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

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 = )

Release Week for Never Cry Werewolf in Paperback!

Hello and ahhooooooooh!

It's Sunday, and that means is the kick-off day for my first book Never Cry Werewolf's paperback release!

I'll be giving away five signed copies of the paperback, so please comment on each Buzz Girl's post and we'll each announce winners at the end of the week.
Contest is open to US and Canada residents, 13 and over.

So, the theme of this Release Week is the second time around. What did you enjoy or appreciate better the second time you experienced it?

For me, this one is so easy! It's all about food.

Just last night, I had one of my favorites - beets. I can remember totally hating them when I was younger and first encountered the ruby-colored beauties. My dad was from farm country in Kansas and he'd boil up beets on the stove for pickling. The whole house would get this earthy, then vinegarey smell that made me go, ugh! I was so not into boiled beets.

Then, years later, I encountered beets of the roasted variety. Roasted beets on a yummy salad of argula and goat cheese. Swoon! They were drizzled with olive oil and balsamic, not overly sugarey and tasted like earth in a good way. This was definitely not the horrid vegetable I had once despised. I fell in love with beets at second bite and we've never parted since. And now, I know there are golden beets, too - which are also super yummy.

So how about you? Did you hate a food when you were younger that now delights you? Please post in comments to be entered to win a copy of the book!

Ahoooooh!

Heather

http://www.heatherdavisbooks.com/

Never Cry Werewolf - HarperTeen 9/7/10

The Clearing - HMH Graphia - Now

Wherever You Go - Harcourt Fall 2011

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.

Best Friends Week!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

CONTEST:

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

Hugs,

Heather

www.heatherdavisbooks.com

The Clearing -- HMH April 2010

Wherever You Go – Harcourt Fall 2011

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

Childhood Dreams or Just For Laughs?

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

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

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

I wanted to be on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson... Or maybe be Johnny Carson.

For those of you who may not remember him, he's the guy that had the Tonight Show long before Jay Leno, or Conan O'Brien, or... Jay Leno.

It's true, when I was eleven, I would try to make up jokes. Usually they were about celebs that Johnny lampooned on the late night show - like Richard Simmons, Elizabeth Taylor. I made up jokes even when I wasn't sure who these people were.

After a while, my mom got me a notebook to write down all my jokes in, and for some reason, this seemed to kill the dream. Now there was pressure to prove I was funny, pressure to perform the jokes. I turned to writing plays for my friends and I to put on together- it was so much easier to get up in front of people with a group, after all.

If I were me at eleven these days, I would want to be Tina Fey. But back then, there weren't a whole lot of women comics (unless you stayed up late to watch SNL) to choose from, and I guess that's why I latched on to Johnny.

Maybe someday I'll get to go to that comedy fantasy camp and learn how to really do stand-up - but for now, it's just one of those childhood dreams that morphed into what I do today - writing stories. My first book, Never Cry Werewolf, has some pretty funny moments, if I do say so myself. So maybe the dream is alive, if even for a few pages.

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

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

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

Hugs,

Heather

http://www.heatherdavisbooks.com/

Wherever You Go - Harcourt Fall 2011

The Clearing - HMH Graphia

Never Cry Werewolf - HarperTeen

Secret Crush...

Hooray for debut week of Buzz Girl Marley Gibson's latest in the series of Ghost Huntress Books! Ghost Huntress Book 3 The Reason is another fun read and this time, a major secret is revealed that changes everything for Kendall Moorhead, teen ghost investigator.

So, secrets is the theme of our celebration week -- and posting in comments can win you a signed copy of the book! We'll announce winners this weekend.

I think there are some really big secrets when in comes to love - specifically who you love. I can remember secret crushes in high school and college -- the ones that are hopefully never revealed, right? There's something cool about liking someone and never letting it be known - the warm glow you feel when your crush is around, the hope that you'll run into him, that he'll look your way.

My best friend in high school had a crush on this guy Byron - a smart, cool, nerdy guy who was on the literary magazine and took advanced placement chemistry. Notably, she had nothing in common with Byron. I'm still not sure how she even knew him in the first place. Still, the crush was alive and growing. Every day she would post herself at our locker, hoping that she would see him pass in the hallways. A glimpse of him had her smiling all the way to lunch. And he never ever knew.

Somehow, it didn't matter to her. In fact, if she'd ever talked to him, maybe it would've ruined the magic of the crush. In the end, the crush wore off -- all without her ever speaking to Byron. I'm sure she's looked him up on FB, though, trying to see where he ended up.

CONTEST:

In comments, tell us about a secret crush you had. Don't tell us any names, just give us the dirt about who he was and how you got over him. We'll choose a winner to receive Marley's new book.

Happy Release Week, Marley!

Hugs,

Heather

www.heatherdavisbooks.com

The Clearing - Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Never Cry Werewolf - HarperTeen

Wherever You Go - Harcourt Fall 2011

The Greatest Lie I keep Telling...

It's Thursday and we're continuing the celebration of release week for Buzz Girl Stephanie Hale's new book, The Alpha Bet.

In celebration of her book about lies told... we are dishing about lies this week on the blog. You've heard some whoppers already - I mean, who can beat Tina's story about being a made-up physicist leading to meeting her true love - but I wanted to talk about a different kind of lie.

Did you ever see the movie The Usual Suspects? It's one of my favorites and has one of the best endings ever written in Hollywood. In the movie, Kevin Spacey says a line something like, "The greatest lie the devil ever told was convincing mankind that he didn't exist." It's a prophetic statement because it has much to do with the unfolding plot, but it also seems to point to a bigger idea about the world.

So what's your greatest lie ever told?

The longer I live, the more I realize the greatest lie ever told (and continue to tell!) is, "I can handle this on my own." How many times have I said those words, only to realize that I need my friends, family, and other folks to help me handle something.

Sometimes it's a good lie. Seriously, for perfectionists or overachievers, the lie that everything's fine and it's all going to work out, is almost a necessary mantra. It's part of optimism, a little bit of ego that helps you push through whatever task is at hand. The part that comes as a surprise is just how much you do need other people to help you get the job done. And, even more surprising is the fact that even though you are nowhere near perfect, it's okay to let them see you in your imperfection. They want to help you. And, P.S. -- they already know you're not perfect!

Need an example? Picture me baking four dozen buttermilk biscuits the night before my launch party for The Clearing and trying to manage those along with the other snacks, getting into a cute dress, preparing my talk, and packing for a vacation that was supposed to happen the very next day. When my handsome entourage of one came to pick me up, I just about collapsed into his arms from the sheer relief.

The reality is that you need your loved ones to help you out. You need your friends to cheer you across the finish line. Sometimes, I need reminding.

CONTEST:

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the lie that you can handle something on your own?

Post in comments a few words about telling the "I got this" fib and then realizing you needed help. How did it turn out? Post your story and I'll draw a winner this weekend for a copy of Steph's fun new book!

Hugs,

Heather

www.heatherdavisbooks.com

Wherever You Go - Harcourt - Coming in Fall 2011

The Clearing - Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Never Cry Werewolf - HarperTeen

Special Announcement: Release Week for The Clearing April 12-17th

Monday, April 12th, 2010 is the actual Release Day for my second novel for teen readers, The Clearing.

This book is a time-travel, paranormal YA romance published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. It's the story of Amy, a girl who moves out to the country to recover from an abusive relationship. All she's looking for is some peace at her aunt's farm, but in a misty field at the back of the property, she finds Henry, a boy living in the endless summer of 1944, staving off a tragedy that could rip his family apart. Both teens must gain the courage to face what is meant to be, even if it means losing each other forever.

Here at Booksboysbuzz.com, in celebration of Release Week, from Monday through Saturday we will be posting stories about where we'd would like to travel in time.

You can enter to win a signed copy of The Clearing each day, simply by responding to the post in comments. At the end of the week, we'll draw a winner from each day's commenters!

AND...

Because so many teens don't have a place to go to recover from abuse like Amy, I will also be making a donation to Teen Feed in honor of The Clearing's release. Teen Feed is a wonderful organization in my city that serves homeless teens hot meals and helps them find the resources to get identification and counseling that will lead to employment, housing, and a new life. I will donate 50 cents for each unique commenter during the release week, up to $250.

SO... please spread the word about Release Week for The Clearing and help me support teens who need safety from the streets and a life free of the emotional and physical abuse they've faced at home.

Love & Light,

Heather

www.heatherdavisbooks.com

The Clearing - April 12, 2010 HMH

Never Cry Werewolf - Out now from HarperTeen

It's Almost Here!

^{It's been a busy week as I gear up for the release of The Clearing next Monday.}

^{The funny thing with this book, as opposed to Never Cry Werewolf, is that the publisher shipped the book early – so it’s in stores already and available at Amazon. On release day for Werewolf, I had to persuade the bookseller at B & N to look in the back for the unopened box of books. This release day, my book will already be on shelves.}

It was super excited to see the book for real. Here’s a picture of my mom by my two novels at my local indie store, Queen Anne Books, which is hosting my launch party on April 16th. It was really cool to see The Clearing on the table with Werewolf. I feel so lucky to have two books out there in the world. In fact, I still can’t believe it.

When I first had the idea for The Clearing, I was living in a mountain town of four hundred people. The mist in the field next door to our property was where the book began. Some days the mist was so thick the big red barn at the end of the field would nearly disappear. And then one day, Henry Briggs came walking out, a boy locked in an endless summer. It was several years before I wrote the book, but the genesis was right there in that field.

The official date of the release is Monday, April 12th. So, in honor of the release – we will be having a special giveaway week. Check back in on Sunday for details…

So, I’m wondering if you guys think it makes a difference whether or not a release day is a firm date or not. In some ways I’m glad the book is shipping, but on the other hand, I wonder how it affects the buzz for the book. What do you guys think?

Hugs,

Heather

^{www.heatherdavisbooks.com}

Never Cry Werewolf – HarperTeen

The Clearing – Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Wherever You Go – Fall 2011 Harcourt

Heather Davis...Up, Up...and Away!!

Can I just tell you how proud I am of Heather? This is her first published book to hit the shelves and what an awesome cover! Who wouldn't pick this up?



I remember the first time I met Heather at the Chick Lit Writers party. And then, I remember when Heather won the Romance Writers of America Golden Heart award. She looked fabulous and gave an eloquent speech. I knew that gal was going places.



And look at her now. If this book isn't already in your TBR pile, then go out and get it now.

Since we're talking about firsts, I thought I'd share a first experience of mine that I just had. As you all know, I'm going through a big life change and have been living a bit more of an adventurous life. Our readers know that I learned to SCUBA dive (and recently encountered about sixty or so dogfish sharks on a dive in New England), but I also did something that I've wanted to do foooooooooooooooooorever!

I went parasailing!



You know, I'm a writer...but I find it hard to form the exact words to explain what an amazing experience this was. For lack of a better description, it's like you're ascending into heaven. It's so ridonkulously peaceful, I can't even begin to tell you. The wind is quiet and serene and there's nothing but the soft flap of the sail behind you and your own thoughts.

First, you get strapped into the life jacket and then put in the harness at the back of the boat. You sit on your bottom and grip the bar over head. The shoot is fully inflated and then the boat takes off.



As the boat gets up speed, the rope is released little by little until you are about five hundred feet in the air. NOT even kidding! We were up there for about 12 minutes before they started reeling us in. At the very end, before you get back to the boat, they stop so that you plunge into the water up to your waist. Very refreshing. Our guy even dunked us twice upon our yelled request.



Then, they reel you back in and you're done. All in a matter of moments. And you realize...I did it!

It truly is breathtaking!



And as you know, Heather's giving away books this week, so if you'd like to be entered in today's drawing, please leave a comment in the trail and let us know if you've ever been parasailing. Have you ever wanted to? Do you think I'm insane? LOL!! Feel free to leave as many comments as you'd like.

Again...major congrats to Heather!!!

Hugs and love,
Marley = )

GHOST HUNTRESS: THE GUIDANCE
THE OTHER SIDE: A TEEN'S GUIDE TO GHOST HUNTING AND THE PARANORMAL
Both available now!

The First Time Tera ...

First off, mega-congrats on Buzz Girl Heather Davis on the release of her first book, Never Cry Werewolf! Doesn't it have one of the coolest covers ever?


To celebrate her release week and in honor of this being her first book, we're all talking about The First Time I.... And for me? Well, I'm going to talk about the first time I flew by myself.

We lived in California, and I must have been about ten. I was flying from San Diego to Sacramento, so it wasn't a long flight at all. (I don't even remember why, except that my grandparents and aunts were in Sacramento.) And, although I put on a brave face for my parents, I was terrified!


Right before I got on the plane, my mom gave me her watch to hold. It had a narrow face and a white leather band. I remember sitting on the plane, that watch clutched in my hands, staring out the window and crying the entire flight. It was night and I was staring out at nothingness.

The poor flight attendant kept trying to make me feel better. To no avail.

Everything turned out okay, of course--I mean, I'm here to write this post, right? My plane landed and my tears were instantly forgotten. I think that was the first times I realized that most things are not as scary as they seem at the time. I try to keep that in mind any time I'm scared. Will this fear seem silly as soon as this moment is over?

It doesn't always work, but sometimes....

Okay, now don't forget that Heather's giving away books. To enter today, comment with the answer to this question:

Have you ever been scared silly by a situation, only to realize later you were being just plain silly?

You can't win if you don't comment!

Hugs,
TLC

Oh. My. Gods. and Goddess Boot Camp (out now!)
Forgive My Fins (coming June 1, 2010)