Buzz Panel, Zingari and Harlequin Party --Dona's Conference Highlights

I will have more pictures, I swear. I just have to upload them off my camera. I am going to "lift" pictures from the Buzz Girls and Christina Arbini to tell about my conference highlights!

I spent the first four days in SFO with my best friend from college, Krish Amin (now Dalal). We've known each other for over 10 years now and we did what we do best: gossip and shop. Together we hit every single store you can think of: Macys, GAP, Zara, H&M, etc etc etc....all the while catching up on the latest news and gossip from both of our lives.

Fun!

The conference took off with a bang with the attending Buzz Girls (me, Heather, Marley, Simone and Tera) having an impromptu pow-wow with the gorgeous Wendy Toliver at the Librarians Tea to discuss strategy for our panel. Happily this discussion took all of five minutes before we resumed our usual Buzz Girl topics: gossip, food, shopping, boys.....(are we seeing a pattern here?)

Then it was time for my VERY FIRST Literacy Booksigning. I had tons of friends stop by to say hi, including the lovely Nadine Dajani, Anne Van, Heather Davis, and many many others. It was SUCH an honor to be signing books in a room with authors I adore and respect like the Buzz Girls, Nora, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Jane Porter...the list goes on.

The next morning, I arrived at the hotel bright and early and attended some workshops and the Welcome Lunch with some rather quesitonable looking chicken. I instantly trade up for the veggie option (lasagna....yummy!).

Then came the highlight of the whole trip: The Buzz Girls "Building Buzz in YA" panel. All the Buzz Girls spoke about our experiences with marketing our books with Wendy Toliver moderating. I had a BLAST. We always have such a good time together and this was no exception. The hour just flew by as we dished about the industry, sex in YA (pretty intense stuff), age ranges, marketing techniques (blogs, school visits, book launches, etc).

I think the panel was a huge success with over 70 guests and quesitons until the end. We also did giveaways of ALL of our books, with Heather Davis doing a "gift certificate" of her April 2009 release of NEVER CRY WEREWOLF. Fun!

I then attended the workshop of Marley Gibson and the lovely Elaine Spencer of the Knight Agency where they dished about agent/client communications. Great stuff!

That night was the PASIC reception where Heather and I attended and scmoozed with some old friends like Caridad Ferrer and the unflappable Jennifer Jackson.

We met up with the Tiaras of Seattle (Christina, Kelli, Shannon, Serena, Carolynn, and Erin) and then it was time to crash for the night.

Friday was a day of workshops-workshops-more workshops. I learned a ton of stuff about character building, plot strenghtening and at the end of the day, I was ready to stop with the learning. I attended a fantastic dinner @ Zingari with the Chicago North Girls to celebrate Simone Elkeles's RITA Nom. We were laughing so loudly people from OTHER tables were coming over to ask to join our party....awesome!

I then attended the Harlequin Party where I got a chance to see the lovely Nora, Brenda Novak, Tera Lynn Childs, Marley Gibson and many many others. Above is the dessert buffet, Tera doing her thing, and post-party where I am grabbing my bag and heading back to Krish's place for the night.

Saturday was Blake Synder's SAVE THE CAT talk (my favorite of the conference) where I learned just HOW much work I have left to to on my current WIP URBAN MYTHOLOGY.

We had our Buzz Girl Lunch at the fantastic King of Thai (cheap and FAST!) and then rushed back for the Agent Cartel workshop. That evening we did a dinner with the Tiaras of Seattle at Mel's Diner before everyone retreated to their rooms to get pretty for...

The GH/RITA Award ceremony. It was a gorgeous ceremony with the extremely elegant Heather Davis presenting the GH for Best YA book.

So, that is a very short version of my conference highlights. I look forward to hearing everyone else's conference stories and seeing pictures (that I can steal!)

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

Dona Sarkar-Mishra

http://donasarkarmishra.com/

HOW TO SALSA IN A SARI

SHRINK TO FIT

both out now!

Nationals Wrap Up

Thousands of writers will soon be descending upon the San Francisco airport. They will hug their friends one last time and mentally calculate the hours until the Washington D.C. conference as they walk to their gates to begin their journey home. Even though I couldn't be there physically this year, I was sent so many pictures and text messages that I feel like I didn't miss a thing.

Here are some final pics.

Tera and Marley all dolled up for the RITA/GH ceremony.

Heather presenting with Ruth Kaufman looking on.

Simone and Kelly looking fabulous!

Simone hanging with her Chicago peeps.

I hope you have enjoyed the Buzz Girls glimpse of Nationals. We hope to see you in D.C. next year!

xo,

Stephanie

www.stephaniehale.com

More San Fran pics..

Happy Saturday, everybody! I've got some more fabu pics from Nationals to post. Enjoy!


Here are all the Buzz Girls (except me and Tina) at lunch today. This place looks swanky with its purple walls and fancy stools. I'm so jealous!



Here are Heather and Dona at the Pasic reception at Neiman Marcus. Isn't the decor (and the bees, of course) beautiful?




Here is some exciting stuff I found out. That the RITA/GH Ceremony is going to be broadcast live on the Internet tonight at 8pm Pacific time. Yeah, I'll be able to kind of be there to cheer on my favorites while wearing my pj's and eating ice cream! Go to http://www.rwanational.org/ for more details. Also on the RWA homepage is a link to a blog written at Nationals by several authors, including the BBG's own Simone Elkeles (who is up for a RITA tonight!)



I also found this, which gave me goosebumps. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/25966976#25966976



Enjoy!

xo,

Stephanie

http://www.stephaniehale.com/

Buzzin' in the Bay

All of the Buzz Girls, with the exception of Tina and I, are buzzing in San Fran this week. Tina is attending SCBWI in Century City. And I, well, I have been consoling myself with Dairy Queen Buster Bars because I am living vicariously through my cell phone and laptop. But even though the Bees have been super-busy they have still managed to keep me in the loop through emails, text messages, and phone calls. Trust me, you just can't beat a surprise phone call from your super-agent while you are feeling sorry for yourself watching THE TWO COREYS. :)

A little birdie told me that the workshop that the Buzz Girls put on today was nearly standing room only. With a title like Building Buzz in YA, who wouldn't want to be there? Topics included how to design a teen-friendly website, to blog or not to blog, finding out who your teen audience is, navigating teen-popular networking websites, school visits, book launches, and using your existing network to your advantage. If you weren't there, don't despair. The BBG's are planning to set aside a whole week discussing our topics! Here is a photo of Marley, Tera, and Dona at the workshop this afternoon.

One of the biggest events at RWA National is the Literacy Booksigning. Here are some fun shots from the signing.

Simone Elkeles who is up for a RITA (see her pretty blue flag) for her novel, LEAVING PARADISE. Good luck Simone! I'll be cheering you on from Illinois.

Tera Lynn Childs signing her debut novel, OH MY GODS, soon to be a television series or made for TV movie starring Ashley Tisdale. Next to Tera is Terri Clark, author of one of the four fabulous stories in Breaking Up Is Hard to Do. I can't help but notice that she is sporting a shorter sassy do' this year. So cute!

Here is Dona signing How to Salsa in a Sari. Dona's new book SHRINK TO FIT is out in stores TODAY!!!! Go buy it!!!! And that adorable redhead peeking over her shoulder is Heather Davis, author of NEVER CRY WEREWOLF which debuts in April 2009.

Marley and her friend from college, Scott were having fun at the signing where she signed copies of ZETA OR OMEGA? & THE NEW SISTERS from the Sorority 101 Series.

Last, but not least, is a YA author who does our genre proud. Double RITA finalist, Kelly Parra (check out her blog YA Fresh with BBG Tina Ferraro, http://yafresh.blogspot.com/), author of Graffiti Girl. See her two blue flags? Yeah, she's kind of greedy but we still like her a lot!

I'm so glad that everyone is having fun at Nationals and I can't wait til D.C.!

xo,

Stephanie

http://www.stephaniehale.com/

A Tower of Power

With most of the Buzz Girls buzzing toward San Francisco, I thought I’d step up to the plate again...

I was thinking this morning about the first time I stepped into a large bookstore--along the lines of a Barnes & Noble--and how it had seemed like my birthday, Christmas morning and an “A” on a math test all in one.

See, back in my hometown, in dark ages of my youth, books were purchased at “stationery stores.” There were a few racks that featured paperback best sellers from recognized publishers and authors. And we had one independent bookstore which catered mostly to high-end adult tastes like coffee table books and hardcover copies of the classics. My solitary joy, therefore, was the library.

Until the summer I was 18. I was wandering through the mall in a nearby town when I spied a long storefront and the banner “Paperback Booksmith.” (The chain has since gone out of business, but here’s a photo of one in the Boston area.)


I remember peering in the window and seeing hundreds, maybe thousands of books, and my heart taking off. I dashed in there, and went absolutely crazy. Every book I’d ever wanted, and some I’d never dreamed of. To have and to hold, and to keep!!! I scooped up book after book until I could no longer carry more.

At the register, I proudly wrote a check--I was working and had just opened an account--but for some reason, they didn’t put them in a bag for me. Maybe because I refused to stop holding them?

Outside, I ran into an on/again-off/again boyfriend who looked at me like I was nuts and asked me what I planned to do with all those books. “Uh, read them,” I said, and promptly went home to do just that. Joy to the World.

These days I browse bookstores--both brick-and-mortar and on-line--frequently, and for the most part, taking them for granted. So it’s wonderful to look back on that day and my Tower of Power...and to recall the deep-in-my-soul delight that good books can bring.

On that note, I've got a book deadline, so back to work!

Tina
Tina Ferraro
How to Hook a Hottie - Book Sense Top Teen Pick
Top Ten Uses for an Unworn Prom Dress - Finalist, National Reader’s Choice Award
www.tinaferraro.com

Conference Week!

Five of the Buzz Girls are soon off to San Francisco for the
Romance Writers of America conference, which starts on Wednesday. (And best of luck to our Simone Elkeles, whose book, LEAVING PARADISE, is up for the Rita for Best Young Adult Book!) And I am going to the Society of Children Book Writers and Ilustrators conference in Century City on Friday.

Keep checking in here for news and conference photos...but apologies ahead of time if it takes us a little while for to post.

Meanwhile, here’s a picture of us (yeah, that’s Marley in the center photo) from last year’s RWA Conference in Dallas.


And if you have not already seen Tera Lynn Childs' big announcement, scroll down to the next post and get the 411 on her exciting news!

Tina

Tina Ferraro
How to Hook a Hottie - Book Sense Top Teen Pick
Top Ten Uses for an Unworn Prom Dress - Finalist, National Reader’s Choice Award
www.tinaferraro.com

You Heard It Here First!

Well, Buzz Blog readers, you really are on the cutting edge. You are the very first group to hear my announcement (and it's a good one, too).

Drumroll and fireworks please...

OH. MY. GODS. (aka my first novel) has just been optioned for TV by a company called FREEMANTLE on behalf of ASHLEY TISDALE!!!!!!!!!


Yes, Ashely Tisdale (of High School Musical and Suite Life fame) will spend the next year deciding whether she wants to turn OMG into a TV show (or made for TV movie, I'm not sure). Ashley Tisdale, who just happens to have been voted Most Perfect Stella in my Casting Call contest last week, might actually wind up starring in it.

The high I'm feeling right now is second only to the high of selling my book in the first place. In other words, I am beyond on top of the world.

Hugs,
TLC

OH. MY. GODS. (Dutton Children's Books, available now!)
"an effervescent, fast-paced read" -- Publishers Weekly
http://www.teralynnchids.com

How do you prepare for travel?

Well...as you're reading this, I'm wheel's up over the east coast, winging it down to Louisville, Kentucky until Wednesday morning and then it's off to San Francisco, California. So, from 90 degrees to 65 in the course of a week. How does one prepare for travel like this?

First off, why Louisville, you may ask? In the continuation of research for my GHOST HUNTRESS series coming out in May 2009, I like to go on as many ghost investigations as I can. This time, we're headed to Waverly Hills Sanitarium, thanks to Darkness Radio.



Waverly Hills was the home to thousands of tuberculosis patients from 1926 until it closed in 1961. According to records, some 63,000 people died here over the years and investigators are known to get some CRAZY evidence while lurking the halls and floors. It's all in the name of research!

From there, we head to the Romance Writers of America National Conference in San Francisco. I'm very excited because not only do I get to hand with my fellow Buzz girls, I'm participating in the literacy signing for the first time. Whooohooo!! Funny, in 2004, I met Rachel Gibson at the signing and said to her, "One day, I'll be sitting next to you." And I am! If you're coming to the conference, please stop by and visit and get some books.



But in preparating for these trips, there's so much to do. There's stopping the mail and getting everything settled at work. There's laundry and dry cleaning. Figuring out what goes to Louisville and what goes to San Fran. What shoes do I take? Do I have time for a pedicure?

And speaking of pedicures...have you seen this? Wicked crazy, eh? I don't know what I think of it. It's from my old neck of the woods, Northern Virgina/DC area:



Also, during all of this, I'm working hard every day writing the second book in the GHOST HUNTRESS series, THE GUIDANCE. My editor is very anxious to read it, so I'm doing some major writing any spare minute I can grab. (BTW, I've seen the first comp of the cover and WHOA!!! Lovin' it! As soon as I have the final, I'll post it here.)

But I can't wait. What's more fun than ghost hunting, followed by a conference with (almost) all of your best writing friends? (Many will be missed this year...) And, if you're at the conference and you see me, please introduce yourself. I'd love to see you at the signing or at one of my two workshops that I'm doing:

Thursday, July 31
3:15-4:15 p.m. - Building Buzz in YA (CAREER) — Tera Childs, Heather Davis, Simone, Elkeles, Marley Gibson, and Dona Sarkar-Mishra

The Buzz girls—authors of teen romances and the Books, Boys, Buzz... blog—dish on everything from deciphering who exactly is the teen audience today, how to use the Internet, and other ways to market young-adult books.

Thursday, July 31
4:30-5:30 p.m. - Gossip Girls (CAREER) – Marley Gibson and Elaine Spencer

What really goes on when working with an agent? Author Marley Gibson and agent Elaine Spencer dish the dirt and give behind-the-scenes info on having a successful agent-author relationship.

How do you prepare for a trip? Safe travels to everyone!

Hugs,
Marley = )

SORORITY 101: Zeta or Omega? (Available Now! Puffin Books)
SORORITY 101: The New Sisters (Available Now! Puffin Books)
GHOST HUNTRESS SERIES (Coming May 2009, Houghton Mifflin)

So, the RWA National conference is almost upon us again...and the question on every girl's mind is: What am i going to wear!

I love this time of year becuase I FINALLY get to spend a week with other women (working at Microsoft does NOT give me this honor!) and see what's going on the world of literature as well as catch up with my wonderful friends.

There is one thing I hate. Packing. Ugh.

The day before I leave for my trip, I'm always standing in my closet asking, "Should I take this? Is it going to be cold in the hotel? Do I really need ANOTHER pair of shoes?"

The answer has never been no. This leads to WAY too much luggage. Those of you who know me know how much I like to pack LIGHT. I hardly ever go anywhere with more than a rollerbag full of clothes. I HATE LUGGAGE. My husband is a heavier packer than me. Go fig.

RWA is no exception...my big suitcase does accompany me, but it's reserved just for all the BOOKS I'll be bringing home! My entire weeklong wardrobe WILL fit in my rollerbag. How?

This is actually a science, rather than an art, so here goes.

1. I always start with a basic suit: jacket, pants and skirt. All three are absolutely necessary. I always do a gray or a black because that's what looks good on my olive skin. Some people look amazing in creams and navy. Not so much me. And I always make sure this stuff is wrinkle-proof. More than hating luggage, I hate ironing!




2. I then add in 3-4 lighweight tops, blouses, camisoles, sweaters, whatever. Things that can work alone or with a jacket are a must. I always take tops in cobalt blue, dark red, black and sea green. These are colors that work with my skin for both day and night and go really well with black or gray.




3. I then add one or two fun skirts in cool colors like pink or orange or turquoise. Colors I wouldn't necessarily wear near my face, but that are beautiful anyway.





4. I add one dress that can be for day or night. I usually take black or red because they're my favorites.



5. One pair of glam shoes with a heel and one pair of comfy shoes (wedges, etc)

And that's it! I suddenly have SO many outfits.

Jacket + Pants + Top

Jacket + Skirt + Top

Skirt + Top

Pants + Top

Dress

Dress + Jacket

.....the list goes ON and ON. If you get pieces you LOVE on their own, you will never run out of options. And everything must fit immpeccably. If you're tugging and pulling and hiring, this doesn't work. By changing shoes and jewlery, you can take an outfit from day to night in seconds.

For RWA, I need a few other things.

1. Evening gown for GH. I have a few to choose from, but I'll decide at the last minute.





2. Fun jewelry. I'm a BIG necklace person because I usually wear my hair down and my ears are obscured.





3. Eye drops and a foot massager...for long nights spent dancing!
   
   

So, that's my RWA packing list! How's your packing going?

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

Dona Sarkar-Mishra

HOW TO SALSA IN A SARI - out now!

SHRINK TO FIT - August 2008

Conference Buzz!

OMG... it's actually here...the massive Romance Writers of America summer conference is *next* week and the majority of the Buzz Girls will be on hand for a super fun panel/workshop called Building Buzz in YA!

I hope if you're going to be in San Francisco you'll either:

A) Come to the workshop if you're at the conference.

B) If you're a teen Reader -- come to the Literacy for Life signing at the SF Marriott. I think there are four of the Bees signing this year....

And please note, if Harper Cat's favorite author was signing, she'd be there, too. (Not me -- Ian McEwan -- and she liked the book much better than the movie, btw...)

Anyway -- here is a link with more of the deets:



http://rwanationalconference.org/Schedule/Schedule_LiteracyAutographing.html

This is great opportunity to get a signed copy of a Buzz book and support a wonderful organization that encourages lifelong literacy, so I hope you'll stop by! Also, we'll have some fun giveaways and lots of info and tips at the panel, so plan to attend if you're at the conference.

And now a question since I am agonizing over what to pack for the trip to San Fran and my suitcase is bulging at the zippers. What is the best travel tip you've learned? Help!


Hugs,


Heather

Heather Davis is the author of
Never Cry Werewolf
Coming in April 2009 from HarperTeen
www.heatherdavisbooks.com

PS -- What I'm reading: Night Road by A.M. Jenkins -- it's awesome! Teen vampires in Manhattan who go on the road to train a new recruit... does it get any cooler?

No Post Today ... Psych!

(How totally vintage was that slang?)

Friday night marked the season premiere of my absolute, hands-down, all-time favorite TV show: PSYCH

If you haven't seen this series (it's on USA on Friday nights in the late slot) then please, for the love of all that is hilarious, watch it!

Why do I love this show so very much? Let's examine ...

Maybe it's because the main characters, Shawn and Gus, are almost my same age. They've been best friends since forever and the show always features a scene from their youth (aka my youth) that parallels the plot of that episode. Plus, their vintage 80s references are pure nostalgia.

Maybe it's because I've always secretly wanted to be a private detective, but I could never have possibly pulled off pretending to be a psychic to get cases. Thanks to intense training by his uber-cop dad, Shawn is hyper-observant and solves cases by noticing (and interpreting) details that others miss.

Maybe it's because the ensemble cast is a perfect storm of talented characters. James Roday plays the bold, often immature, and yet somehow brilliant Shawn. His bff Gus is played by Dule Hill (who played a very serious role on West Wing, but is a genius straight man). Corbin Bernsen plays Shawns uber-cop dad who is beyond embarassed that his son is not only a private detective, but also a (fake) psychic. (The rest of the cast is equally brilliant, but I'm pretty sure you don't want to read a book-length essay on the matter.)

Maybe it's because the writing, directing, editing, acting, and pretty much everything involving this show seems to work seamlessly together to achieve a single goal: making me laugh.

I've already picked up the first two seasons on DVD (partly because I've also gotten my parents addicted to the show, partly because I needed to free up the space on my DVR) and plan on watching every new episode until, well, forever. You know where I'll be on Friday nights!

(Also, check out their website. It's awesome.)

Hugs,
TLC

OH. MY. GODS. (Dutton Children's Books, available now!)
"an effervescent, fast-paced read" -- Publishers Weekly
http://www.teralynnchids.com

The Twilight Series...can't get enough!

Borrowing a theme from the tres fabulous Kristen Painter, I can't tell you how excited I am about the upcoming TWILIGHT movie, based on the book by Stephanie Meyer.

When the book first came out, I avoided it as "just another vampire book" (so sorry to everyone writing vamp books, but hey, I'm an Anne Rice fan and just didn't know how anyone else could do it better than her Vampire Chronicles.) I had mixed reviews from friends who either loved, loved, loved it or hated, hated, hated it. I have to say, it was one of the "hated it" conversations that peaked my curiousity to the point of having to read this book because this person and I usually agree on books. So, I picked up TWILIGHT...and couldn't put it down.

Ummm...one word: Wow.

Aside from wanting to desperately edit down the book by about a hundred pages (sorry, it's the writer in me...LOL!), I was hooked. Or bitten. Or smitten. Any of it. All of it. The writing. The emotion. The characters. The world. Again...wow. I jumped in feet first.

I read NEW MOON just about as fast and am about a hundred pages from finishing ECLIPSE just in time for the August 1st release of the fourth and final book, BREAKING DAWN.

And on December 12th, the movie version of TWILIGHT will be released in the theatres. I am soooooooooo there! Check out the trailers.


I have to admit that while reading the books, I always imagined Evan Rachel Wood in the role of Bella Swan. However, the casting of Kristen Stewart as Bella works just fine for me. I think she's going to do a fabulous job. British-born actor, Robert Pattinson of Harry Potter fame, has been cast to play Edward. I have to say (going back to Kristen's post) that I'm a little surprised by the casting as he's not *as* gorgeous as Edward is portrayed in the book. Also, they've got him powdered up and white as a sheet in all the promo pictures, which I hope isn't as stark in the movie. Yes, yes, yes...I know he's a stone, cold, pale vampire, but the powdering up seems a bit over the top.

Taylor Lautner will play Jacob Black. Not bad casting...although Latner is only 5'9" and isn't Jacob 6'7" in the books? Oh, and I think it's cool that James is played by Cam Gigandet who played Volchok on THE O.C., the guy responsible for Marissa's death. Always thought he was a good villain, so he'll do well as James.

In any case, I can't wait to see how the movie turns out. I will be one of the first in line on December 12th!

What are your thoughts on the TWILIGHT series? What do you think of the casting? Have you pre-ordered BREAKING DAWN?

Hugs,
Marley = )



SORORITY 101: Zeta or Omega? (Available Now! Puffin Books)
SORORITY 101: The New Sisters (Available Now! Puffin Books)
GHOST HUNTRESS SERIES (Coming May 2009, Houghton Mifflin)

Lamest play list EVA!

I'm big enough to admit when I need help. I need help. For the last two months, I've been walking four miles a day (I've lost 23 pounds so far!) And while I'm pretty knowledgeable about the latest movies, books, and not to shabby in the fashion dept, when it comes to music, I'm kind of clueless. I usually know the latest pop songs out but I'm not really hip to some of the more obscure bands like I used to be.

I'm super-sick of listening to my current play list of some of my favorite (okay, not so such anymore)oldies and some newbies.

In a plea for help, I'm going to share my list with you all so that you will take pity on me and recommend your current fav!

Help me fill my lame iPod (I have one of those huge white ones the size of a stick of gum instead of the cute tiny colored ones. I know, right?)

Keep in mind, the faster the song, the faster I walk. Although I do have a few slow songs on my list currently. Thanks for your help!

Stephanie's incredibly lame playlist~

Dancing Queen- ABBA

Once Bitten, Twice Shy-Great White

4 Minutes- JT & Madonna

Work It- Missy Elliott

Cherry Pie- Warrant

Paralyzer-Finger Eleven

Love You Till The End- The Pogues

No Sleep Tonight- The Faders

Sexyback- JT

When I Grow Up-The Pussycat Dolls

Better Than Me- Hinder

I Kissed A Girl- Katy Perry

Dancing Queen- ABBA

Gonna Make You Sweat- C&C Music Factory

Save All Your Love- Great White

SOS-Rihanna

Pump It- Black-Eyed Peas

Girlfriend-Avril Lavigne

Hot N Cold-Katy Perry

I told you I needed help.

xo,

Stephanie

http://www.stephaniehale.com/

A very random post

Last week's winner of the SHRINK TO FIT giveaway is....Carol!

I will contact you offline to get your mailing info...congrats and hope you enjoy the book!

More kitty pictures today....my husband and I spent a ton of time taking photographs of our three year old Egyptian Mao, Ash (short for Ashton Sarkar-Mishra). I love, love, LOVE him and can't stop gushing about how cute he is.

Also, in other random news, I am going to catch the midnight show of THE DARK KNIGHT tomorrow night...yay!

No other big news to report except I am SO JAZZED for Nationals...can't wait for our Building Buzz in YA workshop and of course to see a bunch of the BUZZ GIRLS again!

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

Dona Sarkar-Mishra

http://donasarkarmishra.com

The Last Bee Goes Live!

Happy Tuesday! It's my regular posting day and the day that my first official author website goes live. Yay!


http://www.heatherdavisbooks.com/index.html


I'm waiting on cover art for Never Cry Werewolf, but I wanted to make sure all the pieces were in place before the Bees ventured to the big RWA conference in San Fran at the end of the month.


So, ten months until release day and counting! I can't wait for Werewolf to join the Buzz Girls' books on the shelves at your local bookstore!


Hugs!

Heather

Heather Davis is the author of
Never Cry Werewolf
Coming in April 2009 from HarperTeen

The Man of the House

Periodically I’ve shown pictures of Rascal, my now two-year old kitty, who like all good kitties, runs our family and our house.


You’ll notice here from his expression that he’s peeved, and has erected an upper body blockage on the final pass line edits of THE ABC’S OF KISSING BOYS. But if you ask him, it's with good reason...

--While I was writing the first draft, he often napped on my lap. He’d wake to play or snuggle, and I suppose it’s possible at some point I told him the title of the book would be THE ABC’S OF KISSING KITTIES. Could have happened.

--Unlike TOP TEN USES FOR AN UNWORN PROM DRESS, which features a guy named Rascal, this book falls short. Oh, there’s Tristan and Kyle and Luke and Clayton...but Rascal? Uh, no.

So, being the rightful head of the household, he has enforced a STOP WORK order until these two things are remedied. Or appropriate amounts of shrimp and buttered toast (I kid you not) are delivered.

I’m thinking the food stuffs might be easier to pull off than a late-date title and character change, but what also might work is a compliment or two about his good looks or character from the Internet world. Anyone care to help coax His Majesty off my pages? (I’ve got a deadline, people!)

A Delightful New New Comment from my Myspace: “Tina, I love your books so much! I've already hooked one hottie with your help.;-D”

Tina

Tina Ferraro
How to Hook a Hottie - Book Sense Top Teen Pick
Top Ten Uses for an Unworn Prom Dress - Finalist, National Reader’s Choice Award
www.tinaferraro.com

Buzz Girl Sightings

On my recent trip to Vegas, I had to hunt down Buzz Girl books in every bookstore. I found them at every turn!

In one of the bookstores at the Denver International Airport...

Buzz Girl Tina and Marley's books, face out on the same shelf...

... and Dona on another.

Steph's debut at the jazzy new Borders on the south side of Vegas ...

... along with Simone's debut. (And yes, that's Tina's book hiding off to the right.)

A girl just can't go anywhere without finding the Buzz Girls by her side. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Hugs,
TLC