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Cover Stories: Fashion Week Interview with Molly (aka Violet!)
Special Fashion Week post! Meet Molly H. She's the model on the cover of all three Violet books. She friended me on facebook one day, and we started talking. It was really cool to meet the books' cover model, and I thought you guys might be interested in her too. So I asked her a few questions:
How did you hear about the Violet books?
My booker told me about the job and asked if I was available to work for a "book cover." That was all I had heard about it until I received a phone call from photographer about a few things I should bring with me to the shoot (shoes, jeans, etc.)
When you shot the cover, did you know what the books were about?
I heard a little about what the series would be about on the day that I shot the first cover. I was excited to hear that there'd be more than one so I could one day see the series all together.
Did you have any input into the posing/clothing used on the covers?
I was asked to bring some basic articles of clothing to each of the shoots like shoes, jeans and some plain shirts, but the photographer (Shirley Greene) had some specific requirements for the "look" so I basically wore what was required. They were all really cute which was great because it always helps to feel comfortable with what you're shooting in.
Anything fun/interesting about the shoots? They were in a studio, right?
The shoots were in the lower east side at Shirley Greene's studio. The first shoot was fun because it was my first book cover and I really didn't know what to expect. She also had a kitten and the kitten kept getting in the shot. Every time we would be getting close to getting the shot, the kitten would wonder into the frame, it was so funny. The second shoot was interesting because the picture called for a yellow bathing suit bottom and we couldn't find one so we just used solid yellow underwear. The actual picture turned out to be a little too revealing so the had to superimpose a skirt on me! It was so funny to see the two (the original and the final) next to each other on a blog I came across on the internet haha [MW Note: Um, that'd be mine].
The last cover was the most fun to shoot by far because my face was in the shot and it was great to finally reveal Violet's face. The school girl outfit was adorable too, we had a lot of fun styling it all different ways.
What other book covers have you done?
Besides the Violet Series, I have done Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy by Ally Carter. It is the second of a series and is a New York Times Best Seller. I had a "similar chin" to the girl who shot 
the first cover, and that is why I was selected to shoot it.
Did you read any of the books (it's ok if you didn't!)?
I have not yet! My mom has and said they're really engaging and sweet. I plan on reading them! [MW Note: Molly's mom sent me the nicest email a few months ago about how much she liked the books--so cute!]
If you read them, do you relate to Violet at all? It's funny that you're posing as a model, since you are one.
My mom told me a lot about Violet and from what I hear, we are very similar. I remember trying to balance high school ("normal life") and commuting to the city to work with FORD and trying to find who I was and what I wanted out of life, all at the same time. In the summertime, before and during modeling, I could be found waitressing at a small restaurant in my town, or working in a beach shop down the street from my house (I live in Sea Isle City, a little barrier island town off the coast of New Jersey.) I was and still am level-headed when it comes to having a work ethic. Fortunately modeling hasn't jaded that sense of normalcy for me. I'm actually working at a clothing store right now while I'm at college in Florida!
What's the most fun modeling job you've done?
The most fun I've ever had on a job was working for Kira Plastinina's showroom. It was a two day job, and my best friend Mikel Ennis worked it as well. We basically got to the location, a trendy loft space in Chelsea. The furniture was all specially made and was pink. The clothes were all really cool and hip and Mikel and I had a great time posing for pictures and working with the other FORD girls. It didn't feel like work at all. Some of the pictures from those days were in the Kira stores around the city.
Where are you now? School? About to move to NYC, right?
I am currently living in Florida and attending college at The University Of Tampa. I am going to be moving back to New York City to pick up with FORD where I left off. I am so excited to get back to modeling I missed it so much and am ready to get back just before fashion week. I may take some classes at Hunter college to continue my education.
What are you up to next?
I hope to travel more with modeling and also broaden my horizons with the types of work I am doing. I hope to begin to shoot more print work as well as runway work. I am planning on speaking to the Lifestyle division at FORD in hopes of doing this. I'm ready to get back to the city!!!
Thanks, Molly! It was so much fun to get to "meet" the girl who posed as Violet. (That's Molly dolled up for Fashion Week, above.)
Question for you guys who've read any of the books: Did you picture Violet the way she looked on the covers, or did you create your own character in your head? And everyone: Do you usually do that with books with character photos on the covers? Just curious.
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Comments (13)
Molly looks so gorgeous, the first picture of her is like WOAH. It's so nice to hear the cover stories from the model's POV, I enjoyed it!
Posted by Thao | February 16, 2009 1:45 AM
How cool! I loved this! She looks different in all the pictures! I loved the part about her having a similar chin lol!
Posted by Alea | February 16, 2009 9:29 AM
Wow! I wouldn't have been able to peg her in the fashion week photo - what a difference hair/makeup can make between styles.
If the character is on the cover, 99% of the time that becomes who I picture in the story (unless I'm reading a scene vs Edward and then I just picture myself.) :)
A recent exception was Sara Zarr's Story About A Girl - even though the narrator never really described herself, I just didn't see her as the cover girl for me.
Posted by Martha Flynn | February 16, 2009 10:15 AM
Cool! It's great that you got to interview her! I do picture the person on the cover often times. I do like it better when there isn't a picture so that I can create my own!
Posted by Melissa N Walker | February 16, 2009 10:27 AM
I usually have my own ideas about what a character looks like. Thought, I really hate it when books have a person on the cover that doesn't look like anyone described in the book. Like the book I'm reading now. The main character has long black hair but the cover has a blond model on it. I hate that.
Anyhoo I love the interview. I want to be a cover model. It sounds like the coolest job ever.
Posted by sharonanne | February 16, 2009 10:34 AM
What I think worked really well for the Violet series was that you didn't see her face until the third book. By then I had already formed a picture of what I thought she looked like from the first two books, so I had a sort of fun moment playing compare/contrast with my mental image and the cover image.
On a related note, I am available for cover modeling for any horror novels or circus freak bios anyone might be working on. Email me: a hunchback, two lazy eyes, and a droopy lip...
Posted by Michael Northrop | February 16, 2009 11:08 AM
That is so cool! I loved that, Melissa! I agree with Sharonanne, best job ever, huh?
Violet to me is a person of my imagination so I liked how the first 2 covers were pretty much headless, LOL.
Posted by Claire | February 16, 2009 1:23 PM
Sometimes I try to picture the character as the model on the cover but I usually can't help changing it in my head. Same with the descriptions authors give. If they tell me someone has blonde hair but I'd already been picturing brown, I usually can't make myself change to the author's description! This happened with the Princess Diaries series. I saw the movie first so I pictured Mia with long brown hair and for the whole duration of the series I've never been able to picture Mia with short blonde hair.
Posted by Amee | February 16, 2009 1:38 PM
Best of luck to you, Molly, in all of your endeavors!
Posted by Little Willow | February 17, 2009 11:16 AM
Best of luck to you, Molly, in all of your endeavors!
Posted by Little Willow | February 17, 2009 11:16 AM
Sweet interview! If a person's on the cover I usually picture that person unless the description in the book is different (which has happened and REALLY bothers me!). If it's not clear who it is, as in the covers in the interview, then I picture what I see of that person and envision the character's face or the rest of how she looks.
Posted by Amber | February 18, 2009 6:41 PM
Sweet interview! If a person's on the cover I usually picture that person unless the description in the book is different (which has happened and REALLY bothers me!). If it's not clear who it is, as in the covers in the interview, then I picture what I see of that person and envision the character's face or the rest of how she looks.
Posted by Amber | February 18, 2009 6:42 PM
Excellent interview! I didn't picture Violet like that. Strange as it seems, I pictured her like Lola from Zoey 101. I tend to picture characters in books as celebrities.I don't know why. It's not because their personalities are similar, I think it has to do with the character's name.
Posted by Carly | February 19, 2009 6:14 PM