Look out bookworms, popstar/actress Hilary Duff is coming for YOU! Hilary, who is happily engaged to be wed to hockey player Mike Comrie, is releasing her debut novel called Elixir this Fall. Simon & Schuster, her publisher, reveals that Elixir will be the first book in a series aimed at young adults. Here is our first look at the cover artwork for Hil D‘s first tome:

Hilary Duff has signed a deal with Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers to publish a young adult fiction series. The first novel in the series, Elixir, will be published in hardcover in October 2010. Simon & Schuster also secured world rights for a nonfiction title to be published in spring 2012. The nonfiction book will be about the challenges faced by children of divorce, an issue that has touched Hilary’s own life. Simon & Schuster says Hilary Duff’s Elixir series “combines the overpowering allure of a dangerous love triangle with thrilling international adventure.” Here is a description of the book from the Simon & Schuster press release.

Clea Raymond is a talented young photojournalist who has spent her entire life in the spotlight as the daughter of a Washington politician and a renowned surgeon. Haunted by the strange appearance of a mysterious young man in her photographs, Clea travels the globe with her best friends, Rayna and Ben, in a race against time to unravel a centuries-old mystery that could unlock the key to her soulmate’s true identity and the secret of her father’s disappearance–and ultimately save all their lives.

Hilary Duff says, “I’ve always loved the escape of a great book, especially one that features a strong, inspiring female character you feel you really understand, someone who could be you, but living a more fascinating life. I’m hoping Elixir will be that kind of book–a novel that will transport readers and open new worlds for them.”

I suppose if Lauren LC Conrad, of The Hills fame, can be an author why can’t Hilary Duff? In all honesty, I can’t say that Duff‘s foray into the world of young adult fiction seems all that interesting to me. But I might be willing to spend some time reading the nonfiction book she is planning to write. I’m always very curious to read things written by celebs. If, in fact, her book is not ghostwritten by someone else, I would be very interested to find out what her writing is like. I’m not sure if either of these literary offerings seem attractive to you but if either of these books get young adults to read, then I can’t really hate on them at all.

[Source, Source]

Back in January, we learned that Prince William became a full-fledged military pilot when he graduated from the Defence Helicopter Flying School at Royal Air Force Shawbury. Today we learn that his little brother, Prince Harry, has followed in his footsteps and has also become a British military helicopter pilot. Here are a few photos of Harry getting his provisional pilot’s wings (he won’t get the real thing until he graduates from the military academy) from his father Prince Charles at a special ceremony earlier today:

British Army commanders have selected Prince Harry to train as an Apache attack helicopter pilot, his office said Friday, boosting the 25-year-old’s hopes of returning to the front lines in Afghanistan. Prince Harry, who received his pilot’s wings from his father, Prince Charles, at a ceremony on Friday, said it was a “huge honor” to learn to fly “an awesome helicopter.” “There is still a huge mountain for me to climb if I am to pass the Apache training course,” he said in a statement issued by his London office. To be honest, I think it will be one of the biggest challenges in my life so far,” the statement said. “I am very determined, though, as I do not want to let down people who have shown faith in my ability to fly this aircraft on operations.” The prince, who is third in line to the British throne and is known in the military as Lt. Harry Wales, passed his basic helicopter training course last month. He was one of nine training pilots awarded their provisional wings by Prince Charles, who is Colonel in Chief of the Army Air Corps. “You are looking very smart, if I may say so,” Charles told his son as he inspected the graduates. Chelsy Davy, who has long been romantically linked with Harry, was in attendance, cheering loudly when his name was called out as the winner of the Peter Adams Trophy, a prize for the best tactical ability during the operational training phase. Harry’s success at basic training granted him the right to choose to apply to train on either the Apache, or the Lynx, a battlefield utility helicopter. His office said that Army Air Corps commanders judged that the prince’s skills and flying abilities best suited the Apache, which was designed to hunt and destroy tanks. The helicopter has been extensively used in Afghanistan to assault enemy ground positions and fly cover for Chinook heavy-lift support helicopters. Harry has made no secret of his desire to return to the front lines in Afghanistan.

Ah, yes … Miss Chelsy Davy was there to cheer on her hot royal boyfriend. Prince Wills is happily with Kate Middleton and Harry is still with Chelsy and all is right with the world. I suppose congratulations are in order for the young prince. I suspect it’s no small feat to achieve an honor like this. While some may scoff that he may have only gotten his wings because of his royal stature, it seems very telling to me that Harry wants to get back and fight in the thick of armed combat in Afghanistan. I would think his royal stature would do more to preclude him from going back into combat rather than push him to the front of the line. In any event, I think the folks in the UK can be very proud that they have such able-bodied men in the Princes of Wales that want to serve their country in this way.

[Photo credit: Splash News; Source]

We are just one day away from the EPICNESS that will be Betty White hosting Saturday Night Live. Thus far, we’ve seen our dear Betty out and about at events in and around NYC and today we get to see a couple of simple, yet fabulous photos of Betty making her grand exit from her hotel in NY this week on her way to the NBC studios for SNL rehearsals:

I am just so excited to see Betty in action, live on SNL tomorrow night. I realize she is a women in her late 80′s but she seems so spry, so lively that I can’t help but believe she will kill it on SNL. I know she’s been workin’ hard in NYC this week but there will be no rest for the weary. Once she returns home to LA, she will go right to work on her new TV series Hot In Cleveland which will air on TV Land this Summer. Betty is so hot, hot, hot right now … it’s really amazing. I just hope the dear lady takes things nice and slow … that way we can have many, many, many years of Betty fabulousness to look forward to :)

[Photo credit: Splash News]

JJ Abrams has a new film release on the horizon, a super-secret project called Super 8 that was rumored to be either a prequel or a sequel to his 2008 film Cloverfield. It was revealed earlier this week that Super 8 has nothing at all to do with Cloverfield and is, in fact, a new story which will be made in conjunction with Steven Spielberg:

The first teaser trailer for Super 8 will be shown in front of screenings of Iron Man 2 this weekend … which began showing last night at midnight. And so … a grainy, not great quality version of the trailer has leaked to the Internets. Get your first look at Abrams‘s new film Super 8 after the jump …