Teen Fashion Bloggers in the NY Times! Yay!

It's about time the big wigs started noticing how amazingly savvy teen fashion bloggers are. I bow to the ladies included in this Sunday's New York Times story (click here to read it more clearly), and I also wanted to give a shout out to a few other teen style bloggers I read as regularly as I can: Miss Couturable, Teen Fashionista and Little Pink Notes--you guys inspire. PS-I guest blogged about trusting Young Adult readers over at Fresh Fiction. Come visit and comment if you have a thought? PPS-Speaking of fashion, this is the last day to enter to win the amazing and purple silk skull scarf, which could be your new signature item.

Cover Stories: I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone by Stephanie Kuehnert (+ a Contest)

I feel so lame for not having read my copy of I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone yet. I mean, I've only been hearing the buzz about Stephanie Kuehnert's debut novel since 2007! And Venus Zine, one of my very favorite publications, says, "I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone is a manifesto for defiant high school girls, as well as a refresher course for the goddesses they turn into." How cool does that sound?! Plus, that cover is just plain amazing!!Luckily, Stephanie is still talking to me. In fact, she's even sharing her cover story. And here it is: "I didn't have a cover idea right away, but my agent did. As soon as she read the book, she thought of the album cover for 'Goo' by Sonic Youth. She wanted a cover like that. It was one reason why I knew she was the perfect agent for me. "My publisher didn't ask for input, but I gave it to them anyway. I sent them the 'Goo' album cover for my agent (above left) and then I love looking at live photos of musicians and I had two favorites that reminded me of Emily in a way. One is this gorgeous shot of PJ Harvey in front of a festival crowd that looks so triumphant and powerful (above center). Another is a black and white Charles Peterson photo of Kurt Cobain (above right). Charles Peterson takes the most amazing band shots in the world, in my opinion. He really just captures all the emotions of a musical performance as a black-and-white still somehow. I was thinking of his photography when I wrote one of my minor characters, Ian, a rock photographer. Anyway, the picture of Kurt, I think, gives the sense that there is so much going on with him on the inside that he is letting out on stage. And that was totally Emily. So I sent those three things as suggestions and also something about a sticker on a guitar or a black-and-white photo being tucked into guitar strings as my ideas. But I have no idea if they passed any of that on to the designer. I was huge on the black-and-white thing though and the cover did end up using a black-and-white photo, but somehow I doubt that had anything to do with me. "I can't even begin to tell you how antsy I was about seeing my cover. I was sooooo nervous. And it didn't help that every time I talked to my editor and asked about when I'd see it, she told me, 'Oh, it wasn't quite right, so we just sent it back...' This made me nervous, mostly because I thought, if they are working on it this hard and then I totally hate it, they aren't going to be willing to change it. I even asked if I could see the ones they'd decided against so that if the end result was awful, I could say, 'But I really did like this one...' But my editor was insistent that I just see the final. One day I came home from work and there it was in my email box. I was nervous and giddy at the same time to open the attachment. And when I saw it, my jaw just dropped. I nearly cried out of joy. "It captures the feel of the book perfectly. The combat boots and the little swatch of lace at the top of her tights are the perfect metaphor for my main character Emily, a tough punk girl with a secret vulnerable streak. Not to mention I had those boots at 16. They are still in my closet right now. And I would have totally bought a book with that cover at 16 in an instant and I wrote the book for the 16-year-old girls like me, so perfect. Oh and the guitar picks! I'd been planning on promo guitar picks, so that was just perfect too. I got the guitar picks tattooed on my arm. I want to get the photo on the cover framed. That's how much I truly love it. "I didn't see the original versions of the cover until two weeks ago (shown above, and you can see them in larger form here). And I like them but none of them are as good as the final. I probably like the one with the amp best. The close-up on the girl who is supposed to be Emily is okay, but she's not true to Emily because Emily's hair is black, not dark brown. I see Emily's hair very specifically in my mind because it is the color of my mother's hair before it grayed, so I would have been super picky about that. I still like my cover best. I mean that cover just is the book. I can't picture it any other way at this point. And I just can't wait to see what they do with my next one... "I'd love to hear other people's thoughts on the alternate IWBYJR covers. Which do you like best? Do you like any better than the final?" Well go on, answer Stephanie's questions. One commenter will be chosen at random to win a signed cover flat of the final cover from Stephanie herself. Very cool. And thanks for reading. Great cover story, Stephanie!

Lion Love

I'm totally ganking this video from E. Lockhart's blog, but I had to, man. It's just too good. She's right though--Whitney Houston kinda detracts, so turn that down and play your own song (Toto's Africa, perhaps?).

Photo Friday: Last Friday's Winner and Stamps and Links

You'd never know I once wrote headlines professionally, would you? Lame.Anyway, the winner of the amazing graphic novel The Plain Janes is... Lenore! Send me your address, L. Lenore also has a great interview with a book publicist up on her blog, so check that out if you're a reviewer--really interesting! And speaking of reviewers, there's a new kid on the block: The Book Nymph! She won a copy of Boy Meets Boy on Win-It Wednesday and wrote me a thank you message along with her review of the book. It was so thorough and well done, I suggested she start a book blog, and she said she'd been dreaming of doing just that! And now... The Book Nymph is here. Go visit and check out her style. (Warning: She's detailed! So there are Spoilers on the Violet in Private review). I also wanted to thank ChariDee for the review of VIP--she even quoted a poignant passage with the word "boob" in it, which made me happy. Now, the photo part of Photo Friday: I bought some of those Liberty Bell stamps recently in the machine because I was in a rush, and I hated it. I have a confession to make: I obsess over cool stamps. I'm especially into the women of Hollywood, so below I'm going to share some stamps that I've loved over the years. Anyone else have a weird quirky thing with stamps? (Favorite = Bette Davis. Mesmerizing.) Happy Friday!

Last week's winner and a gift bag peek (Lexi Lu earrings!)

I had to do some crazy math to calculate this winner since you guys got multiple entries for each comment, but the winner of Keri Mikulski's Screwball is... Mrs. V! And yes, I checked it twice. Here's to you, former math teachers. You were right--I did need it. Send me your address, Mrs. V!Now, I told you I'd give you teasers as to what's in this book party gift bag that you can win if you enter The Big Contest (deadline 9/1). So here's your first peek: Lexi Lu donated a pair of Wonder Hoop earrings to each gift bag. They're a smaller version of the Lexi Lu earrings that Jordin Sparks is wearing in this photo--and they're fabulous. I've already gotten a few entries and they are awesome... keep 'em coming!

I'm pretty livid...

about this whole Olympic Opening Ceremony singer switch thing. In case you didn't hear, the link there will clarify, but--in short--the girl who really sang the opening song was deemed "not pretty enough" to appear on TV so they used a lip syncher. Keep in mind these girls are both under 10 years old--not that this should happen at any age. It made me incredibly upset to hear about this from Little Willow and my Georgia myspace friend, and I am still kind of shaking over it. Because why is this world telling girls that even with an incredible talent like Yang Peiyi's, it's cuteness that counts? And besides, Yang Peiyi (left) is hella cute! I talked about this issue with a few friends, and I realized that it hits especially close to home for me because magazines do this. They always want to see the photos of people they might feature, and if the people don't have the right "look," they're cut from the story. Now, not all magazines do this, and it does depend on the story, but... there it is. Same thing. And I've been a part of that process many times. So, I'm sorry. I'm going to do better. Because it's about your story, your heart, your singing voice, your individual talent... not your cuteness factor. And besides, doing what you love--like Yang Peiyi, who surely loves singing--makes you shine from within in a way that's so much more beautiful than the "right" hair and cheekbones. Sorry--rant over. I just had to say it. Let me know your thoughts, too, and also there's a discussion going on at readergirlz, so join in if you're feeling it. PS-There's a petition to let Yang Peiyi sing at the closing ceremony here.

Win-It Wednesday: crystal j. silk scarf!

Thanks to all of you guys who took the quiz last week! It's fun to take, so even if you didn't get a chance to enter the contest, still check out the quiz and see what book you get. The winner this week, however, is.... Paaaris! Remind me of your address, P, and I'll send you your signed copy of Girl Overboard. Wooo! This week's Win-It Wednesday is a fashion item, in honor of VIP's release month. crystal j. silk is an indie arts + craft outfit that works with silk painting. COOL--check out their stuff on etsy. Scarves are a signature item, and they've agreed to donate this amazing skull scarf (with hearts, too, to cut the edge) to one lucky winner. It's 100% habotai silk, which starts out white and then is painted with dye--like watercolor on silk! And, this one-of-a-kind scarf will have the words Violet in Private scripted in tiny letters on the bottom, so you'll always remember me! Haha. I want one, too, but I'll have to pay. Wah. Anyway, one of you guys will win this scarf, but you have to promise to send me a photo of you rocking it. As a headband, a scarf, tied to your bag, around your waist... oh, so many possibilities. Okay? To win, just comment below and tell me what your signature piece is. Like the thing you almost always wear. For me, it used to be Converse but now I think it's ballet flats. I had to grow up... slightly. But I still sport the Chucks a lot. Oh, and there's a heart necklace that I wear a lot. That too. So what's yours? You've got a week to enter; I'll choose a winner next Wednesday. PS-Party photos and highlights from the gift bags soon. Promise. We had a packed bar last night--thanks so much to everyone who came out! PPS-If you dyed a silk scarf for Violet, you might totally win the big contest. Keep working on your ideas!

Tuesday's Winner and other contests

Kiss! The winner of a signed copy of Pretties is... Ambeen! Thanks for checking out readergirlz--I have a live chat scheduled with them for August 28th, so tune in then (don't worry--I'll remind you again!).I've been guest blogging all over, so I'm tired and that is my news for today. Tonight is the book party so I'll post photos later this week. Don't forget to start thinking about your entry for The Big Contest! And remember, there's still time to enter the contests from last Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. And a few places you can still win a copy of Violet in Private (hopefully this doesn't stall you buying it--haha): Tera Lynn Childs is blogging about sports in honor of the Olympics and her awesome novel Oh. My. Gods., which was optioned by Ashley Tisdale (amazing!). Today's sport is basketball, so Violet is once again used for her height. Win the book here. Teens Read Too (tons of great books to win!) Oh, and here are some other great contests that are still going on: Stephanie Kuehnert's Tour Contest. The Shooting Stars Book Contest ($130 gift certificate, people!) PS-I just liked those glitter lips. They have no relevance. The teeth are kind of weird though. My friend Charles just recently told me that I have inordinately small teeth, and now I'm self-conscious about it. Thanks, Charles! Haha.

Rule Book: The August VIOLET IN PRIVATE Contest

Okay, so I've been hinting at this big contest, and here it is!I got a ton of awesome fashion and beauty companies to donate products for my NYC Book Party gift bag. The party is tomorrow night, and while I know most of you can't attend (it's in a bar, it's in NYC... sorry!), you will have a chance to win the full gift bag (with 20 pieces of amazing SWAG in it!). Starting tomorrow, I'll blog about each product in the gift bag so you can get excited. The contest will end September 1st. So how do you enter this fabulous contest, you may ask? Easy. Well, sort of easy. You have to make a tribute to Violet somehow. That's very vague, I know, but I really want you to do whatever is fun for you and makes you creative. Some Ideas: knit me a violet cupcake (yes, that's the picture here!), make a Violet flipbook on flip.com, write a Violet poem, create a missing scene from Violet's life, post a virtual Violet collage, film a vlog or video trailer for any or all of the books, make a playlist that reminds you of the books, sketch a fashion design for Violet. You can even just take a photo with Violet in your bookstore or library, holding up the book and striking a pose! Or re-enact your favorite cover and send me the photo. Or be Veronica or Sam or Kurt or Roger or Angela or whomever and send in a photo! Or wear violet clothes for seven days straight and send me photos! Okay, you get the idea. And if you haven't had a chance to read the books (Why not?? Just kidding.), you can create something you think relates to Violet, like write your own first chapter based on what you know, or make your own version of the book cover. Now, when you've got your entry ready, email it to me in whatever form you can (melissacwalker2 AT gmail DOT com). On September 1, I will start looking at everything, and that week, I'll declare a winner who will get a FULL gift bag. You wanted a contest based on skill... you got it! However, there will also be at least 10 runners up (and maybe more, depending on how many of you enter). And they will all get one item each from the gift bag, or a book I think they should read... don't worry--runners up prizes will be awesome too. And I'd love permission to post what you create, so let me know in the email if that's okay, and then I'll showcase reader creations once a week for a while on the blog. I think that sounds fun. So... get to it! And remember, my ideas are just a brainstorm--do anything you want that's a tribute to Violet. Are you going to enter? I hope so! And thanks so much for reading the blog, reading the books and generally being an incredible part of my book-writing life. You guys rock. PS-I did a vlog for Enchanting reviews, so go watch it if you have time--I would so appreciate that! PS-The winner of last Monday's contest is... .. Uh, can you see that little dot to click on? That links to your myspace profile where "." is your name! So send me your address, dot, and I'll send you Death by Bikini!

Cover Stories: Sisters of Misery by Megan Kelley Hall

Did anyone notice that the last page of the New York Times Book Review this week was about... wait for it... Cover Stories! Me and the Times, you know, we think alike. I haven't yet had a chance to read Megan Kelley Hall's Sisters of Misery, but I am pretty sure I'll like it. It's set near Salem, Massachusetts and it's about a girl investigating her cousin's mysterious disappearance when she starts to get hassled by a powerful clique, The Sisters of Mystery, in a modern-day witch hunt. I like witch hunt stories--I'm not gonna lie. Also, I have been totally struck by her gorgeous cover (top photo)! So, I wanted the inside scoop. And here it is: "I knew that I wanted something a little different for my cover--something that would appeal to adults as well as teens. The reason is that my debut suspense novel, SISTERS OF MISERY, is the cornerstone of Kensington's new Young Adult division and I wrote it with the intentions of having crossover appeal. It seems to be working because I've been getting great feedback from both teens and adults! "My editor, Danielle Chiotti, at Kensington is the most amazing editor ever. In my opinion, she went above and beyond what other editors do (this is just from my experience as an independent literary publicist at Kelley & Hall Book Publicity, and hearing second-hand from authors about their working relationships with their editors). She made sure that my input and suggestions were heard in the art department (MW note: See mock-ups that Megan made, at left, to explain what she wanted for the cover). "Then one day, my editor called to tell me she was sending over the jpeg of the cover. She told me that when she saw it she screamed in pure happiness and that the cover gave her chills and she'd already hung it up over her desk. I couldn't wait to see it. When I finally did, I absolutely fell in love. It was very different from any other cover I'd seen before and it WAS Cordelia. I don't know how they did it, but they captured the essence of Cordelia. I loved the colors, I loved the photo, I loved the font. Everything was picture perfect. I have to give a great big shout out to the amazing Kristine Mills-Noble for her incredible cover design. "There wasn't one thing that I would have changed. The only funny thing is that everyone wants to know who the girl on the cover is. For some reason, everyone thinks that it really is 'Cordelia'--despite the fact that Cordelia is a fictional character. Whoever the model is, she's beautiful and perfectly captures the essence of Cordelia LeClaire. "I'm hoping that I won't need to make any suggestions for my next book in the series, THE LOST SISTER. I am eagerly anticipating what the cover will look like. I've sent some stock photos over to them (many can be seen in the slideshow I made on my MySpace page, you can check it out at sistersofmisery.com), so I hope that they will keep my suggestions in mind for the next book. But, if they come close to this cover, I'll be happy. "As for the Sisters of Misery cover, I love the color (the green really stands out), the image of the red-headed girl with the striking yellow flowers tangled in her hair is haunting and beautiful; even the cover model's expression (looking down and very solemn) is in keeping with the themes of the story. We just sold some foreign rights, so I'm curious to see what other countries will do with it. In any case, I'm framing the cover. That pretty much says it all." Great cover story, Megan. I'm excited to read the book! PS-Later today I'll chose a winner for last Monday's contest and announce the BIG contest. Stay tuned...