Photo Friday: BEA Weekend

So I didn't go to BEA, but I got to hang around with lots of lovely people during that weekend. Sometimes it's nice to have NYC as your hometown. Here are some pics:Michael Northrop, Mitali, me and Elizabeth Scott! Devyn Burton, me and Elizabeth Scott (these are at the fabulous Books of Wonder, btw). A fuzzy Dominique and me at the Jefferson Market NYPL (which rules). It was fun to hang out with everyone (and yes I know I'm way late getting these up). Happy Friday!

Photo Friday: Girls Life RX Abuse

I wanted to start putting up some article clips, because I'm still a magazine writer too, so here's a recent one from Girls' Life about prescription drug abuse. Click to enlarge the images if you'd like to read it (these interviews were scary, but hopeful)! Happy weekend! (I'm in New Orleans for the first time... wheee! Lots of food, alligators and old Southern charm that's totally unique to NOLA!) PS-Don't forget, there are two contests this week! Here and here (or just scroll down).

Photo Friday: Office Portrait

Romer Pedron, a photographer whom I met when he was in high school and submitted some photos to ELLEgirl (which were published), recently did a photo shoot with me at my house. It was for his thesis project at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), and he shot a bunch of people in the fashion industry, including moi.I won't show you everything (I'm really doing this post to show off Romer!), but here's one shot where you can see my writing space--the overstuffed pink-flowered chair, my laptop, my standard black-with-jeans writing outfit (though, honestly, I don't always have all my teen magazines spread out like that, nor do I read my own book!): Don't worry--I'll get a little color from the sun this summer! And if any writers are looking for author photos, Romer rules and is super sweet and fun. Happy Friday! PS-It's Book Chic's Blogiversary month, and I made him a vlog to celebrate it. Watch the "um" count here on myspace or here on youtube!

Photo Friday: Lovestruck Shelves

A few people have sent me photos of Lovestruck Summer on bookstore shelves, which makes me so happy! Here they are:Book Chic did a Bookstalking post where he took a ton of bookstore shots at The Regulator Bookshop in Durham, NC. My friend Stefanie found an endcap display at a Barnes and Noble in NYC! Deadly Little Secret author Laurie Stolarz also snapped a shelf shot for me in NYC. Thanks, Laurie! So if you come across the book, I'd love to see it. Take a camera phone shot if you feel self-conscious (that's what I do for author friends). Happy Friday! PS-A few people have emailed me to say they can't find Lovestruck Summer at their local bookstores. If you ask them to order it for you, they will! No charge to you and it spreads the word for me. Thank you!

Photo Friday: Cupcakes and French Magazines

I'm meeting up with a few bloggers and some awesome authors (Elizabeth Scott, Sarah MacLean, maybe more...) for cupcakes today. Could there be anything more magical?Also, the Violet trilogy was featured in French magazine Jeune & Jolie (uh, Young & Pretty), and I'm sort of thrilled to be on the same page with Edward Cullen, James Bond and the ultimate Shopaholic. I really need to learn to read French. Happy Weekend! PS- There's a huge BFF contest going on over at The Geek Girl's Guide to Cheerleading (which is a book that totally intrigues me). Prizes include: an autographed copy of The Geek Girl's Guide to Cheerleading, the new iPod Shuffle, a mix tape (CD) of songs about friendship, DeBrand's Chocolates, Matching T-shirts and a few geeky surprises. If you win, your BFF wins too. I'm entering!

Photo Friday: Wedding Shower Moments

I couldn't decide which photos to share from my wedding shower--my friend and awesome photographer Marcie Hume took so many great ones! But I had to share this series with me, my sister Kristi and my mom. I love it. Maybe I'll get one of those multiple frames and give this to them. Also, you must forgive us all the pink and excuse my tiara. I was embracing the wedding showerness of it all! Happy Weekend!

Photo Friday: Fishface Singing Telegram

Book Chic and I once talked about our love for the movie Clue (anyone else?), and my favorite scene in that movie is the Singing Telegram scene. You know what I mean if you've seen it.Anyway, last week was my friend Anne's birthday, and a group of us got together to deliver a singing telegram to her, and this is what showed up on her doorstep: And Anne's reaction: "Omg you guys this was so weird and I had just woken up, didn't have my contacts and no coffee. HILARIOUS!!" He sang a medley of birthday songs, of course. I highly recommend this gift! PS-The winner of last week's contest for Sweethearts is... Denise. Send me your address, D! PPS-Linda Gerber's Death by Denim release party is going on, and I blogged about my favorite jeans. Go comment for a chance to win a signed copy of Lovestruck Summer, and check out the other denim posts while you're there! Lots of prizes. PPPS-I can't resist: Happy Friday, everyone!

Photo Friday: New Haircut!

I showed my hairdresser a photo of 1920s movie star Marion Davies: And I ended up with a classic, swingy bob, which I'm starting to love after the initial couple days of where-did-my-hair-go anxiety. (Also loving playing with the "effects" button on my computer camera, obviously.) What do you think? Maybe one day I'll even get up the energy to curl it! PS-In my fancy imaginary life I'm going to start dressing like Marion Davies too:

Photo Friday: Tyra!

This morning I went to a taping of the Tyra Banks Show with my friends Anne and Sarah Grace. I have to admit that I didn't expect to love Miss Tyra--my experience with talk show hosts has been that they're all on-camera-smiles and off-air-grumps--but she really won me over!First of all, the three of us got sat in the front row, so Ty Ty was about five feet away from me and I can confirm that she has the smallest ankles you've ever seen. She's genuinely gorgeous, and her body is a great mix of not-too-thin curves.

She bantered really well with the audience, took questions after the show, did some quick and smart ad-libs during taping, and even spoke to me and my friends. Well, sort of. We talked for two seconds about Gossip Girl, and she looked right at me and Sarah Grace and smiled. Because she'd already won me over, I felt a thrill.

Oh, and the good news for you blog readers is this: I got pulled up on stage to dance with the audience prep guy (who ruled and knew all the moves to Beyonce's "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)") and because of my participation, I won a necklace from the House of Dereon that I'll be giving away next week. Aw, yeah. My humiliation is your triumph. I'm one of those people who won't even get in the middle of a dance circle among friends, so I was mortified and did some horribly doofy moves up there! And I can't tell you about the taping and who was on because it's all "non-disclosure agreement" and lawyerly stuff. But I can tell you that it was fun!

Happy Friday!

Photo Friday: My READ Poster

Awesome Connecticut-based YA Librarian Jennifer created this READ poster, which I love, even though I know I look very dorky. See my vertical bookshelf? Yay! And note the two books I'm holding; they are favorites. Happy Friday! Oh, and PS-EW's Amy Wilkinson did a great critique of the Twilight Soundtrack poster. Fun to read. (I found it through Ypulse.)