Melissa C. Walker's Blog, page 64

Cover Stories: An Off Year by Claire Zulkey

[image error] So you guys know that I loved Claire Zulkey's An Off Year. Totally. And her Cover Story pretty much kicks ass too. Here goes:"I had no cover ideas, but I did hope that it was a little off the beaten path in some way but I didn't know how. [image error] My favorite YA book of all time, Celine, has an illustration of the narrator on the cover created the author but I don't think that was the path for my book (also I can't draw anything but boxes and horses). At one conversation I told my editor, 'This idea m...

Photo Friday: Martha!

So last week I got to attend a Martha Stewart taping. I highly recommend this. Some pics:Me and my friend Caroline in the studio. Lights! Cameras! Actions! [image error] Martha from afar on Anne's iPhone: [image error] The glorious SWAG bag (Jamie Oliver book! Wii game! Chocolate! Glitter crafting supplies! Heaven.): [image error] And Martha's influence on me, with my unglam crazy hair and apron. I tried to make a lemon meringue pie. The meringue turned out quite lovely, but the filling was a bit too liquid. Oh well, next time. (I am so...

Win-It Wednesday: Shadowland by Alyson Noel

The winner of a Blood Coven book by Mari Mancusi is... Donna S! Donna, email me your address and let me know which book you'd like (new or old cover!). [image error] This week, I'm giving away of the highly anticipated third book in Alyson Noel's bestselling Immortals series (right after I read it!). You guys probably know about this series, and if you don't, where have you been?! Just kidding--go here to find out more. (Oh, and read the first two books' Cover Stories here and here.)Now, for your challeng...

And While I'm Posting Videos...

This makes me happy:



Taylor Swift, you rule.

This Is It

I saw This is It, I cried twice. I cried again when I just listened to "Man in the Mirror." MJ was on top of his game:



Forgive me for being emotional but Michael was the world's best talent, I think. Sigh. I'm not over this yet.

Cover Stories: Are U 4 Real? by Sara Kadefors

[image error] I really enjoyed Are U 4 Real? by Sara Kadefors. Sara lives in Stockholm, Sweden, where this book was an award-winning bestseller. To be honest, I thought the meeting-online premise sounded a little stale (it came out in Sweden in 2001, and just this year in the US), but the story really drew me in. It's about Kyla, a beautiful and popular LA socialite with an absent father and a deeply depressed mother, and Alex, a shy ballet dancer from outside San Francisco who tries to avoid bullies and h...

The Amanda Project

Have you guys checked out The Amanda Project yet? It's pretty cool, and this video explains it better than I could (so does the website).



Happy Sunday!

Photo Friday: Almost Heaven, West Virginia

Say what you will about West Virginia--I love it! My dad's side of the family goes waaay back in those hills, so sometimes I have to stop by and visit. Here are pics from the October trip:I got a fishing rod. Yes! [image error] This is the view from "The Viewhouse," which was known as "The Blue House" when I was younger (and before it was renovated to get this amazing in-the-clouds feel). We rented it for the weekend and loved it. [image error] We also got to go kayaking and fishing with our friend Pete, a gentleman...

Win-It Wednesday + Cover Stories: The Blood Coven Series by Mari Mancusi

The winner of last week's The Sweetgrass Basket contest is... Kelsey! K, email me your address. Thanks, you guys, for all the gaming ideas -- I have a want list now! [image error] Today, the effervescent Mari Mancusi is here to share the story of the repacking of her Blood Coven series -- so we'll see old and new covers, and you'll have a chance to win a copy of one of the books!Here's Mari:"It was the phone call I'd been praying for. Berkley finally decided to buy BAD BLOOD, the fourth book in my Blood Cov...

Publishers Weekly: What Do Teens Want?

[image error] Just a quick thank you to anyone who listed my blog in such amazing company in the recent Publishers Weekly cover story, "What Do Teens Want?"And I quote:"Blogs:In reply to an open-ended question, here are the author blogs they read the most: Libba Bray, Meg Cabot, Ally Carter, P.C. Cast, Cassandra Clare, Zoey Dean, Sarah Dessen, John Green, Richelle Mead, Stephenie Meyer, Christopher Paolini, James Patterson, Tamora Pierce, Sarah Shepard, Melissa Walker [yay! that's me!:] and Scott...