Erica O'Rourke's Blog, page 13

Winner! And a hint of what's to come.

You people really enjoy scavenger hunts, don't you? I was blown away by the amazing response -- thank you! (True fact: I get an email every time someone comments here. And I have a Pavlovian response to emails -- every time my phone shows a new message, I get a little thrill. This many comments made me feel like I was attached to a generator or something. MADE MY WEEKEND.)

So, the fine folks at random.org informed me that the winning comment was...Erin! Who said:

"I've actually never done a scavenger hunt before, this is pretty fun, thanks for this!"

To which I say: Congratulations, Erin! I sent you an email about your prize package, and I am going to screw my courage to the sticking place and brave the post office at the end of this week. You all know how I feel about the post office, but for you...I will suck it up and go.

Now it's December -- which means that we are gearing up for Christmas as well as the oldest girl's birthday. And here's the thing about the holidays: I don't need gifts. We have already established that I am the luckiest girl on the planet. Gifts are superfluous for me.

But...GIVING gifts? That's my favorite part. I love choosing the perfect gift for people. Choosing the wrapping paper. Wrapping the presents. Arranging them. Watching people open them. Watching people (especially my kids) ENJOY them. I have already bought a catapult and a ukelele and while I'm sure by mid-January, I will be smiting my forehead and wondering how I could have been so foolish, right now I am ridiculously pleased.

And this year, I have gifts for you, too. There'll be more details soon, but I'll have chances for you to win some really wonderful books, swag, and other delightful things.

(But no catapults. That's for the middle kid.)

Thanks again for participating in the YA Scavenger Hunt, guys! If you didn't get to see Colin's deleted scene before it was taken down, rest assured I'll be posting it again soon.

 

Good Book Hunting: The Winter 2011 YA Scavenger Hunt!

Remember the scavenger hunts you did as a kid? Ours always involved running around the neighborhood in the dark, harassing our neighbors for bits and bobs of things: tablespoons and packets of ketchup and rubber bands...it was a lot of effort for prizes typically found in a junk drawer. But THIS scavenger hunt is different. It is infinitely more awesome. On THIS hunt you will be able to gain access to exclusive bonus material, sign up for giveaways, and get an all access pass to top secret insider information. This fabulous sneak peek into what's coming up in YA literature is for three days only!

Please note: the hunt will run from noon PACIFIC TIME on December 1st to noon PACIFIC TIME on December 4th.

 

As an extra bonus we've put together a puzzle with one keyword found on each website. Complete it and you will be eligible for a fantastic GRAND PRIZE which will include signed editions of books, signed bookmarks, jewelry, and many more exclusive gifts with at least one gift from EVERY AUTHOR! So, go grab a cup of coffee or whatever your preferred web-surfing beverage is, and get ready to be blown away by new and upcoming YA releases.

 

Here's how it works: Copy and paste the puzzle below onto a document or print it out. As you proceed through the scavenger hunt, look for the words -- one on each website -- that are highlighted in RED. Write down the unscrambled word next to its' scrambled partner in the list below. When you are finished, fill out the Google form here.

You can also comment on this site to be entered into a special TORN/TANGLED giveaway -- details are at the end of this entry.

Please unscramble the words below

1. NVSEIURE

 

2. MLTSIPIE

 

3. PEMETKIREE

 

4. IIHEDOMC

 

5. FMERLOAHTWER

 

6. DLENGO

 

7. IRDEEDEWLB

 

8. RSUERNEDR

 

9. AOCATTINA

 

10. AHNCEDNTE

 

11. GURENDOHY

 

12. GAUINDAR

 

13. RETECSS

 

14. EMCREAB

 

15. LORNDDWURE

 

16. AIRSFCCEI

 

17. RIASSMHCT

 

18. RWTHACES

 

19. RTAAENTNRSP

 

20. DETLGAN

 

21. YFNASAT

 

22. NTOAPHWYP

 

23. SLLESUOS

 

24. ECNNEOIP

 

25. LOENIOASTD

 

26. EORFWLWE

 

27. AREEHTFS

 

28. AAAOLRPMNR

 

29. HSIGDNA

 

30. DOBANADNE

 

31. LIECSHORCN

 

32. SPSESNEU

 

33. OTMYHLGYO

 

34. ELWLHAENO

 

35. TTOAINRTAC

37.BTRSUTEFEIL

 

36.   UAUTFLBIE

  

 

 

Rules: To be eligible for the grand prize, you must submit this filled in puzzle before noon on Dec 4th Pacific Time. All the keywords must be in the correct order and numbering. You must include your full name and address. Entries sent in without name and address will not be considered!

 

I'm lucky enough to be hosting Marley Gibson, who is sweet and funny and also, as you can see from her picture, adorable!

Here's a little more about Marley:

In addition to writing young adult books, Marley also writes non-fiction.  She thought, what better time than the holiday season than to offer bonus material and a sneak chapter from her new book, THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS.  It's a heart-warming, Chicken Soup for the Soul-type book filled with stories from real people.  Not only is the book a great stocking stuffer, it's already gone into its third printing!

 

 

And, as befitting a scavenger hunt that takes places during the holidays, here's a bit about her book, THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS.

A heartwarming collection of true stories that will inspire, entertain, and get everyone into the spirit of Christmas

At Christmastime, it's hard not to get caught up in the shopping, the decorating, the party planning and the family drama—and too we often to lose sight of the true meaning of the season.  But sometimes, through God's grace or a simple twist of fate, we're able to step back and understand what the holiday is truly about.

The Spirit of Christmas is an inspiring collection of true stories from real-life people who have experienced such moments where the meaning of the season becomes clear and touches their hearts.  A man mailing gifts at the post office witnesses a moving scene that changes his life forever.  An unhappy couple are drifting further apart…until a special Christmas gift allows them to renew their love and mend their fractured marriage.  And a father tries to keep the spirit of Christmas alive for his son with a grand gesture--a gesture that will be remembered by his family and many others for years to come.

Filled with magic, wonder and deep meaning, it's impossible for these stories not to touch your heart—and fill you with The Spirit of Christmas.

Marley's Website

Buy THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS at Barnes & Noble

Buy THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS at Amazon

And now, your sneak peek! Don't forget to keep an eye out for the word in RED.

 

-------------------------------------

"Christmas is cancelled," my mother said sternly, her eyes moist with tears. Only two months earlier she had lost her beloved father to heart disease.

"You can't cancel Christmas," I said.

"Yes, I can. Daddy is no longer with us and it doesn't matter to me this year."

That shocked me because I'd often thought of my mother as the Queen of Christmastime. She's a church organist, teaches carols to the kids, and leads the choir in seasonal musicals. She plays for her church with such fervor I sometimes wondered if the angels were channeling their choruses through her.

Christmas canceled?

It wasn't that I was upset about not having presents or toys. I was eighteen, a freshman in college, and I didn't need those material items. What I wanted was the Christmas tree put up the way Mother did it every year with the ornaments organized exactly right. What I needed was the smell of Christmas turkey as we gathered around the dining room table with many delicious, homemade side dishes. What I yearned for was to hear my mother sit at our piano in the living room and sing about the birth of Christ, the ultimate present God gave to the world that brings us peace, love, and joy all through the year.

Christmas canceled?

"Not if I have anything to say about it," my sister, Jennifer, said on the phone. "If Mother won't put up the tree, we'll do it."

"I'll help too," my brother, Jeff, yelled.

"I'll help, as well," Dad told me. "But your mother isn't going to be happy about this."

We even got Grandmother in on the plans, knowing she wouldn't want to be alone on Christmas day without Granddaddy.

The decision was made: We would have Christmas.

For me, it felt like a long December, finishing finals at college and coming home to find the house just as it was the rest of the year: No tree. No wreath. No candles. No crèche. Even my cat, Smokey, walked around twitching his nose and tail as if knowing something wasn't right.

My brother, Jeff, arrived, followed by my sister, Jennifer. She had driven from New Jersey to Alabama with her two cats, Jo and Natalie. We were prepared for a full-frontal, all-family-members Christmas assault on my mother.

While Mother was out one afternoon, Jennifer, Jeff, and I began to decorate the house. We put the artificial tree together, hung the lights, strung the tinsel, and placed the ornaments in the best way we could to make it look like Mother had done it. I carefully unwrapped each hand-painted item of the crèche and set Mary, Joseph, the wise men, camel, sheep, angel, and finally, baby Jesus, on top of the piano among holly leaves and berries.

Jennifer decorated the mantel with pinecones, Christmas cards, and candles. Jeff put Mother's wreath on the front door and placed a spotlight in the lawn to highlight it. We were ready to face Mother.

Minutes later, her car pulled up and we waited.

She walked inside, put down her purse, and said nothing. The former Queen of Christmas went into her room.

While our family drama was going on, a feud had begun. Smokey hadn't liked having two other creatures invade his space. Jo and Natalie slept in his favorite spots, ate his food, and ganged up on him. He was definitely not full of the Christmas spirit.

We kids bought the turkey and were going to cook it Christmas day to the best of our ability. It wouldn't be Mom's cooking, but we were to have our Christmas feast.

Christmas Eve, Mother went to church while Jennifer and Jeff went to visit a friend. Dad and I cooked breakfast food for our dinner. As we quietly ate our pancakes and bacon, a horrid screech, like a mountain lion calling out filled the room.

"Was that the cats?" I asked.

Dad just raised an eyebrow, shrugged, and went back to eating.

Seconds later a cacophony of sounds mixed together as the animals rushed down the stairs. Meows, howls, and hissing filled the house. Apparently Smokey had had enough and defended his territory from the two females who'd been torturing him the past few days. All of them ran around the house, through the living room, and under the dining room table.

Three flashes of black fur were a blur as Dad and I tried to separate them. Jo bolted underneath the Christmas tree, followed by Natalie. Smokey pursued. The jumbled mess of cat-ness disappeared under the green branches lit with colorful lights.

As the catfight continued, the tree began to shake. The ornaments clanged and shivered. Dad and I didn't know what to do, so we watched. Just then the tree started to shake and tip forward. Dad and I did our best to catch it but the tree hit the living room floor with a loud crack.

Even though Mother wasn't in her regular Christmas frame of mind, one thing I knew was that she would freak out seeing the tree and her ornaments scattered across the floor. Dad and I only had a few minutes before she'd come home from church.

Without Jennifer and Jeff there to help—Jeff knew how to set up the tree just like Mother—we did our best to return the tree to normal. Dad tightened the trunk in the base and I toiled over returning the lights and garland to some semblance of normalcy. It took quite an effort on our part, but we succeeded in righting the tree and straightening it minutes before the front door open.

Mother found Dad and me in the living room trying to act as if nothing happened. We probably had discomfort written on our faces.

"Those damn cats knocked down the Christmas tree, didn't they?" Mom said.

"How did you know?" I asked.

"Because it's crooked and everything's a mess."

Dad shrugged and looked at me. "We tried."

I started laughing. Hard. I couldn't help it.

And so did Mother. It was the first time we'd heard her laughter in a couple of months—in fact, not since Granddaddy's death.

Finally, she gazed around the living room and took in that we'd decorated for her. Tears filled her eyes and she went over and sat at the piano. She ran her hand gently over the figurines of the crèche and paused over the baby Jesus.

That's when Christmas spirit refilled my mother's broken heart and she stretched her fingers out onto the ivory keys. She began to play and sing, "Joy to the World."

Yes, there was joy to the world. Our family was together that Christmas and we would celebrate the most joyous day of the year together. We would miss not having Granddaddy with us, but he was in heaven with Jesus—where he'd always wanted to be. And that only added to our Christmas spirit.

And Christmas had been un-canceled.

While Mother continued to sing, I went upstairs to seek out the culprits of our Christmas chaos. There they were. Smokey, Jo, and Natalie were all curled up on my bed in one large kitty ball.

I laughed and shook my head. Indeed, there was joy in the world.

-----------------------------

Did you find the secret RED word? (Hint - leave off the S at the end.)

Thanks for stopping by, guys -- I hope you're enjoying the tour! While you're here, leave a comment to be enterered into a special TORN/TANGLED prize pack that includes a signed copy of the book, swag, and a special iTunes mix of songs that inspired the series. Note: to be eligible to win you also need to submit a valid entry for the YA Scavenger Hunt grand prize.

 

Ready to meet Karen Amanda Hooper, who's hosting the next leg of the Scavenger Hunt? Click HERE!

How do you say *SWOON* *THUD* in German?

Oh, guys.

So happy. SO! HAPPY!

Remember how TORN sold to Germany a few months ago? Actually, a lot of months ago, but I couldn't announce it right away?

One of the nice things about foreign sales is that you have already written the book, so that it doesn't take up much brain space in the day-to-day course of things. When you get news, it's always a surprise. And in my case, it's a good surprise, because yesterday, I got to see the German cover for TORN.

You might want to have a seat, so that when you swoon, you don't hit your head.

Ready? Really, really ready?

 

 

SWOON, I say. SWOON, followed by THUD, followed by a "GOOD LORD I LOVE GERMANY."

Isn't it bee-you-ti-full? I love how the image is ever-so-faintly water-spotted like an old photo, like a memory. I love all the white space that balances out the darkness at the bottom. I love how the dress fades into shadows. I love that the boy's hair is a little messy and he's all sullen-looking. (I'm assuming it's Luc, since his hair is longer than Colin's. They're both sullen in their own special ways.) It feels dark and mysterious and sexy and...*swoon* *thud*

I LOVE IT. I want to print it out and carry it around with me like a newborn baby, and coo at it and snuggle it and keep it next to my bed.

According to Babelfish, the title translates to THE CHOSEN: AWAY INTO DARKNESS. And that makes me happy, too, because I am a sentimental girl. When this book won the Golden Heart in 2010, it was called UNCHOSEN. We needed to change it for a variety of reasons, and I wasn't devastated...but to see a reminder of that old title, the one Meg Cabot called out that night....it feels indescribably lovely. Kind of like the cover itself.

 

Mango Music

A while back, one of the amazing and brilliant agents at Nancy Coffey Lit, Kathleen Ortiz, posted a video on her blog -- a friend of hers had written a song about Mango the Cat, who belongs to Kathleen's sister. It was funny and catchy and I have been earwormed by it at random intervals ever since. So when I finally met Kathleen at the NCTE party, I immediately burst out singing "My Name is Mango." As one does in these sorts of situations.

The amazing thing about this song is that Brittney, the girl who composed and performed it, accompanied by her trusty ukelele, wrote the entire thing in ten minutes, based on a random group of words Kathleen and her sister threw at her. So obviously Brittney is a genius, and quite talented.

And now she done something even more amazing: she's promised a NEW original song if the video gets 1234 (hee) views by the end of the weekend.

The world needs more Brittney songs, people. Go and watch it. I dare you not to sing along. 

 

 

Because Friday is always better than Tuesday. Especially this week.

In true Tuesday style (did you know Tuesday is my least favorite day of the week? Tuesday is the new Monday, in my opinion.) today's post in not a catch-up of all the fun things I've been doing.

What's that, you say? You don't believe I've been off having fun? You're mostly right -- I've been chained to my desk finishing up the revisions of BOUND -- but I did manage to escape and go see a taping of NPR's Wait Wait Don't Tell Me, where I met Carl Kasell, and Paula Poundstone dressed like a pilgrim.

(That's not me with Paula, alas. I was too busy fawning over Peter Sagal, so I made the boyo get a picture.)

The purpose of this post is to invite you, if you are an English teacher or librarian, to come and see me at the NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English) Convention this Friday. I'll be hosting a party with free food! And free beverages! And swag, including copies of TORN and a chance to win ARCs of TANGLED. (Swag, by definition, is free. Free is good.)

Here's the details:

TORN/TANGLED Party

7-9 pm

Shileghlegh Room  Kitty O'Shea's, Hilton Chicago (720 S Michigan Ave.)

If you're an English teacher or librarian that isn't attending NCTE? Shoot me an email (erica at ericaorourke dot com) and I will send you the swag bag AND enter you in the drawing to win an ARC of TANGLED.

Now, I am off to slay Tuesday. That fifth cup of coffee isn't going to drink itself, you know.

 

 

 

 

Shine Winner!

You are all awesome -- what a fabulous response to the SHINE giveway! The fact that so many of you spread the word and expressed your support for Lauren and SHINE is a remindes that the universe is actually a pretty decent place.

And the winner is...Ruth Knafo Setton! Ruth, if you can email me your address, I'll pop both copies of SHINE in the mail on Monday, when I gather up my strength to face the post office again.

And if any of you are looking for more complete coverage of the entire situation, here are the links I've found most useful:

Libba Bray's spot-on analysis

NPR's All Things Considered interview

Vanity Fair's interview

Lauren's guest post on Huffington Post

And for good measure, here's the link to the Matthew Shephard Foundation's statement; Lauren strongly suggested that the NBF make a donation after this whole debacle, so that some good could come out of the situation. Because again, she is a class act and an inspiration. (As stated on their website, the Matthew Shephard Foundation tries to raise awareness and promote human dignity for everyone by engaging schools, corporations, and individuals in dialogues.)

Thanks again, everyone, for being involved. I truly believe that, as horrible as this situation was, great good will come out of it as the word about this novel and its message continues to spread.

No Takebacks -- Win TWO copies of SHINE

I am a firm advocate in not being reactionary online. There's always two sides to every story. It's best not to throw things onto the interwebs when one is in high dudgeon. It's better to wait until all the facts are known and cooler heads have prevailed and all manner of anger-management techniques have been applied.

However.

I am furious and sick at heart over the National Book Foundation's treatment of Lauren Myracle and her novel, SHINE. There are articles going up all over the web as we speak, and I'll come back and link to them later, but here's a brief summary. Last week, the NBF nominated five books, including SHINE, for the National Book Award's YA category. A short while later, they announced a sixth nominee. 

Now, the gracious thing to do, the classy thing to do, the RIGHT THING TO DO, would have been to say, "Heavens, there's a lot of quality YA literature out there. Six nominees won't hurt anyone and will bring recognition to an additional outstanding book. Carry on."

This did not happen. Instead, it is looking like the NBF called Lauren Myracle and said she should withdraw her book from consideration. And she did. Because she has class. And because, I would assume, that being told that the committee did not actually want her book in the running made the whole thing a bit less appealing. Like being told someone's mom MADE them invite you to the party, and they don't really want you, but since their mom said the HAD to invite you, well, okay, fine. Show up.

I'm outraged, and my heart is just bleeding for Lauren right now. When I was nominated for the Golden Heart, my first reaction was disbelief. "Are you sure? There has to be a mistake. Are you absolutely sure Am I delusional?" But...it was in print! It was on the RWA website! All my friends were congratulating me! It was public knowledge! But there was always a fear that someone would turn up and say, "Oh...sorry. Math error. We got the wrong Erica O'Rourke. There was a mixup with the paperwork."

I wasn't the only finalist who felt that way, either. It's a natural reaction, when something really wonderful and unexpected happens, to think that you're dreaming, or that there's been an error. But eventually, you let yourself believe it's real. And for the NBF to do this...to essentially tell Lauren she had earned this well-deserved accolade, and then yell, "PSYCH!" in the most public and humiliating way possible...it's cruel. It's cruel and it makes my vision go all splotchy with rage.

So. Here's the thing. SHINE is an amazing book. It's an IMPORTANT book. I want people to read it, and I want Lauren to write more books. Hence, a giveaway. I have two copies of SHINE. Comment here, and I will draw one name on Friday. You win BOTH copies, but there's a catch: one copy of is for you. One copy is for the library or youth organization of your choice. Is there a teen center in your town? Give it to them. Homeless shelter? That works too. Is there a teacher at your school with a classroom library that needs a copy? Perfect. I'm not going to check up on you (though a picture or an email would be lovely). My goal is to get this book into the hands of as many people as possible.

Recap, for those of you who like bullet points.

National Book Foundation is behaving very badly indeed.
Lauren Myracle is a class act who wrote a beautiful book.
Comment here by noon, central time, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21 to win two copies of SHINE.
One copy goes to you. The other copy goes to the library or youth organization of your choice.
You don't have to retweet or reblog or re...whatever, but I'd love it if you did.

Recovery and an Event and a Question

If you follow my twitter feed, you know that last Monday, I sent the first draft of BOUND to my editor. And promptly developed some sort of post-book aphasia that prevented me from carrying on conversations longer than five minutes. It's not a new phenomenon for me, this need for a week-long decompression upon finishing a book, but I've never needed it quite so badly. Maybe it was because it was the conclusion of the trilogy. Maybe it was because the draft was longer than usual. Maybe it's because the week before it was due, Big Marshmallow was home and barfy and needy, instead of at school, so the only time I could work was late at night. Regardless, I took a little time off.

I had grand plans. A list, several pages long, of what I hoped to accomplish. But frankly, I was so tired, I couldn't do it. Instead, I watched some TV. Sadly, I remember nothing of what I watched, with the exception of Doctor Who and Prime Suspect, and also some Inspector Lewis. I went to the post office. (Hate the post office.) I went to the library. (Love the library.) I tidied my office, though you can't really tell. I went to parent teacher conferences. (BLARGH.) I procured my favorite, hard-to-find-in-the-north beer and drank two. (This is a lot for me.) I bought myself a sweatshirt. (Pictures to come.) I attended sports events and family gatherings, picked apples, walked through a corn maze, and moved furniture. It was not relaxing, in the way that a week-long nap would have been relaxing, but it was good.

Now, however, it's back to work. Even though BOUND is with my editor right now, there are still things I need to work on. I have been threatening to write an epically long blog post about why I am so enraged about the TV show BONES, and I want to put that up before the premiere airs. I've also got some events coming up that require some preparation and planning.  The most pressing of these is next week, when I'll be speaking to the local chapter of SCBWI about my journey as a writer.

I'm always a little leery about discussing My Journey As A Writer, because I worry that people will interpret it as the only way to get published, or the best way to get published, when in fact, it is simply the way I got published, and your mileage will vary. So I'm asking you guys for help: what do you like an author to talk about at these sorts of things? What's the most useful/helpful/interesting thing they can include? What do you HATE at author events?

If you're interested in stopping by, here are the details, by the way

Lake County Society for Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI)
7pm, October 19th
Barnes and Noble, Westfield Shopping Mall, Vernon Hills, IL

I will be signing books after the chat; the meeting itself is free and open to all.

 

Snag An ARC of TANGLED. Help The Red Cross. Everybody wins.

The Read For Relief Auction is continuing, and GOOD LORD, the prizes are amazing. If you're a writer, there's a chance to get your queries and manuscripts critiqued by agents, editors, and other writers. If you're a reader, there are all sorts of incredible books -- autographed copies, ARCs, and bursting with swag. It's really incredible, and heartwarming, to see the generosity of the writing community and its readers.

My item goes up for bid today, and will be open until 10 pm EST on Friday, September 16th.

Here's what's included in my prize package:

A personalized, autographed copy of TORN
TORN swag (bookmarks, trading cards, and a full set of the Notes From A Dead Girl postcards) There's also a code that will allow you to access hidden content on this very site. An extra scene. There might be kissing. Possibly.
An autographed ARC (advanced copy) of TANGLED. Which does not come out until February. The ARC isn't printed yet, so if you're the winning bidder, I'll ship your copy of TORN and the swag immediately, and then as soon as I get the TANGLED ARCs, I'll mail that copy to you as well.

 

Click here to bid on my package.

Click here to see the entire auction.

Thanks so much to the Read For Relief organizers for putting together such a fabulous event fo such a worthwhile cause!

Read For Relief

You thought I was done with BOUND, didn't you? I promised I'd be back when I'd finished drafting, but the thing about writing -- at least, if you are me, and I AM -- is that after the drafting comes the revising. Drafting is a hellish miserable existence where I survive on cold coffee and pita chips and pure fear. Revising is hard work, sure, but it is the very best kind of hard work. Like when people who run shave a minute off their time, or see a change in their muscle tone. (I would not know what this is like, of course. But I have heard stories.) When I revise, I end up with a better book, and I'm pretty sure I can feel the synapses in my brain forming new neural pathways, which is always cool.

Farewell, drafting! Don't let the door hit you in the ass on your way out. And HELLOOOOOOO, revising. You are looking foxy. I've missed you. Let's catch up.

While I am getting reacquainted with revision and my favorite red pens, you should check out Read For Relief, an auction to raise money for victims of Hurricane Irene. You should DEFINITELY check it out on Wednesday, when there will be a prize package from ME -- including a copy of Torn AND an ARC of TANGLED, just as soon as it's printed. There are also some amazing prizes from other authors -- ARCs, signed books and swag, critiques from editors, agents, and authors alike. It's an incredible effort for a really good cause.

SO. Me and my red pens. You and the Red Cross. Go forth and make it happen, people.

(Click the badge to get there, or type readforrelief.blogspot.com into your browser. They're also on twitter as @read4relief)