The Community Event Calendar for 11/16 - Your Daily Datebook for Gather

Reading & rating has now begun in the The Court TV Search for the Next Great Crime Writer Contest A dark alley. A shadowy figure. A bloody dagger that disappears from the scene. How does YOUR favorite crime novel begin?
Starting today, it's YOUR turn to hunt down the best. Five (5) finalists will be selected through two rounds of rating, and one Grand Prize Winner will then be chosen for publication by a panel of judges, some of which are bestselling authors in the genre! (Round 1 voting ends on December 9, 2007)

Transcript of live chat with Bruce Littlefield, author of "Garage Sale America" from yesterday, Novermber 14. Chat was hosted by Gather member Ron Hall, and takes you on a behind the scenes look at the subject of Bruce's latest book Merry Christmas America! - Megawatt Displays Across the U.S.A. ...The finest holiday displays from east to west, and the people behind these popular spectacles.

Hear the new album Motown: A Journey Through Hitsville USA by Boyz II Men - On Tuesday, Boyz II Men - hailed by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) as the most commercially successful R&B group of all time, returned to center stage with a stunning new album. The Decca label debut is the first major-label release in five years for Boyz II Men, who have sold an estimated 60 million recordings in a spectacular career that will enter its seventeenth year in 2008. ...and you can listen to every track from their new album right here on Gather through TODAY ONLY!!

Interview with Bestselling Crime Fiction Writer Lisa Gardner - This week Member Editor Kathryn Esplin-Oleski interviewed Ms. Gardner, using YOUR questions for the interview! Click the "Learn More" button below to read the complete transcript. Also, on Monday, November 19th at 10 p.m. ET, Ms. Gardner will reveal her favorite true crime story on Court TV's series "Murder By The Book." The episode revolves around the disappearance of Portland, ME resident Amy St. Laurent and follows the investigation through to the shocking conclusion.

Win a Design Consultation, a Camcorder, and a $2,000 Crate and Barrel Shop Card! in the "Downsizing Your Home With Style" image competition! - We all have it ...that one room at home that’s begging for a makeover. Is your bedroom a mishmash of furniture styles? Your bathroom sporting the yellow and green of the 70s? Then enter the Gather.com Downsizing Your Home With Style Photo Contest and win a Design Consultation, a Camcorder, and a $2,000 Crate and Barrel Shop Card! (Entry deadline is Monday, November 19)

The Rememberance Project - Have you lost a loved one in the military service? A new group on Gather (remembrance.gather.com) is dedicated to memorialize and honor fallen soldiers. It is also a sacred place, and always free of advertisements and sponsorship.

Enter to win a $25,000 College Scholarship in the Code Orange "Coping with College" Contest! - You could win a $25,000 college savings account for your child. Just tell us your sure-fire mental or physical exercise for conquering that “how-am-I- gonna-pay-for-it” Code Orange — and you could be the lucky winner! (Entry deadline is Saturday, December 15)

Win a United Paranormal T-Shirt! Member Donna H. is giving away a special 'tee' in a unique scavenger hunt. The first member with the correct answers wins the shirt. Good Luck!

Win one of 50 "Code Orange" Mouse Pads!  Wouldn’t it be helpful to have a set of agreed upon codes for rules your kids could follow in situations that requires extra precaution and communication? - Share your perpective or personal story surrounding this topic, and you could be one of 50 members randomly chosen to receive a special "Code Orange" mouse pad! (Entry deadline is Sunday, November 18)

New prizes are offered each week!

See who already won »

WRITING CONTEST: 2nd Annual National Parks of the United States Non-Fiction Writing Contest sponsored by member and travel correspondent Jennifer St.Antoine. Entry period expires on November 30, and the winner receives a National Parks Passport!

We love winning. Who doesn't love to win? - Gather has teamed up with eBay to create Winspirations.gather.com. This new community will discuss and share ideas on what it means to be a winner, and help each other identify "wins" we already have in our lives.

The group is hosted each week by community members:

Bill Cottringer (ckuretdoc.gather.com)
Diana Raabe (raabe.gather.com)
Jessie Voigts (jessiev.gather.com)
Lori (fleenabean.gather.com)
Monica Zenberg (daydreambeliever.gather.com)
Terry Shaw (terrys7.gather.com)

Soundtracking: 1000 Member Celebration! - This week, the Soundtracking group (soundtracking.gather.com) reached 1000 members! To celebrate this milestone, the group will spotlight some amazing member content throughout the next week.

Submit Your Questions on Yoga For a Chance to Win a Free Books & DVD! - Do you want to help your children channel their emotions and become more focused? For yoga instructor Mary Kaye Chryssicas, learning yoga as a child helped her gain more confidence and decrease her levels of stress. Learn more about yoga and the benefits of becoming a yogi in parenting.gather.com. Later this week Gather will sit down with Mary Kaye for an exclusive interview, but they need your help! Submit your questions on yoga for children of all ages, and Gather will randomly select one member to receive a free yoga book & DVD!

The focus is on the basics of writing in the Gather Essentials: Writing Group - Today's Member Editor John Beck is seeking to feature your original written work throughout the day.

Writing Essential Member Editors:

Monday - Chris Carlisle
Tuesday - Amy George
Wednesday - Kathryn Esplin-Oleski
Thursday - Rose Williams
Friday - John Beck
Saturday - Aaron Lazar
Sunday - Ron Hall

Today's Tip: When performing a search for content containing more than one search term, be certain to use the AND operand (all upper case) between each term. For example, beach AND sand -- This will return all content containing both terms.

Leave a Question for Bestselling Crime Fiction Writer Lisa Scottoline! - An interview with Ms. Gardner will be conducted by Member Editor Kathryn Esplin-Oleski, and Gather is looking for your questions for the interview!

Questions taken through Sunday, November 18.

Then, on Monday December 3rd at 10 p.m. ET, Ms. Gardner will reveal her favorite true crime story on Court TV's series "Murder By The Book." The episode follows forensic scientists as they piece together the disappearance and murder of Karyn Hearn Slover of Decatur, Illinois.

Lisa Scottoline is a New York Times bestselling author of 14 novels including DADDY'S GIRL, DIRTY BLONDE, and KILLER SMILE. She is a former trial lawyer and judicial law clerk; she won the Edgar Award, the highest prize in crime fiction; and she teaches a class called "Justice and Fiction" at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, her alma mater. She serves on the board of directors of the Mystery Writers of America and the National Italian American Foundation.

In December 2006, Scottoline was part of Court TV's launch of their new show "Murder By The Book" where critically acclaimed mystery writers host docudramas based on real life criminal cases.

Scottoline writes a column entitled "Chick Wit" for the Sunday Philadelphia Inquirer, which is part of the McClatchy newspaper chain, and is a friendly and funny take on life from a woman's perspective. Scottoline's books are published in more than twenty languages. She remains a life-long resident of the Philadelphia area.