Melissa C. Walker's Blog, page 43

Win-It Wednesday: Confessions of the Sullivan Sisters by Natalie Standiford

[image error] Thank you guys for your well wishes (and awesome ideas -- sleep, ginger tea, chicken soup, oh my!). I feel better today! The winner of Extraordinary by Nancy Werlin is... Stephanie M. Send me your address, S.This week, you can enter to win an ARC of Natalie Standiford's Confessions of the Sullivan Sisters . This book is awesome -- totally compelling and intriguing, with unique voices and a charming cast of characters (all of whom might want a do-over with a certain aspect of their past year.)T...

Cover Stories: 8 at Unabashedly Bookish

Over on the BN.com blog.... Dangerous Neighbors by Beth Kephart. "Once I saw the cover of this book, I knew that I could go anywhere, the book in hand, and read it to teens and adults alike, proud of the look of the book. It's such a gorgeous cover..." Read more... Onaedo, The Blacksmith's Daughter by Ngozi Achebe. "There are so many layers to the cover of Ngozi Achebe's Onaedo, The Blacksmith's Daughter--that gorgeous dress, the map of Africa that folds into the skirt, the ship in the distance...

Cover Stories: Losing Faith by Denise Jaden

Last week on The Contemps, there was a spotlight on Denise Jaden's new novel, Losing Faith . Her cover is pretty unique, in that it doesn't have a model or one single iconic image on it. Here she is to tell us how it came about:"I had a few ideas in mind for my cover after it had sold. I didn't really think about the artwork until then. Usually what I envisioned included a cliff of some kind and a girl with arms outstretched, but I admit, I'm not much of a visionary in this area."My editor let...

Sunday Writing Stuff

[image error] Two videos where I talk about writing got posted this week. There's one for the Complete You Draft 2010 Challenge, over at Lesley's blog (it's a super-quick writing tip). And there's a longer interview with Molly Horan, where I blather on for a little while as she asks me questions (she interviews lots of authors on her youtube channel -- Lauren Oliver, Rachel Cohn and Barry Lyga, to name a few!).Happy Sunday. (I'm still sick, but almost better!)PS-The pic? That's my very favorite writing adv...

Photo Friday: Food and a Tornado

Just some photos from the last week to share. Most are food. I am really into food.I made a peach-and-raspberry pie! It came out really well. (I didn't make the crust. Baby steps.): [image error] My friend Anne and I had drinks at the Soho House roofdeck. My friend Jolene served us and recommended the Pepper Margarita (which was delish). As I sipped it, I watched models walk around the pool. It was such a SCENE up there. [image error] All week, I was enamored of the tomatoes in my farmshare (yes, I know how lame that soun...

Cover Stories: The Mermaid's Mirror by L.K. Madigan

When I saw the cover for L.K. Madigan's October release, The Mermaid's Mirror , I had to find out how such a windswept, atmospheric image came about.Here's L.K. to tell the tale: "Sadly, I have no eye for design. I can envision scene after scene in my mind as I write them ... but I can't come up with an iconic image to represent the book. Since The Mermaid's Mirror is about a girl surfer who finds a mermaid, I thought the cover might show ... um, a girl surfer... or a mermaid. [image error] "Which is why...

Win-It Wednesday: Extraordinary by Nancy Werlin

Last week's winner of Not That Kind of Girl by Siobhan Vivian is... KristanC! Send me your address, K. This week, I'm sick. Wah! So give me your best home remedies for colds in the comments below (or just offer me sympathy at my pity party) and you're entered to win an Advanced Reader Copy of Extraordinary by Nancy Werlin (which has an AMAZING cover and a great Cover Story that Nancy shared on PW's Shelf Talker blog). I'm reading this book right now and loving it so much that it might heal me....

Cover Stories: The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller

[image error] I love a bright red cover. Sleek and striking, Kirsten Miller's new release, The Eternal Ones , caught my eye instantly. Here she is to tell the tale:"I had an idea for the cover: I thought of two hands reaching for each other across the cover. The female hand was flesh and blood, while the masculine hand appeared ghostly--almost translucent. It was a rather literal nod to the plot. (The book is about reincarnation.) But I also knew going into the process that there are people who are MUCH bet...

Diary: 9/11/01

I made this video last year for Stephanie Kuehnert's Ballads of Suburbia release party. Seemed a good day to post it again. xx



PS-If you want an amazing what-it-was-like-in-NYC-that-day read, try this one.

Photo Friday: Sammy Davis Vintage!

Fashion Week just started in NYC, and coincidentally, I just had a vintage shopping spree that filled my closet. I went over to Sammy Davis Vintage (currently housed in an ingeniously positioned storage locker with changing room and racks and racks of amazing clothes). We had a total try-on fashion show of our own.I got this perfect fall number, which is actually a one-piece dress that looks like separates (and it totally reminds me of Love Story and Ali McGraw), and I got this 60s navy dress...