Sunday, February 24, 2013

Mini Review of Double Crossed + Ally Carter Signing

DOUBLE CROSSED: A SPIES AND THIEVES STORY
Ally Carter
Contemporary Young Adult
60 pages
Disney Hyperion
Received from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
Macey McHenry—Glamorous society girl or spy-in-training?

W.W. Hale V—Heir to an American dynasty or master thief?

There are two sides to every coin. Whether these two can work together is a tossup.

Born into privilege, Macey and Hale are experts at mingling with the upper class. But even if they’ve never raised an eyebrow at the glitz, neither teenager has ever felt at home with the glamour.

When Macey and Hale meet at a society gala, the party takes a dangerous turn. Suddenly they’re at the center of a hostage situation, and it’s up to them to stop the thugs from becoming hostile. Will Macey’s spy skills and Hale’s con-man ways be enough to outsmart a ruthless gang? Or will they have to seek out the ultimate inside girl to help?

The worlds of Heist Society and the Gallagher Girls collide in Ally Carter’s fast-paced, high-stakes and tantalizing new story. Get a behind the scenes glimpse as Ally delivers an irresistible thriller that is full of her signature style and savvy twists.


MY THOUGHTS
Double Crossed is a quick jaunt into the combined world of Ally Carter's two young adult series, giving us a brief and pleasurable reminder of how much fun her books can be. Even those (like me) who haven't read both series will easily be able to immerse themselves in this novella, and will likely come out of it with a strong desire to pick up whichever of the two series they have yet to experience. Lovers of The Heist Society novels will thrill at the presence of both Kat and Hale in this story, their relationship delightfully addressed even though the focus is as always on the current law-breaking situation, and will close the back cover with a smile and a hope that future books will only continue to bring them closer together.

(I'm not assigning a rating to this one because it's just a fun and free little novella, you can download it here)

• • • • • • • • • •

ALLY CARTER SIGNING

A little over a week ago I had the privilege of attending a signing for Ally Carter in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was awesome. And also terrifying. Let me tell you why. The wonderful people at Disney Hyperion contacted me and asked if I'd like to take part in an author/blogger meet-up prior to the signing, and after I stopped flailing about like a complete fangirl, I replied with a still-excited-but-less-scarily-enthusiastic yes.

It was my understanding from the email that this would be a small, informal get together with Ally and a few other people, and I was really thankful for the group setting because it meant said other people would likely handle the question asking portion and I could then just sit back, smile, and not have to open my mouth and risk exposing everyone to my social ineptitude. A win-win for all parties involved.

Cincinnati is about a two hour drive from Columbus, and Cathy, my mother-in-law and ever-patient bookish event companion, graciously agreed to drive down with me so I wouldn't have to go it alone. A little after we arrived at Joseph Beth Booksellers, we were approached by none other than Ally herself and her media escort for the event. Cue Jenny grinning like an idiot. After the introductions were made, the media escort suggested we find a quiet corner away from the crowd so I could talk to Ally. I looked at Ally. Ally looked at me. I looked to both sides and behind me. Aside from Cathy, there was no one else there. No other bloggers. No other people joining us. Realization that I was going to be speaking with Ally one on one as opposed to in a group dawned, and I'm pretty sure my face did this:


I tried to smile even as I was inwardly panicking due to the fact that I came with exactly zero questions prepared. Not one. I didn't think I'd need them when my plan was to sit quietly and observe like a boss of an introvert. I tried not to let the fear show on my face and have no idea whether or not I was successful in this endeavor, but Ally kindly didn't make mention of it if I wasn't.

I feel like at this point in the post I really just need to profess my love for Ally Carter. She was incredibly genuine and friendly, and, once my nerves settled a bit, I had an absolute blast taking advantage of a once in a lifetime opportunity to spend a half hour with a New York Times best-selling author all to myself. We chatted about anything and everything, from her experiences flying from place to place on tour, to book cover design, to what I did for a living and finally to her books, and I honestly can't thank her enough for carving out a not-insignificant chunk of time to speak with me. She actually made a point of asking me questions as opposed to waiting for me to simply grill her, and as a result she immediately put me at ease. I would have hugged her if I thought my leaping at her like a crazy person wouldn't have scarred her for life, so I opted to play it cool instead ;-)

After my time with Ally was up, I went and joined the very large crowd waiting for her and jotted down a few notes as she answered everyone's questions:

•      She has always seen the Heist Society series as being open-ended; meaning she entered into it without a set number of books in mind and continues to approach the series that way. There will definitely be more books, she just can't say how many exactly.

•      She says one of the challenges with the Heist Society series is that it's what she calls “unrealistic realistic fiction”. She has to continually come up with heists/cons/settings that are believable as part of the real world, but at the same time she has to create the places (museums, casinos, galleries, etc.) herself in order for her to be able to successfully write the cons. If she used real places, she said the heists would never work given she's not a criminal mastermind ;-) and she wouldn't have the first clue about how Kat and her team could bypass existing security. By creating fictional places, she has control over all the individual pieces and can have the cons unfold as she needs them to.

•      She writes chronologically, always starting with the first chapter and ending with the last.

•      Uncle Eddie is her favorite character. She called him her Dumbledore and wishes someone would show up at a signing with a Team Uncle Eddie t-shirt ;-)

•      She knows what the W.W. stands for in Hale's name, but she's not telling. She said she's been hugely surprised at how readers have latched on to that tiny aspect of the books and continue to obsess over it. She said it was something she just sort of threw in initially and she seemed delighted that it turned out to be something fans ask her about again and again. We will find out what his full name is before the series ends, and Kat has not yet been correct in any of her guesses.

•      She likes to torture her readers. I haven't read the Gallagher Girls series, so I wasn't familiar with any of the characters she mentioned when she was asked questions about the books, but I was able to gather that the Hale of that series, so to speak, is a young man named Zach. A girl in the audience asked her something (the exact question eludes me) about the final book in the series to which Ally replied “Well, after I wrote Zach's funeral scene...” and literally 5 girls around me burst into tears. It took Ally a few minutes to get everyone calmed down and comforted with reassurances that she was not in fact killing Zach off in the final book. The whole situation endeared her to me a little more, as I love an author who isn't afraid to tease and have a little fun at her readers' expense.

•      She said her goal not to provide happy endings with her books, but rather satisfying ones. Some of the girls in the audience looked a little concerned at this pronouncement after the previous mention of Zach's funeral :)

A few pictures from the event:




(Me and Ally)

38 comments:

  1. I’m going to read this tonight! It’s in the back of my copy of Perfect Scoundrels which I read (and loved) yesterday :D I’m so excited because both series are wonderful and putting them together is just genius. Hale and Macey together, I think, will be very, very entertaining! And hilarious? We’ll see.. Love your recount of the signing! Ally sounds so sweet and I’m glad you had a great time!

    Lisa | Read Me Bookmark Me Love Me

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    1. I really enjoy the Heist Society books, and I'm thinking I need pick up the Gallagher Girls books. I liked Macey in this novella!

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  2. I'll definitely need to check this series out. I haven't been all interested in it, because I wasn't sure if it's for me and I'm still not 100% sure, but your enthusiasm and excitement encourage me to pick it up. LOL, I, too, have a cat picture on my blog today. It's of my little pumpkin who says hi, by the way! He woke up the second I started writing this comment:) I think your experience with previous interviews and your intelligent mind, also, Allie's sweet nature, were what kept you from a total chaos. I'm more than sure you were great and she was as much delighted to meet you as you were to meet her. LOL @ her joking about killing off an important character. I think I would die right on spot if Richelle Mead were to tell me she's going to kill Adiran Ivashkov or JLA's going to kill Daemon Black. Yep, I'd find my self 5 feet under for certain. Eeek, you're so cute on that last picture:) I hope you have a lovely Sunday!

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    1. They're just really fun books Siiri - perfect in between reads for those darker paranormal or dystopian books:) I missed the joke about Zach at first because I had no idea who he was, but then once girls around me started crying I was able to figure out what had happened. Win.

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  3. You nearly gave me a heart attack there with Zach's funeral scene! *phew* I'm so glad you enjoyed meeting Ally - she seems like a ton of fun and I cannot wait for her next novels to release! :D

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    1. Hahahaha you and the entirety of the signing audience! The smile on her face was when she said that was priceless:)

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    2. ya ok, so when you said the whole zach funeral thing, my heart stopped.

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  4. Oh...holy...awesome...shit!!! What an absolutely mind-blowing, scary and fantastic experience! See, this just shows how completely fabulous you -- and Ally Carter -- are.

    You certainly got a good bit of info out of her, for not having any of your infamous questions prepared. I love that she enjoys torturing her readers (those poor girls. I wonder if they've recovered from the torture...).

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    1. RIGHT?!!! I was just sort of repeating the words "be cool" over and over again in my head. I'm not sure how cool I turned out to be, but I was able to form coherent sentences so I consider that a win. And I think a few of those girls still hear her saying the words "Zach" and "funeral" in their nightmares:)

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  5. I haven't read any Ally Carter books yet, but I think I want to now. She sounds awesome. :D

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    1. She is definitely awesome. Really outgoing and adorable:)

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  6. Lol, I figured it might be a one-on-one interview but even if it hadn't been, I would have come up with a couple of questions. You amuse me to no ends, Jenny! I missed seeing Ally Carter here in Toronto, but from all the posts I've seen about her signings, she seems like a sweetheart.

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    1. I know, but I think having a sheet full of questions would have likely made me even more nervous because I would have gotten all stutter-y and the conversation likely would have stalled after every answer because I would have been concentrating so hard on getting ready to ask the next question. Interviewer fail.

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  7. So awesome! I wish I lived in a bigger city to go to book signings. I totally need to read this authors books.

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    1. They're really fun books Savy - light and funny and cute:)

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  8. You look gorgeous dahling.....I am so jelly that is so cool you got to do a one on one with Ally. Maja has been telling me to read this series, so it is going down as a must! I am downloading the freebie as well.

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    1. *does queenly wave* Thank you, thank you, I do try ;-) The freebie will give you a quick idea of what the books are like, and if you like it, then you'll enjoy the books even more once you know who Kat and Hale are:)

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  9. So cool that the worlds meet even if I haven't read any of the books ;)

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    1. Isn't it? I love when authors give us little treats like this:)

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  10. You're like a Disney-Hyperion correspondent, Jenny! You go, girl! That is such a cool and one-in-a-lifetime experience! I am SO happy for you!

    I hate that there aren't more books signings near me - most of them are outside of DC and over an hour in good traffic, but how often does DC have GOOD traffic? RME

    I'm so happy for you that you got to experience this!

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    1. Hannah. I almost died. It was such an amazing experience but I was definitely freaking out for the first 10 minutes. I panicked and gave Ally the deer in headlights stare with a smile that was likely more of a grimace. Awesome.

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  11. Oh my gosh, that must have been such a shock to realize it was only going to be you and Ally during the author/blogger meet-up! But it sounds like it worked out wonderfully. Glad you had a good time, and thanks for sharing :)

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    1. It definitely was Lea! It was so exciting though, and I felt all special getting to spend that time with her:) It's now on my list of favorite blogger moments.

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  12. Ahhhh Jenny you got to meet Ally Carter?? That is so freaking awesome, I think that cat face so would have been my face too if I just met Ally and didn't have to interview her! And you've totally made my day with this post, I always hoped there would be more great books to the Heist series to come and I am dying to know what the W.W's stand for in Hale's name! Thanks for sharing this great post with us Jenny! :)

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    1. I KNOW!!!! I was doing a happy dance in my mind the whole time I was talking to her. And yay for more books in this series! She says it takes her about 9 months to write a book start to finish including all the edits, so hopefully we'll get another one at the end of this year or beginning of next year:)

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  13. I haven't read any of Ally Carter's books but if she ever came anywhere where I lived I wouldn't miss her signing. Nice to know some facts about her books which makes me want to read them more now.

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  14. Oh Jenny, I was laughing like an idiot when I read the first part of your event recap!! The picture of the cat is priceless, PRICELESS, I say!! That's the exact look I get when faced with who I call my rock stars. I have all these questions planned in my head and then ~crickets~ when I go to talk. Well, I guess that doesn't happen most of the time, to be honest. That would probably be an improvement from the usual senseless drooling ramble that comes out of my mouth most of the time. Nice of your mom-in-law to come with. What no Kevin? Maybe he's snaking your drain at the time. Gosh, now I'm rambling with you. See, someone just needs to stop me now. ;)

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  15. SHE DOES SEEM LIKE A SWEETHEART. AND YOU TOO. But I already knew that ;)

    I've only ever read the first book of the Heist Society. And I loved it too. I should really pick up soon. TOO MANY BOOKS. TOO LITTLE TIME.

    Lovely post, Jenny :D

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  16. LOOK AT YOUR FACE!!!!!! I miss you!!!
    Oh andI love the Heist Society books so freaking much )

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  17. AAH that is so exciting that you got that opportunity!! And GAH I would soo be freaking out hard core, too, if I had been in your position! Exactly like that cat. But it sounds like you worked it out and had a great time in the end!!

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  18. Oh my goodness these pictures are so amazing! It sounds like you had a great time, despite being blindsided somewhat by the lack of fellow bloggers (I would have made that cat face too, and probably thrown up). This sounds like such an amazing experience, and I'm glad it turned out so well! :-)

    And thanks for the recap too. I was wondering if we were ever going to get to the bottom of W.W., now I can rest easy! (And oh my god, I would have been one of the ones freaking out about that funeral scene mention, so glad she was joking!!!)

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  19. As someone who's just as socially awkward, if not more, I congratulate you on your bravery. I would have frozen completely.

    You mean there were actual tears about Zack? Real, honest to goodness tears? Lol, that must have been awesome. I'm so SO happy there will be more books in Heist Society. I don't think I could live without them. I think it's time to print those Team Uncle Eddie T-shirts, don't you?

    Also, on a completely unrelated note, you, girl, are gorgeous. :)

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  20. The signing looks like it was totally fun! You are as cute as a button. I love when they answer questions and you learn a lot about them. It sounds like it was a fantastic signing!

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  21. I could never ever do what you did Jenny, so well done! It's great that you got to meet Ally. I haven't read any of her books myself, but I plan to start Heist Society very soon. Hopefully then I'll know what all the fuss is about! ;)

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  22. How fun!! Carter is just too cute - you both are! ;) Great review - I look forward to reading the rest of the Gallagher Girl books, and the Heist series, and the crossover! :)

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  23. Jenny-
    I have no doubt you were articulate and intelligent as you talked to Ally Carter and she will definitely remember you! She might even right you into one of her books! You look great and oh Joseph Beth! I loved that bookstore. Ours closed here and we have Barnes and Noble or Barnes and Noble. Or two hours away to Malaprops.

    I wonder if Ally Carter was wowed by all those books of hers there. If it were my books I'd be blown away by that display! You're an awesome reporter!!

    Heather
    She looks like she's having so much fun!

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  24. Wow! That event looks fantastic! I have had the pleasure of getting invited to interview authors before events but luckily I have always been prepared. But it's too bad that you were kind of misinformed. Sounds like it worked out great though!
    I thought the Heist Society books were just going to be three, so I guess I'm surprised (but happy!) that there are going to be more.
    She was here recently but I wasn't able to make it. :( Glad you had such a great time!

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  25. I am glad to know this a novella that you can get into without reading the other books. I got it from NetGalley recently. Looks like you had a great time at the book signing :).

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