Your Questions Answered

Amy Sheldon

Question:

Well, I’m 22 (almost 23) and I STILL love the Alice series. I just checked out Dangerously Alice from the library today, and finished it just a few minutes ago. I was wondering about the character of Amy. In previous books, she comes across as just very socially awkward, but doesn’t seem to be a complete *insert politically incorrect word here*. She even got David from the Melody Inn to buy her a coke, when none of the other girls could get that much. But in Dangerously Alice, she’s portrayed as being much more mentally challenged, and Alice even mentions that she had moved from special-ed classes to normal ones, while in previous books there was no mention of that. I was wondering why. Did you want Amy’s character to be more defined, as to why she is the way she is, or was this what you had in mind for her from the time you created her character? Don’t get me wrong, I’m not criticizing you, I’m just curious.

Question:

I haven’t wanted to go into too much detail about Amy because I would like her to represent anyone who is challenged in any way. I’m hoping that readers can see in her any student they know who is having difficulty in school or in making friends. I’m delighted to hear that you are still reading the Alice books!

Posted on: February 6, 2010

Is it Bad for You?

Question:

i read this message from a girl that sent you this a while ago and she said that she masturbates everynight and i was wondering if that she does that everynight doesnt it get addicting and then she will loose concentration in her studies if she masturbates all the time and she will only focus on that? also is masturbating good or bad for you and why do people buy expensive toys to get pleasure cuz all they are really doing is wasting money when sometimes they dont even work?

Phyllis replied:

Well, there are 24 hours in a day, and she said she masturbates every night, not in the morning, during class, at lunch, in the afternoon and after dinner. When hormones start kicking in during the teen years, some teens feel sexually aroused a lot, and masturbation releases tension. I don’t think she is going to get addicted to something so natural, unless it starts taking the place of friendships and socializing and homework and studying, and I doubt very much that it will. As for sex toys, everyone is different. Some people undoubtedly think they are helpful, others don’t.

Posted on: February 5, 2010

Should I Talk to his Girlfriend?

Question:

Hi Phyllis…I’ve emailed you once before. (: Just finished Dangerously Alice. So excited to read Alice Alone. So I need some advice. I just moved to Florida from Indiana. My dad got a job at a church with his BEST FRIEND. They have been friends since they were little boys like 8 years old. They both have kids now…and his buddy has 3 sons. One of them which is my age. Now this son that is my age was so kind to introduce and get me settled in the youth but he has a girlfriend. She has some crazzy Idea I want to “steal him” What ever. ANyway….when I am over at his house and he is at mine he is so sweet. When I am at church and around his big group of friends he acts like he doesnt know who I am…and wont even make eye contact with me. I dont want this to turn into a mini novel;) but I have just recently decided maybe I should talk to him in a mature matter about how he acts around his friends and how he treats me. What should I say? Do you think it would make the friendship awkward at all? Also…do you think it would be a good or bad idea to talk to his girfriend and tell her I don’t like him and that I want her to know? Thanks so much.

Phyllis replied:

You’re new to the crowd, so I would go slow. I would not talk to the girlfriend about her suspicions unless she says something in your presence or one of her girlfriends asks you about the guy. To indicate that you know she’s jealous, even if she is, will make her more angry, as though you really are a threat. Chances are the boy avoids you to stop all rumors, if there are any, that you two have a relationship going. If you say something at all to the guy about this, I’d do it in a teasing, offhand manner. And I would be careful not to pass glances toward the guy when he’s around his friends, especially the girlfriend. Try to hang around other kids, be friendly to everyone, and eventually you’ll find a place to fit in.

Posted on: February 5, 2010

Questions

Questions:

i was wondering how many emails do u get usually get a day??? and i was also wondering whe ur nxt book will be out i no u have said it many times but i just cant seem to remember and also how many other authors do u no and talk tooooo????????????? plez answer bck thx

Phyllis replied:

I don’t keep count, but probably a dozen or more. Many of them ask for autographs or photos and those don’t appear on the this blog, only the ones with comments and questions, and some of those are too personal to post. The next Alice book, “Alice in Charge,” will be out in June. I know dozens and dozens and dozens of other authors. Probably most of my friends are authors or illustrators.

Posted on: February 1, 2010

Alice in Charge

Question:

I’m reallly confused. I was reading all the fanmails people have left you and one thing caught my eye. A girl said she found Alice in Charge in her sisters room when she was in 4th grade and now she is a Junior in college. I was thinking about it and I didn’t remember ever reading Alice in Charge so I thought I missed a book. So I went to the books in order and saw that it wasn’t there. So I checked on amazon and they had ALice in Charge and the cover was a girl dancing with a boy (who isn’t patrick) so can you set me straight? DId I miss a book? Thanks for writing the ALice books they mean a lot.

Phyllis replied:

I knew that reader’s email was going to cause me some trouble. If you remember my answer, I told her she couldn’t have read a book with that title because it wasn’t out yet, and I’m waiting for her to tell us which book of her sister’s she had read. An easy mistake to make. The cover you saw is of the real “Alice in Charge” book that is coming out next June.

Posted on: February 1, 2010

Is This a Sign We Belong Together?

Question:

i first got hooked on your alice books about 2 summers ago and now whenever i pick up one of them, i can’t stop reading it. your books are amazing. you are such a good writer and whenever i have to write a essay or story for school, i am greatful for having read your books and other books that have helped me become a better writer.

so over the past year i’ve gone from being friends with a guy, to being really close friends, to being his girlfriend, then he broke up with me just before summer break. we spent the whole summer not taking to each other. then when i started my first year of high school this past fall, i wasn’t sure what to expect. since then we’ve been just friends to a relationship without anyone knowing we were together, to officially dating to broken up to having many make out sessions. i’ve of course wondered many times what my future would look like and would he be in my future. i’ve pretty much guessed that this is normal for a teenage girl.

what i wanted to ask you is if i should keep going on with this? i’ve also wondered if we’ll ever date again. should i ask him if he ever thinks of us ever being a couple again? if i were to ask him this, would it change out our relationship or how close of friends we are? each time we’ve tried to keep our relationship with each other as just friends, we end up coming back to each other. is this a sign that we belong together and that we just can’t give up that part of our lives?

Phyllis replied:

From what you’ve told me so far, it seems that perhaps it’s a sign you both are a little reluctant to give up some of the closeness, and the make-out sessions, for the unknown of dating other people. You don’t mention that in the break-up times either of you were seeing others, and if you weren’t, perhaps this is why you keep coming back. If you look at the way you keep coming back to each other, it’s tempting to call it a sign you belong together. But you could also look at the number of times you’ve broken up, including a whole summer of not speaking to each other, as a sign you should be apart. I’d take it slow. Think about what it is that drives you apart, and start looking around for other people who have different qualities to help both of you understand what it is each of you wants in a relationship.

Posted on: February 1, 2010

Any More Books about Alice?

Question:

Hello, you are a wonderful author. I love your Alice books. I’ve read all of then ( I think ) in 3 months. They are SO awesome. You are another one of my favorite authors. I love Alice in between, that is the first one i read, then i loved it so i read the other ones.I was wondering if you were still going to write books about Alice?

Phyllis replied:

There are now 24 Alice books on the market and there will be 28 when I’m done with the series.

Posted on: January 31, 2010

Where Can I Find the Alice Books?

Question;

At what stores can I find the Alice books?

Phyllis replied:

Call your nearest Barnes & Noble, Borders, or independent bookstore and ask which Alice books they have on their shelves. All of the Alice books, I believe, are available on Amazon.com.

Posted on: January 31, 2010

From Phyllis to the Reader, P.H.

Readers: I was answering email and accidentally deleted–for good, evidently–an email from a reader with the initials P. H. I think that was it. This person gave me only his/her name and address but did not say what I was to send. If I have not answered someone’s email, please email me again and tell me what it is you want me to send. Phyllis

Posted on: January 30, 2010

How Do You Use a Condom?

Question:

I know what condoms are for, but how do you use them? Are they like a pill?

Phyllis replied:

A condom is like a little balloon or the finger of a glove. A man slips it over his penis before he enters a woman, so that, when he ejaculates, the sperm stay inside the condom. Condoms are not 100% effective, but most of the time, if used correctly, they do prevent pregnancy and they also help protect against sexually transmitted diseases.

Posted on: January 30, 2010