No Regrets (or There Is No Such Thing As Wasted Experience)

Today the Buzz Blog celebration continues in honor of the release of Marley's newest book, Ghost Huntress: The Counseling, the fourth book in her popular Ghost Huntress series. Read on to find out how to enter to win a copy for yourself by commenting on this post (and all the posts this week) and head over to Marley's website for her Grand Prize contest.

In honor of Marley and the ghost huntress herself, Kendall, all week we're talking about making decisions and finding your way in the world. I am the last person in the world to talk to anyone about not taking decision-making too light--I'm pretty much the queen of worrying and planning, which make like a perfect storm for traumatic decision making. But, one thing I have learned over the years is that, whatever decision you end up making, it's going to end up being the right one.* Let me explain by example.

After getting a college degree in theatre, I still didn't know what I really wanted to do with my life. I spent a year doing temp work (at very exciting places like banks, auto parts stores, and potato chip companies) and then decided I wanted to be an architect. I applied to architecture schools and, when I filled out the application for the program at Columbia University, I could apply to the Historic Preservation program by checking an extra box. I loved old buildings, so I decided to check that box.

Fast forward a few months and I don't get into a single architecture program. But I do get into the Historic Preservation program at Columbia. Not really knowing what I planned to do with an HP degree, I packed up my stuff and headed to New York. I spent the next two years getting an Ivy League masters degree.

Now, you might have noticed that I am not working in historic preservation. I'm a writer. How did I get from HP to writing? Did I waste those two years (and the significant student loan debt I still have) on a field that isn't even my career? No, definitely not. Here's why:

During my thesis defense, in the final days of my degree, one of my thesis advisors said, "Tera, you're a very effective writer." He was just softening the blow before telling me I needed to cut a big chunk from the first half of my thesis, but that phrase stuck with me. After I left the program, I kept replaying that statement in my head. It gave me the confidence to actually try to become a writer.

So, you see, even though I spent two years and accrued an appalling amount of debt for a degree I would never use, the experience was not wasted. I feel that way about all experiences, about all decisions in our lives. You cannot regret choices from the past, just because given the same options today you would make a different choice. If you hadn't made those choices in the first place, who knows where you might be.

Have you ever had an experience like that? Time to share and win!

To enter to win a copy of Ghost Huntress: The Counseling, leave a comment telling me whether you've had an experience that might seem like a waste of time, but in retrospect was really important.

Hugs,

TLC

teralynnchilds.com

@teralynnchilds

* Stupid decisions like driving drunk, criminal behavior, and retro 80s fashion are definite exceptions to this rule.

Decisions, Decisions...

It is Day Two of our weeklong celebration of Marley Gibson's newest release, Ghost Huntress: The Counseling, which includes some book giveaways here on our blog, and a grand prize on her website, so be sure to check that out, and leave a comment here.


We are talking about finding our way in this world, and knowing you have made the right decision. Which brought me to thinking about my life, and then ultimately, the decisions I have made for my three kids...

In this day and age of parenting, there are so many opportunities out there--school, sports, clubs, camps, enrichment, spirituality. You almost wish you had a crystal ball to see where your kid would ultimately be happiest. Whether to let them join everything and risk being stretched too thin, join just the ones they seem called toward --or-- the ones their friends are in... Questions, questions! And the answers seem to come from talking it over as a family.

When it came to high schools, our community offered many choices. We analyzed the pros and cons for each child, and again, listened to our kids. So when our daughter presented us with reasons why she felt she'd do better at the public school, we enrolled her there, even though both her brothers went with private education.

Color me shocked when some years later, I was suddenly "attacked" by a woman I had just met for being a sexist who put my sons above my daughter.

“So," she charged, "you’ll fork out money for private education for your sons, but not for your daughter?”

Wow--them’s was fighting words! Numerous retorts came to mind, most of which would have lead a Dynasty-worthy Linda Evans/Joan Collins’ moment:


But all my instincts told me this woman was not worth my time or trouble, so I merely made a joke and backed away, let the friend who had just introduced us explain things (okay, put her in her place)!

These days, we try to let the kids make their own decisions (with occasional input from us). And let us not forget that when my husband and I are old and gray, the kids are likely going to be "in charge" of things. So let’s hope we set the right example...

How about you? Every faced a tough decision you had to make for someone else, like a child, parent or grandparent?

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

Book Launch of GHOST HUNTRESS: THE COUNSELING

Well...it's here! The big week of promo for my new book, GHOST HUNTRESS: THE COUNSELING. This is the fourth book in the Ghost Huntress series and I'm very excited that the time is finally here to talk about the book.



Kendall has just discovered who Emily really is, lost her boyfriend, and nearly died doing the thing she loves most–ghost hunting. It’s time to take a break and try to reconcile all the changes she’s going through. So Kendall heads to the Sierra Mountains, where there’s a camp especially for young people with gifts such as hers. It’s a time for reflection and self-discovery. But when she gets to California, she once again finds restless spirits–and the boy in her last vision. It may be the end of one chapter of her life and the beginning of a new one.

This week, we'll be talking about finding your own way in the world and making the best decisions for you. Each day, you'll be eligible to win not only copies of THE COUNSELING here on Books, Boys, Buzz, but I'll be offering a GRAND PRIZE on my website to be given away on September 15th. There's an awesome prize package on my website, so please be sure to check that out and spread the word.



To win a copy of THE COUNSELING, leave a comment in the trail about a huge decision you had to make that had a huge affect on you and your life. Again, those who leave a message (as many as you'd like), will be eligible to win a book.

Thanks for reading!

Hugs,
Marley = )

Diet Dinner?

It's been a busy few weeks for me, but I'm happy to get back into the swing of posting here at the Buzz Girls Blog!

I want to share a little story today, one I think maybe some of you can relate to. My husband and I have put on a few pounds this year, and are getting to the point where we can no longer avoid the scale or pretend our wardrobes are shrinking. So I went out and bought a low-cal/low-fat cookbook, planning to make some changes.

I found a recipe that looked good enough, showed it to my husband, and we made it. It looked something like this:


And actually, the two of us were pleasantly surprised by how good it tasted, and how full we were when we pushed away from the table. While he cleared the dishes, I opened the cookbook back up to make a notation that this recipe was a winner. That's when I saw the deal-breaker: Serves six. Uh-huh, we'd each just eaten what they considered three dinners! No wonder we felt satisfied.

So it's back to the diet dinner drawing board! Anybody have any similar experiences or tips for us?

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

The End of Summer??

Say it ain't so, dear readers! It's almost the end of summer and I'm totally not ready.

In between finishing my new book and traveling I did get at least one night of camping in, last weekend. The next morning, I had ten bug bites - all on my knee caps. How does that happen?

But at least I came home smelling of campfire and having eaten a delicious smore (made with Godiva chocolate) with friends.

The campground was only five minutes from the old resort where I worked the summer before I sold Werewolf. When we drove up the road to take a look, it was totally shut down for reconstruction. I was happy they were upgrading the place, but the rustic rundown cabins and creaky dock were pretty lovely in their own way.

I spent many mornings that summer watching eagles and drinking cocoa in the company truck with my shift partner Hank, a wonderful retired gentleman who worked there to keep busy, and running the boats on the giant lake. It was hard work at the resort, but by the end of summer my arms looked better than Michelle Obama's do now. I'll have to go back when they are done with construction so I can relive the good memories again.

So are you sad about the coming of fall? Are you ready? What are your end of summer rituals that you'll complete before the seasons change?

Hugs,

Heather

www.heatherdavisbooks.com

Never Cry Werewolf - HarperTeen Paperback 9/7/2010

The Clearing - HMH Graphia - out now

Wherever You Go - Harcourt Fall 2011

Winners!

Busy with copy edits for GHOST HUNTRESS: THE DISCOVERY, but wanted to poke my head in and announce a few things.

First off, starting Sunday, we will be back to our regular (non-summer) posting schedule, so we'll have something fresh every day for you now that all of our warm weather distractions have, sadly, come to a close.

Secondly, on Sunday, we will kick off the launch of the fourth book in my GHOST HUNTRESS series - THE COUNSELING, which is released on September 1st! We'll have a lot of giveaways and the chance to enter a GRAND PRIZE giveaway, so be sure to stop back by and get in on the fun!

Thirdly, on that note, I'm giving away an advanced copy, as per last week's contest, as well as some Silly Bandz. And the winners are....

MD - pack of Silly Bandz

brendajean - pack of Silly Bandz

Steph - copy of THE COUNSELING

Please contact me offline with your snail mail address and I'll get the prizes out to you - marley_gibson AT yahoo DOT com.

See you on Sunday!

Hugs,
Marley = )

Get spooked this fall!
GHOST HUNTRESS: THE COUNSELING - available September 1st!

Let the Food Wars Begins

It all began with Top Chef. I was in Boston for my first, last, and only semester of the PhD program from hades. One of my greatest joys was watching the third season of Project Runway. As the season finale neared, Bravo started bombarding me with commercials for the new season of Top Chef. I'd never watched a cooking show in my life, and I wasn't really interested.

But then Bravo did a brilliant thing. The showed the season premiere of Top Chef right after the season finale of Project Runway. I was feeling lazy and didn't want to walk back downstairs from the lounge to my room. So I stayed. And watched.

I was love at first Quick Fire. I've been a devoted Top Chef watcher ever since. And my newfound love for cooking-related shows has expanded to include some other terrific competitions.

Food Network Challenge ranges from building massive architectural structures out of chocolate to an ultimate pancake cook-off to cakes of unimaginable design and proportion. I'm halfway watching to see if something goes horribly wrong, and halfway watching to see the amazing edibles the contestants produce.

On the very first episode of Cupcake Wars, vegan baker Chloe took home the prize--much to the annoyance of the other more experienced chefs. (The rumors are true! Vegan cupcakes are better than regular.) Watching this show just makes me hungry and more often than not drives me to the kitchen to whip up my own cupcake creation.

My newest favorite is The Great Food Truck Race. Nine food truck teams from across the country drive from destination to destination, trying to make the most money in a given time period. There are challenges along the way and the team that makes the least money goes home each week. I totally want to have a food truck now.

There's a new show on the horizon. Top Chef Just Desserts premiers soon and it promises to be just like Top Chef on with DESSERTS! It's going to be hosted by Top Chef judge Gail Simmons and I think it's going to be amazing. I'm sure to be in a sugar coma by the time the season's done.

I'm still not a fan of the traditional cooking show (I think I don't like someone on TV telling me what to do or how to do it) but I'm definitely a food competition junkie. What about you? Do you watch any of these shows? Do you watch cooking shows like Rachael Ray or Giada de Laurentiis? Are you a wanna be chef or a hopeless disaster in the kitchen?

Hugs,
TLC

teralynnchilds.com
@teralynnchilds

A final summer fling

I'll admit...I'm a seafoodaholic. After all, I live in New England where you can fall out of your front door and have your fill of shrimp, scallops, cod, and clams. So, imagine my thrill when a friend of mine here in Florida said she'd take us out on their boat for a day of fishing.

It was a gorgeous day in St. Pete when we floated out onto Tampa Bay.



The water was calm and inviting, as was the sun as it shimmered down on us. With our bait of pin fish, shrimp, and squid, we took to the poles.



After a few hours of nothingness, the tide shifted, causing the water to airate, which means more fishies! That's when we started pulling them in. A couple of gray snappers, a few salt water catfish, but most of all, I caught an 18-in Spanish mackerel!



And, my sweetie and co-author of THE OTHER SIDE: A TEEN'S GUIDE TO GHOST HUNTING AND THE PARANORMAL, Patrick Burns, caught a two-foot long shark! Check out the video we did!



I cooked up the mackerel in flour, salt, pepper, and garlic powder and did a quick fry in veggie oil. I whipped up a mango coulis from fresh mangos from my friend's tree and voila! A meal fit for a king.



So, that's pretty much it for summer. Time to get back to the grind. There are book proposals to write, books to edit, and promotions to do. And speaking of, soon, we'll have a huge week of giveaways for my newest book in the GHOST HUNTRESS series - THE COUNSELING.



To get things started, let's have a little contest. Did someone say CONTEST?

Tell me about your summer adventures and your highlight of the season. I will pick three winners to announce next Wednesday. Two winners will get a packet of Silly Bandz and one winner will get an advanced copy of THE COUNSELING.

Hugs,
Marley = )
http://www.marleygibson.com/

Get spooked this Halloween!
GHOST HUNTRESS: THE COUNSELING - available September 1st!

And Just When Life Got Back to Normal...

Whew! I finally made it back to Oklahoma City from a summer in Las Vegas and Orlando. I got a lot of my emails answered and the rest organized to answer soon. I even started to thin out my closet and pack away my bookshelves in preparation for my upcoming (hopefully before the new year) move.

And then...

My editor scheduled a phone call about revising the first Medusa girls book (which actually has a tentative working title, but I'm waiting to see a cover comp before I give a final opinion). A phone call is, um, rarely good. Not at the revision stage, anyway. At the buy-the-book stage it's awesome.

Anyway, an editorial phone call is usually a way to soften the blow of a less-than-minor revision. And also to talk through ideas and confirm that author and editor are on the same page, but mostly the former. In this case, I was already expecting a somewhat massive revision for three reasons:

1. This book is very different from the others I've written. Instead of one main character, there are three. All in first person. Instead of writing it one book at a time, it's a predetermined trilogy (not that there can't be more, but there are at least three) which means a three book story arc. Very complicated.
2. When I wrote the first draft, I stuck very close to my outline. Which is great, direction-wise, but not-so-great depth-wise. Before I turned it in I did a lot of fleshing out for myself, but I knew there was going to have to be more.
3. I (we) want this book to be extra special. It's darker. It's triplets. It's mythology. It's monster-hunting. It's longer. It's more complex. It's a book that I hope will appeal to an even wider audience than my first two series. That all means that I have to work even harder to make it the best book it can be.

All of the above add up to a pretty significant revision, no matter how you look at it. And, since my revision packet arrived yesterday, you can guess what I'll be doing for the next couple-to-few weeks.

On top of the revision, there's also the fact that my dad has accepted a one year teaching position at OSU in Stillwater, Oklahoma. That's a bit over an hour from where their house is in Oklahoma City. After his second day of commute he announced that the round trip drive cost $25 in gas. Gasp!

Guess what this mean? Even before I get my act together to move to Seattle, I'm going to pack up and move (very temporarily) to Stillwater. Thankfully I've got a few weeks to pull that off, and I can combine it with packing for the move to Seattle, only keeping out what I absolutely need. Still!

Add to all that the fact that I think I broke my baby toe yesterday on a shopping cart, and, well...

Even though my life is "back to normal" at the moment, you can see that there really is no such thing for a writer and daughter of theatre parents.

At least it's never dull.

Hugs,
TLC

teralynnchilds.com
@teralynnchilds

The Zen of Summer

It’s been a busy summer, but even while finishing my new book for Harcourt and working too, I did get a chance to get away with my bf for a fun weekend in Montana.

If you’ve never tried fly-fishing, let me tell you – it is so fun. It's nothing like the boring plunk fishing you may have done before. With fly-fishing, you’re constantly in motion and really paying attention to the task at hand, watching the fly on the water, stripping or mending your line. All your troubles (thoughts of character development, plot twists, your day job, the pile of emails to be answered) drift away as you focus on luring the trout with your fly. Your're there on the river listening to the sound of the water, feeling the wind and sun on your face, and all around you is pure, natural beauty.

I hadn't realized I missed going to Alaska every summer, and living in the North Cascades so much. Montana reminded me of those simple times in the woods, about the best of the life I lived before I transformed back into a city girl.

Here’s a picture of Brownie the trout, the little guy I caught that morning on the Gallatin River. Also, our guide Lyn was terrifc. I didn't expect a woman fishing guide, so that was really, really cool.

Have you ever tried fly-fishing? Did you get into the Zen of it? Or maybe there’s something else that puts you into that state… what is it? What gets you away from your troubles and into the wild mind?

Happy Summer,


Heather
www.heatherdavisbooks.com

Wherever You Go – Harcourt 2011
Never Cry Werewolf – HarperTeen – Paperback Sept 2010!
The Clearing – Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 2010

Writer's Wednesday

I get a lot of questions from fans and writers alike asking me for tips and tools for their writing. I thought I'd respond to a question here to help others out.

Dear Ms. Gibson:

I love your books and hope you can give me some writing advice. So many times, I run out of words how to say things. I use a thesaurus and such but I just get so frustrated trying to find more words to get an action across. Like walk. How else can you say a character walks. And said. I get so tired of writing said. Any advice?

I've had this problem myself. In fact, I have several thesaurus websites booked just so I can do quick references for actions that my characters are doing.

I'll list suggestions for word replacement. But, let me tell you what many writers and editors have told me about "said." Said is a throw-away word that has to be there. You want to be careful not to use to many descriptive words to replace "said" because they'll just get in the way of the story or won't make sense. Example: in a contest I judged, the writer kept saying...

"...Sally giggled." or "Sally sighed." or "Sally squeaked."

Is she an asthmatic mouse who'll laugh at anything? LOL! Seriously, though...you can't giggle, sigh, or squeak dialogue. In attempting to get away from the word "said," the writer wrote something that's incorrect. She should have said something like, "...Sally said with a sigh," or "Sally giggled as she spoke" or "Sally said with squeak." See the diff?



If you still need other words for said, use them...just do it sparingly. Here are some suggestions:

Action verbs to replace SAID -

add, affirm, allege, announce, answer, assert, break silence, claim, come out with, communicate, conjecture, convey, declare, deliver, disclose, divulge, do, estimate, express, flap, gab, give voice, guess, imagine, imply, jaw judge, lip, maintain, make known, mention, opine, orate, perform, pronounce, put forth, put into words, rap, read, recite, rehearse, relate, remark, render, repeat, rely, report, respond, reveal, rumor, speak, spiel, state, suggest, tell, utter, verbalize, voice, yak






Action verbs to replace WALK -

advance, amble, canter, crawl, creep, ease, escpre, exercise, foot, go, hike, hoof it, hustle, lead, locomote, lumber, march, meander, pace, pad, parade, patrol, plod, prance, procede, promenade, pursue, race, roam, rove, run, saunter, scoot, scuff, scurry, scuttle, scramble, scamper, shadow, shamble, sidle, shuffle slink, slog, stalk, step, stride, stroll, strut, stumble, stump, tottle, tour, traipse, tramp, traverse, tread, trek, troop, trot, trudge, wander, waddle, wobble

How these help! Let me know other words you'd like replacement help with.

Hugs,
Marley = )

GHOST HUNTRESS: THE REASON - available now!
GHOST HUNTRESS: THE COUNSELING - September 2010

The Other Guys

I don’t go out to theaters very often--it’s true. But earlier this year a friend and I went and saw Date Night, and among the previews was a trailer for a summer release, The Other Guys.


It immediately caught my interest. Not just because one of its stars happens to be Mark Wahlberg, for whom I have a teeny, tiny, so-small-it’s-hardly-worth-mentioning crush (and whose shirtless screen time in Date Night was both noted and appreciated by me). But also because the storyline of The Other Guys looked like a fresh spin on a cop buddy movie, and it came across as genuinely funny.

Yesterday I happened to notice that I was not alone in wanting to see it...that The Other Guys was the number one movie of the weekend. And reviewers are loving it. So now I really think I need to head out to a theater again...and soon.

But in the meantime, I happened upon this fun interview with Marky Mark on the Time Magazine Website, which can be read or viewed. And I will totally understand if feel you need to watch the video, especially if you happen to think he’s amazing to look at and want to hear more of his low, whispery voice...

A-hem! In any case, tell us, are there any movies on your list to see?

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

The phone rings and ...

It's one thing to get an annoying sales call, or, IMHO, an even more annoying political survey call (Her: "Are you for ethical government?" Me: "Naw, the more unethical the better. Thanks for calling!") but two nights ago my family (and poor babysitters) received multiple threatening phone calls. Here's what happened.

My husband and I were out to dinner with friends and left our three little boys home with two fabulous babysitters. While we were waiting for our sushi, I realized I'd missed a phone call from them, so I tried calling back but I only got the voicemail. A bit worried, I called the babysitters' mom, who lives down the street from us and got a busy signal. I called two different neighbors and asked them to please go to my house and make sure everybody was okay. One neighbor called back to say lights were on but no one seemed to be home. Now I'm really worried/confused and am making plans to get back home. But I tried the babysitters' mom once more and she answered and told me the kids had been getting some vulgar and threatening phone calls over at my house and felt safer at their house. She told us to finish our sushi, that the kids were fine. I wouldn't have been able to finish eating had I called to get our voicemail messages, which I did when we were almost home.

It was the nastiest, scariest, most threatening message I'd ever heard. It was a man threatening to bash our heads in as well as other threats and terrible profanity I can't write here--and those were only the parts in English!

We picked our children up from our neighbor's house and while my husband got them tucked in (all but our ten year-old, who'd actually spoken to the caller and was freaked out, understandably so), I called the police. The officer came over about a half-hour later and listened to the messages (there were about 9, plus he spoke directly to the babysitter and my son) and jotted down the phone number off the caller ID. He asked if we knew who it was or had any reason to believe someone would want to harm us (or the babysitters) in any way. We couldn't think of anyone. The officer left and called the number, and then he called us to say it was actually a junior high kid living in a city about an hour away, that he got the kid's mom out of bed and told her they could be up for criminal charges and really let them have it. Then, about ten minuntes later, the mom called us to apologize on her son's behalf. At this point, I was feeling considerably less afraid but so disappointed that this kid thought this was somehow funny or entertaining or acceptable to make those kinds of phone calls. My husband told the mom it was okay (I would've had some different words had I been the one who'd answered) and hung up and we all went to bed. My ten year-old slept in our room, bless his heart.

Have you ever received a scary phone call? If so, what did you do?

Remember me? Recap of RWA Nationals and the Hectic Summah of 2010

Hey Buzz Readers!

Remember me? I'm the Bee who's been AWOL pretty much all summer. Sorry about that. In addition to traveling the country for conferences and booksignings in my RV, my boyfriend and I have also had his two boys (11 and 9) with us the entire summer and we've had a major adventure!

We started in New York City, worked our way over to Michigan and the U.P. and then a long stint in the north woods of Wisconsin with their grandparents, a visit to Mt. Olympus water park in the Wisconsin Dells, a five-day conference in Hohenwald, TN investigating several haunted locations, selling books, and doing lectures, and then down to Orlando, Florida, for the 30th Annual Romance Writers of America Conference.

Are you tired just reading all of that?

But, I'm back and I want to share some of my pics from RWA.

It was great seeing my fellow Buzz girls Tina, Steph, Wendy, and Tera, and we very much missed having Heather and Dona in our ranks.

As Tina has reported, we had a lovely dinner at Shula's (and yes, I was horrified that people don't know who Don Shula is...not just the winningest coach of all time in the NFL, but also the father of former Bama quarterback and coach, Mike Shula. LOL!) and the food was absolutely delicious, as seen here by my plate of food. What was I thinking ordering a 16 ounce steak?



I did a panel with my non-fiction editor, Rose Hilliard, from St. Martin's Press, and buddy, Louisa Edwards on "Creating a Symbiotic Editor-Author Relationship."



And here I am with Rose at the St. Martin's party on the Disney Boardwalk.



Met some famous ladies on my trip...

The fabulous Heather Graham, who can sing "Bobby MaGee" like no one's business and is also into ghosts and SCUBA diving.



The ever-amazing Suz Brockmann, fellow New Englander.



And WOW...THE Meg Cabot, queen of YA. She's a total doll and so very nice.



And here's our very own former Buzz girl, Simone Elkeles, and her brand new friend, Rita...for Best YA! So proud of Simone!



Of course...time cutting up with Buzz girl Wendy...



Hanging with fabu YA author (and critique partner), Jenn Echols...



Fellow Knight Agency sistah and YA author who sat next to me at the Literacy Signing, Linda Gerber...



And, with my sweetie, fellow author, Patrick Burns...



Despite coming home with a severe cold and sinus infection, it was a great conference and I loved every minute I spent with the Buzz Girls!

Hugs,
Marley = )

More Pictures from National

Thanks to Stephanie Hale for opening our discussion yesterday about the Romance Writers of America conference in Orlando, Florida, attended by five of the seven Buzz Girls. (Next year we're hoping for a full house!)

Here are Steph and Tera flanking me in a picture Tera somehow managed to be in AND take (I am always inspired by multi-taskers):



Here stands me, Marley, Wendy and Tera, in a photo perhaps worthy of one of Marley's Ghost Huntress books:


And now replace Wendy with Steph, and add in the middle...oh...um...what's her name...(choke, sputter, gasp)... MEG CABOT.


Yes, *the* Meg Cabot. Looking every bit as warm, friendly--and gorgeous--as she is in real life. It was a thrill and delight for us to meet her!

That's it from me. Maybe some of the other Buzz Girls have pictures to share?

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

Jetlag, a head cold, and tons of good memories....

Geographically I've been back from Orlando for three days, but mentally I'm pretty sure I'm still there. Or at least wish I was. Unfortunately my entire family brought home headcolds along with our Mickey ears, but it was so worth it. It was so wonderful spending time with most of the Buzz Girls, meeting some new friends, and getting some much needed inspiration for my writing. I spent most of the week at all the Walt Disney World parks with my family, but I was lucky to get to spend some quality time with the bees. Here is the one and only picture I took (Tera has some really good ones to post later).
Doesn't Tina look amazing in her crown? It is so exciting when they flash the Rita finalists up on a giant screen and you get to scream and clap for your friends. There really are no losers at this ceremony.

After the literacy booksigning, Tera, Tina, Marley and I had dinner with Lauren Strasnick (YA author or Nothing Like You) at Shula's Steakhouse. Marley had to explain to us who Don Shula is (the winningest football coach ever, in case you were wondering). The food was amazing! I'm pretty sure that Marley will be posting pictures of her dinner at a later date. I haven't been able to attend a conference since 2007 and it was wonderful to be able to be in the company of these wonderful and talented women again.

That's just a little taste of RWA Orlando. There will be many more memories and pictures to come.

xo,

Stephanie

http://www.stephaniehale.com/