Bits 'n Pieces - Alyson Noel (#2)

Alyson Noel is the author of a variety of books for adults and teens. I have yet to read her newest release, Evermore, but I have read one of her other novels, Saving Zoe and liked it a lot. Also, I am really looking forward to reading Evermore; it's been on the New York Times Bestseller List for seven weeks. Seven! That's seriously impressive. And to add to that, Alyson Noel is such a nice author. 
Enjoy the interview!

This or that:
Rain or shine? 
Shine! And lots of it please!
iPod or mp3 player? 
iPod, totally. I’m helplessly addicted.
Movies or TV? 
Hmmm, that’s a tough one, but I guess I’ll say TV, because they show movies too!
City or country? 
I love big cities—the excitement, the chaos, the crowds—bring it on!
Mountains or beaches? 
No contest, beaches always win this one.
Dots or stripes? 
Dots. More flattering. Unless the stripes are diagonal? Because if the stripes are diagonal then stripes. Totally.
Dogs or cats? 
Dogs. Sorry cats, but you just can’t compare to wet puppy smell or eau de dog breath, and your slobbering skills need some serious work!
Cooking or eating out? 
My husband’s cooking—far better than any restaurant anywhere!
Coffee or tea? 
Well, it used to be coffee, and lots of it. But I gave it up in 2008, so now I’m all about green tea.
Books or magazines? 
Books. No question!

Favorites:
Book- 
I could never pick just one, though CATCHER IN THE RYE had a huge impact on me.
Book store- 
I love them all, though my local indies, Latitude 33 and Laguna Beach Books certainly do rock!
Movie- Easy, American Beauty- because it’s beautiful, brilliant, and I love every single thing about it.
Music artist- 
Bono, because he’s hot, he rocks, and he’s extremely altruistic- it doesn’t get better than that!
Website- 
Optimist World- http://www.optimistworld.com/ I’m not actually a member, but I love that someone was optimistic enough to make a site like that!
Designer- 
7 Jeans
Coffee chain- 
Starbucks
Guilty pleasure- 
Taking the afternoon off to see a movie.
Restaurant- 
For special occasions, Studio in Laguna Beach, CA. For any occasion, Vine in San Clemente, CA.
Color- 
Turquoise, but I’d like purple to know it runs a very close second

Have you ever:
Lived abroad? 
Yes, I spent seven years living in Mykonos, Greece
Gotten a tattoo? 
No. Though I haven’t ruled it out . . .
Stayed up for the midnight release of a movie or book? 
Twilight, opening night where I was forced to sit so close to the screen it felt like my eyeballs were on fire! But it was still totally worth it!
Disliked your job? 
Except for my current one, I’ve disliked them all for various reasons!
Cried during a movie? 
All. The. Time.
Sang karaoke? 
Does an obsession with playing RockBand on the wii count?

Questions:
If you were on a desert island, what 5 things would you bring with you? 
My husband-because even though he’s not technically a ‘thing’ he’s dang good company and extremely resourceful. My laptop—so I can still meet my deadlines! Sunscreen—because, well, I’m thinking it’s gonna be very hot and sunny there. Sunglasses—see ‘sunscreen.’ My straightening iron—because you don’t want to see what happens without it!
What’s on the list of things you have to do during your life? 
I’ve done most of them, so I guess I need to make a new list!
If you could have one super power what would it be? 
The power of invisibility—just imagine what you’d see!!
What’s your perfect music playlist? 
One that is constantly changing to suit my ever-changing moods.
What’s the one food you could eat day after day and not get sick of? 
Pommes Frites with herbs and mustard dip never gets old!
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? 
Many places, but the Seychelles Islands would be a nice start!
What moment in history do you wish you could’ve experienced? 
The Italian Renaissance—I’m fascinated by that period.
What does your dream library look like? 
Large, clean, organized, with comfy reading couches, lots of natural light, a coffee bar perhaps, and a ginormous YA section!
When you walk into a bookstore, where do you head first? 
Why, the YA section of course!
If everyone had to read one book, what would you have it be? 
THE ALCHEMIST by Paul Coehlo—a beautiful, wise, fable, I could read again and again!
Thank you so much Alyson!
The winner of a signed copy of Discovering Pig Magic by Julie Crabtree is Priya! Email me!