It doesn’t embarrass me to say that I had a light addiction to paranormal romance novels back when I was in high school. I was so fascinated with the fact that the young protagonists in these novels ached to be with each other, all the while having the me-against-the-world moment. Unrealistic? Duh. Entertaining? Definitely. Nowadays, I’m more prone to pick up a magazine than a novel, since my paranormal phase has subsided. But catching wind of the news that author of the Immortals series Alyson Nöel released a new supernatural saga, it was enough to bring back a little of my old self out of hiding.
I sat with New York Times bestselling author Alyson Nöel on her first Manila trip for a brief interview on leaving behind her old series, bringing out a new one, and everything in-between in a Young Star exclusive.
YOUNG STAR: How are you finding Manila so far?
ALYSON NÖEL: I think it is an incredible city. It’s a busy city and it’s really densely populated. We were asking how many people lived here last night and we’re getting some guesses that there’s — a lot. (Laughs) I really think it’s a fascinating place, I really do.
The Immortals stretched for six novels before finally ending last 2011. Was it hard to finally end the series?
You know, I’m so glad I get to do things like these like travel the world and meet readers all over the world and so it happened very quickly. It’s just this amazing ride and I just needed a moment for all of that to sink in.
Tell us a little something about your new book Fated.
Fated if the first book in the Soul Seeker series. There will be four books in total and they will be released every six months so the second book, Echo, comes out in November and two to follow in 2013. I think fans of the Immortals will enjoy it because there is a really great romance, a really cute boy, it’s a really intense read with a lot of obstacles to overcome. The main protagonist Daire is very different from Ever Bloom (from the Immortals series). So there’s a lot of mysticism, there’s a lot of romance and there’s a lot of adventure. In short. (Laughs)
Your books are famous among teenagers today. What attributes about Daire do you want your many readers to emulate from her?
I think Daire is a really good role model because she’s really strong, she’s really independent, she’s really brave, and she learned to really trust her inner voice. I think she’s a really good balance of learning how to be open to people, accepting people and loving people but sort of being strong and knowing her own mind as well.
Any messages for your readers here in Manila?
That I am so excited to be here. This was a last-minute thing and while I was in Singapore, someone from National Book Store flew in from Manila and interviewed with me and I was so impressed that she was willing to do that for like the 30 minutes that we had scheduled. She invited me to go to Manila and when she left, I discussed it with my husband and I said, “We’re already here!” I was just amazed at how fast they pulled this together so quickly. I hear from my Filipino readers a lot from Twitter and Facebook and it just made me extra excited to be here. (Laughs)
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Fated and the Immortals series are available in National Book Store, Powerbooks and Bestsellers branches. For news on upcoming events and promos, follow NBS and Powerbooks on Facebook and Twitter.