Alyson Noel

Alyson Noël is the #1 New York Times best-selling, award-winning, author of 23 novels including: ‘The Immortals’, ‘The Riley Bloom’, and ‘The Soul Seekers’ series. Born and raised in Orange County, California, she’s lived in both Mykonos and Manhattan and is now settled back in Southern California. Her new YA series, Beautiful Idols, beginning with Unrivaled, had a global release in 17 languages and 200 countries.

1. Can you tell us what your new book ‘Unrivalled’ is about?
   ‘Unrivalled’ is the first in a suspense trilogy exploring the seedy underbelly of Los Angeles’s VIP nightlife. The book follows three friends competing in a cutthroat battle to be the best club promoter in town when they become caught up in the disappearance of teenage It Girl Madison Brooks.
2. To the readers of the website, can you tell us about yourself and how you got into writing?
   I was always an avid reader and from the moment I finished reading my first Judy Blume novel I knew I wanted to be a writer. I felt as if these books were written just for me and they made me realise how a story could be so much more than just words on a page. I’ve had a range of jobs in the past, from jewellery maker to flight attendant, but I knew writing was what I really wanted to do with my life.
3. What’s your favourite book of all time?
   I love so many books from so many genres, but let’s go with ‘Catcher in the Rye’.
4. If you were to start your own book club, what authors would you ask to join?
   I don’t think I could narrow it down! There are so many fantastic YA authors out there, some of whom I’ve had the pleasure of being on panels with, that I’m sure I could talk about books with for hours.
5. What’s your favourite opening line from a book?
   “If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you’ll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don’t feel like getting into it.”- J.D. Salinger, ‘Catcher in the Rye’.
6. I adored the ‘Immortals’ series and had a tiny crush on Damen. Who’s your literary hero?
   I tend to fall for the Brits—Mr. Rochester, Mr. Darcy, Heathcliff.
7. What has been the highlight of your career so far?
   I feel incredibly blessed that I get to create these stories for a living, and even more so to have such fantastic readers who keep going out and buying my books. But the release of ‘Unrivalled’ this week, simultaneously publishing in 200 countries and 18 languages, has been so so exciting! It’s been a fantastic experience.
8. What’s the best thing about being a Young Adult author?
   I feel like I’m still a teen at heart and what I love most about YA writing is how fast paced it has to be to hold the attention of time-pressed readers. The online community is also unbelievably engaged and enthusiastic in YA. You get to hear from, and interact with, your readers in a way that never used to be possible, and the response I’ve had from bloggers who have connected with my writing has been overwhelming.
9. If you were stranded on a desert island, which three books would you bring with you to pass the time?
   ‘Catcher in the Rye’, ‘Where’d You go, Bernadette’, and ‘Me Before You.’
10. What area do you suggest a budding writer should concentrate on to further their abilities?
    [amazon_link id=”0008185492″ target=”_blank” ][/amazon_link]The best advice I can give any writer is to read—and read widely. Read different genres and learn from books you like and those you don’t because you can take something away from every one to develop your own style.

    And then, of course, write. I don’t believe in writer’s block, when I do find myself “stuck” I usually go back and do more research into my world, my characters, their motivations, etc, and it always spawns the next sentence. Always. Never fails!

11. When sitting down to write, what is the one item you need beside you?
    I write at home surrounded by my overflowing bookshelves, and I always have a cup of green tea and a scented candle at the ready.
12. And finally Alyson, do you have any projects or releases on the horizon which you would like to share with the readers of the website?
    ‘Unrivalled’ is the first in a trilogy so watch this space for more rivalry, deceit and drama.

Follow Alyson Noel on Twitter Alyson Noel for updates or check out her website at Alyson Noel

You can buy [amazon_link id=”0008185492″ target=”_blank” ]Unrivalled from Amazon [/amazon_link] and is available to buy from good bookshops.