Jennifer Brown

Technically, I've been having lunch with Celeste Harris, the main character of Erin Dionne's novel, MODELS DON'T EAT CHOCOLATE COOKIES, all week long, since running across and snapping up a copy of the book during my son's school book fair.

But today I'm officially dining with Celeste, as part of my "Lunching with Leads" blog series, and I can hardly wait!

About the Book:

Thirteen-year-old Celeste Harris is no string bean, but comfy sweatpants and a daily chocolate cookie suit her just fine. Her under-the-radar lifestyle could have continued too, if her aunt hadn’t entered her in the HuskyPeach Modeling Challenge. To get out of it, she’s forced to launch Operation Skinny Celeste—because, after all, a thin girl can’t be a fat model! What Celeste never imagined was that losing weight would help her gain a backbone . . . or that all she needed to shine was a spotlight.

I should say, this is the type of book that made me fall in love with reading in the first place, so I'm so thrilled to have Erin (and Celeste) on the blog today! So, let's eat!

Where are we eating?

Celeste's mom's kitchen

Oh, good! I was afraid I'd have to squeeze into a table at the school caf. What's on the menu?

Homemade macaroni and cheese, with root beer to drink. And Butterscotch apple crumb cake for dessert (for recipes, visit www.erindionne.com/models_recipes.html).

Erin Dionne has lived on two coasts and in four states. Her debut novel, MODELS DON’T EAT CHOCOLATE COOKIES, was inspired by events that occurred in seventh grade, when she wore a scary peach bridesmaid dress in her cousin’s wedding and threw up on her gym teacher’s shoes (not at the same event).  Although humiliating at the time, these experiences are working for her now.  

Erin lives outside of Boston with her husband and daughter, and a very insistent dog named Grafton. She roots for the Red Sox, teaches English at an art college, and sometimes eats chocolate cookies.

Visit Erin Dionne at http://www.erindionne.com