Saying Goodbye to Summer

Okay, so technically summer is still here for a few weeks (although I must confess to loving Seattle-esque summers way more than those in Oklahoma, Houston, and Vegas--it's more like spring) but I can sense it winding down. The air will get crisper, the rain will come (maybe?), and I'll soon be cuddling with a good book and watching as the leaves fall.

Fall is probably my favorite time of the year, but I think I'll actually miss summer this year. Some of the fun things I've done this summer include:

• driving from Oklahoma to Seattle and sleeping in National Parks
• going sailing for the first time
• traveling to New York, Washington DC, Houston, and Las Vegas
• finally (!!!) moving to Seattle
• going to outdoor concerts with Heather Bee and friend Liz Gallagher
• walking Daisy around Capitol Hill

So, what (if anything) will you miss about summer?

Hugs,
TLC

YA Scavenger Hunt on August 1st!

A few of us Buzz Girls are participating in the YA Scavenger Hunt organized by YA author Colleen Houck.  Our own Marley, Tera, and Heather will be part of the event, which will be one day only -- August 1st.

There are thirty YA authors participating, all of whom will post bonus chapters, news on upcoming books, cover reveals, and much much more on their individual sites.  To play, you just start at one of our sites and follow the links to complete the hunt -- enjoying all this cool insider content along the way.

At many of the author sites, you can enter individual giveaways.  To enter the grand prize drawing for a multi-author book bonanza, you'll collect the clue word in red on each author's post to complete the YA Scavenger Hunt Puzzle.  Once you've got the puzzle completed, you'll email it in to enter the grand prize drawing.  Rules and a puzzle form will be on each author's blog in the hunt.

It's one day only - August 1st, 2011 -- so get ready to go on the hunt!

Hugs,

Heather

Fins Are Forever Week Winners!

Fins Are Forever week is done (here on the Buzz blog anyway, it continues this coming week in real life) and that means WINNERS! The three sets of Fins books go to:

• Steph
• Jacque Griffin
• Krystal

(To avoid confusion, please click on the link to see if it's your profile.) Send your mailing info to tlc at teralynnchilds dot com and I'll get the prizes in the mail as soon as I get my copies and get done traveling.

Hugs,
TLC

teralynnchilds.com
@teralynnchilds

Mermaids, ahoy!

This week we're celebrating Buzz girl Tera Lynn Child's upcoming release of Fins Are Forever!  Next week you'll be able to get your flippers on a copy of Fins, and find out what happens next in the story of Lily and Quince.

I'm really excited to be heading to NYC for the RWA conference with Tera next week.  On Tuesday, Tera's release day, RWA will be holding their giant Literacy signing. What a great way to kick off the sequel to Forgive My Fins.  If you're in NYC, you should swim on by.  And, if you're not in NYC, you should (of course) float over to your local bookstore and pick up a copy of Fins are Forever.  The paperback of Forgive My Fins is out that same day, in case you haven't yet read the first installment of the undersea saga.

Since we're writing about our favorite water memories this week -- I'll just post a picture of a recent one:   Tera and me on my friend Ryan's boat. This is on Lake Union, where every Tuesday, crazy sailboat skippers (like Ryan) race and then raft up to socialize.  It's super fun, and though our crew doesn't usually win or even finish near the top, we have a great time on the water.  As you can see, the weather was cold and windy for this sail!
 

GIVEAWAY: Each day this week, you can post a comment to enter the drawing to win one of three sets of Tera's Fins Books.  

Today's question:

If you were a mermaid, what would your name be?

(Example: mine would be Penelope Seaflower.)

Good luck!  Winners will be drawn and posted on Sunday.

Hugs,

Heather

www.heatherdavisbooks.com

The Clearing - 2011 RITA Award finalist, Best Young Adult Romance

A Natural Wonder!

So excited to be celebrating the release of Tera's new book, Fins Are Forever. I do apologize that my crazy travel schedule kept me from posting last week on Heather's good news...so a belated "whoohoo!" to Heather, as well.



We're talking about memories that involve water...and I created one just last week. And boy, was it a wonder. One of the wonders of the world, in fact: Niagara Falls.



My fiance, Patrick Burns, and I have his two boys with us this summer and we're always looking for things to do to keep them entertained. Well, we were scheduled for a conference in Illinois one weekend and Auburn, New York the next week, so we took the time to drive to Niagara Falls and take in the spendor and beauty of the natural wonder.



This was my fourth visit, but it never fails to take my breath away. This time was especially memorable because we had the kidlets with us and they had never been there. Also, I have always wanted to ride on the Maid of the Mist, the boat that takes you literally right up underneath the horseshoe falls. We did it! We were on the front of the boat and got completely soaked, but I'd do it again in a heartbeat.



And, you can't take a bad picture of the Falls. The sheer power and beauty of it is overwhelming. It was an extraordinary day--albeit, a wet one--and following a warm cup of tea and reminiscing already, I know it was a day to remember for all of us. A real "family" moment...and that's what counts.



Have you been to Niagara Falls? What did you think? Share your thoughts and memories. Remember, three lucky commenters this week will win a Fins pack from Tera Lynn Childs. Click HERE for all the exciting details. And congrat's, TLC! You are truly blessed by the cover gods! LOL!!

Hugs,
Marley = )

www.marleygibson.com
www.ghosthuntress.com

The next installment of the popular Ghost Huntress series
is out and everything's not as it seems...
GHOST HUNTRESS: THE DISCOVERY

My Favorite Waterfall

This week we're celebrating the release of Fins Are Forever, the highly anticipated sequel to Tera Lynn Child's Forgive My Fins. Its official book birthday is one week from today! Yay!

And to help celebrate this momentous occasion, we're talking about our favorite water memories.

There are three ways to get to my house, but we usually take a road that goes up Ogden Canyon, and in this canyon is a waterfall. It's one that can be turned off and on, so on any given day it might be going full blast or just a trickle, and in the winter it is usually frozen (so pretty!). People stop and take photos, get engaged, etc. in front of this lovely feature. What I love most is how excited my boys get to see it each time we pass. They make bets on how much it's turned on and through the years it's become a tradition.

I've been to Hawaii, Costa Rica, and Alaska--all famous for their waterfalls. And yes, those are spectacular. But this one will always mean the most to me because it reminds me of home.

What is your favorite water feature, either natural or man-made? Please do share! Three lucky commenters this week will win a Fins pack from Tera Lynn Childs. Click HERE for all the exciting details. And congrat's, TLC! I can't wait to read Fins Are Forever!

Island Girl!

Celebrating the release of Fins are Forever by our own Tera Lynn Childs, we are talking this week about favorite water memories.

Mine goes back more than ten years, to a vacation in the Bahamas. While the resort beachfront and water slide pool were a big hit with me, my husband and our kids, what was most memorable was our day trip to Blue Lagoon Island, which offers tranquil beaches, opportunities to play with dolphins and swim in a lagoon.


We came and went by ferry, with the outbound trip being mostly about sightseeing. The return voyage featured dancing to a reggae band and a limbo contest, both of which I enthusiastically joined in (and yes, somewhere in our family archives, there is a video).


On the island, we opted out of the dolphin encounter (saving it for next time), but took full opportunity of the paddle boats, hammocks, beachcoming, and simply relaxing in the soft sand of shallow lagoon. Heavenly!


So while a case could be made that this island is touristy and commercial, I’d still say if any of you find yourselves in Nassau, add this to your itinerary. And what better book to read as you lay about in paradise than one about a mermaid?

To be entered in our weeklong contest here at the Buzz Girls Blog, name a favorite water spot you visited (ocean, lake, river, pool). Three lucky people will chosen from the week's long comments to each win a “Fin Set,” (Forgive My Fins paperback, with cool extras in the back, and Fins Are Forever hardcover). 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

It's (Practically) Fins Are Forever Week!

Fins Are Forever, the sequel to my mermaid book Forgive My Fins, comes out a week from Tuesday! *confetti and vegan cupcakes* To celebrate here on the Buzz blog we're talking about favorite water memories all week AND I'm giving away Fins sets (Forgive My Fins paperback, with cool extras in the back, and Fins Are Forever hardcover) to three lucky commenters.

Tune in all week to read Buzz girl water memories and comment on each post for extra chances to win! Feel free to share your own favorite water memory below for your first entry. Check back next Sunday to find out if you've won.

Hugs,
TLC

teralynnchilds.com
@teralynnchilds

A Moravian Moment

Congratulations to Heather! I'm so excited to celebrate the RITA nomination for The Clearing this week with another post about inspiring elders (and another chance to with the fabulous farmhouse prize pack Heather is giving away).

When I was in graduate school (studying Historic Preservation at Columbia University) one of our first year required classes as called Basic Principles of Traditional Construction. We studied things like brick recipes, house framing, and roofing techniques. The professor was a distinguished old (like 85-years-old old) Czech-born architect named Jan Pokorny. He wore a blazer and a bow tie every day and always showed up early for class.

I have a special connection to the Czech and Slovak people because my dad's theatre design mentor was also Czech. Actually, he was also Moravian, the area between the Czech republic and Slovakia. He once told my father that, when the country was still Czechoslovakia and they would play the national anthems at events, Moravia was the space between the two.

I really enjoyed that class because I love learning how things are built. I loved learning about the different kinds of siding used in Colonial housing and how to make different colored bricks by adding certain things to the recipe. The class also happened to be right after lunchtime, so I often got there early to eat lunch in my seat before the other students started showing up.

One day, Jan came in and started making notes on the board. Feeling a little awkward, I tried to make some small talk and asked him about being Moravian. When he saw that I knew what Moravia was, his eyes lit up. He asked if I was Moravian. I told him no, but that we had close family friends who were.

From that moment on I was his favorite student (well, it did help that I scored highest on the midterm test). He eventually made me T.A. for the class and was the faculty sponsor of our class trip to Prague before graduation.

Jan is no longer with us, but I can still picture his smiling round face, his quirky bow ties, and the neat and precise architectural drawings he used to make on the board. At 85 he still swam laps every day, still taught every semester, still designed and sat on committees and made a significant contribution to the world of historic preservation and the world in general. I am inspired to be as active as possible for as long as possible.

Okay, to enter today, comment with a favorite or inspiring teacher and why. Be sure to comment on all the other posts this week for more entries and check back on Sunday to find out if you've won!

Hugs,
TLC

teralynnchilds.com
@teralynnchilds

Bravo's New Show: Platinum Hit

Last night Bravo TV premiered the first episode of their new show Platinum Hit. It is a Top Chef/Project Runway-like competition for singer-songwriters. Jewel is the host and former American Idol judge Kara Dioguardi is the head judge. Here's the official season preview:



What I loved most about the first episode (and what I think I'll love most about the series) is that it's almost like a writing competition. Watching the songwriters create their lyrics, their hooks, their melodies, is almost like watching the writing process. I think it's as close to a So You Think You Can Write show as we'll get on television.

And a couple of the first episode songs were just amazing. Ah. Maze. Ing. I'm in awe of the process of putting words to music (my musical intelligence is definitely a weakness) and I hope the season lives up to the first show.

Did you watch Platinum Hit? What'd you think?

Hugs,
TLC

teralynnchilds.com
@teralynnchilds

High School TLC

My senior picture.

This week we're celebrating high school seniors and graduation. High school graduation feels like forever ago, and I've done so many crazy things since then. On the day of my graduation, I planned to go to Columbia University in New York City to study architecture and eventually become a world famous architect like Frank Lloyd Wright, Frank Gehry, or Robert A.M. Stern. But plans change. Here's what really happened:

Went to Columbia, University of Colorado, back to Columbia, SHSU, and Tufts. Lived in New York, Colorado, Missouri, Texas, Massachusetts, Nevada, and Oklahoma. Wanted to become a lawyer, architect, environmental biologist, actress, muralist, scenic artist, teacher, professor and finally writer.

My graduation picture.

I often wonder what my friends have done since high school. I'm not in touch with most of them, but every so often I hear from one. Sometimes I try to track someone down on Facebook or something. I know my best friend is married with babies. Many of my friends are still in or around the town where we went to high school.

I always had bigger plans than my friends. I wanted to go farther away, do more exciting things, be a bigger name in the end. Maybe it's because I grew up moving around the country, so big changes didn't scare me. They still don't, obviously, since I'm about to move across the country again. (Seattle here I come!)

I've always been a planner, but I've also always been willing to let me plans change. And I'm definitely happy with how my plans are working out so far.

So, what are/were your plans when you graduate(d) from high school? Big or small? Close to home or far away? Did you/are you/will you accomplish them?

Hugs,
TLC

PS. If you want to see more embarrassing high school pictures, check out my post from High School Week back in 2008. Tina, Marley, Steph, Heather, Dona (sort of) and ex-Buzz Girl Simone shared, too.

teralynnchilds.com
@teralynnchilds

Here We Trend Again...

I got an email advertisement from Publisher’s Weekly the other day for Ashes, a dystopian YA which debuts this fall.  It seems there are still publishers wanting to put out books in that sub-genre, which surprises me since I think this push will be coming to an end.  Then again, with the long lead time of print books, this novel has, of course, been in the works for a while.

Agent Mandy Hubbard blogged a recap of her meetings in NY with acquiring editors and apparently, there were a few places still hoping to put out a YA dystopian novel before the wave ends. 

So what’s next?

Well, as USA Today predicted last week, mermaid stories are on the rise.  And it’s worth noting that our own Tera Lynn Childs was at the forefront of that trend, and before that she was writing about Greek mythology, another trend that’s cresting.  I think she must have a crystal ball.  Tera, 'fess up!

But really, it’s just amazing how the Collective Unconscious seems to work in the publishing world.  A few really great books on a unique subject get other people thinking and writing and then a new wave is born, I guess.

Mandy wrote that what editors hoped would be big (though they couldn't say it would be for sure) was more realistic fiction -- so you can imagine that I smiled at that one.  Just the other day I saw a table at my local Barnes & Noble that was marked “For Sarah Dessen fans” and featured books by Justina Chen, Sarah Ockler, and others.  I imagined that my books, though they have a supernatural element, could be on that table someday...

The main thing I know about trends and predictions and buzz is that nobody knows anything for real.  A great book, no matter the subject, is going to find a home.  And with the growing sales of e-books, authors have the ability to put those books out there on  their own now, too.

I think readers are smart, especially YA readers.  They can smell b.s.  They want real characters and compelling stories.  They want to be entertained.  They want to feel something.

That is the trend to watch.  The trend to write to.


What do you guys think?  Are you over dystopian fiction?  Are mermaids going to make an even larger impact this year?  Have you read any vampire books recently?

Hugs,

Heather
www.heatherdavisbooks.com

The Clearing - 2011 Rita Finalist Best YA Romance
Wherever You Go - Harcourt, November 2011
Never Cry Werewolf - HarperTeen

Stranded in Texas

As much as I love my car, sometimes it's more trouble than it's worth. Like now. Last week I put in $1000 to make it trip-ready for my tour travel to Texas this month and then for the long drive next month. That $1000 included replacing the rear brake pads and rotors (what the brakes grip onto to stop your car).

All through the drive to Austin and San Antonio last weekend, I worried that there was something wrong with my engine, that it was working too hard for the highway driving I was doing. Plus, every time I stopped and got out of the car it stank of melted brake rubber. I thought it was just new brake pads smell.

Fast forward to Sunday night when I get to Rosemary Clement-Moore's house in Fort Worth. We decided to go out to dinner because it was late and I was starved. I put my foot on the brake before putting the car in gear and the pedal whooshed straight to the floor. I pulled out and drove a few feet and tested the brakes, which didn't grab until the pedal was all the way to the floor. When I pulled back to the curb, shut off the car and called my dad, I played with the brake pedal again and it built up so much pressure that it wouldn't move at all.

B2 Goes For A Ride

Suffice it to say that the next morning a tow truck came and took my car away to a branch of the repair shop that had done the work up in Oklahoma. Although they tried to argue the situation and make me pay for some of the additional repairs on the parts they "fixed" they are (hopefully--I'm writing this the night before) fixing my car this morning and bringing it back to me with no money out of my pocket. Fingers crossed.

What irritates me about this situation is not only did their repair cause a new problem and they tried to deny that, to blame it on my older car, but I worry about additional wear on the brand new rotors and on my engine because it had to work extra hard the whole trip. Not to mention the extra gas consumed.

Sigh. I hope this all works out and my car makes it back to Dallas next weekend and then to the west coast, but I'd sure appreciate and nice windfall of cash from the universe so I can buy a shiny new car with a shiny new warranty.

Have you ever had a horrible car breakdown story? Or an awful experience with an untrustworthy mechanic? Please share and make me feel not so alone in my car troubles.

Hugs,
TLC

teralynnchilds.com
@teralynnchilds

Essential Revision Supplies

I'm in the middle of my first past revision for the second book in the Sweet Venom trilogy, which is due in to my editor June 1st. Although my writing and revising process tends to change from book to book, there are a few essential supplies I must have in order to get through it.

1. Sticky Notes — I use these, in various colors (sometimes color-coded by type of comment, sometimes by character, like in Sweet Venom) to: mark my daily page goal, flag the first pages of chapters, and to add large sections (a sentence or more) to the manuscript. Right now, I'm using green ones for Grace's notes, orange ones for Gretchen's, and pink ones for Greer's.


2. Highlighters — These are mostly for fun. I'll either highlight the chapter title (color-coded to which girl's POV I'll be in for that chapter), use them to mark up my countdown calendar (green for writing days, orange for revising, pink for days off when I can get life stuff done), or just to pretty up pages of notes in my book notebook.


3. Pen and Pencil — These are for the real work. For marking directly on the manuscript page, I use a mechanical pencil (Pentel in .9mm lead, if you want to be specific) so that I can erase and rewrite (over and over again) as I'm trying to get the line just perfect. For longer additions on the sticky notes, I use a pen (Uniball Vision Elite in micro) so it doesn't smear when I smooth the sticky note into place.


4. Manuscript — I feel like an eco-fraud every time I get my manuscript printed out for my revision pass. But I have discovered that my brain just does not process revisions in the same way on the screen as I do on the printed page. And I do get the manuscript printed on recycled paper, to offset the waste. I contain the manuscript in a big white 3-ring binder with a cover page that has the working title of the book.

So that's what I need to get through my revision process. Do you have any special supplies that you absolutely must have can't live without while you're writing/revising/doing homework?

Hugs,
TLC

teralynnchilds.com
@teralynnchilds

Near-Fiascoes in Book Event World

Inspired by Shannon Hale's Mortification Monday (thanks Wendy!) this week some of the Buzz Girls are sharing book event fiascoes with the world. Now, hopefully I'm not jinxing myself (*throws salt over shoulder*) but I've never had a true book event fiasco. I've had some near misses, though, so I'll dish on those...

• For my debut launch party at Houston's Blue Willow Bookshop, my parents were planning on flying down from Oklahoma City to join the party. It was their only child's first book and they wanted to be there to celebrate. They packed their overnight bag, went to the airport, and... realized that they had misread the landing time as the departure time. They had missed their flight! Luckily, they caught the next one (it's only a hour long flight, thank goodness) and, despite cutting it quite close, made it just in time!

• My next signing was at Katy Budget Books, also in Houston. Unfortunately, that was the time when my mother was in the hospital and I was up in Oklahoma City to be with her and my dad. She was still in the hospital, but stable, and I didn't want to flake out on the booksigning. So I bought a ticket down and back on the same day, leaving myself plenty of time to get to the signing. Three hours extra, in fact. Guess how late my plane took off? Yep, three hours! I made it, though... barely. However, it was summer vacation, and apparently everyone who had been in the store the week before had been buying books for their trips because, literally, two people showed up. And I knew one of them. It was a very emotionally draining day, but meeting the one fan who came in already having read my book and asking me to sign the cover with silver marker, to take pictures with her for her blog, that made it all worthwhile.

All of my other events have been pretty smooth (*knocks on wood*) with only the typical no-one-shows-up dramas and do-I-have-to-read-pages worries. If those are the worst things that ever happen in my booksigning career, then I'll county myself lucky. (*goes in search of four-leaf clovers*)

Hugs,
TLC

teralynnchilds.com

Book Event Fiascos

I absolutely love book events, whether I'm The Author, an author, or a fan of the author. And when these events run smoothly for everybody involved, great. Unfortunately, glitches are inevitable, and I've had my share.


As you might know, RWA (Romance Writers of America) holds its national conference every summer. Last year, it took place in Orlando, FL. Since it was the summer Lifted came out, I was especially excited because I was eligible to sign at the gigantic book event that takes place the night before the conference. Authors, writers, and readers flood into a ballroom in hopes to get books signed by Meg Cabot, Nora Roberts, and Wendy Toliver.



Ha! But really, I happen to have family and friends in Orlando, and they sweet-talked (bribed?) all their friends into coming. So I was expecting a fairly sizable crowd, if only to brush by me and grab a free bookmark. Brandishing my "Yes I'm supposed to be here" pass, I strolled through the rows and rows of authors (nicer to stalk this way than in the bathrooms).




When I found my name tent, I just stood there, dumbstruck. No books. As I tried to process the horrible truth that my books had not made it, people voiced their condolences and I tried to smile and pretend like it was no big deal that bunches of people were coming to see me, and that I'd booked a red eye flight and paid for an extra night at the hotel so I could be there on time. Then Marley and Tina had a fabulous idea: Write "Sold Out" on my name tent and just smile and hand out bookmarks. Sure enough, it drummed up some interest and even though I'd gotten a hold of my "fans" and told them not to come, I had a wonderful time meeting readers and other writers. The rest of the conference was perfect, from visiting Harry Potter at Universal with my fabulous agent Christina Hogrebe to hobnobbing with the Buzz Girls in our Awards Night finery (photo: left to right Tina, Marley, me, Tera).

If you're an author, have you ever had a book event glitch? Here's a link to Shannon Hale's stories, and click here for James Dashner's.

What I'm reading: The Book Thief (still, because I'm spending so much time on my proposal)

Home at Last!

After a twelve day sojourn that took me from Oklahoma to Los Angeles to Houston to Austin to Houston and finally back to Oklahoma, I am finally home in Poketown (aka Stillwater, OK). This is just my temporary home, of course, because I am working on getting to Seattle this summer, but my bed and my puppy were waiting for me, so home it is.

One of the things I love most about conferences and conventions (besides meeting fabulous fans and readers and bloggers and librarians) is getting to hang out with other writers. This always energizes me, recharges my writerly batteries and I come home eager to write-write-write.

This is an especially good thing right now because I have a book due, like, yesterday. (Okay, June 1st, but it feels really really close.) And, while I won't admit my current page count (it's pretty small) or how much I plan to write in the next two weeks (it's a lot) I will say that I'm going to be nose-to-the-grindstone to get Sweet Venom 2 done early enough to revise it before sending it off to my editor by deadline.

Before I left on my big trip I ordered a new Alphasmart. My old one had been my dear companion for many years, but the keys started getting sticky (even after I took them all off and cleaned off the sub-key gunk) and it hurt my wrists to type on it for very long. So my shiny new, non-sticky-keyed Alphie is charged and ready to go. I'm charged and ready to go. Operation: Write That Book is about to begin. (Sophie Jordan and I are going to do daily #deadlinedash check-ins on Twitter, if you want to follow our progress.)

With all the book inspiration I've accumulated in the last two weeks, I'm ready. Wish me luck!

Hugs,
TLC

Heading to Cali

By this time tomorrow (early, early, early) I'll be on my way to Los Angeles for the RT Booklovers Convention. I have to admit that I have an ulterior motive for going to this event. Sure, I'm exciting by all the fabulous teen stuff happening on Saturday--I love any chance to meet teens and readers!

photo by Kansas Sebastian

But I'm also suffering from SoCal withdrawal. I haven't been to southern California in a few years and I'm missing a lot of things.

• Air that smells like tropical flowers
• Sun and sand and beautiful weather
• Sea breeze
• Art deco architecture
• Convertibles (I'm renting one!)
• Shopping, shopping, shopping
• Amazing sushi (vegan please)
• Star spotting
• Drinks from Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
• Fun, laid-back, hip vibe

There are also quite a few quintessentially LA things that I've never done, and maybe I can check a few of them off my list during this trip.

• Griffith Park Observatory
• Hollywood Bowl
• Santa Monica Pier
• La Brea Tar Pits
• LACMA
• Queen Mary
• Walt Disney Concert Hall
• Union Station
• Huntington Library

And if I have time to visit the Getty again I will totally make the effort. It's an amazing collection and an amazing building.

Have you ever been to Los Angeles? If so, what were your favorite things to see and do? If not, then what do you dream of seeing or doing in LA?

Hugs,
TLC

teralynnchilds.com

Save Us Spartacus

Part of me really wants to post something about the disaster in Japan today, but I think it's still too raw (and continuing and uncertain) for me to write about yet. So instead I'll take my cue from Tina (one of my favorite things to do here on the Buzz blog) I'm going to talk about a favorite premium cable TV show.

SPARTACUS

Σπάρτακο

I blame Sophie Jordan for my introduction to Spartacus. (And True Blood for that matter—curse her and her irresistible premium cable channels!)

The tag line for season one was Blood and Sand and boy is that fitting. I have never seen a bloodier show. It's almost B-movie horror flick epic proportions of blood, but there is something magical about the cinematography that turns it into more of an artistic effect than a gory mess.

It is the amazingly emotional story of a Thracian soldier who, betrayed by Rome, is sold into slavery and becomes a gladiator. His wife is also taken and he is driven to win by the desire to earn his freedom and find her. The title character is played by Andy Whitfield. (Yum, yum. Yum, yum-yum, yum.)

And he's Welsh, to boot!

(Sadly, Andy had to bow out of the series to undergo treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Think good thoughts for this sexy, talented man.)

If you're looking for a show that appeals to guys (action and intrigue and—since this is premium cable—plenty of ladies without their clothes) and girls (hot sweaty warrior guys, 'nuff said) that has both wonderful stories and strong emotional journeys, and you're not afraid of a little (a whole freakin' lot of) blood, the definitely give Spartacus a try. It's available instantly via Netflix.

Now excuse me while I go catch up on season two, Gods of the Arena.

Hugs,
TLC

teralynnchilds.com

Catching Up with Tera Lynn Childs

You have to swim pretty darn fast to catch up with Buzz girl Tera Lynn Childs.  

 

Not only is her successful mermaid book spawning a sequel this June, but Tera's also taking on the mythological demon busting business with a brand new series featuring kick-butt teen heroines.

 

How she manages to be this productive and still have a life is a complete mystery - but her readers are definitely reaping the benefits! 

 

 

Continuing our "What's New" feature on the buzz blog, here's my interview with wonder woman/author TLC.

 

Tell us -- what are you working on?

 

I just finished up the "Anglicanisation" process for the UK edition of Forgive My Fins, which comes out this summer, and I'm excited to announce that my UK publisher just bought the rights to publish the sequel, Fins Are Forever, too. 

 

On my desk right now are the final page proofs for Sweet Venom, my last chance to look at the book before it goes into print--eep! Then, at some point soon, I have to start writing the second book in the Medusa girls trilogy, which is due June 1st. I have the synopsis done and I know where the story has to go... it's just a little daunting to dive into a "middle" book. I'm also working (as always) on a couple of secret projects that may or may not come to fruition in the near future.

 

What's coming up in 2011?

 

Bookwise this is my biggest year yet. I have Fins Are Forever coming out at the end of June and, just like with Goddess Boot Camp, I'm nervous about sending a sequel into the world. My fingers are crossed though and early responses are super-positive. 

 

Then in the Fall I have two projects coming out. First, in September, is my story "When Magic Sleeps" in an anthology called Wicked Pretty Things about dark faeries and the mortals who love them. Then October 4th is the release date for Sweet Venom, the first in a trilogy about triplet descendants of Medusa who reunite and learn it's their destiny to hunt mythological monsters that ordinary humans can't see. I have never been so excited about a book and I think it's my best yet.

 

What about upcoming travels this year?  Where can readers meet you?

 

Besides my impending move to Seattle (soon, very soon) I have a bunch of professional travel lined up this year. First up is the RT Booklovers Convention in LA the first weekend in April. I heart booklovers and I heart LA so this is a double-win, plus there is a huge Teen Day this year and I'll get to hang with some Bees, too. 

 

Then I'm heading back to Texas for the Texas Library Association conference, where Forgive My Fins is nominated to the Lone Star Reading List. This summer will include a trip to visit the parents in Vegas and the Romance Writers of America conference in New York, followed by another trip to Texas to do Fins Are Forever signings in Houston. There's more travel coming up in the Fall, but that's only sorta semi-public and not fully finalized, so let's just say that I think I'll be visiting the Midwest come October.... I think that's everything!

 

That's a lot!  I'm tired just reading about everything you've got going on, Tera.  Thanks for the interview!  

 

And now, readers, do you have any questions for Tera?  Post them in comments!!

Remember, all this week you can comment for a chance to win a lovely bracelet and earring set that Buzz Girl Wendy found at her local boutique, Chic Style.

It's green, perfect for St. Patrick's Day! Comment or submit questions every day for more chances to win.


Good luck!

Heather
www.heatherdavisbooks.com