Alexandra Monir's Blog: Words by Alexandra, page 4
March 22, 2013
NYC Teen Author Festival!
SATURDAY, MARCH 23
"Born This Way: Nature, Nurture, and Paranormalcy." A panel discussion on the writing of paranormal characters.
3:40-4:20 PM
The New York Public Library on 42nd St. & 5th Ave, Bergen Forum, 2nd Floor
SUNDAY, MARCH 24
"No-Foolin' Mega-Signing." A group signing at Books of Wonder.
18 W. 18th St.
I'm signing copies of TIMEKEEPER from 2:30-3:15 PM.
I hope to meet many of you Tri-State readers! :)
March 18, 2013
The Phenomenon of Paranormal YA
When Stephen King came up with his first great idea, his debut novel Carrie, he paved the way for many of us YA authors through his realization that nothing fits supernatural phenomena quite like adolescence. Everything changes so rapidly in our teen years, from our bodies to our emotions, who we thought we were to who we find ourselves becoming. Everything in our world intensifies and looms larger.
It can feel more than a little dubious to imagine 9-to-5 adults suddenly stumbling upon magical powers. But a teenager who is still discovering him or herself, who is experiencing so many firsts? Of course they could turn out to be a wizard, or a telekinetic, or a half-Angel, or whatever your fancy. OK, maybe it’s not the most likely scenario — but if you’re an avid reader, it is definitely within the realm of possibility. Thus, from Stephen King’s influence to J.K. Rowling’s literary sorcery, Stephenie Meyer’s swoony supernatural romance to Cassandra Clare’s mythical underworld, paranormal YA is positively exploding. The best examples of this are the stuffed bookstore shelves labeled “Teen Paranormal Romance” and “Teen Fantasy.” The audience clearly adores their otherworldly heroes and heroines, and I think the key ingredient is wish-fulfillment.
When I set out to write my own debut YA novel, Timeless (proudly labeled a Teen Paranormal Romance), I wrote about my greatest daydream since I was a little girl: the ability to time-travel. This is a concept that I had fantasized about since my mom took me to Europe when I was 7 years old, and I wandered the medieval churches and historic homes wondering, “What if I could go back?” As I wrote my protagonist’s story, I experienced a dream that I would never be able to fulfill in real life. (Well, at least until Stephen Hawking or someone figures out exactly how to make time-travel happen.) This is what resonates with readers, whether a story is about jumping in and out of time, or about a seemingly-normal person discovering their fantastical powers: the vicarious experience of something we secretly always wanted, but can never truly have.
This week, I’ll be congregating with more than 90 (!) YA authors for the New York City Teen Author Festival, organized by brilliant author and Scholastic publisher, David Levithan. We’ll be discussing this subject in more detail at panels throughout the week, and there will be many fun activities for writers and readers alike. Please join us!
This article was originally published by The Huffington Post (now HuffPost): The Phenomenon of Paranormal YA.
The post The Phenomenon of Paranormal YA appeared first on Alexandra Monir.
February 28, 2013
Time Travel and Goal-Setting Go Together Like PB&J
If you had the opportunity to see your own future, would you take it? This is a question I wrestled with a lot while writing my YA novels, Timeless and Timekeeper (Random House), which tell the story of a girl who can travel back and forth through time — and whose actions constantly impact the world around her. As I put my characters in these surreal situations, I often asked myself, on a real-world level: Would it really be an advantage to know what lies ahead in life? Or would it more than likely lead down a messy rabbit hole of trying to change your destiny? What I came away with was a method for using the idea of time-travel to improve our lives and bring us the destiny we want and choose — right now.
Imagine that five years ago, you got to jump into the future for a sneak-peek of where you are in life today: your current home, job, relationship status, etc. Would the big reveal of Future You be a thrill or a disappointment? While we may not be able to literally see what lies ahead, we mere mortals can still create the future we want by doing a little time travel mind trick — or as I like to call it, mind travel!
Still with me? The idea is this: As many a self-improvement guru will tell you, your subconscious mind doesn’t know the difference between what is real and imagined. And if you believe something to be real with every fiber of your being, your subconscious will do everything in its power to prove you right — by making your dream a reality. So the way in which time travel can be a useful tool is through visualization. Looking into the future, what do you want to see? Imagine it in as much detail as you can: your dream career, partner, house, and life. See yourself jumping out of bed in the morning excited to start your day, because there is so much fabulousness in your life and so much to look forward to! The most important part is this: believing that what you’re seeing in your mind is the future, that you caught a real glimpse of all that’s to come. By believing in this vision fully, your subconscious and your actions in the present will align to bring you toward the future you’ve just seen.
I know, that sounds super New-Agey! But I’ve seen it work firsthand. If I were to jump back in time to visit my younger self, I’d find a kid who was obsessed with books and who constantly daydreamed about becoming a published author. I know all that daydreaming, aka mind traveling, played a role in making this dream come true.
Sometimes all it takes is a leap of faith. Will you make the jump?
This article was originally published by The Huffington Post (now HuffPost): Time Travel and Goal-Setting Go Together Like PB&J.
The post Time Travel and Goal-Setting Go Together Like PB&J appeared first on Alexandra Monir.
January 23, 2013
Q&A Discussion Group
http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/9...
December 28, 2012
TIMEKEEPER Book Launch Events!
When: Tuesday, January 8th @7PM
Where: Barnes & Noble, 1201 3rd Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401
More Info: http://store-locator.barnesandnoble.c...
ALSO- on January 10, 2013, I'll be in Orange County for a TIMEKEEPER reading, signing, Q&A and meet & greet! As with the Santa Monica event, there will be refreshments and music, and all book sales include a complimentary CD of the music from the TIMELESS books.
When: Thursday, January 10th @6PM
Where: Barnes & Noble at Orange Town & Country, 791 South Main Street, Orange, CA 92868
More Info: http://store-locator.barnesandnoble.c...
I hope to see you at one of these events! :) Happy New Year and Happy Reading!
October 11, 2012
Mission Viejo Readers' Festival
October 14, 2012
2:15 PM
Norman P. Murray Center:
24932 Veterans Way, Mission Viejo, CA 92692
* Otherworldly Reads panel located in the Palo Verde room
http://cityofmissionviejo.org/Readers...
May 3, 2012
Teen Book Fest 2012
Date: May 05, 2012
1:00PM -- 4:00PM
Venue: Ontario Senior Center, 225 E. B St.
Ontario, CA, US
http://www.mrsnelsons.com/event/2012/...
April 11, 2012
LA Barnes & Noble Event, 4/16!
March 13, 2012
My New Releases!
http://www.randomhouse.com/book/21839...
The new trade paperback edition of TIMELESS is also being released today. It's an exciting day, and I share it with all of you wonderful readers!
December 2, 2011
Winter YA Scavenger Hunt!
I'm participating in the winter YA Online Scavenger Hunt, which runs today through December 4th. We have such a great lineup of authors, and I'm really excited to be a part of it. You'll find sneak peeks and bonus materials from all the authors, plus fun contests and prizes. Follow the hunt to check out an exclusive reveal about the TIMELESS series, and then tweet me @TimelessAlex to be entered in the Timeless giveaway contest! You can start the hunt at my website, http://www.alexandramonir.com. Hope you enjoy, and let me know what you think about my series reveal! :)
Xo,
Alexandra
