Questions

Question:

I want to thank you so much for entertaining me with Alice for, what feels like, my entire growing-up experience (well, that’s not exactly true, I probably wont be grown up until I’m dead). I think that being able to write the entire life story of one character has to be one of the most extraordinary challenges a writer can ever take on. It’s a wonderful accomplishment for you, writing the Alice series so incredibly well, and a privilege for the rest of us to be able to read. I think I can speak for everyone when I say thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

Now, onto business. Seeing as how we are going to have to wait a little while longer for the final book (which, by the way, is killing me. If the date gets pushed back one more time I’ll probably have to be put on oxygen), I was hoping you could tide us over by answering a few questions.

First, Alice has always been set in the present. Taking her from age eighteen to sixty will definitely make the book travel far into the future. Can you tell us a little about how you’ve portrayed the future? Have you kept everything about the way it is now, or have you included some things that you believe there will be in forty-two years? Flying cars? Super Intelligent Computers? Spaceships? Anything?

Second, can you tell us anything about the new cover? I just checked Amazon and didn’t see it yet. When will it be up?

Third, could you give your readers any sort of extra sneak peak? Could you give us a sentence? Another clue, like your last one (which was “Okalahoma”)? Pretty-please, with sugar and ice cream and a cherry on top?  If you could answer my questions, and possibly post it on the Alice blog, I’m sure a lot of people would appreciate it. I’m sure I’m not the only one wondering these things!! A trillion thanks.

Phyllis replied:

All of the  Alice books were written as though they are happening now.  To be able to feel with Alice, you need to be able to identify with her.  The early books, of course, made no mention of cell phones and emails because they weren’t common then, though I later introduced them.  So Alice at age 60 lives in the same time as this one, and that’s simply something you’ll have to accept.  I have the feeling it won’t bother you at all.  I sent off the final corrections just this morning.  I imagine the new cover will be up fairly soon.  They are still tinkering with Alice’s hair color.  But I won’t give any more hints.  I wouldn’t want to ruin the suspense!