Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Alyson Noël: September Podcast

Ava, Allison, Alyson, and Michelle (with a little rockstar baby on board!)
Along with our fabulous teen correspondent, Ava, we got together with New York Times bestselling author Alyson Noël last month to chat about The Soul Seekers series, the appeal of flawed characters, and her amazingly disciplined writing routine. We had such a blast talking to Alyson! Honestly, we could have listened to her all day.

In this episode, we also share our book picks of the month. Michelle chose pretty much everything ever written by Julie Kagawa (because, by the way, Julie will be on the show next month!) and Allison chose Every Day by David Levithan.


Want to download this podcast? Click here for a mp3 or find us on iTunes.

Thanks very much to rockin' publicist Deb Shapiro for setting up this fabulous interview with Alyson! And thank you to the Mission Viejo Library for providing us with interview space. If you enjoyed our interview with Alyson, be sure to catch up with her at alysonnoel.com.

Now listeners, we have a giveaway for you! Win a paperback of Evermore, signed by the very lovely Alyson Noël. Leave a comment on this post and tell us if you prefer an ideal love interest in fiction, or someone with a few flaws and quirks. Be sure to leave your email in your comment so we can write to you if you're the winner! Deadline for entries is October 1. Contest open to US residents only.

EDIT: The giveaway has ended, but wow! What a great discussion. Congratulations to Crysta and thanks to random.org for making selecting a winner so simple.

Podcast hosting courtesy of archive.org. Intro music by 46bliss. Special thanks to our sound engineer, Marc Conrad Tabula for his awesome sound editing skills. Please subscribe to Authors are ROCKSTARS! on iTunes so you'll never miss an episode! (And if you like us, please be so kind as to leave a review.) 

32 comments:

  1. First of all, I absolutely LOVE your books. They are AMAZING!!!! Secondly, I prefer love interests who seem to be perfect at first but as you get to know them you realize they aren't as perfect as they seem. No one is perfect. So when you write a character with flaws it makes the book come to life. I hope I win the signed copy, it would be a dream come true. My email is "ali_davis4444@yahoo.com"

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  2. Loved listening to the podcast. I absolutely adore Alyson Noel. After reading the Immortals series, I actually found a belief system that I felt understood me, all thanks to those books!
    To answer the question, I would much rather a gorgeous love interest that has some flaws and quirks, than one without. I just find it ten times more interesting and captivating!
    "salina_cabbie@live.ca"

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  3. I love your Immortals Series! I haven't come to read the Soul Seekers yet unfortunately (does the interview contain spoilers by the way?)
    When it comes to the question, I don't want someone to be "creepy perfect", because that would make me feel very inadequate and imperfect in so many ways. I want someone with flaws I can live with. In books I love characters with emotional damage, who are scarred somehow. Always so much more interesting.
    "gkn_88@hotmail.com"

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  4. I think it depends. I love both types of guys in fiction. I think it depends on the main character. Maybe if she's a strong person she needs someone with a few flaws. And if the main character had flaws than she needs someone strong and almost perfect like. I think if I were a character I would need someone who was ideal for me in every way because I know I have lots of flaws :)
    "hillaryreyna@yahoo.com"

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  5. Grrr... I really don't like this about my reading preferences but I'm going to have to say the ideal guy - absolute perfection. When a guy has a few flaws, I always associate them with being friends and whatnot. A perfect guy with a hint of mystery is definitely alluring in books. In real life, I'd definitely take the guy wit flaws though :P I'm strange! Thanks for the giveaway :)
    carmenshaw95(at)yahoo(dot)com

    Shae @ Understanding Shae's Story

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  6. First I must say how much I love Alyson Noel and the Immortal Series.
    Second: I love a good gorgeous seemingly perfect love interest. This boy seems to be everything perfect in a guy at first but as the heroine gets to know him she find he has one major flaw. Whether that be jealousy, anger issues, or being overprotective. This gorgeous boy that all the readers have put on a pedestal has then been brought down to reality. It makes him and the realitionship more believable. Thanks so much for this opportunity!
    kzeleski3@gmail.com

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  7. I must say i adore the Immortal series. Read every one in a short amount of time.
    If i could choose a man for myself i would love the ideal love fiction. I would love someone like Damon from the series to be the perfect man, to be a gentleman and make me happy. It would just be nice to have someone love you so much that they would die for you.

    sarahj0407@gmail.com

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  8. Alyson Noel is a great author and I loved Fated. I truly can't wait for the sequel to come out. I prefer a guy with flaws. Truly no one is perfect and, especially in books, it makes it a little easier for you not to hate mistakes the other makes in regards to the relationship. I don't know how many times I got frustrated at Ever in the Immortal Series because of this, no matter how much I still love her.
    lockheartdreamer@gmail.com

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  9. Reading The Immortals was just one of those experiences that are life changing. I will always be so thankful to Allison for writing them.
    I think if someone catches your eye the first time you meet them, they probably seem perfect. And that might be part of the allure. But I think it's probably more endearing to see the interest's flaws. It shows you how human they are, makes them relatable, and it also gives them a lot to overcome to become the love the main character needs. A favorite example of mine is Howl from Howl's Moving Castle. He might be a terrible coward, but Sophie inspires him to be brave.

    So in the end, I prefer interests with a flaw. It makes the relationship more believable, and I love love stories where both characters change each other for the better.

    Thanks for the chance :D "terra_fae_odosson@yahoo.com"

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  10. Im more of the kind of person who likes to read about people with quirks. Makes it more interesting. @kochemily75@yahoo.com

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  11. I am completely in love with every book by Allison, i would be overjoyed to win this signed copy! My email is jessicadierene1988@yahoo.com

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  12. For me, I would definitely prefer someone with a few flaws and quirks. Reading about someone and even meeting someone perfect may seem ideal at first, but I would need someone with at least one little quirk to keep things interesting! I'm really looking forward to reading Soul Seekers! I'm hoping once everything at school slows down a bit I'll be able to pick it up! My email is: dazzleme629@aol.com

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  13. I LOVE THE IMMORTAL SERIES ! I prefer the quirks in love because there is no perfect love courtneygen12@hotmail.com

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  14. Thanks for giving me a chance to win a signed copy of Evermore! My email address is jesskittelson@yahoo.com I think for my love interest in most fiction books are people with a few flaws and quirks. Maybe even a mystery along with that so the more you find out about the person the more they "grow on you." I think it also depends alot on the main character as well. I mean If we have two completely perfect people in a story, what is going to keep our attention?

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  15. I pefer ones with flaws and quirks. They're more human and much easier to relate to, and more interesting to read about.

    ferretchan[AT]gmail[DOT]com

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  16. Easy.....I would choose someone with a few flaws and quirks. But of course every girl wants that ideal love interest that's in fiction. But with that being said.....nobody's perfect. Just because someone has a few flaws and quirks doesn't make them anyless of a person, I believe it makes them perfect in their own way. Them being different and standing out is what makes them who they are. That is why I love the Immortal Series. Ever is that someone who stands out and is different because of her flaws, but that doesn't make her anyless of a person because of it. It makes her perfect in her own way, especially in the eyes Damon. Thanks for sharing this wonderful series with us. Awesome read. My email address is ilovemmh2006@gmail.com

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  17. There's nothing better than that ideal "perfection" that everyone wants in a story, and, don't get me wrong, I LOVE that, but I think, in real life, if I had to choose perfection or flaws, I would choose flaws. Because, not everyone is going to be perfect- although I'm always comparing my guys to Damen and Dace ;)- I think it's very easy for you to be disappointed when you're expecting someone to be as perfect as both Damen and Dace, because he'll never live up to your expectations. Anyways, I love the Soul Seekers and I love the Immortals Series. I am already counting down the days 'till ECHO comes out, and I can't wait to read it. I think you are a really inspiring author, and you're such a wonderful person. Thank you so much for telling both Daire and Ever's stories, because you have really inspired me to write more.
    My email address is cdenoudenbooks@gmail.com

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  18. My man is not the prefact man but i love him and have for 20 years.ddpreston@peoplepc.com

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  19. I guess it is a little bit of both. He would be perfect for the character, but with those few (or many) little flaws that the character doesn't really mind, (or notice) but the reader does.
    I really do like both though.
    Like in Twilight, (not that it compares to Evermore(or doesn't compare for that matter)) Edward is an example of the perfect lover. While in Vampire Academy, Dimitri has his flaws (though he is one of my favorite love-intrests in any book so far).
    Oh, and my email is ellenah.garcia@hotmail.com
    Thanks for the offer!
    And good luck everyone!

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  20. I'd rather have someone flawed than perfect. No one is perfect and if you make a guy perfect, then some of us are going to spend more time thinking about how unrealistic he is than paying attention to the story. I'm idealistic in the sense that I don't need a perfect guy for my romance, but I want it to work out. I know that counters my first point about being unrealistic but let's be honest: no one wants to see their otp fail, or the protagonist die, or be miserable (For example: I think more people spent time daydreaming about swan diving off of a cliff than actually reading "New Moon") And also, no one wants to read romances about failed relationships. Some of us read because we want to be happy and need to be lifted up, inspired, etc. Having a flawed, quirky guy keeps it interesting and gives him more depth than the guy who is the epitome of flawless. Mystery is good, having him seem flawless in the beginning is fine, but we need to be able to see him as a person and not a custom cookie cake with all your favorite colors, designs and frosting on top. If that made any sense…

    I love this idea for a giveaway. Though, next time, would you guys please consider using a form or other polling site for something like this so that our email addresses are not public? Web bots and other people can take our addresses from this page…and no one likes spam! Thank you! <3

    tiffatthedisco[at]gmail[dot]com

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  21. I've always loved the bad boys so I would pick someone with a few flaws.

    Not even characters are perfect; just about every "perfect" male character I've read about still had some flaw, whether it was arrogance, selfishness or overbearing (in most cases).

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  22. I would perfer someone with a few flaws and quirks. I feel like it makes the person more real and down to earth; it would make you feel like you wouldn't have to be perfect and it would be okay to be yourself.

    alindig314[at]gmail[dot]com

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  23. I would diffidently what a few flaws. They wouldn't be human if not flawed.

    breathoflifebookreviews@yahoo.com

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  24. I prefer love interests that have flaws that make them even more love able

    jojolovesbooks0@gmail.com

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  25. I'm happily married to a man that is the perfect mixture of heroes from fiction novels and real life quirky :) So excited about the giveaway!! My email is: kellee926@hotmail.com

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  26. I Love a love interest with a few flaws or quirks, even when the love interest seems perfect then turns out not to be! Love Alyson Noels Books! My email is RestlessRedRoses@comcast.net

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  27. I really enjoy characters with flaws and quirks : )

    divingintobooks@gmail.com

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  28. I think a character who seems perfect, but has flaws are the best! It shows their vulnerability and that everyone isn't perfect. I t also makes the story more entertaining and mysterious like as the main character learns of the other character's history and why there the way they are.like damen and ever.Damen at first seems perfect to ever,he's handsome, nice, mysterious, and he's attracted to her. But trough out the stories ever learns that damen lost both of his parents, was evil like drina, and saved ever in one of there past lives, but let her family die. This shows that damen might seem perfect,but he's not. It also made the story much more suprising and exciting.
    Email:riverayolanda27@ymail.com

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  29. I must say that I love Alyson Noel's books. I think that I prefer a guy with flaws. That makes him easy to love and very believable. Thanks for the giveaway. BrandyBates{at}gmail{Dot}com

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  30. A few flaws and quirks, nobody's perfect!


    Smiolivia13@hotmail.com

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  31. OMG! ALYSON I LOVE YOU AND YOU BOOKS! OK. Now I think I would like someone that is nearly perfect but with flaws that give him character. Plus I don't want him to be that much more perfect than me because I would feel like-not worthy enough. But anyway I think maybe Damen would be perfect for me, but anyone would wouldn't they? JK. I would NOT do that to Ever.:) My email is stohme@sbcglobal.net :) <3

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