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!

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?

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.

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!

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.)

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.

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.

Come see my flipbook?

Melissa and Violet on... Melissa This is the story of my very first book--and me....

Nylon!

Yay! What is arguably the coolest magazine on the newsstand has reviewed Violet on the Runway (and they liked it, too).

My first online review!

Here it is. I'm psyched. Key quote: "Violet on the Runway is a must read for any preteen or teenage girl who has ever considered a modeling career."Thanks, Amber!