Rita, Purina, and Romantic Times

First off, let me join in on the buzz and congrats for Bee Heather on her fabulous Rita Award nomination for her book, THE CLEARING. I adored this book from the second I started reading it and knew it was something special. So proud of Heather and wish her luck at the awards ceremony!



Secondly, I've entered a little contest of my own. My fiance, Patrick Burns, and I have done a video application to be Purina's first Cat Chow Correspondents. Check it out and leave a comment for us, if you will.



Thirdly, I'm getting ready to join everyone out in Los Angeles for the Romantic Times Booklovers Convention where they're featuring teen reads. There's going to be a huge Teen day with book signings and speed reading "dates" with teen authors, as well as panels, discussions, giveaways, and more. My awesome publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt has donated a ton of not only my GHOST HUNTRESS series, but also Heather's Rita nominated THE CLEARING. So exciting! And, I'm doing a ghost hunting basket giveaway including my series, my how-to book, some basic ghost hunting equipment and more fun stuff.

To celebrate all the good things going on, I'm going to give away an advanced copy of my upcoming May release, GHOST HUNTRESS: THE DISCOVERY.



Just leave a comment here in the trail or on my YouTube video, to be entered to win. I'll announce the winner next Wednesday.

Hugs,
Marley = )

www.marleygibson.com
www.ghosthuntress.com

Ghosts don't hang up their sheets after Halloween!
GHOST HUNTRESS series - The Awakening, The Guidance,
The Reason, The Counseling - available now!

In case you need a moment of zen today...

...thought I'd share some sweet little faces with you to oooh and ahhhh over.


Bath time always leads to nap time.


But Mommy, I want to wear the sunglasses!


The orange side of Madison.


Driver's assistant, Boo Bear!


One of Madi's favorite napping spots.

Hugs,
Marley = )

www.marleygibson.com
www.ghosthuntress.com

Ghosts don't hang up their sheets after Halloween!
GHOST HUNTRESS series - The Awakening, The Guidance,
The Reason, The Counseling - available now!

Beautiful word: commitment

I'm busy, busy, busy working on my Spring 2012 book, RADIATE, and wanted to do a fly-by post. As I posted earlier, my sweetie proposed and we're getting married this year...that's an amazing commitment. And it gets even stronger as we just committed to a huge undertaking: kitty parents.

Meet Madison Leeny (Madi in back) and Smokey Farquar Booreguard IV (Boo in front), the newest additions to our family. We rescued them from Polly's Pet Shelter in Los Angeles, CA, after I read of their heartbreaking story online.



Madi and Boo were born to a feral mommy on Thanksgiving. A lady was watching out for the small family and leaving food out for them. She was going to wait until the kittens (three of them) were eight weeks old before taking them to the shelter. Sadly, when the babies were five weeks old, a stray dog attacked and killed the mommy and their sibling. Madi and Boo escaped unharmed, but were left orphaned. Fortunately, Polly's Pet Rescue took them in and simply by a pure miracle, I decided to look for kittens for adoption while we were staying in Los Angeles. It only took three days after the initial e-mail for the transaction to be completed.



Now Madi and Boo live very happily in the RV with us, playing and running, chasing each other, batting the balls around, and sleeping any time they want. They are an amazing addition to our family and we have fully committed to their health and well-being. They are vaccinated, spayed/neutered, and microchipped.



Commitment comes in many forms...and I'm pleased to dedicate myself to these two little bundly puffs of love in my life. Well...as I write RADIATE!



Do you have a new kitten or puppy in your life? Tell us about the joys of your pets.

Hugs,
Marley = )

Ghosts don't hang up their sheets after Halloween!
GHOST HUNTRESS series - The Awakening, The Guidance,
The Reason, The Counseling - available now!

A writer (and cat lover's) paradise...

I'm in Key West, Florida this week on a scouting mission for a possible event and I'm also going to be speaking tonight (Wednesday) night, January 27th at 6:30 p.m. at the Monroe County Public Library.

Yesterday, after an authentic Cheeseburger in Paradise at Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville...



...where I *did* find my lost shaker of salt...



...we took a stroll down Duval Street and cut over to Whitehead Street to the Ernest Hemingway house.



Now, this place isn't just the former residence of one of America's greatest writers, but it's also home to forty-three polydactyl kitty cats who call the grounds of the museum home.





As you can see here, Miss Marlene Dietrech apparently can't read the "Do Not Sit on Furniture" sign. LOL!!



What was soooooo amazing about this place wasn't just that Hemingway loved his six-toed cats that are the fur-fathers of the cats at the museum today, but this was his haven and writing place for several many of his masterpieces. In fact, in the house, they have first edition copies of A FAREWELL TO ARMS, FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS, and TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT to name a few. Check it out...





As a writer, I was blown away by my surroundings and seeing Hemingway's writing studio with his pencils and typewriter. I can certainly understand how the man was inspired living there.

And, of course, in Hemingway's bedroom, on the very pillow he used to sleep on, now rests Archibald Leach (the orange kitty) and Miss Francis (a seven-toed girl). It's a hard life, but someone has to do it, right?



So...I'm wondering...if in 40-50 years...will my apartment be on a tour? Will other Buzz Girls' houses be featured with their writing rooms and pictures of their pets? Who knows...but I'd love to go on those tours! LOL!!

Hugs,
Marley = )