Your Questions Answered

What inspired you?

I, currently, really like your Alice book series. And I just want to ask you a question.

Question:

What inspired you to write the Alice books?

It’s just that . . . your Alice books are just amazing. It’s so life-like and real. It’s not like other novels that you read.

Phyllis replied:

 

I just wanted to write a book about a motherless girl looking for a role model. I didn’t plan for the one book to be the start of a series, but so many readers wrote asking what happened next, that I decided to make it a series, as long as Alice could grow older in each book, and I didn’t have to write more than one book per year.

Book signings

Question:

I absolutly love your books. I read them almost all the time. My sister gets mad at me because she wants to watch TV while I’m reading your books and I say that she can’t. I was wondering though if you do book signings and if you do are you coming to Michigan anytime soon cause I would love to get my books signed by you. I was also wondering if the books are about your life stories? And are the names in the book names of people you know? I”m just wondering.

 

Phyllis replied:

I’m afraid I’m not coming to Michigan any time soon.  You could always send me a label or the book itself, and I would be glad to sign it and return it to you.  Make sure that you enclose an envelope to mail it back in, self addressed and stamped.   Some of the things in the Alice books are real, and happened to me or to friends.  But I never use the names of people I know, because it would affect how I portray that character in the story.

The Sister I Never Had

Question:

I’m writing you to tell you how much the Alice books have meant to me over the years. I first read “Alice in Lace” when I was in fourth grade, and I immediately went to the library to read all of the books in order. Well, all of the books out at the time. Now I’m a high school junior, and I can’t believe how much time has passed since fourth grade. Throughout it all, I’ve looked forward to and enjoyed every new Alice book. Alice is one of my favorite characters of all time, and as I read now about her exploits in her senior year, it helps me to get a little preview of what my life might be like in a year. I’ve been fortunate to grow up with Alice, always with her a small step ahead of me, and when the final book is published next May, it will be just weeks before my own high school graduation. I just wanted to take the time to thank you for giving me Alice, the older sister I never had, to help me make it through all the good and bad of growing up.

A Kindle for Christmas

She said everything I wanted to say…

Question:

I just wanted to say thank you from the bottom of my heart for writing
these books.  I am 27 years old and I distinctly recall discovering
“The Agony of Alice.”  I found it in my school library in the 5th
grade.  It was a paperback edition that featured Alice in an
ill-fitting pair of jeans.  The jacket was creased a few times and
there was a red library jacket on the edges.  I flipped through a few
pages during my school library class, and later rushed home from
school to get back to the story. I curled up in a corner of my room on
a Friday and devouring a big chunk of it in one sitting.  I must’ve
taken that book out at least a half a dozen times.  The school
librarian always told me when a new Alice book arrived so that I could
take it out right away.

Something reminded me of the Alice series recently (I think it was the
Sears catalogue, where she ordered her boys’ jeans in the first book)
and I looked up the books online.  A wave of nostalgia hit me upon
finding the cover art for “The Agony of Alice.”  When I was a kid, I
felt like Alice put my mixed-up adolescent feelings into words.  She
said everything that I wanted to say, but didn’t know how … or
didn’t even know that I wanted to say!

Thank you for giving so many girls a voice and a friend!

 

Phyllis replied:

 

I loved your email.  Thanks so much for writing!

NOTE FROM PHYLLIS

Reminder:   If you have not been able to reach me, make sure you are sending your emails

to friendsofalice@mail.com  If I have not answered a recent email, send it again to this new

email address.

Gonna Need Every Book!

Question:

I would just like to thank you for writing these Alice books. It really helped me through a tough time with my own ex boyfriend. But my question is how many more books you’ll write? I’m gonna need every book u can write!

 

Phyllis replied:

There are two more Alice books waiting to come out, and that will be the end of the series.  But there are a lot of books about other people in my head.  I’m writing as fast as I can!

Reminds me of myself

Does she marry Patrick?

Question:

Hi mrs. Naylor thanks so much for the Alice books I have read all of them except starting with Alice. 
I have to say those books are my pride and joy. I think I am a little of Alice and Elizabeth but not at all like Pamela I love the Alice books thank you so much for them. I can't wait till the next books I have a question will Alice and Patrick get married? I know alice will help threw times that I need help and thank you again for your books.
Phyllis replied:
I couldn't tell you if Alice marries, because that would ruin the suspense. But I believe you'll find out
everything you want to know in the final book coming out in 2013, "Always Alice."

 

From the Philippines