Happy Halloween! Pics in Regis & Kelly 3-D glasses

Happy Halloween!! This morning, I watched the Monster Mash on Today, Martha's Halloween with Rosie (did you see her Broadway kids perform? Fantastic!) and The View's Halloween party. So much fun! Here are two pictures. That's my brother Jason and we're dressed in our Regis and Kelly 3-D glasses. Yup, today's show was in 3-D and so great! One of my favorite costumes on the show--Regis and Kelly dressed as Harry and Hermione. Excellent!

So, Happy Halloween! :)

8 random things #2

The lovely Steph tagged me for 8 random facts for today. So, here they are:


1. I don't have cable. Nope, if I did, I'd watch waaaay too much TV. :)


2. So, based on #1, I've never seen an episode of The Hills or any of those crazy MTV reality shows.


3. Every December, I walk around my neighborhood almost every night just to look at the Christmas lights. I love how pretty, sparkly and warm the neighborhood feels.


4. I switched college minors three times and majors never. My minors went from film, to women's studies to humanities.


5. I can' t cook. Well...can't or won't? Difference? :)


6. I HATE scary movies. I can't handle anything even remotely scary or I won't sleep for days.


7. I despise the taste of milk--except for in cereal.


8. I own (and love) all of Britney's CDs. And, have you read this? Yes, Blackout is a hit with critics!



PS- I found this cool article! Check out the sidebar on the right...http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/Entertainment/Headlines/entBOOK01102507.htm

Blogging at Teen Fiction Cafe

I blogged about my brush with a natural disaster at Teen Fiction Cafe today. Come on over and chat with us! :)

PS- On Wednesday, check for a super-spooky Halloween photo!

United States Pony Clubs--perfect for horsey promotion!

Today, I'm working on outlets for book promotion next year. In addition to conferences, I thought attending a few horse shows and Pony Club gatherings would put me in touch with my audience who will likely be horse loving tweens.

Did you know that there are over 600 United States Pony Clubs in the US? These clubs have over 12,000 riders up to the age of 21. I did a search and found a complete list of all of the Pony Clubs in the Deep South and will definitely start contacting them next year. I only thought about this when I read that Bonnie Bryant, the Saddle Club author, does signings at these events.

An interesting event to attend would be the USPC Championships on July 24-27 in Lexington, VA. I used to live in VA and it would be fun to go back. :)

Anyone ever been part of a Pony Club? I didn't when I rode horses, but I wish there had been one in my area. I rode at a nice-sized stable, Triple Springs, in Greenbrier, TN. Most of the riders there were adults and there was a great mix of riders. Some had wild Mustangs, some had Arabians for breeding and a few barrel raced Quarter Horses. I was the girl who rode bareback (not even a bridle) and made everyone nervous when I zoomed over creeks and fences. :)

TGIF!

The Star Jones Show Needs Your Participation for Gossip Segment

Today's post is of high importance. The Star Jones Show on Court TV is doing an upcoming segment on Envy. The show is looking for teens who would like to be on the show and speak about how gossip has affected their lives. This is NOT an exploitative type of segment. Instead, it's a new/entertainment/lifestyle piece and the focus is on how gossip destroys lives, ruins friendships and impacts girls into adulthood. The show is wondering why gossip is important to us as a culture.

If you would like to be a part of the show, please call Mia Davis at 212.973.7940 or e-mail her at mia.davis@turner.com. If you're under 18, please get your parents' permission before you call or e-mail.

I'm going to be part of the show, so I hope you call or e-mail and weigh in on the topic of teen gossip! If you have questions, either e-mail Mia or post them here. We need responses ASAP. :)

The Quill Awards--Saturday on NBC

This is a short post today, but I've got two bits of news. First, the Quill Awards air October 27 (Saturday) on NBC. I watched for the first time last year and really enjoyed it. :) There's more info here: http://www.wnbc.com/thequills/14078987/detail.html Anyone going to watch?

Second, thank you to those at NaNoWriMo for adding my name to your published NaNo authors list! (Yes, they mixed up the pub date, but I'll contact them about that once I get my new book title.) That was so nice of them! Thanks, guys!

Conferences for 2008

Okay, I'm in need of advice from conference savvy blog readers. :) I'm looking into conferences for 2008 to promote myself and my book. I'm considering doing panels, booths, etc.

Now, here's an initial list of conferences I'm thinking about attending.

Miami International Book Fair
Sarasota Reading Fest
SCBWI FL Orlando
IRC Atlanta
IRC Nashville
Decatur (GA) Book Fest
Voices in Children's Lit

Has anyone been to any of these? Heard of them? Going to any in '08? I've got sooo many conferences to choose from and I'm trying to pick the "right" ones. They don't necessarily have to be in the South, but I'm trying to pick that location until I get a feel for how conferences are supposed to go. I'm a complete newbie, since I've never been to any. Yeah, very bad of me, I know. :)

If you've got suggestions, I'd love to hear them!