Girlfriends Cyber Circuit Presents . . .Melissa Walker!!!

Question: What do you call someone who's amazingly cool, totally pretty, super smart, and has just penned an amazing new series???

Answer: Melissa Walker.

That's right, Ms. Walker, author of the uber-awesome Violet series, has agreed to stop by for a chat about her latest installment: VIOLET IN PRIVATE.

But first, here's the inside scoop about the books:

Is there life off the runway? VIOLET IN PRIVATE (Berkley Jam Trade Paperback; August 5, 2008; $9.99) 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.

And now, the same five questions I always ask:

Every story has a backstory, what's the backstory for your book?

Working in magazines, I got to peek behind the scenes of the fashion world. That was enough inspiration and back story for three books!!

What's your work environment like? Any rituals, totems, or must haves?

I sit in a pink, flowered, overstuffed chair (Alyson notes- Check it out!) and I don't like to get up from the chair until I have 1000 words. Unless I have to go to the bathroom REALLY badly. Then I make an exception.

If you could live inside any book-- which would it be?

Ooh, good question! Maybe James and the Giant Peach? I always really, really wanted that world to be true. Flying fruit and all.

What book rocked your world growing up?

I've vlogged about this, but I really loved FLOWERS IN THE ATTIC by VC Andrews, and I'm finally able to admit that. At the time, when I was around 11, I think I hid it under my mattress so my mom wouldn't find it!

If you could visit any time, place, or person- what, where, or who would it be?

Wow--hit me with three hard ones in a row, Alyson! Man! Just kidding--I love these. Maybe Paris in the 1920s, when jazz was booming and Americans were over there being generally bohemian and finding a place for freer expression and racial acceptance, etc. Somewhere like that, with lots of positive energy.

I told you she was awesome! And don't forget to stop by the Violet contest she's hosting until Sept 1 right HERE!!!

Praise for the VIOLET series:

“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

ABOUT Melissa:

As a former editor at ELLEgirl and Seventeen magazines, Melissa Walker knows first-hand the ins and outs of the fashion world. She hails from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and currently resides in Brooklyn, New York. Visit her at melissacwalker.com, or at myspace.com/melissacwalker.