Interview with Alyson Noel, Author of The Immortals Series

Today, in celebration of Tantalizing Tuesday, I'd like to welcome Alyson Noel, bestelling author of numerous books for teens and adults. She is the bestelling author of Evermore, the first book in the Immortals Series and it's follow up, Blue Moon, which has garnered numerous praise and debuted at #1 on The New York Times Bestseller List.

In Blue Moon, the second installment in The Immortals Series, we get to journey to Summerland and also learn more about Ever and Damen’s past lives. How did you come up with the beautifully crafted world of Summerland? And was this book harder to write than Evermore?

I did a lot of research to create the series, took seminars on psychic development, went under hypnosis, and read a ton of metaphysical books, some of which describe The Summerland, a dimension that is very real in many spiritual beliefs. So basically I created my own version of an existing idea, imagining it to include shimmering mist, pulsating trees, rainbow colored streams, flowers that shiver, Great Halls of Learning, and all the other things that Ever finds there.

And yes, BLUE MOON was definitely harder to write than EVERMORE, but mostly because it was my first sequel and it didn’t really occur to me while writing EVERMORE to keep detailed notes on all the little minutiae and continuity details that crop up along the way. So I had to go back and reread it, starting a sort of story Bible that I now add to with each successive book.

You’ve said the inspiration for both Saving Zoe and The Immortals Series was born out of your own painful experiences with grief and loss. Did exploring those themes in your writing help you get through those tough times?

Absolutely. I often say that SAVING ZOE helped me get through the grief and EVERMORE helped me make sense of it. I poured a lot of my own feelings into those books, and they provided great catharsis because of it.

You’ve traveled all over the world both on your own and during the time you worked as a flight attendant for a major airline. Among all your travels, was there one place in particular that you really loved, and that you hope to one day visit again?

I’ve loved most every place I’ve visited for one reason or another. But one of my favorite, most magical, experiences was a trip to Marrakesh. It took us over 24 hours to get there from Orange County, CA—involving a series of trains, planes, and automobiles—and when we finally arrived, we found ourselves in the medina at twilight, filled with snake charmers, veiled women, and the pungent scent of spices. A guy arrived with a wheel barrow which he tossed our luggage into, then led us on a chase through a winding maze of nameless, narrow, dirt, alleyways until arriving at a small non descript door that opened to the most beautiful oasis I’d ever seen. What started like a scene straight out of Indiana Jones soon turned into the most romantic evening ever. Our bed was showered with rose petals, we were served a seven course dinner in our own private, candle lit, courtyard—it was completely and totally dreamy and I really hope to repeat that someday!

If you could dive into any novel and become one of the characters for the day, what novel would you choose?

I’d choose WUTHERING HEIGHTS so I could be Catherine and skip the whole “social advancement” stage, tell Heathcliff I love him, and alleviate a whole lot of suffering! But then it wouldn’t be WUTHERING HEIGHTS anymore would it? So maybe not.

You have written numerous books for adults and teens. What is the most important lesson you’ve learned since becoming a successful author?

To ignore your Amazon rankings as well as your Amazon reviews. In fact, avoid all rankings and reviews and just focus your energy on writing your next book. It’s the best way to promote yourself and that’s all your readers (and your publisher!) really want from you anyway!

The rights to Evermore have been sold for a possible television series. Is there any updated news on the show? Also—do you think the actors roles would best be portrayed by unknowns or are there certain actors you think of when you envision the main characters?

Well, it’s funny because on the one hand I’m such a visual writer—I can see my characters so clearly I often feel like I’m merely transcribing the movie in my head! And yet, on the other hand, because I know them so well, it’s hard for me to cast them with real, live, actors in mind! Though a few readers have mentioned Ben Barnes for Damen, and I must say, after Googling him I’ve found him to be suitably dreamy!

You are creating a new series based on the character of Riley (Ever’s ghostly sister). Can you tell us more about that book, as well as other upcoming projects we can look forward to?

When I was approached to write the series for Riley I was thrilled! She was such a fun character—and a bit of a scene-stealer too—ending up with a much bigger role in EVERMORE than I originally anticipated. And while I haven’t started writing her story yet (I’m currently working on UNTITLED IMMORTALS BOOK 4- yup, that’s what I’m calling it!), it’s going to be about her life in the afterlife, and I can’t wait to get started!

The IMMORTALS series will encompass six books, and I’m working on another series idea for the future—but at the moment, that’s all I can say.

Can you give us a little hint as to what’s in store for Ever and Damen in the third installment of the Immortals series- Shadowland?

If you haven’t read BLUE MOON yet please scroll away now!!

Seriously, major spoilers lie ahead.

Consider yourself warned!

Okay, now that that’s done, BLUE MOON ended with Roman tricking Ever into feeding Damen an elixir that rendered their touch lethal. And while I know a few people found that to be really sad, the funny thing is, I actually thought it ended on a hopeful note since Damen is well gain, and the two soul-mates are back together after a very agonizing time apart—I mean, hopeful, right??!!

So, SHADOWLAND finds them searching for an antidote to reverse the curse, but they run into a few glitches along the way . . .

Or, as it says on the new website at: http://www.immortalsseries.com

“At the start of this breathtaking novel, Damen and Ever travel to Summerland in search of an antidote to reverse a powerful poison. But instead of the cure they seek, they find something far more sinister: the truth about their existence and the fate lying in wait of an immortal’s soul.

Now, with Damen fighting to save them from the Shadowland, Ever turns to magick, hoping to break Damen’s curse. Along the way Ever encounters the mysterious Jude, finding herself drawn to him in a way that will test her love for Damen like never before . . .”

Oh, and even though the back pages of BLUE MOON show it being released in February, it has now been moved up a month to January 5, 2010!

THANKS FOR SUCH A GREAT INTERVIEW!!!

Thank you Alyson for stopping by!

Alyson Noël is an Orange County native who has lived in both Mykonos and Manhattan, but now finds herself settled with her husband back in California, where she writes full time. Alyson is also the author of numerous books, including The Immortals Series, Saving Zoë, Cruel Summer, Kiss & Blog, Faking 19, Art Geeks and and the adult novel Fly Me to the Moon. Her books have won many awards and nominations, including the National Reader's Choice Award, NYLA Book of Winter Award and Flamingnet Net Top Choice Award.

For more information, please visit her Official Website, Myspace, Facebook, Twitter and her Blog!