readergirlz on the Runway with Melissa Walker

This month on readergirlz, we're hosting the lovely Melissa Walker, author of Violet on the Runway, Violet by Design, and Violet in Private. "It's a hard sell, asking readers to muster sympathy for the congenitally gorgeous whose job it is to wear designer clothes and walk," said a reviewer in the New York Times. "In Violet on the Runway, Melissa Walker pulls it off."

A wallflower in the spotlight can do one of two things: wilt or blossom. Shy and insecure, Violet Greenfield's life changes forever when a lady in giant Chanel shades tells her she could be IT, the next Kate Moss. Tall, skinny Violet, who's been P-L-A-I-N practically forever, ends up walking runways in New York City, Brazil, and Paris. Juggling her best friends, her agent's shrill demands, and the pressure of the fashion world to stay thin at any cost takes its toll on Violet. When she finally does choose college over modeling, will she be able to stick to her decision? After all, if she's not Violet on the Runway anymore, who is she?

So how does a trendy fashionista-slash-author who was once an ELLEgirl Features Editor and Seventeen Prom Editor choose to adorn her own body? Melissa's favorite glam outfit is a black strapless dress from the Luella Bartley for Target designer collection, plus vintage Oscar de la Renta high heels, but she writes in T-shirts and yoga pants with flip-flops or soft slippers (the writer's uniform, one of the perks of the job).

Discuss the runway, body image, and the novel with the author herself. Melissa will be chatting live at the readergirlz forum on Thursday, August 28th at 6 PM PST/9 PM EST. The chat will last for about an hour.