Growing Up Godly: Starring...

I feel like I'm cheating on this assignment. One of the first things I do when I'm writing a book, while I'm still in that early brainstorming time, is make character collages. So I already knew who I'd cast in my book before writing it!

Anyway, since GROWING UP GODLY isn't available yet--and won't be for at least another year!--I'll give you a quick setup. It's the story of a California girl who gets uprooted to a tiny Greek island half a world away and is trying to find her place at a school for the descendants of Greek gods. Without further ado... my cast list.

Amanda Bynes as Phoebe Castro -- The aforementioned California girl. Phoebe's a jockette cross-country runner with little patience for fashion if it's not Nikes and a pair of sweats. After playing soccer stud Viola in She's the Man, she is my perfect choice.

Tom Welling as Griffin Blake -- Griffin is a descendant of Ares, which makes him really athletic. His sport of choice? Cross-country, of course. He's a little bit tortured and a lotta hot, so how could I not choose Tom with those chiseled cheeks and piercing blue eyes.

Kristen Bell as Nicole Matios -- She's the girl who knows the lay of the land, who's going to show Phoebe the ropes at the Academy. And she's way kick-butt, just like Veronica Mars.

Chad Michael Murray as Troy Travatas -- Cutie-pie, boy next door, best guy friend. He comes from a looong line of doctors, but has his own dreams.

Ali Larter as Stella Petrolas -- Evil stepsister? Check. Stella is a descendant of Hera, queen consort and head chick on Mount Olympus. Ali in vixen mode is the perfect Stella.

Hugs,
TLC
Growing Up Godly, Summer 2008
Dutton Children's Books

what I'm reading ... He Love Me, He Love Me Hot by Stephanie Rowe

My Books: Starring...

Since I have one book in print, and two more in the works, I thought I’d have extra fun with this week’s Buzz Girls topic and cast all three.

Top Ten Uses for an Unworn Prom Dress



For Nicolette, I choose Brittany Snow--a perfect physical match, and an actress I enjoyed in John Tucker Must Die.


Jesse Bradford from Bring It On, who I know is too old to play a 17 year-old now, will always be Jared to me.



How to Hook a Hottie



For pretty, serious Kate, I like Katie Holmes in her pre-Tomkat days, when she was lit up the screen in Dawson’s Creek.


For her guy-pal, Dal, a somewhat younger Adam Brody would be fabu!



The ABC’s of Kissing Boys

To play the suddenly unpopular Parker, I’d go for the actress who starred in Accepted and played Bridget in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Blake Lively.


And for her “Personal Trainer”, Tristan, I’d love to see Tom Welling from the early years of Smallville.


Thanks to Steph Hale for coming up with this fun idea!

What I’m Reading (and Recommend!): GRAFFITI GIRL by Kelly Parra

Tina
www.tinaferraro.com
Top Ten Uses for An Unworn Prom Dress, available now
How to Hook a Hottie, Spring 2008
The ABC’s of Kissing Boys, Spring 2009

Casting the Sorority Series...and Contest Winner!

We Buzz Girls thought it would be fun if, this week, we played around with casting the characters for our books. My books won't be out until May 2008, but I did want to give a taste for what readers could look forward to.

The Sisterhood Novels revolve around three heroines who all come from different backgrounds. In Rush - A Sisterhood Novel, the three girls meet at Latimer University and share the experience of Sorority Rush.

First, there's Veronica "Roni" Van Gelderen. Roni is from a very wealthy and influential Boston family. However, her upbringing has been very hands off. In an act of rebellion, she turns down the offer of admission to Harvard University to get away from home and find herself at Latimer University in Latimer, Florida.

Roni is tall, thin, beautiful, with long black hair and sparkling blue eyes. She's the kind of girl you want to hate because she's so gorgeous, but you just can't because she's the nicest person ever. In terms of casting her, I thought about Megan Fox (Carla from Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen).



Next, there's Jenna Michelle Driscoll. Jenna's the innocent one from a tight-knit family from Atlanta. She's come to Latimer University on a marching band scholarship and she can't wait to embrace college with both arms stretched out. She's bubbly and a little naive, but fun-loving and has a heart of gold. In casting her, I immediately thought of Carrie Underwood of American Idol fame.



Then, there's Lora-Leigh Sorenstein. She's a local girl who longs to bust free from the city limits of Latimer and go off to fashion design school. However, her father is the Dean of Students at Latimer and insists she take advantage of the tuition remission. She really doesn't want to Rush, and is only doing it to please her mother. She's fierce and funny and irreverent and she just might steal your heart. Lora-Leigh has a wild mane of curly hair, so for her, I thought of Kerri Russell of Felicity fame.



Of course, there are guys in the book, but I don't want to give anything away. We'll just say, here are some of the actors who might appear as characters in the books...

Benjamin McKenzie...



Tyrese...



Brandon Routh...



And finally...an announcement -- CONTEST WINNER in the name a cute boy character! The winner is:

*~*~*~*~* ALEXGIRL *~*~*~*~*

(You'll have to send me your real name for the acknowledgment portion of book four - Spring Formal - A Sisterhood Novel.)

Her entry was:

Piercing blue eyes. A choppy, rocker 'do. He always carries drumsticks in the back pocket of his skinny jeans and taps them in the air when he's bored, kind of a cute, A.D.D. quirk. And I'd call him Zach Daniels. Or Tug McCloud. Or Vaughn.

I'm going to call him Zach Vaughn.

Thanks to everyone who participated! The entries were amazingly good, making it wicked hard to choose a winner.

Marley = )
Sorority Rush Begins - May 2008!
Rush - A Sisterhood Novel
Pledge Class - A Sisterhood Novel
Puffin Books

What I'm reading: PARALLEL SEDUCTION by the fabulous Deidre Knight

Would You Ever... Be on a Reality Show?

Confession time:

I've followed American Idol (AI) from the beginning of the show. Love it. Love the talent show format! And... it's always so amusing to see how many people show up to audition for a shot at stardom, but have had no training at all.

When I taught school, some of the kids would tell me they wanted to be "stars" when they grew up, but they had absolutely no idea how they would do that. They thought it would be a job just to be famous -- which, come on, it is for Paris Hilton -- instead of thinking about the skill and dedication needed to rise to the top in the Arts.

Then again, you take some of the kids that come out for AI -- and they truly do have talent. Exhibit A : Blake Lewis -- from my state! Here he is singing the anthem at the Mariners' baseball game last night. So cute....





















He has a great, marketable style and just a cute personality in addition to being a good singer. But would I ever go on American Idol? Heck, no. I can sing, but I'm better off sticking to my other talents. That's a warning to anyone who thinks I'm singing karaoke with them someday!

The problem with all of these shows, though, is that you've got instant notoriety. One day, you're a floppy-haired kid from Federal Way, Washington, the next you're SANJAYA!

So, in my mind it's probably not worth it. :) But if I did go on a reality show -- it would totally be Survivor. I would kick butt on that show -- if I didn't pass out from not eating.

How about you guys? Would you ever be on a reality show? Which one?

Hugs,

Heather

Heather Davis is the author of
Never Cry Werewolf
coming in 2008 from HarperCollins

Would you ever....choose to have a super power?

Wouldn't it be so much fun to have a super power, even just for a few hours? Here are a few of my favorites. G-Girl. Okay, so she had a bit of a rage problem, but how fun would it be to throw a shark through the window of the guy who treated you like dog crap? Uh, huh, that's what I'm talking about. Although she did have the pesky business of saving the world like every five minutes and I so wouldn't want to have to deal with that.

How about Storm from X-men, who could control the weather? Can you say no more bad hair days?

Ever wish you could read someone's thoughts? Mel Gibson was an awesome mindreader in What Women Want. It would be pretty cool, but I don't think I'd be very good at keeping the thoughts to myself.

Invisibility: Sue Storm from Fantastic Four

How fun would it be to run around in the buff
spying on people and they wouldn't even know it? The only problem with Sue's power is that

I'm not sure I could keep from spying on her brother (see below).

The Human Torch: Johnny wouldn't even have to snap his fingers to get me hot! Other than being a big hit at barbeques though, I'm not sold on this super power.

Shapeshifting: Mystique from X-men

How wicked would it be to walk into the grocery store looking like this? I think this is the power I'd choose. To be able to rearrange your molecules to look and sound like anyone. Oh man, you could totally mess with people.

So what cool thing would you like to be able to do?

What I'm reading...Water for Elephants (yes, still) by Sara Gruen

Steph~

www.stephaniehale.com

Would You Ever...Do Something Really Scary?

Now, I'm not necessarily talking something death-defying, like jumping out of an airplane or single-handedly chasing down a mugger. But we all have moments in our lives when we can choose to take the risk... or stay safe at home. When I look back, I think I've taken those risks all my life. (Though at the time they didn't seem all that risky.) You be the judge...

My First Scary Thing

When I was five years old my family lived in Montreal, Canada. I rode the bus to school every day--my mom walked me to the bus stop every morning and met me there every afternoon. One day, I got on the bus, she said, "I'll see you after school." Somehow, I thought that meant my dentist appointment was that day and she would be picking me up at school. When school got out, I told the bus driver my mom was picking me up and, after much cajoling, he left without me. My mom, of course, never showed up. (My appointment was the next day.) After waiting a while I decided (at five years old, mind you) that I needed to walk home. Several miles away. Across the busiest intersection in Montreal. Finally, as it started to rain, I asked a young woman at a bus stop how far it was to my street. When she realized how far from home I was, she took me home with her and called my parents. Needless to say, I do not recommend taking this kind of risk--if for no other reason than it makes your parents a little overprotective for then next twenty-five years.

Other Scary Things

1. When I was 17, I graduated high school in Springfield, Missouri (about as Midwest-ville as you can get) and started college in New York City. I met amazing people for other cultures and countries and realized just how broad the spectrum of the world really is.
   
2. Halfway through my sophomore year at said college, I decided to give up my Ivy League education and transfer to the University of Colorado. This turned out to be one of the best decisions I ever made. I grew more emotionally and socially as a person in Colorado than at any other time in my life.
3. For my graduate program (at the same aforementioned NYC university) we had to do a summer internship. The one I landed was being site manager for an historic dude ranch in Rocky Mountain National Park. My housing was an on-site cabin that had been built in the 50s. It had electricity and hot water, but no phone and my cell service was spotty at best. There was one other couple in another cabin, but other than that the nearest people were at the visitor's center ten miles away. It was just me, 1" of June snowfall, a Hanta-virus toting mouse population, and a valley full of elk and moose. You learn a lot about yourself in that kind of solitude.
   
4. During that graduate program, my thesis adviser said something that changed my life forever. "Tera," he said, "you are a very effective writer." I'm sure he meant in the academic writing world kind of way, but those words gave me the courage to believe that writing really could be my (forgive the dramatics) destiny. From that tiny seed of courage, I set about learning as much as I could about the writing profession and industry and, eventually, sent my stuff out. I think letting others read something as personal and emotional as your writing is a huge risk--but oh so worth it.

The Next Scary Thing

At the end of the summer I'm moving back to my beloved Colorado. That's it, that's the extent of my plan. I have no day job lined up, no close friends or family in the area, I haven't even decided where exactly I'm going to settle down. But I know that Colorado is my home--a place of inspirational beauty--and that writing is my path. So, I'm jumping in there, with every desperate intention of making writing my full time life. It may be a little bumpy along the way... but I bet it's worth it in the end.

So, question of the day is: What scary things have you done? And did the rewards outweigh the fear?

Hugs,
TLC
Growing Up Godly, Summer 2008
Dutton Children's Books

what I'm reading ... Two For the Dough by Janet Evanovich (yes, still!)

Would you ever...want to live in another country?

Have you ever thought of what it would be like to live in another country? Learn the language? Immerse yourself in the history and traditions? Take in new cultures, cuisines, and customs?

I certainly have! I think it’s the avid traveler in me that seeks to visit new places and expand my horizons. We live in such a global marketplace now that the planet has almost become smaller in a way. We can “visit” places virtually via the Internet, but how cool would it be to actually pack up and live in another country for a while for the amazing experience of it?

You could head north to Canada and take in the natural beauty of her cities and parks from Vancouver to Toronto (one of my favorite cities)...



... to Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island.



You could head over the pond to jolly old England and explore the British Isles of Scotland, Wales and Ireland.



What about Paris? Oh, come on...the City of Love...the City of Lights! Everyone wants to go to Paris. It’s the only place in the world where you can eat three squares a day, walk everywhere, and lose weight!

***

Perhaps Florence is more your style with its old, cobblestone streets and ancient buildings like Uffizi and the Duomo. You could live off wine and gelato!

***

You could jet on down to Rome – the birthplace of civilization. See the Vatican, the Coliseum, the Forum...etc.

***

Ever heard of Mauritius? It’s an amazing island in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of Africa and Madagascar. They say the water is crystal clear, like the Caribbean.



And the Orient...wow...think of all you could search and discover there in Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, Japan...



It’s a big planet and it’s ours to explore!

I think if I had all the money in the world, I would summer in Toronto and winter in Paris, with a villa on the French Riviera (in Villefranche Sur De Mer) and would vacation in a different place every time. If I could just move away...I think I’d want to work in a resort in Antigua...cutting fruit. Doesn’t that sound lovely?

Where would you move if you could?

Marley = )
Sorority Rush Begins – Spring 2008!
Rush – A Sisterhood Novel
Pledge Class – A Sisterhood Novel
Puffin Books

*** = pictures I took

Would You Ever...Turn Down the Chance to Meet Your Celeb Crush?

Earlier this year, I owned up to my crush on Mark Wahlberg.


No big deal, really. We Buzz Girls talk about admiration for hot celebs all the time.

But the thing was, for me, that confession was a big deal. Because my thing for Mark is “special”. For one thing it’s been going on since his Marky Mark days. (I’m nothing if not loyal.) But mostly, it’s because he’s more than just a celeb crush--he’s my “secret weapon”, the hottie I turn to when the romance writing scenes gets rough, the one who gets my mind whirring and my fingers clacking on the keyboard.

So what I’m about to say might seriously disappoint. A few years back, the husband of one of my friends was working on Mark’s current movie, and was under strict instructions to “tell me everything”. (For the record, I heard exactly what I wanted to hear: Mark was professional and well-liked by the crew.) Then one day, my friend called to say her husband had offered to get us on the set.

My knees went weak, my throat went dry. But without a moment’s hesitation, I turned it down. I remember exactly what I said. “I...I can’t. What if I go...and I never write again?”

I have had countless celebrity sightings over the years, and know that for the most part, celebs are photogenic people who, in real life, look pretty much like the rest of us. I couldn’t risk that discovery with him! I needed to maintain his larger-than-life, curl-my-toes, set-my-romance-writer’s-heart-a-thundering persona. I needed to preserve his reMARKable-ness.

Of course, a case could be made that I would have met him and been bedazzled! I'll probably never know.

So, there you have it. I turned down a chance to meet my celeb crush in order to keep my writing career afloat. Would you ever turn down the chance to meet YOUR celeb crush?

Tina
Top Ten Uses for an Unworn Prom Dress--out now
How to Hook a Hottie--Spring 2008
The ABC's of Kissing Boys--Spring 2009

Who is Will Traveler?

I just found our about Will Traveler during the third to last episode of GILMORE GIRLS (sniff! Good-bye Jared Padaleki! Good-bye Milo Ventimaglia! Good-bye Scott Patterson!) I will devote an entire another post to this show's good-bye. :)

Traveler follows two graduate students who become suspects when New York's Drexler museum is bombed while they are pulling a juvenile prank. It appears that their long time friend Will Traveler set them up to look like the terrorists who did the bombing. After the bombing, Traveler is nowhere to be found and there appears to be no evidence that he ever existed.
Jay and Tyler go on the run, and with the FBI hot on their trail, they begin to uncover secrets that will rattle everything they thought they knew.
Their only alibi is a best friend that never existed... Who is Will Traveler?

Cute guy alert! The 2 minute preview has some majorly hot eye-candy and I think if this show gets picked up, it'll do extremely well. It has a Dawson's Creek

meets Prison Break vibe.

First we have The O.C.s seconday bad-boy Trey Atwood,

Logan Marshall-Green. Ooh, doesn't he just radiate bad-boy? Logan will be playing Tyler Fog

Then we have Guiding Light and All My Children's Matthew Bomer. Wow, look at those eyes! He has all the qualities that I like in a man: dark hair, great eyes, that jawline....

He'll be playing the second roomate, Jay Burchell

And of course, we have PYRO from the X-Men movies, Aaron Stanford, as Will Traveler himself.

There is a sneak preview this Thursday following Grey's Anatomy. You know I'll be glued to the TV to see who is Will Traveler. Who's with me?

------------------------------------

Dona Sarkar-Mishra

http://donasarkarmishra.com
HOW TO SALSA IN A SARI - January 2008

HOW LIAH MET ANA - November 2008

Who do you want in your Entourage?

Please tell me you are watching this season! This is the best show on TV and the best thing about it is that there is at least one boy for every girl to drool over. Here's a list of their attributes so you can decide which one is the best for you.

VINCE- Do you always fall for the leading man? If so, Vince will have you swooning. He's charming, gorgeous, and best of all, rich! When he falls for a girl, he falls hard(think Mandy Moore)but the rest of the time, he's a bit of a womanizer. Be prepared to take a backseat to his friends!

Drama- If you want someone from the same gene pool as the leading man but prefer someone a little bit more sensitive, Drama's your man. If you don't mind a guy who cries more than you do, he's the one for you. In his defense, he's an awesome cook, and he'll soon be making a comeback with his new television series.

Turtle- Are cuddly, laid back guys more your speed? If so, Turtle is the one for you. He loves track suits, video games, sneakers, and smoking pot. He's definitely not the most driven of the bunch but he's struggling to get his career as a music manager off the ground. But if you need to get somewhere fast in a luxury vehicle, Turtle is definitely your man.

E (Eric)- Do you always go for the good guy? Eric is about as wholesome as they come on this show. As Vince's manager he is looking out for him 24/7. He's loyal to his girlfriend and will even go so far as having a threesome if she wants him to. Oh, the sacrifices he'll make! Be prepared to be interrupted a lot by his cell phone.

Ari- Okay, so technically he isn't part of the Entourage anymore, you know that won't last for long. If you want a guy who is money-hungry and so career-driven that he will bulldoze over just about anyone, Ari's your guy. He loves to sneak out of the house to frequent the Playboy mansion but while he loves to oogle the girls, he's devoted. And while his Energizer bunny on crack personality may wear you out at times, just take a look at that bod! You guys just know this is who I want in my entourage!

Ari was supposed to be the last guy but then I realized that some people (Tina) probably aren't going to be happy with their many choices. So for those of you who want the "real" Vince that the show's life is based on here is the executive producer of the show. If you just can't resist a really bad boy gone good, he's the one for you. Be prepared, this guy is intense and takes his work very seriously. On the plus side, if you get attacked in a dark alley while you are with him, it's a pretty sure bet that the other guy will be missing an eye when he comes out.

So who do you want in your personal entourage?

What I'm reading....Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

xo,

Steph

www.stephaniehale.com

HUMP DAY HOTTIE: Jon Bon Jovi

Any of the millions of people that watched American Idol last night can tell you why Jon is my Hump Day Hottie this week. It's rock week on AI and this time the music was all Bon Jovi. Though there were some great performances, no one came close to Jon's rock star power. (Okay, Phil Stacey came really, really close!)

Now, he's had his moments... there were some looks in the early years that he probably wishes someone would erase from the 80s yearbook. (I mean, really. A leopard-print glove and fishnet shirt?)

But boy oh boy does he look good in a pair of tight leather pants. Okay, I'm sure he looks good in a tight pair of any kind of pants, but I think the leather brings it home.

There's something special about Jon. Those soulful eyes. That hair (in whatever style). The fact that he's been married to the same woman since 1989 and seems pleased as punch to have 4 kids. (Like when he said, on AI last night, that his kids love the show.) Or it might have something to do with his powerhouse voice.

Whatever makes Jon so quintessentially.... Jon, I like it.

Hugs,
TLC
Growing Up Godly, Summer 2008
Dutton Children's Books

what I'm reading ... Two For the Dough by Janet Evanovich (who has shamelessly dragged me off-track on the whole RITA reading thing)