Orange County has become increasingly popular in Pop Culture recently with shows like The OC and Laguna Cove. You’re a resident of Laguna Beach yourself and both Laguna Cove and your last novel Art Geeks and Prom Queens where set in the area. What do you think makes the area so appealing to young people and adults alike?
I think Orange County does a great job of fulfilling the California promise! It offers great weather, beautiful beaches, a laid back lifestyle, amazing shopping, good restaurants, and it’s just a one to two hour drive to Los Angeles, the mountains, the lake, or the desert. I’ve lived in Mykonos and Manhattan as well, and while I loved both those places, I’m glad to be back in the OC!
Surfing is big with the teens in Laguna Cove, do you surf?
I think it’s an incredibly beautiful sport, and I really admire those who do it, but since I’ve finally made peace with my limited athletic abilities, I’m okay with just lying on my towel and watching! I have nieces and nephews who visit every summer and my husband and I put them in surf camp. I’m amazed at how quickly they learned and how good they’re now getting!
Which of your characters in Laguna Cove do you most relate to? Do you have a favorite character?
I didn’t start off with a favorite, but as the story progressed I grew very fond of Lola. I loved how she was so busy trying to please everyone that her life became a complicated juggling act. But I think I related most to Anne because I know what it’s like to be the new girl, and how hard it is to find your place.
Would you ever consider doing a sequel to one of your novels?
I get a lot of letters from readers asking for sequels, and although there are no immediate plans to write one- I’m certainly open to the idea!
You’ve written a number of teen novels. Is there a specific one of your novels that is your favorite? If so; why?
Choose a favorite? This is like Sophie’s Choice! Well, I guess they’re all special to me in different ways, but if I have to pick one, then I choose Faking 19. Mainly since it’s the first novel I ever wrote and the fact that I was actually able to finish it and then sell it was like a dream come true. But it’s also the most personal of all of my books, because even though the events are pure fiction, I know what it’s like to be Alex- to feel lost, and alone, and completely directionless. Luckily, we both found our way out of that!
Tell us about an average working day for you; how many pages do you write? Do you have a specific routine you follow?
I’m not one of those authors with a daily word quota. Some days the words just flow, other days I can barely coax a trickle! But I do try to write everyday, and when I’m in the zone, I can go for hours on end with little more than a coffee break, only stopping when my fingers are all gnarled, cramped, throbbing, and threatening to strike!
If one of your novels were to be adapted into a film in the next year which would you choose and what teen stars could you see playing the lead characters?
Book to film? Awesome! Okay, for Faking 19- Evan Rachel Wood as Alex (but she’d have to dye her hair brown!) or maybe Amber Tamblyn, hmmm . . . and for Art Geeks and Prom Queens- Blake Lively would be a good Rio. But I just can’t think of anyone dreamy enough to play Jas, so I guess I’ll have to hold an open casting call. . .darn.
I read on your official site that you’re releasing your first adult novel in December. Will you be writing more teen novels in the future?
Fly Me to the Moon is my debut adult novel, about a 28 yr old flight attendant living in NYC and traveling the world trying to mend her broken heart and follow her dream. And since I was a flight attendant for over ten years, I had a blast writing this one! But I absolutely love writing for teens and will definitely continue to do so! I recently got the cover for my next teen book, Kiss & Blog, which is due out next Spring, and I just finished another teen book (so far untitled) that will probably come out in either late ’07 early ’08, and I’m just now getting ready to start another YA for ’08.
When did you decide you wanted to be an author? Has it been a lifelong dream?
The moment I finished my first Judy Blume book I knew I wanted to write. I was always an avid reader, starting with Green Eggs and Ham, and progressing through all the Little House on the Prairie books. But it was Are you there God? It’s me Margaret, quickly followed by Deenie, that felt like they were written just for me, and my friends, and all the things we were going through. Those books made me realize how a story could be so much more.
What were some of your favorite novels when you were a teenager and what are some of your favorites today?
Growing up my favorites were anything by Judy Blume, Norma Klein, or JD Salinger- I would read their books over and over again! And now I read just about anything I can get my hands on, and I have so many favorites it’s hard to list them all! But some YA’s that I really like are- 10th Grade, Royally Jacked, Lucas, Feeling Sorry for Celia, Looking for Alaska, Speak, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, The Center of Everything, and I’m just now reading Twilight and I think it’s awesome.
Since starting your career as an author, what would you say are some of the most important lesson you’ve learned?
That I will always panic the week before a new book comes out, and that this is not likely to change.
That the brilliant ideas that stop by in the middle of the night always disappear by morning.
That it’s never too late to follow your dream, though there’s nothing wrong with getting a head start.
What advice would you like to offer to aspiring authors?
Oh, it’s the same old thing we always say, but that’s only because it’s true! Read as much as you can. Write as much as you will. And then keep reading and writing until it all clicks. Don’t give up. Don’t take rejection personally. And never forget that in a seemingly endless sea of “No” it only takes one “Yes” to make your dream come true!
Thank you Portrait magazine!!!!
