Megan Frazer

I hope you guys have been keeping up with all the great posts during the Body Image week at MyFavoriteAuthor! Personally, I’ve been so impressed by all of the posts. It was an eclectic group of writers — authors, bloggers, and commenters. Posts and comments have given me much to think about and for that I am very grateful.

First off, this is a reminder to report back on the challenge that was issued last week! Go to MyFavoriteAuthor and comment on the wrap up post there.. One (or more) winners will be chosen tomorrow from all the comments made today.

This of course says something about our culture — that every woman’s goal must be to be thinner — and something about Ivoirian culture, too, for that matter. I should say that I was not personally offended by being told I looked like I was losing weight, since most of the people who mentioned it are close friends, and know that I would like to get back to my pre-baby weight. Still, it did strike me as an odd thing to comment on. This is all a long, wind-about way to urge people to think about the compliments we do give. Instead of telling someone she looks thinner, why not tell someone she looks happy or peaceful or healthy? Why not tell someone he’s doing a good job?

So, although Body Image Week at MyFvorite Author is over, I am still going to work on simply saying, “Thank you,” — and on being more mindful of the compliments I give.

In Secrets of Truth & Beauty, Dara is a former child pageant star. So, in order to introduce you to the wonderful authors and characters of the 2009 Debutantes, I am hosting a Debs Pageant on my blog.

Today’s contestant is Shawna from C. Lee McKenzie’s debut novel Sliding on the Edge.

Character name: Shawna Stone
Age: 16

Biography: I can handle anything. A Las Vegas hustle. Skipping out on the rent. And don’t get in my face and try to tell me I must be scared because I’m not.

What is your talent? I can tell the best lies. Nobody would ever suspect what I say isn’t the absolute truth. Of course, my shoplifting isn’t bad either.

What will you wear for the evening dress competition? I own a T-shirt. Just one. But it’s a winner with its one line philosophy across my chest.

Who is your escort? I’m goin’ stag. I don’t care much for guys . . . well, it’s not that I don’t care for them. I just don’t trust them much.

And now for the interview portion . . . What’s the biggest challenge facing today’s youth?
Adults who don’t or won’t listen, who won’t take time to understand, who are too busy to notice when someone like me has a big problem.

What color best represents you and why?
Anything but plaid! I hate plaid. But if one color represents me, I’d choose black. Black’s a color, right?

If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be?
I’d ask for my father back. If he’d lived I wouldn’t be stuck alone with Jackie. That’s my mom.

Thank you Shawna and C. Lee!

For more about C. Lee McKenzie, please visit her website.

Sliding on the Edge is out now! You can order from Amazon, or pick it up at your local independent bookstore.

Are you following the Body Image posts so far?  Check out a post about my book at MyFavoriteAuthor and my guest post today at Presenting Lenore.

Secrets of Truth & Beauty is one of many books recently or soon-to-be released that address various aspects of the issue of body image. SpeedReader of MyFavoriteAuthor has organized a Body Image Week with many other bloggers and authors participating with book reviews, author interviews/guest posts/videos, a couple of challenges and a great book giveaway at the end. I’ll be guest posting on Sunday!

So check them out today to see the full schedule of the week’s events and where the various posts will be showing up around the blogosphere. And don’t forget to accept the Body Image Challenge today! Everyone who accepts the challenge and reports back at the end of the week will be entered in the giveaway to win:

WINTERGIRLS (signed) by Laurie Halse Anderson
MY BIG NOSE AND OTHER NATURAL DISASTERS by Sydney Salter
THE SECRETS OF TRUTH AND BEAUTY by Megan Frazer
MODELS DON’T EAT CHOCOLATE COOKIES by Erin Dionne

This makes me very happy.

In Secrets of Truth & Beauty, Dara is a former child pageant star. So, in order to introduce you to the wonderful authors and characters of the 2009 Debutantes, I am hosting a Debs Pageant on my blog.

Today we have Sydney Salter, whose debut My Big Nose and Other Natural Disasters was released on April 1st.

Character name: Jory Michaels
Age: 17
Biography: I’m slightly disaster-prone and I’m searching for my passion, in the creative–and otherwise–sense of the word. But everything will change for the better once I save enough money for a life-altering nose job!

What is your talent? Well, it’s not driving. Not yoga. Not movie criticism. Definitely not soccer. And I’m not going to like making jewelry because my mom is totally getting into it (can’t the woman find her own stupid hobby?). I’m still kinda trying to find my passion, so can I get back to you on that?

What will you wear for the evening dress competition? A burkha? Or maybe an evening gown with a ski mask?

Who is your escort? Why can’t I enter this pageant after I get the nose job?!? I don’t know. Tyler is just a huge flirt. Wooster Tom acts interested, but he never calls. And Gideon–well, he has his own nose issues. I’ll probably have to take my brother Finn. But then he’ll just win the beauty contest himself. And end up with a dozen new girlfriends.

And now for the interview portion . . .What’s the biggest challenge facing today’s youth?
We’re supposed to be so perfect. We have to look perfect. We have to do well in school. We have to have amazing boyfriends. We have to have interesting hobbies. We’re supposed to be good at absolutely everything. Some of us are just plain ordinary! But that’s like not allowed.

Thank you Jory and Sydney!

My Big Nose and Other Natural Disasters is available now from Amazon or from your local independent bookseller.

For more about Sydney, please visit her website.

There’s a great profile of Anna Faris in this week’s Entertainment Weekly. There’s a lot in there about the double standards for men and women in comedy.

“What is that all about?” Faris wonders. ”Is it that funny women are scary?”

Seth Rogen (ah, Seth!) has a quote about what he can get away with as a male comic versus what women can do:

”I can be in movies smoking weed and dating high school girls and shooting people with machine guns and the studio doesn’t bat an eye. But as soon as a girl does something remotely unlikable, they say, ‘We don’t want a b****y girl in the movie! No one wants to watch a b***h!”

Personally, I’m afraid it’s as much about attitude as looks. Good comics often look really goofy, ugly even. And Hollywood doesn’t like an ugly girl. What do you think?

While you’re at the EW site, check out this tribute to librarians.

In Secrets of Truth & Beauty, Dara is a former child pageant star. So, in order to introduce you to the wonderful authors and characters of the 2009 Debutantes, I am hosting a Debs Pageant on my blog.

Today we have Savannah from Cheryl Renee Herbsman’s Breathing. This book will transport you to a Carolina beach.

Character name: Savannah Georgina Brown
Age: 15
Biography:

I live on the Carolina Coast with my mama and my brother. I do real well in school. I’ve got real bad asthma, but I try not to let it slow me down.

What is your talent? Ooh, now that’s a hard one. I’m not real good at singing or dancing or that type of thing. We don’t have a whole lot of money for lessons or what have you. But when me and my friend Stef were little we wanted to be baton girls. So maybe I could do that.

What will you wear for the evening dress competition?
I’ll have to see if Mama will take me out to buy me something new. Right now the fanciest thing I have is a real pretty blue sundress.

Who is your escort? Jackson, of course!

And now for the interview portion . . . If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be?
If I could change one thing, it’d be to make it so that everyone has plenty of money. That way Mama wouldn’t have to worry so about our medical bills and she and Jackson wouldn’t have to work so much. I believe everybody would be a better person if they didn’t have to worry over money.

Thank you Savannah and Cheryl!

To get your hands on a copy of Breathing, go to your local independent book store, or order it from Amazon.

To find out more about Cheryl, please visit her website.

In Secrets of Truth & Beauty, Dara is a former child pageant star. So, in order to introduce you to the wonderful authors and characters of the 2009 Debutantes, I am hosting a Debs Pageant on my blog.

Today we have Mary from Carrie Ryan’s highly-anticipated, now-in-stores The Forest of Hands and Teeth.

Character name: Mary
Age: around 15
Biography: Mary grew up in a village surrounded by a forest full of zombies. She’s been taught her whole life that they are the only ones left in the world, but she believes there’s more to the world past the Forest of Hands and Teeth.

What is your talent? Making up stories.

What will you wear for the evening dress competition? We don’t have any fancy fabrics and my mother would never let me use anything we do have to make something as impractical as an evening dress, so I’ll end up wearing my usual clothes: long cotton skirt and a shirt.

Who is your escort? I wish it would be Travis, but of course it ends up being my brother Jed (who isn’t particularly pleased about it).

The Forest of Hand and Teeth is available now. Pick up your copy at your local library, Amazon, or your local independent book store. Carrie recommends Park Road Books in Charlotte, NC and The Open Book in Greenville, SC.

For more information about Carrie, visit her website.

It’s April 15th, which means it’s time to give away another Debsness bag:

Click the pretty picture, enter, and win.

Speaking of winning, what level of fame do you think an author needs to achieve before she could potentially be on Dancing With the Stars? It’s probably pretty high. Like Meyer/Rowling/King high, huh? Le sigh.