Julia Karr's Blog, page 14
March 17, 2012
Last weekend of Authors for Henryville Auction
It's winding down! But, it's also heating up! Fabulous authors, editors, and designers jumped onboard!
Amazing YA author, John Green is offering a set of his books, signed & personalized!
Fabulous editor at Carolrhoda Books, Andrew Karre, is offering a 50-page critique!
Designer, J. Allen Fielder is offering to design your swag!
Click on their names to go straight to their auction pages!
And, of course, there are all the amazing books & goodies in the main auction.
Take advantage of these last days to get what you want and to help the people of Henryville in the process!
Thanks to everyone who has helped make this happen! Y'all are Rock Stars!
March 12, 2012
Mostly Monday – Authors 4 Henryville Auction is Up & Running!
I had no idea how much work was involved in getting this set up – but it is so worth it! Click on the author's names below to go right to their auction page and see what we've got. There will be more added during the week! Maybe your favorite author is coming up? Maybe there's swag (like a signed Breathless Reads tour poster!) that you want… Bid now – Bid often!
Jeff Weigel – signed book and original artwork – Atomic Ace and the Robot Rampage
Cynthia Willis – 2 signed books – Buck Fever and Dog Gone
Angie Smibert - signed ARC & swag – The Forgetting Curve (companion to Memento Nora)
Rebecca Kai Dotlich – signed picture book – Lemonade Sun
Matthew Cody - 2 signed books – The Dead Gentleman and Powerless
Meg Cabot – the Mediator series and the Princess series
Ransom Riggs - signed book – Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
Alissa Grosso – signed book – Popular
Sara Bennett Wealer – signed book – Rival
Annette Lebox – signed picture book – Salmon Creek
Daisy Whitney – signed book – The Mockingbirds
Jean Reidy – signed picture book pack – Too Purpley, Too Princessy, Too Pickley (set of 3), and Light up the Night
Blythe Woolston – 3 books and a plush bug! – The Freak Observer, Catch & Release, The Girl Who Was On Fire (movie edition), and a plush MRSA Super Bug
If you don't want to bid on any of these (although I can't imagine why you wouldn't!) there will be more coming up this week, including Beth Revis, Mike Mullin, Sara Zarr, Suzanne Winnacker, and a 50 page critique from Andrew Karre!
Or – you can donate to the cause and be entered to win one of the many raffle prizes!
March 11, 2012
Authors for Henryville Auction & Raffle
The Authors for Henryville auction and raffle is now live!
The authors participating are both established and debut – and boy! is there some good stuff! Signed series from Meg Cabot, original art from Jeff Weigel, and even a plush MRSA super bug from Blythe Woolston! (Just to name a few of the great items up for bid today.) (There will be 2 more auctions throughout the week, so keep going back to check!
Go there now! Authors for Henryville. And check out the fabulous offerings – and bid (or donate to be entered in the raffle) to help the community of Henryville that was devastated by the March 2nd F4 tornado.
Thanks!
March 9, 2012
Friday Five – Authors for Henryville
Do you really need five reasons why you should donate to Authors for Henryville's relief effort for the small Indiana town that was devastated by the March 2nd tornados? (Aside from the fact that I can come up with way more than 5…)
1. People help people when they are up against the wall (or when all their walls have been destroyed.)
2. It feels good to help others – especially those in dire need.
3. Paying it forward is always the right thing to do.
4. When you can't go help in person, supporting those who can makes you feel like you're making a difference. (Which you are!!!)
5. Because J. M. Barrie was right… "Always be a little kinder than necessary."
Please go to Authors for Henryville or click the donate button on the right. Yes – there are fabulous signed books & swag to be won if you donate (there will be auctions and a raffle at A4H all week long) – but one hopes people don't "need" those in order to be generous – it's just a special perk.
March 7, 2012
March 5, 2012
Mostly Monday – Waiting to Help
As many of you may know, Southern Indiana was devastated by tornados on Friday, March 2nd. Henryville, a small town 30 miles south of where I grew up was for all practical purposes, wiped off the map – along with Marysville, a few miles further down the road. When I was looking at pictures of the destruction at the Henryville high school (picture via ABC News) I started crying.
Then I decided I had to do something. So, several author friends and I are putting together a raffle to raise money to help Henryville restock their school libraries when the time comes for that to happen.
As soon as we have the details ironed out – I'll let you know.
If you are a children's author & want to donate signed books and/or swag for the raffle – please contact me at authors4henryville (at) gmail (dot) com and I give you the details!
Please – keep all the people in Henryville and the rest of the tornado-hit areas in Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Alabama and Tennessee in your thoughts and prayers.
March 2, 2012
The Friday Five – Looking Back & Looking Forward
It's been kind of an emotional time for me, what with the death of David (Davy) Jones of the Monkees. I was smack-dab in the middle of the demographic to which they were targeted. But, no matter that they were (at first) a marketed phenomenon. Who could possibly have been immune to their charms? Particularly Davy Jones's! (Altho' I have to admit to being more charmed by Peter Tork - just as George Harrison was always my favorite Beatle!)
So – on to this Friday's Five.
1. When someone from your past dies, someone who (even though you didn't know them) had a lasting impact on your life — it makes you very sad.
2. Reminiscing is fun, for a minute — but what's happening in the present is what's rewarding – because it's right here and now & you are doing it!
3. The past is an encyclopedia – a veritable treasure trove of emotions, feelings (mental & physical), actions & their results, tastes, sounds, etc. A writer's best friend!
4. I would not be able to spell encyclopedia without first mentally running through the Jiminy Cricket song!
5. All is well.
6. (a bonus!) Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!
February 29, 2012
February 27, 2012
Mostly Monday – Blue Skies
It was a great weekend! I spent Saturday at the Indianapolis Youth Literature Conference with three of my favorite Indiana Authors! Christine Johnson, Saundra Mitchell, and Mike Mullin. We did a panel about our writing journeys – and then spent a few hours signing books and just chatting.
It's the just chatting that really makes an event like that stand out for me. Authors can be (in other words – I can be) solitary people. Unless you're writing with a partner, you are spending a lot of time in your own head with people that only come to life on paper. So I consider it a real treat to spend quality "author" time with my peers!
Then, on Sunday I drove up to Kokomo to the Kokomo-Howard County Public Library, where I gave a talk titled "From Idea to Book." It was loads of fun! The librarians (particularly Melissa Wheelock-Diedrichs) were fabulous! The library, which was recently remodeled, is absolutely beautiful!
Aside from meeting people, talking (which I love to do!), and talking books in particular – one of the things I enjoy about going to events like these is the drive. Yep – I like driving. Not only because I can plug in my Beach Boys' tunes and remember the cruising days of my youth – but, I get to think, quietly, about writing and life.
Maybe on Wednesday I'll share a little about what I was thinking about this weekend. But right now – I'm off to meet a friend!
How was your Monday? Full of sunshine and blues skies I hope!
February 24, 2012
The Friday Five – Anticipating Spring
What strange weather we've been having! And some of it I love!
1. Not much makes me happier than seeing the crocus and snowdrops brighten the landscape.
2. Mmmm… it's heaven to smell the hint of Spring on a breezy late February day.
3. Not having to scrap ice off my car windows is a welcome bonus!
4. Anticipating Spring always reminds me of Frog and Toad Together!
5. Spring is – after all – Just Around the Corner!
What hints of Spring are getting you excited for the season?
