Quick Reader Poll!

Lately I've found myself curious about reading formats...hardcover versus paperback versus digital versus audio. All of which I embrace! I find myself watching people in airports and coffee shops, reading dialogues here on the internet, and taking mental notes.

My secondary interest is WHERE the book came from. An on-line store? A brick-and-mortar store? A library? A friend? A gift? Other?



So I thought it might be fun for us take a quick poll through our comments. Feel free to list the name of the book you are reading and the author, if you want, but specifically tell us:

--the book's format

and

--how/where you got it!

I will go first...read down in the comments!

Saying Goodbye to Summer

Okay, so technically summer is still here for a few weeks (although I must confess to loving Seattle-esque summers way more than those in Oklahoma, Houston, and Vegas--it's more like spring) but I can sense it winding down. The air will get crisper, the rain will come (maybe?), and I'll soon be cuddling with a good book and watching as the leaves fall.

Fall is probably my favorite time of the year, but I think I'll actually miss summer this year. Some of the fun things I've done this summer include:

• driving from Oklahoma to Seattle and sleeping in National Parks
• going sailing for the first time
• traveling to New York, Washington DC, Houston, and Las Vegas
• finally (!!!) moving to Seattle
• going to outdoor concerts with Heather Bee and friend Liz Gallagher
• walking Daisy around Capitol Hill

So, what (if anything) will you miss about summer?

Hugs,
TLC

4 Bees Buzzing

It's not often that we get a bunch of Buzz Girl Bees together, but thanks to a lovely invitation bestowed upon my daughter and me by Dona, four of us found ourselves together this past weekend in her Seattle area home. Here's me, Dona, Heather and Tera:


Dona served tea and a table full of goodies. Here we are, checking it all out before the first doorbell:


While all the food was yummy, from moment one, my eyes were on the cupcakes! Check out the careful and creative designs, made with a rich butter cream frosting:


Believe me when I say, I got my fair share!

Anyway, the tea was not only a lot of fun, but a good networking and brainstorming event where we got to discuss books we've been reading, and our current works-in-progress. In fact, I wrote down notes afterwards on comments made about my current book that I know will help me in its execution.

We think it's possible we won't get a substantial number of Buzz Girls together again until the national Romance Writers of America conference in Anaheim, California next July--but who knows? We'll keep spirits high and fingers crossed!

And thanks again to Dona for being the hostess with the mostest!

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

The Summer of Reunions

Based on my own summer and lots of people I've talked to, this has been the Summer of Reunions. Mine started off with a family reunion (Photo 1). My grandma, Mama Billie (pictured in the pink shirt), rented out an entire B&B a few miles from my house and filled it with about 35 of us from UT, TX, FL, CO, and NM for a whole week.

Next came a reunion for my ad agency (Photo 2). When I first moved to Utah, I worked for the most incredible high tech advertising agency ev-ah! It was called DSW and had headquarters in Salt Lake City as well as San Francisco. Well, unfortunately, all great things must end and soon after I quit to stay home with my son and freelance, the entire company went under. But many of us kept in touch and we had a reunion at the fast food restaurant right across the street from where the agency used to be located. (Which is, as an interesting tidbit you can use to sound smart, the parking lot that was hit by the only tornado to ever hit Utah.)

Then came my husband's high school reunion, which was held at a restaurant only a couple of miles from my home (Photo 3).

And last but not least, my own high school reunion, which was just on the south side of Denver (Photos 4 and 5). It was so great to see my high school friends again and of course with that came remembering what it was like back then. Kind of scary, really. :) Anyway, this has been a whirlwind of a summer and though I'd like the warm weather to continue for quite a while more, I have to say I'm looking forward to the more regimented schedule that comes with the fall.

How about you? Any reunions to speak of? Do you go to yours?

Summer Scents

At the beginning of the summer, I read an autobiography about a woman who lost her sense of scent, and how profoundly it effected her. Since then, I've been paying more attention to--and appreciating--the aromas in my everyday world, especially right now, those associated with summer.

For me, the number one scent of summer, going all the way back to my earliest? Chlorine!


Followed by the sun tanning lotion that I used as a kid--no, not sunblock, back then we were TRYING to burn!


On a more recent note, this scent makes me think of the beach in Italy:


Vendors carry around peeled chunks in ice chests calling out, "Coca Bella!" which I imagine to mean "Pretty Coconut!" In any case, I'm a total goner for it whenever I'm there, so it has a strong summer association for me now.

How about you? What scents make you think of summer, either now or all year long?

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

YA Scavenger Hunt on August 1st!

A few of us Buzz Girls are participating in the YA Scavenger Hunt organized by YA author Colleen Houck.  Our own Marley, Tera, and Heather will be part of the event, which will be one day only -- August 1st.

There are thirty YA authors participating, all of whom will post bonus chapters, news on upcoming books, cover reveals, and much much more on their individual sites.  To play, you just start at one of our sites and follow the links to complete the hunt -- enjoying all this cool insider content along the way.

At many of the author sites, you can enter individual giveaways.  To enter the grand prize drawing for a multi-author book bonanza, you'll collect the clue word in red on each author's post to complete the YA Scavenger Hunt Puzzle.  Once you've got the puzzle completed, you'll email it in to enter the grand prize drawing.  Rules and a puzzle form will be on each author's blog in the hunt.

It's one day only - August 1st, 2011 -- so get ready to go on the hunt!

Hugs,

Heather

Reunion Times Four

Ahh, summertime. Impromptu barbecues, chilled watermelon, homemade ice cream, tank tops, flip-flops, belly-flops, and, for many of us, reunions.

Last week, the little town of Eden, Utah experienced an enormous spike in population as 30 of Mama Billie's (sitting pretty amongst her grandchildren and great grandchildren) relatives from Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Florida and Utah checked into the Snowberry Inn. An iced keg of rootbeer from Rooster's Brewery graced the kitchen, providing refreshment in-between shopping trips, hikes, boating expeditions, wildlife safaris, target shooting, hot tubbing, alpine sliding, the Ogden Pioneer Days Rodeo, a tour of Model Linen, and games of volleyball, wiffleball, horseshoes, and cards. It was the 2nd Annual Eden, Utah Gray Family Reunion. And it was fun, fun, fun!!!

But I'm exhausted.

When my husband and I got up at 5 Sunday morning to take my sister and Mama Billie to the airport, we thought we'd have a couple of days to catch our breath before Mom, my 3 boys, and I drive to Colorado for my 20 year high school reunion. But then my uncle, aunt and their 3 teenagers called after their whirlwind trip to Yellowstone to say they're staying at our house for a couple of nights before heading back to Dallas. So! I popped a couple of elk roasts in the Crock-Pot and made a fresh batch of iced tea. The good thing is, I'm not the only one who's exhausted so while some of them went to Costco to get family reunion photos developed, the rest of us are hanging out at home, watching The Simpsons Movie.

Still. I'm exhausted. And I've got three more reunions (one for my advertising agency, one for my husband's high school, and one for my high school) to go!

Anyone else having a big reunion (or two or three) this summer? My friends just had one in Durango, CO with 100 family members! Holy cow! Steph, don't you have your 20 year high school reunion this summer, too? Or has it already happened?

The Winchester Mystery House

The Buzz Girls have gone on a relaxed schedule for the summer, giving us all more time to write and read and just...hang out. So I thought I'd pop in to mention one of the more unusual things I have done with my summer so far...

Last weekend I was in San Jose, California, and at the advice of a friend, visited the Winchester Mystery House, a seriously odd and fascinating mansion that was under 24/7 construction for 38 years.

Purchased by Winchester gun magnate widow Sarah Winchester in 1884, she paid for round-the-clock renovations and add-ons until her death in 1922. She had been told my a psychic that a curse was on her family from all the lives that had been lost to Winchester guns, and that only way to be safe (and possibly live forever) was the continuous building of what turned out to be a somewhat crooked and very confusing (though lovely) house!

Before the 1906 earthquake, it had boasted 7 stories, but these days, it's 4 stories high with 160 rooms. But it's the rooms themselves that are so odd and one merely fold into the next, with doors and staircases that lead nowhere. One door opens to the second floor air! One of the first things the tour guide tells you as you embark on the one hour tour is that if you need to leave, he'll have to walkie-talkie to get you a escort out, otherwise, you'd never find your way!

Here is a staircase that leads you into a roof:


I ended up calling it "Hearst Castle meets Ripley's Believe It or Not!"

Although this was not mentioned in the tour, I have since heard this house was the setting for the 2002 Stephen King movie, "Rose Red," and I know of at least TV program on the house, claiming that it is haunted to this day.

And yes, I did immediately send our resident Ghost Huntress, Marley Gibson, a message to ask if she'd been there. She said no--not yet, but it was definitely on her to-do list!

I thought I'd share the details with our readers here, to see if any of you have visited, or to possibly put on your to-do list for an interesting sightseeing adventure!

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

The Fiery Pits of Prom Hell

I recently got involved in a pretty sizeable clean-up project in our house, and discovered all kinds of “hidden treasures.” Including a copy of PROM NIGHTS FROM HELL, a paranormal short story collection by five young adult authors, Meg Cabot, Kim Harrison, Michele Jaffe, Stephenie Meyer, and Lauren Myracle. Glancing at the back cover (“Worried that prom is gonna bite?”), I realized despite my good intentions, I had never actually read it.


That error is no more! I spent the past couple days in the fiery pits of prom hell, and enjoyed every moment. In particular, this book gave me a first introduction to the sharp, funny Michele Jaffe, who contributed the short story, “Kiss and Tell.” I loved it and will be definitely be looking for more from her!

So how about you? Is summer a good time for you to catch up on books you’ve been meaning to read, too?

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

The final countdown...

I hope everyone had a wonderful, firework-filled Fourth of July! My fiance, his boys, and I are in Florida awaiting the launch of the space shuttle Atlantis. Not just any launch, but the final one. Not just the final one for Atlantis, but the final launch for the entire program.



After thirty years and over 135 launches, America's space shuttle program will come to an end. Atlantis is scheduled to lift off for the last time on Friday morning, July 8th at 11:26 a.m. And we're here to see it!



Officials here at Cape Canaveral are expecting a million people to pour into the neighboring towns to watch Atlantis soar into the sky one last time. We've already staked out our viewing location--12 miles away--and plan to get there wicked early to set up our lawn chairs, cooler of ice water, still cameras, and video recorders. If you've got deep pockets, you can pay for a ticket to watch the launch from the causeway--about 5 miles away. If you're one of the lucky ones who won tickets, you can view the launch from the area with the astronaut's families--3 miles away. This is the closest you can get to the orbiter.


The Crew of Atlantis

...or so we thought.

Patrick and I were at the Canaveral National Seashore to swim and hang out when we noticed something toward the end of Playalinda Beach. We walked and walked and walked...probably for a mile...until we reached a security fence protruding into the ocean. A man in a guard tower held up his hand to keep us from getting closer. But we were allowed to stand there with others and stare in awe...Atlantis in all of her glory sitting on Launch Pad 39A only ONE MILE away!




Truly a moment to cherish!

Have you ever seen a shuttle launch? It's got to be a magical experience...which we'll find out soon. We'll see if the weather holds off and Atlantis and her crew speed away on Friday morning! Keep your fingers crossed!

Godspeed the crew of Atlantis!

Happy July 4th

Happy Fourth of July from the Buzz Girls!

Wishing all of our readers a safe and happy holiday!

Meet Miller the Mallard

If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook you might have already seen this photo but as we're heading into the 4th of July I thought it would be fun to post the story behind this picture here on the blog.

Meet Miller the Mallard. We were driving up the Ogden Canyon and suddenly, my husband and I both saw this little guy waddling alongside the 2-lane highway all by his lonesome. On one side of him was the highway and the other a cement barrier to keep cars from falling into the Ogden River, which is at a record high thanks to all our snowfall this past winter. This is a very dangerous, narrow, winding canyon and biking and walking along it is frowned upon. But I couldn't let my husband, Matt, just drive by so I talked him into stopping. Matt found a place to pull over (wide enough spots are few and far between) and he drove up and down to try and protect me when I was on the narrowest of stretches. (I was wearing very high heels because we'd just come home from a party and I still have a blister but it was worth it.) When I found the duckling, who my husband later told me was on his back with his little legs and huge feet up in the air on one of his drive-bys), he was soaking wet. I thought about just putting him on the other side of the cement barrier but there was a huge drop to the river. So I decided I'd take him to the truck, where my husband and three sons were eagerly waiting to see him. While we were debating what to do with him, Miller, my oldest, mentioned that his friends in the near-by town of Huntsville live right on the lake and have a bunch of ducks that they feed and take care of. So we thought it would be worth a try. The dad and his sons were all out on the front lawn playing football when we pulled up. We could tell right away they knew what to do with the little guy; they had a place for him, food he could eat, and a wonderful yard in which to grow stronger. They named him Miller, after my son, and invited us to come and visit anytime.

Have a happy and safe Fourth of July, American friends!

Fins Are Forever Release Day!

Fins Are Forever officially releases today! Lily is off on another adventure, with Quince, Shannen, Peri, and all the gang along for the ride.

If you spy it in a bookstore, let me know. I love hearing about sightings in the wild.

Hugs,
TLC

teralynnchilds.com
@teralynnchilds

Where in the world are the Buzz Girls???

New York City?

Seattle?

Las Vegas?

Answer: All of the above. It's officially summer which means the Buzz Girls are flying off in a million different directions. Some of us are moving cross-country, some of us are jet-setting to NYC for RWA Nationals, and one of us is busy zigzagging the country while planning her fall wedding, and all of us are kicking back with our favorite book this summer when we get the chance.

Summer means relaxation and that is going to be true for our blog as well. We haven't abandoned you, so don't despair. But our postings are going to be a bit more lax and random through the summer. Should you find yourself missing us too much, I would suggest picking up all our backlist titles and heading for a hammock. We hope you have an amazing summer filled with amazing books!!!

The Bee's

Fins Are Forever Week Winners!

Fins Are Forever week is done (here on the Buzz blog anyway, it continues this coming week in real life) and that means WINNERS! The three sets of Fins books go to:

• Steph
• Jacque Griffin
• Krystal

(To avoid confusion, please click on the link to see if it's your profile.) Send your mailing info to tlc at teralynnchilds dot com and I'll get the prizes in the mail as soon as I get my copies and get done traveling.

Hugs,
TLC

teralynnchilds.com
@teralynnchilds

Mermaid Stephanie here...

This week the Bee's are celebrating the June 28th release of Fins Are Forever. Tera is giving away 3 awesome prize packs including a paperback copy of Forgive My Fins (even if you already own the hardcover, this one has extras in the back that you don't have so you are gonna want it) and a hardcover copy of Fins Are Forever. So don't forget to comment every day for more chances to win.
We are talking about water memories this week. I, like Tera, have been obsessed with mermaids since I learned to swim. I loved the water so much that I couldn't think of anything cooler than living in the water full-time. I can remember submerging myself in the bathtub and trying to hold my breath as long as I could only to be disappointed when I had to burst out for a breath. I couldn't believe that I was just a lowly human with legs instead of scales.

One Christmas my family traveled with my grandparents to Florida. While browsing the glossy travel attraction brochures in the hotel lobby, I spotted one that made my heart stop. The cover showed REAL, LIVE mermaids. The place was called Weeki Wachee. I begged my parents to take me but I'm pretty sure they groaned deeply at my infatuation with what must have seemed like a kitschy tourist trap to them. But my grandpa swooped in and drove us the extra hundred miles to see my mermaids.
Weeki Wachee did not disappoint. If I was smitten with mermaids before I went, I was absolutely head over heels once I left. I remember watching the mermaids swim and even though they would occasionally pause to take a covert hit off a hidden oxygen tube, I didn't care. They were absolutely real to me. A few years ago, Weeki Wachee was in danger of closing, but since then it has been made a state park. They have added play areas and even some water rides since I have been there. They even have mermaid camp for little girls. I love the fact that a place that opened in 1946 is still entertaining families today.
I really hope to go back someday and share the magic of mermaids with my kids. Since I can't get to Florida right now I'm going to spend next week with Lily and Quince in Fins are Forever. Have you ever been mesmerized by a cheesy roadside attraction? Don't forget to comment for your chance to win a prize pack.

xo,

Stephanie

http://www.stephaniehale.com/

Mermaids, ahoy!

This week we're celebrating Buzz girl Tera Lynn Child's upcoming release of Fins Are Forever!  Next week you'll be able to get your flippers on a copy of Fins, and find out what happens next in the story of Lily and Quince.

I'm really excited to be heading to NYC for the RWA conference with Tera next week.  On Tuesday, Tera's release day, RWA will be holding their giant Literacy signing. What a great way to kick off the sequel to Forgive My Fins.  If you're in NYC, you should swim on by.  And, if you're not in NYC, you should (of course) float over to your local bookstore and pick up a copy of Fins are Forever.  The paperback of Forgive My Fins is out that same day, in case you haven't yet read the first installment of the undersea saga.

Since we're writing about our favorite water memories this week -- I'll just post a picture of a recent one:   Tera and me on my friend Ryan's boat. This is on Lake Union, where every Tuesday, crazy sailboat skippers (like Ryan) race and then raft up to socialize.  It's super fun, and though our crew doesn't usually win or even finish near the top, we have a great time on the water.  As you can see, the weather was cold and windy for this sail!
 

GIVEAWAY: Each day this week, you can post a comment to enter the drawing to win one of three sets of Tera's Fins Books.  

Today's question:

If you were a mermaid, what would your name be?

(Example: mine would be Penelope Seaflower.)

Good luck!  Winners will be drawn and posted on Sunday.

Hugs,

Heather

www.heatherdavisbooks.com

The Clearing - 2011 RITA Award finalist, Best Young Adult Romance

A Natural Wonder!

So excited to be celebrating the release of Tera's new book, Fins Are Forever. I do apologize that my crazy travel schedule kept me from posting last week on Heather's good news...so a belated "whoohoo!" to Heather, as well.



We're talking about memories that involve water...and I created one just last week. And boy, was it a wonder. One of the wonders of the world, in fact: Niagara Falls.



My fiance, Patrick Burns, and I have his two boys with us this summer and we're always looking for things to do to keep them entertained. Well, we were scheduled for a conference in Illinois one weekend and Auburn, New York the next week, so we took the time to drive to Niagara Falls and take in the spendor and beauty of the natural wonder.



This was my fourth visit, but it never fails to take my breath away. This time was especially memorable because we had the kidlets with us and they had never been there. Also, I have always wanted to ride on the Maid of the Mist, the boat that takes you literally right up underneath the horseshoe falls. We did it! We were on the front of the boat and got completely soaked, but I'd do it again in a heartbeat.



And, you can't take a bad picture of the Falls. The sheer power and beauty of it is overwhelming. It was an extraordinary day--albeit, a wet one--and following a warm cup of tea and reminiscing already, I know it was a day to remember for all of us. A real "family" moment...and that's what counts.



Have you been to Niagara Falls? What did you think? Share your thoughts and memories. Remember, three lucky commenters this week will win a Fins pack from Tera Lynn Childs. Click HERE for all the exciting details. And congrat's, TLC! You are truly blessed by the cover gods! LOL!!

Hugs,
Marley = )

www.marleygibson.com
www.ghosthuntress.com

The next installment of the popular Ghost Huntress series
is out and everything's not as it seems...
GHOST HUNTRESS: THE DISCOVERY

My Favorite Waterfall

This week we're celebrating the release of Fins Are Forever, the highly anticipated sequel to Tera Lynn Child's Forgive My Fins. Its official book birthday is one week from today! Yay!

And to help celebrate this momentous occasion, we're talking about our favorite water memories.

There are three ways to get to my house, but we usually take a road that goes up Ogden Canyon, and in this canyon is a waterfall. It's one that can be turned off and on, so on any given day it might be going full blast or just a trickle, and in the winter it is usually frozen (so pretty!). People stop and take photos, get engaged, etc. in front of this lovely feature. What I love most is how excited my boys get to see it each time we pass. They make bets on how much it's turned on and through the years it's become a tradition.

I've been to Hawaii, Costa Rica, and Alaska--all famous for their waterfalls. And yes, those are spectacular. But this one will always mean the most to me because it reminds me of home.

What is your favorite water feature, either natural or man-made? Please do share! Three lucky commenters this week will win a Fins pack from Tera Lynn Childs. Click HERE for all the exciting details. And congrat's, TLC! I can't wait to read Fins Are Forever!

Island Girl!

Celebrating the release of Fins are Forever by our own Tera Lynn Childs, we are talking this week about favorite water memories.

Mine goes back more than ten years, to a vacation in the Bahamas. While the resort beachfront and water slide pool were a big hit with me, my husband and our kids, what was most memorable was our day trip to Blue Lagoon Island, which offers tranquil beaches, opportunities to play with dolphins and swim in a lagoon.


We came and went by ferry, with the outbound trip being mostly about sightseeing. The return voyage featured dancing to a reggae band and a limbo contest, both of which I enthusiastically joined in (and yes, somewhere in our family archives, there is a video).


On the island, we opted out of the dolphin encounter (saving it for next time), but took full opportunity of the paddle boats, hammocks, beachcoming, and simply relaxing in the soft sand of shallow lagoon. Heavenly!


So while a case could be made that this island is touristy and commercial, I’d still say if any of you find yourselves in Nassau, add this to your itinerary. And what better book to read as you lay about in paradise than one about a mermaid?

To be entered in our weeklong contest here at the Buzz Girls Blog, name a favorite water spot you visited (ocean, lake, river, pool). Three lucky people will chosen from the week's long comments to each win a “Fin Set,” (Forgive My Fins paperback, with cool extras in the back, and Fins Are Forever hardcover). Good luck!

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