It was Lauren Conrad’s final stop on her two-week book tour, and the reality television star and author was filled with nervous energy, smiles and the type of restless you get after being away from home for a while.

That didn’t matter to her fans. She was sitting on the third floor of BookPeople on North Lamar Boulevard. On the floors below, more than 600 fans from toddlers to grandmothers were waiting for their 15 seconds to meet Conrad during a book signing for Conrad’s new book, “L.A. Candy” ($17.99, HarperCollins).

From the looks of the scene, Conrad, who’s wealthy, pretty and tanned, has become a celebrity for the moment. Her fans, who know her from her time on two MTV hit shows, spent hours waiting in line for her to sign their books. Unlike traditional bookstore visits, she didn’t do a reading. She simply offered a string of pleasantries to her fans and scribbled her name on books.

Conrad, 23, is best known for her roles on “Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County” and its spin-off reality show, “The Hills.” (After five seasons, she walked away from the show.) And in that short time, she has become the type of celebutante who rivals the Jennifer Lopezes of Hollywood.

That means Conrad is not only a reality television star, she’s also an actress, spokeswoman, fashion designer and now an author. (While she was mum about her upcoming projects, I’m sure, as is the path celebrity moguls take, a Conrad fragrance probably is in the works. That wouldn’t surprise me.)

Her book, which has received mixed reviews, is a fictional account based on Conrad’s own life as a reality-show star. The book, the first of three she’ll write, deals with, well, you probably guessed it, a teen who moves to L.A. for an internship and eventually lands a deal for a reality show. (She has finished the first draft of the second book.)

“As for reviews,” she said, “I don’t read them.”

After signings in Houston and Dallas, the California native told me she was ready to get back to her hub in Los Angeles. For the record, the size 0 Conrad wore a neutral-colored Nikki dress by Lorick and clunky shoes, and her hair was in long blond tresses. The look was surprisingly Austin considering Conrad has spent little time here. She also chewed gum and kept a can of Red Bull with her.

“I get to go straight to the airport from here,” she says of her return to California.

Before the steady stream of fans, some bearing gifts and cameras, I chatted with Conrad as she signed several copies of her book in advance for BookPeople. (For the record, Conrad and I had our moment of bonding. Turns our she liked my ring, a piece a bought from the now-defunct Factory People.)

Why do a book?

“I became interested two years ago,” said Conrad, who dates “My Boys” actor Kyle Howard.

She had approached her publisher, HarperCollins, about penning a book on dating. When that didn’t grab attention, her publisher suggested writing a fictional book for teens. And hence, “L.A. Candy” was written.

What are the essentials for summer 2009?

“A very good fitting bikini,” she said. “Finding a bikini that flatters your body is key. (Also) bright colors and neons are big.”

In March, Conrad announced she was taking a break from her own line, the Lauren Conrad Collection. The line debut at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in Los Angeles in 2008. That year, Forbes reported that Conrad makes as much as $1.5 million a year from her various projects.

For now, she’s working with retailer Kohl’s on a fashion line called LC Lauren Conrad, which will hit 300 stores in October and later expand nationwide. (News reports say the line might include intimates, footwear, handbags and jewelry.) The line will have prices ranging from $20 to $60 unlike her high-end line that was only carried at boutiques.

During her run of bookstore appearances, she said she has been doing trend research and taking notes on what women are wearing these days.

“It’s fun,” she said of her many jobs. “I get a little bit of work ADD.”

Right before, we finished our chat, I started to ask her, “And life after ‘The Hills’ …”

Then she quickly stated: “… is awesome.”

“My mom told me I’m a whole new person,” Conrad said.

But her fans didn’t seem to mind.

Source: statesman.com