Branding: Keeping It Simple Part 3

Today is the third and final portion of the mini-workshop on Branding I began last Sunday.

You've all done your homework, right? Read Part 1 to get an overview, did the creative thinking exercises in Part 2? If so, we're ready to get into the specific ELEMENTS of branding. This is a "mini" workshop, which means I can't elaborate quite as much unless you ask me to, because nobody wants to read a blog that goes on forever. :) If you have any questions, please leave me a comment and I'll respond.

Defining Your Theme:

(1) Who’s your target audience? YA, paranormal (be specific, i.e. vampires?), home & hearth, romantic suspense? If you did Part 2, you should know that it's VERY important that you don't just give a "knee-jerk" response to this question. Knowing your target audience should determine the “tone” of your brand, and help you target market effectively:

Here's some examples:
"Cartoon Network" appeals to kids with loud, bright colors, smart-mouth kids and goofy grownups
"Bones" appeals to the curious and intelligent TV watcher with a brainy but vulnerable heroine, sexy but control-freak hero with a soft side (he played Angel on Buffy, btw), great music, action-packed intro, etc.
"Firefly" appeals to the sci-fi crowd who likes to think outside the box with witty writing, a futuristic space-based society with an “old-timey” Western theme. Specialized, but very effective.

Spend a little time analyzing the commercials on TV – who are they targeting? Housewives, career women, men? It’s not hard to figure it out once you understand the basics of target marketing.

(2) Theme Elements:

(a) Your website. If you don’t have one, get one! WEBSITES ARE A MUST! If you’re serious about getting published, you need one now – whether you’re published or not. Not only will you be more prepared when you get “The Call”, you’re showing that you believe you’re going to get “The Call”, and showing to anyone who may be interested (agent, editors) that you understand how important marketing can be.

(Let me tell you a little story about how important websites can be: When I was searching for an agent, I received interest from my top three choices. All three went to my website before contacting me. I know, because they told me. And when I discussed representation with my "dream agent", the one who I ended up choosing to represent me, she actually went to my website WHILE we were talking, so she could read excerpts from my other manuscripts and discuss those with me as well. I have to ask myself, "What if I didn't have a website? Would their interest have stopped before they reached for the phone and dialed my number?" I'll never know, but I have to think that having that website in place helped my chances. )

Now let's talk some website specifics:

(b) Colors and shapes to consider by genre:
Urban fantasy – dark shades; blue and black, gritty city scenes, streets, buildings
Romantic comedy – light shades: pinks, blues, yellows, greens, fun shapes like circles, swirls
Romantic suspense – richer shades: dark reds, golds, eyes, partial faces, crime tape
Historicals – depending on the time period, but you can’t go wrong with jewel tones (ruby red, sapphire blue, golden topaz); rich fabrics like silk and velvet; lush gardens, Victorian jewelry (brooches, cameos, pearls)
Paranormals –the range is wider. If you’re going to write about vampires, red and black is the obvious choice - bats, coffins, crosses. Shapeshifters seem to call for blues and grays, foggy images, mist. Werewolves evoke blacks and browns, the moon, night landscapes.
Fantasy – again, a wider range. Elves and fairies would call for greens and lighter shades, mythical imagery. Science fiction usually calls for bolder colors –purples, reds, dark blues, stars, galaxies, spaceships.

(c) Fonts: a very important element, because it’s a “visual” representation of your actual writing (for use on business cards, signature lines, website headers). Here are some examples of how fonts send subliminal signals (I wish I could show the ACTUAL fonts, but blogger's font choices are limited):

Bernhard Fashion has an “upper crust” feel
Coronet is a lovely, flowing font
Tempus Sans reflects an older historical feel
Copperplate reflects and “old-timey” feel
Lansbury is great for romantic suspense

Pull up your font window in Word and experiment before choosing a font for your website and stationary. Above all, make sure it’s readable, and not just pretty. The body of your text in a website should be in a basic, readable font like Arial. Don't get carried away with a font so much that your website visitors can't read the body of your text without squinting.

(3) Taglines: Taglines are fun, but they’re not actually necessary. Many big name authors do NOT have taglines. But if you want one, go for it. If you’re stuck, look for quotes you like. Try not to be so general that your target market gets diluted, and be consistent with what you’re trying to deliver. It’s not enough to just use adjectives – be more creative.

Examples:

Terri Garey – “A lighthearted look at the dark side.”
Tawny Weber – “Hot, sassy romance… it’s all about the attitude.”
Cheryl Wilson - “Epic fantasy. Powerful romance. Embrace the magic.”


(4) Signatures: Come up with a short signature to use in your email correspondence, and USE it. Add it on to the end of every email. Keep it short, and try to make it a representation of your philosophy in life, or a representation about your writing. One of my favorite signatures is: “Come to the dark side. We have cookies.” Even your “username” can reflect your brand. My username on various loops is either “Spooky” or “SpookyChick”.

However, don't make your signature so long that people won't read it. More than three lines and it becomes just a bunch of words, losing its effectiveness as a marketing tool.

(5) Your online presence: If you’re a loop, be conscious of what you say. If you’re a flamer, too controversial, too abrupt, whatever… believe me, people WILL remember you, but it won’t be in the way you want them to. The greatest website in the world, with all the bells and whistles, won’t help you if you’ve presented yourself badly in the cyber world.

And that's it! IMHO, "branding", for a writer, is about establishing a CONCEPT, and offering it VISUALLY.

Any questions?

Guest Blogging With The Romance Bandits Today

I'm just a blogging fool these days, aren't I? :)

Today I was invited to blog with some dear friends, the The Romance Bandits. Come on over and join me as I chat with the "Banditas"!

p.s. - Part 3 of my "Branding" mini-workshop will be posted later today or earlier tomorrow. You've been answering the questions in Part 2, haven't you?

Branding: Keeping It Simple Part 2

Okay, if you read Sunday's blog about branding, then you know that my theory on being able to do it successfully is to "Find out who you are, and do it on purpose". I gave an overview on the different elements of branding, and I'm going to get very specific about those elements in Part 3 of this mini-workshop. But today, I'd like to get your brain going in ways that will help you to figure out WHO YOU ARE, and what it is you're trying to express through your writing. Because if you don't know it, how are you going to effectively present it to your prospective readers?

I've put together a list of simple "free thinking" questions. Take your time, and do your best to give each one some thought before you write down your answers. Nobody's going to see it but you, so be honest. When you're done, you should have a better feel for what you want to express through your "brand".

#1: What do you write? (Imagine yourself at a cocktail party, and you’ve just been asked this question. What would you say?)

#2: Who is your target audience? (age range, personality type) Get specific. Who is your “ideal reader”?

#3: What do your want your readers to FEEL when they’re reading one of your books?

#4: Why do you write the kinds of books you write? (Think carefully, and try to be as specific about your reasons as possible.)

#5: Pick three words that describe your writing style.

#6: If they made a movie of your book, what songs do you think they should play in the soundtrack?

#7: How do you envision your book covers?

#8: A reader has just finished reading your book. What words would you like them to use to describe it?

I'd recommend writing down both the questions as well as the answers, and using this as a guidepost as we begin talking about the specific elements of branding: themes, colors, fonts, taglines, etc. Hope you're finding this helpful, and feel free to leave me a comment or two - I'll be happy to answer any questions!

Let Us Never Forget

Take a closer look at this picture. (click on it, and it will enlarge)

It's made of ice. I had to pass it along because (1) it's amazing, and (2) it struck me as the perfect example of what happens when tragedy strikes. Think back, won't you, to the moment when you heard that airplanes had struck the twin towers. Remember the moment when you turned on the TV and saw those horrifying images for the first time; fireballs, shattered glass, stunned New Yorkers stumbling away from the scene, covered in ash.

Frozen by shock and fear, weren't you? Disbelieving, stunned, horrified. Americans had been attacked on our own soil, using our own airplanes, and thousands of people had lost their lives while going about their daily business in the heart of New York City. The entire country, for a brief time, was united in outrage and filled with a sense of patriotism that had flags flying and hearts soaring.

And then what happened? We forgot. We let that sense of urgency and unity melt away under the more mundane cares of daily life, and we let ourselves become divided politically and personally, arguing with our neighbor over whose fault it was and which President should be held responsible.

I don't know when this ice sculpture was made. 2001? 2002? It's long since melted away, I'm sure, but the sentiment behind it shouldn't be. Take a moment today and remember those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001, those who struggled so valiantly to save them, and those who, right now, are risking their lives to ensure it never happens again.

Don't you think that's something worth remembering?

Guest Blogging Today With The Avon Editors

Ever wonder which editor publishes which author, what they like, or what they don't like? Come join me today over on Avon Romance Blog, the official blog of Avon editors Carrie Feron, Lucia Macro, Erika Tsang, May Chen, Esi Sogah. Lyssa Keusch, and Tessa Woodward, as I blog about what makes a "typical" heroine so... well, typical. :)

P.S. - I'll post Lesson #2 of "Branding: Let's Keep It Simple, Shall We?" later on today.

Branding - Let's Keep It Simple, Shall We?

Yesterday, I was invited to speak at the monthly meeting of the Tampa Area Romance Authors, where I delivered a workshop on "Branding". You see, I have this theory that branding is not as complicated as it sounds, once you understand a few of the basics. The ladies of TARA were great, and I got some wonderful feedback on the workshop, so I thought I'd share it with anyone else who's been scratching their head about "branding", and why it's so important to published authors and aspiring authors alike.

I'm going to do it in three parts, because hey... I presented it in three parts, and you'll have to come back to my blog three times that way, right? :) No, seriously, better to break it up into three different sections than overwhelm you with one giant one.

So here we go:

Part One: A BRANDING OVERVIEW

I used to think that branding was so complicated! I mean, I went to the conferences and sat through the workshops. I’ve seen six week courses on this stuff! I heard phrases like “emotional velcro” and “brand equity” and “target demographics”. I thought I understood branding in a general sense: McDonald’s has their Golden Arches, Coca-Cola has their big red and white circles that say COKE, Dr. Pepper has their peppy people dancing and singing in the streets. But when it came time for me to do it for myself, it became really complicated.

I know what I write. I know what I like to read, but how does that translate? I did my research, I lurked on online loops, I tried to absorb it all and figure it out.

And then I had a revelation. I read this quote by Dolly Parton (of all people), and it goes like this: “Find out who you are and do it on purpose.”

Dolly should know, right? When we think Dolly Parton we think big hair, big um… (heart! Yeah, big heart! LOL), country music and a cheerful, upbeat personality. Dolly is unashamedly Dolly, and she does it well.

And that’s what branding really is. At heart, branding is about being yourself, finding the part of yourself that you’re trying to express through your writing, and then expressing it WELL.

We strive so hard to write well, don’t we? We do all we can do to be the best we can be. Branding is really just an extension of that – because branding is really about evoking emotions, which is just like what we try to do in our writing.

Technically, branding is defined as: “Establishing a name, term, sign, symbol or design, or a combination of them intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of other sellers.”

Huh? I’m an intelligent person. I know what the words mean, but how do they translate? The definition seems so… well… unemotional.

So here’s my radical thinking approach to branding: Branding is simple. It’s not just developing the right tagline, the right font, color scheme, or logo (all of which are important, by the way, but not THE most important things). Branding, if you do it well, is more of a concept that springs to mind whenever your name is mentioned. And it order for it to be authentic, in order for it to be something that people actually believe, it has to be an extension of yourself.

Let’s talk about some examples (and I’m going to use people I’ve met, because it will better illustrate what I’m talking about later. These are people who if you meet them in person, are the personification of their brand, and just by looking at their websites you can tell who they are, whether they include a picture or not:

Meg Cabot (young, upbeat, funny)
Tawny Weber (sexy yet fun, playful yet hot)
Jennifer Crusie(humor, accessibility: upbeat covers, upbeat website, cherries – what’s more innocuous then cherries? Life’s a bowl of them, right?)
Susan Elizabeth Phillips (gracious, down-to-earth, human)
Julia Quinn (young, self-effacing, sweet but intelligent)

Branding is the sum total of your reader’s experiences and perceptions, some of which you can influence, and some that you can't. Branding is about who you are, and what you’re trying to express. I give kudos to McDonald’s and Coke and Dr. Pepper – but they’re selling a product, not a person.

You, my friends, are selling a product, AND a person.

“Find out who you are, and do it on purpose,” as Dolly says.

Now, let’s get down to business. I’m going to give an overview of the elements of branding, and then some actual exercises to get your brain flowing.


ELEMENTS OF BRANDING:

1) Establishing your target audience (historicals? YA? fantasy? inspirational? paranormal?). You need to know who you’re selling to establish your branding theme, which we’ll talk about in tomorrow's blog.

2) Figuring out your unique selling point. (what’s unique about you? Why are your stories different? Why are you different?) That was one of the hardest things for me to come up with, until I examined my life a little more closely. The most obvious thing that’s different about my writing is that I write about ghosts – not vampires, not werewolves, not shapeshifters – and that makes me different in the paranormal market. I also use humor in my writing, which makes me considered “light” paranormal instead of “dark”. But even more importantly, I looked into WHY I write about ghosts, and that’s where I struck gold: My family and I once lived in a house that was apparently haunted. My mother had heart failure on the operating table, had an out-of-body experience, and lived to tell about it. I grew up watching Creature Feature, and loved shows like the Addams Family and the Munsters. Basically, I spent my life preparing for a career to write the stories I do without even knowing it! But once I realized it, I was able to define my brand.

3) Once you establish your brand, you have to be consistent with it. It should cover all aspects of what you do: your website, your stationary, the fonts you choose, the colors you choose, the signature you use online, the way you look, the way you present yourself…. If you write hot and steamy and you dress like a Quaker, you’re not an accurate representation of your brand. If you write inspirationals, but you dress a bit racy, you’re not an accurate representation of your brand. I’m not advocating going around in costume, but be consistent. Branding is all about PERCEPTION, and if you want to be treated as a professional, you have to look like and behave as a professional.

4) Be flexible. If there’s something about your brand that isn’t working, change it. Don’t get caught up in saying, “No, I like flowers. I’m sticking with flowers. I like this curly little font, even though I’m writing romantic suspense.” One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to be too stubborn. Yes, you want your brand to be an accurate reflection of who you are, but you want to present yourself in a way that other people can relate to. It’s kind of like when you don’t like to do housework, and your house gets real messy… you might say “take it or leave it”, but if the 6o’clock news was going to come in your house and do a story on you, would you clean it up? I’ll bet you would! It's still your house, it's just cleaner!

So tomorrow, we'll move on to figuring out who you are. You’re not going to accurately brand yourself until you know what it is you want your readers to see in you.

Any of this making sense yet?

Come Chat With Me Tonight!

Otherwise, I'll just be talking to myself, and while I do that all the time, it's not pretty to do it in public. :)

When: Thursday, September 6
Where: The RWA Online Chat Room (It's open to the public, and you don't need to register. Just type in a "username" and a password, and you're in!)
What Time: 9pm to 10pm EST

Stop by and say hello! Otherwise, I might have to send the Goth Fairy after you, and she will not be amused!

Guest Blogging Today

I'm guest blogging today over at The Romance Vagabonds, where I'll be talking about how dreams can come true. Stop by and leave me a comment!

Browse Inside

Have I ever mentioned how much I love my publisher? Look at this cool "widget" they've made available to anyone who wants to "browse inside" my new book:

Lights, Camera... Action!

Late Thursday afternoon, I got a phone call from a woman who said, "Hi, Terri. This is Kathryn Bursh, a reporter for Channel 10. I'd like to come by and interview you about your book."

Um... picture me speechless. (I know, I know; hard to do.)

So yesterday morning, bright and early, Kathryn and her cameraman, Tim, came by and spent a good bit of time taping me in my office, getting me to talk about Dead Girls Are Easy, and even taking me down to one of the local bookstores to get some footage there.

Later that afternoon, I got a call from the afternoon DJ for our biggest local radio stations, Mike Reeves at Q105,who'd heard about the upcoming news broadcast and wanted to play it up during rush hour drive-time. He very sneakily (and sweetly) taped our conversation before he told me it was taped, because he didn't want me to be nervous knowing I was on the air. So he did teaser lead-ins for the news, talking about how hard work can make dreams come true, and even played songs like "Don't Stop Believing" and one of my all-time favorite Rod Stewart songs, "A Reason To Believe".

And before I knew it, there I was on the 6 o'clock news. You can see the actual news story by clicking on this Channel 10 news link, then clicking "Video Story". (There's a 5 second commercial about car insurance or something you have to sit through at the beginning. Sorry, but I don't know how to get rid of that part.)

Immediately after the news he played the interview he'd taped earlier on the radio, so I got double billing in Tampa media yesterday.

My two questions after seeing the broadcast were these. "Do I really sound like that?" and "Do I really look like that?". Do we ever see or hear ourselves the way other people do?

Nicki Styx Is In The House!

The big day has finally arrived! I went to my local Waldenbooks yesterday, and look what I found under the "What's Hot" section!

Dead Girls Are Easy has finally hit the shelves! It was a surreal moment to see it there, let me tell you. I had to rush home, grab the camera and Captain America (a/k/a my "official photographer"), and rush back for pictures.

Do I look happy or what? :)

Afterward, we had a big family dinner, complete with champagne, and I opened a really "spooky" gift that one of my dear friends sent me - it just happened to arrive right before everyone got there. Perfect timing, huh? It was a really great day, and I just had to share it.

On Role Modeling

I had quite a day yesterday. A good friend of mine is an Education Specialist at Lowell Correctional Institution, a women's prison located about an hour and half away from where I live. About a month ago, she emailed and asked me if I'd consider giving the commencement speech at the graduation ceremony for the women who were receiving their GEDs (high school equivalency degrees).

I have to admit, my first thought was, "No way in hell!" :) I could only imagine how grim and depressing a place like that must be, and I had no desire to end up "shanked" or whatever it is that could possibly happen to little blonde 'fraidy cats like me.

But for some reason, I didn't answer my friend's email right away. I decided to think about it before delivering a knee-jerk "No".

I didn't sleep well that night. I kept thinking about what it must be like to be locked up for years and years, away from your family, away from even the most basic of things that you and I take from granted: a soft bed, eating whenever or whatever you want, wearing what you want, going to the bookstore or the mall, using your own bathroom. And even though I knew that the women at Lowell were there for a reason (thought I wasn't really sure I wanted to know what the reasons might be), I couldn't help but think about how often they must hear the word, "No". I also thought about the importance of second chances, of being treated an as individual instead of a statistic, of passing along the message that mistakes can be overcome in small ways as well as in big ones, and the importance of standing up and saying to someone (in this case 150 someones), "Congratulations! You did something worth being proud of. Go out and do it again, and again, and again! You've proven it's possible to rise above your mistakes to become better people!"

And then I thought about the importance of role modeling. Let's face it, the only role models women prisoners are going to have are other women prisoners, and some hardened guards, and some hard-working, overwhelmed teachers (like my friend Sheila). How could they rise above their mistakes if all there were to compare themselves to were people who were as flawed as they were? I guess I'm making it sound complicated, but it's not.

So what I told the women at Lowell Correctional Institute was this: we are ALL role models to someone, whether we're conscious of it or not. Our children, our friends, our family--somebody's watching, and somebody's taking in what we do. We owe it to ourselves and to those we care about to think about our actions, to learn from our mistakes, to do good in the world every chance we get. We never know how it might come back to us, or whether it'll come back to us at all, but no man (or woman) is an island. What we do affects other people, so we should do our best to make it affect them in a good way. (I actually think I said it a lot better than that, but I don't think you'd like to read a ten minute speech here in my blog, would you?)

Anyway, I did my best to practice what I preached, and overcame my racing heart, my sweaty palms and my shaky knees to stand up in front of 150 incarcerated women and say, "Congratulations! You did good! Now go forth and do some more!" I shook hands, handed out GED certificates, signed a few programs, and tried to be a good role model to some people who probably needed one.

(It was probably a good thing that my friend didn't tell me about the 16 yr. old girl in the second row who'd murdered her father until afterward.)

Who are you a role model to? What could you do to become a better one?

No need to answer... just think about it.

Back In Black

I could've said, "back in the saddle again", but black is cooler (rock on, AC/DC!). :)

Anyway, home from Alaska and back at work - I have final revisions due for book #2 by the end of August, and I just got an email from my editor saying she'd like a "couple of tweaks" on the novella I turned in last month. It's called "Ghouls Night Out", and will be included in Avon's WEDDINGS FROM HELL anthology, out early next summer.

The good news is, when I asked her if it was okay, she said, "More than okay." Woohoo!!

Oh, and for those of us who are counting down the days:

Get this widget!

Exposure, Northern Style

No, I haven't dropped off the face of the earth, though it kinda feels like it. I'm in Alaska, enjoying a long-awaited and much-anticipated cruise to celebrate our fifteenth anniversary. Both Internet and cellphone service is extremely spotty up here, and emails are nearly impossible! So, I thought I'd do a little blog entry while I had the chance, and hope anybody who might be looking for me will realize I'm not ignoring them. :)

It's so beautiful here. We started our trip last week with a few days in Vancouver (very cosmopolitan), then boarded our ship on Saturday. I've read my way through more books this week than I can count, eaten more than I thought possible, lazed and napped, walked until my legs ached. Yesterday I hiked part of the Chilkoot Trail and floated back in a raft, enjoying bald eagles soaring over our heads and harbor seals that were waiting for a meal of fresh salmon (it's spawning season). If you ignore the touristy side of towns like Juneau and Skagway, you can get a feel for what it must've been like before the cruise ships started coming - wild and untamed, so remote from the rest of the world.

I saw my first glacier up close this morning - the wind was cold, the air was clear, and the view was breathtaking. As I sit here typing, the view from the shipboard internet cafe shows chunks of ice floating by, stark cliffs of gray stone dotted by green and topped by white. The ice in some spots is pale blue, like the sky. I'm told we'll see whales and dolphin today, maybe a bear or an elk - we saw some whales a couple of days ago, spouting, right beside the ship.

All in all, it's been fabulous. If I can just deal with my "technology-withdrawal" for a couple more days! I'll post pictures when I get back.

How Do You Spell R-E-L-I-E-F?

I spell it G-O-O-D R-E-V-I-E-W-S.

Yes, the first "official" reviews of Dead Girls Are Easy are coming in, and to my joy and relief, there's not an "it sucks" in the bunch! :)

I won't make you read them all (though I'll give you the links wherever possible if you want to), but I WILL give you some of the highlights:

"Thrills, chills and a nice dose of humor. Leaves one hoping for a sequel." - Romantic Times Magazine

"Laugh-out-loud funny! Brings the idea of "happily-ever-after" to a whole new level." – Romance Readers At Heart

"Eerie, creepy, and utterly fascinating. This looks like the start of a very good series."– Coffee Time Romance

"A rollicking good time. Terri Garey has clearly marked herself as someone to watch."– Romance Readers Today

"A lighthearted supernatural romp. Fans of paranormal romantic satire will appreciate this amusing contemporary."– Harriet Klausner

"Slightly dark and delightfully entertaining." - Darque Reviews

The actual reviews are much longer than the little snippets I've posted here, but 'nuff said. :) I'm a happy camper.

Author Interview

Here's an author interview I just did for an online writer's group called RWAOnline. I had no idea I was so long-winded! :) If you've got a spare five minutes, pour yourself a glass of wine and learn everything about me you didn't want to know. :)

Terri, would you tell us a little about Dead Girls Are Easy?

Dead Girls Are Easy is the story of Nicki Styx, a former Goth girl who survives a near-death experience to find she’s developed a startling new ability: she can communicate with the dead. One day she’s a funky young woman with a vintage clothing business, and the next she’s a heart-attack survivor whose life is changed forever. The restless dead now sense a kindred spirit in Nicki, and when they need her help to take care of unfinished business, that wonky heart of hers is just too big to turn them away. In life, as in fiction, best laid plans ‘oft go awry, and Nicki’s plans never included becoming an unwilling “ghoulfriend” to the dead. Nicki uses humor to deal with life (and death), and feels that laughter is the best medicine, no matter how bitter the pill. Dead Girls Are Easy is dark humor with a Southern slant - the angst of a young woman on the edge, a healthy dash of sex and voodoo, a sprinkling of spookiness.

How did you come up with the idea for Dead Girls Are Easy?

I’ve always loved the idea of combining “spooky” with “funny”. Shows like The Addams Family and The Munsters, movies like Beetlejuice and The Nightmare Before Christmas, going to the The Haunted Mansion at DisneyWorld, those campy old movies like Abbott and Costello meet the Wolfman - I loved ‘em all. I believe it’s the old “whistling past the graveyard” theory - it’s easier to deal with your fears if you can laugh at them.

It was a combination of other things, as well; strange happenings in a house which my family later learned was the scene of a murder/suicide, my mother’s inexplicable near-death experience during major surgery. I’ve always been fascinated with the paranormal, and I thought, “What if someone who thought the dark side was really cool (i.e., a Goth girl) actually had to deal with ghosts and spirits on a regular basis? How would it change them? Is it possible for a self-proclaimed “bad girl” to do the right thing without assuming the missionary position?” :)

Then one day I was visiting my sister in the Atlanta area, and she took me to this funky little neighborhood called Little Five Points. L5P is the “Haight Ashbury” area of Atlanta - lots of eclectic businesses run by eclectic people, surrounded by neighborhoods of beautiful old Victorian homes. Psychedelic murals on the buildings, teenagers with blue hair chatting with chubby tourists in socks and sandals, music and incense in the air. I loved it, and thought, “What a great setting for a novel!”

What was it about your book that made your editor want to buy it?

I think what most editors are looking for is books with interesting, memorable characters, and an author with a strong voice. A good editor can help fix a weak plot, but strong writing and strong characters are crucial.

What was the most difficult aspect of writing Dead Girls Are Easy?

In the beginning, it was making sure I had a perfect blend of romance, humor and spookiness. In the end, it was taking one book and turning it into two, which meant I had to come up with a completely new ending for book one, Dead Girls Are Easy, and both a new beginning and new ending for book two, Where The Ghouls Are. Talk about pulling your hair out!

How much research did you conduct for Dead Girls Are Easy and what was the most interesting thing you did while conducting your research?

I did a great deal of research, particularly into the Voodoo aspect of the story. Voodoo is an extremely secretive and complex religion, and I wanted my facts straight. I didn’t want to fall back onto clichés like “sticking pins into Voodoo dolls” and “brain-eating zombies”. I wasn’t writing fantasy, after all - one of the main themes of the book is how someone goes from living an “ordinary” life into dealing with the “extraordinary”, and I wanted to keep it realistic. Well, as realistic as the idea of seeing and speaking to the dead could actually be.

The most interesting thing that happened was when I was doing research on book two, Where The Ghouls Are. Most of that book takes place Savannah, otherwise known as the “Most Haunted City in America”. My husband and I decided to travel there and stay in an 1810 townhouse in the historic district that was rumored to be haunted. Let’s just say that when we left there three days later, we were both absolutely convinced that it was! Several strange things happened, including finding a bottle balanced upside-down in the middle of the coffee table, a doorbell that rang when there was no one there but wouldn’t ring if you tried it yourself, and strange messages on the answering machine though the phone never rang. Even though it was a beautiful place, we will not be going back!

What is your process for writing a book? For example, are you a plotter or a pantzer? Do you start at page 1 and write your book sequentially or do you skip around? Do you start with your characters or the plot?

I’m a mix of the two. I start out with an idea, flesh out the main characters in my mind, plan the opening, and I’m off to the races. I have to stop every few chapters and do some plotting, but I don’t generally plot too far ahead unless I’m on a roll. It’s amazing how things eventually fall into place, but it’s never an easy process, and I’ve certainly done my share of rewrites!

Do you use any techniques, tools, or aids to help you write?

When I’m in the planning stages of a novel, I like to make a small collage using images and phrases that capture the idea of what I’m going for. Nothing big, just 8.5” x 11”, which I then post right beside my computer monitor. I also use a fresh, new yellow pad for every novel, jotting down thoughts, phrases, bits of dialogue, scene sequences, etc. There’s no order to it, just pages of stuff. Finally, when I’m doing my research on a particular area (Tarot cards, Ouija boards, fashion, whatever) - I print out specific facts and figures that I’ve found useful during the course of that research, highlight in yellow, and keep them in a folder so I can refer to them anytime I need them.

How do you make time to write?

I’m very lucky in that I left my full-time job as a computer analyst several years ago, and now have a full-time job doing something I love, which is writing. I spend as much time as possible at my desk, researching and writing.

When you are writing, who is in control? You or your characters?

LOL It’s easy to say that your characters are in control, but mine aren’t. These people exist only inside my head - they’re not guiding my fingers on the keyboard. What IS true is that if you’ve done a good enough job creating those characters, you’re not going to have them doing something that is totally out of character. For instance, Nicki Styx is a bit snarky, but she’s also a good person, so I would never have her doing something deliberately hurtful. Her love interest, Joe Bascombe, is a doctor and a skeptic, so I would never have him behave in a gullible way. In that sense (and that sense only), the characters are in control, but I’m the one who directs their actions and reactions.

Who has had the most influence on your writing?

That’s tough to say. I’ve always been an avid reader, and every time I’ve read a fabulous book I wanted to be able to do just what that particular author did (meaning, write a fabulous book!). I owe Charles Dickens a debt of gratitude for writing David Copperfield and sucking me into reading when I was young, Kathleen Woodiwiss for writing the first romance I ever read (The Wolf and the Dove), Stephen King for sharing his knowledge that writing takes perseverance, Georgette Heyer for writing so beautifully, Anne Rice for keeping me up at night. I still read widely, on a variety of topics, and it’s hard to pick just one person.

Have you had any "ah ha" moments as a writer?

The “ah ha” moments for me usually occur when I’ve been stuck on a particular plot point, and I suddenly see my way clear on how to fix it. Those moments are golden! They make everything else pale in comparison. I’ve had other “ah ha” moments about the industry itself - it’s often so difficult to find out specifics in this business, that when somebody finally explains something to you and you really get it, it’s a gift. When something you’ve considered muddy finally becomes clear, that’s a great “ah ha” moment.

What advice do you have for other writers?

Don’t give up. Learn to take criticism. Learn to deal with rejection in a positive manner. Know when it’s time to leave one manuscript behind and begin another. Improve your craft by joining critique groups, entering and judging contests, and learning your weak points so you can turn them into strengths. And did I mention, don’t give up?

Would you tell us your story of getting "the call?"

It was Wednesday, October 12th, 2005, at 4:13pm. Ah… have sweeter words ever been written?

I was at home, sitting at my desk, expecting a call from my agent and trying not to jump out of my skin every time the phone rang. (And failing miserably, by the way.) I knew that she’d submitted Dead Girls Are Easy to Erika Tsang at Avon in late September, and that Erika had requested a three-week exclusive. The three weeks were almost up, and I was nervous as a cat!

My husband just happened to be home early that day. He claimed he just felt like leaving early, but I think he was just as nervous as I was while waiting for that phone call. My teenage son was home, too, so he got an earful… I don’t think he’d ever heard Mom squeal like that before! The three of us went out to dinner at one of our favorite local restaurants. I spent the rest of the evening “cyber-partying” with my online writing pals.

I’d like to add, though, that none of this would’ve happened if it weren’t for some wonderful people who gave me advice and encouragement along the way. One of those people was romantic suspense author Mariah Stewart, who just happened to judge an earlier manuscript in a contest. She offered me the best advice I ever took, which was to find an agent immediately, and go straight to the top when starting my search. She recommended several editors and agents to query, including the Jane Rotrosen Agency. This advice was repeated again by the wonderful Madeline Hunter, who writes some of the best historicals I’ve ever read, and who was also a contest judge. Claire Delacroix has been incredibly generous with industry advice, and never made me feel stupid when asking. These women took the time to encourage an aspiring new writer, and advised me to aim high. I queried Annelise Robey at Rotrosen and received a request for the full of my historical. When she rejected it, I didn’t let that stop me - I was on a mission! I turned around and queried her again about my current project, Dead Girls Are Easy, and received another request for a partial, then another full. Lo and behold, perseverance paid off.

What was the most exciting thing that happened to you after you signed your contract – besides receiving your first check as a published author?

Seeing my cover for the first time. It didn’t seem real until I saw my name on the cover of an actual book!

If you weren't writing, what would you be doing?

Going nuts. :) I need to have a purpose, and while I love to garden and volunteer, I want to feel like I’m truly accomplishing something that I can look back on when I’m old and say, “I did that!”.

How does your family feel about your career as a romance writer?

My husband is my biggest supporter, and is immensely proud of me. My children think it’s great, and my three sisters do, too, but I don’t think they’ll really understand how exciting it all is until they see my books on the shelves.

What are you doing to promote your book?

I have a website and blog. I’m active on several forum boards, notably RWAOnline and Avon Authors . I do guest blogging at a variety of sites, write and distribute articles for multiple RWA chapter newsletters, have had bookmarks and buttons printed, attend conferences, and have some additional print advertising planned. There’s probably more, but mostly I’m just keeping my fingers crossed that what I’ve done so far will pay off.

What support are you receiving from your publisher?

Avon has been fabulous. They’ve taken out an ad in Romantic Times, sent ARCS to all the major reviewer sites, given me promotional materials to use at conferences and booksignings, and held special workshops designed to help me help them market my books. And they gave me a great cover. I love that about them.

What books can we expect to see in the near future?

The sequel to Dead Girls Are Easy is entitled Where The Ghouls Are, and will be released the summer of 2008. I’m working on book #3, If You Got It, Haunt It, and am hopeful there will be a fourth in this series, maybe more. I’m also participating in an anthology that will be out next summer, entitled Weddings From Hell, which will include other novellas by Maggie Shayne, Kathryn Smith and Jeaniene Frost.

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Along Came A Spider

Little Miss Terri
sat in her chair-ey
eating her curds and whey,
along came a spider
and sat down beside her
and blew Terri Garey away!

Isn't he cute? I guess it's no longer any secret that I have somewhat eclectic taste, but even I had no idea how I'd immediately fall in love with a rhinestone-encrusted, green-eyed spider! Better yet, a rhinestone-encrusted, green-eyed spider trinket box like this guy here (if you lift his little head, his entire body opens up). My spider was a gift from Theresa Mobley, who was the winner of the Win A Free RWA Conference Registration Contest I held last year. Theresa made a point to seek me out at conference and thank me for helping her attend the conference, and this was her very original and very thoughtful thank you gift! I'm so glad I got to meet Theresa and two of her friends, both of whom assured me that the grand prize of a free contest registration couldn't have gone to a nicer person than Theresa - hearing that in itself was a gift. :)

Theresa was sweet enough to privately email some of my friends and find out what she could get me as a thank-you, and they told her that I loved anything spooky or Halloween-related. What they didn't tell her is that I also collect cool little boxes! This spider already has a place of honor in my collection! Theresa and her girlfriend (and a bunch of strangers by the elevator) probably thought I was nuts the way I squealed over this, but one look and I was blown away.

So thank you again, Theresa. Spidey thanks you, too, for giving him a home with someone who thinks he's really cool. :)

The Sisterhood of The Traveling Shoes

This is a reprint of the conference wrapup I posted over on Romantic Inks earlier in the week. I'm putting it up here just in case you missed it (and because I'm too lazy to do another blog entry right now). :)
__________________
I just got back from a whirlwind week in Dallas, where I (like 2000 other crazy, wild, star-struck and sleep-deprived women) attended the RWA Signature of Success conference. I could easily sum it up in three words (i.e., It Was Awesome!!), but I thought you guys might like to hear a little more detail than that.

There were workshops and signings, free goodies, free books, chapter parties, publisher parties, hallway reunions, drinks in the bar, breakfast with editors, lunch with agents, and a final blowout award ceremony filled with excited, happy women decked out in gorgeous evening gowns. And chocolate. Did I mention the chocolate? It was everywhere. The elevator chats raised the eyebrows of any non-writing hotel guests who overheard them (“he’s an doctor and she’s a sports photographer and he agrees to get her pregnant not knowing that she’s already had a least one secret baby with his arch-rival, a hunky surgeon who dumped her for their marriage therapist…”). I came away exhausted and happy, stuffed full of new ideas, writing tips, industry tidbits, and of course… chocolate. But do you know what I came away with that struck me the most? It was the incredible sense of camaraderie that comes from being among people who all have the same dream, the instant affinity between people who’ve never met before, the cheerfulness and good will that surrounded me, and the amazing graciousness of so many “big-name” authors. (I was also amazed at how often the talk turned to shoes! How many pairs everyone packed, how many were cute, how many were excruciating, who was wearing what, what size they were and where they came from. While I heard a lot of “What do you write?”, I also heard a lot of “Where’d you get those shoes?” Instant bonding, girlfriends! Instant bonding! LOL)

“But Terri, (you say), enough with the shoes. Give us details; names, dates, places! Does La Nora really have a husky voice? Does Sherrilyn Kenyon only wear black? Is Susan Elizabeth Phillips really as nice as people say she is? Why does J.R.Ward wear sunglasses at night?”

Want the real scoop? Let me give you a few little tidbits about some of your favorite authors as I experienced them:

Julia Quinn is as genuine and down-to-earth as any person you’ll ever meet. Julia’s RITA acceptance speech was the most joyful, heartfelt thing I’d heard in years, and she had us all laughing and smiling right along with her.

Teresa Medeiros never stops smiling, and knows how to pay a compliment. She made her way across a crowded room just to say hello, and in doing so, made my night.

Jacquie D’Alessandro has eyes that sparkle with fun and a mega-watt smile that lights up a room. Her little alligator purse was adorable – it looked like a real alligator (as in green, four legs, a tail, and a mouth full of teeth)!

Kathryn Caskie not only looks like a beauty queen, she’s beautiful on the inside, too, and knows how to make a newbie author feel at ease when she’s sitting at a table full of industry bigwigs. Talking with her about dogs and kids kept me from dropping salmon all over my dress.

Julie Ann Long has a impish, mischievous quality that makes you wish she lived next door to you so you could gab over a glass of wine on a regular basis. Laughing with her while sitting at a table full of industry bigwigs nearly caused me to drop salmon all over my dress.

Sophia Nash would look glamorous in a potato sack. (Not that she’d wear one!)

Elizabeth Boyle is outspoken, warm and highly intelligent. She used to work for Microsoft, and believe me, when Elizbo speaks, people listen.

Gayle Callen instantly makes you feel like you’ve known her for years. There’s absolutely nothing intimidating about chatting with someone about whether it’s a good idea to wear white pants to an early morning breakfast. Or whether it’s a good idea to wear white pants at all. LOL

Anna Campbell is upbeat and bubbly, with a fabulous “Aussie” accent. It’s always a party when Anna’s around, and you want it to go on forever just so she’ll keep talking.

Susan Elizabeth Phillips really is as nice as people say she is, and then some! She’s gracious and warm and kind. I want to be her when I grow up!

Sherrilyn Kenyon obviously likes to make a statement, and while I’m not quite sure what wearing a swan on her head during the literacy signing was supposed to be a statement of, it certainly got people talking!

Nora Roberts definitely has a smoky voice, and she’s much more approachable than one might think. When she’s sitting at a table in the lounge area, the crowd parts around her like Moses at the Red Sea — everyone whispering, staring, and afraid to speak. Yet she’s nothing but polite and friendly to anyone who does, and must’ve posed for a gajillion pictures.

J.R. Ward does indeed wear sunglasses at night. Why? The only reason I can figure is because, baby, when you’re cool, the sun’s always shinin’! And did you know that J.R. is also Jessica Bird? Jessica won a RITA for Best Short Contemporary with her Silhouette Special Edition, “From The First”.

There were more people and more details, of course; sharing a cab with Toni Blake, riding the Avon bus with Suzanne Enoch, reminiscing with Robyn DeHart, admiring Kathryn Smith’s adorable party dress. I know I’ve left out a lot, and I know I sound like a star-struck fan girl, but honestly, I’m still reeling from the whirlwind of the last few days.

Any questions about any of your favorite authors? Just ask. If I don’t know the answer, I can probably make something up. :)

Photos from the 2007 RWA Conference

Ok, I promised I'd post a couple of pictures of me in a cowboy hat and light-up feather boa, so here they are! I'm having a fabulously good time, in case you were wondering!

These were taken at the RWAOnline "Ropin' Romance" party, and the feather boas were given out to everyone who served on the volunteer committee. Just wish you could see the little blinky lights better!

I've posted a lot more pictures on the PHOTO GALLERY section of my website, if anyone's interested. Wanna know what Anna Campbell, Tawny Weber, Stacey Kayne, C.L. Wilson, Toni Blake, Caridad Ferrar, Elizabeth Boyle and other well-known authors look like? Pop on over and take a look!

Christina Hogrebe, Agent Extraordinaire

I am incredibly fortunate enough to be represented by one of the finest literary agencies ever, the Jane Rotrosen Agency. At Rotrosen, author representation is a team effort, and when I call or email anyone there, I know I'm speaking with or dealing with true professionals in every sense of the word. Support, enthusiasm, industry savvy, editorial input, advice, hand-holding, friendship, laughter - it's all there.

But let me give you an example of how Christina Hogrebe (in the black dress - isn't she gorgeous?) went above and beyond the call of duty for me the other day.

Christina and I decided to go on a culinary adventure this past Friday by visiting a Tex-Asian fusion restaurant (recommended by Rachel Ray), called Fuse. Tres' chic, no? We hopped in a cab and dined on Chili Scented Edamame, assorted sushi, chicken and steak while we talked about life, love, business and all things in between. I had another appointment back at the hotel at 1:30, so we thought we had plenty of time to catch another cab and make it back, but when we walked out of the restaurant, it was pouring down rain. It was right about this time that I realized that I had NO IDEA which meeting room I was supposed to go to once I made it back to the hotel (somewhere along the line I'd lost the email that held that particular detail.)

We called a cab and were informed that it would be there in less than ten minutes, so we waited. And waited. And waited. Now time is getting short, it's pouring down rain, and I have an important meeting to get to and no way of finding out where it is short of running through the halls of the Hyatt, looking for a sign.

So what does Christina do? She goes outside (in the rain), and does her best to hail a cab, telling me to stay inside and dry so I'll look nice for my meeting. But this is Dallas, not NYC, and cabs aren't as plentiful as one might think (perhaps they'll melt if they get wet?). Christina sees one a block away, and starts in that direction, gets halfway there before the cab we called finally shows up. Once inside, a very damp Christina whips out her trusty cell phone and starts making calls, trying desperately to find out the details of where I'm supposed to be. Office? Check. HarperCollins main number? Check. Marketing department? Check. Voicemail? Dead end. By this time, we're back at the hotel, and almost out of options. I honestly believe Christina would've run through the halls like a madwoman with me, searching for the meeting room, except that I took pity on her dampness and sent her off for a well-deserved break.

The good news is that I found the meeting room with nary a minute to spare, but it never would have happened if it weren't for Christina, willing to stand in the rain to snag us a cab.

That, my friend, is a good agent.

Guest Blogging Today at Romantic Inks

I've got tons of stuff to say about the RWA convention, but I decided to spill some of the beans over at Romantic Inks, where I'm today's guest blogger. Pop on over if you'd like to read a little "dish" on some of your favorite authors!

A Quick Hello From The Road

How could I let Friday the 13th go by without doing a blog entry? I'm still in Dallas, attending the RWA conference, and it's been a total blast. I've seen so many of my friends, met so many new ones, had a great time at some parties and soaked up some industry info in workshops. (I now finally understand how all the different Amazon features work, and how much clout the big booksellers like Borders, BAMM and Barnes & Noble have over your actual publishing career). I can't wait to post some pictures, but that will have to wait until I get home and can upload them from my camera. (Tune in this weekend if you'd like to see me in a light-up featherboa and cowboy hat - who says I ain't fashionable?)

This may be an unlucky day for some, but so far my Friday the 13th has been a great one. I was given a fabulous thank-you gift by Theresa Mobley, who won a free registration to the conference through one of my website contests. It's an absolutely gorgeous trinket box, in the form of a bejeweled spider! I love it! I'll post a picture of it, too. Thanks, Theresa!!!

Anyway, I'm off to have lunch with my agent, then tonight is the big HarperCollins dinner party. Tempted though I may be, I might have to leave the light-up featherboa behind. It just doesn't go with my dress. :)

Terri Does Dallas :)

As of tomorrow morning (early), I'll be off to the "Signature Of Success" conference in Dallas, Texas. It will be a dizzying round of meetings, workshops and parties, for which I haven't even begun to pack. I'll be having tea with local booksellers, breakfast with my editor, lunch with my agent, mixing with other authors, meeting new people and hanging out with old friends. I can't wait! My agent and I are going to check out a Tex-Asian restaurant recommended by food-diva Rachel Ray, I'll be attending a dessert reception for finalists in the Golden Heart contest, a publisher party at a place with the cool name of Hotel ZaZa, and an agency party at Tucker's. In between all this I'll be attending as many workshops and publisher "spotlights" as I can. Oh, and I'm also on the planning committee for my online chapter, RWAOnline, so I get to be silly and hand out awards at our "Ropin' Romance" party on Wednesday night. Yeehaw!

In addition to all this, I'll be cheering on five of my best buds as they vie for coveted Golden Heart awards (which is RWA's version of the Oscar), given for the best "as-yet-unpublished" manuscripts of the year. Carla, Beth, Anna, Kim and Sheila all deserve one of those beautiful golden heart necklaces, and I can't wait to see who gets one! (Well, Carla already has one, but who can ever have too much jewelry?)

All of this makes me remember the very first RWA conference I went to back in 2001, in New Orleans. I didn't know a soul. A single soul. I didn't know anything about publishing, period, other than what kind of books I liked to read. All I knew was that I wanted to be a writer, and if I was going to accomplish that goal, I needed to educate myself on the industry. I needed to take some workshops, soak up some knowledge, learn the ropes and the whos and the hows and the whats of what it took to get published. I didn't know my POV* from my HEA* or my GMC* from my TMI* (don't you just hate acronyms? They make you feel so stupid). I didn't know how to plot, or how to write a query letter or what the heck a synopsis was (other than a noun that meant a "summary").

Now, six years later, my first novel is less than two months away from showing up on the shelves of major bookstores everywhere. I'm going to be able to walk into Borders, Barnes&Noble, Books-A-Million, Chapters... heck, even Wal-Mart and Target... and see my work on the shelves. It's mindboggling. Right now, I have three books under contract, and several others in the works. I'm truly blessed.

The moral here is that if you want something bad enough, go out and get it. Don't wait for it to come to you. Put in the time, put in the effort, grit your teeth, and go for it. It ain't gonna happen otherwise.

See you when I get back from Dallas!

*Acronyms explained:
POV = Point of view (a character's viewpoint)
HEA = Happily ever after (necessary for romance, not necessary for non-romance)
GMC = Goals, motivation, conflict (always necessary, regardless of genre)
TMI = Too much information (never necessary, also known as "telling" instead of "showing")

Winners of the "Wedding Stories From Hell" Contest!

Well, I thought I'd attended a few bad weddings in my day, but you guys take the (wedding) cake! I had a hard time choosing the winner of the worst/best "wedding from hell" story, until TIANNA sent in this one:

When I was 25, my best friend’s wedding was a fiasco. Her brother-in-law tried to french kiss me in front of my husband who had a fit and threatened to use his military training to do major damage.

The bride and groom waltzed across the dance floor gracefully, until he dipped her deeply and promptly dropped her. Afterward, the groom got drunk and urinated in a potted plant on the edge of the dance floor and his pants fell around his ankles. Afterward, everyone had a blast telling the bride of his insufficiencies.

The mother of the bride spent hours before the ceremony wrapping rice in lace so all one had to do was untie the ribbon and throw the rice. Many people chose to throw little rice missiles at the couple, giving the bride a black eye. She fell against the groom when hit with the rice, pushed him down the steps of the hotel and he broke his leg. They spent their wedding night in the hospital and their dream trip, a honeymoon in Hawaii, was cancelled.

TIANNA is the winner of an autographed ARC of DEAD GIRLS ARE EASY, and has my thanks for making me laugh so hard my stomach hurt! But there were a couple of other really good stories, too, so I've decided to award both OLIVIA and SHEILA with autographed cover flats and other goodies from me and fellow Avon authors Julia Quinn, Jenna Peterson and Kerrelyn Sparks.

Olivia's story about about an unfortunately cake-cutting incident made me cringe (talk about adding insult to injury!):

Posed with knife in hand, the bride and groom smiled at each other while the photographer angled for that perfect shot. The cake was a glorious creation with four tiers towering over a bubbly water fountain. Three more tiers of cake stood on either side with miniature bridesmaids and groomsmen lined up on bridges reaching from the main cake. Real flowers adorned the sides and floated in the fountain.

The groom moved, slipped, and fell into the table.

The guests watched in horror as the top tiers of the cake seemed to slowly shift off the towering pillars, slide into one of the side cakes and crash to the floor.

I was not a wedding guest, but the caterer who had made the cake, too. Then the brides mother had the gall to blame us that the cake was set up incorrectly and demanded a refund.

While SHEILA'S sharing of her not-so-intimate honeymoon experience made me giggle for days!

My husband-to-be and I were poor as poor could be. My father offered to set up his camper at a nice state park. At about 3:00 in the afternoon on a bright Florida day, we arrived at our beautiful honeymoon spot in a car clearly marked with "just married". Other campers were enjoying the afternoon and the park was full. We raced inside and consummated our vows only to discover my father hadn't put down the stabilizers. So the camper had shaken from side to side. When we walked outside, the entire campground clapped.

Thanks so much to everyone who entered for sharing your wedding stories from hell! Tianna, Olivia and Sheila - your goodies are in the mail!

Calling All Spirits...

Have you ever wondered what the spirits themselves might think of seances? If spirits truly exist, what makes us think they're so eager to talk to us?

Personally, I don't plan on hanging around after my life is over - I believe there's someplace/someone/something else waiting for me, and once my earthly life is done, I'm on to bigger and better things. Whatever "unfinished business" I may have here, it'll have to remain unfinished. The people I love will hopefully know that they were loved, because I try to show them that now, while I'm here.

Seances have been around a long time - there's even mention of one in the Bible. In the first book of Samuel, Ch. 28, the king of the Israelites, Saul, consulted a woman known as the "Witch of Endor" to call up the ghost of the recently departed prophet, Samuel. He wanted advice on the war against the Philistines, and unfortunately for Saul, received only a prediction of his own downfall. Which happened, by the way.

History is full of famous people who were fascinated by the idea of communicating with the dead: Mary Todd Lincoln, Harry Houdini, and Thomas Edison, to name just a few. Personally, I think it's not only selfish, but dangerous to hold seances. Those who have passed on should be left to rest in peace, not nagged at by relatives who crave one last word. And by dangerous, I believe you should always be careful when opening a door to the unknown - who knows who, or what, might step through it?

So, how about you? Ever attended a seance? Do you believe they could actually work?

The Boo-Boo That Comes Back To Bite You

When I was eleven years old, I was hit by a car. I was riding my bike home from guitar lessons at the local rec center, balancing the guitar case on my handlebars (we think we can do anything at that age, don't we?). I almost made it. About a block from the house, I saw a car coming, and we reached a fork in the road at the same instant. Would the car fork right, or would the car fork left? If so, which way should I go?

Needless to say, I made the wrong choice. I steered my bike directly in front of the oncoming car - my fault entirely. The next thing I knew, I woke up in somebody's front yard, with my head in my mom's lap. (As an aside, this was one of what my family calls a "Zelda moment"; from down the block, my mom heard the screech of tires and the sound of an impact, and ran out of the house calling my name, knowing that I'd been in an accident. She was the first person on the scene.)

I was very lucky. Aside from being knocked unconscious and having some serious bruising along my left side from the impact, I was okay. Or so I thought.

Now, umpteen years later, my doctor feels that the recent trouble I've been having with my left shoulder is the residual effect of that accident. A little over a month ago, I began having pain when I lifted my arm. It quickly progressed to pain when I pushed, pulled, or lifted anything with that arm. He calls it "impingement", and believes I may have had a small tear in the muscles of the shoulder that never healed, but never bothered me until now. The tear may have gotten larger, or the muscle become inflamed. So now it's x-rays and MRI's, cortisone shots or arthroscopic surgery, physical therapy or whatever.

The good news? I'm going to get an hour-long massage today, doctor's orders. WOO-HOO!!

Andy Warhol Was Right, Kinda

Andy Warhol had a famous quote, which goes: "In the future, everyone will be famous for fifteen minutes." And while I'm hardly famous, I did get FIVE minutes in the local paper last Friday, which means Andy was at least 1/3 right. :) Anyway, since this is my hometown newspaper, it was a pretty big deal for me. So here's the article, and the photo that ran with it:

5 Minutes With Terri Garey, Tampa Novelist

Published: Jun 22, 2007

Tampa native Terri Garey has raised three children and worked with computers. But what she really wanted was to write novels. Years of effort will pay off Aug. 28, when Avon Books publishes "Dead Girls Are Easy." The novel stars Nikki Styx, a woman who finds she can see and hear the dead after she has a near-death experience. There are also a romance (with her doctor) and a murder mystery. It's funny and creepy.
___________

It says in your autobiography you were into "The Twilight Zone" and "Dark Shadows" as a kid, and also you had a crush on Rod Serling. A crush?
He was a pretty handsome guy! He had that dark hair, and I've always had a thing for the dark-haired guys. I liked all those shows - "Shock Theater" on Friday nights and "Creature Feature" on Saturday afternoons with Dr. Paul Bearer. I just absolutely loved him and the sheer campiness of what he did. I think that had a huge influence on me.
I really loved the idea that you could be scary and also make people laugh at the same time.

Which is what you do with your book.
That's good to hear because that was my goal.

At what point did you decide, "Hey, I want to write a
novel?"
I've always loved to write and always loved to read. It wasn't until about six years ago that I really got serious. I had more time because the kids had grown up.
I had an unfinished novel under the bed, and my husband said, "You should take it out and finish it." So I did. It was horrible.

So I wrote three more, and really started studying the publishing industry and participating in writing conferences and writing contests. I sent out my novels and got a nice fat stack of rejection slips. But I kept trying.

Which book is "Dead Girls Are Easy" for you?
Five. And I have since written the sequel ("Where the Ghouls Are," to be released May 1, 2008).

Why the interest in the afterlife and dead people?
Well, I hope you won't think I'm crazy, but my family has had a paranormal experience. We lived in a haunted house.

I don't think you're crazy.
No, you think I'm insane!

Before we bought our house, we were renting a house [in Palma Ceia]. My stepdaughter came to me one night, and she looked freaked out. I asked her what was wrong, and she said she had gone to the bathroom and while she was in there the bathroom door opened and the figure of a man appeared outside the door.

I asked her, "Why didn't you scream?" And she said it wasn't scary like a horror movie. The man just stood there and then sort of faded away. I asked a neighbor about the history of the house and found out there had been a murder-suicide there.
That was enough to convince me. We moved out a few months later. That was just too weird for me.

Kevin Walker/Tampa Tribune

Your Mission, Should You Decide To Accept It...

My husband is a serial love note writer (I know, I know... you hate me). He leaves love notes stuck to my computer screen, stuck to the mirror in the bathroom, in the drawer where I keep my hair scrunchies, in my car, on the refrigerator - wherever he thinks I might find them after he's left for work.

It doesn't take him long, and as you can see, he doesn't always say much. It's the fact that he does it that makes it special.

When my kids were little, I'd do the same for them - I'd stick a little love note in their lunchbox (back when they weren't embarrassed to actually bring lunch from home), even though I knew that they (being boys) would roll their eyes and scrunch it up so their friends wouldn't see it. I got a secret pleasure in imagining that moment when they found the note and read it, knowing that even though they thought their mom was nuts, they couldn't help but know I put it there out of love.

So what I'm challenging you to do today is to think about those people you love the most; your spouse, your kids, your best friend, your sister, your mom. Then take a minute, maybe two, and write them a teeny little love note. Hand it to them, mail it to them, put it where they'll find it when you're not around - just write it.

Such a teeny little thing. A teeny little thing that could mean so much. Do it!

A New Season Begins

Two of my favorite shows had their season premieres this week, FINALLY providing a welcome break from reality shows like American Idol, Dancing With The Stars, and America's Got Talent (ok, I may watch AGT because I adore Sharon Osbourne and I have a soft spot for The Hof, but in general, I'm not a fan of these types of shows). DEAD ZONE has always been one of my favorites - I love the concept, and I love Anthony Michael Hall. I did not, however, love the premiere episode. *SPOILER ALERT* It was so.... not-DEAD-ZONE-like, and they killed off Walt! Walt, the sexy. Walt, the handsome. Walt, the good dad, the faithful husband, the all-American hero, the all-around-good-guy who you wish lived next door just so you could watch him mow his lawn, Walt. And not only did they kill him, they ended the episode with this totally sappy scene where Johnny Smith (Anthony Michael Hall), "sees" Walt's final moments, and gets to relay his dying last words to Walt's pregnant wife. "Ti amo, Sarah." Lifetime movie, anyone? It was far, far too melodramatic and unnecessary. And did I mention they killed Walt?!?

Then, last night was THE CLOSER, with Kyra Sedgewick, who if I didn't love both her and her character, I'd totally hate for having great hair, and being happily married to Kevin Bacon all these years. (Kevin Bacon is yet another cute, nice guy I wish lived next door so I could watch him mow his lawn, or practice guitar in his garage, or something.) Anyway, THE CLOSER came much, much closer to hitting the mark with their premiere, aside from the extremely graphic opening scenes. I mean, I like cop dramas as much as anyone, but I do NOT want to see, up-close and personal, a ten yr. old girl in her jammies who's been stabbed in the heart and had her throat slit for good measure. It was, in a word, overkill (excuse the pun). But I was happy to see that Brenda Leigh Johnson, Kyra's character, had not lost her moxie over the summer, and that the show's producers have decided to deepen her character even further. I'm looking forward to seeing how things work out between her and her boyfriend, Fitz, and watching her kill her suspects with kindness just before she moves in to wring their confessions from their lying, murderous lips.

Gee, I sound a bit bloodthirsty after all, don't I?

What's A Widget?

Is this cool or what? My publisher made this awesome countdown clock (otherwise known as a "widget") that keeps track of the days, hours, minutes and seconds until dead girls are easy hits the streets!

I've never been obsessive-compulsive, but I have a feeling I'll be checking my widget over and over (and over, and over...) GAH!!!

Get this widget!

Little Five Points, Georgia

A few years ago, while visiting my sister, she took me to a weirdly wonderful area of Atlanta called Little Five Points. (That's her on the left, with her arm in the air, as we pose in front of one of the many psychedelic murals that adorn the streets of Little Five Points.) L5P, known as "Little Five" to the locals, is the "Haight Ashbury" of Atlanta - an eclectic center of liberal thought and cultural diversity, a collection of not-quite-typical businesses run and frequented by not-quite-typical people, surrounded by beautiful, gracious old neighborhoods full of Victorian homes.

Oddly enough, or perhaps not so oddly, I felt right at home. This is an area where free expression is in the air, blending with the scent of sandalwood incense, fresh-brewed coffee and unemptied dumpsters. An area where young people with blue hair and nose rings chat with chubby tourists in socks and sandals; where dreadlocked rastas play steel drums for tips; where happy families and bored teenagers wander in and out of kitschy stores like The Junkman's Daughter (right) and cool bars like the Vortex are packed to the gills on Friday and Saturday nights (the skull below is the entrance to the Vortex).
"Wow," I thought to myself. "What a great setting for a story!" If these walls could talk, and all that. And that's how the idea for Dead Girls Are Easy was born.

The idea was this: What if someone who lived and worked here, a free spirit who believed in "live and let live", found out that some spirits weren't as free as hers? What if a Goth girl who'd always found the dark side of life to be cool and intriguing, suddenly discovered that the dark side really existed? What if she "died" and came back with the ability to see and hear the dead? How would becoming an unwilling "ghoulfriend" to the dead change her, without forcing her to change who she really was?

I guess the big question my main character, Nicki Styx, now has to ask herself is this: In the age-old battle between good and evil, can you do the right thing without assuming the missionary position? :)

Simple Pleasures

I joke about keeping my blog interesting, saying "nobody wants to read about what I had for breakfast". Well...um... wanna know what I had for lunch? :)

A peanut butter and banana sandwich. (Or as Elvis would've have said, a peanut butter and 'nanner sandwich - it was his favorite, and he liked them fried. How do you know these things, Terri? I have no idea. Consider me a fountain of useless knowledge.) Anyway, when I broke from writing today to fix myself lunch, alas, the cupboard was pretty bare. (That's what happens when you're on a short deadline - piled up laundry, dust bunnies and empty cupboards.)

But there was the jar of peanut butter, and there was the banana. It was sublime. I haven't had one of these since I was a kid, and I'd totally forgotten how good they were. Forget the frying pan, though - Elvis was on drugs, remember? :)

It made me think about other things that make me happy, things that are so simple I often overlook them or take them for granted, like:

1) Finding the perfect outfit, on sale. :)

2) Laughing with someone over a glass of wine.

3) A spontaneous hug or kiss from a certain two-and-a-half year old.

4) Waking in the middle of the night, snuggled next to my husband, and falling right back asleep feeling loved and safe.
5) The way my dog greets me every morning with a happy whine and a goofy doggy grin.
6) Hearing the wind in the trees.
7) Watching the bright red cardinal who visits my bird feeder.

Think about it. What are your simple pleasures?

Another Contract, Another Bear!

This is my dear friend, Mona Risk, and her new friend, Sergei. Does Mona look happy or what?

Mona found out last month that her touching story about a Belarussian general out to save the child victims of the Chernobyl disaster, entitled TO LOVE A HERO, will be published by Cerridwen Press! Continuing the tradition established a few years ago by my friends at the Writers Playground, Mona now finds herself the new owner of a custom-made Build-A-Bear (modeled after her hero, natch) and a gorgeous fountain pen engraved with her title and the date the book sold.

Mona writes medical romances in exotic European settings, and she knows of what she speaks! She's a former chemist herself, has lived and traveled all over Europe, and has nine doctors in her immediate family! She's also a delightful person, and I'm so happy her dream of writing has finally come true.

Congratulations, Mona!

June Contest - Wedding Stories From Hell

As I mentioned last week, I've been asked to participate in a ghoulishly themed anthology entitled "WEDDINGS FROM HELL"(Avon Books, May 2008).

Fellow authors Maggie Shayne, Kathryn Smith, Jeaniene Frost and I will put together four fiendish tales of paranormal pandemonium centered around (you guessed it!) big, fat supernatural weddings. :)

In keeping with that theme, my June 2007 contest is called "Wedding Stories From Hell"!

Leave me a comment here on my blog, or send me a private email by clicking on the happy couple, and tell me a story about the worst wedding you've ever attended; the ugliest bridesmaid dress you've ever seen (or had to wear), the most embarrassing wedding toast you've ever heard, the biggest Bridezilla you'v ever had to put up with, the drunken groomsman who groped you at the reception - whatever wedding horror you've had to endure! The winner will win a signed ARC of Dead Girls Are Easy, and I'll feature the top three stories on my blog and my website.

Good luck, and I can't wait to hear about your wedding stories from hell!

These Ain't Your Mama's Paper Dolls

It was a rainy weekend here in Gatorland, and while I did manage to get some writing done (really! I did!), I also killed an hour or so creating this ghoulishly delightful pair, who shall henceforth be known, affectionately, as Boris and Natasha Gravesley.

Are they cute or what?!? It's hard to see in the photo, but they're incredibly 3-dimensional, cut from a pattern onto heavy card stock, and glued into place (the detail on the back is just as detailed as the front, and they're rounded, not flat). I'm a very visual person, and I'm using them as inspiration for my current work-in-progress, an anthology of paranormal tales entitled WEDDINGS FROM HELL. (I usually put together a collage, but this weird little couple was just too good to be true.)

I wish I could take credit for the artistic genius that went into their creation, but alas, all I can take credit for is stumbling upon an awesome website called RAVENSBLIGHT. Here you'll find over 300 paintings and photographs on display, free paper toys,free music, free PC games, and a few other dark goodies, all created by a like-minded (as in weirdly twisted) guy named Ray O'Bannon. I plan to make more of the paper toys in the future, and I've already downloaded some great music for my next Halloween party.

Boris and Natasha's wedding must've been a scream. :) Can't you just see them on top of a gothic-themed wedding cake?