Alex Aster
 | This biographical article is written like a résumé. (April 2023) |
Alex Aster | |
|---|---|
| Born | Alexandra Pierson August 4, 1995 |
| Occupation | Novelist |
| Language | English |
| Nationality | Colombian-American |
| Alma mater | University of Pennsylvania |
| Period | 2020–present |
| Genre | Fantasy, middle grade fiction, young adult fiction |
| Notable works | Lightlark series |
| Website | |
| www | |
Alexandra Pierson[1] (born August 4, 1995), widely known by her pen name Alex Aster, is a Colombian-American young adult author.[2] She is best known for the young adult fantasy series, Lightlark, and the middle-grade fantasy series, Emblem Island.[3]
Life and career
Pierson was born on August 4, 1995,[4][3] to Keith and Claudy Pierson. Her parents are the co-owners of Keith Pierson Toyota in Jacksonville, Florida.[5][6] Alex and her twin sister, Daniella, were prominently featured in advertisements and billboards for their parents’ dealership growing up.[7] Her twin sister is the founder of the newsletter company Newsette, which Forbes estimates has made her one of the wealthiest women of color in America.[8] Alex started writing books when she was thirteen, querying numerous publishers before landing a publishing deal shortly before her graduation from college.[9] She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2017 with a degree in English.[3]
Her first book, Curse of the Night Witch, was published in 2020, the first of two books in her Emblem Island series of middle-grade fantasy novels. Inspired by her Colombian heritage and the stories her grandmother would tell her, the series was well-received but did not receive the level of commercial success she and her agent hoped for.[10][9] In the months before the release of her next book, Lightlark, she posted a Tik Tok promoting the story’s concept, which soon went viral and lead to a publishing deal for the novel.[2] The book received a first print run of 200,000 copies and sold over 24,000 copies in its first week, making it a New York Times bestseller.[11] The novel’s success further led to a movie deal.[12]
Works
Emblem Island series
The Lightlark Saga
References
- ^ "News post - The Bolles School". www.bolles.org. 2022-07-21. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
- ^ a b La Jeunesse, Marilyn. "Meet Alex Aster, The TikToker Changing The Publishing Industry For The Better". huffpost.com. BuzzFeed, Inc. Retrieved 2022-01-02.
- ^ a b c "How TikTok Changed The Course Of Alex Aster's Life". HuffPost. 2022-09-15. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
- ^ Aster, Alex. "Alex Aster - Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
- ^ "From detailer to owner". Jax Daily Record. 2010-04-08. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
- ^ "Keith Pierson Toyota Staff | Toyota Sales near Fruit Cove, FL". www.keithpiersontoyota.com. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
- ^ Mohrmann, Kent Justice, Jodi (2015-08-20). "Pierson twins have grown up on Jacksonville TV". WJXT. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Dolan, Kerry A. "Meet The 27-Year-Old Latinx Entrepreneur Who Is Now Worth $220 Million". Forbes. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
- ^ a b Gomez, Shirley (2019-10-31). "Tales Based on Latinx Myths". BELatina. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
- ^ Garcia, Tess. "YA Author Alex Aster Scored a Book & Movie Deal Through TikTok — Here's How". www.refinery29.com. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
- ^ "'More zeros than I've seen in my life': the author who got a six-figure deal via 'BookTok' | Books | The Guardian". amp.theguardian.com. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
- ^ "Alex Aster". Forbes. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
- ^ "Goodreads". Goodreads. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
- ^ "Curse of the Forgotten City (Emblem Island, #2)". Goodreads. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
- ^ "Goodreads". Goodreads. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
- ^ "Goodreads". Goodreads. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
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