FREEBIE FRIDAY with Alyson Noel!

This has been a phenomenal month - so many new releases from fabulous authors! I'm very pleased to introduce this week's guest, Teen Fiction Cafe and GCC sister Alyson Noel, whose newly released novel EVERMORE is already in second printing! AND it's on the Borders.com bestseller for teens list! All this and it was just released on Tuesday. Go, Alyson!

The first book in Alyson's IMMORTALS series, EVERMORE has already earned the Flamingnet Top Choice Award, Teens Read Too's 5 Star Gold Award, four star reviews from Romantic Times and a nod from Booklist for its "humor and authenticity."

And no wonder. Check out the official blurb:

Sixteen-year-old Ever used to have two parents, a little sister, a dog, and a nice house in Oregon. She used to be a varsity cheerleader and go to school dances. But that was before the horrible accident that claimed the lives of her family. Now Ever blares the Sex Pistols through her headphones and hides under her hoodie in class. She doesn’t need to listen to hear, or see to know. All she needs is to touch someone to know their entire life story, not to mention always seeing their auras and hearing their thoughts. She’s been branded a freak at her new high school in Laguna Beach as she goes out of her way to avoid human contact, but everything changes when she meets Damen Auguste. From the moment Ever first looks at Damen, she feels an instant recognition. He is gorgeous, exotic and wealthy, and he holds many secrets. Damen is able to make things appear and disappear, he always seems to know what she’s thinking—and he’s the only one who can silence the noise and the random energy in her head. She doesn’t know who he really is—or what he is. Damen is equal parts light and darkness, and he belongs to an enchanted new world where no one ever dies, and nothing is as it seems…

I cannot wait to read this! (It arrived in my shipment this week along with AS King's DUST of 100 DOGS and Justina Chen Headley's NORTH OF BEAUTIFUL. See? I'm telling you... so many great new releases! And I won't be able to touch any of them until I meet my deadline. Boo.)

And now, without further whining on my part, Alyson's interview:

What inspired you to write EVERMORE?
A few years ago I lost three people I loved in five horrible months, and just when the dust began to settle my husband was diagnosed with leukemia and it felt like my entire world was crashing down. A year later, when he was in full remission, I wrote SAVING ZOE and CRUEL SUMMER, both of which explore the subject of grief and unavoidable change. But when it came time to write my next book, I realized I wasn’t finished exploring those themes though I wanted to do so in a much different way, by giving the story a paranormal twist and pushing the boundaries between life and death, and EVERMORE is the story that came pouring out of me.

Are any of your characters based on real people that you know?
No, they’re all products of my imagination!

If you could see your own aura, what would it look like when you're happy? Sad?
Happy- bright, vibrant, pulsating orange! J

Sad- Dark, dismal, gloomy, grey L

What excites you?
Opportunity.

What turns you off?
Violence, cruelty, bigotry, negativity, superiority

What's the biggest lie you ever told, and what happened as a result of the telling?
I called in sick when I wasn’t. It resulted in a reallllly fun day!

What's your favorite quote?
“Be the change you want to see in the world.”- Ghandi

What's one thing most people don't know about you?
I have a mad crush on the Spike character on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. And since I’m new to watching the series, most people don’t know this about me!

What are you working on now?
I recently finished BLUE MOON, the second book in my IMMMORTALS series, that’ll be in stores on 08.04.09, and I’m about half way through the next book in the series, which, for the moment I’m calling UNTITLED BOOK #3-- though I’m sure that title will probably change!

Milk Chocolate or Dark?
Dark. No question.

You can find out more about Alyson and the IMMORTALS series on her website alysonnoel.com, or on her blog.

Alyson has generously offered to give away a signed copy of EVERMORE to this week's lucky FREEBIE FRIDAY winner. To be entered to win, leave a message below, describing what you imagine your aura would look like when you are a.) happy b.) sad and c.) kissing. NOTE: this contest will stay open until Monday, February 9th, due to next week's LOVE FEST > > >

Get your Valentine on right here February 9-14! Guest YA romance authors Simone Elkeles, Tina Ferraro, Melissa Walker, Sasha Watson and Wendy Toliver will dish on romance and relationships AND give away stuff!

SECOND NOTE: only one more day to submit questions for our distinguished panel! Send them to gerb @ lindagerber dot com.

Edited to add: Check it! I just found out I'm the Blogger of the Week over at the Bradford Blog Bash! I might just be inclined to give bonus entries for the EVERMORE drawing to anyone who visits and comments on the post...

Oh, and my dog Kali was wagging it at AS King's blog this week. 

That's all. : )