Signs that Summer is Almost Here

I look at the calendar and it tells me it's the middle of May. The middle of May? Seriously? Another school year is wrapping up, television shows are having their finales, and summer is just around the corner...literally.

Here are some signs that summer is almost here:

People Tweeting about the prom: So many friends of mine have been posting about getting their son or daughter ready for the prom. Amazing how the girls love the shopping, picking out their dress, how they'll wear their hair and makeup, and the boys just complain that they have to stop playing video games long enough to take a shower and get ready. LOL!!



School's Out: There's no better feeling than the last school bell ringing to signify the end of a school year and the start of summer vacation. I remember that faithful bus ride home every year where people would celebrate by shaking up Coke cans and spraying them on each other. No one got off the bus dry. (I'm sure that's not permitted theses days.)



Picking up the boys at the airport: With the end of school, that means my fiance's son's will be joining us on the RV until they go back to school in August. They're flying up to Baltimore from Atlanta where we'll spend a few days in Gettysburg, then up to Boston, and then to Illinois and upstate New York for events and then down to Florida. We're planning on catching the VERY LAST launch ever of the space shuttle program.



Memorial Day: The official opening of summer! The campground is full of people with their grills and lawn chairs already set out. The pool will be open soon and hopefully, the sun will grace the east coast with its presence.



Good books to read: Well, my fifth GHOST HUNTRESS book, THE DISCOVERY, just came out and it would make excellent beach reading. So would any of the books from the Buzz Girls. Get them online, at the bookstore, or from us directly. Or, try downloading a digital copy for your eReader. Whatever the case, enjoy escaping into the story as you soak up the sun.



So what are some signs for you that summer is on the way?

Hugs,
Marley = )

Naming Characters

I get emails a lot asking me where I come up with the names for my characters. Is there a specific formula or a particular way to do it? Absolutely not! LOL! Most of the time, I come up with my character names in the most peculiar ways. You want to make sure that your characters' names fit their role in the story...as well as fitting the overall theme of the story.



Here are some tips for naming characters:

1. Choose something that mirror's your character's personality. If your character is a science geek (like Celia Nichols in GHOST HUNTRESS), give them a name that fits their interests. My first manuscript was about a naive twenty-something working her first job in the tech industry, traveling to tradeshows, and unfortunately giving away a company trade secret. Her name was Vanessa Virtue. It was perfect for her. Could you imagine Thor with any other name? If he was Irving, it just wouldn't work.



2. The character's name should be pronouncable and easy for the reader to understand. Think of how the name sounds if you say it out loud. Is there a harmony or a ring to it? Avoid names that no one knows how to say. I respect all of the urban fantasy out there these days, but some of the names are just...unrecognizable. Being creative with a name is great, but not if you reader has no clue how to say it in their head.

3. Make sure the character's name fits the time period. You wouldn't want to write a contemporary YA and name the heroine...Ethel. (My grandma was Ethel...so apologies if I offend anyone.) If you're writing steampunk or historical YA, make sure to use names from the time period. I don't think anyone back then would be named Brittney. LOL!



4. Use the names of people you know...friends, family, colleagues. When I first sold my SORORITY 101 series, all of the guys at my sales office wanted to be in the book. So I put them in as random fraternity guys, teachers, and fellow students. I carried this tradition on with my GHOST HUNTRESS books. The character of Rebecca is one of my best friends (see below.) She's not a goth chick at all, so she loves reading her "alter ego." Be careful with this technique as you don't want to make anyone look bad or make the character reflect something you can get sued over. Always get the person's permission to use their name. Funny enough, the name Kendall Moorehead, the heroine of the GHOST HUNTRESS series came from an offensive lineman that played for the University of Alabama when I was in school. I always loved the name and wanted to use it. So I did.



5. Obituaries are a great place to find unique and personality-filled names. Now, before you throw rotten tomatoes at me, a LOT of authors do this. It's a tribute to the person in that their name carries on and, you can read a lot of about who they were in their obituary, and pay tribute to their life.

6. There are numerous online sources you can use for naming characters. If you're writing about someone that was born in a particular year, why not visit the Social Security website that ranks the popular names by year. Or, you can use any "name your baby" website. There are also name generator websites you can use, as well. Use a surname generator for your family's history or ethnicity or country of origin. Be creative and search to find that perfect name you're searching for.

7. Avoid using names in your story that are similar to other characters names. Look at the letters the names are starting with. Are you using a lot of "C" names? (Charles, Cathy, Christina, Callie) Mix it up a little bit. This makes it easier for the reader to keep up, especially when there are a lot of characters.

What are some memorable character names that you've come across in your reading?

Hugs,
Marley = )

A Continued Celebration of GHOST HUNTRESS: THE DISCOVERY

We are so excited to be celebrating the release of Marley Gibson's Ghost Huntress: The Discovery this week, and in doing so, each of the Buzz Girls is writing about discoveries. As for me, I like discovering new things about where I live: new things to do, new sights to see, new people to meet. I have a good friend named Meredith who lives in AZ but has a second home about 10 minutes away from where I live, here in UT. So every time she's here, we go to fun places for dinner, hit the lake in the summer or go skiing in the winter. As you can see in the photo, we accidentally showed up at Snowbasin with the same ski clothes. (People wondered if we were on the Swiss Ski Team!) She likes to go snow mobiling, but as you can read HERE I am banned from that particular sport so I have yet to join her. I really love it when she's in town because I get to vacation right here at home!

This summer marks the second time my family is having a big reunion in my town. We rent out a B&B and in addition to boating, hiking, biking, and fishing, we go to a petting farm and a crazy store called Smith & Edward's (where we took this photo), explore the a couple of hot pots at the base of the canyon, dip our toes in the Great Salt Lake, and do other random/silly/cool things together. I'm really excited to discover new things to do when they're all here come July.

For a chance to win Marley's fabulous prize package: a signed copy of THE DISCOVERY (Yay!), a dowsing pendulum, incense and an incense burner, and two awesome bracelets, leave a comment telling something you've discovered about where you live.

Good luck!

DISCOVERING New Vegan Recipes

Hooray! It's another release week celebration here on the Buzz blog. Five cheers for Marley on the release of the fifth book in the Ghost Huntress series, The Discovery. As part of our week long celebration, we're talking about discoveries.

Since I became vegan more than a year ago (wow, has it been that long?) I've had to cook a lot more of my own food that I used to. Vegan options aren't always plentiful or tasty. So I'm always on the lookout for great new recipes. I have a few key sources for trustworthy ones.

• blogs like Chef Chloe, Healthy. Happy. Life., and vegalicious
• books like Appetite for Reduction, Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World, and Veganomicon
• sites like Allrecipes, Epicurious, PETA, VegWeb

Do you cook a lot or are you more of an eat out kind of person? Would you rather drive through, sit down, or stir up something on the stovetop? If you have a great source for recipes (vegan or otherwise) please share.

Marley's giving away a very cool prize pack this week. Comment on my post (and every post this week) to enter.

Hugs,
TLC

teralynnchilds.com
@teralynnchilds

DISCOVERING New Favorite Authors

We are talking about discoveries this week, in celebration of the fifth book in Marley Gibson’s wonderful Ghost Huntress series, The Discovery.

Here she is, with a handful of her books!


Seeing Marley with her books, and thinking about discoveries, made me reflect on some wonderful moments with my kids when they discovered favorite new authors. Authors such as J. K. Rowling, Gordon Korman, John Green, Stephenie Meyer and Gary Paul. What a joy it was to know I was passing along my love of reading, and have them, in turn, share their new favorite authors with me!

In celebration of Marley’s release, she is hosting a week-long giveaway of an awesome gift pack which includes a signed copy of THE DISCOVERY, a dowsing pendulum, incense, an incense burner, a hematite and jade bracelet, and a homemade "I <3 Ghost Hunting" bracelet.

To be entered, simply leave a comment here, telling us the name of a favorite author you have discovered!

Congrats to Marley on her release, and good luck to all who enter this giveaway!

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 Release Week!

Please forgive the late post. I've been traveling today and then at a friend's wedding. Just now getting to post an awesome announcement and giveaway for the week.

Today is release day for my new book, GHOST HUNTRESS: THE DISCOVERY! This is the fifth book in the series and I'm so excited about it! Kendall and her friends are back for more adventure and mystery. After some time off, Kendall’s ready to begin ghost hunting again. But her life is still in flux. She misses Patrick, her new love. She needs to find a photographer to replace Taylor. Plus, she may have discovered who her real father is, but to be sure, she has to convince his family she’s not a fake. And then there’s a certain doll that seems to be out to get her and her friends. A doll? How could that be? Unless, perhaps, it’s not just a doll. Maybe it’s a vessel containing the soul of a man so evil in life, not even death could stop his reign of terror. This could be Kendall’s most terrifying and deadliest encounter yet.

And to celebrate release week, I'm giving away an awesome gift pack including...a signed copy of THE DISCOVERY, a dowsing pendulum, incense, an incense burner, a hematite and jade bracelet, and a homemade "I <3 Ghost Hunting" bracelet.



To be entered in the week-long celebration giveaway, just leave your name in the comment trail letting us know about a discovery you have made in your life. Join us all this week for the celebration!

Hugs,
Marley = )

Buzz Girl Love

It was so awesome hanging out with the Buzz Girls in Los Angeles at the RT Convention. As others have said Teen Day rocked the house. We had a fabulous booksigning, then a party where teens, their friends and parents, joined over twenty YA authors for free books, pictures, and signatures. It was amazing to see the smiles on the girls' faces when they delved into their goodie bags of books to see favorite authors and new ones to enjoy.



(Heather, me, Simone, Dona, and Tina in front)

It was also fun to hang with former Buzz Girl, Simone Elkeles, who is now a big time USA Today and New York Times bestseller. But she's still Simone...and her fans love her. She's a blast to hang out with and we miss her smiling typeface around here.



(Tina and me with Simone)

Tina and I had a fabulous dinner with her. Here's a pic of my filet and shrimp....mmm....you know me and my foodie-ness!



I, too, got a huge stash of books. Even accidentally packed "The Teachings of Budha" book that was in the hotel room. Oopsies! There were so many books around...who knew? There are just so many cool reads coming out this year (including GHOST HUNTRESS: THE DISCOVERY in 18 days!) that it's hard to keep up with everything.



(My fur baby, Boo, modeling my stash.)

So, I'm going to give away my copy of Meg Cabot's graphic novel, AVALON HIGH-CORONATION. Just leave a comment in the trail here about books you're looking forward to this year and I'll pick a winner and announce next week.

Hugs,
Marley = )

http://www.marleygibson.com/
http://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!

Winner + RT or Bust!

Last Wednesday, I offered up an advanced copy of the next GHOST HUNTRESS book, THE DISCOVERY. And the winner is...

Amanda Mora!

Congrats Amanda! Please e-mail me at marley_gibson AT yahoo dot com with your contact information so I can get it in the mail to you.

A really cool thing...I'm blogging from 35,000 feet. Thanks to a nice $5 connection from Southwest, I'm able to wave down at you from the friendly skies as I'm headed out to Los Angeles for the RT Booklovers Conference. I'm really excited to see fellow Buzz girls, Tina, Tera, Heather, and Dona, and our former Buzz girl, Simone Elkeles and so many others. My agent, Deidre Knight, and I are doing a panel on how agents sell film rights to books. I'm participating in CLUB RT, giving away a fun ghost hunting basket, and, of course, I'll be participating in Teen Day!

As Tina and Tera mentioned in their posts, I'll be among the teen authors appearing at Teen Day at the Romantic Times Booklovers Convention on Saturday. Something cool is the teen authors will have their own rows, all together, for easy access. Then all of the YA gang will move into various activities like meets-and-greets, interesting talks, author readings, one-on-one "speed dates," and then all followed by a teen party. This is my first RT conference and I can't wait!

Come by and say hello!

Hugs, Marley = )

www.marleygibson.com www.ghosthuntress.com Ghosts don't come out only at Halloween! THE DISCOVERY, available May 2nd!

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!

What's New With Marley?

It's my pleasure to chat about Marley Gibson today, to bring everyone up-to-speed on her exciting adventures! (And be sure to check the deets on the week-long giveaway at this post's end.)

Hey, Marley, could you please tell us about the young adult novel you just finished, RADIATE?

Marley: It's set to come out in the Spring of 2012 from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. It's a fictionalized version of what I went through as a teenage cheerleader with cancer. I had to update the story (since mine happened in 1982) and add a lot of drama, but it was an amazing experience. My editor loved it and said she cried ten times in the first one hundred pages. I think it can be a really powerful book for teenagers who are going through--not just cancer--any challenge in their life.

Remind us what’s hitting the shelves next?


Marley: In May is the fifth book in the GHOST HUNTRESS series called THE DISCOVERY. I had a blast with this book, adding a lot of experiences from my own investigations and research and also weaving in a bit more of the danger and creepy factors. I hope readers enjoy the layered mystery.

I know everyone would love to hear about your life, which is anything BUT ordinary!

Marley: Life is crazy...but in a good way. My fiancé, Patrick Burns, and I turned our rig west back in November, following the path of old Route 66 to California. We've seen so many amazing things during our time on the west coast: Pacific Ocean, Sierra Nevadas, Pacific Dunes, Napa and Sonoma wine country, Santa Barbara wine country, Corondado Island, the Grand Canyon, the Painted Desert, the Petrified Forest, Las Vegas...wow...and that was just on the way out. We're heading east today and plan on hitting White Sands, New Mexico, San Antonio, Texas, New Orleans, and visits to see my parents and Patrick's boys.

However, the most amazing part of our four month "wintering" was adopting two orphaned shelter kitties named Madison and Boo. They are now our constant travel companions and every day they amaze us.


Too cute! And thanks for these updates, Marley! And looking forward to being your roommate at the Romantic Times conference in Los Angeles next month...

Now about this week's giveaway. Yesterday Wendy posted a beautiful necklace set--just in time for St. Paddy's day. Comments all week work as entries. So leave a question or comment for Marley today to be entered, and be sure to return next Sunday learn the winner's name!

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

I'm late, I'm late, for a very important date!

Okay...well, not that kind of date...but a deadline date. My new book, RADIATE, is due to my editor on Valentine's Day. What better date for my recent labor of love?

So, as you can imagine, I'm furiously in the blood fever of getting the book done. To have a little fun, I'll do a simple giveaway to keep the chatter going. How about a homemade "Ghost Huntress" bracelet made by yours truly? See my bracelet in the pic with my fur babies.



Just leave a comment about your favorite thing about the GHOST HUNTRESS series to enter to win. You can leave as many comments (entries) as you'd like.

And just because I'm so happy and have to share...here's a video that my sweetie put together on the big, surprise marriage proposal.



Hugs,
Marley = )

Second Time Around: Book to Movie

What a great week...we're shouting out about the of the paperback release of Never Cry Werewolf by our own Heather Davis.



And, because of the second release, we're talking about something we loved even more in its second incarnation than the first.

For me...it's BRIDGET JONES'S DIARY by British author, Helen Fielding. I read this book in 2000 and it changed my life. It made me laugh, it made me cry, and, most of all, it made me want to quit talking about writing a book some day and make some day happen. This is the book that got me writing until I hit "The End."



It was because of the voice, the energy, and the characterization in this book that had me glued to the computer working on my own novel about a quirky, fun, friendly heroine.

Imagine my excitement when I found out the book was being made into a movie!



And not just any movie. A blockbuster! A hit! An iconic film for our time. I laughed all over again. I cried all over again. I watch it time and time again with fresh eyes each time. Renee Zellweger WAS Bridget. Colin Firth WAS Mark Darcy. And, Hugh Grant WAS Daniel Cleaver. Brilliantly brought to life on the big screen for my enjoyment.

The actors literally brought to life the already vividly written scenes like Bridget's dinner party with the blue soup, showing up at the Tarts and Vickers party as a Playboy bunny, her dieting, her friends, her bad habits...but my favorite scene that was brough to life was Mark and Daniel fighting over Bridget in the streets of London. CLASSIC.



And, of course, books made into movies are never really the same, so it was like getting another version of the book...still with the happy ending.



What's your favorite book-to-movie? Leave a comment to be eligible to win one of five (5) copies of Heather's book, NEVER CRY WEREWOLF that she's giving away.

Finally...the winners of last week's GHOST HUNTRESS: THE COUNSELING giveaway are:

petra
elaing8
donnas
chelleyreads
Louise
Kari
Lora1967

Please e-mail me at marley_gibson AT yahoo DOT com with your full name and mailing address. CONGRATS!

And congrats to Heather!

Hugs,

Marley = )

Release Week for Ghost Huntress: The Counseling!

Yay! We're celebrating the launch of Marley's new book, the 4th in her Ghost Huntress series. Release weeks rock because they usually mean giveaways, and Marley's series is so good!

I, too, loved the first three books and let's just say they were realistic enough to make me turn off the white noise app on my iPhone that I'd slept to for a year. I totally kept thinking some spirit was going to talk to me through it. Then again, I'm what you call a ghost-sensitive person. Which means, I can't wait to read The Counseling... with the lights on.

So, we've been talking about the hard choices we've had to make in order to find our own paths. Sometimes, though, the choices we make are in response to things we can't control. I know that's what's happened in my life during the last five years.

I sold my debut novel in the midst of a terrible break-up, which had me contemplating moving away from my job, friends, and hometown. I had had the choice to stay in the town where my ex lived, or to move back to the big bad city and start completely from scratch. I thought for awhile that staying in the town where my support systems (church, work, friends, neighbors) were would be the best choice.

But sometimes, life helps you out toward the decision you need to make.

First, I found out that more bad things were happening with the ex. Then there was a wildfire on the hill above my rental house which had me packing for an impending evacuation, and then, once the wildfire danger had passed, the owner of my rental home told me the house was about to be seized for tax issues. Um... universe? Were you trying to tell me something? I loaded up my broken down Hyundai with clothes, computer, and my manuscripts, and drove to the city with only $300 in my pocket and the promise of my sister's guest room for a few weeks.

I had no idea what I was going to do next, but leaving town was the right thing. Sometimes, life helps you out. Kind of like that old Alannis Morissette song - you know the one. And it all worked out beautifully in the end, just the way it was all meant to work out. My life is so much happier now, so thank you, disasters - you really did help.

So anyway, now it's time for you to enter to win a copy of Ghost Huntress: The Counseling --

In comments - tell me about a time where you were set to do one thing, but then the universe suddenly helped you to a different path. Or, just tell me if you're afraid of ghosts (that one's a lot easier).

Oh, after you comment, go over to Marley's website to enter more giveaways. Here's the link -- http://marleygibson.com

Hugs,


Heather
www.heatherdavisbooks.com
Wherever You Go - Harcourt Fall 2011
Never Cry Werewolf - HarperTeen Paperback - next week!
The Clearing - Houghton Mifflin Harcourt - Out now

Congratulations to Marley for the release of the highly anticipated 4th book in her Ghost Huntress series: THE COUNSELING!!! If we Buzz Girls could all be together, we'd dress fabulously (like we did at the RWA national conference this summer) and have a champagne toast to celebrate this momentous occassion. Alas, we live too far away from each other, so we're doing the next best thing: Celebrating here on our blog!

I've absolutely loved the first three books in the series and I can't wait to see what all Kendall is up to and find out (finally!) who Emily really is.

This week we're talking about finding our way and making the best decisions for ourselves. This is something we all have to do at one time or another, especially in the face of a tragedy or a huge change in our lives, such as moving, losing someone special, going off to college, falling in love, getting a new job or getting fired, having a health scare, etc.

Poppy Browne, the main character in my LIFTED, finds herself lost in a whole new world when she leaves her public high school in Boulder, CO for a private Baptist school in Pleasant Acres, TX. She gradually opens herself up to the new places, people, and experiences in her life, and she starts to feel like maybe she can find her way, maybe even thrive, in this new environment. But then something very bad (and illegal) comes out of her new life and newfound happiness, and this time, she's afraid she won't be able to dig herself out. She's forced to cut out all the distractions around her--even the positive ones--and instead concentrate on herself: her goals, her fears, her problems, her family. Her life. And maybe, hopefully, once she digs out her true self, the people who mean the most will be waiting with arms open wide.

Now, enough about Poppy because this is the week of Kendall! Don't forget to leave comments all week for chances to win copies of THE COUNSELING, and stop by her blog to enter her grand prize giveaway.

And now, a question for YOU. Has something happened in your life that forced you to take a good, hard look at yourself?

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 = )

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!

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!