Do You Have an Older Brother like Lester?

Question:

I love your Alice Mckinley books. I started reading them when I was 10 (I’m twelve now) and I have read every single one at the library!
I have a couple questions, how did you think of the idea for Alice? How many are there? Do you have an older brother like Lester? Because
if you don’t, then I am amazed at how you created him. Funny, sensitive but not to much, always teasing Alice but ready to help her when she needs it.
I think you understand pre-teens and teenagers really well and understand what there going through most of the time. I hope you write more Alice books!!!  
 
Phyllis replied:

When I started the Alice books, I didn’t expect to write a whole series.  I just wanted to write a book about a motherless girl looking for a role model.  But then I decided to make it a series if she could grow a little older in each book.  There will be 28 books in all.  I’m working on #27 right now.  No, I never had an older brother, but thought it might be fun.