Winter Escapes!

Are you ready to be done with winter?

I am. My toes are so cold, and even my new cozy slippers are not enough...

But here's some fun news: I'm going to be featured in this month's HarperTeen Winter Escapes! Every day there's a new book featured -- with quizzes, prizes, free stuff, and fun ways to avoid doing your homework (or writing your book, whatever -- not that I am procrastinating there, asking the magic snowglobe to predict my future or anything. No way! It's... it's research. Yes, really, that's what it is.)

My big day is February 21! Please make sure to come on February 21. Go ahead and write it down in your planner -- Rachel Vail day at the WInter Escapes site, Feb 21. Seriously, go ahead. We'll wait for you.

Back? Okay. But here's the thing -- you can also go visit today, and every day this month -- there's a lot to check out. And it is really fun!

(Not that I was loitering there or anything.)

There will be info on LUCKY and GORGEOUS and some hints about BRILLIANT, which is coming very soon... and lots of other stuff, too -- games, quizzes, prizes...

Here's the link: http://bit.ly/bsFd9e

More soon -- I keep meaning to tell you all about my recent shopping spree (thanks to Hannah and the terrific crew at Intermix -- you guys are great and so are my new "jeggings" -- who knew such things even existed?) and my upcoming photo shoot (!!! -- anybody have tips on how to look gorgeous in photos? send them -- quick! All advice-givers will be entered into a contest to win a free signed book!), but I am also in the thick of writing my new book so I keep procrastinating on my procrastinating (you have to be a master to do this. Don't try it at home, or until you've had years of serious procrastination training.)

The writing, I will just briefly say, is getting to the fun part, where I am fully sucked in and therefore a danger to myself and others because it is hard for me to keep track of things like boiling water in pots or, like, gravity's effects if I forget to continue holding the stuff in my hand... I love this part.

You'd think that a person who wrote the book GORGEOUS, about a girl who sells her cell to the devil and becomes gorgeous, and accidentally ends up a model despite (or because of?) a horrendous photo shoot with a world-famous photographer... would know a lot about looking gorgeous. You would be wrong. Because while I am not a world famous model by a long-shot, that horrendous photo shoot in the book was based on an actual, real-life, horrendous photo shoot. (Yes, the photographer told me those things: the spaces between your fingers are too pale. Look a little more left and a little more right. Do something more natural with your left hand; your left hand looks terribly awkward. Why is your hair like that? etc.) So I am slightly photo-phobic. And wide open to suggestions. What should I do to look great in photographs??? Or at least not look like apologetic? All those pictures posted here are possible looks my cool niece suggested... what do you think?

In exchange for sharing your wisdom, remember, you could win a free signed book...

To do to day:

* go to the Winter Escapes Site: http://bit.ly/bsFd9e

* have fun, enter contests, win stuff

* post in comments your tips for how to look great in photos -- and you will be entered to win a free signed book!

* bundle up -- in NYC, anyway, the forecast is for MORE SNOW tomorrow.

* have fun (why not? but if it's on your to do list, you can fully justify it)

Love,

Rachel Vail