Another Violet Contest Entry: A Fashion Show, by Rachel Robinson

The super-innovative Rachel Robinson turned in an incredible entry into the Big Violet Contest. She made a flier advertising a fashion show that Violet is walking, a ticket for the event, and a press release about it, (the text of which I'll post below so it's easier to read). I absolutely love Rachel's creativity here! Thank you, RR! Violet Greenfield Returns By Rachel Robinson Friday, October 3rd, Tracetown Fashions will debut their mysterious new "Green" clothing line during fall fashion week. And in keeping with the Green fashion, everything connected to the show will be environmentally friendly. With organic make-up, a recycled canvas tent, and electric powered by solar panels, Tracetown is already making quite the impression. But Tracetown going green isn't the only thing leaving an impression on the fashion world; it is Tracetown's choice on the model that will close their show, Violet Greenfield. After taking a sabbatical away from modeling to attend a semester at Vassar College and an internship at Teen Girl magazine, Violet Greenfield is making her debut back into the modeling world in Tracetowns tent at fashion week. But this isn't just any debut, that fabulous Miss Greenfield stated several times that the Fashion Week tents will be her one and only stop in the modeling world. Our sources have reported that Greenfield has received several offers to have her walk in other shows, but so far she has not accepted any. "I'm only doing this as a favor to Mickey and Matt. They gave me my start, stuck by me through thick and thin (literally), and I want to repay them anyway I can." When asked about why all of the fuss about having Greenfield model for them, Tracetown representatives gave this statement: 'Violet Greenfield is the inspiration and reason behind our new line of Green fashions. It is only fitting that she represents them.' Tracetown seems sure of their decision, and Greenfield seems ready, lets just hope the fashions fit. How cool is Rachel? So cool.

Win-It Wednesday: When it Happens by Susane Colasanti (Signed!)

It was fun to hear about all of the books you guys are reading, but now my to-read list is so long. I can usually finish a book a week, but I like to read four at once, so I'm always switching off. Anyway. The winners of last week's contest are: Monica A (who wins Poseur + clutch) and nadine-stella (who wins Frenemies + clutch)! Now, since I had the honor of reading with author Rachel Maude last night (which was a lot of fun, btw! *hi* to the girls I met!), I got another copy of Poseur so I could give away a bonus surprise, and that one goes to... cute little redhead! (Sorry, no third clutch to give out for that one.) Send me your addresses, M, N-S and CLR. This week, I'm giving away a signed copy of Susane Colasanti's debut novel When it Happens. I haven't read her new one (Take Me There) yet, but I really enjoyed WIH. It's the story of Tobey and Sara, two high school seniors who are made for each other, if they can just relax and get together! The story is told in alternating points of view--first Sara's, then Tobey's, which is so great. I mean, don't you always want to know what your crush is thinking? Susane used to be a high school teacher, and she's a really fun person with a fantastic character voice. You will love it! To enter to win, comment below and tell me about your first crush... I'm feeling excessively nosy. Mine was on this guy named Scott who had dark hair and the bluest eyes. When we were in third grade, I used to always try to sit near him in class and get next to him in line. Sigh. I also used to wish with all my heart that he would lean over and kiss me on the cheek. Yeah, my fantasies were very racy. So... who was yours?

Brooklyn Reading Tonight

I have my very own poster in the window of my neighborhood Barnes & Noble--exciting! The reading with really cool Poseur author Rachel Maude is tonight at 7pm at 267 7th Ave in Park Slope. Come if you're nearby? The far right poster is for It's Kind of a Funny Story author Ned Vizzini, who always does these writing workshops at this B&N--something else to check out. PS-Thanks for helping Violet in Private get nominated for a Cybil award! Yay! (The list is filled with great to-reads.)

Cover Stories: Jump the Cracks by Stacy DeKeyser

Stacy DeKeyser's book Jump the Cracks, has one of the most compelling descriptions ever: "A 15-year-old girl is accused of kidnapping when she finds an abandoned child on a train and then hides him from his abusive father. Soon she's on a cross-country journey with the boy, as each 'right' decision gets her deeper into trouble -- and farther away from home. Victoria has vowed to protect the little boy no matter what. But can she keep that promise? Fast-paced suspense about a determined girl who becomes both rescuer and abductor of a child at risk."Sounds like the cover could have gone a bunch of different ways, so Stacy's here to share how it played out: "When I write, and even when I read a novel, I prefer not to form a distinct mental picture of the main characters. I don't include much physical description in my book. I prefer to let the characters sort of form and shape themselves in the reader's mind. Probably for the same reason, one thing I DID know was that the cover wouldn't show any faces. "Flux was great about [requesting input on the cover design]. My editor Andrew Karre asked me for my ideas, and he told me his. My only requests were 'no faces' and 'no shiny covers.' (That's just me--I don't like shiny book covers.) "When I saw the cover, at first I was a little surprised, because Andrew had described a cover using mosaic tiles, like you see in the New York City subway, which is one setting in Jump the Cracks. So when I saw the actual cover. without any mosaics, it threw me a bit. But I warmed up to it instantly. I loved the arrows, and the suggestion of motion, and the fact that you can't see what the girl might be carrying. You know she's going somewhere, and you want to know her story. And (I suppose this will sound weird after I said I don't imagine my characters' physically), she looks exactly the way I'd pictured her in my head. "I had no comments to make, except, 'Wow!' Andrew said there had been several different cover designs, but I only saw one -- the perfect one. And I still really love it." Thanks, Stacy! I agree that the cover has so much motion--it definitely indicates a fast-paced journey, and I can't wait to read the book! What do you guys think?

Paper Towns by John Green

I love this video. I really need to read Paper Towns. Has anyone read it? UPDATE: I ordered the book from The Community Bookstore. Wonder which cover I'll get? It's fun to leave it up to fate!

Photo Friday: Corn Maze!!

I had to post photos from last weekend, when I finally fulfilled a dream: To enter a Corn Maze. We did not have these where I grew up in NC, so seeing them in upstate New York was super exciting. And since we were coming back from a friend's wedding, I got to run through the corn maze in a dress, which is extra fun. Did you guys know about these things? Amazing! I know this last one is overexposed, but I feel like it's the closest I'll ever get to looking like part of the cast of Heroes. I'm about to blow something up! Happy weekends, everyone. PS-Bookworm Readers is giving away a copy of Popular Vote by Micol Ostow. Yay for contests!

Three Thursday Things

1. Another amazing entry in the big Violet contest came from Regina, who created a Violet fansite (that's a screenshot above), complete with an awesome poem about Violet and a soundtrack, which I have to post because I love the explanations for song choices! Soundtrack for the Violet books, by Regina Glamorous- Fergie I chose this because this was how Violet's life became after she entered the modelling world. Girlfriend- Avril Lavigne How Violet felt when she saw Chloe and Roger together Crush- David Archuleta Violet's love for Roger or Roger's love for Violet Teardrops on my guitar- Taylor Swift Whenever Roger talks about Chloe in front of Violet Rumours- Lindsay Lohan The way Violet feels about the paparazzi Picture to burn- Taylor Swift Message to Peter from Violet ;D Thanks, Regina--I love this tribute site! 2. I'm over at Kelly Parra's Secret Fates Extravaganza today, sharing a secret... about graveyards. Creepy. So go check me out for a chance to win a copy of Violet in Private there, and also check out all the other posts--everyone is giving away books. It's like a crazy contest blowout. YES! 3. It's Fat Talk Free Week, and tons of pro-women organizations have teamed up with the Tri-Deltas to host this week, and they made this video, which has some eye-opening statistics about women and body image, and may make you think twice about what you say to other girls about their weight--even if you think you're being positive. I'll let you go explore the site on your own, and sign the Fat Talk Free pact, too! Hope that wasn't overwhelming. Sometimes when I blog about more than one thing I feel spazzy.

Win-It Wednesday: Poseur, Frenemies and Two Amazing Clutches

Okay, so you know how I had five Ballet Shoes DVDs to give away? I'm about to list the winners. But first, I must confess that I opened one of them so I could watch it, so someone will get an opened and once-watched DVD. But it'll still be near-pristine! And the movie is really cute--I have it on right now while I should be working. Anyway, winners! They are: Carol (who would be famous for writing an urban fantasy series), Kate (who would be a critically acclaimed YA author), Marie (who'd be famous for her writing), The Bookworm (who'd be famous for snapping a picture of Big Foot!) and Rylie (who'd be famous for something that helps a lot of people -- like finding the cure for AIDS or cancer, or solving the climate crisis). Ooh, hearing about your ambitions was great, and giving away five things was also fun. So maybe that's why I'm again going to do a multiple winner contest. I have another copy of Alexa Young's fantastic Frenemies to give away (see my original giveaway here), and I also have a signed copy of Rachel Maude's Poseur. Did you know Rachel and I are doing a reading together in Brooklyn next Tuesday? We are! Come if you're around. Info in the sidebar. Poseur is a really fun book with dozens of amazing subplots that make each character really come to life. Rachel's writing is fast and funny--a perfect combination. (Also, this cover pictured is the one I have, but I've seen a white cover in stores... weird?) Now, each winner of these two books will also win one of these two amazing fall clutches. Here's the shameful part: I cannot remember the designer who donated these clutches for Win-It Wednesday, and there is no label inside the bags! But they are so great looking (I'm a sucker for a kissing clasp) and they're lined with black silk. Such ideal holiday party bags. Please contact me, designer, if you read this, and I will shout your name all over this blog in thanks. I'm so sorry I can't remember where they're from. My boyfriend will tell you that I get tons of mail and it disorients me a little but I love it all. Forgive! So, two winners this week, and each winner will receive either Poseur or Frenemies + a clutch. Yay! To enter, post a comment below and tell me this: What's the last book you read? For me, I just finished The Geography of Girlhood by Kirsten Smith, and I adored it! I'd never really read a YA novel in verse before, and she captured such nuances of growing up that I was totally smitten. PS-Still time to win Violet in Private over at Kathleen's Book Reviews. Just a reminder!

Something to check out this week: Readergirlz Night Bites

So last week I went to a reading where I got to see Coe Booth, Maureen Johnson, Siobhan Vivian and Judy Blundell all read excerpts from their most recent novels. Quite a lineup, no? And in the audience were Cassandra Clare, Tara Altebrando, Adrienne Vrettos and Michael Northrop. And those are just the authors I recognized. I'm not trying to say "Come live in NYC," but hey, that was a good night.Still, you can hang out with a ton of authors online this week at readergirlz. Very Halloween chic. Live chats every night at 9pm EST right here. (The preview trailer is awesome.) PS-Thanks to Talking with Tami, who loves the Real Housewives of Atlanta as much as I do, for the awesome interview.

Cover Stories: The Elite by Jennifer Banash

This week's Cover Story comes from Jennifer Banash, author of The Elite Series. I remember first seeing her cover on myspace and thinking it was really eye-catching. That beaded curtain adds something I've never really seen on a book cover--it's all sparkle and mystery. Now, Jennifer herself reveals the drama behind the scenes:"I didn't have a specific idea in mind--all I knew was that I wanted the cover image to reflect the glamorous world of the book, and to somehow convey the elitism of the Upper East Side itself--which, I'll admit, was a pretty tall order. My editor was very receptive to my ideas--I basically told her what I wanted the image itself to convey-- wealth, power, prestige, excitement, glamour--and then left it up to her to pass along my ideas to the art department over at Berkley Jam. "When I saw the original cover, I cried. It was so far from what I had been expecting that I was devastated. The original cover image was not at all what I had in mind for the the first cover in the series-not by a long shot. It was basically a girl with a no head in a clothing store. "Thank god, my editor was sympathetic when I called her up and basically declared that I'd kill myself if the book went to press with that original cover design LOL! Without batting so much as an eyelash, she related my concerns to the art department, went to bat for me, and got the book cover a complete redesign. Without her getting on board, it just wouldn't have happened. "The next cover I saw was the image that became the final cover. So they definitely took my suggestions to heart! I love the final cover--I think it says everything that I wanted to get across about the series in one sexy, powerful, glamorous image. I was very lucky that I had an editor who really cared when I wasn't happy about things--many authors don't have that luxury, so I feel very fortunate." Thanks, Jennifer! I actually had the same editor at Berkley Jam for the Violet books, and it's definitely cool that she was so responsive. I'd love to see that first rejected cover, but I can imagine that it wasn't nearly as fabulous as the final product, and the sequel cover for In Too Deep is amazing too (get the countdown widget below). It makes me want to wear false lashes to parties. Seriously, I thought about this cover while getting ready for an event recently. But I'm not sure I can pull that off!

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What do you guys think of this series' covers?