Good luck! Winners will be drawn and posted on Sunday.
So excited to be celebrating the release of Tera's new book, Fins Are Forever. I do apologize that my crazy travel schedule kept me from posting last week on Heather's good news...so a belated "whoohoo!" to Heather, as well.
We're talking about memories that involve water...and I created one just last week. And boy, was it a wonder. One of the wonders of the world, in fact: Niagara Falls.
My fiance, Patrick Burns, and I have his two boys with us this summer and we're always looking for things to do to keep them entertained. Well, we were scheduled for a conference in Illinois one weekend and Auburn, New York the next week, so we took the time to drive to Niagara Falls and take in the spendor and beauty of the natural wonder.
This was my fourth visit, but it never fails to take my breath away. This time was especially memorable because we had the kidlets with us and they had never been there. Also, I have always wanted to ride on the Maid of the Mist, the boat that takes you literally right up underneath the horseshoe falls. We did it! We were on the front of the boat and got completely soaked, but I'd do it again in a heartbeat.
And, you can't take a bad picture of the Falls. The sheer power and beauty of it is overwhelming. It was an extraordinary day--albeit, a wet one--and following a warm cup of tea and reminiscing already, I know it was a day to remember for all of us. A real "family" moment...and that's what counts.
Have you been to Niagara Falls? What did you think? Share your thoughts and memories. Remember, three lucky commenters this week will win a Fins pack from Tera Lynn Childs. Click HERE for all the exciting details. And congrat's, TLC! You are truly blessed by the cover gods! LOL!!
Hugs,
Marley = )
www.marleygibson.com
www.ghosthuntress.com
The next installment of the popular Ghost Huntress series
is out and everything's not as it seems...
GHOST HUNTRESS: THE DISCOVERY
This week we're celebrating the release of
Fins Are Forever, the highly anticipated sequel to Tera Lynn Child's
Forgive My Fins. Its official book birthday is one week from today! Yay!
And to help celebrate this momentous occasion, we're talking about our favorite water memories.
There are three ways to get to my house, but we usually take a road that goes up Ogden Canyon, and in this canyon is a waterfall. It's one that can be turned off and on, so on any given day it might be going full blast or just a trickle, and in the winter it is usually frozen (so pretty!). People stop and take photos, get engaged, etc. in front of this lovely feature. What I love most is how excited my boys get to see it each time we pass. They make bets on how much it's turned on and through the years it's become a tradition.
I've been to Hawaii, Costa Rica, and Alaska--all famous for their waterfalls. And yes, those are spectacular. But this one will always mean the most to me because it reminds me of home.
What is your favorite water feature, either natural or man-made? Please do share! Three lucky commenters this week will win a Fins pack from Tera Lynn Childs. Click
HERE for all the exciting details. And congrat's, TLC! I can't wait to read Fins Are Forever!
Celebrating the release of Fins are Forever by our own Tera Lynn Childs, we are talking this week about favorite water memories.
Mine goes back more than ten years, to a vacation in the Bahamas. While the resort beachfront and water slide pool were a big hit with me, my husband and our kids, what was most memorable was our day trip to Blue Lagoon Island, which offers tranquil beaches, opportunities to play with dolphins and swim in a lagoon.
We came and went by ferry, with the outbound trip being mostly about sightseeing. The return voyage featured dancing to a reggae band and a limbo contest, both of which I enthusiastically joined in (and yes, somewhere in our family archives, there is a video).
On the island, we opted out of the dolphin encounter (saving it for next time), but took full opportunity of the paddle boats, hammocks, beachcoming, and simply relaxing in the soft sand of shallow lagoon. Heavenly!
So while a case could be made that this island is touristy and commercial, I’d still say if any of you find yourselves in Nassau, add this to your itinerary. And what better book to read as you lay about in paradise than one about a mermaid?
To be entered in our weeklong contest here at the Buzz Girls Blog, name a favorite water spot you visited (ocean, lake, river, pool). Three lucky people will chosen from the week's long comments to each win a “Fin Set,” (Forgive My Fins paperback, with cool extras in the back, and Fins Are Forever hardcover). Good luck!
Tina
Tina Ferraro
Top Ten Uses for an Unworn Prom Dress
How to Hook a Hottie
The ABC’s of Kissing Boys
www.tinaferraro.com
Congratulations to Heather! I'm so excited to celebrate the RITA nomination for The Clearing this week with another post about inspiring elders (and another chance to with the fabulous farmhouse prize pack Heather is giving away).
When I was in graduate school (studying Historic Preservation at Columbia University) one of our first year required classes as called Basic Principles of Traditional Construction. We studied things like brick recipes, house framing, and roofing techniques. The professor was a distinguished old (like 85-years-old old) Czech-born architect named Jan Pokorny. He wore a blazer and a bow tie every day and always showed up early for class.
I have a special connection to the Czech and Slovak people because my dad's theatre design mentor was also Czech. Actually, he was also Moravian, the area between the Czech republic and Slovakia. He once told my father that, when the country was still Czechoslovakia and they would play the national anthems at events, Moravia was the space between the two.
I really enjoyed that class because I love learning how things are built. I loved learning about the different kinds of siding used in Colonial housing and how to make different colored bricks by adding certain things to the recipe. The class also happened to be right after lunchtime, so I often got there early to eat lunch in my seat before the other students started showing up.
One day, Jan came in and started making notes on the board. Feeling a little awkward, I tried to make some small talk and asked him about being Moravian. When he saw that I knew what Moravia was, his eyes lit up. He asked if I was Moravian. I told him no, but that we had close family friends who were.
From that moment on I was his favorite student (well, it did help that I scored highest on the midterm test). He eventually made me T.A. for the class and was the faculty sponsor of our class trip to Prague before graduation.
Jan is no longer with us, but I can still picture his smiling round face, his quirky bow ties, and the neat and precise architectural drawings he used to make on the board. At 85 he still swam laps every day, still taught every semester, still designed and sat on committees and made a significant contribution to the world of historic preservation and the world in general. I am inspired to be as active as possible for as long as possible.
Okay, to enter today, comment with a favorite or inspiring teacher and why. Be sure to comment on all the other posts this week for more entries and check back on Sunday to find out if you've won!
Hugs,
TLC
teralynnchilds.com@teralynnchilds
 |
| My senior picture. |
This week we're celebrating high school seniors and graduation. High school graduation feels like forever ago, and I've done so many crazy things since then. On the day of my graduation, I planned to go to Columbia University in New York City to study architecture and eventually become a world famous architect like Frank Lloyd Wright, Frank Gehry, or Robert A.M. Stern. But plans change. Here's what really happened:
Went to Columbia, University of Colorado, back to Columbia, SHSU, and Tufts. Lived in New York, Colorado, Missouri, Texas, Massachusetts, Nevada, and Oklahoma. Wanted to become a lawyer, architect, environmental biologist, actress, muralist, scenic artist, teacher, professor and finally writer.
 |
| My graduation picture. |
I often wonder what my friends have done since high school. I'm not in touch with most of them, but every so often I hear from one. Sometimes I try to track someone down on Facebook or something. I know my best friend is married with babies. Many of my friends are still in or around the town where we went to high school.
I always had bigger plans than my friends. I wanted to go farther away, do more exciting things, be a bigger name in the end. Maybe it's because I grew up moving around the country, so big changes didn't scare me. They still don't, obviously, since I'm about to move across the country again. (Seattle here I come!)
I've always been a planner, but I've also always been willing to let me plans change. And I'm definitely happy with how my plans are working out so far.
So, what are/were your plans when you graduate(d) from high school? Big or small? Close to home or far away? Did you/are you/will you accomplish them?
Hugs,
TLC
PS. If you want to see more embarrassing high school pictures, check out
my post from High School Week back in 2008.
Tina,
Marley,
Steph,
Heather,
Dona (sort of) and ex-Buzz Girl
Simone shared, too.
teralynnchilds.com@teralynnchilds
I got an email advertisement from Publisher’s Weekly the other day for Ashes, a dystopian YA which debuts this fall. It seems there are still publishers wanting to put out books in that sub-genre, which surprises me since I think this push will be coming to an end. Then again, with the long lead time of print books, this novel has, of course, been in the works for a while.
Agent Mandy Hubbard blogged a recap of her meetings in NY with acquiring editors and apparently, there were a few places still hoping to put out a YA dystopian novel before the wave ends.
So what’s next?
Well, as
USA Today predicted last week, mermaid stories are on the rise. And it’s worth noting that our own Tera Lynn Childs was at the forefront of that trend, and before that she was writing about Greek mythology, another trend that’s cresting. I think she must have a crystal ball. Tera, 'fess up!
But really, it’s just amazing how the Collective Unconscious seems to work in the publishing world. A few really great books on a unique subject get other people thinking and writing and then a new wave is born, I guess.
Mandy wrote that what editors hoped would be big (though they couldn't say it would be for sure) was more realistic fiction -- so you can imagine that I smiled at that one. Just the other day I saw a table at my local Barnes & Noble that was marked “For Sarah Dessen fans” and featured books by Justina Chen, Sarah Ockler, and others. I imagined that my books, though they have a supernatural element, could be on that table someday...
The main thing I know about trends and predictions and buzz is that nobody knows anything for real. A great book, no matter the subject, is going to find a home. And with the growing sales of e-books, authors have the ability to put those books out there on their own now, too.
I think readers are smart, especially YA readers. They can smell b.s. They want real characters and compelling stories. They want to be entertained. They want to feel something.
That is the trend to watch. The trend to write to.
What do you guys think? Are you over dystopian fiction? Are mermaids going to make an even larger impact this year? Have you read any vampire books recently?
Hugs,
Heather
www.heatherdavisbooks.com
The Clearing - 2011 Rita Finalist Best YA Romance
Wherever You Go - Harcourt, November 2011
Never Cry Werewolf - HarperTeen
As much as I love my car, sometimes it's more trouble than it's worth. Like now. Last week I put in $1000 to make it trip-ready for my tour travel to Texas this month and then for the long drive next month. That $1000 included replacing the rear brake pads and rotors (what the brakes grip onto to stop your car).
All through the drive to Austin and San Antonio last weekend, I worried that there was something wrong with my engine, that it was working too hard for the highway driving I was doing. Plus, every time I stopped and got out of the car it stank of melted brake rubber. I thought it was just new brake pads smell.
Fast forward to Sunday night when I get to Rosemary Clement-Moore's house in Fort Worth. We decided to go out to dinner because it was late and I was starved. I put my foot on the brake before putting the car in gear and the pedal whooshed straight to the floor. I pulled out and drove a few feet and tested the brakes, which didn't grab until the pedal was all the way to the floor. When I pulled back to the curb, shut off the car and called my dad, I played with the brake pedal again and it built up so much pressure that it wouldn't move at all.
 |
| B2 Goes For A Ride |
Suffice it to say that the next morning a tow truck came and took my car away to a branch of the repair shop that had done the work up in Oklahoma. Although they tried to argue the situation and make me pay for some of the additional repairs on the parts they "fixed" they are (hopefully--I'm writing this the night before) fixing my car this morning and bringing it back to me with no money out of my pocket. Fingers crossed.
What irritates me about this situation is not only did their repair cause a new problem and they tried to deny that, to blame it on my older car, but I worry about additional wear on the brand new rotors and on my engine because it had to work extra hard the whole trip. Not to mention the extra gas consumed.
Sigh. I hope this all works out and my car makes it back to Dallas next weekend and then to the west coast, but I'd sure appreciate and nice windfall of cash from the universe so I can buy a shiny new car with a shiny new warranty.
Have you ever had a horrible car breakdown story? Or an awful experience with an untrustworthy mechanic? Please share and make me feel not so alone in my car troubles.
Hugs,
TLC
teralynnchilds.com@teralynnchilds
Inspired by Shannon Hale's Mortification Monday (thanks Wendy!) this week some of the Buzz Girls are sharing book event fiascoes with the world. Now, hopefully I'm not jinxing myself (*throws salt over shoulder*) but I've never had a true book event fiasco. I've had some near misses, though, so I'll dish on those...
- For my debut launch party at Houston's Blue Willow Bookshop, my parents were planning on flying down from Oklahoma City to join the party. It was their only child's first book and they wanted to be there to celebrate. They packed their overnight bag, went to the airport, and... realized that they had misread the landing time as the departure time. They had missed their flight! Luckily, they caught the next one (it's only a hour long flight, thank goodness) and, despite cutting it quite close, made it just in time!
- My next signing was at Katy Budget Books, also in Houston. Unfortunately, that was the time when my mother was in the hospital and I was up in Oklahoma City to be with her and my dad. She was still in the hospital, but stable, and I didn't want to flake out on the booksigning. So I bought a ticket down and back on the same day, leaving myself plenty of time to get to the signing. Three hours extra, in fact. Guess how late my plane took off? Yep, three hours! I made it, though... barely. However, it was summer vacation, and apparently everyone who had been in the store the week before had been buying books for their trips because, literally, two people showed up. And I knew one of them. It was a very emotionally draining day, but meeting the one fan who came in already having read my book and asking me to sign the cover with silver marker, to take pictures with her for her blog, that made it all worthwhile.
All of my other events have been pretty smooth (*knocks on wood*) with only the typical no-one-shows-up dramas and do-I-have-to-read-pages worries. If those are the worst things that ever happen in my booksigning career, then I'll county myself lucky. (*goes in search of four-leaf clovers*)
Hugs,
TLC
teralynnchilds.com
By:
Tera Lynn Childs,
on 4/19/2011
Blog:
Books, Boys, Buzz
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After a twelve day sojourn that took me from Oklahoma to Los Angeles to Houston to Austin to Houston and finally back to Oklahoma, I am finally home in Poketown (aka Stillwater, OK). This is just my temporary home, of course, because I am working on getting to Seattle this summer, but my bed and my puppy were waiting for me, so home it is.
One of the things I love most about conferences and conventions (besides meeting fabulous fans and readers and bloggers and librarians) is getting to hang out with other writers. This always energizes me, recharges my writerly batteries and I come home eager to write-write-write.
This is an especially good thing right now because I have a book due, like, yesterday. (Okay, June 1st, but it feels really really close.) And, while I won't admit my current page count (it's pretty small) or how much I plan to write in the next two weeks (it's a lot) I will say that I'm going to be nose-to-the-grindstone to get Sweet Venom 2 done early enough to revise it before sending it off to my editor by deadline.
Before I left on my big trip I ordered a new Alphasmart. My old one had been my dear companion for many years, but the keys started getting sticky (even after I took them all off and cleaned off the sub-key gunk) and it hurt my wrists to type on it for very long. So my shiny new, non-sticky-keyed Alphie is charged and ready to go. I'm charged and ready to go. Operation: Write That Book is about to begin. (Sophie Jordan and I are going to do daily #deadlinedash check-ins on Twitter, if you want to follow our progress.)
With all the book inspiration I've accumulated in the last two weeks, I'm ready. Wish me luck!
Hugs,
TLC
By this time tomorrow (early, early, early) I'll be on my way to Los Angeles for the RT Booklovers Convention. I have to admit that I have an ulterior motive for going to this event. Sure, I'm exciting by all the fabulous teen stuff happening on Saturday--I love any chance to meet teens and readers!
But I'm also suffering from SoCal withdrawal. I haven't been to southern California in a few years and I'm missing a lot of things.
- Air that smells like tropical flowers
- Sun and sand and beautiful weather
- Sea breeze
- Art deco architecture
- Convertibles (I'm renting one!)
- Shopping, shopping, shopping
- Amazing sushi (vegan please)
- Star spotting
- Drinks from Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
- Fun, laid-back, hip vibe
There are also quite a few quintessentially LA things that I've never done, and maybe I can check a few of them off my list during this trip.
- Griffith Park Observatory
- Hollywood Bowl
- Santa Monica Pier
- La Brea Tar Pits
- LACMA
- Queen Mary
- Walt Disney Concert Hall
- Union Station
- Huntington Library
And if I have time to visit the Getty again I will totally make the effort. It's an amazing collection and an amazing building.
Have you ever been to Los Angeles? If so, what were your favorite things to see and do? If not, then what do you dream of seeing or doing in LA?
Hugs,
TLC
teralynnchilds.com
By: Laura,
on 3/21/2011
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Around the office, we refer to this time of year as “Conference Season”. You’ll see why – here’s the schedule:
April: Texas Library Association Conference
May: International Reading Association Conference
May: SLJ Day of Dialog/BEA
June: ALA Annual Conference
It’s crazy…but we also have lots of fun. First up is TLA in Austin where we have a phenomenal line-up of authors signing with us:
Wednesday, April 13th
10:15 am – 11:00 am Pat Mora (author aisles)
10:15 am – 11:00 am Rafael Lopez (author aisles)
11:30 am – 12:30 pm Lauren Oliver (author aisles)
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm Will Hobbs (author aisles)
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm Bettina Restrepo (author aisles)
1:30 pm – 2:00 pm Crystal Allen (Harper booth 1824)
2:00 pm – 2:30 pm Sophie Jordan (Harper booth 1824)
2:30 pm – 3:00 pm Tera Lynn Childs (Harper booth 1824)
3:00 pm – 3:30 pm Suzanne Harper (Harper booth 1824)
Thursday, April 14th
9:00 am – 10:00 am Diane Stanley (author aisles)
11:30 am – 12:00 pm Jason Henderson (Harper booth 1824)
2:00 pm – 2:30 pm Jennifer Archer (Harper booth 1824)
2:00 pm – 3:30 pm Kevin Henkes (author aisles)
3:00 pm – 3:30 pm Don Tate and Audrey Vernick (Harper booth 1824)
And don’t miss JAMIE LEE CURTIS as the Keynote Speaker on Wednesday, April 13th at 9:00 am!
Aside from our outstanding authors, we’ll have galleys galore at our booth (#1824) and we hope you’ll stop by to say hi to Patty, Robin, and me!
See you in Texas!
~ Laura
Waiting on:
Sweet Venom, by Tera Lynn ChildsExpected publication date: October 4th, 2011
Publisher: Katherine Tegen BooksSummary from Goodreads:Grace just moved to San Francisco and is excited to start over at a new school. The change is full of fresh possibilities, but it’s also a tiny bit scary. It gets scarier when a minotaur walks in the door. And even more shocking when a girl who looks just like her shows up to fight the monster.
Gretchen is tired of monsters pulling her out into the wee hours, especially on a school night, but what can she do? Sending the minotaur back to his bleak home is just another notch on her combat belt. She never expected to run into this girl who could be her double, though.
Greer has her life pretty well put together, thank you very much. But that all tilts sideways when two girls who look eerily like her appear on her doorstep and claim they're triplets, supernatural descendants of some hideous creature from Greek myth, destined to spend their lives hunting monsters.
These three teenage descendants of Medusa, the once-beautiful gorgon maligned by myth, must reunite and embrace their fates in this unique paranormal world where monsters lurk in plain sight.
:
Enthralled: Paranormal Diversions, by Various AuthorsExpected publication date: September 20th, 2011
Publisher: HarperCollins
Summary from Goodreads:Contains:
Giovanni’s Farewell by Claudia Gray
Scenic Route by Carrie Ryan
IV League by Margaret Stohl
Red Run by Kami Garcia
Things About Love by Jackson Pearce
Niederwald by Rachel Vincent
--- by Melissa Marr
Facing Facts by Kelley Armstrong
Let’s Get This Undead Show on the Road by Sarah Rees Brennan
Bridge by Jeri Smith-Ready
Skin Contact by Kimberly Derting
Leaving by Ally Condie
At the Late Night, Double Feature, Picture Show by Jessica Verday
Gargouille by Mary E. Pearson
Part of me really wants to post something about the disaster in Japan today, but I think it's still too raw (and continuing and uncertain) for me to write about yet. So instead I'll take my cue from Tina (one of my favorite things to do here on the Buzz blog) I'm going to talk about a favorite premium cable TV show.
Σπάρτακο
I blame Sophie Jordan for my introduction to Spartacus. (And True Blood for that matter
—curse her and her irresistible premium cable channels!)
The tag line for season one was
Blood and Sand and boy is that fitting. I have never seen a
bloodier show. It's almost B-movie horror flick epic proportions of blood, but there is something magical about the cinematography that turns it into more of an artistic effect than a gory mess.
It is the amazingly emotional story of a Thracian soldier who, betrayed by Rome, is sold into slavery and becomes a gladiator. His wife is also taken and he is driven to win by the desire to earn his freedom and find her. The title character is played by Andy Whitfield. (Yum, yum. Yum, yum-yum, yum.)
 |
| And he's Welsh, to boot! |
(Sadly, Andy had to bow out of the series to undergo treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Think good thoughts for this sexy, talented man.)
If you're looking for a show that appeals to guys (action and intrigue and
—since this
is premium cable
—plenty of ladies without their clothes) and girls (hot sweaty warrior guys, 'nuff said) that has both wonderful stories and strong emotional journeys, and you're not afraid of a little (a whole freakin' lot of) blood, the definitely give Spartacus a try. It's available instantly via Netflix.
Now excuse me while I go catch up on season two,
Gods of the Arena.
Hugs,
TLC
teralynnchilds.com
You have to swim pretty darn fast to catch up with Buzz girl Tera Lynn Childs.
Not only is her successful mermaid book spawning a sequel this June, but Tera's also taking on the mythological demon busting business with a brand new series featuring kick-butt teen heroines.
How she manages to be this productive and still have a life is a complete mystery - but her readers are definitely reaping the benefits!
Continuing our "What's New" feature on the buzz blog, here's my interview with wonder woman/author TLC.
Tell us -- what are you working on?I just finished up the "Anglicanisation" process for the UK edition of Forgive My Fins, which comes out this summer, and I'm excited to announce that my UK publisher just bought the rights to publish the sequel, Fins Are Forever, too.
On my desk right now are the final page proofs for Sweet Venom, my last chance to look at the book before it goes into print--eep! Then, at some point soon, I have to start writing the second book in the Medusa girls trilogy, which is due June 1st. I have the synopsis done and I know where the story has to go... it's just a little daunting to dive into a "middle" book. I'm also working (as always) on a couple of secret projects that may or may not come to fruition in the near future.
What's coming up in 2011?
Bookwise this is my biggest year yet. I have Fins Are Forever coming out at the end of June and, just like with Goddess Boot Camp, I'm nervous about sending a sequel into the world. My fingers are crossed though and early responses are super-positive.
Then in the Fall I have two projects coming out. First, in September, is my story "When Magic Sleeps" in an anthology called
Wicked Pretty Things about dark faeries and the mortals who love them. Then October 4th is the release date for
Sweet Venom, the first in a trilogy about triplet descendants of Medusa who reunite and learn it's their destiny to hunt mythological monsters that ordinary humans can't see. I have never been so excited about a book and I think it's my best yet.
What about upcoming travels this year? Where can readers meet you?
Besides my impending move to Seattle (soon, very soon) I have a bunch of professional travel lined up this year. First up is the RT Booklovers Convention in LA the first weekend in April. I heart booklovers and I heart LA so this is a double-win, plus there is a huge Teen Day this year and I'll get to hang with some Bees, too.
Then
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books (June 1, 2010)
Hardcover: 293 Pages
Genre: YA Fantasy (Mermaids)
Series: Fins #1
From Goodreads. Lily Sanderson has a secret, and it's not that she has a huge crush on gorgeous swimming god Brody Bennett, who makes her heart beat flipper-fast. Unrequited love is hard enough when you're a normal teenage girl, but when you're half human, half mermaid, like Lily, there's no such thing as a simple crush.
Lily's mermaid identity is a secret that can't get out, since she's not just any mermaid—she's a Thalassinian princess. When Lily found out three years ago that her mother was actually a human, she finally realized why she didn't feel quite at home in Thalassinia, and she's been living on land and going to Seaview High School ever since, hoping to find where she truly belongs. Sure, land has its problems—like her obnoxious biker-boy neighbor, Quince Fletcher—but it has that one major perk: Brody. The problem is, mermaids aren't really the casual dating type—the instant they "bond," it's for life.
When Lily's attempt to win Brody's love leads to a tsunami-sized case of mistaken identity, she is in for a tidal wave of relationship drama, and she finds out, quick as a tailfin flick, that happily ever after never sails quite as smoothly as you planned.
Review by Kate
FORGIVE MY FINS, by Tera Lynn Childs, is a remarkable story of a teenage mermaid princess living on land and the unwanted trouble she finds herself in.
I absolutely adored this book. Lily is an extremely likable, and quite romantically naive, half human half mermaid. For as much as she tries to fit in, she sits comfortably in the middle class social spectrum of high school. Her next door neighbor, Quince, keeps her on her human toes with his antics and sarcasm, masking his obvious feelings for her.
The magical mermaid aspect of this book was believable and exceptional. When Quince and Lily accidentally are bonded together, Childs took me on a journey underwater that made me want to jump into the pages and swim with them. In the world that Child created, mermaids were not so different from humans. Food, clothes, and shelter were made from whatever was found in the sea and I felt immersed in this amazing world. Also, Lily's vocabulary was sea-related and at times hilarious. Even above water she stayed true to her mermaid self.
The relationship between Lily and Quince was no easy one. I felt Lily was delusional about her feelings for Brody and I yearned for her to realize what was right in front of her. I found myself biting my nails each time Lily and Quince' bond was in danger of being severed because I felt they were so right for each other.
I won't ruin too much of the plot because I think you should experience this wonderful book for yourself!
Last Tuesday I made predictions in four Oscars categories (Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Animated Feature) and guess what...? I was right! Big congrats to Natalie Portman, Christian Bale, Melissa Leo (henceforth known at the F-bomb dropper) and Toy Story 3.
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| Finally, a beautiful baby dress. |
Also big props to Anne Hathaway as co-host. James Franco was more than a little awkward and, as many tweeters pointed out last night, looked a little ... chemically enhanced, if you know what I mean. But as much as I loved Anne (and, previously, Hugh Jackman) I kinda wish they would go back to old school comedians again.
 |
| Beautiful and witty Princess Mia. |
But in addition to being right about the above categories, winning the first annual Oscars bingo competition with
Kay Cassidy and
Christina Gonzales, and following all the ups and downs on Twitter, there were a few wonderful highlights from the show.
- Kirk Douglas, oldest presenter at 94 and still going strong.
- The auto-tune musical montage of Harry Potter, Twilight, and Social Network. OMG. (If you missed it, see it here.)
- Best Original Screenplay winner David Seidler (The King's Speech) saying, "My father always said to me I would be a late bloomer."
- Russell Brand and Helen Mirren (looking amazing as always) presenting for Best Foreign Language Film.
- RDJ (with Jude Law) making fun of his own not-so-illustrious past.
- The grand finale with the kids of PS22 in Staten Island singing Somewhere Over the Rainbow with all the night's winners appearing behind them. Best ending ever.
- And, last but most definitely not least, Mr. Darcy—er, Colin Firth winning for Best Actor, with self-effacing humor and dignity.
 |
| The swoon heard 'round the world. |
Did you watch the show? Did you have any favorite (or least favorite
—like Cate Blanchett's dress and Gwyneth Paltrow's song, wha?!?) moments to
Are you ready? The Academy Awards will be on live this Sunday at 8|5p and I will definitely be watching. Since I watched the Golden Globes and the SAG awards, I feel more prepared than usual for the Oscars. I have a good feeling who will win best actress...
 |
| Natalie Portman |
...best supporting actor...
 |
| Christian Bale |
...best supporting actress...
 |
| Melissa Leo |
...and best animated feature film.
 |
| Toy Story 3 |
What do you think? Are you going to be watching? Do you have your predictions made? Do you foresee any big upsets?
Hugs,
TLC
teralynnchilds.com@teralynnchilds
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Sounds great, Heather, thanks for sharing this!
Sounds like fun! Thanks for sharing Heather. I will look it up today.
Best,
Suma.
Sounds fun! Good luck to everyone!