Novak Auction

Before I talk about the Really Important stuff, I have to share some serious squee. Joyfully Reviewed just notified me that Fight or Flight is Joyfully Recommended for May! You can find the full review (where Miranda says "Fight or Flight is a phenomenal action-packed story you would expect to find on the silver screen and I loved it!") at the first link.

If you just snapped your fingers and went, "Oh, yeah, I've been meaning to buy that!" then you can find it at Carina Press, via Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and wherever e-books are sold (I link to many popular e-book stores here.

Okay, enough about me! Let's talk about:



Brenda Novak has raised tons of money (=over $1,000,000!) for diabetes research over the last several years, and her efforts draw some amazing items. In addition to the things you can bid on, she has prizes and easy ways to donate without having to spend oodles on expensive items.

This year, I'm doing more than just bidding. I've donated several items, myself.

The first is a proofread and polish of your partial manuscript. Do you have a handle on your story and all the elements of craft, but can't find a typo to save your career? Are there certain grammar mental blocks that you just can't seem to overcome? Let me fix them for you! As of right now, no one has bid on this, so you have a good chance of getting it for a steal.

I've also joined up with many of the Carina Authors for a whole bunch of stuff. Go to the Carina page and browse the list of one-chapter critiques. And check out the BIG items: a Nook and a Kindle fully loaded with Carina books and novellas, and breakfast with the Carina authors attending RWA National, and a mentoring package from Julie Rowe.

None of that tickles your fancy? I guarantee something else will! They have stuff for authors, and stuff for readers, and stuff for everyone! They also have a really amazing prize for the person who makes the most bids, even if they don't win a single thing. Well worth the time it would take to enter all those bids. :)

The auction runs through May 31, but some items expire before that, and some are offered for one day only. There are also a few "buy now" items you can get without enduring the bidding process. Go check it out!

Pushing Spring

I'm not one to want to hurry through the seasons. Sure, I hate March in particular and by the time winter and summer are waning, I'm more than ready for spring and fall. But generally, I like the seasons and try to enjoy them while they're here.

Not this year. I'm sick of writing massive checks for oil every two weeks, and getting up super early to drive slowly to work while my kids sleep in because school was canceled (and get to work only to have 90% of my patients not show up, anyway).

So you know what? Let's fast forward a little bit. To May. May 1st, to be exact, and the start of Brenda Novak's 2011 Online Auction to Benefit Diabetes Research.

This year, I'm participating! I don't mean just drooling over stuff that has bids way above what I can afford, or buying tickets for the incredible raffles, or bidding on a bunch of stuff I CAN afford (assuming I don't win it all...).

First, I'm offering a Proofreading/Polishing of a Partial Manuscript. If you're a writer and proper spelling, grammar, and sentence structure are the bane of your existence, you might want to check it out.

Not a writer? That's cool! Carina Press authors are offering up a boatload of stuff. An entire page of stuff, in fact. In addition to first-chapter critiques by a multitude of authors, we're donating a NOOK Color and a Kindle, both loaded with e-books. There will be a breakfast with Carina authors attention the RWA National conference this June, too.

It's not too early to head over and start browsing. There are TONS of awesome items, no matter what you like.