December 2007 Archives
Marketing Monday: Blog for Others
Read about why I am a perpetual teenager on FreshFiction. Having just been home in Chapel Hill for a while, I am acting more 17 than ever. Does anyone else have that "not quite grown up" feeling?
There are still two more days to enter to win a signed copy of Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist on the entry below, so keep posting! I'll choose a winner randomly on Wednesday.
Happy New Year!

Posted: December 31, 2007 | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)
Win-It Wednesday: Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
Who's excited for this movie, starring Michael Cera and Kat Dennings?
I am! And even though we have to wait until October to see it, we can read the book (multiple times) in anticipation. Which is why if you comment over the next two weeks (until 1/2/08), you'll be entered for a chance to win an autographed copy of Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. Okay, so I didn't quite catch the elusive Rachel Cohn, but David Levithan (a.k.a. Nick) has graciously signed the book for one lucky winner.
So comment about whatever you like, but what I'd love to know is: What is your favorite movie adaptation of a book?
Happy Holidays!
PS-Sorry about the commercial. It's all MTV.
Posted: December 19, 2007 | Comments (14) | TrackBacks (0)
Tags: david levithan, kat dennings, michael cera, nick and norah's infinite playlist, rachel cohn
Marketing Monday: The Podcast

I spent some time in Knightdale, NC at East Regional Library when Violet on the Runway was first released, and I had a blast! There are some photos here and you can listen to a podcast interview with me here.
Have I mentioned how much I love libraries and librarians? They make the world go round! (And are great friends of self-marketing authors.)
Posted: December 17, 2007 | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)
Tags: east regional library, podcast, violet on the runway
Photo Friday: Chicago
I like this picture because I'm distorted.

Is that weird? You can see super photographer Dave in the background too.
Enjoy the weekend!
Posted: December 14, 2007 | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)
Tags: chicago, photo friday, violet on the runway
Steve Buscemi and Pink World!

The lovely Lisa has put up an interview with me on Pink World, and she even used a post-wedding shot from my friends Kevin and Mary's soiree. I really like swimming in formalwear.
Also, only slightly unrelatedly, Steve Buscemi held the door open for me at my neighborhood diner today. I get my iced coffee there every day (yes, even in the snow), and it was nice seeing him. He did, after all, play Mr. Pink in Reservoir Dogs, which brings us full circle to Pink World!
So if you could have any celebrity hold the door for you, who would it be? For me, right now, it would probably be Taylor Kitsch, despite his semi-dorky dark website. I am so glad Friday Night Lights has more episodes to show in January. I love me some Tim Riggins!
Posted: December 13, 2007 | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)
Tags: pink world, steve buscemi, taylor kitsch
Win-It Wednesday: UGLIES winner and new prizes!
I love all the answers about what makes you pick up a book! Some of my favorite ideas are flipping to the middle to see if the story is reading well, the "OH! Someone who UNDERSTANDS!" moment, and smelling the pages. You guys are brilliant.
What makes me pick up a book? I'm a cover + tagline sucker. I know how random covers can be, but if I love the art and the one-sentence note on the cover, I'm smitten.
Now: The winner! A random number generator has deemed that out of the 79 entrants, Amy Hacker has won the signed copy of UGLIES! Email me your address, Amy!
And for this week, I'm going to send you to visit several Chica Lit authors who have gotten together to do a holiday blog tour loosely based on the Twelve Days of Christmas. Each of the blogs is going to consist of a short story and a traditional holiday recipe and capped off with prizes. Today's contest is on Berta Platas's page (check her myspace blog), and you can follow the prizes for 12 days, through the blogs of Mayra Calvani, Caridad Pineiro, Lara Rios, Caridad Ferrer, Margo Candela, Kathy Cano-Murillo, Tracy Montoya, Jamie Martinez Wood, Misa Ramirez, Sofia Quintero and Toni Margarita Plummer. Phew!
Happy 12 Days!
PS-That image posted is the cover of my next book, Violet by Design, which comes out in March. (The final cover is a little different--quote from Carolyn Mackler instead of Sarah Dessen, and a tagline that says, "The girl next door is going places.") What do you guys think?
Posted: December 12, 2007 | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (0)
Tags: 12 days of christmas, chica lit, scott westerfeld, uglies, violet by design
Marketing Monday: A Wise Group
Author Teri Brown has recently put together a group called, "Fiction Writers Discuss Publicity," and I'm learning a lot. It's invaluable to me as a first time author, especially.
Here is the official information, in case you wanna learn more about promotion and publicity, too:
This group is for contracted or published novelists to discuss publicity tips on promoting their books. Included will be branding, methods, how to create successful events, cross promotion and other publicity tips. This is not for spamming the list with book advertisements, but rather a place to brainstorm and get tips on promoting your book.
To subscribe send email to: fictionwritersdiscu sspublicity- subscribe at yahoogroups. com
PS-That picture above is the Scholastic version of Violet on the Runway, done for the school book fairs. Different, pink and a little bit luminescent, right? But also fun. Yay!
Posted: December 10, 2007 | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (0)
Tags: fiction writers discuss publicity, scholastic, teri brown, violet on the runway
Photo Friday: Yay!
I am not a personal blogger... but since Dave and I got engaged last weekend, I had to share the news. It's my grandma's ring, if you're wondering (as most people seem to). So happy!


(My nose cannot really be this big.)
Posted: December 7, 2007 | Comments (13) | TrackBacks (0)
Tags: engaged
Win-It Wednesday: Signed copy of UGLIES!
First, the randomly chosen winner of the Lancome Color Fever Gloss is Heart-Broken Yet Again! I hope this helps, HBYA! Send me your address.
This week's prize is fantastic--it's an autographed copy of Scott Westerfeld's Uglies, the first of the bestselling four-part trilogy (hmm...) about a future where a mandatory operation at 16 makes everyone conform to an ideal standard of beauty. I'm sure you guys have, um, heard of it.
So, to win, just post on this blog or on myspace, and tell me: What makes you pick up a book and buy it? Is it the cover? The blurb from another author? The back-page summary? Reading the first page and falling in love? Some combination of those things? Or something else entirely? Enough questions: Do tell.
Thanks--and good luck!
PS-I'll be reading from Elizabeth Scott's Bloom tonight at the New York Public Library, Tompkins Square. Come if you can!
Posted: December 5, 2007 | Comments (60) | TrackBacks (0)
Tags: scott westerfeld, uglies, violet on the runway, win-it wednesday
Marketing Monday: You, the Expert
One way to get some ink for your new release is to market yourself as an "expert" in an interesting category. For me, since Violet on the Runway is about modeling, that area was an easy choice.
Here's an interview on lovetoknow.com's teen section: How to Become a Model. Great publicity for Violet, fun for me!
What's your area of expertise?
Posted: December 3, 2007 | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)
Tags: how to become a model, lovetoknow.com, violet on the runway