Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Shameless Plug!

Okay peeps...I'm in the blood fever of working on GHOST HUNTRESS: THE DISCOVERY and am on dealine to get it done. So, I don't have much time to post. But here I am 'cause that's how dedicated I am!

I invite anyone--Buzz girls and fans alike--to take all the time they'd like for whatever shameless plug they've got going on in their lives.



Do you have a book coming out? Something cool you're doing this summer? An interesting vacations? Things related to your day job? Spill it here in your "shameless plug" opportunity!

Let us hear what you've got going on!

Hugs
Marley = )

Monday, June 28, 2010

Check out Scott Eastwood!


We here at the Buzz Girls Blog love to talk about hot boys...and featuring Scott Eastwood just seems like a natural.

For those who don’t know him, he is Clint Eastwood’s 24 year-old son, who until recently went by his mom’s last name of Reeves. He grew up in Hawaii, then came over to the mainland in his late teens, where he finished school and got his model and acting career going.

Here he is from his days an Abercrombie and Fitch model:


At a Flags of Our Fathers premiere:


And as one of the rugby players in, Invictus (sitting behind another hot actor we've featured here, Matt Damon):


His other films include Pride, An American Crime, and Gran Torino, and he is soon to be seen in The Lion of Judah.

I’ve had the pleasure of meeting him on a few occasions and find him laid-back and charming. And what a smile! Plus, from a romance writer perspective, it’s really fun to watch girls and women check him out and try to figure out how to meet him!

So allow me to include the darling Scott Eastwood to our bevy of Buzz Girl hotties!

Tina

Tina Ferraro
The ABC’s of Kissing Boys, 2010 Rita® Finalist
How to Hook a Hottie, 2009 Rita® Finalist
Top Ten Uses for an Unworn Prom Dress
www.tinaferraro.com

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Since We're Sharing Reviews

Earlier this week, Wendy shared her wonderful Publishers Weekly review for her latest book, Lifted. Well, guess what? I've got one too! Here's the PW review of Forgive My Fins (which my editor spotted at a bookstore yesterday):

Seventeen-year-old Lily is not like the other girls at her high school--indistinguishable from humans in her two-legged form, she’s secretly a half-human, half-mermaid princess from the undersea kingdom of Thalassina. Lily has been obsessed with swimming star Brody for three years, and the time has come to tell him how she feels, reveal her secret, and take him to live with her under the sea as her bonded mermate. Unfortunately, a surprise kiss from her next-door nemesis, Quince, bonds them together instead. There’s only one way out: take Quince to Thalassinia and beg her father to break the attachment before it becomes permanent. But Quince secretly loves Lily and has one week to convince Lily not to let him go. Childs’s (Goddess Boot Camp) effervescent storytelling conveys the delicate tension of first love, and her characters are sympathetic and charming; Lily’s frequent aquatic exclamations (“Speak of the devilfish”) are indicative of the book’s brand of humor. This sweet mix of magic, romance, and teen drama will leave readers satisfied, even as they hope Quince and Lily’s story will continue.
Seems like PW is feeling quite generous with the Buzz girls lately. Can't ask for much better than that! (Well, a starred review would be better, but I'm not being greedy.)

Hugs,
TLC

teralynnchilds.com
@teralynnchilds

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Publishers Weekly Review of Lifted

Hello! I hope your week is off to a wonderful start. I'm having a great week myself, because I just received a review from Publisher's Weekly for Lifted.

Here it is:

When high school sophomore Poppy's professor mother relocates them from Boulder, Colo. -- where Poppy hung out with the tattooed, anti-conformist crowd--to Pleasant Acres, Tex., where she's to attend a Baptist high school, Poppy is surprised to find herself taken under the wing of two of the most popular girls in school. Poppy's mother is happy to see her with clean-cut new friends, but polished, polite Whitney and Mary Jane have a secret: they love to shoplift. Soon Poppy is stealing from stores and juggling a couple of romantic interests, including the preacher's son. Toliver (The Romantic Comedies series) adeptly captures Poppy's conflict between wanting to do what's right and the rush she gets from lifting, which is underscored by the tension between her independent streak and her relief and appreciation over finding new friends so easily. Mary Jane's complicated history wiht another student takes the story to its climax, as Poppy has to decide who her friends are and who she is. Poppy is an appealing, relatable protagonist, though secondary characters can be one-dimensional; the ending is pat but satisfying. Ages 14-up. (June)


So! There you have it! :) Thanks for letting me share.

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Tina's Wild Life (Wildlife) Adventures

I’ve talked here about the Station Fire that ravaged the hills above my house, and the brave firefighters who kept my neighborhood safe. I followed this with mention of flash floods and mudslides, and the daring city officials who keep an eye on our flood basins and give us the heads-up to evacuate.

I also talked about Ivy, the feral cat who lived on the side of my house, and whose comfort and care I worried about during these peak periods.

I probably also mentioned the wildlife that had been coming down from the mountains looking for food--especially, the coyotes.

Here is a photo from the Los Angeles Times of a select group of people being shown the fire damage:


So now I want to share some good news! Yesterday, the park at the mouth of the closed-off mountain range reopened! We had a lovely celebration with a pancake breakfast, speakers, a climbing wall, and informational booths.

At one of those booths I found out why the squirrels around here are so chubby this spring: apparently the ash from the fire worked as a mega-fertilizer on our mulberry trees, which is like cheesecake to squirrels! I also discovered why I haven’t been seeing and hearing the coyotes as frequently in recent weeks: their natural food sources in the hills are returning.

While the trails leading deep into the hills are still closed, and we are by no means out of the woods as far as mudslides and flash floods during our rainy seasons, it was wonderful nevertheless to return to a place I used to take for granted as accessible, to meet up with neighbors and officials, and to look up into the big sky and have that sense of connection and peace again.

In fact, I decided to meander up the dirt path to look at the new commemorative plaque, putting my “But what about those rattlesnake warning signs?” fears aside. Because it was a well-attended party--by both people and big, barky dogs--so I was good, right?

Which was when I found out, first-hand, that apparently, at least one rattlesnake got the re-opening invitation, too. That was it for me. I suddenly remembered something I had to do back at home. (Breathe.)

Anyway, with next fall’s rains and now talk of a 300 pound black bear scavenging our streets on trash nights, this may not be the end of my Wild Life Adventures! But how great that our hills and neighborhood are becoming healthy enough again to support our wildlife. And again, big thanks to all who work to keep us safe!

Tina

Tina Ferraro
The ABC’s of Kissing Boys, 2010 Rita® Finalist
How to Hook a Hottie, 2009 Rita® Finalist
Top Ten Uses for an Unworn Prom Dress
www.tinaferraro.com

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Who Should Play Kendall?

So, as you may know, I sold the film rights to the first three GHOST HUNTRESS books to the fabulous folks at Shoulderhill Films. They are hard at work trying to find the perfect screenwriter for the project, as well as the right movie company. They've started a GHOST HUNTRESS fan page on Facebook (please join!) and are asking fans who you think should play Kendall?

So...who do you think should play here?

Here are some of the top suggestions so far...

Victoria Justice



Miley Cyrus



Miranda Cosgrove



Demi Lovato



Emma Watson



Or do you have another suggestion? Let me know!

Hugs,
Marley = )

Ghost don't hang up their sheets November 1st
GHOST HUNTRESS: THE REASON - available now!

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Special Announcement: Summer Fun with the Buzz Girls

Whew! We made it -- it's almost summer. Finally! Even though it's still cloudy here in the NW, I know everyone is getting out of school, loading up the car (or RV) for road trips and readying themselves for long-awaited vacations.

We Bees are flying in all directions during the warm months ahead. Some of us are out ghosthunting and promoting books on the road, some are heading to fun destinations with our families, some of us are hunkering down working on a new manuscript.

Anyhoo -- from now until mid-August, we are going to change the way we post at BooksBoysBuzz. Just for the summer we will move to a free-form post style. Instead of posting on one day a week, we're going to put up fun posts from the road, spontaneous notes from home, announcements of quick contests, questions for book clubs, and a whole bunch of other cool stuff. It'll be frequentish, fun, and different.


Around back to school time, we'll be back on our seven days a week Bee schedule, but we thought this would be a fun way to celebrate summer!

So guys - this blog is for you...

What would you like to see on the Buzz blog during the next few weeks?


Please let us know in comments and we'll try to make it happen during this fun summer-long event!

Bees - let's get posting!
Hugs,

Heather

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Winners Announced!

Congratulations to the following Books Boys Buzz commenters for winning a signed copy of my brand-spankin' new book, LIFTED:

Steph & Bookaholic
There was a bit of confusion (sorry!) so here are the specific comments that my son pulled out of the hat:
Steph: I met one of my best friends in Girl Scouts. I always thought she was weird so we never talked to each other ...
Bookaholic: A true friend holds you tight, even if you've had the worst fight.

If you wrote either of those comments, please contact me via my web-site, http://www.wendytoliver.com/, with your full name and U.S. mailing address as well as who you'd like the book signed to, and I'll get them mailed off when I'm home next week!

Thank you to everybody for stopping by this week and thanks so much for participating in the contest! I hope you had as much fun as I did! :)

P.S. If you didn't win, you might be interested in another contest I'm running the entire month of June. It's easy! Just contact me via my website with the word "Contest," your name and US mailing address and you'll be entered to win a signed copies of LIFTED, gift cards to Border's, bookmarks, and other fun prizes I've been picking up on my road trips!

Saturday, June 12, 2010

The Case of the Tainted Tiara

This week we're celebrating the release of the gorgeous and talented Wendy Toliver's LIFTED. This is fantastic story of best friends who face some amount of adversity together and how they come out of it.

To win a copy of Wendy's latest relase, leave a comment below telling me about a story of you and a close friend and a time you faced adversity.

To kick things off, I will tell mine!

My BF and I went shopping together *alone* for the very first time in 8th grade. We felt very grown-up with our purses and school IDs. The final stop on our "girls day out" was the popular accessory store Claire's. Claire's was the mecca for headbands, earrings, belts, all kinds of random things.

We spent almost an hour and in Claire's and after admiring most of everything, we each chose to buy a pair of fake sapphire studs. We rang our purchases up and left.

We got back to my place and emptied out our bags and lo and behold I see this tumble out of my Claire's bag:


A TIARA!

How did that get there? I didn't buy it! My BF and I stared at it and then each other suspiciously. I assumed my BF had "lifted" it and put it into my bag. My BF assumed I'd lifted it! We grabbed at our receipts and looked to see if we'd been charged for said tiara.
We had not.

Now what?!

We both assumed the police would come through the door at any time and drag us off the jail for shop-lifting. Finally, we confessed to my mother who pursed her lips and called the store.

Lo and behold, because we'd bought two of the same thing, the cashier than thrown in the tiara as a "gift". They apparently had a surplus of them and didn't know what to do with them.

My BF and I went on to be friends for years after but this was definitely a turning point in our relationship for the better. We each learned that the other was much too afraid of being tossed in jail to ever break the law willingly!
Neither of us ever wore the tiara either....too tainted!

What about you? Share to win!

Thursday, June 10, 2010

The evolution of friendship....

Go Wendy, it's your book birthday! We are celebrating the release of Wendy's new book, LIFTED, this week by talking about friendship. You have a chance to win a signed copy just by entering a comment on every blog post this week.

(You want to buy this book!)

Have you ever had a friend that you were so close to you could almost read each other's minds? I hope that everyone is lucky enough to find this in their lifetime. I can remember when I was about ten and I asked my mother why she never hung out with any girlfriends. She told me that when you get older, you get busier and you just don't spend time with girlfriends. I was horrified. How would I get by without FRIENDS? Well, luckily I've never had to find out. My friends are just as important to me now as they were then. Granted, I may not be able to run off to the mall at a moment's notice anymore but I can still fit them into my life somehow.

But the one thing I have discovered about friendships is that they evolve. I'm happy to say that I still have friends that I met when I was five. We may not talk every day, or even every year, but we still consider each other friends. and even though our lives may take drastically different directions we can still find common ground.

On the other hand, I've had friends who I was practically inseparable from at one point and then gradually we just drifted out of each other's lives. Nothing traumatic happened, just one day one of us didn't call the other and then we just never talked again. Or maybe you worked or went to school with several people who were amazing people that you couldn't imagine being away from but gradually you all go your separate ways. And sometimes it's hard facing the fact that you and someone who was once a good friend, just aren't good for each other anymore. The hardest part of any friendship is making the decision to end it.
(Did you see these two best friends go at it in Bride Wars?)


Do you think it's harder ending a friendship or a romantic relationship? Post a comment for your chance to win a signed copy of LIFTED.

xo,
Stephanie
www.stephaniehale.com

Best Friends Week!

It’s Release week for Buzz Girl Wendy Toliver’s LIFTED.

Yay, Wendy! Ever since I heard the premise, I've been excited to read this book.

To celebrate the release in proper Buzz Girl style, we’re talking about best friends on the blog this week -- since the book deals with best friends -- and running a contest for two signed copies of LIFTED, too. You can comment each day to try to score a copy.



So, do you remember your first best friend? My very best friend in grade school had the exact same birthday as me – well, off by one year, but the same day.



I loved going to her house. It was quiet there since she only had one sister (compared to my big family) and there was junk food in her kitchen – always chips, always ice cream. That was so much better than the hippie fare at my house like zucchini sticks, carob chips, and fruit leather.

We’d listen to her record collection and play with her oodles of Barbies in their perfect dream house. She had every stuffed Snoopy doll there was, even Dr. Snoopy. We made hours of fake radio shows on her tape recorder. We played pool and pachinko and stayed up late.



But our friendship was based on… I’m not sure. Who knows why you bond to someone and love them for years? Maybe it was the fact that we were both semi-outsiders – she was a little dorky and had trouble reading, I was a little dorky and wore head-gear for my overbite.



We met early in school, maybe 2nd grade.
Even if I don’t recall how we got to be friends, I remember spending many hours enjoying her company. Sadly, I lost touch with her when my family moved to the other side of town after seventh grade – I only remember visiting her once after that and it wasn’t the same.



Have you ever lost touch with a childhood friend like that? I have the feeling you can never go back to the way it was. The world you once created together exists in its own place and time.



CONTEST:


In comments, tell me about how you got to be best friends with your bff and you’ll be entered to win Wendy Toliver’s LIFTED. Winners will be announced this weekend.




Hugs,



Heather

www.heatherdavisbooks.com

The Clearing -- HMH April 2010

Wherever You Go – Harcourt Fall 2011

Never Cry Werewolf – Harperteen 09/09 - Paperback 09/10

Wednesday, June 09, 2010

Symbols of Friendship

What an awesome week we've got here celebrating Wendy's new book, LIFTED. I'm so proud of her and this book and everything she put into it. It really gives a good look at friendship and how important it is in our lives.



Through the years, when people have formed best friendedness, as I like to call it -- and I'm known for making up words -- they often choose some sort of symbol to show their connection to their best friend. I know that when I was growing up, we'd sometimes buy the same stuffed animal or the same outfit so we could be besties and twins almost.

Friendship has been symbolized with embroidery thread (gimp) bracelets...



Safety pins with beads on them...



Even friendship rings...



Or a necklace that breaks in two so each friend can wear a piece...



And more recently, the trading of Silly Bandz, which I'm completely fascinated by. You'll see people with seven or eight of these bands in different colors and shapes around their wrist...



So, in celebration of the release of Wendy's LIFTED and to be entered to win a copy of the book, leave your comment about the symbols of friendship you've seen over the years. As a special bonus, I'll have Wendy's son draw an extra name for the winners and you'll get two packs of Silly Bandz sent to you. How's that?

Hugs,
Marley = )

Ghosts don't hang up their sheets November 1st...
GHOST HUNTRESS: THE REASON - available now!

Tuesday, June 08, 2010

Friendship Week

Congratulations to Buzz girl Wendy on the release of her third book, LIFTED! (This is Wendy's first release week as a Buzz girl, so let's make it a good one!) In honor of her book, we're talking friendship all week long.

For my part, I want to talk about one of my favorite romantic plots of all time: the best friends who realize they love each other. I am such a sucker for this storyline. It might all date back to kindergarten when my best friend was an adorable blond Dutch boy named Wauter. Secretly, I still wonder whether we're still meant to be....

Anyway, I adore books and movies about best friends (or childhood friends) who all of a sudden wake up to the fact that the perfect person has been right next to them all along. I think it's all about getting to that moment, that instant where one of them realizes the truth of their feelings. The duality of being thrilled to find love and terrified that the other friend won't feel the same way and that confessing might end the friendship all together. How will it all work out?

One of the first complete stories I ever wrote was about a pair of best friends/roomies who realize they're meant to be together after an April Fool's joke forces them to start thinking about each other differently. Hmmm, might have to go dig that story out....

This theme is one of the reasons I love The Hunger Games. There's obviously something under the surface between Gale and Katniss, I mean he almost said he loved her in Catching Fire, right? And when Mockingjay comes out in two months (TWO MONTHS!!!) I fully expect a little best friends romance.


I'm a sucker for best friends turning into lovers in the movies, too. One of my all-time favorite movies is Drive Me Crazy, starring Melissa Joan Hart and Adrian Grenier. The pair were best friends in elementary school, but had drifted apart by the time high school rolled around. But a basketball mishap and a breach of dance date protocol brings them back together as pretend boyfriend-girlfriend. It's only a matter of time before the pretend part disappears.


Now I'm looking for recommendations. To be entered to win a copy of LIFTED, tell me about your favorite best-friends-fall-in-love book or movie. And if the boy has secretly loved the girl all along, then all the better!

Hugs,
TLC

Oh. My. Gods. and Goddess Boot Camp (Greek gods are more than myth.)
FORGIVE MY FINS (What happens when a mermaid kisses a human?)

Monday, June 07, 2010

Celebrity Besties!

We’ve got a fun week happening as we’re discussing the qualities that make a good friend in celebration of the release of Wendy Toliver’s newest book,
Lifted.

Here is my favorite quote about friends:

“Good friends are like stars.... You don't always see them, but you know they are always there.”

For me, the mark of a wonderful friendship is one that feels close and personal no matter how much time has passed. That it’s not the amount of energy you put in on a day-to-day basis as much as the capacity you have to give when needed or when the circumstances present themselves. For this reason, I rarely let old friendships go...try to stay in touch via the internet and/or vacation visits.

Here are two sets of celebrity besties whose friendships have proven the test of time, Matt Damon & Ben Affleck and Courteney Cox & Jennifer Aniston:



And here is one brand new one, Lea Michele & Dianna Argon from GLEE:


To be entered in our contest to win a copy of LIFTED, simply name another set of best friends, either from public life, literature, movies, songs...

And check back next Sunday, when Wendy will announce the winners!

Tina

Tina Ferraro
The ABC’s of Kissing Boys, 2010 Rita® Finalist
How to Hook a Hottie, 2009 Rita® Finalist
Top Ten Uses for an Unworn Prom Dress
www.tinaferraro.com

Sunday, June 06, 2010

It's LIFTED's Book Birthday Week!

Dear Books Boys Buzz readers,

This week marks the release of my YA novel, LIFTED, and I am so honored and excited to celebrate it with you all. When people ask me what this book is about, I usually say it's about a teenage girl named Poppy who becomes addicted to shoplifting. But really, it's about so much more. This book took me about two years to write because I did so much research and the story itself went through so many versions. I wanted to write Poppy's story because it was so different from the books I'd already written and I welcomed the challenge. And now that it's (almost) officially into the hands of readers, I'm beyond excited.

To get a more official idea about what this book is about, as well as watch its trailer and see what some awesome authors and reviewers have said about it, click here.

And now I'm going to tell you all about The Contest that will be running this week right here at the fabulous Books, Boys, Buzz blog.

The prize is a signed copy of LIFTED!!!

Because one of the themes of LIFTED is friendship, the Buzz Girls will be blogging about friendship. For every day you leave a comment, you will earn one entry into my hat (so you can get up to 7 entries). Then my youngest son will draw 2 winners and we will announce the winners early next week.

I'll go first: A true friend loves me when I'm a mess just as much as when I'm at my very best.


















Saturday, June 05, 2010

Forgive My Fins Winners

Time to announce the winners of signed copies of Forgive My Fins! Congrats everyone! Please send me your mailing info to tlc at teralynnchilds dot come and whether you want it signed to you, to someone else, or generically and I'll get them out ASAP.
blackroze37 AT yahoo.com
MsFairyFreak!
Ladytink_534
Melissa @ Flourish {and} Blotts
Faith
NYMFAUX
Thanks for helping me celebrate my release! Let's do the same thing next year with the release of the sequel, Fins Are Forever!

Hugs,
TLC

Oh. My. Gods. and Goddess Boot Camp (Greek gods are more than myth.)
FORGIVE MY FINS (What happens when a mermaid kisses a human?)

Thursday, June 03, 2010

When I get big.....

I'm so excited about Tera Lynn Childs new release, FORGIVE MY FINS!!!! I haven't gotten my copy yet, because apparently Amazon is using the Pony Express to deliver it, but you have a chance to win a copy just by leaving a comment below. I can hardly wait to dive in (pun totally intended) to this book.This week we are talking about what we wanted to be when we grew up. I wanted to be a zookeeper. I was kind of obsessed with it. My mom signed me up to get these National Geographic animal cards. I would get a new set every month. I kept them organized in a little green plastic case they sent me. The cards were laminated and filled with facts about the specific animal they were about. I would try and match one of my stuffed animals with each card as best I could so that I could have my own little zoo. I would play for hours with these cards and my stuffed animals. I also had a knack for memorization so I could dazzle people with useless information like what a koala eats, or that the male seahorse carries the babies, and fun stuff like that.
I think the day that turned my dream around was when I actually visited a zoo. It was a stifling summer day and it stunk so bad. Then a monkey actually tried to pee on my friends and I. It just didn't seem so glamorous after that and I decided to be a lawyer.



For a chance to win a copy of Tera's new book, tell me what your favorite animal to visit at the zoo is.


And after you are done here, visit Tera's diary http://teralynnchilds.blogspot.com/ to meet all of the characters from her new book and leave a comment for another chance to win her book. She is also donating a quarter to Oceana, an ocean-focused charity, for each individal comment left. AND, if you just can't wait to read Tera's book, you can read the first sixty pages for free here http://browseinside.harpercollinschildrens.com/index.aspx?isbn13=9780061914652.




xo,

Stephanie

Childhood Dreams or Just For Laughs?

Congratulations to Buzz Girl Tera Lynn Childs for release week of the much-anticipated Forgive My Fins! I can't wait to dive into this mermaid story!


All this week, Tera's giving away a copy a day of the book right here on Books, Boys, Buzz (so don't forget to comment each day to enter the drawing!) and there are more chances to win over at her blog where she's also making a donation to an ocean charity for each comment this week.


We're also celebrating by revealing our childhood dreams.... Hmm. I'm sure I may have told you this sometime over the last few years of blogging with the Bees, but here goes.

I wanted to be on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson... Or maybe be Johnny Carson.
For those of you who may not remember him, he's the guy that had the Tonight Show long before Jay Leno, or Conan O'Brien, or... Jay Leno.

It's true, when I was eleven, I would try to make up jokes. Usually they were about celebs that Johnny lampooned on the late night show - like Richard Simmons, Elizabeth Taylor. I made up jokes even when I wasn't sure who these people were.
After a while, my mom got me a notebook to write down all my jokes in, and for some reason, this seemed to kill the dream. Now there was pressure to prove I was funny, pressure to perform the jokes. I turned to writing plays for my friends and I to put on together- it was so much easier to get up in front of people with a group, after all.


If I were me at eleven these days, I would want to be Tina Fey. But back then, there weren't a whole lot of women comics (unless you stayed up late to watch SNL) to choose from, and I guess that's why I latched on to Johnny.
Maybe someday I'll get to go to that comedy fantasy camp and learn how to really do stand-up - but for now, it's just one of those childhood dreams that morphed into what I do today - writing stories. My first book, Never Cry Werewolf, has some pretty funny moments, if I do say so myself. So maybe the dream is alive, if even for a few pages.

CONTEST: To enter to win a copy of Forgive My Fins, answer this question:

Are you good at telling jokes? Or do you forget the punchline, mess up the timing, get lost in the details?

There is definitely an art to comedy - so I'm interested to hear what you guys post. And remember to check out Tera's personal blog after you've commented, for more ways to win.

Hugs,
Heather
Wherever You Go - Harcourt Fall 2011
The Clearing - HMH Graphia
Never Cry Werewolf - HarperTeen

Wednesday, June 02, 2010

Something to cheer about!

A huuuuuuuuge congrats to Tera for the release of her new book, Forgive my Fins. What an awesome concept and I can't wait for my Amazon delivery to catch up with me.



As the others have said, we're talking about childhood dreams. Mine...were a bit warped, I must admit.

First...I dreamed of being a travel agent. I turned my father's shelf of tax forms into homemade travel brochures of "exotic" places like Atlanta and Panama City Beach and Birmingham. LOL! I would book my stuffed animals on trips and make tickets and such for them.



Ironically, my professional career has been as a meeting planner...so I guess that dream helped me out some, eh?

Then, I wanted to be a doctor. Most kids want that at some point, eh? But not just any doctor. I wanted to be an anesthesiologist. My grandfather had surgery and he told me all about it and I was fascinated by the fact that there was a doctor that could literally just put you asleep.



But the dream that was biggest for me...I wanted to be a cheerleader! I love sports and especially football and I have an extremely big mouth. LOL! What better person to be a cheerleader, right?

I started off as a pee wee cheerleader. This wasn't a big deal as anyone who would buy the uniform and show up for games could be one. I was in band my junior high years, so I wasn't a JV cheerleader. But, in 9th grade, I tried out for the varsity and made it! Fortunately, because of being so physical as a cheerleader, I discovered a lump in my left leg which turned out to be cancer. Had I not been a cheerleader, I might not have found it so quickly. So, that was definitely something to cheer about.

Marley's pic2 copy Marley's pic3 copy

How have your childhood dreams morphed and changed and helped you? Share your story in the comment section and you'll be entered in this week's contest to win a copy of Tera's book. Also, there are more chances to win over at Tera's website web-site and she's making donations to an ocean charity, as well. Please help out!

Congrats again to Tera!

Hugs,
Marley = )

Ghosts don't hang up their sheets November 1st
GHOST HUNTRESS: THE REASON - Available Now!

Tuesday, June 01, 2010

Fluffy Yellow Childhood Dreams

This week we are celebrating the much anticipated release of Tera Lynn Child's Forgive My Fins. As a mythology freak, this book has been on my "Must Have" list for eons! It's hard to believe it's finally out. Congratulations, TLC!


All of the Buzz Girls are blogging about childhood dreams and you'll want to comment because you'll be entered for a chance to win cool stuff like a signed copy of Forgive My Fins. (If you haven't already, please scroll down and read the Contest Rules on the right column of the blog.)


When I was very young, I wanted to be Big Bird when I grew up. I was already quite tall for my age, I wanted to be on TV, and I thought it would be cool to be BFFs with Snuffleupagus. I was meant to be Big Bird!


It never occurred to me that Big Bird careers were few and far between. And it never occurred to me until I sat down to write this
that I did end up having a similar job when I got a bit older. I was Funshine Bear for grand opening celebrations. I just dressed up in a big furry costume and waved at kids. Even though it was very hot at times, overall it was a fun job. But eventually I got canned. I grew to be too tall for the costume! I went on to have several jobs that involved dressing up in a costume and that brings me to the prompt of the day:

Have you accomplished something that can somehow be traced back to your childhood dream? Thanks for sharing and good luck winning this week's exciting contest! P.S. Pop over to Tera Lynn Child's web-site for more chances to win, and she'll make a donation to an ocean charity! It's all good! :)