Melissa Walker

Claire Zulkey edits the blog Zulkey.com. She wrote a very short humor book called Girls! Girls! Girls! as well as the newly released YA novel An Off Year.

She interviewed Melissa Walker, author of Violet on the Runway, Violet by Design and Violet in Private (Penguin), and the recently released Lovestruck Summer (HarperTeen).

A few exchanges from the Q & A:

What's something popular that you'd love if you were a teen but don't, being an old lady and all?

I love this question. Edward Cullen.

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What's the hardest part about writing YA fiction?

Being really honest about everything that makes up my characters. I think young adult readers can smell a fake much quicker than adults.

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What kind of research did you do on the fashion/modeling world for the Violet books?

My years at ELLEgirl, where I often interviewed up-and-coming models, gave me enough of a glimpse of all the fabulous and frightening sides of that industry for 20 books.

Read the complete interview.

--Marshal Zeringue