I recently read an interesting--and rather depressing--article in the Wall Street Journal about a girl who's 6' 2", a size 4--and has been approached about being a model.

But only if she loses weight.

From Ali Michaels, who was told her legs were "too fat" for runway shows in Paris -- links 1, 2, and 3 -- to Gerren Taylor, who started a modeling career at 12 and saw it end just a few years later when she was told she was "too big"--and that even though she was six feet tall, her hips had to be no more than 35 inches.

This month, readergirlz is talking about body image and looking at a series of books by Melissa Walker, who writes about the modeling industry in her books Violet on the Runway, Violet in Design, and Violet in Private.

Melissa will be chatting about her books, body image, and the modeling industry at the readergirlz forum on September 4th at 9 PM EST/6 PM PST.

And I'm giving away a set of Melissa's books--to enter, all you need to do is leave a comment* by 9 PM EST tonight (so you'll have time to get to Melissa's chat!). I'll pick a winner at random, and announce it here.

*please, please make sure you leave a way for me to contact you so that if you win, I can let you know!

ETA 9:31 EST: Congrats to anilee, who won the books, and please note that due to technical issues, Melissa's chat will now take place next Thursday!

Just a quick reminder that the Picture This! contest ends in three days, so don't forget to send in your pictures of your copy of Bloom, Perfect You, or Stealing Heaven! Remember that winners each get not one, not two, but *five* young adult novels of their choice, plus the option to have their photo displayed on the site to showcase their fantabulousness!

In other news, I have the best friends ever. Want proof?

Well, on Sunday I was supposed to meet someone. I did actually end up meeting her, but not before I'd:

a. gotten a ticket to park in a certain parking lot, and then somehow lost the ticket
b. dumped purse all over sidewalk in frantic attempt to find ticket before getting friend
c. couldn't find ticket
d. hiked all the way back to parking lot entrance in attempt to get another ticket
e. was politely told that as I was not in a car, I wasn't getting a ticket. (attempt to get full day's worth of parking charges vs. the ten minutes I was supposed to have been in lot)
f. resisted urge to scream. pictured friend wishing my head was on a pike.
g. found ticket. in purse.
h. went and got friend. promised to take for coffee "right away"
i. got on the wrong airport exit, and end up on expressway
j. expressway has one exit. is not anywhere near coffee. or anything else.
k. finally get friend to where I promised I'd take her.
l. but not before getting off on the wrong exit, and having to get back on highway

Do I know how to show someone a good time or what?

Did you know that for the class of 2012, shampoo and conditioner have always been available in the same bottle, and that you've always been able to take someone's temperature via the ear? (Lucky, lucky them, especially on that last one!) Other classes are also featured on the link, and it makes for fascinating reading. (My favorite tidbit, from the class of 2004: "The year they were born, the New York Times announced that the "boom in video games," a fad, had come to an end.")

There are days where the hardest thing is to make yourself just sit down and write. Like when you would rather be cleaning your refrigerator with a q-tip which I know does not sound like The Best but when you are stuck on a chapter or a character refuses to die even though you have killed them like 1000 ways, let me tell you, q-tip cleaning seems appealing.--the always witty Michele Jaffe, in a fantastic mini-interview

Editorial Anonymous on Where's My Book?

Tess Gerritsen (whose blog, I'm happy to say, is back in business again) has written a great column about firing your agent over at Murderati

Also! I've been awarded the Brillante Weblog award by Debbi Michiko Florence, who is clearly FAR too kind.

Anyway, I'm supposed to pick seven journals I like to read and let them know that they've won the award but you all know me, and I can't pick seven journals! It's like whenever I'm asked to list my top ten books, a question that inevitably sends me into a state of panic as 'Ten? How can I pick only ten?' So if you have a blog, and would like to have the Brillante Weblog award (it does sound quite spiffy, doesn't it?), then I say consider yourself a winner!

Congrats to Rylie, Jennifer, and Ari, who were the first three people to email me with the answers to yesterday's spontaneous Stealing Heaven contest, which were: New York System hot dogs, found in the tiny (but great!) state of Rhode Island, which is also home to coffee milk and doughboys.

So, about that trip....

Okay. I'd done a pretty good job packing. I hadn't waited until the (very) last minute. I'd packed some books, but not too many because I had my Kindle. And, so I could take along my teeny tiny suitcase, I cleverly managed to get a bunch of clothes (by which I mean most of my clothes) into a garment bag. Where they were hanging up! So as not to get all wrinkly!

I was very proud of myself.

Until we got to the hotel and I realized I'd left the garment bag at home.

Yes. AT HOME.

However, as I was not staying in the middle-of-nowhere (aka where I grew up) I had access to those crazy things called stores and picked up some clothes.

But still.

At home?? Honestly. You'd think I'd know better.

However! Despite the clothes thing, the rest of the trip went fabulously and it was especially fun because I stayed in the area that inspired all the places in Stealing Heaven.

So, in honor of that wonderful state, and its very unusual food traditions (which I was most definitely thinking about as I wrote the book!) -- the first three people to email me at elizabeth at elizabethwrites dot com with the name and type of food that Greg buys for Dani *plus* the actual state where that food can be found (hint: it's not the same state as the name of the food!) will each get a free young adult novel of their choice.

I'm having an exceptionally lazy day today, and I can tell you why. I have to pack. I'm getting ready to go out of town for a few days, and while I like the actual being in other places thing, and am looking forward to catching up on some of the books I have stockpiled on my Kindle, I can't bring myself to start the actual packing process.

There's something that's just inherently frustrating (for me, anyway) about trying to cram X days' worth of clothes into a suitcase. It's like my suitcase knows when I'm almost finished, and suddenly all the clothes expand and I end up sitting on the suitcase, muttering "close, you stupid thing, close!"

At least I have my Kindle. It's very freeing not to have to lug around a bag of books and a suitcase. (Not that I won't be bringing books. This is me we're talking about. I have to bring a few because I haven't not taken a book somewhere since--well, ever. Plus as much as I love my Kindle, nothing beats an actual book. I just love the weight of them, the smell of the pages, and all the promise they hold.)

ooooh, maybe I should go look through my books and see which ones I want to bring now.*


*That totally counts as packing, right?

I loved Wired's six word stories -- my favorite is Margaret Atwood's "Longed for him. Got him. Shit." (How can you NOT love that?)

Anyway, apparently a book is now out that's made up of six word memoirs, which sounds very interesting and I've added it to my (always-growing) list of books I want to buy.

And now, if you're between the ages of 13 and 19, you've got a chance to have your six word memoir published! You can write your memoir and submit it at http://www.smithteens.com/sixwords/

I've updated a few things around elizabethwrites.com, mostly the Living Dead Girl page, where you can now read an excerpt (please note that the book is listed for ages 16 and up and is darker that the books I have out now), check out an interview I did with ALAN, and see my brand-new Kirkus review, which has made me very happy. (Which is to say that when my editor emailed it to me, my reply was all !!!!!!! and YAY!!!! because although I want to be dignified and say things like "Oh, that's wonderful news, thank you so very much," I--well, I'd rather squee. But I promise that the rest of the time I behave in an utterly dignified fashion, except for a brief period of time this morning where I didn't realize I had my shirt on inside out. And backwards.)*

Links:

Lisa Schroeder on defining success

Meg Cabot linked to this awesomely handy indie bookstore finder

A great interview with editor Liz Scheir, an editor at Ballantine Books

Also! Don't forget the Picture This! contest--I am seriously in love with all the photos that have been sent in so far--please keep 'em coming!



*And okay, there was the time I wore two different shoes to work. That wasn't really dignified either. **

**Although only one person noticed, which either says volumes about the people I used to work with. Or me. Probably both.

Dear Head,

Most of the time I like you, but this 24+ hours of sinus pain you've been dishing out is kind of cruel. I mean, must even my teeth hurt?

Anyway, if you could allow the inside of my face to no longer feel like it's being gouged by fork-wielding fiends, that would be awesome.

Love,
Me

In other, not-my-stupid-hurting-head news, the Breaking Dawn party on Friday? FABULOUS! Everyone at B&N was so nice, and I loved being a part of a huge book celebration. Because really, seeing people so happy and anxious to read a book--how can you not love that? Plus a special super Thank You! to everyone who picked up one of my books. Make sure you drop me a note and tell me what you think!