Robert the Doll is really, really spooky!

I have a confession to make: I've never liked dolls. Never played with them, never carried them around, never liked the ones who blinked, or cried, or drank from fake baby bottles. I never played with Barbies like all the other little girls. My mother, who LOVED collecting dolls, tried to give me one now and then, but I always preferred a cute, cuddly stuffed animal of some kind, and still do.

There is one particular doll that gives me the complete and utter creeps. His name is Robert, he's over a hundred years old, and he's quite famous in his own right. He's a bit of a paranormal celebrity, you see, and is kept in a museum in Key West, which is where he was "born" in 1896. He's so creepy, in fact, that I can't bring myself to post a picture of him on my blog, because I don't like looking at him. I will, however, post a link to a YouTube video that explains all about this weird little supernatural icon. You can see and hear all about him right here: Robert The Doll.

I'll give you his background in a nutshell: He was given to a Key West artist named Robert Eugene Otto, when Otto was a child, by his nanny (who was rumored to be into Voodoo). Otto became extremely taken with the little boy doll (who he named Robert, after himself), but his "imaginary" friend soon became a problem to the Otto family. Strange voices, strange happenings, nightmares, moving furniture, reports of the doll peering out the window all by itself, making faces at the neighboring children. When questioned by his frantic parents, Otto's inevitable reply was "Robert did it." Robert the doll was banished to the attic, but he didn't stay there. When Eugene Otto became an adult, he found the doll again, and apparently became mesmerized by him all over again - he brought him downstairs and gave him his own room, kept him by him while he painted, talked to him, and if reports are to be believed, would engage of bouts of bizarre behavior that would always be explained away with the phrase, "Robert did it." After Otto's death, Robert was once again banished to the attic, and the house sold. The new owners reported hearing a child giggling and running in the attic, and eventually Robert was rediscovered. When their 10 yr. old daughter began having fits of hysterics, claiming the doll was "alive and wanted to kill her", Robert was banished to the attic once again.

Interesting how no one could ever bring themselves to destroy the creepy little thing, isn't it? Eugene Otto's wife hated it, everyone who saw it was afraid of it, and there are reports of its face changing and its stuffed body moving before people's eyes. I'm not sure how Robert ended up in a museum, where he sits to this day, looking much as he did in 1896. A three foot, straw-stuffed boy doll with a crudely carved wooden face, dressed in a little sailor suit, clutching a stuffed lion.

I dare you to watch the video and not be creeped out.

So Much For The Lazy, Hazy Days of Summer...

No, I don't have a hammock hanging in my back yard, but if it did, it would be as empty as this one. This summer is a busy one for me! Here's what I'll be up to, and I hope you get the chance to stop by and say hello, either in person or on the web!

July 7th - Guest blogging at Romance Bandits

July 12th - Booksigning at Waldenbooks, Westshore Plaza, in Tampa, Florida

July 18th - Guest blogging at Avon Romance

July 22nd - Guest author on Romance Novel TV

July 30th - Booksigning from 5:30 to 7:30pm at the
San Francisco Marriott

July 30th - Join me LIVE at 8:00pm on BlogTalk Radio

August 1st -booksigning from 10:15 to 10:45am at the
San Francisco Marriott

August 2nd - Attending the RITA Award Ceremony at Romance Writers Of America's 28th Annual National Conference (I'm a nominee for Best First Book and Best Paranormal Romance of 2007, so keep your fingers crossed for me!)

August 3rd - Guest blogging at Pop Syndicate

Not enough for you? (What are you, a glutton for punishment or something?) :-)

Join me on MYSPACE or FACEBOOK!

Blogging Today at Writers At Play!

I'm blogging today at WRITERS AT PLAY about a few "behind the scenes" tidbits regarding my latest release, A Match Made In Hell.

Stop by and tell me a "behind the scenes" fact about yourself for a chance to win one of two free copies that I'll be giving away!

E-Readers: The Future Is Now

Any Star Trek fans out there? *Terri unashamedly raises her hand* (It has nothing to do with my crushes on Mr. Spock, Captain James T. Kirk, Ensign Chekov or Jean-Luc Picard, I swear!)

It was all about the technology (that's my story and I'm stickin' to it). Remember how Mr. Spock always had a book-sized computer in his hand, that told him everything he needed to know at the touch of a button? How some attractive young female ensign was always bringing Captain Kirk an electronic pad that required his electronic signature? The idea that so much information and data could be encapsulated into something that small was simply mind-boggling, and yet here we are, in the new millenium.

This is a picture of a Sony E-Reader, and those that have them claim they've revolutioned the reading world. There's more than one version of them: Amazon Kindles, Palm Handhelds, Toshiba Pockets, and more. For $299 to $399, you can download books instantly into these devices - up to 200 paperbacks can be stored at one time! Certainly cuts down on the need for shelf space! If you're traveling, and you find the book you're reading on the plane to be a stinker, you can just switch to another! E-book downloads are pretty much standard on Amazon now (including my own titles).

My agent and editor tell me that Sony E-readers have changed their lives - no more bulky manuscripts to lug back and forth on the subway, on trips, etc. Which is why I was particularly tickled to get a phone call the other day from my agent, telling me that Sony and HarperCollins have decided to join forces in a promo effort in which my books are involved! Yay!

At the Romance Writers of America's annual convention next month, Sony will be giving away 250 FREE E-Readers (not sure of the details, but I think involves drawings). Each E-Reader will come with "bundles" of three books. The winner of the E-Reader will get to choose between a bundle of three historical romances, a bundle of three paranormal romances, or a "mixed genre" bundle.

Guess who's book is in the "mixed genre" bundle? Yep, my newest release A Match Made In Hell will come pre-loaded onto a Sony E-Reader. I'm pretty tickled to be included in the "mixed genre" bundle, because that'll expose my writing to people who might not otherwise pick up a paranormal romance.

Now if only that adorably pointy-eared Mr. Spock came with the deal. *sigh*

A Match Made In Hell is in stores now!

Woo-hoo! My new book is officially released today!

A Match Made In Hell is the sequel to last year's Dead Girls Are Easy, and continues the story of Nicki Styx, ghostwhisperer extraordinaire.

What's the deal with that previously unknown twin sister, hm? Do Nicki and Joe find happiness together, or is there a new man in her life? Are demons truly a ghoul's best friend?

Pick up A Match Made In Hell, and find out! (Unless you really don't like spooky stories, quirky characters and lots of twists and surprises - yeah, I guess there are some people like that.) :-)

How Bad Do You Want It?

First of all, this movie is meant as a JOKE (although I suspect that, as with all good jokes, there's a grain of truth in it *tee-hee*). I've talked about the RITA awards here on my blog before (I'm up for TWO of them, baby!), but the ladies on this video are all finalists in the Single Title Contemporary Category. They decided to do a little tongue-in-cheek teasing by making a video for YouTube called "Trash Talking Romance Novelists: Bring on the RITAs, baby!"

I have to admit I find it hilarious, though I'm glad I'm not in direct competition with any of these ladies! Enjoy!

Harlequin Mills & Boon Medical Authors Guest Blogging Today at Writers At Play!

Are you a fan of Gray's Anatomy? E.R.? House? General Hospital? If so, sit back and take a peek into the world of medicine delivered by the talented Mills & Boon Medical Romance authors today at Writers At Play!

And if you're not a fan of the world of medical drama, but still love a good romance, or just want to win one of many prizes that'll be given away throughout the day, come join us as the Harlequin Mills & Boon Medical Authors share the ins and outs of writing Medical Romances.

Amberkatze's Book Blog Contest

Amberkatze is a kewl chick who describes herself as a "bookaholic". She has a totally awesome book blog (I love the look of her template, spooky chick that I am!). She was kind enough to contact me yesterday to tell me how much she enjoyed my new paranormal anthology, WEDDINGS FROM HELL.

She liked it so much that she's holding a contest, giving away a copy of WEDDINGS FROM HELL as the prize! Pop on over to Amberkatze's Book Blog for your chance to win!

And if you win, come over here and leave a comment that you won - I'll send you an autographed bookmark to go with it!

Thanks, Amberkatze!

A New Title, and "The End" Is In Sight!

I'm a bit psyched today, because I'm working on the LAST chapter of Book #3 in the Nicki Styx series! I should be typing the words "The End" within the next few days (even if I don't actually type them - it's just a figure of speech!) :-) The full manuscript is due to my editor on July 1st, which means I'll have time to take a breather, then go back and read it from start to finish with a fresh eye before I put it in the mail to NYC.

The original title for this book was IF YOU GOT IT, HAUNT IT, but after going back and forth with my editor the last couple of weeks, we've decided on a brand new title which (thankfully) I love even more! Look for YOU'RE THE ONE THAT I HAUNT on bookstore shelves in April 2009.

First Reviews for A MATCH MADE IN HELL

Reviews are beginning to come in for my July book, A MATCH MADE IN HELL, and I'm very happy to report that so far, they've been great! YAY!! When you've spent nearly a year of your life writing a book, it's really nice to hear that you didn't waste your time. Please bear with my "horn-tooting" today, and let me share my good news. Believe me, my head can still fit through the door - after this, I have to go do laundry. :-)

I found out this weekend that Romantic Times Magazine gave me Four Stars, and had this to say:







A MATCH MADE IN HELL
by Terri Garey

RT Rating:

Category: PARANORMAL ROMANCE
Publisher: Avon
Published: July 2008
Type: Paranormal Fiction

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

Ghosts, long-lost identical twin sisters and haunted mansions, oh my! The second Nikki Styx novel can stand on its own. Although it flirts with being too light a novel, the twists the story takes keeps it entertaining from start to finish.

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

Summary: After Nikki died and was brought back to life by her hunky doctor turned boyfriend, she thought her biggest problem would be keeping her day job while also helping spirits cross over. But suddenly she's juggling the appearance of her long-lost adopted twin, who happens to be the wife of Nikki's boyfriend, and the ghostly presence of their birth mother, who keeps giving Nikki mysterious messages. If that weren't enough to make a girl crazy, there's a new cutie in town who wants Nikki all to himself, but he might just be the devil! (AVON, Jul., 373 pp., $6.99) HOT

—Whitney Kate Sullivan
_______________________________________________________________

I also got Four Cups from the reviewers at Coffee Time Romance, who said this:

This second Nicki Styx story is just as involving as the first. Nicki and Joe’s relationship has grown even though Nicki has yet to tell Joe she loves him. The Devil, aka Sammy, has a great time planting discord in the relationship. Kelly and her poor me attitude wore on me at times; she has all of Nicki’s stubbornness and none of her style. Bijoux and Odessa are unusual characters to say the least. The Spider character made a nice romantic interest for Kelly, but the most compelling character was Sammy and his plaything, known as Psycho Barbie. Nicki tries as usual to be selfish, but is driven to do the right thing. Kelly seems to be the opposite at times, selfless on the surface, but is really self-centered. The plot has some very interesting twists and turns and I could not put it down for a minute.

I really had a lot of fun writing this book - I even took a trip to Savannah to make sure I captured the atmosphere properly. These characters were so much fun to write! (So much so that they show up again in Book #3). Anyway, if you like spooky stories with quirky characters and lots of unexpected surprises, I hope you'll check out A MATCH MADE IN HELL when it hits the bookstores shelves the end of this month.

A Funny For Writers: Heaven vs. Hell

A writer died and met St. Peter at the Pearly Gates. St. Peter said, “Since you were an author, you’re going to get your choice of two places to spend eternity.” St. Peter escorted the writer to the first area. There thousands of people were hunched over word processors, typing as fast as they could, sweat pouring off their brows, with a demon standing over each writer snapping a whip at the writer’s head.

The author shuddered. “I don’t want to stay here, St. Peter. This is Hell. What’s my other choice?”

St. Peter nodded solemnly. “I thought you might not want to. I’ll show you the better place.”

At this location, hundreds of people were hunched over word processors, typing so fast their fingers were a blur. Sweat, tears, and blood pour down their faces, but they never stopped typing to wipe it away. Three demons stood behind each writer, hitting each with cat o’nine tails. Hounds from Hell snapped and snarled at each writer’s feet.

The poor author wailed, “But… but… this is worse than the first place!!!”

St. Peter nodded and smile, “Yes, but these authors are published!”

Weddings From Hell has hit the shelves! Want to win a free one?

Have I mentioned how much I love this cover? LOL

I'm so excited about this anthology - I couldn't wait to hit the local bookstores (like I did yesterday) and see it on the shelves. I wanted to see if it looked as good in person as it does on my computer screen. :-)

I went first to my local B&N, but no luck - they hadn't put the June releases on the shelves yet. So I drove down the road to Borders, and was disappointed to see that they didn't have theirs out either. Just as I was about to walk away, one of the employees walked up and plopped four copies down on the table right in front of me! I scared the poor guy by immediately letting out a "squee!" of happiness! After I explained my outburst, he cheerfully went in the back and brought out the rest of the store's copies, all of which I signed, stickered and bookmarked, right on the spot!

Then I drove to the mall, where I went to Waldenbooks. Not only did they have it on the shelves, they had it featured in the "Books You'll Love" section (my local Waldenbooks is a great store, btw). More signing, stickering and bookmarking, along with a nice chat with the girl behind the counter.

So today, in celebration of my very first anthology release, I'm blogging over at Writers At Play about real-life weddings from hell, and giving away an autographed copy of THE BOOK to one lucky commenter. Stop by and say hello. Maybe you've got your own "wedding horror" story to tell?

The "Suite" Life

So today was a big day in the Garey household - 17 years since the day Captain America and I met. We were set up by my neighbor, who had invited this "really great guy" to a Memorial Day barbeque, and wanted me to come over and meet him. I resisted, but she was persistent, and the rest is history. :-)

Anyway, our "anniversary", Memorial Day, just happened to coincide with a business/pleasure trip to the very place where we spent our honeymoon - Amelia Island, Florida. Only this time, instead of the quaint bed & breakfast where we went on our honeymoon, we had a room at the Ritz-Carlton Plantation at Amelia Island, which was right up the road (but miles away, in theory, from where we stayed originally!).

We had a lovely time the first night - a nice room, dinner at a 5-star restaurant - but when it came time to turn out the light and go to bed, things weren't so lovely. A swarm of little bugs had taken residence on the wall around and above the lamp beside my bed (I do believe they were termites). Captain America rushed to the rescue, bath towel in hand, and managed to get rid of all the little suckers, but I didn't sleep well, imagining little buggies everywhere.

The next morning, I very politely informed the front desk of the problem, and in true Ritz-Carlton fashion, they took care of it by upgrading us to another room. A Beachfront Suite, to be exact.

It was HUMONGOUS! A foyer, two bathrooms, bedroom, living room, a dressing room, and a double wide, private balcony overlooking the beach. Here's the view:

Anyway, I may just have to have a termite emergency wherever I stay from now on! LOL

We ordered room service to celebrate, and had coffee, muffins and orange juice on the balcony the next morning.

It was our honeymoon all over again, only we were living the "suite life" instead of wondering how we'd pay the rent. Life has been good these 17 years, but this was the icing on the cake!

Happy anniversary, sweetheart!

A Facebook Fan Club

You know, there really are angels out there in the world, even dark ones like my friend, the lovely Justine. :-) I call Justine a "dark angel" because she's into the spooky stuff (like me), but she's also a kind, generous person with a heart as big as Texas. We met last month at a booksigning - I saw this cool-looking chick with purplish-dark hair and awesome jewelry standing in line to get a book signed by Sherrilyn Kenyon (who is awesome in her own right, btw), and thought to myself, "Hey, there's a woman who looks like she'd enjoy my books."

Sure enough, a few minutes later, there was Justine at my table, telling me that she'd read Dead Girls Are Easy and loved it. She'd loved it so much that she was buying a second copy so I'd sign it, having left her original copy at home. We chatted for a while, and I learned that Justine was not only a co-manager at a local Books-A-Million, she was an aspiring writer herself. So we chatted some more, exchanged emails, and kept in touch. She shamed me into getting a MySpace page :-), which has been totally fun, but then she went one better - much, much better - and set up a Terri Garey/Nicki Styx Fan Club on Facebook, which she calls Ghost Siting. (Isn't that a cute name? Ghosts... fan club site... Ghost Siting!)

Anyway, I never expected to have a fan club to begin with, much less have someone volunteer to set it up and maintain it for me! And guess what? I already have seven members! LOL

So if you're into Facebook, stop by and check it out. And Justine, thanks so much for being the dark angel that you are. You rule, ghoulfriend!

Tracy Grant at Writers At Play

I love this cover, and I can't wait to read this book!

Avon Historical author Tracy Grant is my guest today over on my group blog, Writers At Play. Please stop by and say hello - one lucky commenter will win a signed copy of Beneath A Silent Moon. I wish it could be me, but since I invited her, I've disqualified myself from getting any free goodies, dangit. :-(

Tracy will be talking about "focus shifts in historical fiction", which is basically how one defines the differences between historical fiction and historical romance.

Was Gone With The Wind historical fiction or was it a romance? What about The Other Boleyn Girl or Outlander? What is it that makes one book a romance and another not a romance? If a romance exists somewhere in the plot, why would it be anything but a romance? Sounds confusing, doesn't it? It isn't. Stop by and find out why.

First Review for Weddings From Hell

Whew.

My first anthology, Weddings From Hell comes out in 18 days (yay!), and the first review has been posted online! (The good news is: it doesn't suck!) ;-)

Here's what Kimberly from Darque Reviews had to say:

"With stories from four fabulous authors, Weddings From Hell offers something for everyone who enjoys a good urban fantasy or paranormal read. From ghosts to vampires, sweet to steamy, these strong heroines know what they want in a man and are determined to get it. A fast, fun and entertaining time."

I don't care if you're Nora Roberts or Stephen King, I think waiting for that first review is nervewracking. What if the world thinks your baby is ugly? LOL

Anyway, I'm relieved to know that my baby isn't (at least today). ;-) Thanks, Kimberly!

Jimi Gaskin Visiting Writers At Play

Geez, interviewing cover models is a tough job, but somebody's gotta do it! :-)

Come play with us at today Writers At Play as we welcome Mr Romance 2008 2nd runner up JIMI GASKIN to the playground! We'll be giving away prizes throughout the day so be sure to drop by & say hi to Jimi, ask him questions, or to just join in the fun. Each comment you make enters you to win a prize!

According to the lucky ladies who met Jimi at the 2008 Romantic Times Convention last week, this handsome hunk is the "real deal", in that he's not a professional model (yet!) just a gorgeous guy-next-door-type whose sister encouraged him to enter the Mr. Romance contest. He's actually a Physics/Computer Science student at the University of Hawaii. (Gee, and he's smart, too! LOL)

He gave us a lovely interview, including this quote about his experience at RT:

The only goal I had while attending RT was to have a better understanding of what women find romantic. Do I feel like I met those goals? I’m even more confused now than I was going in.:)

Welcome to the world of women, Jimi!

Ladies, hop on over to Writers At Play to say hello and learn more about this sweet, handsome guy.

Helen Rosburg of Medallion Press

"Tattoos, diamonds and jeans."

That's how Helen Rosburg, founder of Medallion Press, describes herself. How do I know? Because I woke up this morning to a front page article in the local paper about this amazing, fascinating woman. It seems Ms. Rosburg is a neighbor of mine, and I didn't even know it. You can read the article here.

There were a lot of things I didn't know about her - including the fact that she's an heiress. Her great-grandfather founded the Wrigley chewing gum company back in 1891. I also didn't know that she owns and shows horses, owning at least 16 absolutely gorgeous beauties (honestly, I looked up some of the pictures on her website, and I'm in love - I don't know which horse is more beautiful *says the horse-crazy girl from rural Florida*). In addition to founding Medallion Publishing, she's an author in her own right, with six published novels under her belt.

What's most impressive to me about Ms. Rosburg is the adversity she's overcome: two bouts with breast cancer, a double mastectomy, heart troubles, a stroke, failed marriages, problems with her kids. Being born with a silver spoon in your mouth doesn't keep troubles from your door, folks. Apparently it doesn't keep you from getting quarter sleeve tattoos on your upper and lower arms, either! :-) Helen says the tattoos represent not only endurance, but are a daily reminder to embrace every moment of her life.

She's an animal lover (to put it mildly!), with a ranch full of various critters: pigs, miniature Brahmin cattle, a miniature donkey, rabbits, hens, a turkey, goats, dogs, birds and eleven cats, besides the show horses.

But what I liked about her the most is that she's her own person. Tattoos, diamonds, jeans and all.

So howdy, Helen, from one of your neighbors! You go, girl! ;-)

Vote For Me!

I just found out this morning about a cool contest that's being run over on the Romance Review Today blog, where readers can vote on the 2008 RITA nominees, based on which book they've read and liked best. It's kind of like a "pre-vote" for readers, to see who they think will/should win. Once a week, RRT will choose a winner from those who voted, giving them either one of the RITA nominated books within that category, or a $5.00 e-gift card from Amazon, or a $5.00 giftcard from Barnes and Noble.

Since I'm a nominee for Best First Book and Best Paranormal Romance, I sure don't want to be the only one without votes! (I know, I know... pathetic, aren't I? LOL)

Anyway, if you read and liked DEAD GIRLS ARE EASY, go cast your vote here on the RRT blog. They're voting on one category per week, and this week it's Best First Book.

Basically, if you vote for me for BFB, I'll be your BFF! :-)

Mr. Romance, Andrei Claude

Why do we read romance novels? Because we all want the thrill of falling in love, the happily-ever-after, and the hot guy, of course! :-)

Admit it, you've bought a book because of the hot guy on the cover, haven't you? What if the hot guy on the cover really was just as sweet, nice (and hot!) in real life as well as in the fantasy?

Let me introduce you to Andrei Claude, the hunky Italian fitness model who's graced the cover of many a romance novel, and is one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet!

How do I know he's as great on the inside as he is on the outside? Because he's our guest today on my group blog, Writers At Play. If you think this photo is something else, head on over there to see a lot more of this handsome hunk, and learn what it's like to be an Italian hottie in an American girl world!

Seriously, he's a sweetie. Not only did he give us a great interview, he's hanging around to answer questions and play with us a little, too. (Oo, that sounded naughty, didn't it?) :-)

May Day, May Day!

Today is May 1st - Beltane on the pagan calendar, and "Ask An Editor & Get A Prize Day" at my group blog site, Writers At Play!

Stop by to chat with Harlequin editor, Melissa Endlich, and find out how your favorite books make it from an editor's desk to a bookstore near you. Leave a comment for your chance to win loads of books and other prizes! We're giving away prizes EVERY HOUR, with a Grand Prize at the end of the day!

When: Thursday - May 1, 2008
Where: Writers at Play
Who: Harlequin Senior editor Melissa Endlich & You!
Time: All day



Hope to see you there!

Do Something Good

I had a great experience this weekend, even though I majorly needed a shower afterward. :-)

I've started attending a very small "start-up" church that meets at the local YMCA, and one of the things I like about it is that they're the antithesis of all these giant "megachurches" that have sprung up all over the country. (Yes, the spooky paranormal writer goes to church! *gasp*) The idea at Logos Dei Community Church is that instead of building a huge membership and buying a huge building and having all the huge bills that go with it *g*, we try to make a difference in our own community by "doing good" in various ways.

By partnering with the YMCA, we have access to their facility and to their community outreach program, and through them we can identify people who truly need help, like the elderly woman whose yard had become completely overgrown, and the mentally challenged man with OCD whose house and yard had become an eyesore because of all the stuff he'd accumulated over the years.

So this Saturday, my husband and I, along with some other like-minded people, went and spent three hours sifting through junk, weeding, mowing, cleaning and doing what we could do to help someone stay in their own home a little longer without getting fined by the city or hassled by their neighbors. We were tired and filthy when it was over, but we had the satisfaction of knowing we'd "done something good".

So my challenge to anyone reading this blog is to get out there, and DO something. Visit that old lady down the street and see if she needs a ride to the store to get groceries, or help dusting her knick-knacks. Offer to walk your neighbor's dog while you're walking your own. Go through your closet and get rid of those clothes you don't wear anymore by taking them to a women's shelter. Stop by the local discount store and buy some canned goods and donate them to a food kitchen.

Doing something good for others is a two-way street: THEY feel good, and YOU feel good. It's easier than you think - start feeling good today!

MySpace and Me

Ok, so I've finally bitten the bullet and figured out how to set up my own MySpace page! I blame certain people - mainly Carla and Justine *tee-hee* - for sucking me into the challenge and giving me the kick in the rear I finally needed.

I'm pretty happy with the result, and if anybody wants to "friend" me, you can find me here at http://www.myspace.com/terrigarey. Right now I have very few friends, and am already feeling sorry for myself. :-(

Oh, and I have a question for anyone who has an opinion... I added music to my page, and I can't decide whether it's a good thing or a bad thing. Does it bother you when you go to a webpage and music starts playing, or do you not care one way or another? Opinions welcome.

Go check me out on MySpace!

Behind The Scenes at HQN, Kensington and Sourcebooks: Editors Margo Lipschultz, Megan Records and Deb Werksman Talk Books!

There’s a saying that if you’re “lucky enough to live at the beach, you’re lucky enough”. In this instance, I think if you’re lucky enough to attend a writer’s conference at the beach, you’re lucky enough to share what you’ve learned. I learned a lot during a Q&A session with editors from HQN, Kensington and Sourcebooks while attending the 2008 Silken Sands Writers Conference in Pensacola this past weekend, and thought I’d share it with you.

Margo Lipschultz is an Associate Editor with Harlequin Enterprises, and acquires specifically for the HQN and Luna lines. She describes the HQN imprint as single title fiction of 85,000 to 95,000 words, with romance as the central theme, and is open to historicals as well as contemporaries. Margo listed debut author Susan Anderson’s work as an example of the type of submissions she’d love to see.

The Luna imprint, however, has an entirely different feel. Described by Margo as “fantasy with romantic elements”, this line is meant to appeal to mainstream science fiction readers as well those who love romance. Strong heroines and detailed worldbuilding are a must, and Margo is particularly interested in urban fantasy, with “kick-butt women” and “alpha males”.

Deb Werksman of Sourcebooks has been an editor for over ten years. Prior to that she was the owner of her own publishing company, and is proud of the fact that Sourcesbooks is the largest female-own publisher in the US.

Sourcebooks is looking for single title fiction (including series), in a wide range of genres: historicals, paranormals, romantic suspense, humorous contemporaries, time travel and erotic romance. Deb is not interested in multi-cultural romance at this time, and accepts both agented or non-agented submissions. She is looking for strong, fiesty heroines that readers can relate to, and a hero that she can fall in love with. Deb wants all potential Sourcebook authors to know that each book receives the same basic, yet comprehensive marketing efforts, though she is willing to custom market based on author input and marketing plan. A one-line hook she can use for marketing purposes is very helpful.

Megan Records, Editorial Assistant for Kensington Publishing, is extremely enthusiastic about her role in the world of books, and loves nothing more than finding a wonderful story and nurturing it through the publishing process. She acquires for Kensington’s Brava and Zebra lines, and stresses that she does not acquire for the more erotic Aphrodesia. Her definition of the differences between the three lines was very simple; Aphrodesia is hot, Brava is sensual without being explicit, and Zebra is more mainstream.

Megan shared the overall process of acquiring a manuscript and turning it into a great book: negotiations with the author and/or agent, meetings with the marketing department, the art department, and in-house sales staff. She talked about the editing process itself: copyedits, page proofs and galleys. Cover brainstorming and design, one of the more creative areas of her job, is also one of her favorite parts of the process. Her description of her “Wall of Men” (i.e., a wall in her office where she hangs all her covers) had us all laughing (and a little jealous!).

It was a fascinating look behind the scenes of publishing, as Margo and Deb joined in frequently to discuss the similarities and differences between the three different publishing houses. By the end of the Q&A session, it was obvious why it often takes so long (an average of 9-18 months) between book contract to bookshelf!

All three editors shared the belief that a good editor should never seek to change the author’s voice, only do what they can to make it better. The most important factor of all is that they have to love your story—in the end, it always comes down to the writing.

Final parting words of advice to both aspiring authors and established ones were to write the best book you can, keep your editor informed of what you’re doing regarding your marketing efforts, and don’t sweat the myriad details of the publishing process. That’s their job—our job is to write the book.
________________________________________
Terri Garey writes paranormal romance for Avon HarperCollins, and is a 2008 double RITA finalist for her debut novel, DEAD GIRLS ARE EASY. Her upcoming releases include the paranormal anthology WEDDINGS FROM HELL in June 2008, and A MATCH MADE IN HELL in July 2008. Visit Terri on the web at http://www.tgarey.com, or stop by her favorite haunt at http://harpercollins.com/TerriGarey.

The Aliens Have Landed!

While I was attending the Silken Sands conference in Pensacola this past weekend, I was fortunate to have the best cab driver in the world (Hi, Smiley!). The drive from the Pensacola airport to the hotel took us through the sleepy little area of the Florida panhandle called Gulf Breeze, which if you're into UFO's at all, is well-known for a series of UFO sightings back in the late 80's. The sightings, although well documented, are pretty much considered to be a hoax, but one never knows, do they? :-)

Anyway, Smiley was the ultimate tour guide, and eager to show me the local sites, including this one:

It looks like the little green men have laid out the welcome mat, but in reality, it's a house (people live in the bottom, not the Mother Ship). There was even a little green man in the front window!

I have to apologize to Smiley, who got all dressed up for the return trip to the airport, because I told her I wanted to take a picture of her for my blog. I took the picture, but I think I must've been giggling too much, because it came out all blurry, and therefore useless. :-( Next time I'll make sure to bring an actual camera, instead of relying on my cell phone! But if you ever find yourself in Pensacola, FL, look for a cab with smiley stickers all over it and a woman with a big yellow smiley face tattooed around her wrist. You won't be sorry.

Footsteps In The Sand

I plan on leaving a lot of those these weekend. I'll be leaving early tomorrow morning for the Silken Sands Writers Conference, hosted by the Gulf Coast Chapter of Romance Writers of America. NYT best-selling author Sherrilyn Kenyon is the keynote speaker, and good friends Janice Lynn and Kathleen Long will be giving a workshop. There's a booksigning on Saturday afternoon (it will be my first large group signing), but I have to admit that one of the main reasons I'm going is because it's being held at the beach! :-)

What is it about the sea air, hm? The breeze, the waves, the sun - we look at them and think they're beautiful, but did you know there's actual scientific evidence that the negative ions created through the combined movement of air, water and sunlight really do improve your mood and sense of physical well-being? In a reversal of what you'd normally think, positive ions are bad, while negative ions are good. (Learn something new everyday, dontcha?)

Anyway, while it may appear I lead a charmed life, my life has been less than charming lately. I don't normally say this, but I need me some negativity! :-)

Have a great weekend, everyone, and don't do anything I wouldn't do!

A Ghoulishly Grand Gift!

Some of you know of my Halloween fetish... er, problem... oh, hell, I love Halloween and I'm not ashamed to admit it! :-) Anyway, a few years ago, a neighbor of mine and I decided to combine our Halloween nuttiness into one big giant monster mash of a party called "Madame Zelda's Haunted Graveyard". I provide the graveyard, she becomes Madame Zelda, and together we raise funds for the benefit of a wonderful children's charity called the Freedom Playground Foundation. We were so successful last year (mainly because of one very generous donor) that the foundation was able to complete its goal of creating a barrier-free play environment for children all over Tampa. The Freedom Playground is now a reality, instead of a just a dream.

Anyway, my neighbor (Stefani, a/k/a Madame Zelda) gave my husband and I one of the nicest "thank you's" I've ever received, in the form of this:

Is this great or what? This is one of the bricks in the wall surrounding the playground. When I'm old and gray (which will be never, thanks to Clairol!), I'll be able to take my grandchildren there and show it to them.

I just love it, and I'm so glad I was able to help with such a worthy cause!

What's the coolest "thank you" you've ever received?

The View From Venus

I'm blogging today at Writers At Play about what it's like to be a Double RITA finalist! This fun little group of writers is very special to me, because we've seen each other through some tough times over the last four years. Knowing that I've had friends like this beside me on my writing journey is very special, and I hope you'll stop by and say hello!

A Double RITA Finalist..Ka-Thunk!

Omigosh!

I got two phone calls this morning - the first was enough to make me laugh, cry and shake like a leaf; Ruth Kaufman, a lovely woman from the board of Romance Writers of America, called to inform me that DEAD GIRLS ARE EASY was a finalist in the Best First Book category of the RITA awards! I was so overwhelmed that I started crying, and Ruth cried with me! I babbled and tried to take notes about what happens next, and then I got off the phone and called my husband, my agent and my editor (still babbling, I'm sure!)

And then the phone rang again. Another lovely woman from RWA informed me that DEAD GIRLS ARE EASY was also a finalist in the Paranormal category!! I was so stunned to get two calls that I became worried they'd made a mistake!

Me: You mean I finaled twice?
Her: Did someone else call you?
Me: Yes, Ruth Kaufman.
Her: Best Book Category! Congratulations!
Me: So I finaled twice? (like, duh?) Are you sure?
Her: Yes, it seems so! Congratulations again!

Omigosh. It means I've got two shots to take home the gold (statue). Isn't she pretty? (oo... shiny....)

For those of you who aren't familiar with the RITA (do you live under a rock or something?) here's the official description:

Romance Writers of America proudly sponsors the romance-publishing industry's highest award of distinction — the RITA Award. RITA awards are presented annually to the best published romance novels of the year. The award itself is a golden statuette named after RWA's first president, Rita Clay Estrada, and has become the symbol for the best in published romance fiction.

Every year at the annual RWA conference (it's in San Francisco this year), there's a huge formal award ceremony (similar to the Oscars) where the winners are announced. I can't believe I'm going to see my name and title up on those big screens (twice!). What if I *gulp* win??

Oh, wow - you know what this means, don't you? The hunt for the perfect dress (and shoes) is begun!!!

Happy Easter Weekend!

Yesterday was Good Friday and tomorrow is Easter Sunday. I have great memories of Easter; coloring eggs as a kid, searching the house to find an Easter basket full of candy (and usually a stuffed bunny) that my mom claimed the Easter Bunny left for me. I'd end up with a bunny of some kind every year, long after I outgrew the eggs and baskets, including a real one, once. I have memories of coloring eggs with my own kids, of my youngest son getting baptized on Easter Sunday when he was twelve, of egg hunts in the yard, hiding the eggs over and over and over again for the kids to find.

I also have another memory of Easter, which involves a nasty incident over a pot of hardboiled eggs, which led me to the decision to end my first marriage, many years ago. My two young sons deserved to have great memories of Easter, too, and I remember being in a drugstore at 11 o'clock on a Saturday night, putting together Easter baskets for my boys to replace the ones I'd left behind, determined that they'd have their magical Easter morning in spite of our family's emotional turmoil. And they did, too. :-)

Memories of Easter - some good and some bad. What about you? Was it a religious day for your family or was it all about the eggs and chocolate bunnies? ;-) Does anyone still make the traditional Easter ham? Do you have any special memories of Easter?

Love The Scene, But Love The Book More

Most writers are familiar with the phrase, "Kill your darlings". I just killed one of mine, and there's blood all over my computer screen.

Ha! Made you cringe, didn't it? LOL

Before anybody calls the police, I'm talking about "literary darlings", which in this instance, was an entire scene that I'd worked on for days. I LOVED this scene - it had some affectionate reminiscing on my main character's part, introduced a new character and added some local flavor, and the dialogue was fantastic, if I do say so myself. :-) But last night, I decided to do a total read-thru of the novel so far, and you know what? The scene didn't work. It was a beautiful in a stand-alone kind of way, but it did absolutely nothing to move the story forward. The new character was unnecessary, and so was the reminiscing. In fact, the scene slowed the pacing of the overall novel, which led me to break out the figurative red pen and KILL IT.

You could say that today's blog post was a memorium of sorts. "Alas, poor scene, I loved you well." (yes, I know it's a misquote, but it's how I feel... *sob*)

The inability to kill your darlings has killed many a writer's career, in my humble opinion. We get so attached to the words we put on paper that we'll do anything to keep them; a tweak here, a move there, use this bit of dialogue somewhere else... when really, a clean break would be best for all concerned. We justify keeping it, thinking of all the time and effort that went into creating it in the first place, and not wanting to waste our prose or our time. But a good book is worth the time, and perfect prose may not always be perfect in the bigger sense - the BOOK is what's important, not the scene.

It's a tough lesson to learn, but liberating in its own way.

Happy Birthday, Mom

My mother would've been 83 today. We lost her almost 10 years ago to ALS, and I still miss her. She was funny and sweet and kind, and looked far younger than her years despite having 7 children (ACK, can you imagine?) Her name was Louise, and she loved collecting beautiful things like delicate old china and vintage jewelry.

My mom and I were always pretty close, maybe since I was the last one at home with her for a few years. (I was the baby of the family, the unplanned footnote, I'm sure.) :-) We didn't have a lot growing up, but she always managed to make sure we had nice holidays even if she had to skim grocery money all year to make sure we had enough presents. Christmas was magical, and Easter was new dresses, ribbons in our hair, and a picture in the yard with our Easter basket. Thanksgiving was a big dinner eaten on special china with her elderly Uncle Vic, who was the closest our family came to a grandfather.

She wasn't perfect, my mom, but who is? To me, she was a great mom, and I wish I could tell her Happy Birthday again. But instead I'll take flowers to her grave, and I'll remember.

Why Do Women Torture Themselves?

I find myself pondering something today, and maybe you've pondered it, too: Why do we, as women, torture ourselves over the way we look - and why do we give so much more credence to the negative instead of the positive?

My husband (a/k/a Captain America) tells me every single day that I'm beautiful. He's always complimenting me, very sincerely, about the clothes I wear, my hair, my figure, the fact that I wear lipstick even if the rest of my face is without makeup, the color of my nail polish. (Yes, Captain America is a very smart man, which is why he left for work this morning with a great big smile on his face!) :-) Other people tell me I'm attractive. I can look in the mirror myself and see I'm not hideous, but one little negative remark in passing from a friend, and I feel like the fattest, ugliest person alive. WHY IS THAT?

My friend, who is male, is going through a divorce. I've known this man for twenty-five years, and in many ways he's more like a brother than a friend, which is perhaps why he felt comfortable saying what he said. We were talking about his future, who he might meet, who he might like to be with, who I could introduce him to - when he said this:

"No offense, Terri, but I've never been attracted to the size 10s of the world."

NO OFFENSE? No offense? The logical conclusion here is that I'm a size 10 (which I am), and that's just too fat (which it isn't), and he doesn't want to offend me my pointing it out, but he will anyway.

I won't repeat my response, because it involved me using foul language.

He didn't even try to backtrack. In his opinion, he was simply stating a fact, but in my opinion, I'd just been dissed (along with any other woman who happens to be bigger than an eight). Luckily for him, because he's my friend, and because he's going through a rough time, I will forgive him his idiot insensitive remark. This time.

This one and only time. :-)

But it really got me thinking. I'm very aggravated at myself for letting one little negative comment about my size negate all the wonderful comments I hear every day, even for a moment. Anybody else ever do that?

A Cool Optical Illusion Widget - Try It!

I'm Today's Special Guest at the Barnes & Noble Book Club!

Come join me today on the online forum board of the Barnes & Noble Book Club!

New York Times bestselling author Eloisa James has invited me to come talk about "Coming Out Of The Broomcloset" and the popularly of paranormal fiction in today's market. Stop by and see what fellow readers have to say about ghosts and witches and other things that go bump in the night!

Darkly Dreaming Dexter

Well, I finally got around to reading a book I'd been wanting to read for a long time. It's funny, because I truly did want to read it, but I was reluctant because of the subject matter. *SPOILER ALERT* The idea of a sympathetic serial killer isn't really new (all you have to do is pick up a Tim Dorsey book or watch Kevin Costner in the extremely creepy movie, Mr. Brooks), but Darkly Dreaming Dexter is much more complex than that.

Dexter is a brilliant yet very damaged individual who was raised by a cop. His adoptive sister is a cop. He himself is a blood-spatter expert for the Miami police department, which is ironic because blood itself is at the root of all his problems. Bottom line, Dexter's cop father knew that his adoptive son was different; he knew that Dexter had an urge to kill that would one day find an outlet. So, as he lay dying, he basically gave good old Dex permission to kill those people who truly deserved it - the priest who raped and murdered little girls, the piece of scum who kidnapped children and sold them to child pornography rings, the sadistic nurse who liked to poison her elderly patients. I won't give away the entire plot, but I have to give the author, Jeff Lindsay, a tremendous amount of credit, on many levels, because he:

1) Kept me guessing (along with Dexter) until the very end of the book about how bad Dexter actually was.

2) Made me almost like Dexter (I say almost, because quite frankly, I don't think we're supposed to like Dexter, just be fascinated by the intricacies of the human mind, and Dexter's in particular).

3) Didn't gross me out too badly. (While I love the spooky stuff, I hate horror, so I was ready to be very squeamish about this book.)

I have to admit that I thoroughly enjoyed it, even the gory parts. :-) I'll be picking up the other books in this series, too. But I'll read them over time, not right away. A little Dexter goes a long way. :-)

Have you ever read a book that made you squirm? Made you want to close it and put it away, but you couldn't because you just HAD to find out what happened next?

Cupid's Arrow Strikes True - They're Engaged!

I got an early morning phone call from my sister this morning, telling me that her sweetie "popped the question" last night, and she said "YES!"

Pam Talley and Bart Santamaria are now officially engaged, and I'm SO happy for them both!

Pam and Bart have been dating for two years, and I've never seen a couple who gets along so well (except me and Captain America, of course). Bart's a great guy - kind, easygoing and very, very likeable - I'm tickled to have him join the family! (Um, Bart... you DO know what you're getting into don't you? If you don't, too late now! LOL)

All joking aside, I give the man a lot of credit for surprising my sister by doing it the night BEFORE Valentine's Day. Dinner, a show at the performing arts center, and then when my sister was already in her pajamas and in bed, he got down on one knee and told her he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, and offered her a beautiful diamond engagement ring. (Do I hear an AWWWW.........? Maybe that was just me, doing it again.) She's bringing her sparkly pretty over tonight after work so I can see it.

Please join me in a huge, heartfelt CONGRATULATIONS to the happy couple! I love you guys!

It's Gonna Be A "Helluva" Summer!

I am over the moon to announce the official unveiling of the covers for my next two books, both out in the summer of 2008!

WEDDINGS FROM HELL is a collection of ghoulishly great wedding tales by me, USA Today best-selling author Kathryn Smith, and NYT best-selling authors Maggie Shayne and Jeaniene Frost. Four unforgettable tales of unholy matrimony... where the grooms are dark, dangerous, and mostly dead, and to love and cherish 'til death takes on a whole new meaning!




A MATCH MADE IN HELL is the sequel to DEAD GIRLS ARE EASY - what kind of trouble has Nicki Styx gotten herself into now, hm? :-) (I'll give you a little hint: the Devil can be a little hard to resist, particularly when he's wearing faded jeans and a leather bomber jacket, and looking hotter than Hell itself!)

Both books are already available for pre-order on Amazon! *sigh* I never tire of looking at Amazon. LOL Anyway, I just LOVE both these covers! I love one more the other, though, but I'm not saying which. :-)

Which one do you like best?

Christina Hogrebe Is Visiting Today!

It's no secret that I adore my literary agent. Actually, I adore the entire agency - everyone at the Jane Rotrosen Agency is a true professional in every sense of the word; efficient, courteous, highly intelligent, and entirely enthusiastic about the book business. I thank my lucky stars for aligning properly and bringing us together!

Anyway, I asked Christina Hogrebe if she would consent to a Question & Answer session over on my new joint blog, WRITERS AT PLAY and she - enthusiastic as ever - agreed!

So if you've ever wondered what makes a good literary agent tick, pop on over and find out! I'll post a permalink here for those who miss today's blog so anyone can find it later: Ask An Agent: Christina Hogrebe.

Avast, Ye Matey!

As I sit here trying to write, I hear gunshots in the distance, sirens wailing, and people laughing in the street outside my open window. A group of obviously intoxicated teenagers, wearing colorful beads and holding aloft plastic cups filled with beer, hooting and hollering their way down the sidewalk in front of my house. They’re well on their way to partytime… even though it’s barely one o’clock in the afternoon. Helicopters hover overhead, but I can still hear the faint, tinny sounds of music. There’s a parade going on less than a mile away, it’s a beautiful day in Tampa, FL, and half the city has turned out to enjoy the show.

Shut the window, you may think, but I don’t want to. It’s Gasparilla Day in my hometown, and even though I’m here at home tending two family members who are sick with the flu, I’m still lucky enough to enjoy it vicariously. :-)

Gasparilla, you ask? (Don’t you love how I make up these imaginary conversations?) Once a year, the oak-lined streets of my all-American neighborhood become subject to invasion. Yes, an actual invasion… by PIRATES! You see, legend has it that Tampa was once invaded by a dastardly devil named Jose Gaspar, also known as the evil, merciless (yet quite the ladies man) Gasparilla! This terrifying seadog was the terror of the local seas, from the Panhandle down to Cuba. Back in the late 1700’s, he supposedly sailed right into Old Tampa Bay and conquered the city. And yet, for some reason, back in 1904, our city officials thought it would be a great idea for an annual festival in his honor.

I can only shrug, and do my best to imagine Johnny Depp. :-)

It’s our hometown version of Mardi Gras, with krewes and floats and beads and beer and scalawags. There’s an actual flotilla invasion, which anyone with a boat can join, led by the noble pirate ship Jose Gaspar, which is filled with normally staid businessmen dressed to the hilt as swashbuckling pirates, complete with scars, pistols filled with blanks, stuffed parrots and an eye for booty (and believe me, lots of women are willing to show their booty for beads!). Afterward, a long parade down the waterfront; local high school bands, colorful floats, beads flying through the air and ending up in the greedy fists of screaming civilians (with quite a few ending up in the palm trees that line the route).

It’s glorious, and fun. Wish you were here.

How Not To Be A Professional

I've mentioned my friend Tricia Owens on my blog before - she's an editor for The Wild Rose Press. Specifically, she's an editor for their erotica line, called Scarlet. I was stunned to learn that she'd received an incredibly nasty, profanity-laced email from an aspiring author who'd been turned down, both for the quality of her writing and for submitting a story that was totally inappropriate for Scarlet (i.e., it was NOT erotica).

Trish, being the lovely, talented lady she is, took the time to offer some well-meaning advice to said aspiring writer (which is far more than many editors would do when they're rejecting something), and received a scathing personal attack in return.

Let's face it: nobody likes criticism, constructive or not, but if you're a writer who can't handle rejection or criticism, then you're in the WRONG BUSINESS. No reputable literary agent or publishing house is going to want to work with you. Period. There are far too many other authors out there to put up with primadonnas.

So the question arose as to whether Trish should simply ignore this person's nastiness, or use it as an opportunity to educate other aspiring writers on how to behave in a professional manner. Today's blog over on Writers At Play is the result.

Stop by and check it out. Leave a comment. And the next time you hear the word "No", think about how you should behave instead of flying off the handle.

I've Been Tagged, or Seven Silly Facts You Never Wanted To Know But I'm Going To Tell You Anyway

Jenna Mayson , daily blogging sex kitten that she is, has tagged me. (Hey, look at the picture - I'm not sure which hunk this is, but I guarantee he finds kissing the lovely Jenna to be no hardship!)

What this means (to me, anyway... I'm not talking about the hunk anymore. Focus.... focus!) is that I'm now required to follow the official Rules O' Tagging, which are:

1) Link to the person who tagged you.
2) Leave a comment on their blog, so their readers can visit you.
3) Post the rules on your blog.
4) Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself on your blog.
5) Tag 7 random people at the end of your blog.
6) Include links to their blogs and let each of them know they've been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.


Seven random and/or weird facts? Ok, let's go:

1) I once lived in a house that turned out to be haunted. Notice that I didn't say "a house rumored to be" haunted. If I'd heard any rumor about what happened in that house before we moved in, you can bet your bottom dollar we'd NEVER have moved there. It was only AFTER we'd had some strange experiences in the house (which led me to talk to the neighbors) that we found out it had been the scene of a murder/suicide. Ummm... we moved. Luckily, we were only renting.

2) My given name is Terri, but most of my family (and my husband) call me by my childhood nickname, which is Ted. Yes, Ted.. or Teddi, depending on the person. Only one of my sisters refuses, because she says "Ted Garey sounds like a golf pro." And you know what? She's right! :-)

3) I can tie a cherry stem into a knot with my tongue. (Yes, I really can.)

4) I'm practically a vegetarian. Chicken, fish, fruit, vegetables and grains - red meat once or twice a year, tops.

5) When my husband and I are in the car together, I'm usually the one driving. Why? Because I am the worst back seat driver EVER ("Turn here! Put your blinker on! Slow down! Speed up!"), so for the sake of our marriage and my husband's sanity, he now just hands me the keys. :-) Needless to say, he's the one who taught the kids to drive, so they wouldn't be traumatized by Mom's white-knuckled shrieks, poor things. LOL

6) I survived a ruptured appendix a few years ago, but barely. I was in the hospital for three days (in agony, btw), until they did exploratory surgery and found the problem. Apparently, I had an abnormally long appendix that had become entwined (and partially hidden by) my intestines, so normal ultrasounds and scans didn't see the problem until they went in. Yay, me! I always knew I was a little twisted, and my body apparently agreed!

7) I've had Lasik surgery twice, and it didn't work either time, dangit!! I am now forever banned from trying it again because of the risk of corneal scarring.

8) I once had a torrid love affair with Hugh Jackman. It happened in NYC at Christmastime... I'd gone to see him in a play on Broadway and waited outside the stage door afterward. He came out into a light snowfall, dark hair falling into his dreamy brown eyes, took one look at me and...

Oh, wait. That's eight things, isn't it? Sorry to run on like that! I guess my star-crossed love story will have to wait for another day. *sigh*

Now, who shall I tag? I'm thinking Stacey, Lisa, Tawny, Leslie, Tammy, Pam H., and Kate. Off to say, "Tag, you're it!"

Ask An Editor with Writers At Play

Ever wonder about the secret inner workings of the mind of an editor? One of my dear friends, Tricia Owens, is an editor for the Wild Rose Press, and she's blogging today over at Writers At Play.

Trish is talented, funny and very, very approachable. Stop by and read about a glamorous day in the life of an erotic romance editor :-), and ask her a question!

The Open Book Club

I'm way behind on my official "Thank you!" to the wonderful women of the Open Book Club, who hosted me last week as their guest author. Carol, Carol and Carroll, Sydney, Eileen, Amy and Candi (did I miss anybody?)are a great group, and I SO enjoyed talking with them about plotting, storylines, character development, underlying themes and the writing process itself. It was both gratifying and flattering to be among of bunch of highly intelligent, personable women who love what you do. One of my favorite parts of the evening was when one of the Carols :) read aloud a passage she'd marked as something she'd particularly enjoyed (a treat, she called it)... it was strangely surreal to hear my own words read back to me like that.

Anyway, a big Thank You to a great group of ladies!

Would You Like To Win Some Free Books?

I belong to a small group of women who are truly extraordinary. We call ourselves Writers At Play because even though writing is a serious business, we've vowed to have fun with it. We've hung out online together for almost four years, seen each other through contests and finals and rejections, met up at conferences across the country, and learned some publishing lessons the hard way. :)

And you know what? We've succeeded. When we met in 2003, we were all unpublished. Four years later, twelve of us are published, and one's gone on to become an editor herself.

So we must be doing something right. :)

Anyway, over the holidays, I got this crazy idea that instead of sending candy and cards to my PlayPals for Christmas (a WONDERFUL tradition, btw... don't ever stop!), I'd give them them gift of a group website. We'd been talking about it for years, but it would require some coordination and some effort and a lot of technical stuff that only computer geeks would be interested in. :-)

So I got creative (it's not like I was busy with the Christmas holiday and brain scans or anything *g*), and Writers At Play is the result. Our hard lessons learned are yours for the picking, our inspiration yours for the asking, and our books are yours for the winning. (Just don't try and steal any of the eye candy... particularly Matthew McConaughey. Janice doesn't share very well.)

To celebrate our new home on the web, we're giving away free books on our new Blog as we take questions for our two official Contest Divas, Stacey Kayne and Lindsey Brookes.

Stop by and visit, and comment to win a grand prize of four books!

How I Spent My Christmas Vacation

I can't believe how quickly the month of December passed! In addition to the normal Christmas hubbub (shopping, wrapping, decorating, Christmas cards, cooking, entertaining and holiday parties), December was full of personal things: a couple of family birthdays, a brand-new baby nephew, out-of-town family members in town for the holiday, a CT scan and MRI of the brain...

Yes, I had a personal health scare this month - three sudden, severe headaches at the base of my skull, the last of which landed me in the emergency room at my local hospital. After two different brain scans, the good news is I DON'T have a aneurysm or a brain tumor (lovely words to be able to write), but I do apparently have some cervical issues with my neck. Physical therapy three times a week and regular massages should take care of it, I'm told. (Darn! I have to go get massages! Poor me!) LOL

So I'm feeling pretty fortunate as I go into the New Year. I have my health, I have my family, and I have two books coming out in 2008. Now I just need to get to work on the current work-in-progress, which is coming along quite nicely.

Happy New Year to you all!

Lighting The Luminaries

My neighborhood has a long-standing tradition of lining our streets with luminaries on the Saturday night before Christmas. A few stalwart volunteers put out hundreds of white bags filled with sand during the afternoon, and then a few more people go out at dusk with their trusty lighters and light up as many as they can. Block by block, street by street. The result is magical - a line of flickering white lanterns up and down the street, Christmas lights on all the houses, neighbor talking to neighbor in the gathering dark.

Peace on earth. Goodwill toward fellow men. For a little while, anyway. :-) Christmas traditions remind us to take a little time and appreciate what we have, where we've come from, and hopefully where we're going.

Do you have any special traditions for the holiday?

Quiet Heroes

For the last couple of years, I've done a little bit of fundraising for The Freedom Playground Foundation, an organization formed with the goal of creating the first barrier-free, all-access playground for the handicapped children of Tampa.

The Freedom Playground is the brainchild of my neighbor, Stefani Busansky, whose oldest daughter Sarah was born with cerebral palsy. Freedom Playground began as a dream, and it is about to become a reality, all because of some wonderful people who have donated both time and money into making it so.

My feeble efforts at fundraising have raised only a few hundred dollars a year, until this year. This year, I want to give a very special thank you to a wonderful woman who, out of the goodness of her heart, just donated a total of $50,000.00 to the Freedom Playground Foundation. While this extremely generous, very kind soul has asked to remain anonymous, I'd like her to know that what she's done is about to make some very special children very happy. The legacy of her generosity will live on for years and years in the hearts of children who, because of their disabilities, often have a much harder time just "being kids".

So for those of you out there who think that angels don't exist, think again. :) Merry Christmas to all the quiet heroes out there, who put their money or their time where their mouth is!

In Memoriam: Jon Kipling Bohannon Nov. 3, 1956 - December 19, 1998

My brother Jon was a guy who was passionate about fishing, about partying, and about women. Combine all three of those things and Jonny was in heaven, which is where (I can only hope) he is right now.

In our family of five, Jon was the only boy, and the sibling closest to me in age. One of my favorite memories is how - when he'd teased me to the point where I'd finally lose my temper, which he loved to do - I'd chase him down the hall to his bedroom and he'd jump into bed and pull the covers of his head, shouting and laughing that the blanket was his "shield of defense" as I did my best to pummel him senseless (hey, I was a little girl and he was my older brother - I couldn't have hurt him if I wanted to). No matter how mad I'd get at him, we'd both end up laughing over his very verbal, and very ridiculous mock defense.

As an adult, Jonny wasn't perfect. He was often unreliable, sometimes a bit shady, and always drank too much, but he'd give you the shirt off his back if you asked for it. He had a big heart, and zest for life. That zest for life is, unfortunately, what eventually what did him in, and he died far too young of chronic liver failure. He knew it was coming for a couple of years, and he became very, very ill near the end, but he wasn't bitter. He'd lived his life the way he wanted - he'd traveled all over the world only to settle in his beloved Key West, where he could fish and laze away his days with pretty girls and laid-back people like himself.

He died nine years ago today, just before Christmas. So today I'm remembering him, and I hope a few other people do, too. Even though I had a chance to say goodbye right before he died, I'd like him to know one more thing: I've finally forgiven him for reading my diary when I was thirteen. :)

The New Suburb Beautiful Book Club

I just wanted to say thank you to the warm and wonderful women of the New Suburb Beautiful Book Club, who invited me to share in their monthly fun last night. I had such a great time! Special thanks to Jane, who spent all day cooking up a true Southern feast for fifteen: peppered pork tenderloin, black-eyed peas with ham, green beans and potatoes, roasted pears and cornbread baked with maple syrup. It was DEE-lish, particularly the cornbread. :)

I knew it'd be a fun evening when Jane met me at the door wearing a tree skirt. As in tree skirt - the skirt that goes around the bottom of a tree. She'd pinned it on herself so neatly that it actually worked, flocking and all! It was the book club's Christmas gathering, and all the members brought wrapped books to exchange. Wine and conversation on the patio in a mild Florida night (sorry to all you folks in the great White North!), laughter and teasing among women who obviously knew each other well, a chance to get to know some of my own neighbors better.

It was truly a lovely, fun evening. Thanks, ladies!

A New 'Do

As much as I hate to admit it, my husband was right again. :-(

One of our favorite TV shows is Medium, which stars Patricia Arquette as a woman who sees spirits (it's based on the life of real-life psychic Allison DuBois). My husband has told me many times that Ms. Arquette and I have a lot in common - longish blonde hair, curvy figure, even a slightly crooked tooth which gives her a teeny bit of a lopsided smile similar to mine. Anyway, last season Patricia Arquette got a new hairdo - she cut her long blonde hair into a short, straight bob which looked fabulous on her.

"You'd look great with that haircut!" says my husband.

"But it's so short," says I, "and besides, she's got hair and makeup people."

Over the next few months, the debate continued. I was, in fact, tired of my long hair, but very leery of cutting it - it's been a part of me so long I was worried I'd end up like the Biblical character of Samson, who lost his strength when he lost his hair. I was ready for a change, but hesitant to walk into a salon, hand my guy a picture of an actress and say, "Here, make me look like this."

But, veteran watcher of "What Not To Wear" makeovers that I am, I knew that a great hair stylist can work miracles. I did my homework and found a "master stylist" here in town (yes, there are different levels of hair stylists depending on their training) who recommended a consultation before the actual cut - you come in, talk to him, let him evaluate your style and your "look", then go away and think about it before you come back for the cut. Suited me perfectly.

So, I went for my consultation and let him evaluate me. And what did he recommend? A short, straight bob just like this:

What a surprise, hm? :-)

So now Patricia Arquette and I kinda look like sisters, and I ain't complainin'. I'm still getting used to it, but I'm liking it better every day (no pictures of me yet, but it looks just like this, I promise).

Change is good, but having your husband be right when it comes to your hair style is a little weird. I mean, most men don't notice these things, do they? (My husband insists on disclaimer here: he's a Marine, a manly man of manly pursuits, and he never notices anybody's hair except mine. Feel better, honey?)

So have you ever had a haircut that you just loved? How about one you hated?

How Much Does It Cost To Get Published?

Alas, it's finally happened. The inevitable awkward cocktail party conversation I've heard about so many times, but hoped never to experience. The one where you're chatting away with a woman you barely know, but she knows you're a published author because her husband knows your husband so she wants to hear the details. "Great!" you think, "a new reader!" You try to sum it up your book in a nutshell, explain that it's available in the bookstores (It is? Yes, it is. You mean like Borders and Barnes&Noble? Yes, like Borders and Barnes&Noble), and then you drop a coy little comment about your literary agent and take another sip of your drink.

So now it's her turn, and you're listening to how she's had a book stuck in her head forever, and how she knows it would be a huge success if she could get around to writing it. How she knows the perfect artist to do the illustrations, and how Nora Roberts has got nothing on her. And then, a question that took me completely by surprise: "How much does it cost to get published?"

My first thought, I swear, was "Is she asking how much I spend on paper and office supplies?" And then I realized that she was assuming I was self-published; that I'd paid someone to publish my book. While I have absolutely nothing against self-publishing or print-on-demand publishing, what surprised me the most was that it obviously hadn't occurred to her that anyone could get published any other way.

"I don't know how much it costs to get published," I said, very politely. It wasn't this woman's fault that she'd misunderstood. "My publisher paid me," I told her. "They bought the book."

Her eyebrows went sky high, and I could see the skepticism in her face. No more questions about publishing, and she immediately changed the subject. I was left feeling like I'd said something wrong, and even though we chatted for a while longer, I was relieved when she moved on to chat with someone else.

It was weird. It was awkward. How strange not to be believed when you've achieved something that you worked so hard for.

My husband claims that you're never a hero in your hometown, and I think he's right. I think that woman at the cocktail party made an immediate assumption that I couldn't possibly be a bona fide author simply because I move in the same circles she did. How could the woman who shops at the same grocery store she does be a published author? Ah, well. Her book is still in her head, while mine is on the shelves. Clean up on Aisle 3.