After three and a half years the Good Girls are closing up shop.

We’ve had a lot of fun around these parts—great conversations, interesting tidbits, fabulous cocktail parties, shared successes, and crazy life moments. But, as often happens in life, other priorities have swept in, making a weekly blogging commitment tricky.

You can still keep up on our various Good Girls through their individual websites (our links are found below our photos) and/or via the Facebook page Sara set up in order for us to keep a group presence. We sure hope you’ll stop by from time to time!

By now, all of the Good Girls have said farewell. Except me. So here goes…

*deep breath*

When we started this blog in July of 2006, it was done as a way to gain exposure for us as writers—a way to reach readers we might not necessarily have found otherwise. And it was sound thinking. Did I get exposure? Yeah, I guess. And for that, I’m thankful. But it was the part I didn’t expect that means so much more. You see, by simply showing up here every Tuesday, I made some really wonderful friends—people who have touched my life in ways I never thought possible…

**There’s Judy, Joe, Sharon, and Wil who walked beside me in my very first MS Walk in 2008.

**There’s Lynn from Texas who walked one for me in her home state simply because she wanted to help.

**There are the countless readers who supported my quest monetarily (I raised $2,600 with the vast majority of that figure coming from people in the mystery community).

**There’s Kate and Karen who traveled hours (from different directions) to attend one of my signings this past summer.

**There’s Dusty, whom I didn’t know before this blog, who has become a good friend–driving an hour or so (twice) to throw a little moral support my way during a recent Deadly Diva tour in North Carolina.

**There’s the time I spent with Tasha–whom I’m didn’t know before this blog–which has yielded some of my most treasured memories over the past year or so.

**And, last but not least, there’s the other Lynn—the one who won one of my contests and became a true friend in the process.

My heartfelt thanks goes out to each and every one of them…as well as to all of you, my loyal readers (both silent and otherwise).

A lot has happened in my life since this blog started. I made the transition from small press to big publishing house (yay!), I was diagnosed with MS (and am doing very well, thank you), and went through big changes in my personal life. But, through it all, the GG clubhouse was a great place to hang out. Thanks for following along, I appreciate it more than you can ever know.

And if, by chance, you care to continue along with me, I’ve started blogging daily (Monday-Friday) on my website: www.elizabethlynncasey.com. Hope to see you there!

With warm hugs,

~Laura

No, not really. I’ll let the others do the maudlin goodbyes. I don’t do maudlin.

It was fun. And it’s over. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8D-c7A0GjNA

Goodbyes are always difficult, even when you’ve been missing in action as long as I have. One of the great pleasures of my writing career has been the friendships I’ve formed along the way, and the Good Girls — past and present — are some of the friendships I hold dearest.

I’ll never forget that long ago Malice where we closed down the bar and plotted our takeover of Mysterydom. We haven’t quite managed that, but did have some laughs and some very good times along the way. Thank you, dear readers, for sharing some of those with us.

Sara, Tasha, Heidi, Laura — and our newest Good Girl, Jenny — thank you all for your friendship and support. It’s been swell.

Last girl out of the Clubhouse, don’t forget to lock the liquor cabinet and turn out the lights.

All the best,
Diana

I’m a little sad to be writing my last blog post, saying goodbye to you all. It’s been such fun being a Good Girl, (virtually) hanging out, and getting to know you. And though we’ve not had one for ages, I’ll always miss our Virtual Cocktail Parties.

Instead of getting all morose, let’s be fun. Answer for me one last set of questions? Please?

1. What is your absolute favorite line of poetry?

2. What’s the best book title you’ve ever seen?

3. What’s your hands-down favorite meal?

4. What is your all-time favorite book? (I think everyone can guess mine…..)

Have a magnificent 2010 and beyond. I’ll be around on Facebook and Twitter (the blogs of the next decade?), and would love to see you there. A million thanks for all the support–you guys are the best!!!

xo
Tasha

The transition is complete—our family has made another move.

We are unpacking boxes and fighting a rising tide of packing paper in our new home in Florida. I keep telling myself that the mess has to get worse before it gets better.

It’s always amazing to see a home totally empty and then a few days later it looks like a tornado has swept through! We do have an internet connection, so life is more civilized now than it was a few days ago.

My 2010 to-do list already has a few things on it:
~Finish unpacking
~Discover Tampa: restaurants, shopping, find a church, etc.
~Finish the sixth book in the Ellie Avery series

I’m sad to say that blogging with the Good Girls won’t be part of 2010 for me. There just aren’t enough hours in the day to do everything I’d like to. I have to concentrate on essential things and, for me, that means focusing on writing books. I’ve had a wonderful time here, made some terrific friends, and will miss everyone. I’ll drop in when I can and I’ll still post updates on Facebook and Twitter.

Before I go, I have to share my new cover. If you need a little summer warmth, click here.

So, what’s on your list for 2010? Are you paring down anything in your life? Or, are you adding something new?

Take care,
Sara

Things are busy at Casa Laura these days with the vast majority of that busy-ness put there by my own two hands. But sometimes, when you want something bad enough, you have to make some choices…

Do you step up to the plate and hit the ball as hard as you can?

Or do you take a walk and hope the next guy hits one hard enough to propel you around the bases?

There’s no doubt there’s some attractive qualities to option number two (like getting to catch your breath while you’re watching the other guy swing). But if you want stuff to happen, your best shot is to swing it hard all on your own.

I’ve swung a lot over the past year or so. Good, hard hits that have met their mark. At least as far as my writing career goes.

Which leaves me with yet another choice.

Do I stand there and watch the ball? See if it makes it over the wall?

Or, do I start running just in case?

Me? I start running (I guess I’m not one for leaving things to chance). Mainly because I need to know—when the game is over—that I gave it my best. That way there’s no regrets, no second-guessing, no should-a’s, no could-a’s.

That’s why, as writers, we have websites.

That’s why some of us blog (I’ve started blogging daily on my personal website: www.elizabethlynncasey.com ).

That’s why we need to resist the urge to let a day slip away compliments of the internet and other nefarious time-killers.

That’s why…when working on one project…we start thinking ahead to the next (the more teams you’re playing for, the better).

That’s why we stay open to the voice in our head rather than become a slave to a particular genre (my first romance—Kayla’s Daddy—is now available).

That’s why we wear what seems like a million different hats during the course of a day (writing, editing, creating, marketing, advertising, web designing, etc.).

There are days where I feel I do it well and days when I know I could be doing more…and better.

But as long as I keep swinging…

And as long as I keep hitting…

I’ll keep running.

Because it’s the only way to get where you’re going.

Here’s to 2010… May it be a year of some great hits for each and every one of us.

Hugs,

~Laura

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas - or depending on your religious leanings, a wonderful other holiday season - and a great time ringing in 2010.

We had a totally self indulgent Christmas, with too much food and too much money spent, and we celebrated New Years Eve with a cranky 6-year-old and an adamant 10-year-old, both of whom were bound and determined to stay up until midnight. The 6-year-old conked out an hour before, but the 10-year-old made it and got to see the ball drop. Then we all kissed each other and said Happy New Year, and went to bed. As someone once said, “Childhood is when you get to stay up until midnight on New Years Eve. Adulthood is when you have to.” Or something to that effect.

I’m going to cheat today, and send you somewhere else for your jollies.

See, I’ve been invited to be a member of the Southern Authors blog and today is my first day to post over there. And since getting a few comments on my post will likely make me look like I’ve got something to contribute, I’m going to ask you to step on over to A Good Blog Is Hard To Find, and tell me about your New Year’s resolutions. We’re talking about the future of publishing and how to take your writing to the next level.

See your over there!

Hope 2010 is your best yet…..

xo
Tasha

It’s that time of year again, folks…

Time for the top 100 Most Intriguing (People Magazine).

Time for the top 100 songs of the decade (any radio station).

Time for the top yada, yada, yada.

So, in keeping with the season, I figured we should have a “favorites” wrap-up of our own (only ours can be from this past year OR of-all-time if you’d rather). Sound good?

Let’s get to it.

1) Favorite song
2) Favorite band
3) Favorite author
4) Favorite book
5) Favorite feel-good movie
6) Favorite scary movie
7) Favorite current TV show
8) Favorite all-time TV show
9) Favorite car you’ve ever owned (and why)
10) Favorite celebrity

I’ll check in sometime during the day and add my own as I’m en route home from a very short (yet fun) jaunt to Miami.

In the meantime, Happy New Year GG readers!!!

Hugs,

~Laura

Wishing you the happiest of Christmases and a wonderful New Year!

xo
Tasha