In Which I Photograph the Photographer

In keeping with my effort to share as much of my journey to publication as I possibly can, I'd like you to meet Cliff McBride, staff photographer for the Tampa Tribune. :)

Cliff came by my house yesterday to take my photo for the newspaper article I talked about the other day. I can only hope he's as good at taking those photos as he was about making me feel relaxed and comfortable before he did it. I was really nervous before he got here, but he put me immediately at ease. We chatted about books and the effort that goes into writing them; booksignings and other quirky Florida authors like Tim Dorsey and Dave Barry; our kids and our property taxes. :) He was a great sport about having the camera turned on him for a change - I gave him a tour of my house, and even let him pick the spot where he wanted to be photographed (this is my family room - Cliff thought it was "airy and cheerful"). :)

It was a wonderful experience, and Cliff's a great guy. Considering how much camera equipment he had weighing him down, he must stay in pretty good shape! That belt around his waist went all the way around, and the camera was humongous!

Now I can only hope he makes me look younger, thinner and prettier than I really am. *tee-hee*

My Five Minutes

I got a really cool phone call last week:

ME: Hello?

HIM: Is this Terri Garey?

ME: Yes.

HIM: Hi, Terri, this is Kevin Walker. I'm the book editor for the Tampa Tribune. I think you're seriously insane, and I need to interview you.

ME: Why, thank you! I'll take that as a major compliment!

Bottom line, the book editor for my local newspaper read the ARC of DEAD GIRLS ARE EASY, and he liked it! He called it "funny and unique". He said some other stuff, too, but I was too busy trying not to hyperventilate to catch it all. :)

So a few days later, we did the interview, and I'm going to be featured on the front page of the Tampa Tribune's "Baylife Insider", in a new column called "Five Minutes With...". As in "Five Minutes with Terri Garey, Local Author".

And he promised to do a review in the book section a little bit closer to the actual release date (August 28th), and wants me to give him a "heads-up" the end of September, so he can do another article on my annual Halloween party/fundraiser, a/k/a MADAME ZELDA'S HAUNTED GRAVEYARD.

Is that cool, or what?

'Scuse Me While I Gush

Ok, if you're reading this, you're just gonna have to bear with me. I've been told that my blog is not a place to place personal information (duly noted), but I'm going to do it anyway (duly ignored).

The Memorial Day weekend lies ahead, and while I'm as patriotic as the next person, this weekend bears a personal significance to me (personally, even). It is, and always shall be, the holiday that changed my life.

Sixteen years ago, my next-door neighbor tried to set me up for a blind date. I say "tried" to set me up, because I was having none of it. I didn't care that the guy she was trying to set me up with was "good-looking", had a "good job", was once a "captain in the Marine Corps", or "loved kids". I didn't care. As in, "blah, blah, blah... whatever".

I didn't need a man. Didn't want a man. Had two little boys to raise, bills to pay and a job to go to. Happily ever after didn't exist, and I was living proof. Thank you, but no thank you. I could manage on my own.

But my neighbor was pushy. And determined. And even after I'd failed to show up at her house for a "impromptu meeting" over the barbeque grill, she didn't let me off the hook. I still remember the phone ringing, and her saying, "Don't you need to borrow the weed whacker or something?", knowing perfectly well I had a perfectly good weed whacker already, and that I knew how to use it. I still remember giving a heavy sigh, looking at myself in the mirror (torn jeans, dirty t-shirt, whiny kid pulling at my leg), and saying "Okay, okay. You win. I'm coming over, but I'm not staying."

And then I remember walking up the front steps to her door, holding one kid, dragging the other, and thinking, "What am I worried about? He'll take one look at us and I'll never see him again." Then a vague memory of her opening the door, and this drop-dead gorgeous guy in running shorts sitting on the arm of the couch in her living room, smiling at me. Talking to me. Talking to my kids. I kept my original promise to myself and only stayed a few minutes. The weed whacker and I were SO outta there.

I went home, fully expecting to never hear from him again. But I did. My friend said he wanted to call me, but I - ever reluctant - agreed to only giving him my work number. Which he called. Which is when I agreed, a little less reluctantly, to meet him for lunch.

And sixteen years later, I can honestly say that happily-ever-after isn't over yet. It hasn't turned into "unhappily-ever-after" or even "meh-ever-after".

It's been great. Every year, great. So this Memorial Day, I'm telling you (whoever you are), don't give up on the "happily-ever-after". Hang in there.

And I hope you have a friend or a neighbor who's just as annoyingly persistent as mine was.

Weddings From Hell

Well, I can't hold it in any more - my editor has asked me to participate in an anthology with one of the most awesome paranormal authors out there, the incredibly prolific Maggie Shayne!! The anthology is entitled (in case you couldn't tell from the heading for this post or the Corpse Bride poster) "Weddings From Hell". Two other paranormal authors, Kathryn Smith and Jeaniene Frost, will also contribute.

This is one of a series of "From Hell" books from Avon HarperCollins (if you haven't picked up "Dates From Hell", by all means do! I particularly loved Lori Handeland's contribution, called "Dead Man Dating".) One of the coolest things about being asked to contribute was that I was told "do whatever you want!", as long as I stick with a paranormal theme and um.. weddings, of course!

I do believe my DEAD GIRLS ARE EASY character, Nicki Styx, is in for a major "wedding from hell" experience, in more ways than one!

I'm planning a June contest on my website to celebrate, so look for further details soon. Right now I've got some writing to do!

We Have A Winner!

Audrey H. of Gulfport, Mississippi is the lucky winner of a signed Advance Reader Copy (ARC) of DEAD GIRLS ARE EASY!

I want to thank everyone who entered the contest, and as a consolation prize I'm offering a bookmark and a signed coverflat to anyone who drops me a line.

Just click on the grave to get your free ghoulish goodies! (and don't forget to include your mailing address - I won't share it, I promise!)

You're In "The Soup" Now!

Does anybody else watch "The Soup" on E! (Entertainment channel) TV? It's a satirical look at current events, pop culture, reality tv and celebrities (sort of like Jon Stewart's "The Daily Show"), only a lot funnier. It's cheesy, tongue-in-cheek, oft-times downright ridiculous, and hosted by the hilarious Joel McHale.

The hubby and I caught it by mistake one night while channel surfing, and we've been hooked ever since! Skits, ad-lib, and a "SNL" vibe, all mixed in with a review of the current week's TV viewing. A total recap of the madness that is American TV.

Regular weekly features include "Chat Stew", where Joel does a weekly recap of talk shows like Tyra Banks, Dr. Phil, Oprah, The View, etc. What's really funny is that he never makes up any of the clips - the things people say on television are unbelievable! Then there's "Reality Show Clip Time", "What the Kids Are Watching", and my favorite, "Most Disturbing Video of the Week", which is what The Soup's staff choose as the oddest thing that's been shown on television during the past week.

Plus, I'm completely in love with Lou, the little Chihuahua who gets featured in many of the cheesy little skits they do to introduce each segment of the show. (Here he is auditioning for American Idol). Is he cute, or what? (So is Joel McHale, for that matter - I do love a man with a sense of humor!)

Anyway, if you need a good laugh or just want to shake your head at what America considers entertainment, check it out, and let me know what you think.

Lily or Morticia?

Okay, I have a confession to make: I always wanted to be Lily Munster.

While Morticia Addams was the more overtly sexy of the two women, Lily was my hero. Kind, tolerant of her bumbly husband, Herman, and that hair! Oh, that hair. That streak of white just screamed "coolness" long before the word "Goth" mean anything except a shortened term for an ancient tribe of barbarians. The overly dramatic makeup, the plush interior of her coffin, her eternal optimism in the face of living among those silly, silly humans. Her children were happy, her Grandpa lived in the basement, and dear Spot always got his giant chunk of raw meat on time. She was even kind to her "homely" niece, Marian.

Not to diss Morticia Addams, though. After all, she was rich, sexy and adored by her husband. "Oh, Tish, I love it when you speak French..." but all that arm kissing would have left me wanting to slap poor Gomez into the middle of next week. And who would name her little boy "Pugsley"?

So in the age-old debate of Lily vs. Morticia, (What? You never heard of this debate? Have you been hiding under a tombstone or something?) Lily gets my vote. What about you?

What A Sweet-Tart!

I went out to dinner with my sister and her husband the other night, and right after the main course I had to excuse myself to take a phone call. When I came back to the table, dessert was being served (I'd ordered a yummy lemon tart with raspberry sauce). I didn't know it, but while I was gone, my sister had whipped out an ARC of DEAD GIRLS ARE EASY and pitched it to our server, who not only took down the title and my website address, but decided to serve me up a little something special.

Wasn't that sweet? The tart was pretty good, too! Thanks, Misty!

One Of The Hazards Of Being A Writer...

A Banner Day

Web banners or "banner ads" are a way to advertise yourself on, you guessed it, the World Wide Web. People usually think of them as those annoying ads at the top of a page, but smaller banners have become a great tool for use as part of a signature line, also known as a "siggie". They can be used in forums and message boards, imbedded in web pages, blogs, MySpace, or whatever. :) Not only are they a cool visual aid, they can be linked to take a person anywhere with a single click.

So here's my new banner (clicking on it will take you to my website). Whaddya think?

We Need To Talk...

Oh, how my husband cringes when he hears the dreaded phrase, "We need to talk." :) Luckily for him (this time!), I'm referring to an online chat I'll be participating in tonight at 9pm EST in the Knight Agency's chatroom. (It's very simple to enter the chat - just choose a username, hit enter, and you're in!)

Literary agent Deirdre Knight has kindly invited eight authors published in the fantasy, futuristic and paranormal genres to get together in cyber-land and chat about their books. Deirdre is not my agent, btw, but she's published in the sci-fi/paranormal genre herself, and so tonight we're talking books, books, books.

Hope to see you there!

Fortune Favors The Brave

...or so they say. :) I can't say I'm a big believer in fortunetelling, but I've done lots of research on it, and I do find it interesting. I've only had my fortune told once, by a little Russian woman in the back of a NYC strip mall/flea market, where she kept a little room, open to passing shoppers. (It seemed cheesily appropriate at the time.) The first thing she said when she looked at my palm was, "You don't like anyone to tell you what to do."

Gee, is it that obvious? :)

It's amazing how many bizarre methods have been used throughout the centuries to pierce the veil between the known and the unknown. Everybody's heard of palm reading, crystal balls, Tarot cards and tea leaves, right? Well today, in honor of Friday the 13th, I thought I'd post 13 obscure, little-known ways used to tell fortunes. These are all true methods, none of them made up (as evidenced by the very official, deeply scientific addition of "mancy" to the end of each word.) :)

Ailuromancy: Observe how a cat jumps.

Keriomancy: Study the flickering flame of a candle.

Oomancy: Crack an egg into a glass of water and study the shapes the egg white forms in the water.

Bibliomancy: Open the Bible and read the first passge you see to learn your fortune. (In some Christian denominations, this is grounds for excommunication.)

Scarpomancy: Predict someone's future by studying their old shoes.

Scatomancy: Predict your future by studying your own..um..excrement. (Not to be confused with spatulamancy, the study of "skin, bones, AND excrement.")

Tiromancy: Study the shape, holes, mold, and other features on a piece of cheese to determine your future.

Alphitomancy: Feed a special cake to an alleged wrongdoer. an innocent person will be able to eat and digest the cake; a guilty person will gag on the cake or become ill. (Hey! Many people have eaten my cooking and gone on to live normal lives!)

Haruspication: Study the guts of an animal, preferably a sacred one.

Hepatoscopy: Study on the animal's liver; ignore the rest of the guts.

Dilitiriomancy: Feed African benge poison to a chicken. (You've got those laying around, right?)

Uromancy: Predict someone's future by studying their urine. (No thanks! But you know I had to include it, didn't you?)

There, now you're up to date on obscure methods of fortunetelling. Maybe it'll come in handy when you're stuck for small talk at your next party! :)

One Of Those Days...

Ever have one of those days when you just can't seem to focus?

The day started out great when the UPS man dropped off a big envelope full of cover flats for my upcoming book, Dead Girls Are Easy. I even got a copy of the HarperCollins Publishers September 2007 catalog (which is what the publisher uses to present upcoming books to booksellers like Borders and Barnes & Noble). That was kinda cool, because now I can see how I'm being "marketed" by my publisher. My first novel is being described as "hip and sexy", more specifically, "Medium meets Ghost Whisperer, with a dash of Grey's Anatomy". Can't beat that with a stick, as we say down South!

The cover flats are gorgeous and colorful, and I absolutely LOVE that both the title and my name are embossed (raised print). This cover is going to POP! on the shelves, and I'm happy about that. Now that I have the cover flats, it's time to start going and talking to my local bookstores. The idea makes me more nervous than you can possibly imagine - how incredibly ironic that writers (who are in general fairly solitary people) have to do a lot of face-to-face work to once they achieve the goal of being published. (Ah, now there's a blog for another day!)

At any rate, I have books to write, revisions to finish, and a marketing plan to work on, but I can't seem to focus on much of anything today for more than five minutes, and it's driving me nuts. Just like the kitty. :)

Only he's way cuter.

I'm Giving Away an ARC!

As hard as it is to pry it from my hand :), I'm giving away a signed Advance Reader Copy of
Dead Girls Are Easy. ARC's are limited edition, first run printings, which are sent to reviewers and booksellers before the actual novel is released. They contain a few typos (which is to be expected), as they've only been through one round of copy edits by the time they're printed. If you look real close at the bottom of the photograph, you can see how it's clearly marked "Advance Uncorrected Proof/ Not For Sale".

I'll even put a cute little sticker on it that says, "Signed by the Author". :)

Anyway, visit my WEBSITE to enter the drawing, which will be held Saturday, May 19, 2007.

ASKED AND ANSWERED #2

Every other month I ask a question of the published authors at RWAOnline, and every month many of them are kind enough to answer. :) This month's question was: “WHAT WAS IT ABOUT THAT ‘WINNING’ MANUSCRIPT THAT TOOK YOU FROM SUBMISSION TO SALE?”

Cathy Clamp credits both her agent and good timing for her first sale to Tor. “The manuscript had already been rejected by Tor, but that was before my editor was hired, before the romance line was conceived, and before we had an agent. The manuscript itself didn’t change, but was resubmitted at a time when Tor was searching for paranormal romance with unique characters and an unusual POV.” In Cathy’s case, there’s no question that persistence paid off. Her third book, Captive Moon, is currently a finalist for the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award for Best Werewolf Romance.

Harlequin Blaze author Tawny Weber believes that learning from her mistakes was key. “Because I’d spent quite a while targeting a specific editor and sending submissions to her, when I submitted this particular manuscript I made sure to use every bit of feedback I’d received from her. That’s one of the things she commented on later, that I never made the same mistake twice. Apparently, I learn well.” Tawny’s first novel, Double Dare, will be a March 2007 release.

Claire Delacroix feels she owes her long-term career to the ability to take constructive criticism. “The difference for me was a good rejection letter. The manuscript was rejected but the editor took the time not only to tell me what she thought was a problem, but to say that she’d love to read it again if I figured out a way to address that issue. It was a huge change and required that I essentially toss the second half of the book, but I saw her point, did what she suggested, and it worked.” Claire has since written and published twenty-three historical novels and several contemporaries under the name Claire Cross. “Many authors seem to believe that editors are just being nice when they say good things about a work that they don’t ultimately buy, but that’s not been my experience. It’s easy for an editor to write “This isn’t suitable for us at this time.” It’s much harder for an editor to pinpoint the reason she/he doesn’t think the work is marketable as it stands, and it shows an interest in the work when the editor takes the time to explain as much to the author. Instead of trying to figure out “the secret language of rejection letters”, I sometimes think that authors should just read the rejection letters that aren’t form letters and take them at face value.”

Author Holly LaPat, writing as Sierra Donovan believes it was a matter of finding the right publisher. “Silhouette Romance turned down my first book, Love On The Air, but added that another publisher might feel differently. I took that advice rather than trying to change what I had. I submitted to Avalon, and they said yes.”

Kate Duggan, writing as Kate Pearce gave herself permission to write naughty. “It began as an experiment to see how far I could push the envelope of my steamy sex scenes. After I finished it, I hid it at the bottom of my desk drawer for two years because I found it difficult to believe I’d actually written something so erotic. It took a lot of coaxing from my mentor, Julia Templeton, to get me to let her read it and ultimately send it out to Ellora’s Cave – who bought it!”

Silhouette author Gail Barrett feels that characterization was key. “What I think I did right with that first book was that I really nailed the hero. He was so real to me that I actually got depressed when I finished writing it – I didn’t want to leave his world! And I think that’s what made the difference. My characters took over instead of me pushing them around.”

As for me, Terri Garey, I would have to agree that characterization played a huge role in my first sale. The heroine in both my upcoming novels, Dead Girls Are Easy and Where The Ghouls Are, is a former Goth girl named Nicki Styx. Nicki just wants to run her business, live her life and immerse herself in fun and fashion, but her life is changed forever when she wakes from a near death experience with the ability to see and hear the dead. A cool chick like Nicki doesn’t like to take “no” for an answer, and when she sprang full-blown into my head, demanding to tell her story, I had no choice but to let her!

Timing, persistence, great characters. “Pushing the envelope”, taking constructive criticism and learning from our mistakes—more golden gems of advice from the published authors of RWAOnline. Thanks so much to all the authors who participated in this month’s topic, and I hope everyone enjoyed the first-hand insight. The next Asked and Answered question will be: “WHAT DO YOU FEEL IS THE BEST METHOD OF PROMOTION?” Websites? Reviews? Word of mouth? Look for the answers in the next edition of ASKED AND ANSWERED.
_____________________
Terri Garey is the author of two upcoming paranormal tales, Dead Girls Are Easy and Where The Ghouls Are. Both novels are about ghosts, voodoo and an extremely unlikely psychic - a former Goth girl who becomes an unwilling ‘ghoulfriend’ to the dearly departed. Dead Girls Are Easy will be an Avon September 2007 release, followed by the sequel, Where The Ghouls Are, in May 2008. Visit Terri on the web, or stop by her favorite haunt .

Old Boyfriends Rock! Literally.

My first serious boyfriend (i.e., the first boy I kissed), was when I was in the eighth grade. Billy was the neighbor of a girlfriend of mine, and even though we didn't go to the same school, we saw each other regularly after school and on weekends. Billy was a guitar playing rocker, even in the eighth grade, with shaggy hair and an actual band (that I can't remember the name of). He called me every night, and though it took it a little while to work up the nerve to kiss me, he did it in most romantic way any girl could imagine - he took me for a moonlight boat ride on the lake, and while we were out in the middle, all alone, he leaned over and gave me a kiss. Talk about your romantic evening! It was a chaste kiss (as were all of them - we were only thirteen, after all) and I'm forever grateful to him for giving a memory like that to cherish.

But as so often happens in the teenage world, we both moved on to other people and other interests, luckily with no hard feelings. And then, last year (thanks to Classmates.com), I got an email from Billy. Not only was I thrilled to hear from him, I was thrilled to learn that he'd never given up his dream of becoming a rock star. :) He now goes by the name Billy Angel, and he's the lead singer in The Rockabilly Band (any Brian Setzer/Stray Cats fans out there? Then you'll know what I'm talking about), and is also a DJ on a local radio station. He has a beautiful wife, and he's living his dream - what more could I guy want?

I just wish I could see him play, one more time, but alas, he lives in Big Sky Country and I live in Gatorland. I think about him from time to time (and I hope he doesn't mind that I just told the world he was the first guy I ever kissed!), and wish him well. Rock on, Billy!

Raines

Have you seen the new TV show called "Raines"? It stars Jeff Goldblum as a detective who sees and hears the dead. (Gee, right up my alley, wouldn't you say?) I was so excited when I heard about this series because, quite simply, casting is everything, and casting the quirky yet charming Jeff Goldblum as a guy who talks to the dead was brilliant.

I know he isn't handsome in the traditional sense of the word, but I've had a crush on him for years. That wide-lipped, sensual mouth, those slumberous eyes, that playful sense of humor. Plus, he's tall, lean-hipped and looks fabulous in either a suit or jeans. Every time I see him I wonder if he's as good in bed as he is on the screen, and every time the mental answer comes back, "Oh, yeah." At the very least, I'm sure he's a fascinating conversationalist, and any time spent in his company would keep me on my toes.

Anyway, I've seen both episodes of this new series, and I absolutely LOVE it. The twist *SPOILER HERE* is that even though the people Raines sees are dead (crime victims), they're not actually ghosts, per se. They're hallucinations. Which means they can't help him solve the crimes that killed him, because they only know what he knows. They talk to him, but he's really talking to himself. Of course, in the end, all this talking and getting to know his victims helps him discover who killed them. It's witty and clever and... did I mention it stars Jeff Goldblum? :)

Watch it!

Golden Hearts and Playground Parts

The Writer's Playground is a group of 20 women who came together three years ago in the spirit of fun and encouragement. We were a motley crew of diverse styles and genres :), but we cheered each other on, encouraged, nagged, and inspired (the hunks were for entertainment purposes only. Really). Tawny's naughty and Tammy's sweet, Marlene is nurturing and Betty's bawdy, Sheila's a whipcracker and Kimmi's a firecracker... we all have our parts to play, and considering how far apart we are in locations and personalities, those parts add up to a pretty amazing whole. It's truly astounding how far we've come together, and, oh my... what fun we've had while doing it!

Over the past three years our little group has seen some incredible successes: eight of us have gone on to become published, eleven have finaled in the prestigious Golden Heart contest (a total of nineteen times!). One Golden Heart winner, one American Title contest winner, and more smaller contest wins among us than I can possibly count! We must be doing something right, hm?

Plus, we have great fun at conferences! :)

But today I want to give a special shout-out and a huge HOORAY! to my friends Beth Burgoon, Kim Duffy, Carla Hughes, Sheila Mohs, and Anna Sugden for finaling in this year's Golden Heart contest! Anna and Beth will battle it out (once again) in the Long Contemporary category with MORTGAGED HEARTS and ALL OR NOTHING; Sheila finaled in Paranormal with her sexy pirate story, TIME TREASURE; Kim Duffy (writing as Lindsey Brookes) has broken through the GH barrier with her fun Young Adult, MY BEST FRIEND'S A REAL DOG; and Carla has finaled in the Inspirational category with her Roman historical, TO LOVE A GLADIATOR.

I'm so proud of them all, and can't wait to cheer them on at the RWA national conference in Dallas this coming July. You can bet we'll have a wild night, win or lose. These women are all winners in my book!

I Double Dare You Not To Smile!

Check out this picture of my dear, sweet friend, Tawny Weber! (Pay no attention to the "Captain's Wench" t-shirt - Tawny's Johnny Depp addiction is legendary). :) Tawny is holding her first (of many, I'm sure) books, a Harlequin Blaze entitled DOUBLE DARE. The publishers in NYC seem to be raining down manna from heaven and making dreams come true this week!

DOUBLE DARE is what you call a "HOT" read... which makes perfect sense considering who wrote it. Tawny's quite the hottie herself! (It's true - Johnny Depp doesn't know what he's missing). If you wanna read about a naughty lingerie designer out to prove what a bad girl she is, and a sexy undercover cop who can't wait to find out, this is the book for you!

Enjoy the thrill, Tawny, and I'm so glad I get to share it with you!

The Squeal Heard 'Round The World!

No, it wasn't a high-pitched sonic boom or your smoke alarm going off this morning, it was me squealing when a box of galleys for DEAD GIRLS ARE EASY was delivered to my door! I wasn't expecting them this early, and I was floored!


"Galleys", also known as ARC's (Advanced Reader Copies), are the bound, pre-proofed version of your book that is sent to reviewers and booksellers (a sneak preview, if you will).


Here's a closer view of what the cover actually looks like:

Isn't it cool? I guess this is the official "unveiling" of the cover! The first time I saw it, I thought, "Whoa," but within five seconds I was thinking, "Yeah!". I just love it. All Halloweeny and spooky and cool and funny. It fits the book perfectly, and look at my name on top! LOL

Even better, the back cover copy is not what I thought it was going to be - it's even better! I haven't been able to stop smiling all day!

Holding that actual book in your hand makes an incredible journey finally seem real.

Wow. It's a good day.