Buzzing About Favorite Things (Part 2)

Today I confessed my favorite thing over at Books, Boys, Buzz... Pop on over, discover my weakness, and have a chance to win The Year of Secret Assignments by Jaclyn Moriarty.

Hugs,
TLC

Blogging on the Road

Daisy and I are on the road back to Oklahoma City. I'm waiting for my turn to drive. Daisy is curled up for a nap.




Hugs,
TLC

OH. MY. GODS. and GODDESS BOOT CAMP (out now!)
FORGIVE MY FINS (coming June 1, 2010)
http://www.teralynnchilds.com

Location:Century Ln,Sarcoxie,United States

Happy Holidays!

Daisy and Pepper, originally uploaded by Tera Lynn Childs.

I'm in Missouri for Christmas with family and we've got a pretty frigid white Christmas outside. So I'm staying warm inside! Here's a fun picture of my new puppy Daisy (on the right) meeting her cousin Pepper for the first time. They get along ... for the most part.

Hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season!

Hugs,
TLC

Buzzing About Favorite Things (Part 1)

We're doing a special two-week event over on Books, Boys, Buzz... to celebrate the holiday season. Check out my teaser post today, guess the answer to two questions and you could win buttons and/or a book!

Hugs,
TLC

Buzzing About Daisy

This Tuesday on Books, Boys, Buzz... I'm talking about the newest member of my family: Daisy. Come meet her on the Buzz blog.

Hugs,
TLC

A Holiday Playlist

Jingle Bells., originally uploaded by shutterberry.

While I'm working on beating the sequel to Forgive My Fins into shape I've been jamming to my collection of Christmas music. Here are some of my favorites, old and new.

• Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24) by Trans-Siberian Orchestra
• Grown Up Christmas List by Amy Grant
• Santa Baby by Eartha Kitt
• Sleigh Ride by Garth Brooks
• Do You Hear What I Hear? by Whitney Houston
• (It Must Have Been Ol') Santa Claus by Harry Connick Jr.
• Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer by Jewel
• The Gift by Aselin Debison
• I Saw Three Ships by Sting
• It Came Upon a Midnight Clear by Ella Fitzgerald
• Little Drummer Boy by The Temptations
• What Child Is This? by Vanessa Williams
• Last Christmas by Wham!
• Winter Wonderland by Etta James
• All I Want For Christmas Is You by Olivia Olson

Your turn to share some of your favorite holiday music.

Hugs,
TLC

Three Great Holiday Movies

Every Christmas season there are a few standard traditions: decorating the tree, pulling out all the holiday tchotchkies with mom, baking tons and tons of treats. But one of my favorites (which, coincidentally, requires the least amount of work) is watching Christmas movies. I've got several on DVD, but here are my absolute faves.

1. White Christmas

This is such a holiday classic. It's just not Christmas until I've watched White Christmas, and I'll usually end up watching it more than once over the holiday season. My favorite bits are Mandy (see pic above), Count Your Blessings, and Snow. I could watch this one again and again and again.

2. Holiday in Handcuffs

I absolutely adore this movie. And not just because of the shirtless Mario Lopez scene (although that is a major bonus). I also love Melissa Joan Hart and her quirky character is just so ... her. I'm also a fan of the "innocent" kidnapping plot, and love the twist that it's the girl doing the kidnapping. This is a fun little movie with a lot of heart and soul.

3. The Holiday

There are so many reasons to love this movie. Cameron Diaz and Jude Law. Kate Winslet and Jack Black. A tiny cottage in England and a huge mansion in L.A. The best of all possible worlds. This is the only one I don't own. Yet.

So tell me, what are your favorite holiday movies? Am I missing any great ones?

Hugs,
TLC

Tonight's To Do List

(Updated at 9:28pm, 10:36pm, 12:11am, and 1:42am.)

(No, these are not my cookies. Mine are secret.)

Between the holiday season and trying to finish the sequel to Forgive My Fins and getting ready for a tree trimming party on Monday and preparing to get a new dog, well, things have been a little scattered. So I'm going to post my to do list for tonight so that, hopefully, I'll actually get it all done.

• Do dishes from last night's cookie decorating
• Make batch of royal icing for tonight's cookie decorating
• Decorate last of gift cookies
• Do dishes from tonight's cookie decorating
• Mourn the fact that there is no White Collar tonight
• Fix holes in post-it wall of Forgive My Fins sequel (now I just have to fix them in the manuscript)
• Put away clean laundry
• Clean dirty laundry (discovered there is not enough to do a load)
• Answer a few critical emails
• Start on new crafty gift project (by-product of otherwise necessary trip to Hobby Lobby)

Hugs,
TLC

A FORGIVE MY FINS Advent Calendar

Since it's the first of December, I have advent calendars on my mind. (For any non-Christmas-celebrators out there, an advent calendar is basically a countdown to Christmas day.) In honor of the season, I've made a fun e-advent calendar from the FORGIVE MY FINS cover.

Instead of a little piece of bad chocolate, each day you'll get fun facts about FORGIVE MY FINS. (Try not to cheat and look ahead. Getting a prize a day is the whole point.) On the last day there is a contest to win  fun mermaid prize pack.

Find the hidden advent calendar here.

Hugs,
TLC

PS--I'm also talking about advent calendars over on Books, Boys, Buzz... today.

Buzzing About Winter

It's Tuesday, so it must be my day over at Books, Boys, Buzz.... This week I'm buzzing about what I love about winter and my new motivation for finishing FINS2.

Hugs,
TLC

Before You Write a Word (Part 2)

Last week I posted the first part of my advice for aspiring writers, about how important reading it to developing your skill as a writer. But your writing skill is only a part of what it takes to become a published author. The writing business is about writing great books, of course, but it's also a business.

Now, I don't know about you, but when I first started writing I had no clue about the business of publishing. I had these romantic images of women in silk robes and maribou slippers or men in rumpled clothes with a hefty drink in one hand and a pen in the other. They would send off their manuscripts to their hard-nosed agents and ... ta-da, a few months later their books would be on the shelves.

Only that's not exactly how it happens.

Thankfully, before I took my first big step into this career, I knew that I need to know more. That I would stand a better chance of actually getting published if I knew more about the industry.

Here's where Before You Write a Word advice part two comes in.

Step Two: Research

If you're reading my blog (and, I guess, that we can reasonably make that assumption) then you have access to the greatest research resource ever made: the internet. When I was trying to educate myself about the intricacies of the publishing industry, I lived approximately in the middle of nowhere. But (thankfully) the internet had already become a tremendous reservoir of information about writing, publishing, agents, organizations, and anything else you could possibly need to know to begin your career.

Now, that reservoir is even bigger. Agents and editors and even copyeditors are blogging. Organizations, big and small, are active on Twitter. Bestselling authors are on every possible social network. Meaning that all this information is instantly available to you.

The sheer volume of these resources can be overwhelming. Never fear. I have compiled a list of the very best (in my opinion) online resources for aspiring writers.

Loads of Tips and Articles

• Gabrielle Luthy -- Billions of great links, organized by categories like "Beginning writers" and "Dialogue" and "Rejection" (which, trust me, you'll need).
• Charlotte Dillon -- More focused on romance writing in particular, this site was one of my favorite resources when I was first writing.
• Teen Author Challenge -- My friend and fellow author Kay Cassidy's year-long series of blogs for aspiring writers, featuring weekly tips, quotes, advice, and exercises.
• Writer Unboxed -- A multi-author blog about all topics on the craft and business of writing. They have terrific interviews with industry folk.

Agent and Editor Blogs

• Jenny Bent (aka my uber-fabulous agent)
• Miss Snark
• Janet Reid
• Kristin Nelson
• The Knight Agency
• Nathan Bransford
• BookEnds
• Evil Editor
• Editorial Anonymous
• Editorial Ass

Published Author Blogs (there are billions, of course, but I'm highlighting some of my faves)

• Meg Cabot
• Ally Carter
• Kristin Cashore
• Laurie Halse Anderson
• Maureen Johnson
• Justine Larbalestier
• Melissa Marr
• Diana Peterfreund

Organizations and Loops

• Romance Writers of America -- A terrific organization for any writer, even if you're not writing romance. RWA is focused on educating authors in all aspects of the publishing world, from craft to contracts to promotion and everything in between. The monthly Romance Writers Report journal and numerous online, members only resources make it a great group to join.
• Young Adult RWA -- The newly-formed young adult (teen fiction) special interest chapter, focused exclusively on young adult literature within RWA.
• West Houston RWA -- My home chapter, with a great membership pool, a lively online loop, and some of the best workshop programs around.
• Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrations -- More oriented at picture books and middle grades authors, SCBWI produces a wonderful monthly magazine and a great only resource library.
• Teen Lit Authors -- An extraordinarily active loop for all writers (aspiring and otherwise) of teen fiction. This loop has several hundred members, tons of whom are published, and any question is sure to get plenty of answers.

Now, go do some research.

Hugs,
TLC

Very Exciting News

I know I've been keeping everyone in suspense since my Tweet last night, but I've finally got the go ahead, all clear to announce my news.

On Friday the 13th (eek!) I sold a brand new trilogy to my wonderful editor at Katherine Tegen Books (HarperCollins)!

I can't give away too many details yet. (Must actually write the books first!) But I can tell you a few fun facts:

• The high concept pitch is Buffy meets mythology.
• The first book should be out in Fall 2011.
• I had a working title for the series, but that'll change.
• It's about three sisters with a mysterious mythological past.
• It's set in San Francisco.
• If I had to imagine a cover it would be black and gray with highlights of silver and hot pink.

I also have to say, with no disrespect to my other books (which are awesomely fun and you should read them all), that I am more excited to write this trilogy than any other book I've ever written. As soon as (the still untitailed) FORGIVE MY FINS 2 is put to bed, I'm diving into this one. Woohoo!!!!

Hugs,
TLC

Before You Write a Word (Part 1)

One of the most asked question that I--or probably all authors--get asked is, "Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?" And you know what? I do. I do have advice. Loads of it. More, probably, than anyone would ever want to hear. (Just get a writer talking about writing and you'd better pull up a chair.)

Okay, so if you're looking for advice we might as well start at the beginning, before you ever put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard. Before your write a word of the story that's churning around inside you, begging to be told.

Step One: Read

One of the main reasons I started writing is because I was a ravenous reader. (I wasn't always so keen on reading, but that's a topic for another blog.) It was the inspiration I found in the words of others, of writers like Johanna Lindsey and Julia Quinn, Meg Cabot and Ellen Raskin, Agatha Christie and William Shakespeare. Their words, and the emotions they conveyed with those words, made me want to put together my own words and tell my own stories. To draw emotion from readers as those authors had drawn emotion from me.

But even more than inspiration, reading the writings of others--whether it's the classics or romance novels or magazine articles or blog posts like this one--teaches you how that particular author uses words to convey emotion, thought, and action. Writing is kind of like trying to explain a dream to someone else. You're taking something entirely inside your head and hoping that someone else will understand what you mean exactly. That kind of expression takes practice, but a great first step is studying how other writers use words to express their dreams. (This is what we call the author's "voice"--which is just a vague way of saying "how you speak to readers".)

Here are some great examples from authors with strong, unique voices:

• Two months ago I capitulated to nonconformity-conformity and had my hair bleached white and then dyed stop-sign red. It cost sixty dollars and it pissed off my mother, but it didn't work. I'm still ordinary. ~ Fly on the Wall by E. Lockhart
• "There are even a couple of police here right this minute scouring the school for gas leaks, which includes my brother Brian ( I don't mean my brother Brian is a gas leak, he's a cop), so I'm hoping they'll get to the lead in time and patch it up, maybe a bit of Blue Tack or chewing gum, whatever you do in an emergency. ~ The Year of Secret Assignments by Jaclyn Moriarty
• In the fall, a few brave souls sneak into the woods to harvest apples. But always in sight of the Meadow. Always close enough to run back to the safety of District 12 if trouble arises. “District Twelve. Where you can starve to death in safety,” I mutter. Then I glance quickly over my shoulder. Even here, even in the middle of nowhere, you worry someone might overhear you. ~ The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
• If there was a criminal escaping on water skis with a satchel full of priceless diamonds, I would certainly not chase after her in any way. What I would do is yawn and be glad that they weren't my diamonds because for one thing, I don't have any diamonds. My dad has a lot of valuable paintings, but if an evil crook carried them off across a tightrope, it would be no big deal because he's a famous painter and he'd just paint some more. No death-defying pursuit necessary. ~ Lulu Dark Can See Through Walls by Bennett Madison

Read those passages (read those entire books, actually--and all of Jaclyn Moriarty's blog, too, because she's my hero) and study how those authors each use words in unique ways. No one could ever confuse a Jaclyn Moriarty book with an Suzanne Collins. Bennett Madison has a distinctly different voice from E. Lockhart. Why? How does their use of words create a completely different feeling, a different conversation between you, the reader, and the characters in the story?

This is a very important concept. A critical first step for an aspiring writer. Until you can figure out how they do it, there's a pretty good chance that you won't be able to.

Hugs,
TLC

FORGIVE MY FINS Trailer by YABookNerd

The always wonderful Jennifer Rummel (aka YABookNerd aka fabulous YA librarian for Otis Library) made this awesome trailer for Forgive My Fins.

My official trailer will be coming early 2010, but for now this one definitely fits the bill. I love it! Thanks, Jennifer!!!

Hugs,
TLC

The Magic Stopwatch Method

As I've mentioned on Twitter (over and over and over) I'm under deadline. I mean really under deadline. Between moving to the next state up, helping out the family with a big to do, and battling allergies and viruses off and on I'm going to be cutting it close to the wire. I needed a way to churn out pages. Then I remembered something my friend Shana Galen told me....

(Before she had a baby) Shana wrote ten pages every morning. Like clockwork. The trick was, she told me, was knowing how long it took her to write a page. She had timed herself and knew it took X minutes to write a page. Then, every day when she started to write, she also started a stopwatch. Once she started writing she couldn't stop to go to the bathroom, get a drink, or succumb to any other distraction because it would throw off the timing.

The Stopwatch Method

1. With the Alphasmart at the ready, I open the stopwatch on my iPhone and click start.
2. If I need a mental break (usually after about 25-30 minutes) I stop the timer for a few minutes.
3. Then I click start and dive back in.

I've done this twice now and here are the results:

Day 1
Time: 1:25
Pages: 14

Day 2
Time: 1:15
Pages: 13

That's like NINE pages an hour!!!

I'm trying not to think about how I managed to waste all that time before--daydreaming, people watching, doodling, brainstorming. Blah, blah, blah. I could have written twice as many books in the same amount of time.

Why Does it Work?

I think it's knowing that the clock is ticking. It's like a race and, as a former competitive swimmer, I know all about racing to beat the clock. It encourages me to stay focused for those short(ish) bursts of time.

Will it work for you? I don't know. It might not work for me tomorrow, or on the next book, or five years from now. But it's working for me now. And with my deadline screaming closer, I'll keep trying until I have to click send. Fingers crossed.

Hugs,
TLC

A Bad Spam Moment

Okay, I have my author email set up to feed into my Gmail account so I only have to check in one place. My Gmail account has been really good about filing actual Spam into my Spam folder. I usually just click the Spam folder, do a quick skim, and then click Delete All Spam. (Because, really, who wants Spam? Well, maybe the canned meat, but not the email.)

Anyway... Have you ever had one of the moments where you clicked send and, as the email was going, you realized you had: a) said something wrong, b) forgotten an attachment, c) replied a snarky remarked to the person you're snarking about? Well, today, when I clicked Delete All Spam my eye skimmed over the titles as the Spam went away ... and saw a subject line that read: Really Big Fan!!! I did a double-take, saw that it had come from my website contact form, and then cried ... because the "Spam" was gone. And you can never get it back. :-(

The moral of this story is: If you sent me a message from the contact form on my website in the last couple of days PLEASE resend, because Gmail failed me. I won't absently Delete All Spam again anytime soon.

Hugs,
TLC

The Journey (Part Three)

Ooops, I almost forgot to post today! (Okay, to be honest, I should have pre-posted this last night, but I did forget.) Whew, I'm skating in just under the wire.

When I left off, I'd just headed out of Austin in the direction of Ft. Worth. Why? To visit darling author Rosemary Clement-Moore, of course! She lives right on the way between Austin and Oklahoma City so we thought, "Why not have a RITA winners' sleepover?"

So, I made my way in the rain to her house. After much talking (because writers do love to talk almost as much as they love to write--almost) we headed out to IHOP to meet some over her local writing peeps. It was a loud and raucous gathering and I'm sure the IHOP staff was glad to see us go at 1:00am.

Then, you know what? Rosemary and I stayed up even longer talking. Until 4:00am!!!

Did I mention I was already on the verge of sleep-deprived?

Anyway, we finally went to bed and I crashed instantly. I got up ... when I got up. And, after yet more talking (and yummy banana nut bread) I said goodbye and headed up the road.

Along the way I saw a truck pulling and Alfa Romeo--my dad's favorite car--and I had to (carefully) snap a pic.

The rest of the drive was pretty boring because, frankly, the road between DFW and OKC is made of boring. A few short hours of grass and horses and cows later I made it to my parents' house. Then we immediately turned around and headed north to Guthrie, where we ate at Granny Had One--I'm not sure one of what--where they had very cools stuff on the floor. Like whales and jellyfish--very FORGIVE MY FINS-worthy.

Then we went to see the Pollard Theatre's production of Rent. Quite wonderful. I never saw the show on Broadway, but I have to think this production came pretty close.

Finally, after my trek to Katy and then Austin and then Ft. Worth and then Guthrie, I got to go home. So glad to be here. (At least for a little while.)

Hugs,
TLC

The Journey (Part Two)

I know, I know. I'm tormenting you with this blogventure, drawing it out over several days. But there's just no way I could cram everything into one blog post. It would be twenty pages long! So, the adventure continues...

Leaving Houston (or Katy actually) I headed for Austin to speak at Cedar Park High School. After dinner at Austin's famous Kerbey Lane restaurant (I had yummy migas) and spending the night at a friend's (playing with her son's hilarious dog Joey) I headed out early for Cedar Park.

It was drizzling, which I love, and thankfully I had an umbrella in my overstuffed car. A friendly office aide walked me back to the library where this was waiting for me:

Along with a break room full of delicious treats--the Rice Krispy Treats were especially wonderful--and an eager staff. How cool is that?

My day consisted of speaking to a creative writing class, a Latin class, and several English classes. (I might be biased, but I think the creative writing class made the best audience.) I told them a lot about my writing process, how I became a writer, how writers make money, and my three top tips for aspiring writers. When I discussed tip number three, Become an Observer of Life, I used a mysterious bruise on my forearm as an example. (Sadly, that bruise has faded to a small, faint, hickey-like mark, so I can't share a pic.)

The day was a blast, I had lunch with head librarian Chris Kay at a fun Mexican restaurant, and would definitely trek that way again for another visit.

When school let out I headed on down the road to my next stop: Arlington, Texas--aka a Ft. Worth suburb. Guess what? Tune in tomorrow to find out about my time in DFW. (I know. Torture.)

Hugs,
TLC

The Journey (Part One)

When we left off yesterday, my car had been fixed and I was spending my last night in my Houston apartment. I woke up and, after carry a bazillion last-minute loads down to my car, my apartment manager came by, checked everything out, and I was on my way.

Farewell, Apartment 2036.

My first stop? My friend Sharie's house in Katy. (She writes paranormal romances under her own name, Sharie Kohler, and historical romance and--coming soon--young adult under her pen name, Sophie Jordan. Her first YA, Firelight, will be out next fall.) We went out for dinner at Wing Stop and had our favorite garlic parmesan wings. Yum. Then we ran up to Katy Budget Books and picked up a couple last minute books just as the store was closing.

The next morning we headed to Starbucks (aka the Katy branch office) and worked for a few hours. I gave Pat the Librarian one of the very few ARCs of Forgive My Fins. Then, when I couldn't put it off any longer, we said our goodbyes and I headed out of town.

My destination this time? Austin. Find out why tomorrow.

Hugs,
TLC

Oh, the Car Drama....

When we left our heroine (me) yesterday, she was leaving El Vaquero Mexican restaurant with her parents when things suddenly went wrong with her car. Here's what happened....

My car started like normal. Turned the ignition, backed out of my parking spot, and pulled out onto the street. Then, when I stepped on the accelerator, my car kind of went, "Roo roo roo." And did nothing.

Panicking--and very thankful that no other cars were on that road--I turned the car off and back on. Everything seemed to be fine. The check engine light came on a little while later, but the car was otherwise fine.

Still, my parents were leaving with the truck in the morning and I was making my way (via a few stops you'll read about over the next few days) to Oklahoma City, so Dad wanted to get the car checked out.

We got up early and, after a few tries, the car ran okay. Heading for Pep Boys, we stopped to get gas before pulling onto Houston's Westpark Tollway. (Which, if you don't know, is a raised highway with narrow shoulders and no possible way to escape.)

The car, of course, died completely about a quarter mile down the road.

Thankfully we made it over the hill and onto a safe stretch of shoulder. Just as I was calling AAA (not very promising this early on a Sunday morning) a Harris County Constable pulled up behind us. He called for a tow truck and, after waiting about twenty minutes, we were in the cab of the truck and on our way to Pep Boys.

What is most amazing about this is the fact that, because the tow truck driver is part of the county's Safe Clear program, we didn't have to pay a cent. (We tipped the driver, of course, because he took us more than ten miles for free!)

Pep Boys checked the car out and, after a mini-expedition to Burger King, we learned something truly appalling. Apparently, when Jiffy Lube had changed my air filter a couple weeks earlier, they had neglected to tighten down the bolts on my air filter cover. Did you know that when your air filter cover comes off YOUR CAR CAN'T RUN?!? Neither did I.

Anyway, Pep Boys fixed us up, didn't charge us for fixing the air filter cover (Jiffy Lube, on the other hand, is refunding some of what I paid for that service) and did charge us for a new battery (which my car aparently needed).

Whew! My car was good to go. My parents headed out with the truck. I stayed one last night in my apartment before my travel adventures began.

Tune in tomorrow to find out where I went first.

Hugs,
TLC

OMG, Where Have I Been?!?

I bet you thought I was lost from the blogosphere forever, huh? Nope, just ... moving. (It's a lot harder than it seems when you first think, "Ooh, it'd be fun to move.")

Here's Part One (aka Getting Out of Houston):

My parents flew down to help me (thank goodness) on Friday, October 16th. They got in at 7:50am which meant I had to leave my apartment by 7:00am. Which meant I needed to be up by 6:30am. Which was bad considering I couldn't get to sleep until after 3:00am. Blech.

Anyway, so after picking them up we stopped for breakfast at IHOP before heading back to my apartment to finish packing. (Because, well, I'd been a slacker and very little of my stuff was packed.) We picked up the truck at noon, spent a little more time packing, and then headed downtown to have drinks with Danny, my dad's former student and carpenter at the Alley Theatre. Then we had dinner at the fabulous Greek restaurant, Yia Yia Mary's. (Which you might notice sounds a lot like Phoebe's grandmother, Yia Yia Minta. Yeah, I kinda stole that.)

Saturday was mostly devoted to packing and stressing about packing and loading the truck. (Full disclosure: We hired guys to load the truck. My apartment was on the third floor and there was no way we were trekking my furniture down all those stairs.)

Dinner that night was at "Rice and Beans" (officially named El Vaquero) which is a terrific hole-in-the-wall TexMex joint with fabulous nachos. I spent many wonderful and crazy evenings there with my friends and their families, so it was only fitting for one of my last dinners in town.

The car drama started when we left El Vaquero.

Tune in tomorrow to find out about the car drama and whether I actually made it out of Houston. (Hint: Obviously, I did.)

Hugs,
TLC

Forgive My Fins Amazon Update

I've been a very absent blogger (moving will do that to a girl) but I did promise to update you as soon as the right Forgive My Fins showed up on Amazon (as opposed to the library binding which nobody but librarians should want--plus it's almost a dollar more). Well, I just checked and it's up now. You can go ahead and wish list or pre-order it now.

Also, check out the adorable countdown timer I made. (Over there. On the right.) Eeek! I can't wait for Lily and the gang to head out into the world!

Hugs,
TLC

On Moving

I've mentioned lately that I have an upcoming move. (In less than two weeks now!) Growing up we moved a lot. A lot. Until I reach high school I didn't attend the same school for more than two years.

And, no, before you ask I was not a military brat. I was a theatre brat.

Anyway, the point is that ... I kind of love moving. Not so much the packing up everything into boxes and carrying them down three flights of stairs part, but there are other parts that more than make for that.


Here are two things I love about moving:

1. The fresh start. Starting over in a new town and a new house is like getting a chance to be a whole new you. When you walk into that empty house it hasn't accumulated any of the mess or disrepair or bad memories of your old place. With the boxes still in the truck, you can see a clean, organized, happy house where everything has a home and you have nothing but good memories. (We know it won't last, but at this point we can still dream.)
2. The decluttering. When you pack up and move you have to lay hands on every object in your house. You have to wrap it up, transport it, and then unpack and find a home for it in your new house. That certainly makes you reevaluate whether you actually want or need that object. Do I really need the pair of Buffy-esque boots that I have never ever worn? Or the dress shirts I haven't worn since I taught full time? Or the piles of unused craft supplies I've dragged around for several moves? Donating those things lightens my load (physically and mentally) and helps out someone who might be looking for just those things.

So, what about you? Have you moved a lot or have you lived in the same town, the same house your whole life? Do you like moving or dread it like the plague? If you could move anywhere in the world, where would you move?

Hugs,
TLC

Buzzing About Book Trailers

I plowed through some of my to-be-read pile recently. Wanna know which books I've been reading? Head over to Books, Boys, Buzz... to find out.

Hugs,
TLC

Banned Books Week: Challenge

It's the last day of Banned Books Week 2009. All week I've been talking about Banned Books Week and why banning books is bad and what you can do and blah, blah, blah. But the truth is, that was just talk. Talking doesn't do anything (until you're coming up with brilliant idea about how to change the world, but even then nothing's going to change until you do something). In other words, I'm a big fan of action. And now it's time to act.

First, a confession. You know all those books I mentioned in my last post? Those classics and contemporary books that top the banned books lists? Well, I haven't read most of them. And the ones I have read... it was in high school. A looong time ago.

I want to proudly use the I Read Banned Books icon next year.

So, rather than just be someone who talks a lot about banned books, I'm going to do something about it. I'm issuing a challenge to myself (and anyone else who wants to participate) to actually read banned books.

I have a few on my shelves already, so the first banned books I plan to tackle are:

• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
• Looking For Alaska by John Green

I swear I had TTYL by Lauren Myracle somewhere, though I can't find it. But I do have:

• The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman (audiobook)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

There you go. The first six books in my Banned Books Challenge.

Which banned books will you read?

Hugs,
TLC

Banned Books Week: Books That Get Banned

All week I've been talking about Banned Books Weeks, some of the things that are going on and why you should care. (You should, you know.) But what I haven't talked about yet are actual books. So today I'm going to share some of the most banned and/or challenges books in America, according to the ALA's Office of Intellectual Freedom.

The ten most challenged classic books are:

1. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
2. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
3. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
4. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
5. The Color Purple by Alice Walker
6. Ulysses by James Joyce
7. Beloved by Toni Morrison
8. The Lord of the Flies by William Golding
9. 1984 by George Orwell
10. The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner

Seriously? The Great Gatsby, The Grapes of Wrath, and To Kill a Mockingbird? Too bad the general public (and kids in particular) are too feeble to read about the excesses and immorality of the rich in the 1920s, the hardships experienced by average families during the Great Depression, and the appalling reality of racial injustice in the early half of the 20th century. Thanks for protecting us from that, censors.

And, if that weren't bad enough, new books are challenged, too. (Shocked, aren't you?)

Here are some of the more recent books on the challenge list:

1. And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
2. His Dark Materials trilogy, by Philip Pullman
3. TTYL; TTFN; L8R, G8R (series), by Lauren Myracle
4. Gossip Girl (series), by Cecily von Ziegesar
5. Uncle Bobby's Wedding, by Sarah S. Brannen
6. The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini
7. Flashcards of My Life, by Charise Mericle Harper
8. The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things, by Carolyn Mackler
   
9. What My Mother Doesn’t Know, by Sonya Sones
   
10. Captain Underpants (Series), by Dav Pilkey
    

Oh, the horror of gay penguins, bored/spoiled/overindulgent rich kids, and a fantasy world of parallel universes are totally going to warp me into some kind of misfit. Here's why not: What does it matter to me if two boy penguins want to shack up? I'm never going to be rich enough to do overindulge that much. And I'm pretty sure my beliefs can stand strong against the influence of a fantasy novel.

Jeesh, I mean what do censors think is going to happen? A kid reads The Golden Compass and then their soul suddenly pops out of their body and takes the form of a parrot? Really? If that happens, I wanna know about it. Because that's news.

Okay, I think I'm done with the snark for now. Later.

Hugs,
TLC

Buzzing About Banned Books

I'm talking about Banned Books Week over on Books, Boys, Buzz... today. Click over to read my mom's favorite saying about freedom of expression.

Hugs,
TLC

Banned Books Week: What You Can Do

By now you know that this is Banned Books Week, and maybe you're wondering, "What can I do?"

First, you can visit the What You Can Do page on the official Banned Books Week website. A lot of their suggestions are geared toward libraries and bookstores, but here are a couple of ideas anyone can do:

• Write to your local paper.
• Keep a Banned Books Week journal.
• Collaborate with local booksellers and librarians for big events.

Something else you can do is contact other organizations that are supporting banned books week. Here are some:

• Amnesty International — A group dedicated to the protection human rights, they take up the Banned Books Week charge to support individuals who are being persecuted for their writing.
• National Coalition Against Censorship — A major part of Banned Books Week, NCAC works to protect free expression and to aid individuals facing censorship. They have a Take Action page on their site with a list of ways to get involved, as well as a special Right To Read: Take Action page.
• American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression — Calling themselves the "bookseller's voice against censorship" the ABFFE produces the Banned Books Week Handbook, full of great tips and ideas and information.

But the very best thing you can do is educate yourself. Learn for yourself why banning books is bad, read the banned books and judge for yourself. Read this Wikipedia article about Banned Books Week. Google "banned books" and read some of the blogs and news articles and websites on the issue. (Even read ones from opposing or alternate points of view.) Talk to your parents or your friends or your librarian. Only when you are equipped with this knowledge can you hope to share it with others.

As President James Madison once said:

"A popular government, without popular information, or the mean of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy; or perhaps both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance; and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives."

Arm yourself.

Hugs,
TLC

Banned Books Week: Manifesto

In honor of Banned Books Week, brilliant poet Ellen Hopkins (bestselling author of Crank and newly published Tricks) wrote a poem that confronts those who allow fear to turn them into censors. I have never read anything more beautiful on the topic of intellectual freedom.

Manifesto

To you zealots and bigots and false
patriots who live in fear of discourse.
You screamers and banners and burners
who would force books
off shelves in your brand name
of greater good.

You say you’re afraid for children,
innocents ripe for corruption
by perversion or sorcery on the page.
But sticks and stones do break
bones, and ignorance is no armor.
You do not speak for me,
and will not deny my kids magic
in favor of miracles.

You say you’re afraid for America,
the red, white and blue corroded
by terrorists, socialists, the sexually
confused. But we are a vast quilt
of patchwork cultures and multi-gendered
identities. You cannot speak for those
whose ancestors braved
different seas.

You say you’re afraid for God,
the living word eroded by Muhammed
and Darwin and Magdalene.
But the omnipotent sculptor of heaven
and earth designed intelligence.
Surely you dare not speak
for the father, who opens
his arms to all.

A word to the unwise.
Torch every book.
Char every page.
Burn every word to ash.
Ideas are incombustible.
And therein lies your real fear.

This poem has been reproduced on fliers and distributed in libraries throughout the country this week. You can download and print out one for yourself or your library.

"Ideas are incombustible." And they spread like wildfire.

Hugs,
TLC

Banned Books Week: The Source

"Goose-Stepping morons like yourself should try reading books instead of burning them." ~ Henry Jones, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

I've always loved that Sean Connery quote (not just because it's Sean Connery and he has that hunky Scottish accent, but also because of the underlying sentiment). Ignorance (whether willful or enforced) breeds many things, none of them good.

Thankfully, we live in a country that prides itself on individual freedom, on civil rights which, so many times in our collective histories, have been restricted. Or do we? Each year, hundreds of challenges are received, protesting the presence of certain books in schools, libraries, and bookstores. We must not become complacent about our freedoms, must not take them for granted, lest they slip quietly away while we're not looking.

Just what are these freedoms?

From the Constitution of the United States:

• First Amendment. Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

From the American Library Association's Library Bill of Rights:

1. Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.
2. Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.
3. Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment.
4. Libraries should cooperate with all persons and groups concerned with resisting abridgment of free expression and free access to ideas.

From the United Nations's Universal Declaration of Human Rights:

• Article 19. Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media regardless of frontiers.

So those are some of our freedoms that apply to books and reading. Now it's our responsibility to defend them against fear and ignorance.

That's where Banned Books Week comes in. It's a unified effort sponsored by the American Library Association, the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression, the Association of American Publishers, the American Society of Journalists and Authors, and the National Association of College Stores. Banned Books Week is also endorsed by the Center for the Book of the Library of Congress.

What can you do to help? I'll be going into depth about some projects and ideas later in the week, but for now you can start by visiting the Banned Books Week website. And you can get a badge from the ALA website to put on your blog or MySpace or Facebook.

Hugs,
TLC

Dynamotheos Powers

I got an email last week asking me about the superpowers in GODDESS BOOT CAMP, whether they were real or made up powers and whether I named them myself. This seems like the perfect (easy) topic for a blog post.


In OH. MY. GODS. the powers of the hematheos (of godly blood) students were kind of vague and unlimited. But when GODDESS BOOT CAMP came around, I had to be more specific. First, I needed to name the powers as a whole. I broke out my trusty Latin dictionary (which was essential in this whole process) and came up with dynamotheos (powers of the gods).

Next, I had to define the individual powers. Because there are twelve Olympians, I needed to be twelve powers, one assigned to each god or goddess. But, because Hades, while one of the coolest gods, is not technically an Olympian, I had to cheat a little. I kicked Demeter to the curb (actually, she decided to pass on her knowledge of the earth through education and outreach, rather than a superpower) and added Hades to the list.

Then I thought about what kind of power each god would bestow on their descendants and, with my Latin dictionary on speed dial, named them. Here's the final list:

• Poseidon — The god of the sea would definitely want his kin to be able to control and move liquids — hydrokinesis.
• Hephaestus — Who but the god of the forge would give his descendants the ability to create an object out of nothing — neofaction.
• Aphrodite — The goddess of love and beauty wants all things to be as beautiful as she, so she gave her offspring the ability to change the appearance of an object — visiomutation.
• Hera — Of course the queen of the gods can read minds, so her descendants have the ability to read the thoughts and emotions of others — psychospection.
• Artemis — As the goddess of the hunt, with a bow and arrow at her side, she appreciates the ability to control and move air and wind — aerokinesis.
• Athena — The goddess of wisdom finds it very helpful to be able to communicate, whether in words, feelings, or other senses, telepathically with another hematheos — psychodictation.
• Hades — The god of the underworld is also the owner of the cap of invisibility, so he gave his descendants the ability to hide, mask, or cloak an object — visiocryption.
• Zeus — As the king of the gods, he chose the most powerful ability for his descendants, that of being able to move oneself to a different location through non-physical means — autoportation.
• Ares — Who but the god of war would want the ability to move objects (like maybe spears and swords) through non-physical means — telekinesis.
• Hestia — As goddess of the hearth, she takes the protection of home and family very seriously, and so she gave her descendants the ability to protect themselves from harm, whether seen or unseen — corpoprotection.
• Apollo — The god of light and the sun bestowed the ability to control light and fire on his kin — photomorphosis.
• Hermes — The speedy messenger god gave his descendants the ability to use the body to its fullest extent — corpopromotion.

Of course, the individual powers are not limited to descendants of that god or goddess. The be fair, all hematheos have some ability in all twelve powers, though they are strongest in that of their ancestor. (You can find out more about the powers and how they're used in GODDESS BOOT CAMP.)

If you could create a power for another god or goddess, what would it be? And what would you name it?

Hugs,
TLC

Happy National Punctuation Day!

When I got an email from School Library Journal about National Punctuation Day I was way more excited than I really should have been. I mean, come on. A holiday dedicated to one of the geekiest parts of the writing process? How cool!


As a recovering grammar hater (I still have nightmares about diagramming sentences) I feel like I should be doubly respectful of the punctuation that differentiates my questions from my exclamation, my interruptions from my pauses, and my side notes from my unrelated thoughts. And so, in honor of National Punctuation Day, I'm going to let my grammar-geeky-self out and talk about my favorite punctuation marks.

Em Dash

I use em dashes. A lot. So much so that my first copy editor said, "The author seems exceedingly fond of em dashes." It's true, I won't bother denying it. I use em dashes so much in my writing because, if my daily dialogue were close-captioned for all the world to read, my own speech would be full of em dashes. I talk in interrupted sentences—sometimes they're interrupted by whole paragraphs—so it's only natural that I write that way, too. Check out this example from OH. MY. GODS.:

We get to Serifos and spend a few glorious steps on an unmoving surface while Damian leads us to the chauffeured—is a private boat driver a chauffeur?—private yacht—yes, yacht—that will take us the rest of the way to the stupid, ferry-less island.

Ellipsis

I love ellipses almost as much as I love em dashes. (But only almost because, honestly, nothing can top my em dash love. Not even parentheses.) I love trailing off speech or thoughts, whether a character is doing it on purpose to torment another character or because some previously unrealized thought has just occurred and it's so profound they can't even finish what they were saying. Here's another example from OH. MY. GODS.:

"Well," Damian continues, "there is more to the Academy's history than most textbooks contain. In the sixth century, the Roman emperor Justinian issued an edict demanding the Academy be closed and forbade formal philosophical education. The ... ah-hem ... benefactors of the school were not prepared to see it closed so they moved it here. To Serfopoula."

I think the reason I like these two punctuation marks so much is because they allow me to control the pacing of my writing, to force beats and breaks where I think they would naturally occur. As a writer, I leave a lot of interpretation up to the reader. (Listening to the audiobook of OH. MY. GODS. I can hear just how very much is left up to interpretation.) Through em dash interruptions and ellipsis pauses, I can control—in some tiny way—how you read my writing. The rest is up to you.

Okay, so let your geek out. Do you have any favorite—or hated—punctuation marks? (I've always kind of disliked colons and semicolons. Probably because I don't really understand how to use them, but the copy chief at my publisher said no one does so I don't feel so bad about it.)

Btw, I'm kind of tempted to order the punctuation posters. If I were an English teacher they would so be on my wall!

Hugs,
TLC

Living My Five Update #2

It's my day to share at Living Your Five. Pop over and see what progress I made toward my causes in the last two weeks.

Hugs,
TLC

Buzzing About Fortunes

We're having an unnofficial superstitions theme this week on Books, Boys, Buzz.... Wanna hear my take on fortune cookie fortunes? Click over and find out.

Hugs,
TLC

Make Your Green Vote Heard

Last week on my Living Your Five update I mentioned that I had ordered recycled boxes from UsedCardboardBoxes.com for my upcoming move. Since then I got an email from the company announcing that they are a "Top 10 Finalist" for the 2009 Green Business of the Year award. They include instructions on how to vote and rally other votes to help them win.

1. Cast your vote! Go to Green America Today and vote for UsedCardboardBoxes.com (#10 on the list)
2. Spread the word. Let others know about the voting via Facebook, Twitter, and email. They even provide samples so you don't have to tax your brain to share:

• On Facebook try this:
  
  I am voting for UsedCardboardBoxes.com as Green Business of the Year and am encouraging others to do the same. They save trees and makes moving easier and greener with their earth-friendly moving kits, shipped free in 1-2 business days. [Option to add personal message]
  
  Click here to join me and cast a vote! http://www.greenamericatoday.org/greenbusiness/peopleschoice/
  
• Twitter users can use these tweets:
  
  I love what UsedCardboardBoxes.com does. Help them win the People’s Choice Award. Vote here: http://bit.ly/jMLd1
  
  Just bought boxes from UsedCardboardBoxes and loved going green. Vote them as the Green Business of 2009: http://bit.ly/jMLd1
  
  UsedCardboardBoxes.com saves trees! Vote them for Green Business of the Year, here: http://bit.ly/jMLd1
• And here's a sample email message:
  
  Hi (Name),
  
  When I moved, I ordered my moving boxes from UsedCardboardBoxes.com - perhaps you've heard of them. If you haven't, go to their website and check it out. It’s a very cool company that helped me reduce my carbon footprint AND saved me money on my move!
  
  They are a Top 10 nominee for the “People’s Choice Award” at Green America. I’ve already voted for them and encourage you help them win, as well. If you are like me, you’ll want to support businesses that help the environment and this is a great way to do so. You can for them, here:
  
  http://www.greenamericatoday.org/greenbusiness/peopleschoice/
  
  Or http://bit.ly/jMLd1
  
  Thanks a ton, and be sure to pass this on to other environmentally-conscious people!
  
  Sincerely,
  (Your Name)
  
  PS: Oh by the way, their website is awesome, the boxes look brand new, the customer service is outstanding, and all the employees are very good looking! You can thank me later for introducing this company to you.
  

So you see, all the hard work is done. All you have to do is vote and spread the word.

Hugs,
TLC

PS--All of the above lovingly stolen from the UsedCardboardBoxes.com email with the sole intention of garnering votes for them. Hopefully this is okay.

There Will Be No Blog Today...

...because I am tired. (Four hours of sleep will do that to a girl.)

Instead, I will give you a taste of FORGIVE MY FINS from the opening page.

Water calms me. It’s like chocolate or hot tea or dulce de leche ice cream. After a rotten day, I lock the bathroom door, fill Aunt Rachel’s old-timey tub with steaming water and bath salts, and then sink into a world where my problems all melt away.

Some days it’s not enough.

“Did you ask him?”

Securing the phone against my shoulder, I scoop up a handful of bubble bath and blow the fluff out over my belly. I can choose to ignore the question, right? Especially since neither of us is going to like the answer.

“Lily . . . ,” Shannen prods.

When the bubbles hit the water and dissolve into a frothy film, I sigh.

The whole point of this bath was to make me forget my disastrous day—including the subject of Shannen’s question—but that seems impossible. Even though I’m feeling slightly more mellow than when I slid in twenty minutes ago, nothing can completely wash away that memory.

Too bad bath salts can’t change the past.

“No,” I admit with a frustrated growl. “I didn’t ask him.”

Hugs,
TLC

PS--If your name is Liz and you emailed my from my website, I tried to respond but the address got kicked back. Try again, please.

A Movie State of Mind

There have been so many great previews for upcoming movies that I find myself eagerly awaiting release dates (like I'm waiting for the final installment of the Hunger Games trilogy). Here are some of the movies that have snagged my interest:


Whip It starring Ellen Page (of Juno fame) and SNL hottie Jimmy Fallon. Roller derby is usually not my thing, but for some reason this movie about the sport looks really fun. The line in the trailer where she tells her mom, "I'm in love with this," really makes me want to find out what is so appealing about speeding around a track on rollerblades while trying to beat the crap out of all the other girls.


New Moon (of course) starring ... do I even need to name them? I have a confession to make. I haven't read New Moon yet. But rest assured I will read it before I see the movie, because I don't want the movie to affect my reading of the book. (For the same reason I haven't seen the last two Harry Potter movies. I need to catch up on the books first.)


Fame starring no one really famous (yet). Since I first saw a preview for this remake I've been dying for this movie. I love the song, I loved the original, I loved the TV show. I'm sure I'll love the remake. There's just something totally captivating about an entire school full of aspiring performing artists, struggling to achieve their dreams. I know I'll be rooting for them to succeed.


2012 starring cutie John Cusack and an all star cast. I'll be the first to admit that I'm a bit of a prophecy nut. I love anything to do with Nostradamus or Edgar Cayce or any of the billions of other psychics who claim to see the future. So the idea that so many cultures and religions around the globe predict an apocalypse on the date of winter solstice of the year 2012 is very intriguing ... and a little terrifying. Thankfully this movie comes out in November of this year so we'll have plenty of time to see it before the world ends.


Any of those strike your fancy? Are there any other upcoming movies you're looking forward to seeing in the theaters?

Hugs,
TLC

Buzzing About Memories

We're celebrating our third anniversary over at Books, Boys, Buzz....Click on over to read my reminiscing and for a chance to win one of my books.

Hugs,
TLC

This is Not the Book You're Looking For

I am thrilled that so many of you are excited for the release of FORGIVE MY FINS. I'm doing the page proofs right now (checking the final copy for typos and mistakes) and I can't wait for ARCs to start circulating.

But I think I need to clarify something for everyone who is excitedly posting about FINS on their blogs and Good Reads and maybe (hopefully) even pre-ordering on Amazon. The edition listed on Amazon right now is not the normal hardcover. It's the library edition. (It also says it's scheduled to release in January, but you guys already know it's a June book.)


A library edition is, well, for libraries. (I think they're bound with extra tough stuff so they don't fall apart after tons of reads.) The normal hardcover edition (called the trade binding) should be up soon, I swear.

If you've pre-ordered this on Amazon (and you're not, you know, a library) you might want to cancel that and wait for the right one to show up. I'd hate for anyone to get a surprise come June. (Plus, the library edition is a little more expensive.)

I'll be sure to announce it on the blog as soon as the Amazon listing is there.

Hugs,
TLC

Short Story on the Horizon

Since it's been a while (a long while) since I posted a new short story here on the blog, I think it's about time. The only thing is... I'm not sure who to write about.

First, there was the holiday tale of the Twelve Days of Stella (which you can still read on the blog or download the PDF) starring none other than Phoebe's evil(ish) stepsister.

Next, Phoebe has her first Valentine's Day with Griffin in Phoebe's Fair Valenting (also on the blog or available as a PDF).

So now what? Here's where you come in. Time to cast your vote on who should be the star of the next short story. It could be either Phoebe or Stella again. Or another character altogether. But, I should warn you--even though I know she'll be the most popular choice--that I can't write the story about Nicole. Not yet. It would give away too much that I am saving (hopefully) for a third book.

Other than that, all bets are off. Whose short story do you want to read next?

Hugs,
TLC

Happy Birthday To Me!

Is it really obnoxious to wish myself Happy Birthday? Maybe, but I think at my age I've either earned it or I don't care anymore. (I suspect the latter.)


The thing you need to know about my birthday is that it makes me, astrologically speaking, a Virgo. And according to astrology.com that makes me:

• industrious, methodical and efficient
• practical and logical
• balanced and fair
• work for the greater good

I would like to think that most of the above are true--I know that I am practical and logical, but I can only hope that I am balanced and fair and working for the greater good.

So what about you? Do you know your zodiac sign? Is it anything like you?

Hugs,
TLC

News of the Mixed Media Variety

Some awesome things have been happening lately in the land of TLC and I feel the need to share. Bear with me.

Firft of all, the wonderful publisher of the OH. MY. GODS. series (Dutton Children's Books) informed me that they'd sold the Scandinavian book club rights to GODDESS BOOT CAMP. This goes along nicely with the same deal for OH. MY. GODS. last year. Now, I don't speak a lick of Norwegian, but I know that in any language Phoebe will still løpe fort (run fast).


Second, I've learned that both the paperback edition of OH. MY. GODS. and the hardcover of GODDESS BOOT CAMP have gone into a second printing! Thanks to everyone who bought copies and made my publisher print more!

(Psst. Wanna know how to find out what printing a book is in? Turn to the copyright page. You will usually find a set of numbers near the bottom, going from 1 to 10 or higher, sometimes with evens on one side and odds on the other. The lowest number you see is the print run number. So if the numbering starts with 2--like on the example from a fave author of mine below--it's that books second printing.)

Finally, OH. MY. GODS. and I have gotten some lovely coverage because of this summer's RITA win. The lovely ladies at Katy Budget Books included a very special congratulations add in their latest newsletter. And the cover of the September Romance Writers Report (official magazine of Romance Writers of America) displayed the covers for all the RITA winners. I'm at the very top, for my Best First Book win, and YA goddess Rosemary Clement-Moore is at the bottom for her Best Young Adult win. Yay us!

Thanks for letting me share.

Hugs,
TLC

PS -- It's my day to share my progress on Living Your Five. Pop on over to see how I've done.

PPS -- Today's date is 9-9-9, which must have some astounding cosmological significance, but I don't know what.

Buzzing About Ghosts

This week on Books, Boys, Buzz... we're celebrating the release of Marley's double release of Ghost Huntress Book 2: The Guidance and The Other Side: A Teen's Guide to Ghost Hunting and the Paranormal. Come check out my (lack of) ghost story.

Hugs,

TLC

Forgive My Fins Character Collages

Now that the cover for FORGIVE MY FINS is officially out in the world (and because Hannah asked for them) I think it's time to introduce you to the cast of this story, via their character collages. (Note: I will probably do a blog series of actual character introductions later down the line, but for today it's just name, role, and collage.)

It's my pleasure to introduce the mermaids and humans of FORGIVE MY FINS. (Click on the pictures to see the full-size image.)

First up is Lily, the heroine of our story.

Next we have the two boys in her life, Brody and Quince.

Her best land friend, Shannen, and Brody's ex Courtney (who, when I made the collages, I thought would play a much bigger role than she does).

And, finally, Lily's bratty cousin Dosinia (who ended up playing a bigger role than I'd planned--she's pushy like that).

There they are, my darlings. Of course, a couple of characters popped into the book after I made the collages, so I don't have any for them. (I might make them as I work on the sequel, though.) Those include Lily's dad, her best mer friend Peri, and Lily's very human aunt Rachel.

Whaddya think? Are these characters you'd look forward to reading about?

Hugs,

TLC

Some Awful Title Ideas

Earlier this week I twittered about needing a title (working or otherwise) for the sequel to FORGIVE MY FINS. (Which I'm writing right now, btw.) I really like to have a title while I'm writing. Even if it's a title I'll eventually have to squabble with my editor about later. (*cough* GODDESS BOOT CAMP *cough*) But on this one I'm completely tapped out. It's FINS2 as far I my files go.

I need your help. After reading the jacket copy for FORGIVE MY FINS you should have a general idea of the series. I want suggestions, peoples. First, I'll share my list of possible titles (some decent, some horrid).

• Fintastic
• 'Scuse My Scales (thanks Kate!)
• Fish Out of Water
• Fins Out of Water
• Sea You Later
• Oceanista (love, but it doesn't fit the book)
• Wish Upon a Fin
• Once Upon a Fin
• Make Mine a Mermaid
• Snail on my Tail (uh, thanks Kirsty)
• Fin Big Trouble
• The Trouble With Fins

Then, if you have any suggestions, leave them in comments. If someone comes up with a gem that ends up being the final title of the book, I'll send you an ARC of FORGIVE MY FINS as soon as I get them.

Now, get brainstorming.

Hugs,
TLC

GBC Book Trailer

I finally connected with my friend and amazing sound designer Will Burns to get the final book trailer for GODDESS BOOT CAMP. (He's been done for weeks, I've just been slacking about getting it from him.) It's up on YouTube for all to see, but I thought I'd share it here, too.

Isn't Will an awesome sound guy? I especially love the seagulls at the begining and the marching sounds for Goddess Boot Camp. Thanks Will!

(Any authors out there interested in hiring Will for their book trailer, check out his website.)

Hugs,
TLC

Beginnings Are Beautiful

For the past few weeks (months?) I've been busy on other projects. Websites, blogs, revisions, copyedits, top secret proposals for books you might or might not ever get to see. But this week I've closed all those little doors and turned my attention to the sequel to FORGIVE MY FINS--and book which, coincidentally, is due December 1st.

I'm not worried about the deadline (yet) because I'm starting early and hopefully will have a (very) rough draft finished before I move in mid-October.


There are so many things I love about starting a new book. (Which might possibly be why I've started so very many in my lifetime, but that's another post.) Here's a quick list of why I think this stage of writing is awesome:

• Brainstorming -- At this point in the writing game, nothing is set in stone. I can change character names, locations, birthmarks, plot points, the color of the love interest's hair, whether or not my protagonist has superpowers. And you know what, it doesn't affect one single word, because none have been written yet. I get to have total control of the world I'm creating, without making more work on the back end.
• Research, research, research -- Going along with the previous point, before the book begins is when I get to do most of my research. It's time to learn everything I can about Greek islands, mythology, cross-country running, travel from Los Angeles to the Aegean, underwater life off the coast of Florida, or traditional beliefs about mermaids. I immerse myself in these topics, because often little bits of research will lead to wonderful plot ideas. Once the writing begins my research becomes limited to those little things that come up as I write. But in the beginning, I get to discover it all.
• Creating characters -- This is my favorite part! I get to create whole people, everything from their hair color to their athletic ability to their astrological sign. This is when I make my character collage, flipping through magazines looking for pictures of people that look like my characters, stuff my characters might own, places my characters might visit. It's like putting together a puzzle of enough things to tell me exactly who this person is. And they don't get to be all closed off and defensive, like real people. (Well, except for maybe Nicole. She's pretty closed off. But she has good reason.)
• A blank page and limitless possibilities -- Nothing is wrong with on page one. There's nothing to fix, nothing to tweak, nothing to rework. The instant you start writing you go from a moment of perfect potential to a reality in which your words and pages and scenes and chapters are going to need revision. Sometimes a lot of revision. But at the very begining, you can believe that everything is going to come out perfect the first time. (Experience has taught me that this is never, ever the case. I can still hope.)

That's it, those are the reasons why I adore starting a new book. (Adore is my word of the week, apparently.) What about you? Any writers out there want to share their thoughts on starting a new book (both pros and cons are welcome)?

Hugs,
TLC