Alloy Entertainment

Sneak Peek Clip: The 100

Julie M — Fri, 17 May 2013 15:18:03 +0000

What’s it like to set foot on Earth 97 years after an apocalypse? These teens are about to find out in the new Alloy Entertainment series on The CW called The 100. The show was just officially announced for The CW’s fall lineup and will air during the network’s midseason.

Starring Eliza Taylor, Henry Ian Cusick (Lost), Isaiah Washington (Grey’s Anatomy), Kelly Hu (Arrow), and more (Click here to meet the cast!), the show also has a book coming out by Kass Morgan.

Can’t wait until the show airs for a sneak peek? We’ve got a clip right now! Watch below, and get excited about the upcoming experience:

Stay up-to-date on The 100 on Twitter and Facebook!

The post Sneak Peek Clip: The 100 appeared first on Alloy Entertainment.

Tumble & Fall Author Reacts to Her Buzz-worthy Book Cover

Kristin — Wed, 15 May 2013 17:52:14 +0000

The cover of Alexandra Coutt’s Tumble & Fall started whipping up a frenzy of excitement seven months before the novel’s September 17 release date. Entertainment Weekly did an exclusive reveal. Then the cover designer shared some insider dish on the models nuzzling behind the ampersand. There’s something about this pre-apocalyptic book and its come-hither stare that has readers dying to get between its pages. So what’s Tumble & Fall‘s beguiling secret? We asked author Alexandra Bullen Coutts to share some insider insights.

What was your reaction when Entertainment Weekly did an exclusive on Tumble & Fall? I was psyched! It was so much fun to see all of the great reactions in comments and on Twitter.

Who’s on the cover? One of the things I love most about this cover–and I love a lot of things about this cover!–is that it leaves room for interpretation about who the characters might be. The book explores a number of relationships that either start or change dramatically under the super-charged stakes of the end of the world. I think any one of them could be represented by these two and the way they are locked together, ready to face whatever comes their way.

What’s your favorite part of the design? The ampersand. I know that sounds crazy, and there are so many gorgeous elements to choose from–I love the look on her face, I love that his eyes are closed, I love that they are half-holding hands, I love that it looks like stars are raining down on them in the middle of the night–but I’m a sucker for good typography and man, do I LOVE that ampersand.

How does the cover make you feel? Even though I know what the book is about and I know that there is a lot of fear and anxiety involved in waiting for what might be the end of the world, the cover makes me feel calm and peaceful. Sort of like the eye of the storm. Everything around them is swirling and frenzied but they look totally serene. That sense of peaceful acceptance in the face of chaos is conveyed really beautifully in this cover, I think.

What do you hope readers will feel when they see the cover? Intrigued and excited to read the book!

So, AE readers: Are you feeling intrigued and excited? Take a closer look at Tumble & Fall and tell us how it makes you feel in the comments. Then stay tuned for more on Alexandra Coutts‘ highly anticipated pre-apocalyptic YA novel.

The post Tumble & Fall Author Reacts to Her Buzz-worthy Book Cover appeared first on Alloy Entertainment.

Meet the Cast of The 100!

Julie M — Thu, 09 May 2013 21:55:10 +0000

The CW has officially added The 100, based on the Alloy Entertainment book series by Kass Morgan, to its fall 2013 lineup. Morgan’s highly anticipated debut novel (on sale 9/3/13) tells the tale of 100 juvenile delinquents sent back to Earth to investigate the possibility of re-colonizing the planet 97 years after a nuclear war, and the CW pilot remains true to the author’s storyline. Ready to meet the cast? Check out the gallery below to see who will be starring in the show:

Eliza Taylor

The 23-year-old Australian actress who co-starred in the popular Aussie series Neighbours will be playing the lead role of Clarke, a passionate and rebellious delinquent sent back to Earth. Her character is also the daughter of the surviving colony’s chief medical officer, so she holds some important secrets.

Thomas McDonell

The 26-year-old actor (Fun Size, Prom) will play the heroic Finn, one of the delinquents sent on the ship to Earth. A free spirit, he is something of a folk hero to the kids on The Ark because of his ability to bend the rules and escape unharmed.

Photo Credit: WENN

Marie Avgeropoulos

Marie, 26, will play Octavia, an illegally second-born child who grew up hidden in captivity. She is an independent spirit who follows her own path. You might recognize her from The CW's Cult.

Photo Credit: IMDB

Kelly Hu

Playing the role of Callie "Cece" Cartwig -- the politically savvy Chief Communications Officer on The Ark and closest friend to Abby, the chief medical officer -- is Kelly, who has been on other CW shows Arrow and The Vampire Diaries.

Photo Credit: WENN

Isaiah Washington

Grey's Anatomy fans, rejoice! Isaiah will be joining The 100 cast to play Jaha, the leader of the remaining human race now living in the orbiting space station.

Photo Credit: WENN

Henry Ian Cusick

This Lost alum will play Kane, an ambitious officer aboard the Ark who has his sights set on the Chancellor’s job.

Photo Credit: WENN

Paige Turco

The Person of Interest actress plays Abby, the mother of Clarke and the authoritative chief medical officer of The Ark space station.

Photo Credit: WENN

Bob Morley

The Australian actor will play Bellamy, the oldest of the delinquents on the space station.

Photo Credit: Getty

Eli Goree

Eli, who you might recognize from The CW's Emily Owens, MD will play Wells Jaha, one of the delinquents who is disliked by the others because many of their parents have been imprisoned -- or worse -- by Wells' father, the chancellor of the space station.

Photo Credit: IMDB

Follow Alloy Entertainment on Twitter and Facebook to stay up-to-date on all the latest news and info on The 100!

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Baz Luhrmann’s ‘Gatsby’ Reviewed By Anna Godbersen

Kristin — Thu, 09 May 2013 21:10:38 +0000

As a bookish teenager in love with whiling away rainy afternoons in cafes, I read The Great Gatsby I don’t know how many times, and then when I was writing my series Bright Young Things, which is set in the 1920s, I returned to it over and over as a kind of bible, not just of the era, but also of compressed, elegiac storytelling. Fitzgerald’s masterpiece is a sacred text to American writers for all kinds of reasons, and thus rather tender source material for a big Hollywood production. And so it is a very happy thing that Baz Luhrmann’s screen adaptation is reverential without being exactly faithful—it takes all those beautiful sentences, and writes them in the sky. Fitzgerald himself was not so much the chronicler of the Jazz Age as its inventor, so when we talk about the decade of bootlegging and giddy excess, of dancing the Charleston and diving into fountains in evening dresses, we are inhabiting his and his wife Zelda’s whimsical vision of the world. In remaking The Great Gatsby, Luhrmann indulges in something of the author and the title character’s wild imagination. With a hip-hop soundtrack and special effects that elevate the famous green dock light from a wink across a bay to a careening flash of reckless 3-D, among other bells and whistles, this is not the version to crib your English paper from. Who would want that, anyway? The electric mixture of contemporary music and bobbed coiffure, the fantastical rendering of our narrator Nick Carraway’s cottage in the shadow of Gatsby’s turreted mansion, is far more true to the spirit of Fitzgerald, who was an astute observer of human foibles but also a writer enchanted by vivid colors and the sort of epic set piece that could be brought to life only in a novel, or by a movie director capable of commanding hundreds of extras to swing at once. And oh, what a thrill to actually see an avenue swarmed with taxis that look like a cross between Model-Ts and yellow jackets, the whole geography of elegant north shore Long Island separated from a skyscraper city by a region of ash heaps and gas stations, a Manhattan packed with girls in cloche hats, steaming in the days before air conditioning. There is so much to look at that I wanted to watch this Gatsby again as soon as it ended. But the faces of Jay and Daisy are fixed unforgettably in my mind as the mercurial sapphire of Leonardo DiCaprio’s gaze, and the giant brown eyes of Carey Mulligan, which well with all the gorgeous fragility of Fitzgerald’s incandescent prose.

Anna Godbersen is the author of the New York Times bestselling series, The Luxe, and the irresistible 1920s trilogy, Bright Young Things. She studied English and creative writing at Barnard College and currently resides in Brooklyn, where she’s working on her next series.

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John Kloepfer Reflects On Touring With ‘Zombies’

Kristin — Wed, 08 May 2013 15:00:49 +0000

John Kloepfer’s Zombie Chasers book series is a hit with young readers–and a favorite of adults desperately seeking books for middle-grade boys. We caught up with John at Books of Wonder, the most recent stop on The Empire State of Slime tour, to reminisce about some his favorite tour memories thus far. Check out our Q&A for the inside scoop on hard-hitting fan questions, intimidating elementary school chess champs, and the most fun John’s had meeting zombie fans.

What’s the toughest question you’ve been asked on this tour?
One kid who had already read the books wanted to know specifically how Vital Vegan Power Punch formulated with the zombie antidote. That one might have stumped me.

Can you share any stories about the cool fans you’ve met?
Two kids at Pen Ryan Elementary. They came up at the end of the visit and told me I need to write a book about chess nerds, because they themselves are chess nerds and they want to read a book about others like them. Their teacher informed me that they both compete in national chess competitions and that one of them is ranked 13th in the country in his age division. Then the kid looked at me dead serious and said he could play without his queen and probably beat me. How awesome is that?

What’s your favorite tour memory so far?
At Hooray For Books! about ten kids showed up in full zombie costume to get their books signed. Hooray for Books! promoted the reading/signing as a zombie party. They even had little bags of popcorn because that’s how they mass produce the zombie antidote in Zombie Chasers 3. They also zombified an old poster of a princess and some of the kids played pin the tail on the zombie princess. It was hilarious.

Is there a spot you missed on this tour that you’d like to visit next time?
My Aunt Linda was bummed that I wasn’t visiting her school, Our Lady of Mercy outside Philadelphia where I was visiting two other schools, so I owe her a visit. I also owe The Wheeler School, Lincoln School and CVS Highlander School in Providence, RI a visit. I’ve gone to Collegiate School once and would love to go back.

What’s your next stop?
I’m doing BEA on June 1st, signing ZC1 paperbacks.

Below, peep pictures of John’s recent school visits and his Books of Wonder panel with fellow chapter book authors, Beth Ain (Starring Jules), Blue Balliet (Hold Fast), Holly Black (Doll Bones), Melvin Jules Bukiet (Undertown), Gordon Korman (Swindle), C. Alexander London (Dog Tags), Barry Lyga (Archvillain), and Scott Starkey (How To Beat The Bully Without Really Trying). If you’re trying to spot our man John, he’s the tallest of them all in every pic.

Books of Wonder - Zombie Takeover

If you're looking for the latest Zombie Chasers novel, Empire State of Slime, in Manhattan, Books of Wonder has it.

Books of Wonder - Author Chatter

On Saturday, May 4th, John joined some of his fellow chapter book authors for a standing-room-only chat with fans.

Books of Wonder - Author Panel

At Books of Wonder John rubbed elbows with Archvilian author Barry Lyga. (They're, thankfully, not arch rivals.)

John Kloepfer - Taking questions

John is hugely popular with young audiences and always gets tons of questions when he does a school visit.

John Kloepfer - Head of the class

John's books and his personality resonate with his readership. He's as loveable as his book series.

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Anna Carey Shares The Inspiration For Eve

Kristin — Tue, 07 May 2013 20:48:56 +0000

What inspired author Anna Carey to write the Eve trilogy about a kick-ass Heroine in a post-apocalyptic setting? Watch this exclusive video interview for Anna’s first-hand account of the personal experiences she tapped into to create Eve’s fictional world. Then check out Rise, the jaw-dropping conclusion to the Eve trilogy. We’ve got the first 7 chapters of Rise ready to read right here.

“I wrote Eve in the wake of a major move [to LA].” – Anna Carey, author of the Eve trilogy

The post Anna Carey Shares The Inspiration For Eve appeared first on Alloy Entertainment.

Battle of the AE Abs: Final Two!

admin — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 15:39:02 +0000

**Update! Congrats to Ian Somerhalder for winning the Battle of the AE Abs! Check back on alloyentertainment.com for more battles soon!**

For the past few weeks, the competition has been heated as the guys of Alloy Entertainment have been battling it out for the title of Ultimate Abs! We have one more round to go, and it’s not surprising that it’s between two of the leading men in The Vampire Diaries — good genes run in the Salvatore family!

Paul Wesley (Stefan Salvatore) and Ian Somerhalder (Damon Salvatore) are duking it out in the poll below. Whose abs would you like to stare at all day? Who do you think can do the most sit-ups? All really important questions to ask yourself when making this important final decision….

Check out the picture below and vote for your favorite. Voting ends Monday, May 6. May the best man win!

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

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Cover Reveal: How To Love by Katie Cotugno

Kristin — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 13:30:09 +0000

If you’re planning to attend Book Expo America this May, keep your eyes peeled for this bold, beautiful, cover. Katie Cotugno’s debut novel, How To Love, will be among the most sought after galleys at the Javits Center–so snag a copy at the HarperCollins Children’s Books booth before it’s too late.

A first love story that’s both beautifully written and unflinchingly real, How To Love has publishing insiders buzzing about their inability to put this book down. But Alloy Entertainment’s SVP, Editorial, Sara Shandler, and Senior Editor Joelle Hobeika, were the first to be held captive by Katie Cotugno’s gift for storytelling:

“I still remember the first time I read How to Love. It was a submission via the Collaborative,” recalls Joelle. “I sat down intending to read just a few pages—but I couldn’t put it down.”

“Reena and Sawyer’s love is so complicated and electric and real, I almost couldn’t believe How To Love wasn’t autobiographical,” says Sara. “Katie is unbelievably talented.”

If you can’t get your hands on a review copy of How To Love, you can pre-order a hardcover or ebook edition now–and when the October 1, 2013 release date arrives, it will be well worth the wait. In the mean time, stay tuned to alloyentertainment.com for chapter excerpts from How To Love and interviews with the author.

The post Cover Reveal: How To Love by Katie Cotugno appeared first on Alloy Entertainment.

Anna Carey’s LA Haunts For Writers

Kristin — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 21:20:28 +0000

Don’t look now, but if you’re currently sipping a latte at Starbucks, that person typing away on their laptop beside you could be a bestselling author. Don’t believe us? Watch our exclusive video interview with Eve author Anna Carey about her favorite writing hot spots in LA. Then check out Rise, the jaw-dropping conclusion to the Eve trilogy. We’ve got the first 7 chapters of Rise ready to read right here.

“I love being out in the world when I’m writing. I love people-watching and taking it all in.” – Anna Carey, author of the Eve trilogy

The post Anna Carey’s LA Haunts For Writers appeared first on Alloy Entertainment.

Battle of the AE Abs: Round 2!

admin — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 21:57:27 +0000

Looks like The Vampire Diaries fans love their boys’ abs! In the first round of the Battle of the Alloy Entertainment Abs, the men of TVD crushed their competition which included guys from Pretty Little Liars and Gossip Girl!

Now, things are getting heated in Round 2 as the cast members go head to head. Paul Wesley, Ian Somerhalder, Michael Trevino, and Steven McQueen are fighting for the title of the Ultimate AE Abs. Who will make it to the final round? Vote for your favorite now, then check back on April 29th to see who made it!

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

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