Works by
Melissa de la Cruz
(Writer)

Fiction

• Fresh Off the Boat (2005)
  Dear Peaches,
  
  America is PERFECT! I love it here. I wish you could come visit -- we could go shopping on Market Street and you could meet all my new friends. . . .
  
  Okay, so Vicenza isn't being totally honest with Peaches, her best friend back in Manila. But what fun is it being the new girl at snooty Grosvernor High? Or rooting through the Salvation Army for unholy cashmere sweaters? Or having culture-shocked, embarrassingly clueless parents? Maybe being Claude Caligari's ignored geometry partner is sort of fun, but Vicenza would rather be his girlfriend . . . or at least his date to the annual fancy-schmancy Soirée d'Hiver.
  
  But Vicenza won't be friendless, fashionless, or "fresh off the boat" for long -- it's only a matter of time before she sees what's right before her eyes and her luck begins to change. Young adult.

Collections

• Mistletoe: Four Holiday Stories (2006) by Aimee Friedman, Hailey Abbott, Melissa de la Cruz, and Nina Malkin
  Glittering white snowflakes. The handsome blond ski instructor. The sparkle on a cashmere skirt. Hot cocoa and kisses in front of a crackling fire. The holiday season is the ESSENCE of magic...and romance. Four of today's bestselling teen authors -- Aimee Friedman, Hailey Abbott, Melissa de la Cruz, and Nina Malkin -- bring us delectable tales of love and lust and holiday cheers (and tears) in this one-of-a-kind collection that teens will devour faster than a plate of Christmas cookies.  Young adult.

• 21 Proms: Every Prom Date Has a Story (2007), Daniel Ehrenhaft and David Levithan, eds.
  Authors include: Adrienne Vrettos, Aimee Friedman, Brent Hartinger, Cecily von Ziegesar, Dan Ehrenhaft, David Levithan, E. Lockhart, Holly Black, Jacqueline Woodson, Jodi Anderson, John Green, Leslie Margolis, Libba Bray, Lisa Sandell, Liz Craft, Melissa de la Cruz, Ned Vizzini, Sarah Mylnowski, and Will Leitch.  Young adult.

Series

Angels on Sunset Boulevard Series
(Young Adult)

1. Angels on Sunset Boulevard (2007)
   Johnny Silver is the world's soon-to-be biggest rock star, but on the eve of his debut concert in Los Angeles, he mysteriously disappears, causing global pandemonium. His friend Taj tries to discover the truth about his disappearance, which leads her to TAP.com and its shadowy founder, Sutton Werner, who throws the wildest parties in Bel-Air.
   
   TAP started out innocently enough, as a website that dishes the dirt on the kids of Sunset Boulevard and beyond. But it has become something more. Membership is a privilege with responsibilities and consequences.
   
   At Sutton's parties, anything goes, especially in the legendary backroom rituals nicknamed The Angels Practice. Rumors abound of a special drink handed out at the parties that tap into otherworldly sensations.
   
   One night Taj meets Nick, a Westside preppie who doesn't buy into the TAP mayhem, especially since his kid sister never came home from attending one of its blow-out bashes. Slowly the two of them are drawn to TAP and to each other. But Taj just might know more than she's letting on....
   
   Are you ready for the darker side of Tinsel-town's brightest lights?

Au Pairs Series
(Young Adult)

1. The Au Pairs (2004)
   Summer in the city? Way overrated. Everybody who's anybody in New York City summers in the Hamptons. Mara, Eliza, and Jacqui all want a piece of the action, all for different reasons.
   
   So the girls answer a classified ad to become au pairs. How bad can it be, watching a couple of kids on the beach all day? They've got the swank address, the sweet ride, and an all-access pass to the hottest social scene on the East Coast. It's shaping up to be the summer of their lives.

2. Skinny-dipping (2005)
   Not-so-poor-anymore Eliza has traded babysitting for velvet-rope-sitting. And Jacqui, in an odd twist, is doing all the babysitting because Mara's up every night doing her best second-rate party girl impression at the hot club where Eliza works. At first it's annoying, but the new au pair, Philippe, is sexy and French -- but off-limits to Jacqui, who claims she's sworn off guys.
   
   Your favorite bikini-clad au pairs are back. But this summer, if it's possible, they will have more fun, more sun, and more romance than they know how to handle.

3. Sun-kissed (2006)
   The three hottest au pairs in history are back, and this time they're ready to rule the Hamptons. Mara has all the VIPs in the hottest clubs hanging on her every word. Eliza's family is back from financial ruin; and she's got the platinum charge cards to prove it. Jacqui is newly single and ready for some steamy summer hook-ups. The girls seem to have it all this summer...but looks, as we all know, can be deceiving.
   
   Mara's living every girl's dream: playing house with her boyfriend, Ryan Perry, on his parents' luxury yacht while writing a column about night-life in the Hamptons. With a press pass to every hot event, Mara's ready to hit the red carpet and scoop even the most seasoned journalists. If only she could get a pass from Ryan, who just wants her to stay home and cuddle.
   
   Last summer's "No boys!" mantra is a distant memory for Jacqui. While the new au pair, Shannon, handles the Perry kids, Jacqui searches for some serious fun. And she doesn't have to look far: Three dot.com boy millionaires have moved in next door and are more than happy to compete for her affections. Thus Jacqui's new mantra is, "Why have just one when you can have them all?"
   
   Eliza and Jeremy are in total relationship bliss. She's decided to take the next step with Jeremy and nothing's going to stop her this time. Unfortunately, what she thought would be a cakewalk internship for a famous fashion designer turns out to be more hours of hard labor than she, or her relationship, are ready for. Too bad Jeremy won't stop questioning her work ethic long enough for Eliza to get back in the mood.
   
   The Au Pairs: Sun-kissed. Because it's soooo much more than just a job.

4. Crazy Hot (2007)
   It's been a year since the hottest au pairs ever saw the Hamptons, and they're certainly older -- though not necessarily wiser. Or drama-free.
   
   Eliza, Jacqui, and Mara thought they'd be spending the summer apart, but when Eliza's new stepmother finds herself in need of some nannying help around the megamansion with the step-monsters, Eliza makes a call...and Jacqui and Mara wind up with two first-class tickets to the Hamptons.
   
   After ruling her first year at Parsons, Eliza, the up-and-coming starlet-turned-designer, is opening her own boutique on super posh Main Street. But it's not just Eliza's career that's on the fast track -- her relationship with Jeremy is too. Too bad he's moving too fast for Eliza to keep up.
   
   Brazilian beauty Jacqui is trying to be a good, responsible au pair. But it's tough when there's a hot British photographer following you around, telling you to quit your job and become an international supermodel. All she wants is to make enough money to pay for NYU...so what happens when she gets a much bigger offer?
   
   After getting fired from her travel-writing job and dumped at the airport by her journalist boyfriend, Mara settles for a summer chasing toddlers once again. There's one benefit to nannying: She'll have plenty of material for the novel she's writing about being an au pair -- and an It Girl -- in the Hamptons. Nothing's going to distract her from the task at hand...except perhaps her old flame, Ryan Perry.
   
   Can our three favorite Hamptons girls survive the craziest, hottest summer yet?

Blue Bloods Girls Series
(Young Adult)

1. Blue Bloods (2006)
   When the Mayflower set sail in 1620, it carried on board the men and women who would shape America: Miles Standish; John Alden; Constance Hopkins. But some among the Pilgrims were not pure of heart; they were not escaping religious persecution. Indeed, they were not even human. They were vampires. The vampires assimilated quickly into the New World. Rising to levels of enormous power, wealth, and influence, they were the celebrated blue bloods of American society. The Blue Bloods vowed that their immortal status would remain a closely guarded secret. And they kept that secret for centuries. But now, in New York City, the secret is seeping out. Schuyler Van Alen is a sophomore at a prestigious private school. Suddenly, when she turns fifteen, there is a visible mosaic of blue veins on her arm. She starts to crave raw food and she is having flashbacks to ancient times. Then a girl from her school is found dead . . . drained of all her blood. Schuyler doesn't know what to think. Could those vampire legends really be true? Steeped in vampire lore and set against the heady backdrop of the rich, young, and powerful in the heart of New York City, Blue Bloods will be devoured by Melissa de la Cruzs legion fans.

2. Masquerade (2007)
   A mysterious new vampire boy blows into town, causing chaos among the Blue Blood Girls

3. Revenge of the Sith (In progress)

Cat McAllister Series

1. Cat's Meow (2001) with Kim DeMarco, Illustrator
   Cat McAllister grew up as a Hollywood child star, spent her adolescence modeling in Japan, and now, as she celebrates her twenty-fifth birthday for the fourth time, she lives for velvet ropes, Moët & Chandon, gold-leaf invitations, and other fashionista prizes. But on her way up the social ladder, making her way past the who's who and the what's what, Cat finds herself stuck in that seventh circle of celebrity hell.
   
   What's worse, her funds are running dry.
   
   What's a girl to do?
   
   Marry rich. And so the ruckus begins, taking us from China for a baby adoption, to Paris for the couture shows, to the "it" world of Gotham. And that's just the hors d'oeuvres.
   
   Punctuated with Kim DeMarco's illustrations, Cat's Meow is a spectacularly witty novel about a young woman looking for love, clothes, and what will make her truly happy in life.

2. The Girl Can't Help It! (2001)
   Cat McAllister is just about to celebrate her 25th birthday for the fourth time. A child-actress turned fading It-girl, she’s well aware that her fame is starting to lose its shine. She really should have tragically overdosed by now. Or else succumbed to some harrowing disease brought on by a steady diet of vodka-tonics and TicTacs. Currently she’s in danger of being consigned to that seventh circle of celebrity hell where she’s just recognizable enough for people to think she’s someone else. Worse still, her trust fund is running dry... What’s a girl to do? With few assets (aside from a temperature-controlled closet) and fewer talents (shopping and an encyclopedic knowledge of Best-Dressed Lists) there’s only one way out of B-list obscurity: to marry and marry well. Her quarry: not just Mr Right but Prince Right - New York’s most eligible bachelor, Stefan of Westonia. Let the games begin ...

The Ashley Files Series
(Ages 9-12)

1. The Ashleys (October 2007 release) with Roger Moenks, Photographer
   The popular seventh-graders at the Hamlin School are all named Ashley.  Except for one: Laura.  This is her secret report.

The Jet Set Chronicles

1. Social Life (2007)
   The most fabulous sixteen year old girls in the world, and their misadventures on the International Social Calendar, party-hopping on their favorite jet.  First stop: St. Tropez.  Champagne showers anyone?

2. St. Tropez (Future release)

Non-fiction

• How to Become Famous in Two Weeks or Less (2003) by Karen Robinovitz and Melissa De La Cruz
  2 WOMEN, 14 DAYS. THE GOAL? ACHIEVE BOLD FACE STATUS
  
  SIGHTINGS: Spotted last night at a giant bash at Nobu: fashionista cuties Karen Robinovitz and Melissa De La Cruz. Karen was heard saying she’s “still exhausted” from her recent Bungalow 8 birthday party that would have made P. Diddy jealous. Apparently, she was wearing two million dollars’ worth of Harry Winston diamonds (including the 22-carat ring Whoopie Goldberg wore to the Oscars) and was constantly shadowed by a bodyguard named Lou who was straight out of a Scorsese film. Melissa, also fatigued from the fast track, just hosted an intimate dinner party at a swanky Upper East Side restaurant attended by trend-setting journos from New York magazine, The Observer, Allure, “Page Six” as well as the indefatigable Michael Musto–and as part of the gift bag giveaway, the whole crew is being flown to Miami to stay at a five-star resort favored by the likes of Will Smith.
  
  Asked how they managed to go from barely-known freelance writers to A-list celebrities in just fourteen days, they coyly spilled the beans: Marie Claire called with the assignment, and they simply begged, clawed, cried, borrowed, cheated, lied, stole, and bribed their way to fame. Their how-to tips to stardom include “Pick an M&M color to hate, and stick to it.” And they’re writing a book, daaahlings, so whether you live in New York or Nebraska, you too can have the goods to claim your own fame and become legendary.

• The Fashionista Files: Adventures in Four-Inch Heels and Faux Pas (2004) by Karen Robinovitz and Melissa De La Cruz..
  A fashionista is a girl who always looks current and cutting edge, even when her clothes are vintage 1975. A fashionista can tell her Pucci from her Gucci and her Blahniks from her Choos, but she’s as comfortable in Kmart as she is in Chanel. She wears what she likes and always looks fantastic. She’s a clothing chameleon: a sharp tweed suit and ladylike driving gloves one moment, a punk rock T-shirt and studded belt the next. She’s a gypsy, a princess, and a diva. She’s fashion-forward, shopping-addicted, and full of fun. And you can be her, no matter your size, style, or budget.
  Authors Melissa de la Cruz and Karen Robinovitz are fashionistas who share a love for impractical shoes, small dogs that fit in designer handbags, and wearing white after Labor Day. They eat, sleep, and breathe fashion. And they’ll teach you how to:
   

  • Make a whole new wardrobe out of the awful duds that lurk in the back of your closet

  • Use the words “postmodern” and “ironic” to fake your way through pseudo-intellectual cocktail conversation (really–it’s easy, and so postmodern and ironic!)

  • Score big with chic and cheap finds at thrift stores, consignment shops, and discount designer outlets

  • Live like a socialite on a shoestring budget

  In two weeks or less, you’ll be living the lush life, from the brim of your Eugenia Kim fedora to the tip of your pointy Christian Louboutin pumps!

• Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys: True Tales of Love, Lust, and Friendship Between Straight Women and Gay Men (2007), Melissa de la Cruz and Tom Dolby, eds.
  Thanks to iconic duos such as Sex and the City’s Carrie and Stanford and the title characters of Will & Grace, the love affair between straight women and gay men has moved into the mainstream. Never before, though, has a book looked at these friendships in the real world.
  
  The editors, themselves best friends, have put together this collection of hilarious and poignant never-before-published essays that explore this unique relationship. In addition to stories about single girls and gay guys bonding over shopping sprees and brunch, these stories chronicle love and lust, infatuation and heartbreak, growing up and coming out, and family and children.
  
  Straight women and gay men alike will relate to these tales from a diverse array of contributors, ranging from literary novelists to Emmy Award winners, single girls about town to mothers of four, downtown performance artists to Hollywood scenesters. This definitive anthology, the first of its kind, proves that more durable than diamonds, straight women and gay men are each other’s true best friends.
  
  Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys features stories by Andrew Solomon, Armistead Maupin, Ayelet Waldman, Cindy Chupack, David Ebershoff,  Elizabeth Spires, Gigi Levangie Grazer, K. M. Soehnlein, Michael Musto, Simon Doonan, and others.
  
  A share of the proceeds from this book will benefit The Trevor Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping gay teens.