What's New With Dona? (PRIZE WEEK!)

This is an exciting week here at the Books Boys Buzz blog. Not only will you find out what's going on with each of us, you can comment for a chance to win a lovely bracelet and earring set that I found at my local boutique, Chic Style. As you can see, it's green, perfect for St. Patrick's Day! Comment every day for more chances to win.

Here's What's New With the Beautiful & Talented Dona Sarkar

How was the holiday season? Did anything surprising happen to you?

This was the best holiday season ever! I had surprise Christmas Eve guests! My friends from California suddenly called on Dec. 23rd and asked if they could come up and spend the holidays with us. I was so happy to have them here because we'd had a very quiet Christmas planned. We loved having a full house and a fun holiday meal. My husband made lamb-chops and mint jelly. I made stuffing and mashed potatoes ... we had leftovers!

What are you most looking forward to in 2011?

I am really looking forward to all my upcoming traveling this spring and summer. The RT (Romantic Times) conference will be going on in LA in April. I will also be going to Michigan (Mackinaw Island) for my sister's wedding. I am the maid-of-honor so I better practice my toast! This is my first time being in a bridal party so I am excited to wewar a matching dress and throw a bachelorette party!

What book are you currently reading?

I am reading adult mystery THE EDGE by Jeffrey Deaver to break things up a bit.

What exciting book news do you have to share with your readers?

Well, HOW TO SALSA is STILL on the best-seller list in India ... it's in every major chain bookstore there and sometimes still in the front table/display case. This is hands-down the coolest thing that has ever happened to me.

I've also been invited to speak to a sorority on March 14th at the University of Michigan about my writing and chosen topics. So, all in all, a great year so far!

Wow, I'll say! Congratulations, Dona, and we look forward to seeing what other exciting things happen this year.

Do you have any questions for Dona? Leave a comment to be entered in this week's prize drawing. A week from today (Sunday, March 13) we will draw and announce the winner. Given that I have the winner's address in time, I'll mail the jewelry on Monday so the winner can have it in time for St. Patty's Day. Good luck!

On the Road Again...

I’m getting ready for yet another trip, and the familiar feeling of having too-much-to-do is starting to hit me again. Packing is so not my thing. Neither is getting up early to head to the airport. I’m not so much for dragging heavy suitcases, either. And don’t get me started about waiting in long lines at the airport, or that anxious feeling that hits my stomach before we take off.

What I am into is getting there.

Once I’ve checked in at the hotel, I’m starting to feel ok. Then, if I’m in a town or city I’ve been before, I make a beeline to nearby haunts – like the place that serves my favorite slice of pizza in Midtown, my favorite plate lunch shack on Oahu, the joint that has the best tacos in Portland. The comfort of familiar places and food calms my travel nerves. Yummy food is somehow a home when I'm far away.

So what if I go to a new destination? Well, I immediately find a favorite food place. When I was in Dallas for a conference with buzz girl Dona a few years ago, I didn’t feel at home until she texted me one morning on my way out of a workshop -- “Found cheap a$$ food! Two streets away at diner!” After being dismayed by the cost of restaurants nearby the hotel, we suddenly had our breakfast place, and everything was right with the world. (And we had pancakes!)

How do you make yourself comfortable when you travel? Can you related to my food location trick? Do you pack pictures of family, friends, or pets to display by your bedside? Do you bring your own pillow? A favorite book to get you through the trip?

I’d love to have some travel tips to pack to today.

Hugs,

Heather

www.heatherdavisbooks.com

The Clearing – Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Never Cry Werewolf – HarperTeen

Wherever You Go – Harcourt Fall 2011

P.S. That photo of my kitty is not staged! She is having a sit-in to protest my packing.

TLC in the Emerald City

As Heather and Dona mentioned in previous posts, last week I spent some time in Seattle with my Buzz girl sisters. It was my very first time in Seattle (in the Pacific Northwest, period) and let me tell you... it was awesome. Here are a couple of my highlights:

Dona took me to her office at Microsoft. Not at all the sterile white cubicle you might expect from a software queen. She has an amazing view and a very comfy and personalized space. I can (almost) see why she's content to spend so many hour here each day.

Heather chose the Pink Door restaurant for the Sunday night TLC handover from Dona's care to hers. We were all a little surprised to learn that there would be live entertainment in the form of a trapeze artist... right above our tables! So typical of the fun kind of atmosphere that Seattle embraces.

I also had time to meet up with fellow YA authors Barb Ferrer and Serena Robar. We did the touristy thing and had fish and chips on the waterfront, where I took this self-portrait of us three.

All in all, I have to say that Seattle was wonderful. Which is why, as I decide where I'm going to settle down this Fall, it's currently at the top of the list. Take one part rain, one part culture, one part high-tech, one part great food, one part diversity, and one part nature loving, shake it all up in a snowglobe, drop it into a beautiful natural setting of water, forests, and mountains, and you'll get an idea of Seattle. Is it any wonder that I'm smitten?

Hugs,
TLC

OH. MY. GODS. and GODDESS BOOT CAMP (out now)
FORGIVE MY FINS (coming June 1, 2010)

Love in the Pages...

Love, love, love. We’re celebrating all things love related, so how can I not mention my love of books!

I love how books bring people together. I love how wonderful it is to meet readers. I love talking about stories and characters and enjoying the “community” of the book together. Stephen King says (and here I’m paraphrasing) that books require that you enter the author’s world and that together, you imagine. The author imagines and captures her world on the page. The reader absorbs the world and imagines it in her mind. Together, you build the story. Isn’t that cool and so true?

Your reading of a book is unique. It’s intimate and special and all your own. And yet – all readers of a book have shared something together. It’s unlike anything else in the world. So there you go. My love affair with books revealed.

Well, I have to say, this has been an extremely lucky month for a booklover like me. Last week I got to meet Carrie Jones, the amazing author of Need, Captivate and other great books, and vampire-book author Alyxandra Harvey, together on their signing tour across the US.

I found Carrie extremely humble, super sweet, and hilarious. She’s a friend of a friend, so along with a few other YA authors, we chatted and laughed over turkey and chili-veggie burgers at a local joint. I always love hearing how everyone approaches writing their books – and it’s just amazing to me how different everyone’s process can be. Here’s a pic of Carrie, along with Liz Gallagher and Alyxandra, showing off their books at B & N.

To top off an already great week, this last Saturday, Liz and I got to meet Buzz Girl Dona Sarkar for a delicious brunch before heading to our signing at Mockingbird Books. Look how cute these two talented ladies are! Liz was decked out in pink in honor of the day - and Dona is, well, Dona is always decked out no matter where she goes.

They have an annual event at Mockingbird Books, and in other indie bookstores, called Kids *Heart* Books – a day of signings and readings all for young readers. The store owner, Sue, and her fabulous staff made it a super great event. And I left with a bag of homemade chocolate madeleines as a thank you! That’s a win-win, if I’ve ever tasted one.

So now for today's giveaway:

To win a freshly signed copy of Alyxandra Harvey’s new twist on a vampire YA novel, Hearts At Stake, tell me in the comments what you love most about books or reading.

I’ll randomly pick a winner at the end of the week, and Buzz Girl Wendy Toliver will announce the winner on Sunday! Feel free to pass on a link to our blog and tell your friends to comment to win. Remember you can comment on any of the posts this week up until the winners are revealed.

Much love to all you Buzz Blog readers and booklovers everywhere!

Heather

www.heatherdavisbooks.com

The Clearing – April 2010 HMH

Never Cry Werewolf – Sept 2009 HarperTeen

Happy Anniversary, Buzz Girls!

This week marks the anniversary of the Buzz Girls Blog. Three Years Old and Going Strong! So we're going to spend the week doing some reminiscing...

It’s hard to imagine that three years ago I was a newly contracted pre-published author, and now I’ve got three books on the shelves! The time just flew past me in a blur of copy edits, brainstorming sessions, book launches, and over 150 blog posts!

In celebration, I pulled out some favorite pictures from my moments with the Buzz Girls to share...


Me at the Dallas RWA Conference in July, 2007, participating in my first Literacy Signing. And FYI, see the pink boa in front of me? That was from Tera and Steph because they knew it was my birthday!


A group shot of all of us (Marley, too--sort of) from that same conference.


Simone Elkeles reading my book in the Dead Sea! (Simone needed to bow out of the Buzz Girls earlier this year due her hectic schedule, but she'll always be a Buzz Girl in spirit!)


Tera and me screaming "Rita!" after accepting our finalist certificates at the Washington, D.C. RWA Conference in July, 2009.

* * * * *

Finally, a very fitting "now and then" photo, one I happened upon in reviewing the conference blogs. Here is Elaine Spencer of The Knight Agency at the 2007 Dallas RWA Conference, pretending to give Marley Gibson (who couldn't make the conference) a big hug. Elaine worked as the assistant to Deidre Knight, who is Marley's agent.



Well, at the 2009 RWA conference, I signed with Elaine and The Knight Agency! As did Dona, just days before!

So--three fun years of writing books and writing blogs and being great friends. In celebration of such, I'll pick one name from my commenters to receieve a signed copy of any one of my books (winner's choice). All you have to do is write one memory from our Buzz Girls blog for the past three years (and if you are totally blank or this is your first time visiting, the words "Mark Wahlberg" is quite sufficient.) Good luck!

Tina

Tina Ferraro
Top Ten Uses for an Unworn Prom Dress
How to Hook a Hottie
The ABC’s of Kissing Boys
www.tinaferraro.com

Ladies and Gentleman...Dona Sarkar!

The crowd goes WILD for Dona Sarkar!



And why not? Her second novel, SHRINK TO FIT is out and available for purchase. We're so proud of our Buzz Girl, Dona, and all of her accomplishments.

I met Dona in 2004 at the RWA Conference in Dallas, Texas. She won me over with her enthusiasm and dedication to her writing. I was tickled pink when she sold her first book, HOW TO SALSA IN A SARI.

Here she is with fellow Buzz Girl, Heather Davis, during our Buzz in YA panel at Nationals in San Francisco a couple of weeks ago:



And a writer's gotta eat, you know! Here's Heather, Dona, and Tera Lynn at our lunch at The Thai King. (Has anyone blogged out the robbery we witnessed? let me tell you, Buzz Girls are something to be reckoned with when apprehending a suspect! LOL!!)



Dona stopped my table at the Literacy Signing to visit:



Doesn't Dona look stunning in her electric blue cocktail dress during the Ritas?



Why would anyone even attempt to stand next to Dona in a picture? LOL!



All this is to say that I'm proud to call Dona a friend and I'm so thrilled about her new book, SHRINK TO FIT. I hope everyone goes out and gets it as it's a really strong story that will resonate with teens.

And to spice things up, I'm going to give away a copy of Dona's book to one lucky winner! Just post a comment in the message trail about what you love about teen books. Feel free to enter as many times as you'd like. Winner will be announced next week.



Congrats, Dona!

Hugs,
Marley = )

SORORITY 101: Zeta or Omega? (Available Now! Puffin Books)
SORORITY 101: The New Sisters (Available Now! Puffin Books)
GHOST HUNTRESS Series (Coming May 2009, Houghton Mifflin)

Shrinky Dinks

I'm sure this isn't the most appropriate discussion to follow Dona's wonderful post on eating disorder and how they relate to her new novel, SHRINK TO FIT. (Congratulations, Dona!) But when I started thinking about the title my mind immediately went to a childhood standby: Shrinky Dinks.

You know, those cool little sheets of plastic where you could trace line drawings of your favorite cartoon characters that you could color in and then bake into ... well, smaller, colored in drawings of your favorite cartoon characters. If you need a more visual reminder, here goes.



But, apparently, the post-80s generation has taken Shrinky Dinks to a whole new level. Here are some awesome Shrinky Dinks designs I found online:

Some very cool bracelets that would cost a fortune at Anthropologie.

Funky cool earrings. You could make a pair to go with every outfit.

These are way better looking that plain old sewing pins.

There's even a Shrinky Dinks website. Ah... takes me right back to my youth. What 80s (or 90s or 70s or whatever) memorabilia takes you back?

Hugs,
TLC

OH. MY. GODS. (available now!)
GODDESS BOOT CAMP (coming May 2009)
http://teralynnchilds.com

Apropos of nothing...

Happy Saturday!! What a fantastic week it's been for Dona and the release of her book, HOW TO SALSA IN A SARI. It's sitting next to my bed in my to be read stack -- for when I'm done with the eight Rita entry books I have to read. Yikes!!

So, I don't really have a topic to post on, so I thought I'd just talk about a few of my favorite things...

One of the best things about being a writer and having so many writer friends is getting to whoop it up when they sell their first book. My buddy, Maria Geraci, sold her book, THE CHURCH OF BUNCO, on Thursday to Berkeley Sensations. Whooooohooooo for Maria. This is totally an example of getting the book to the right editor who'll love it.

My friend, bestselling author, Gena Showalter, and her best friend, Jill Monroe, did a hilarious author interiew spoof on YouTube. You'll laugh until you cry!

I have a new favorite movie! While I'm watching one of my favorites now, THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS (mmmmm...Paul Walker!), I have to say that RATATOUILLE is the best movie I've seen in a long, long time. What a beautiful movie! And I'm just in love with Remy. Hmmm...Paul Walker or Remy...it's a tough decision. LOL!!



And it's Saturday. Is there any better day of the week than Saturday? You get to sleep in, laze about, not commute, and do whatever you want.

So, what are some of your favorite things?

Hugs,
Marley = )

SORORITY 101: Zeta or Omega? (May 2008, Puffin Books)
SORORITY 101: The New Sisters (May 2008, Puffin Books)
GHOST HUNTRESS Series (Begins May 2009, Houghton Mifflin)

How to make perfect mashed potatoes

I don't know about you, but here in the frigid northeast, there's nothing I want to do more than stay indoors, curled under blankets with something warm to drink, some comfort food and a great book to read...

Like Dona's awesome debut, HOW TO SALSA IN A SARI!!!



(Can you tell how proud we are of Dona here at Books, Boys, Buzz?)

And what's the perfect comfort food? Well, mashed potatoes, of course! Sure, you might say, "but I don't need instructions on mashed potatoes." It seems simple, right? However, there is a way to make them perfect. Here's my secret:

1. You want a really sticky, starchy potato. Best are Idaho baking potatoes or the large Yukon Gold potatoes. If you use Idaho, use three medium sized ones, or four large Yukons. This’ll make about four ½ cup servings.

2. Peel them and rinse them off. Cut them into equal size pieces. If they're equal sized pieces, they'll cook more evenly. Usually, I third the potato and then half the thirds. Fill a large pot on the stove with warm water from the tap and drop the cut potatoes in. Make sure the water completely covers the potatoes. To the water, add a good amount of salt. Two teaspoons, at least. The salt will flavor the water and the potatoes as they cook and that much salt won't be absorbed all into the vegetables.

3. Turn to high and cook for 20-25 minutes. You can test the potatoes' done-ness by sticking them with a sharp knife. You want them tender, not tough, but not too mushy.

4. Before draining, take a measuring cup and fill it carefully with about 1/3 of a cup of the cooking liquid and set aside. Turn stove down to low. Pour potatoes carefully into a colander and drain for a moment and then return the potatoes immediately to the hot pot. You will hear the potatoes "sizzle" as this is the remaining liquid evaporating.

5. After about half a minute, take your potato masher and start mashing the potatoes in the pot, on the stove, over the heat. Pour in a little bit of the reserved cooking liquid to help you as you mash, eyeballing so that you mash the potatoes into a smooth paste. Depending on how starchy your potatoes are will depend on how much of the liquid it will hold. Just don't turn it into soup...maybe only using 1/4-1/2 the cup.

6. Here is where I add 2-3 tablespoons of Brummel and Brown (yogurt butter) and 1/2 cup of reduced fat sour cream. Keep mashing and stirring everything together, keeping the stove at a very low setting.

7. At this point, salt the whole thing to your taste and add pepper. I also add fresh cut/diced chives -- maybe a tablespoon -- for taste and appearance. Taste the potatoes and if they're not seasoned to your preference, salt and pepper some more. The key is to season they while they're still on the stove and not when you put them on your plate.

8. Then, I use a mold to present them. You can use anything, really...a sugar shell, a coffee cup, or just plop them on the plate. I guarantee you, if you follow this, they will NOT be bland in the least.



Voila! You're done! Now, enjoy your meal and Dona's book!

Hugs,
Marley = )

SORORITY 101: Zeta or Omega? (May 2008, Puffin Books)
SORORITY 101: The New Sisters (May 2008, Puffin Books)
GHOST HUNTRESS Series (Begins May 2009, Houghton Mifflin)

What I'm reading: (finishing, actually) NEW MOON by Stephanie Meyer

More holiday giveaways...and winners!

'Tis the season!!

I have another fun giveaway here for our readers, which also includes a favorite teen book! It's a book that's debuting in eleven days. A book that I had the privilege of reading during the very beginning stages. A book that I fell in love with immediately and couldn't put down (okay, technically, I couldn't stop scrolling because it was on my computer screen.) It's got one of the most beautiful endings ever and I can't wait for everyone to read it. It's by one of my bestest buddies, Wendy Toliver and it's called THE SECRET LIFE OF A TEENAGE SIREN:

Geeky to gorgeous in sixty seconds...
Roxy's about to turn sixteen, but life isn't so sweet. As a band geek, Roxy can barely get the cute guys to notice her, much less go out with her. Then, on her birthday, Roxy is transformed into a siren: seductively beautiful with the power to control all men. She thought sirens were an ancient myth, but suddenly Roxy can get any guy she wants with just a few notes on her flute.

There are only two rules: don't tell anyone about being a siren, and don't fall in love. When she starts dating Zach, the guy everybody's crushing on, Roxy realizes she could get used to this siren thing...but how can she keep herself from falling in love?

I hope everyone rushes out to get the book on December 26th! And, for one lucky blog reader, I'll be giving away a copy of the book. Keep reading!

But wait...there's more! My editor told me that my advanced reader copies of SORORITY 101: ZETA OR OMEGA will be shipped to me next week. Sooo...I'm giving away a copy of it, as well.



Here's the blurb:

High school is already a distant memory for incoming Latimer University freshmen, Jenna, Roni, and Lora-Leigh. Jenna wants to meet cute college boys, Roni wants to get away from home, and Lora-Leigh...well, Lora-Leigh couldn't care less. She's going to LU and participating in sorority recruitment only to appease her mom. Sorority girls are pretty, rich, andsnotty, and Lora-Leigh doesn't want to be one of those girls. So she's shocked to find her self actually connecting with the sisters of Zeta Zeta Tau. And her new friend Jenna can relate. She came to sorority recruitment only because her roommate begged her to, but now she can't decide with sorority to join; she likes them all! Roni, on the other hand, knows which sorority she should join. The Tri-Omegas are exactly the type of "it" girls she would usually befriend, but Roni came to LU to reinvent herself. As recruitment progresses and the girls to make big decision, they'll need to heed the best advice there is: follow your heart. But where will it lead?

To qualify for both giveaways, please leave a comment about the absolute best, most rocking holiday present you've ever received. Winners will be announced on Wednesday!

And now...for the winners of Simone and Dona's giveaways:

For Simone's post, here are the winners!!

These people won all three titles:

WannabeWriter
Alyssa
Katie
Teen Zone

These people get to choose one title:

Charlotte
Burger
The Page Flipper
Zachariah

Please e-mail Simone your name/address to simone_elkeles @ yahoo.com (no spaces)

And for Dona's giveaway:

The winner is...

Marlayne

Please e-mail Dona at dona @ donasarkarmishra.com (no spaces)

Thanks everyone!!!

Hugs,
Marley = )

SORORITY 101: Zeta or Omega? (May 2008, Puffin Books)
SORORITY 101: The New Sisters (May 2008, Puffin Books)
GHOST HUNTRESS Series (Begins May 2009, Houghton Mifflin)