Photos From DC - the 2009 RWA Convention

Part of the fun of going to a big, giant writers conference is getting to hang out with your friends, your editor and your agent. You get to do some things you wouldn't normally do, see some things you wouldn't normally see, and hear some things you wouldn't normally hear.

I wanted to share some of those things with you, like being in a room where 500 authors are signing books, all at one time, while over a thousand readers chat, browse, and squeal over the books they love to read, and the people who write them:


I love this picture of the elusive and stylish Avon Executive Editor Erika Tsang (in the orange), and her lovely Editorial Assistant, Amanda Bergeron.



How about this photo of the irrepressible Jenny Gardiner, signing copies of her book, Sleeping With Ward Cleaver in true 60's American housewife/sitcom style, complete with an apron and pink Playtex gloves (and a pink "pebbled nub" button. Don't ask.) :-)



Here's one of my favorites - several hundred well-dressed women boogeying down to Michael Jackson's "Thriller" at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel (not as easy as one might think, particularly after a few drinks, but huge fun!)



Hanging out with dear friends, like Golden Heart double nominee, Lindsay Brookes, (a/k/a Kimmi):



Enjoying a well-deserved trip to the bar with former Golden Heart nominee and super cool Brit Chick, Anna Sugden:



"Skyping" with friends would couldn't be there, like Harlequin Blaze author Tawny Weber (I particularly love this picture because of the angle - that's Tawny on the screen, and me in the mirror, along with RITA nominee Kathleen Long, and Mills&Boon Medical author Janice Lynn who's taking the photo. Harlequin Superromance author Beth Andrews is manning the keyboard.)



Going to parties with your friends every night is always fun, particularly when someone wears a tiara:



And when the party's over and you're looking for a Ladies' Room? No problem!

A Cinderella Story

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, lived a little girl named Pug. That wasn't her real name, of course, but that's what she was often called, for her button nose, her plump cheeks and tomboy-ish ways reminded some of a puppy, clue-less to the ways of the world, yet eager to please.

Pug grew up in a house with five other children, one boy and three other girls, all far more beautiful than she. Her three sisters were loving and kind, but being older and quite popular with boys and girls alike, they had little time for sturdy little Pug to be trailing at their heels. Her brother - being a boy, of course - was the bane of her existence, and never tired of pointing out the buttonness of her nose or the plumpness of her cheeks. So, Pug spent most of her time in the woods, climbing trees and building forts, or curled up in a shady thicket where she would sit silently for hours, watching the squirrels and the birds and the butterflies go about their business, all the while pretending that she was one of them - a shy fawn, perhaps, waiting for her mother to come back from foraging in the meadow.

Pug lived in a world of make-believe, you see, a world aided by the books she simply couldn't stop reading: heroic fables of King Arthur and the Round Table, fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm, spine-tingling stories by Edgar Allen Poe. Books were the solace of her childhood, but as all children do, Pug eventually grew up. Still lost in the world of fairy tales, she was quite surprised when, as an adult, her Prince Charming turned out to be a toad, and her happily-ever-after turned out to be a unhappily-here-and-now, but ever determined - much as that pugnacious little puppy she was once compared to - Pug persevered. She stopped waiting for her dreams to come true on their own, and decided to make them come true.

And here is the result:
The little girl who once hid in the bushes reading stories of other worlds and other places, now writes stories of other worlds and other places, and is lucky enough to share them with the world.

She has beautiful, wonderful friends who write them as well, and once a year, she gets together with as many of them as she can, and lives out the dream of being a butterfly instead of clumsy little puppy. She laughs and she dances and she enjoys the here-and-now with a true Prince Charming who (after 18 years) has yet to sprout warts or to croak her back into the shade of the forest.

And she never, ever forgets the little girl who lived inside her head when she was small, wearing her older sisters' hand-me-downs and playing alone in the forest, hoping all the while that others will enjoy the world she's created in her stories.

And, as in most fairy tales, they all lived happily-ever-after.

Dead Girls Are Easy... and they ROCK!!!

The Lesser of Two Evils

I've been fascinated lately by the concept of choices, so that's what I'm guest blogging about today over at WRITERS AT PLAY.

Come on over and read some hypothetical questions about possible moral dilemmas, and then make your choice between the lesser of two evils. You could win a gift certificate for a free e-book!

What I Love About Florida

Individuality is encouraged...














and so is proper footwear...




















It's the only place where your mail comes via dolphin,



















grouper,

















or pelican.


















Oh, who am I kidding? THIS is why I love Florida, baby!















Vacation was over too soon...

I've Been "Examined"

During the booksigning at Borders last week, I met a lovely woman named Julianne Draper, who is a reporter for The Examiner. She interviewed all the authors who were signing, and wrote a great article called "Romancing South Tampa", which you can read HERE.

(There was a reporter from the Tampa Tribune at the signing as well, who's promised to keep us posted on his article. He taped several of us reading aloud from our books, and I must say, it was a bit odd to be reading sexy scenes I'd written myself out loud to a man I didn't know!) :-)

Anyway, hope you enjoy Julianne's article!

Good News and Good Times At Borders

Times are tough these days, aren't they? The economy's down, unemployment's up, and most of us have had to do some belt-tightening of one type or the other - fewer dinners out, fewer vacations, fewer trips to the mall or the movies. Many consumers have given up everything that might even be considered a luxury, except for the those they consider the most important, like books. Yes, book sales are up, and consistently rising, according to Sue Grimshaw, corporate romance buyer for Borders - romance more so than other genres! Yay!

I spent a fun and fascinating day this past Saturday, listening to Sue talk books during a chapter meeting at Tampa Area Romance Authors. She led a lively question and answer session about what's selling and why, the importance of covers, trends, publisher support, promotional efforts, reviews, cover quotes, and reader shopping habits (all before lunch!). It seems that readers can't get enough of paranormals, romantic suspense, "soft" romance centering on small towns and women's issues, and historicals are once again on the rise. Great news for us writers, and hopefully great news for our readers.

All this industry talk was followed by a field trip to our local Borders, where Sue walked us through the how's and why's of bookstore placement and displays. Here she is on the far right, posing with Mart Sadler (the local Borders General Manager), TARA president Vicki Lane, author Kathy Carmichael, and Borders employee extraordinaire, Gypsie (in black). Why is Gypsie so extraordinary? Because she and Mart not only hosted our entire chapter (approx. 40 excited, chattering, giggling women) in their store at one time, but she put together a group signing for ten different TARA authors afterward (here we are in the photo below). She promoted the heck out of us beforehand, too, and we all got chocolate chip cookies! Woohoo! :-) A great time was had by all - we came, we signed, we conquered - and we all came away with a much better idea of what goes on behind the scenes of a major bookseller like Borders.

And did I mention the cookies? :-) Give a writer a chocolate chip cookie and you've got a friend for life!

Thanks so much to Sue, Mart and Gypsie!

Signing Books in South Tampa

Join me this Saturday, June 13th, at the S. Tampa Borders at 909 N. Dale Mabry!

I'll be signing books along with NYT best-sellers Karen Rose, Virginia Henley and Joan Johnston, USA Today best-sellers Alyssa Day, Julie Leto and Roxanne St. Claire and several other fabulous authors who'd love to make your summer just a bit more cool. :-)

If you can't find a book you'd like to read among this bunch, then there's simply no pleasing you!

Seriously, it'll be fun. We're being joined by Borders executive and corporate buyer, Susan Grimshaw, and I'm looking forward to seeing my sweet friend, Gypsie, who works at the store. This particular Borders is my local hangout - the moment you walk in and smell that fabulous coffee, you'll know why. :-)

My son even worked there for a while, but now Mom makes him crack the books in college instead of the bookstore!

Hope to see you there!

DEAD GIRLS ARE EASY Inspires a Goth/Rock Single and Video by The 69 Eyes

One of the best things about being an author is that sometimes the coolest things can happen, right out of the blue!

A few months ago, one of my friends recommended I check out a Finnish "goth n' roll" band called The 69 Eyes, also known as the Helsinki Vampires. I watched their videos, listened to their music, and thought they were pretty freakin' awesome! So, I "friended" them on MySpace, and immediately got this really nice email from Jyrki, their lead singer:

Did I tell you - can't remember...But wait till the next 69 Eyes album comes out, you'll see which book of yours inspired me the most...Let's keep in touch!

From Helsinki,
Jyrki69

And then guess what I saw this morning:

The 69 Eyes will release their new album "Back In Blood" in September, 2009. The album is produced by American, Grammy awarded producer Matt Hyde (Slayer, Monster Magnet). The album was recorded in Los Angeles, USA during the spring. "This record rocks ten times harder than anything The 69 Eyes have previously done!" says the producer. "It's like when Rick Rubin helped The Cult discover themselves on ‘Electric' - we made a similar spiritual journey with Matt," continues the vocalist Jyrki69.

The first single cut will be the hard & dark rocking "Dead Girls Are Easy" of which the band will shoot a video with Bam Margera as a director. The MTV skate superstar has earlier directed the band's classic video of their anthem "Lost Boys".

Can you believe it? I cannot WAIT to hear this song and watch this video!

And they're such nice, clean-cut guys, too. :-)

Jeff Strand, under PRESSURE

I recently mentioned author Jeff Strand here on my blog. We met last month at the Romantic Times Convention, where I caught him ogling cover models we bonded a little over dark humor, severed heads and the fact that we live in the same Florida town. He has a new book, PRESSURE, coming out on May 26th, and is desperate for promotion eager to tell us about it! Unfortunately, Jeff is a bit on the lazy side, so he decided to put together a cookie-cutter guest blog, which I happily stole from his MySpace page, because hey... that's what friends (even new ones) do.

Anyway, I want you to read Jeff's charmingly innovative guest blog, which will be full of references to me and my own current release, You're the One That I Haunt, because Jeff kindly left tags everywhere reading [Insert Your Book Here] and [Insert Your Name Here], so I did.

(Hey, Jeff - your scheme to get free and easy promo worked! You're brilliant!)

In all honesty, I wouldn't be pimping Jeff if I didn't think he deserved it, and I mean that sincerely. I just finished one of his earlier works, GRAVEROBBERS WANTED (NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY), and it was good - mystery, murder and mayhem (Hah! The protagonist's name was Andrew Mayhem! Am I lame, or what?), graveyard humor, and plenty of twists. One of the few times I've read a mystery when I didn't know "who done it" until the very end. At any rate, Jeff is a clever guy and a good writer, and I think you should buy his books.

And now, without further ado, meet Jeff:
_______________

Hi! I'm published author Jeff Strand! My novel PRESSURE will be at a bookstore near you on May 26th, and it answers the age-old question "What if your best friend was a killer...and he wanted you to be just like him?" Publishers Weekly called it "marvelously creepy reading...the horror in this tale of twisted friendship is relentless." Sweet, huh?

But you know what? Screw PRESSURE. [YOU'RE THE ONE THAT I HAUNT] is way better. After I read it, I called up Leisure Books and begged them not to publish my crappy book. "Don't worry," they said, "not everybody can be [TERRI GAREY]. Even [TERRI GAREY] has trouble being [TERRI GAREY] some days. It's a level of awesomeness that only three or four people can attain at any given time. PRESSURE may not be as good as [YOU'RE THE ONE THAT I HAUNT] but it's still a fine piece of work."

So I broke into the Leisure Books warehouse and burned every copy of PRESSURE that my flamethrower could reach. I think a few copies may have survived, so if you've already read [YOU'RE THE ONE THAT I HAUNT] and everything else by [TERRI GAREY] you might want to give it a shot.
________________

Aw, Jeff... I'm a little teary here from all that praise! Thanks so much for taking time out of your busy schedule and joining us today! When did you say your book was out again? May 26th? At bookstores everywhere?

Kewl. :-)

Just Say "NO" to E-book Piracy

I've been spending way too much time lately trying to get free versions of my books taken down from "file sharing" sites all over the Internet. No sooner do I find a stolen file, fill out the form to have it taken down and provide documentation that I hold the copyright to the work itself, when another stolen file pops up somewhere else on another site.

What absolutely amazes me is that people think it's absolutely fine to gleefully download these stolen files, never once thinking about who they're hurting (which, quite frankly, is me). In fact, some people even think they're doing me a favor by spreading my work around and making it easy for others to get them without having to pay for them. Um.. no. Not only are they stealing the royalty money from legitimate ebook sales from my pocket, they're stealing my numbers, which is far more damaging. Pirated books don't get counted toward the number of books I've sold, which is the biggest thing my publisher looks at when they decide to continue publishing me or not.

Publishing is all about the numbers. Publishers make an initial investment and print X numbers of books. Needless to say, for an author to be considered successful, those books have to sell. No, ebooks are not printed, but the demand for them is another huge indicator of an author's success - every sale of an ebook through a legitimate source like Kindle or Sony is registered and recorded, which is another way my publisher sees whether people are buying my books or not. So if hundreds or thousands of my books are being given away free through file piracy, my publisher has no way of counting them. An author may be hugely popular when it comes to free downloads out there, but that popularity does them no good in the eyes of their publisher, because all they see is the number of legitimate sales. So those people who LOVE those authors enough to download those files are actually upping the odds that those authors won't ever be able to publish another book, because their numbers will be too low.

Make any sense? Oh, and let's not forget this basic fact: downloading pirated files of any kind for free is stealing, plain and simple. So just say no, would you, and support your favorite authors in a way that helps them go on doing what they do. Books are very inexpensive forms of entertainment, after all.

Vampires Obviously Have More Fun!

Time to share more photos from the Romantic Times Convention!

I had a great time at the Vampire Ball, in large part because I got to let my inner "ghoul" run wild by dressing up as a Goth Vampire Chick. There were two fun parts to this, the first being that absolutely nobody knew who I was (costumes are such fun!), and the other being that when you're dressed as a vampire chick, people seem to want to get their picture taken with you! (Which, when you go back to reason #1, is actually kind of fun: "Hey, look at this picture taken with this Goth Vampire Chick! I have no idea who she is, but cool, huh?") This is me with thriller writer (and total hottie) Barry Eisler on the left. The place was swarming with cover models, but he was one of the best looking guys there, and man, did he know how to work a room!

This is me with fellow dark humorist and all-around scary author Jeff Strand, and his friend, a disembodied head. (He never said where the head came from.) Jeff's newest book, PRESSURE, hits the stands later this month. (PRESSURE was a recent finalist for the Bram Stoker award, and I can't wait to read it.) I've already ordered and am waiting on one of his previous novels, called GRAVEROBBERS WANTED (NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY). I mean, c'mon - I'm a sucker for great titles, graveyard humor and disembodied heads!

This spooky fellow on the right is actually cover model C.J. Hollenbach, who was wearing the coolest contacts I've ever seen. They were yellow in the center, with red flames sparking outward. C.J.'s costume made me think very strongly of Louis in Anne Rice's INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE. *sigh* Great costume, C.J.!

These are my dear friends Mona Risk and Janice Lynn. Mona didn't recognize me either at first, but it's hard not to recognize Janice - doesn't she look hot?

And speaking of hot :-), this beautiful woman asked to have her photo taken with me (I'm the one who looks scared in this one, don't I?) Seriously, I don't know her name, but she was very sweet and very, very pretty. (Hey, I'm straight and married, but I'm not blind, and perfectly willing to give credit where credit is due!)

And this just may be my favorite picture of all - Victoria Fraasa with Circle of Seven Productions, asking me to play with her adorable little baby! Isn't he cute? LOL (Actually, he was unbelievably creepy, in large part because he was animated. His eyes rolled, his arms waved, and he liked to bite! I seriously loved him and wanted to take him home!) :-)

I've Been Bitten... By Books!

Join me tomorrow, May 5, on this very cool "paranormal review site with bite", Bitten By Books!

I'll be answering interview questions, taking questions from readers, talking about my books and generally chatting up a storm, as well as giving away two books a day for five days!

I mean, c'mon... how could I possibly turn down a chance to hang out at a review site that gave my last book a "Five Tombstone" review? LOL You can read the review HERE, and stop by stop by for fun and prizes tomorrow by clicking HERE. Hope to see you there!

The Paranormal Party on BlogTalk Radio

Remember that cool "Paranormal Party" on BlogTalk Radio show I mentioned last month? Well, we did the taping live from the Romantic Times Conference in Orlando last week, and it was so much fun! Authors Kerrelyn Sparks, Jeaniene Frost, Jocelynn Drake, Pam Palmer, Jamie Rush and I all got together in a suite at the Wyndham Resort, along with Avon editor Tessa Woodward and Avon publicity queen Pam Jaffee, and talked about the current appeal of the paranormal romance in today's market. I'm not going to lie to you - we had some techical difficulties - but the show turned out great anyway, mainly because everybody there was determined that the "show must go on", so we had fun with it! We talked about who inspired the heroes and heroines in our books, whether we were "fur, fang or fey" girls, and what we like to read ourselves in our spare time. If you'd care to give a listen, click on this cool little widget, and off you go!

Looking For An Agent?

LOOKING FOR AN AGENT?
You should be looking for a partner.

Four agents talk about the business of writing at the 2009 Romantic Times Convention

Despite the bevy of buff, handsome cover models wandering the halls of the Wyndham Resort in Orlando, Florida during the April 2009 Romantic Times Convention, literary agents Laura Bradford, Christine Witthohn, Lucienne Diver and Miriam Kriss were able to focus on the business of writing itself, and gracious enough to share their wisdom with the rest of us.

While these four agents differed in style, they had similar views on the industry, and what they look for when considering a new client. It’s not just about selling your book— it’s about communication, expectations and professionalism on both sides. The author/agent relationship is a partnership, and like any partnership, nothing to be embarked upon lightly. Many aspiring writers are so eager to get an agent that they fail to do their homework, both when it comes to the technicality of submissions themselves and to what to expect if—or when—a literary agent agrees to work with them. (Read that sentence again, and make sure you recognize the “work with” part.) A good agent is business-minded, professional, and career-focused, and that’s what they expect from you in return.

All four agents gently but firmly emphasized that writers who are thin-skinned, overly demanding, uncooperative about critiques, edits, deadlines or have unrealistic expectations regarding advances and/or publisher support are going to find themselves floundering. Good agents do their best to help their authors manage expectations and hone both their business and their writing skills, earning their 15% commissions through career counseling, advice, informed contract negotiations, and unabashed enthusiasm for your books. They’re your best advocate, and your best chance at getting your works in to the hands of an editor who will love it as much as they do. They are, in short, the “gatekeepers” of the industry, and as such, they have their own professional reputations to maintain with the editors and publishing houses they deal with.

Laura Bradford (far left in the photo) has over fourteen years of experience in the world of books, and formed her own agency, Bradford Literary, in 2001. She acquires and sells all genres of commercial fiction except for inspirational, poetry, screenplays and short stories, and is particularly interested in works that “push the envelope”, as she loves nothing better than to discover the new and different. At the current time, she is particularly interested in historicals, and is happy to accept e-queries (one-page query letter only, no attachments) via email at laura@bradfordlit.com or a full proposal (query letter, synopsis and first three chapters) via regular mail. Detailed submission guidelines and her mailing address can be found on her website at http://www.bradfordlit.com/, along with a list of her current clients.

Christine Witthohn (second from left) began Book Cents Literary Agency in 2006. She’s very interested in contemporary romance, women’s fiction, paranormal romance, mystery and loves young adult novels. She is NOT interested in erotica, category romance, science fiction, inspirational, historicals or the horror genre. She accepts e-submissions only, and prefers two separate attachments to your email, one for the synopsis and one for the manuscript itself. Her email address is cw@bookcentsliteraryagency.com and more detailed information about her agency and submission guidelines can be found on her website at http://www.bookcentsliteraryagency.com/.

Lucienne Diver (second from right) has been in the literary business for over 16 years, and joined The Knight Agency in 2008 after spending most of her career with Spectrum Literary. She is interested in all genres of commercial fiction, feeling that a great voice and great characters are paramount over genre. She has a particular interest in mystery, suspense, and paranormal, and is fascinated by stories with a psychological or forensic aspect. Lucienne recommends that an author be a “leader”, not a “follower” when it comes to the current trends in the market. Trends change and what might’ve been considered “hot” at the time it sold can be passe by the time it’s actually published. She is happy to accept one-page queries (no attachments) via email at submissions@knightagency.net, and will request further material if she has an interest. Detailed guidelines and specifics about Lucienne and The Knight Agency are available on their website at http://www.knightagency.net/.

Miriam Kriss (far right) began her career with Irene Goodman Literary Agency in 2004. She represents all genres of commercial fiction, and all genres of romance except for inspirational. At the moment she has a particular interest in young adult, but she only takes on clients whose voice she is passionate about. Miriam urges aspiring authors to recognize that no agent enjoys rejecting an author’s work, and that true professionals will do their best not to take rejections personally. She recommends a fascinating online article called “Slushkiller” to help them gain perspective on the process. Miriam accepts e-queries (query letter, first 10 pages and a synopsis) at queries@irenegoodman.com. More detailed information about Miriam and the Irene Goodman Literary Agency can be found at http://www.irenegoodman.com/.
__________________________
*Terri Garey is very happily represented by her current agency, Jane Rotrosen Agency, LLC, but feels very strongly that it’s good karma to share as much information about the industry as she can, particularly when she’s fortunate to attend a convention swarming with a bevy of buff, muscular cover models. She is a two-time RITA finalist and the winner of the 2008 RITA Award for Best First Book, as well as the winner of the 2008 PRISM Award. Visit her on the web at http://www.tgarey.com or http://www.harpercollins.com/TerriGarey.

Costumes and Cover Models - a quick wrap-up of the 2009 Romantic Times Convention

Now that I'm home from the Romantic Times Conference, I wanted to share a few of the highlights. (I wish I had more photos for you, but most of them were taken with my friend Janice's camera, and we took so many that she hasn't had time to upload them all yet!) Here's a few, though:

Here I am with my friends Janice Lynn and Mona Risk before the craziness of the conference truly began. (Don't we look well-behaved?) I have to give a special shout-out to Mona's husband, Sam, who is quite literally one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet (and quite debonair, too, I might add!)

Right after this photo was taken, we ran into cover model Jimi Gaskin, who was kind enough to guest blog with us last year on my group blog, Writers At Play. Jimi was absolutely one of the sweetest and most wholesome of the Mr. Romance competitors (the poor guy blushes every time you pay him a compliment, and believe me, he got LOTS of compliments!) We ran into him several times during the conference, and couldn't resist getting a few photos of him in Spartan gear at the "Gods of Midnight" party!

And speaking of the Gods of Midnight party, Janice and I had an absolutely fabulous time there playing "Musical Cover Models", which is pretty much the equivalent of Musical Chairs, only there were Spartans sitting in the chairs (I say "we", but I was just the official photographer that evening, while Janice did her best to sample every warriors' lap!) Here she is in Rodney Chatman's lap (Mr. Romance 2006), and here she is on the right with Jeremy Rivenburg (who won 3rd runner-up in the Mr. Romance competition). But the photo that she forced me to stay up until after 1:00 in the morning to get (seriously!) was this one of her below with Mr. Romance 2002, Jimmy Thomas. I must admit that it was well worth the wait, as I honestly think he was by far the best-looking guy there! (considering that my main man, Andrei Claude, did not attend this year.) Wah!

(Still, it was hard to be disappointed when you're in a room full of gorgeous men wearing little but gladiator outfits.) LOL

And then there were the other costume parties, which we enjoyed immensely. Here we are below at the Seelie and UnSeelie Faery ball. Janice was a good fairy (which made her a Seelie), while I was the bad fairy in the pink and black (which made me an UnSeelie).I'm not sure which one of us had more fun, but I think it was me, because let's face it... ghouls just wanna have fun! :-) Even my wings looked evil, didn't they? Janice's wings were black which made them nearly impossible to photograph in the dark room, and her dress was a flowy brown confection. Check out the wings tattooed on her face! Trust me, she was every inch the feminine, delicate fairy girl!

LuckilLuckily for me, handsome elf and Legolas look-alike, legendary cover model C.J. Hollenbach, didn't seem to mind hanging out with a bad fairy! Yes, that is C.J.'s real hair, which is long and blonde. He was absolutely adorable, and such a gentleman (a hunky, muscular, gorgeous gentleman!) Here I am on the right with author J.A. Konrath, whose wings were rather... um... tiny, and strapped on with green duct tape. LOL Luckily, his sense of humor was huge!

The following night was the Vampire Ball, and I had tremendous fun dressing up as a vampire Goth chick, and having absolutely no one recognize me! (Hey, I'm a Halloween kind of girl - what can I say??) I wish I had the photos of Janice and me together, because she looked absolutely gorgeous. Sadly, all I have on my camera was this close-up of her shoes (notice the zipper up the heel). My friends and "shoe-a-holics" Tawny and Anna would've been eating their hearts out over those babies!



Anyway, a fabulous time was had by all, and I just couldn't wait to share. Which of these photos is your favorite? Which of these guys do you think is the cutest?