Graffiti and Fashion Week

Kelly Parra, author of the unique, original and--dare I say it?--fresh YA novel Graffiti Girl, interviewed me this week for YA Fresh. You can read the story here.

AND, I had to post this picture from FORM's Fashion Week show earlier this month. That's my editor, Kate, me in the middle, and my publicist Jen. And I'm wearing a FORM dress they let me borrow--Jerry Tam rocks!

("Come Talk to Me" ring and necklace by Barry Wine at Butter and Bling!)

Did I ever dream of getting dressed for a fashion party? No. It was awesome.

Posted: September 28, 2007 | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Tags: Fashion Week, FORM New York, graffiti girl, Jerry Tam, kelly parra, violet on the runway, yafresh

Sarah Dessen and Ally Carter... a thank you!

Just a public thank you to Sarah Dessen, who totally indulged my request that she read Violet on the Runway last year, and then gave me great encouragement. To top it off, just after having a baby, she mentioned my book on her widely read blog. We went to the same high school--and CHHS people look out for each other. Thanks, Sarah!

And Ally Carter, whose soon-to-be-bestselling Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy is out next week!, did a big old post (scroll down) on a few great books that are just out, including Violet on the Runway.

Dontcha just love it when authors are nice to each other? I'm totally paying it forward when I get some fans.

Posted: September 27, 2007 | Comments (15)

Tags: ally carter, cross my heart and hope to spy, melissa walker, sarah dessen, violet on the runway

So you wanna be a writer? Plus, Gossip Girl creator Cynthia Eagan

Just a note to say check out my blog post about writing Violet on the Runway at seventeen.com, where you'll get tips on how to start writing while you're still in high school!

Plus, take a look at this article in the NY Observer about Cynthia Eagan, the Little, Brown mind behind Gossip Girl and a lot of other bestselling series....

And, I'm in the NY Observer too, talking about my car (see page 2 of this story). Does anyone else love their car as much as I do? Sigh.

Posted: September 26, 2007 | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Tags: cars, cynthia eagan, gossip girl, ny observer, violet on the runway

Contest Alert: Win a copy of VIOLET and a Juicy Tube!

There's an interview with me by the lovely Sara Hantz, author of The Second Virginity of Suzy Green at sarahantz.com, so if you have time to read it and comment, you'll have a chance to win a copy of Violet on the Runway and a Lancome Juicy Tube.

Hello--free stuff! Go get it!

Posted: September 25, 2007 | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Tags: contest, juicy tube, lancome, sara hantz, violet on the runway

Gossip Girl: I'm smitten

To be honest, I had low expectations for GG. I'd heard mixed things before I turned on my DVR this morning, but an hour later I am hooked! Characters are well established; Manhattan locations are on-point (Serena and Nate hooking up at the Campbell Apartment--classic!); drama is firmly in place. I cannot wait for the second episode. The clincher was that I got a little nostalgic when I met Chuck. Anyone else agree with me that the new Steff is in town?

James Spader as "Steff" in Pretty in Pink, 1986:

Ed Westwick as "Chuck" in Gossip Girl, 2007:

PS-Check out my interview about Violet on the Runway with The Urban Muse, and leave a comment if you like it!

Posted: September 25, 2007 | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Tags: ed westwick, gossip girl, james spader, pretty in pink, violet on the runway

Chapel Thrill

So I'm back in my hometown for a few book events, and I'm feeling totally nostalgic. Hanging out with my mom, driving down Franklin Street, listening to G105 (which, I swear, still has some of my 90s high school music in rotation)... sigh. Anyway, I spoke to members of the Carolina Association of Future Magazine Editors tonight (thanks, LaToya and Cassandra!), and it was great to hear their questions--they were awesome. So many people discourage college students who want to become writers, which is silly. You can totally make a career of it. I swear.

Thanks, Daily Tarheel, for publicizing the event... (but Violet is actually from North Carolina--don't worry, the NY Post made the same mistake!).

Events this week:
September 20, 2007 4:00 PM-I'm reading and signing books at the East Regional Library in Knightdale! My college roommate and good friend Kathleen is a super librarian there!

Friday, September 21, 2007 7:00 PM-I'm reading at the Regulator Bookshop in Durham with Elizabeth Scott, author of the fantastic novel Bloom.

And I'm also totally stopping by my senior year English teacher's class at CHHS. Ms. Oliver, get ready!

Posted: September 19, 2007 | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Tags: bloom, carolina associate of future magazine editors, daily tarheel, east regional library, elizabeth scott, g105, regulator bookshop, violet on the runway

Me and Mrs. Peter Brady

Okay, so not only is she Mrs. Christopher Knight, but she's also the winner of season one of America's Next Top Model. So I feel like she has a kinship to Violet on the Runway, right? I'm stretching, but bear with me. I look so short in this photo, but I'm 5'8". AC is TALL and TAN. And I'm tweaking my head in a super-geeky way. We met at a Tourneau party. You know the watch company? I don't own a watch, but I do have one of the Marc Jacobs bauble-on-a-chain clocks, which counts, right?

Posted: September 19, 2007 | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Tags: adrienne curry, america's next top model, christopher knight, marc jacobs, the brady bunch, tourneau, violet on the runway

The book: How it got done!

mediabistro.com ran a lovely interview with me about the who, what, when, where, why and how of Violet on the Runway. You have to be a member to read the whole thing, or you can just email me and ask.

Posted: September 11, 2007 | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Tags: bookkeeping, mediabistro.com, violet on the runway

Page Six!

Life imitates art as Violet on the Runway gets a Page Six mention today--under the headline "Beauties, Beware" no less!

Is it dorky to be excited that my name is bolded? I know it is, but indulge me.

PS-The first person to comment about the error in the Post's mention gets a free, brand new Lancome lipstick sent to them!

Posted: September 8, 2007 | Comments (12) | TrackBacks (0)

Tags: fashion week, melissa walker, modeling, page six, violet on the runway

Girl Headquarters shout-out

GHQ is a pretty cool project. What they're saying: "We all know that being a girl is great. But there is a ton of pressure for young women in Generation Y to be perfect: we are supposed to be star scholars, the best athletes, amazing girlfriends, pretty, witty, and just plain flawless. Yet, at the same time, young women are stereotyped as being dumb, narcissistic, and apolitical. So what's going on?"

Indeed! Check out the smart blogging that's going on over there.

(And they wrote nice things about Violet on the Runway, too.)

Posted: September 7, 2007 | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Tags: girl headquarters, violet on the runway

VIOLET loves ym.com

And no, not just because they say Violet on the Runway is hot. (I mean, that's cool and all but ym and I have been down for years.)

Still, check it out: ym.com knows what's up.

Posted: September 5, 2007 | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Tags: melissa walker, violet on the runway, ym.com

VIOLET ON THE RUNWAY is totally for sale

It's out now! I even saw it at a Barnes and Noble in Poughkeepsie this weekend (and I signed those babies!). See the photo on the left; Violet's the tall one, natch.

You are still my friend if you don't buy it, but I'm not gonna lie: I'd really love for you (and everyone you know--even remotely) to buy it.

To find it in a local bookstore near you, visit booksense.com. And if you're not really a bookstore visitor, just click on the amazon.com link at left.

And if you want to test the merchandise, read an excerpt here.

Posted: September 3, 2007 | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Tags: amazon, barnes and noble, booksense, poughkeepsie, violet on the runway