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Marley Gibson Takes On Christmas: Submissions Needed for Christmas Miracles Book

By MarleyGibson · Comments (0)

Friday, November 21st, 2008

I’m thrilled to announce a new book I am working on with New York Times bestselling author Cecil Murphey, CHRISTMAS MIRACLES. It will feature short stories from everyday people who’ve had their lives miraculously touched at Christmas-time.

I can’t begin to describe how excited I am to work on this book! Not only are we with an amazing editor and a powerhouse publisher, Rose Hilliard at St. Martin’s, but I get to work with The Man Behind the Words, bestselling author Cecil Murphey!!

I’ve had several people ask me how this all came about and all I can say is that God brought us together. A couple of years ago, Cec lost his house in a tragic fire. He lost everything. Our agent, Deidre Knight, contacted her clients to let them know about Cec’s loss and asked if any of us could reach out to him, to please do so. I only knew of Cec from his book 90 MINUTES IN HEAVEN, but Deidre speaks the world of him, so I just had to do something to help.

My office was moving at that time and we were in huge de-clutter and dispose mode. We had stacks and stacks of office supplies that were either going to go in the trash or to a local charity. All I could think of was that Cec is this amazing writer…and he has no office supplies. So, I got a ginormous box and filled it with everything I could get my hands on that was going to go to File 13 anyway…a laptop case, paper, pencils, pens, ruler, paper clips, binders, scissors, post-its, tape, staples, stapler, staple remover, tape dispenser, pen cup, markers, highlighters, index cards, etc. I received the nicest letter ever from Cec, who was blown away at my generosity. Of course…it was the right thing to do!

Flash forward to early this spring when Cec and I met face-to-face for the first time. It was like seeing a dear friend. Deidre took one look at us and said, “Y’all need to write a book together.” (Imagine it being said in Deidre’s lovely accent.) So, we brainstormed and played around with ideas with Deidre and thus, CHRISTMAS MIRACLES was born.

The great thing about this project is we need your submissions! If you or anyone you know has a true story of a Christmas Miracle, we want to hear it! Here are the guidelines for submission as per our Christmas Miracles website:

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Christmas Miracles is a book project by New York Times bestselling author Cecil Murphey and young adult author Marley Gibson who have contracted with St. Martin’s Press for late 2009 release. We seek true stories of miracles that took place at Christmas. They must revolve around that special time of year.

We prefer first-person narratives.

This is an excellent opportunity to see your writing in a book with other outstanding authors. You must follow these guidelines:
• Deadline for stories is December 24, 2008.
• All entries must be double-spaced, 12-point font, Times New Roman, Word document.
• Stories may run from 900 to 1,300 words. We will not consider longer pieces.
• We will edit all stories we accept so that they have a unified voice.
• Your name will be listed with your story and you’ll have a four-line information/resume paragraph at the end of the book.
• Every story must have a positive solution that results from a miracle through events or timing at the Christmas season.
• Every story must have a positive application. That is, you must tell us what you learned from that miracle or how it changed your life.
• You may send an original or a reprint. (If a reprint, please tell us where it was published and assure us that you own the reprint rights.)

If we accept your story, you will retain rights. You’ll also receive a $50 honorarium and a free copy of the book when it is released in October 2009. We will offer special discounts for contributors who wish to buy additional books. (We will send that information to you.)

For more information or to submit, please visit: http://www.christmasmiraclesbook.com/

Thanks so much!
Marley = )

www.marleygibson.com

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Categories : cecil murphey, christmas miracles, marley gibson

Hallopalooza Day 2! Guest Blogger Marley Gibson on “Things that go bump in the night”

By MarleyGibson · Comments (6)

Tuesday, October 28th, 2008

In March 2006, my amazing agent, Deidre Knight, stepped off an airplane at Boston’s Logan Airport and said enthusiastically to me, “I have the title of your next series. ‘Divining Women.’ Now you just have to come up with an idea.”

Ummm. . . okay. Seeing how I write for teens, I thought “Divining Girls” would be a better title. But what would it be about? Girls on the farm looking for water sources? Huh?

Deidre was in town to attend the New England Romance Writers Conference, of which there was a workshop entitled “Ghost Hunting 101” by the New England Ghost Project. I remembered that one of the speakers, Maureen Wood, had spoken at the conference a couple of years before about dowsing. . . a form of divining. So, I started putting two and two together and showed up for their workshop. As they were showing pictures they’d captured in their ghost investigations, as well as sound recordings they’d gotten, I was suddenly struck with the entire arc and storyline for the book that would sell in November 2006 and be known as GHOST HUNTRESS: THE AWAKENING.

Aparently, these guys weren’t the only ones hunting ghost. There are groups all over the country—all over the world—doing this! How did I not know? What rock had I been under? Sure, I’d grown up loving Poltergeist and Ghostbusters, but I’d never given any credence to actually going ghost hunting.

I consumed every TV show that I could—and boy, let me tell you how many there are! I watched hours of Ghost Hunters and Dead Famous and Haunting Evidence and Most Haunted.

This was in the main stream! In writing GHOST HUNTRESS: THE AWAKENING, my husband, Mike, and I began going out on investigations of our own. I’m the type of writer that really likes to get into the research and make sure I know as much as possible so I’m writing accurately. Just because it’s fiction doesn’t mean it can’t be realistic.

Here’s a picture of some sort of wispy image or vapor captured at the Buttonwoods Museum in Haverhill, Massachusetts. We were up in the attic where the spirit of a child named Molly supposedly lives.

Also, at the Buttonwoods Museum, we experienced a “cold spot.” It’s thought that entities use the energy in the air to try and interact, therefore, lowering the temperature. It was a 90+ degree August night in a two-hundred year old house with no central air conditioner and we got a thirty degree drop in the temperature with cold air swirling around out legs.

In March of 2007, we visited The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado. A stately manor on the side of the mountain, this place held many encounters and personal experiences like hearing a “hello” from no where. This is the exact same EVP gotten by the Ghost Hunters, Jason and Grant, when they investigated here. And by the way, here I am with them!

We also got to investigate Room 217 of The Stanley with famed demonologist John Zaffis in the room where Stephen King and his wife stayed when he got the idea for THE SHINING. In this room, we used a tool called a K2 meter to measure electro-magnetic energy in the air.

Also, at The Stanley, we investigated with TruTV’s Haunting Evidence star, Patrick Burns, using a device known as a “Shack Hack.” It a transistor radio from Radio Shack that has been “hacked” to stop the device from stopping on a station when searching up and down the dial. Patrick also offered to write a forward for my first GHOST HUNTRESS book. What a guy!

At Rolling Hills Sanitarium, we investigated with Chris Fleming from The Biography Channel’s Dead Famous. Chris is a psychic/medium who uses channeling and his own psychic intuition to connect with spirits, as well as the latest technology.

The other night, we attended the New England Ghost Project’s Spectral Evidence event in Salem, Massachusetts and got some incredible EVPs in the Charter Street Cemetery. Got a cool shot of me ghost hunting…

And, back in July at the Waverly Hills Sanitarium, Mike and I ended up playing ball with what is believed to be the spirit of a child who had died there in the early 1900s from tuberculosis.

But the most compelling evidence of all had to have been the ball video itself. I hope you’ll tune in to The Biography Channel on Thursday, October 30th at 10:00 p.m. to watch footage of the ball moving during the premiere of My Ghost Story. The show will run again on the 31st, 1st and 2nd. Check your local listings.

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about my evidence. It’s certainly been amazing collecting it and growing less and less skeptical. Do I believe there are spirits and angels around us? Yes, I do. Unequivocally. What do you think?

Hope you’ll pick up GHOST HUNTRESS: THE AWAKENING in May 2009. Look for GHOST HUNTRESS: THE GUIDANCE in October 2009 and GHOST HUNTRESS: THE REASON in May 2010.

Thanks!
Marley = )

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Categories : ghost hunting, halloween, marley gibson

TKA clients on “Ghost Chronicles”

By MarleyGibson · Comments (0)

Thursday, July 3rd, 2008

If you have nothing better to do tomorrow night, please join me and my hubby, Mike, as we’re interviewed on “Ghost Chronicles” on Toginet internet radio. Hosts (and our friends and fellow TKA clients) Ron Kolek and Maureen Wood will be interviewing us about our recent ghost hunts, as well as talking my young adult fiction series coming out in May 2009, GHOST HUNTRESS.

The show is at 8:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, July 3rd, and you’re able to call in with questions or comments at 877-864-4869. Would love to have you call in or just listen.

Thanks so much!
Marley = )

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Categories : interview

Questions I get as a YA writer

By MarleyGibson · Comments (12)

Thursday, May 29th, 2008

It’s great to be blogging here today at TKA! Thanks to Elaine for arranging it. I was given the topic of “summer reading for the young at heart,” but I think Linda did such a good job with that…how can I top what she said? I thought I’d share some of the frequent questions I’ve been getting since becoming a published YA writer.

I’ve been guest blogging a lot of places lately because of my May releases: SORORITY 101: ZETA OR OMEGA? and SORORITY 101: THE NEW SISTERS, from Puffin Books, written as Kate Harmon. These are my first published books and I’m just having a blast seeing them on the shelves and on websites and other blogs. Pretty doggone cool.

First question I’m getting…

“Why the pen name?”

Very simple. The series will be written by several authors, all under the name Kate Harmon, so the series can be shelved together. I wrote the first two books to kick off the series, and created the characters, campus and situation. I love the stories and the characters and hope you will too. Besides, the pen name is only for the SORORITY 101 series. My next series GHOST HUNTRESS, will come out in May 2009 from Houghton Mifflin and will be under my name. Very exciting! I’ve already seen some cover comps…just wait!!!

“Would your SORORITY 101 books make good graduation presents?”

Ummm…yeah! The timing is great, because it’s graduation time for high school and college seniors and what’s better to give a graduate than the gift of YA? There are soooooo many awesome books out there and so many ways to give through gift certificates, online e-cards, giving the book to someone, etc. I hope when you’re thinking of your grads this year, you’ll think about getting them a fabulous book. (Mine, mine, please!)

“When do you find time to write with a full-time job?”

I just did a guest blog with the Plotmonkeys (http://www.plotmonkeys.com) where I addressed this question. I don’t find time to write, I make time to write. I’m a full believer in the idea that you make time for the things you want to. You can make excuses until you’re blue in the face, but if you want something badly enough, you’ll just do it. Yes, I do have a full-time job, so I write on my lunch break and when I get home at night. I carve out an hour here, and hour there and it works for me.

“What can adult readers get out of your books?”

Well, with the SORORITY 101 series, an adult reader could relive her college experience. Or, if she didn’t go to college, she can experience on the pages of the books. Same with people who might have been in a sorority. Hopefully, it will bring back memories of good times with your sisters. I’ve had people who decided not to go through sorority rush tell me the books were a great help to show them a world they knew nothing of. Some have even said they’d wished they’d rushed back then. With the GHOST HUNTRESS series, yes, it’s a group of teenage ghost hunters, but the messages in the books are universal…a girl trying to fit in, make new friends, and try out her new talents. These are things that happen to adults, as well. Also, the ghost hunting community is very large, expansive and ranges from teenagers to their adult parents. It’s something they can learn and explore together. Hopefully, adults will read the GHOST HUNTRESS books and pass them down to their children.

“What message do you want to send to kids through your young adult books?”

Message? Geesh…I hadn’t really thought I was sending messages. I just like telling fun stories about rich, interesting characters. I mean, I often have characters who are a fish out of water who have to find their place in the world. That’s a pretty standard theme in YA. I also just want teens to read. That’s the important thing…keeping the love of reading going from one generation to the next. When I was a teen, I consumed the First Love by Silhouette books (My critique partner, Diana, is rolling her eyes ’cause she’s heard this story a zillion times! LOL!) like they were potato chips. I couldn’t wait until the first of every month to get each of the four new books. And I read them in a heartbeat. I want to see teens of today putting down their iPods and cell phones and pick up a book to disappear into another world for a little while.

“What advice do you have for someone who wants to write YA?”

Pretty simple: 1) read as much YA as you possibly can to see what’s out there; 2) be original and write what you know best; 3) just do it – don’t talk about writing, actually sit down and craft out the story from opening line until The End.

“Can you recommend some great YA reads?”

Wendy Toliver’s THE SECRET LIFE OF A TEENAGE SIREN
Tera Lynn Childs’ OH. MY. GODS.
Simone Elkeles’ LEAVING PARADISE
Lauren Baratz-Logstead’s ANGEL’S CHOICE
Tina Ferraro’s HOW TO HOOK A HOTTIE
Stephanie Hale’s REVENGE OF THE HOMECOMING QUEEN
Niki Burnham’s GODDESS GAMES
Jenn Echols’ THE BOYS NEXT DOOR
Dona Sarkar Mishra’s HOW TO SALSA IN A SARI
Marissa Doyle’s BEWITCHING SEASON
Jenny O’Connell’s THE BOOK OF LUKE
Stephanie Meyer’s TWILIGHT series
Anything by Judy Blume – they’re all classics
Gena Showalter’s YA series
The Bard Series by Cara Lockwood

And coming next year…with great anticipation…
Diana Peterfreund’s RAMPANT
Heather Davis’ NEVER CRY WEREWOLD
Melissa Francis’ BITE ME

And, of course, my book, GHOST HUNTRESS: THE AWAKENING in May 2009!

Thanks so much to TKA for letting me blog today! If you have any additional questions, please feel free to post here and I’ll be happy to answer. And, if we can get the comments up to fifty (50), I will draw one winner to get a copy of both of my SOROITY 101 books and announce the winner next week.

Hugs,
Marley = )
http://www.marleygibson.com
http://yawriters.blogspot.com
http://www.myspace.com/mhgibson

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Categories : General

SORORITY 101 Books in the Window at Borders in Boston!

By MarleyGibson · Comments (10)

Wednesday, May 14th, 2008

I was so thrilled yesterday at lunchtime when I was walking down the very busy part of Boylston Street in Boston and I saw the window display of Borders. Did my eyes deceive me or were those MY books in the window on display?

My friend, Rebecca, and I got closer…yes! SORORITY 101: ZETA OR OMEGA? and SORORITY 101: THE NEW SISTERS are front and center on their very own display table in the high traffic area.

Wow! Hey…I wrote these!

So, Rebecca and I go inside to find the table filled with pink and green books on a table all to themselves right in the front where all of the new fiction is. Rebecca looked over the books and decided to purchases two of each for her older sisters to read. Take a look at the happy reader.

And here she is with a very helpful Borders employee (who told the woman behind Rebecca to get the books) as she checks out.

Borders came and did the book sale at my launch party on May 2nd and invited me to the store to sign stock. She told me she was going to put some out on the New Fiction table, but I had no idea I’d get my own window like this! The sales people are going to push the books as “graduation presents.” Which is a really great idea!

I hope you’ll pick up the books and enjoy reading them…or gifting them to a teen that you know.

Hugs,

Marley = )

http://www.marleygibson.com

(writing as Kate Harmon for this series)

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Categories : kate harmon, marley gibson, sorority 101

Character Naming Contest

By MarleyGibson · Comments (6)

Monday, April 9th, 2007

Hi everyone!

I’m having a contest over at my blog, Books, Boys and Buzz, to name a cute guy character in my upcoming novel, SPRING FORMAL – A Sisterhood Novel, the fourth book in my sorority girl series from Puffin Books. Check out the blog and be sure to leave your nomination or suggestion in the comments section either there or here.

You can use a real name if you’d like or make one up. Remember, this guy should be in college and he must be terribly cute. Best entry name and description will be featured in my Fall 2008 release with the winner’s name in the acknowledgement section.

Winning entry will be chosen on Monday, May 7th.

Isn’t it great to create a cute guy? The possibilities are endless!!

Have fun!
Marley = )

Sorority Rush Begins – Spring 2008
Rush – A Sisterhood Novel
Pledge Class – A Sisterhood Novel
Puffin Books

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Categories : General

Critique Winner and Thanks!

By MarleyGibson · Comments (3)

Saturday, September 30th, 2006

Thanks to those of you who donated to Team Parallel Heat for the Breast Cancer 3-Day and entered my critique drawing/giveaway.

CONGRATULATIONS

to…..

Mary Robinette Kowal

Please e-mail me at marley @ webstuffdesign.com (no spaces) and we can arrange the critique.

Thanks again to everyone who has donated to our efforts. There’s still time to help out for a great cause. Just click on the Team Parallel Heat and donate to anyone on the team.

Thanks!
Marley = )

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Categories : General

Someone must be in need of a critique…

By MarleyGibson · Comments (2)

Wednesday, September 20th, 2006

As you faithful readers of the TKA blog know, Team Parallel Heat is hard at work raising money for the upcoming 3-Day Walk for Breast Cancer. So far, we’ve raised over $12,000 (whooohooo!!) but we still have more to go.

To give you an incentive to help us in our journey, I am offering a three-chapter/synopsis critique. (Just ask Diana Peterfreund…I’m a great critique partner.) All you have to do to enter the contest is to donate $50 or more to anyone on Team Parallel Heat.

When you receive your e-mail verification from the 3-Day folks, forward it to me at marley AT webstuffdesign.com to have your name entered in the drawing.

On September 30th, I will draw one winner to receive the critique.

This is a great cause to participate in and everyone benefits. Please support our effort and enter to win a useful prize.

Thanks!
Marley = )

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Categories : General

What better way to meet an agent?

By MarleyGibson · Comments (7)

Monday, August 21st, 2006

So, you’re looking for a literary agent. You e-mail queries. You send those snail-mail packets. You pitch at conferences. And you ask your writer friends for introductions to their agents.

But wait…I’ve got a better way!

Why not sign up for Team Parallel Heat’s Breast Cancer Walk team and you’ll get to spend THREE days with three members of the fabulous Knight Agency! And while you’re schmoozing and networking with (did I mention THREE members) the ladies of TKA, you’re also participating in a fantastic, worthy cause: raising money for breast cancer research.

The event in Atlanta, is a three-day fest of fun, fellowship and a feeling of satisfaction, knowing that your efforts will go to help millions of women who have been stricken with this disease.

As a cancer survivor myself, I am pleased to be participating with Deidre and TKA on Team Parallel Heat and I hope you’ll join us!

Thanks!
Marley = )

(In case you want to sponsor me, any donation would be appreciated!! In September, I’ll have a giveaway for someone who sponsors me — don’t you love teasers?)

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Why we’re sooooo proud of Diana Peterfreund!!! by Marley Gibson

By MarleyGibson · Comments (15)

Tuesday, July 18th, 2006

Today is the LAUNCH day for Diana Peterfreund’s much anticipated debut novel SECRET SOCIETY GIRL.

And since I don’t have a personal blog, the ladies of TKA have been kind enough to let me gush here for a moment about a very special person.

I don’t remember the exact moment when I met Diana Peterfreund, but I do know that it was in the beginning year of eHarlequin.com in their writer’s community. Soon, we became members of the same critique group and quickly learned that our voices (and critiquing styles) were not going to mesh well with the other writers. But she and I meshed.

(That’s us in Reno last year!)

When I walked in throught the door of the Hilton hotel at RWA Nationals New York City 2003 (literally had just gotten off the Peter Pan bus from Boston), I was jumped. And I mean jumped! Clobber-hugged by this energetic, bouncy, friendly chick who recognized me immediately from my picture. (My husband remembers this vividly, wondering if he should come to my rescue. *giggle*) What can I say? Diana and I bonded immediately and have stayed close friends, supportive writing pals and hard-nosed critique partners.

And today…July 18th, Diana’s debut novel, SECRET SOCIETY GIRL by Delacourt, hits the shelves and the world will now know the magic of her writing.

Earlier last night, in our daily Yahoo IM session, Diana noted to me the amazing feelings she’s going through awaiting the release of her book and how taken aback (in a good way) by how positive, supportive and wonderful people are reacting…how people — particularly other writers — are so excited for her. “Why?” she asked me.

I’ll tell you what I told her…

Because…Diana Peterfreund is a pro. From Day One of this thing we call writing, she has put her all into every word, every thought, every phrase of her writing. She has studied the industry, learned the business, researched agents and editors, scoped out the best conferences to go to and the most useful contests to enter. She has approached her writing career in nothing but a professional manner and encourages others to do the same.

Secondly, Diana Peterfreund is a giver. In this world, there are givers and takers. Some people sit on the sidelines and let other people do the work or try to ride on the coattails of those who are trying. Not Diana. She’s a giver. She’s donated countless hours to the RWA judging and coordinating contests. She critiques for people. She’s on blogs and loops and message boards sharing her industry knowledge and trying to help newbies understand the business. Give, give, give. That’s always been her mantra, although she’d never sing her own praises or expect anyone else to do it.

Thirdly, Diana Peterfreund is a good soul. She tirelessly helps other writers, supports her friends, has an amazing work ethic and puts out positive actions that has brought good karma into her life. She’s the kind of person who introduces others to her agent. She’s the kind of person who helps a newbie with their query letter. She’s the kind of person who volunteers her to help teach what she’s learned.

So why are we all so excited for her? Because…. She. Deserves. This.

One of our own has crossed the summit. A bright, shining day is ahead. And because of who Diana is and how she has supported so many people, we’re all reveling in her success. Why are we all in awe? Not just because we’re her friends and like her, but because she’s reached an important peak. It’s like the movie Bull Durham. Diana’s Crash Davis…she’s going to The Show. She’s with a fabulous, supportive publisher who is promoting the hell out of her book, getting her reviewed by top publications and other wonderful things to come. It’s a dream. A debut author selling at auction on a partial. She’s in The Show. No more bus trips or shower shoes…plane rides and nice hotels. LOL…well, you get the metaphor.

Bottom line…Good things come to good people and Diana deserves this wonderful release day like no other. We cheer her accomplishments. We think, if we just try that hard, it’ll happen for us, too. And we cry (happy, celebratory tears) with her when we see that gorgeous hardcover on the shelf.

There have been sightings of the book, too! Gina Johnson in Tulsa found the book on the shelf at her bookstore Monday night…

…of course, being the good person she is, Gina corrected the display…

Cheers to Diana, to the person she is and the bountiful success this book is sure to bring her. Run, don’t walk, to the bookstore today to buy her book!

Marley Gibson
President, Diana Peterfreund Fan Club

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Categories : General

An afternoon with The Knight Agency

By MarleyGibson

Thursday, August 4th, 2005

Thanks so much to Deidre for signing me before the RWA Conference in Reno so I could attend the lovely event thrown by The Knight Agency for its clients. Here are some pictures from the day's events. (Let me tell you, the Thunderbird Lodge is heaven on earth!)

The clients of The Knight Agency…