LOVE FEST with MELISSA WALKER

Sorry I'm later posting this today. Bad. Flu. *urgle* Glad I prepared in advance cos I can't stand to look at the screen for long. Also why I haven't been replying to comments like I usually do. Sorry! But I have peeked in as much as I can and I must say, you guys are awesome. Thanks for your comments - your advice is great! Just a note - if you haven't left a comment on a previous day and you want to qualify for that day's drawing, you can still comment until Saturday when the winners are selected.

Meanwhile, I am very pleased to bring Melissa Walker back to the blog. Melissa's both a TeenFictonCafe sister and a GCC sister and I had to opportunity to hang out with her in New York a few months ago. Let me tell you, she's as fabulous as she is beautiful (which, as you can see, is a lot!) You may know her as the author the VIOLET series, VIOLET BY DESIGN, VIOLET ON THE RUNWAY and VIOLET IN PRIVATE. She's also the one who posts those cool cover stories on her blog I keep talking about. AND, she is co-creator of I HEART DAILY, a free email newsletter and website that keeps you in on all the best of fashion, entertainment, beauty and news one snippet at a time. If you haven't subscribed already, I highly recommend it. In fact, you might want to check out yesterday's topic - Valentines For Guys Gift Guide! (Mentioned in her advice below, too!)
AND!!! Be on the lookout for her upcoming summer romance, LOVESTRUCK SUMMER, hitting the shelves this May!

You should know that Melissa is the consummate romance expert - she's up to her ears in romance every day, planning her summer wedding! So without further ado, Melissa's advice:

Do you have any Valentine's Day traditions?
Nope! But I do remember my favorite one was going to see WAYNE'S WORLD with my friend Ruthie. Then we went out to dinner afterwards--we were 15 and 16--and suddenly realized it was Valentine's Day. Oops! I didn't have much high school action until senior year.

Is it OK to go out with a guy if you know your friend likes him? They have never gone out and he only likes her as a friend.

This is definitely something to discuss with your friend. It kind of depends on how much she likes him. If she's been pining over him for two years and telling you about it all along the way, he's off limits. But if he's just a passing crush for her, the best thing to do is to talk to her and tell her that you think you and he might have something special, but you don't want that to mess up your friendship with her. I went through this very situation, and my friend gave me permission to date the boy she had a casual crush on. Now I'm marrying him in July! (And she's happily married to someone else too.)

I'm a guy who likes a girl at our school. My friends told her that I had a crush on her and now I'm nervous just being around her. How do I find out if she likes me, too?
Sounds like she's already aware of your crush, but hearing it from friends isn't the same as hearing it from you. I'd advise telling her straight out the next time you get to talk to her alone. Just say, "I'm sure you've heard that I like you," and then gauge her reaction. I did this once with a guy I had a HUGE crush on (I did it very spastically, told him I liked him, turned red and then ran out of the room--this I do not advise--though it did end up in a year-long relationship). Once you've told her about your feelings, you can ask her, "Do you feel the same way?" and then the ball's in her court. It's best to be honest about it--no matter what the end result. Good luck!

Do guys care about Valentine's Day? What kinds of gifts do they like? A card? Candy? Just a kiss? Help!

It's always nice to give a Valentine's Day gift. Cards and kisses are just perfect. And if you have a more serious boyfriend and want to buy something for him, there's a guide from Hey Josh (heyjosh.com) up on I Heart Daily! (From Linda: See note above... subscribe to this newsletter!)

My boyfriend wants to do it, but I don't know if I'm ready. He says if I really cared about him I would. I don't want to lose him. What do I do?

Anyone who tells you you'd do it "if you really cared" is not looking out for you. If he loves you, he'll wait until you're ready. End of story. Don't let him pressure you--if you lose him because you won't do it, he wasn't worth your time in the first place. TRUST me. (From Linda: AMEN!)

Since LOVESTRUCK SUMMER is not out until May (tho you can preorder it now!) Melissa is offering for our freebie today this glam Valentiney Estee Lauder lip gloss!

And - because Melissa attended Chapel Hill High like another one of my favorite YA authors, I am also throwing in KEEPING THE MOON by Sarah Dessen.
Edited to add: Hey! Check out Melissa's blog for a great article on her with Sarah Dessen - the Teen Idols from Chapel Hill!!!

To be entered to win, leave a comment below giving your advice on one of the quandries above. Winners will be announced on Valentine's Day.

Winners!

Wow - you all have some great guest lists! I wanna party with you!

This weeks winners are:

BOYS THAT BITE: Flip

VIOLET IN PRIVATE: Bamabelle

Please shoot me an email at gerb at lindagerber dot com with your mailing information and I'll get your books send out to you.

Everyone else, I'll see you on Friday for a
special holiday freebie!

Meanwhile, for more chances to win, check out Amanda Ashby's blog contest for a copy of ZOMBIE QUEEN OF NEWBURY HIGH. Her contest will remain open until Sunday.

And don't forget AS King's DUST OF 100 DOGS contest, open until December 18th.

AND, Sara Zarr is giving away two copies of SWEETHEARTS over at the TeenFictionCafe! Get your entry in before Friday!

Oh, and one last thing - I have an interview up at Susanne Saville's blog this week. Feel free to stop and say hello!

LATTE 1 - MELISSA WALKER

Our first party guest has arrived! It's Melissa Walker, author of the Violet Series. VIOLET IN PRIVATE, the third book in the series, was just released last month. It's another must, must, must read, according to the Tyra website! Many of you regulars know that Melissa is ultra-fabulous. And check this out - she's joining us via vlog. How cool is that?

If you would like to be entered to win a copy of VIOLET ON THE RUNWAY, leave a reply to this post!

Interview with Melissa Walker!

Today's interview is extra fun for me because I know how fabulous Melissa Walker is in person. We got to do an event and then hang out for an evening earlier this month and I can tell you, she is beyond cool! Melissa is a former editor at ELLEgirl and Seventeen magazines, so she knows first-hand the ins and outs of the fashion world. Plus she's truly a very nice person.

I just finished reading her latest release, VIOLET IN PRIVATE this weekend. In case you are unfamiliar with the books (gasp!) the Violet series is about an average teenage girl, Violet Greefield who goes from wallflower to star in the world of runways and high fashion. Melissa manages to balance the lighter fare like fashion and boys with meatier issues such as body image and loyalty without skipping a beat. Here's the official press release blurb:

Is there life off the runway?
VIOLET IN PRIVATE is the third novel in the series by former magazine editor Melissa Walker about Violet— the wallflower who blooms into an international modeling star—until she realizes there may be more to life than the runway…

Everyone knows her as Violet Greenfield, the supposedly cultured and worldly nineteen-year-old with sky-high confidence because she’s done fashion weeks internationally. But the truth is, modeling has done little for Violet’s self-esteem. And now that she’s finally headed to college, she’s terrified that she’ll turn back into that girl who blended into the walls all throughout high school…

Violet’s friends in fashion are only a two-hour train ride away in New York City, and they all think she’s crazy to stop modeling. But her best friend Roger hopes she’ll go back to being the girl next door. Of course, things have been weird between them ever since they kissed—and now he’s got a girlfriend. So the question is: if she’s not “Violet on the Runway” anymore, who exactly is she?

Melissa Walker has created a character that teens as well as adults can embrace and relate to. Readers have followed Violet through her highest highs and lowest lows in the modeling industry, and are eager to see how she fares as a regular teenager in college. This wonderful series is a fresh take on the real voice of one girl in the designer spotlight.

Very cool, right? I loved these books because Violet is such a relatable character - even if she is an internationally-famous fashion model. And I'm not alone. Check out the praise Melissa's gotten for the VIOLET series:

“It’s a hard sell, asking readers to muster sympathy for the congenitally gorgeous whose job it is to wear designer clothes and walk. In ‘Violet on the Runway,’ Melissa Walker pulls it off.”
—Holly Brubach, The New York Times

“Part Cinderella, part girl next door, VIOLET ON THE RUNWAY is a story for any girl who ever wondered what it would be like to have her wildest dream come true.”
--New York Times bestselling author Sarah Dessen

“Violet is a hero for all of us wallflowers out there. A fun, fashion-filled, fast-paced read!”
--Carolyn Mackler, award-winning author of Guyaholic

“On the runway or off, Violet shines.”
--Ally Carter, bestselling author of I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You

“Violet is wonderfully witty and sweetly sensitive. She’s not your typical top model; she’s more like your best friend—only prettier.”
--Kirsten Kemp, author of Breakfast at Bloomingdale’s

"Violet on the Runway is a novel about fashion, but it's also a sensitive portrait of adolescence--simultaneously funny and painful. Walker excels at characterizing those moments that we've all experienced, from bumbling in front of the cute boy to being misunderstood by ones parents."
--NYLON Magazine

"This novel is a perfect read for teens who want to see what lies beneath the glossy veneer of what seems to be a picture-perfect life."
--Family Circle

"Teens will love this fun fashion read."
--OK! Magazine

"Take a peek into a model's life with this hip novel!"
--Teen Magazine

"I couldn't put it down! You're kind of rooting for her to make it big, and kind of rooting for her to just go home before the biz ruins her."
--Glamour

"Funny, engaging, and eye-opening, Violet on the Runway is an addictive read full of all the juicy insights about the fashion industry one could hope for, as well as meaningful layers and observations about the importance of knowing one's self."
--Venus Zine


And now, talking with Melissa herself:

LG: You've tackled some serious topics such as body image in the Violet books. How has your magazine work and behind-the-scenes perspective of the fashion industry shaped the themes in your fiction writing?

MW: Honestly, peeking behind the curtain of the fashion industry was both a glorious and a worrisome thing for me. I LOVED some of the glamorous aspects of the industry (the walk, the talk, the STYLE!) but the darker parts really scared me (the eating disorders, the drugs, the flippant superficiality of it all). So I wanted to put a real girl amidst all that, and have her react in a real way. I couldn't leave out the more negative parts, because they are there along with the fabulousness.

LG: In an article you worked on for ELLEgirl, 10,000 girls were surveyed regarding their own body image. Did any of the results surprise you?

MW: I wasn't completely surprised by anything, but I was saddened. The biggest stat that hit me was one we found saying that the #1 wish of American girls from ages 11-17 was to be thinner. How insane is that?

LG: What was your inspiration for writing about Violet? What called to you most in telling her story?

MW: Lots of people in the fashion world act like they've lived there forever, like they were born into knowing their personal style and always being uber-confident. But I know everyone walks in with wide eyes and missteps--I wanted to show that first entry into the crazy fashion/modeling universe.

LG: When you originally pitched Violet on the Runway to Berkley Jam, you were thinking one book. They wanted three. How did that change your approach to telling Violet's story? How did it evolve from the original concept?
MW: At first, I thought it would be a girl who tried modeling and found out that she needed to stay true to her friends at home and who she really was deep down inside, all in one book. But when they asked for 3 books, I realized that it was a natural extension. Any girl would be torn about quitting a world with so much excitement and glamour, so Violet had some back-and-forth to do in books 2 and 3.

LG: Can you describe your typical work/writing day?

MW: When I'm on deadline for a book, I write in the morning until about 1pm or so, and I make sure I have at least 1000 words written. Then I have lunch and switch gears to magazine writing, where I finish stories or pitch new ideas in the afternoon. At lunch, I usually watch a show that my boyfriend won't watch with me, like Oprah.

LG: What are you working on now?

MW: I just finished a draft of LOVESTRUCK SUMMER, a teen romance novel I have coming out with HarperCollins next summer. So I'm waiting on edits for that and also doing magazine work and letting my next book idea... um... marinate. Meaning it isn't nearly ready yet. But one day soon it will be!

You can find out more about Melissa by checking out her blog and myspace.

Freakishly Fantastic Freebie Friday

Can you believe it's AUGUST??? I swear, this summer has gone by so fast! But it means that some stupendously exciting events are about to unfold...

For those of us anxiously awaiting the next book in Stephenie Meyer's TWILIGHT saga, BREAKING DAWN hits the shelves tomorrow!

Not only that, but the next book in Melissa Walker's VIOLET series, VIOLET BY DESIGN, makes its debut on Tuesday!


Wednesday, I get to join a fabulous group of authors for a book signing event at Books of Wonder in New York.

All this stupendousness calls for a celebration!!!!


So here's what I have for you this week...

In celebration of the VIOLET IN PRIVATE release, the fabulous Melissa Walker has donated all three VIOLET books for one lucky reader!!


In addition, to celebrate our upcoming event, the incomparable Claire Mysko has donated a copy of her book, YOU'RE AMAZING for another lucky reader!!

And, in celebration of the continuing TWILIGHT saga, I'm throwing in the A NEW DAWN anthology - edited by Ellen Hopkins - in which my essay on Quileute werewolves appears.

That's right. This week there will be three winners. For your shot at being one of them, here's what you need to do:

To be entered to win the VIOLET books, post an announcement on your blog, myspace, livejournal or facebook about the release on Tuesday and send me the link. You can get all the details about the books and the launch at Melissa's blog.

To be entered to win YOU'RE AMAZING, leave me a reply telling me what makes you amazing. Be sure to check out Claire's website.

To be entered to win A NEW DAWN, tell me how you will be spending your TWILIGHTish weekend...

Yes, in case you're wondering, you may enter three times to be considered for each one of the prizes! I told you it was freakishly fantastic.

This contest will remain open until after the signing event, Wednesday August 6.

Let the games begin!

Freebie Friday, a little early

I know, I know. It's Wednesday. But the next couple of weeks are going to be a little crazy so the freebies might bounce around a little bit. This morning (as soon as I get done posting this, as a matter of fact,) I head up to girls' camp until Saturday. No Internet access. (Gaaaaaah!)

(Want a little insider information? I was actually up at the camp Monday but had to come home yesterday so I could send in my edits on DEATH BY DENIM. I am excited about this episode of Aphra and Seth's adventure! Oh, and the kissing. I like the kissing...)

ANYWAY, next week will be relatively normal, except for the anticipation of waiting for the next TWILIGHT installment, BREAKING DAWN ! How many of you are going to a bookstore event to pick up the book at midnight?

And exactly two weeks from today, I'll be in New York City, reading and signing with Melissa Walker (VIOLET IN PRIVATE) and Lisa McMann (WAKE)!!! We'll be at Books of Wonder August 6th from 7 p.m. Any of you in the New York area, come visit!!! If you tell me you read about it on the blog, I'll have something special for you...

Following the signing, I'll be at the Backspace Writers' Conference, where I will be moderating an agents panel.

And then... well, it just gets crazier from there with back to school and the upcoming promotion for the next DEATH BY book, DEATH BY LATTE... but this is enough for one blog post!

So... to get to the point... for this week's FREEBIE FRIDAY, I offer to you a choice. I have three Sarah Dessen books up for grabs, THIS LULLABY, KEEPING THE MOON or DREAMLAND. To win one of these books, leave me a post telling me how the second half of your summer is shaping up and why I should choose you as this week's winner. Hint: sucking up is fun.

The contest will remain open until Monday, July 28.

Have a great week, everyone!!!