From author Liz Michalski: a book club in a bag -- up to 10 signed copies of my novel Evenfall in a reusable bag, with mini-bookmarks, links to secret pages on my website, and a box of homemade chocolate cookies.
Cross a Murphy woman and she'll haunt you the rest of your days.
That's what they say in Hartman, Connecticut, where the Murphy women are known for their beauty, willfulness, and disastrous luck with men. No one knows the truth of this saying better than Frank Wildermuth. Fifty years ago, he fell in love with Gert Murphy, but through fate and bad timing wound up married to her sister. He spent the rest of his life quietly regretting his mistake. Now Frank's dead -- but not quite gone—and it's time to do some haunting of his own.
All Andie Murphy ever wanted was to get out of town. But she’s back to settle Evenfall, her Uncle Frank’s estate, where some things never change -- and some things have changed a lot. Aunt Gert, for example, still drives her crazy. On the other hand, Cort, the wide-eyed farmboy she used to babysit, is all grown up -- with a whole new definition for the word sleepover.
But if you're a Murphy woman, love never goes smoothly. As Andie struggles with her feelings, Frank sees a chance for redemption -- one that could cost his niece dearly. They'll both need to decide --
Is true love really everlasting? Is home just an address, or a place you carry in your heart? And if you truly regret your mistakes, can the long-buried dreams of your youth come alive again?
US
Bidding is open until April 3rd, 4PM EDT
Day 9 - Item 8
Day 9 - Item 7
From author Megan Bostic: a signed ARC of Never Eighteen, a query critique, and either a book trailer or a gift card.
I had the dream again. The one where I’m running. I don’t know what from or where to, but I’m scared, terrified really.
Austin Parker is never going to see his eighteenth birthday. At the rate he’s going, he probably won’t even see the end of the year. But in the short time he has left there’s one thing he can do: He can try to help the people he loves live—even though he never will.
It’s probably hopeless.
But he has to try.
International
Bidding is open until April 3rd, 3PM EDT
Day 9 - Item 6
From author Sheela Chari: a pre-order of Vanished and a critique of your first three chapters (MG/YA).
Eleven-year-old Neela dreams of being a famous musician, performing for admiring crowds on her traditional Indian stringed instrument. Her particular instrument used to be her grandmother’s—made of warm, rich wood, and intricately carved with a mysterious-looking dragon.
When this special family heirloom vanishes from a local church, Neela is devastated. As she searches for it, strange clues surface: a teakettle ornamented with a familiar-looking dragon, a threatening note, a connection to a famous dead musician, and even a legendary curse.
The clues point all the way to India, where it seems that Neela's instrument has a long history of vanishing and reappearing. If she is able to track it down, will she be able to stop it from disappearing again?
US
Bidding is open until April 3rd, 2PM EDT
Day 9 - Item 5
From author Christopher Grant: a copy of Teenie.
Teenie, that's what my girls call me. I'm 5 feet and 1/4 inch, 101 lbs, with all my books in my book bag and a pair of waterlogged Timberlands on.
High school freshman Martine (Teenie for short) is a good student, with a bright future ahead of her. She's desperate to be accepted into a prestigious study abroad program in Spain so that she can see what life is like beyond the streets of Brooklyn. She wouldn't mind escaping from her strict (though lovable) parents for awhile either. But when the captain of the basketball team starts to pay attention to her after she's pined away for him for months and Cherise, her best friend, meets a guy on-line, Teenie's mind is on anything but her schoolwork. Teenie's longtime crush isn't what he seemed to be, nor is her best friend's on-line love. Can Teenie get her act together in time to save her friendship with Cherise, save her grade point average so that she can study in Spain, and save herself from a potentially dangerous relationship?
US
Bidding is open until April 3rd, 1PM EDT
Day 9 - Item 4
From writer Vicki Tremper: a pair of unique writer's mitts.
In Vicki's own words: "It will be a handmade crocheted item by a writer for a writer, made with the yarn color of the winner's choice. The mitt involves a shell lace pattern with a ribbed cuff (length of the mitt will be determined by the winner)." The pattern is similar to the mitt in the picture, and will be made from acrylic yarn.
US/Canada
Bidding is open until April 3rd, 12PM EDT
Day 9 - Item 3
From author Poppet: Fey's Adventures as e-book.
Fey is six. In her own back yard she goes on adventures to visit elves, ride monsters and walk on the wind. Along the way she makes unusual friends and learns the value of preserving nature.
This is a thrilling tale which is fun and exhilarating. Ogham lives in the oak tree, Wizlin in the Apricot tree, and the two of them take Fey to visit magical lands to meet fantastical creatures like Smudge and Majjel.
International
Bidding is open until April 3rd, 11AM EDT.
Day 9 - Item 2
From author Pat Schmatz: signed copies of the three current books: Mousestraps, Circle The Truth, and Mrs. Estronsky and the UFO.
Maxie's a cartoonist. Rick's a design genius. Back in grade school, they used to come up with crazy inventions, like mousetraps with a zillion parts. But high school is nothing like child's play. The traps Maxie and Rick encounter now are a lot more complicated – and a lot more dangerous…
~
First a spiral staircase replaces the regular stairs. The new stairs lead to a living room that isn't his, a cat that isn't his either, and a strange old man whose words are cryptic riddles.
Or are they? Rith's never been into religion. But he realizes those words have a spiritual source - and an uncanny ring of truth. Is he just dreaming? Is the old man God? As Rith tries to circle closer to the truth, the line between reality and unreality blurs…
This rhapsody on faith, acceptance, patience and the relationship between "truth" and "reality" is an unusual and valuable addition to the pantheon of literature for youth, particularly since faith is so seldom addressed with such neutrality in books for younger readers.
~
“But it’s my birthday. That isn’t fair! Why should I get punished for my birthday? If I’m going to be punished, it should be on your birthday!” That’s Jackie Riley’s response when she receives a gift of piano lessons on her twelfth birthday. Her father and brother have moved to Wyoming and forgotten all about Jackie. The house is empty and her mother cries more than any mother should. How could piano lessons do anything but make it all worse? But when Jackie starts her lessons with Mrs. Estronsky, some unexpected doors begin to open. One October night, something comes flying through one of those open doors and leaves Jackie reeling in the middle of a whole new world — a world much bigger than the one she knew before. “Trust your own experience, Jackie,” says Mrs. Estronsky. “It’s the only truth that you’ll ever know.” Jackie tries out this new idea by interacting differently with her family and friends. Nothing changes — and everything changes — all at the same time.
International
Bidding is open until April 3rd, 10AM EDT
Day 9 - Item 1
From author Debra Driza: a critique of your full manuscript + query. Afterwards - once you've had the time to revise, say - her agent Taylor Martindale will read the full and give her feedback!
Debra Driza lives and writes in Southern California, usually surrounded by Rhodesian Ridgebacks, kids, and her husband--all of them just as messy as she is. She's a member of the group blog GotYA and a die-hard Veronica Mars fan.
MILA 2.0, the first book in her YA sci-fi thriller series, debuts Fall 2012 from Katherine Tegen Books (an imprint of HarperCollins).
Her agent Taylor Martindale also lives and works in Southern California--in fact, Debra is thinking about sending the kids and Ridgebacks to her house for a while. Taylor is an agent with the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency. Her main interest is young adult, but she's also interested in children's picture books, commercial fiction, women's fiction, and multi-cultural fiction.
International
Bidding is open until April 3rd, 9AM EDT
Day 8 - Item 8
From NYT bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater: a critique. Or perhaps more detailed:
"$50 and under for the winning bid, I'll do a 5 page crit.
$100 and under, one chapter (3000 words).
$250 and under, three chapter critique (9,000 words).
Anything over $500, 15,000 word critique.
$1,000 and over, 20,000 word critique, a signed copy of Shiver, Linger, Lament, and Ballad, and a Linger tank-top."
From Maggie's website: "All of my life decisions have been based around my inability to be gainfully employed. Talking to yourself, staring into space, and coming to work in your pajamas are frowned upon when you're a waitress, calligraphy instructor, or technical editor (all of which I've tried), but are highly prized traits in novelists, musicians, and artists (I've made my living as one of these since I was 22).
I now live an eccentric life in the middle of nowhere, Virginia, with my charmingly straight-laced husband, two small kids, two neurotic dogs, one criminally insane cat, and a 1973 Camaro named Loki. 
I'm an avid reader, an award-winning colored pencil artist, and play several musical instruments, including the Celtic harp, the piano, and the bagpipes. I also make great cocktail party conversation."
International
Bidding is open until April 2nd, 4PM EDT
Day 8 - Item 7
Seventeen-year-old Shavonne has been in and out of juvenile detention since the eighth grade. Angry and confused, she turns to Mr. Delpopolo, an overweight, sad-eyed man who is struggling to accept the reality of his own shattered life. With compassion and honesty, he helps Shavonne understand the connection between her self-destructive behavior and the shame about her past that burns through her so with so much intensity. For the first time, she tells the truth about her crack-addicted mother, the baby she delivered straight into the foster care system, and the pain she feels about her role in her brother’s accident. But even as Shavonne comes to understand the past, her present – life in the Center – threatens to explode in even more violence and confusion. Her fellow inmates, who have suffered their own unspeakable tragedies, can’t seem to escape the abusive guards and careless counselors who corrupt the system and make it impossible for even the most well-meaning employees to make a difference. But as her eighteenth birthday draws nearer, Shavonne is touched by a series of unexpected kindnesses that shift her vision of the world. She begins to believe that maybe she, like the goslings recently hatched on the Center’s property, could have a future beyond the barbed-wire walls of the system.
This gritty and unflinchingly honest look at life in juvenile detention, winner of the 2009 Delacorte Contest, will break your heart, change the way you think about “troubled” teens, and ultimately, leave you feeling something like hope.
International
Bidding is open until April 2nd, 3PM EDT
Day 8 - Item 6
From NYT bestselling author Nancy Holder: the three books of her Possessions series - Possessions, The Evil Within, and The Screaming Season - as well as a copy of Crusade by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie.
For the past two years, Jenn has lived and trained at Spain’s Sacred Heart Academy Against the Cursed Ones. She is among the few who have pledged to defend humanity or die trying. But the vampires are gaining power, and the battle has only just begun.
Forced to return home after death takes a member of her family, Jenn discovers that 
San Francisco is now a vampire strong-hold. As a lone hunter apart from her team, Jenn is isolated — and at risk. She craves the company of her fighting partner, Antonio: his protection, his reassurance, his touch. But a relationship with Antonio comes with its own dangers, and the more they share of themselves, the more Jenn stands to lose.
Then Jenn is betrayed by one who was once bound to protect her, causing her to doubt all she had held as true. To survive, Jenn must find the courage to trust herself — and her heart.
International
Bidding is open until April 2nd, 2PM EDT
Day 8 - Item 5
A desperate prince… a castle full of lies…
International
Bidding is open until April 2nd, 1 PM EDT
Day 8 - Item 4
From literary agent Weronika Janczuk of D4EO Literary Agency: 3 chapters critique (up to 75 pages)
Weronika Janczuk is a writer, a student, and as of August 2010, an agent with D4EO Literary.
Her name is pronounced ‘Veronica,’ the spelling different because of its Polish roots; Weronika is one hundred percent Polish and a first-generation American resident. She was born in Ontario, Canada, a few months after her parents immigrated, and since then has lived in Ontario, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. She has now made her home in New York. She speaks/reads/writes both English and Polish fluently and hopes to add French to the list before long.
Weronika writes YA, literary, and historical fiction, and blogs about it here.
Both Weronika’s love for writing and her love of reading contributed to her professional interest in publishing. Her career began in 2009, where she interned with Brian Farrey at Flux. She also worked in different capacities with Jenny Bent at The Bent Agency, Kathleen Anderson at Anderson Literary Management, Mary Kole at Andrea Brown Literary Agency, and Bob Diforio at D4EO Literary Agency before her promotion there to agent.
Weronika finds time for all of these interests by reading quickly, watching very little television, and living with less sleep on the weekends. She does, however, love to spend a bit of time now and then with ‘80s music, witty (published) novels, funky art, and nice, good, smart people.
International
Bidding is open until April 2nd, 12 PM EDT
Day 8 - Item 3
From YA author Janice Hardy: a signed copy of The Shifter and a first chapter critique (all genres)
US only
Bidding is open until April 2nd, 11 AM EDT
Day 8 - Item 2
From YA author Maurissa Guibord: Signed copy of WARPED
US only
Bidding is open until April 2nd, 10 AM EDT
Day 8 - Item 1
From YA author Medeia Sharif: First 50 pages critique as well as a $25 Amazon gift card
In Medeia's own words: I’m a Kurdish-American author who was born in New York City, and I presently call Miami Beach my home. I received my master’s degree in psychology from Florida Atlantic University. Prior to my publishing career I was (and still am) a school teacher—but that’s a whole nother story. I became a voracious reader in high school and a relentless writer in college. My persistence paid off in 2008 when I attained agent representation and in 2009 when I got my first book deal. BESTEST. RAMADAN. EVER. is my first novel and it will be published by Flux in 2011. I am a member of Mensa and SCBWI.
Bidding is open until April 2nd, 9 AM EDT
Day 7 - Item 8
From NYT bestselling author Beth Revis: a signed UK paperback copy of Across The Universe. And if the bidding goes over $50, she'll also do a query critique for the winner.
A love out of time. A spaceship built of secrets and murder.
Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awake on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into a brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.
Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone—one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship—tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn’t do something soon, her parents will be next.
Now, Amy must race to unlock Godspeed’s hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there’s only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.
US
Bidding is open until April 1st, 4PM EDT.
Day 7 - Item 7
From author N. R. Williams: The Treasures of Carmelidrium as e-book.
When a hooded man steps in front of her car, Missie is thrust through a portal into a medieval world where she encounters monsters and mythical creatures. Here her flute has magical powers to heal and destroy and to empower, "The Treasures of Carmelidrium." She is romanced by a prince and hunted by the villain. Will she find her way home? Does she want to?
International
Bidding is open until April 1st, 3PM EDT.
Day 7 - Item 6
From author Sara Bennett Wealer: a signed copy of Rival and a signed bookmark.
Meet Brooke: Popular, powerful and hating every minute of it, she’s the “It” girl at Douglas High in Lake Champion, Minnesota. Her real ambition? Using her operatic mezzo as a ticket back to NYC, where her family lived before her dad ran off with an up and coming male movie star.
Now meet Kathryn: An overachieving soprano with an underachieving savings account, she’s been a leper ever since Brooke punched her at a party junior year. For Kath, music is the key to a much-needed college scholarship.
The stage is set for a high-stakes duet between the two seniors as they prepare for the prestigious Blackmore competition. Brooke and Kathryn work toward the Blackmore with eyes not just on first prize but on one another, each still stinging from a past that started with friendship and ended in betrayal. With competition day nearing, Brooke dreams of escaping the in-crowd for life as a professional singer, but her scheming BFF Chloe has other plans. And when Kathryn gets an unlikely invitation to Homecoming, she suspects Brooke of trying to sabotage her with one last public humiliation.
As pressures mount, Brooke starts to sense that the person she hates most might just be the best friend she ever had. But Kathryn has a decision to make. Can she forgive? Or are some rivalries for life?
International
Bidding is open until April 1st, 2PM EDT.
Day 7 - Item 5
From author Alex Epstein: a signed copy of The Circle Cast - The Lost Years of Morgan le Fay
The sorceress Morgan le Fay - seducer of King Arthur and destroyer of Britain - was a girl once. But how did an exiled girl become a king's nemesis?
Britain, 480 AD. Saxon barbarians are invading, pushing the civilized British out of their own island. Morgan is the daughter of the governor of Cornwall. But when her father is murdered and her mother taken as the King's new wife, she has to flee to Ireland to avoid being murdered herself.
But Ireland is no refuge. She's captured in a slave raid and sold to a village witch. As Morgan comes of age, she discovers her own magical powers. She falls in love with a young Irish chieftain, and makes him powerful. But will her drive for revenge destroy her one chance for love and happiness?
Author Alex Epstein spent several years researching early Celtic culture and spirituality. The Toronto Star says the book "has the darkness of Celtic magic" and praises its "poetic terseness."
The book's press kit – at http://thecirclecast.com – has a big excerpt of THE CIRCLE CAST, as well as a YouTube interview, and fact sheets about historical Britain, Wicca and the legend of Morgan le Fay. The author's blog – at http://morganslostyears.blogspot.com – has even more information about Morgan le Fay, King Arthur and Wicca.
US/Europe
Bidding is open until April 1st, 1PM EDT.
Day 7 - Item 4
From freelance editor Allison Dickson: a full line edit up to 85K words (normally valued at around $1000!).
Aside from running Allison Edits, Allison M. Dickson spends her leisure time writing dark speculative fiction stories, publishing blogs, and burying her head in books. Her work has appeared in e-zines The Absent Willow Review and Reflection's Edge, as well as in the horror anthology The Black Garden. She has also published film reviews and is a die-hard, foodie, gamer, politico, and overall pop culture fanatic.
Allison lives in Dayton, Ohio with her husband Ken, her two children, Natalie and Elias, and a sweet little bobcat named Angus.
You can learn more about her past, current, and future work, her thoughts on the craft of writing and everything else at her author site.
Line Editing involves a far more substantial evaluation of your story and it is the most popular of the Allison Edits services offered. Line Editing evaluates the message and the flow of your writing and ensures the proper tone for your audience. A line edit not only checks for what you say, but how you say it and to whom. It also includes all of the proofreading and formatting services. (Have a look on the website for details.)
- Tightens your prose by eliminating unnecessary modifiers, redundancies, cliches, and awkward sentence structure and dialogue
- Eliminates stylistic issues like passive voice
- Helps match your document's intent to its audience (i.e. reading and maturity level, proper, persuasive, or evocative vocabulary, etc.)
- Looks for clarity among your metaphors and similes
- Makes suggestions for the rearranging of sentences to maintain a consistent flow of thought
- Makes smooth transitions between ideas
- Uses knowledge of literary devices and other elements of storytelling to ensure the authenticity, believability, and consistency of plot, story, and character
- Alerts you to a need for fact-checking or additional research
International
Bidding is open until April 1st, 12PM EDT
Day 7 - Item 3
From authors Corey Rosen Schwartz and Tiffany Strelitz Haber: A double rhyming picture book critique.
In their own words:
"We'd like to offer a "double" rhyming picture book critique
Corey Rosen Schwartz (www.coreyschwartz.blogspot.com)
HOP PLOP (Walker, 2006)
THREE NINJA PIGS (Putnam, 2012)
GOLDI ROCKS AND THE THREE BEARS (Putnam, TBD)
Tiffany Strelitz Haber (http://www.itsrhymetime.com/)
THE MONSTER WHO LOST HIS MEAN (Holt, 2012)
OLLIE AND CLAIRE (Philomel, 2013)
Tiffany and Corey will both critique a rhyming PB manuscript of under 1000 words. It can be the same manuscript or two different ones!"
International
Bidding is open until April 1st, 11AM EDT
Day 7 - Item 2
From author Jessi Kirby: a signed ARC of Moonglass and bookmarks.
When Anna was little, she and her mother used to search for sea glass, but since they looked at night, they called it moonglass. Now, ten years after her mother's mysterious death, her father is working as head lifeguard on the same beach where her mother grew up and her parents first met and fell in love.
Reluctant to get close to anyone (including her father) and not pleased about having to start at a new school, Anna begins to spend more time alone, running the length of the beach and wondering about who her mother really was. After meeting a lifeguard named Tyler, she slowly lets her guard down and together they start exploring the abandoned houses that dot the beach.
But when learning more about her mother's past leads to a painful discovery, Anna must reconcile her desire for solitude with ultimately accepting the love of her family and friends.
US
Bidding is open until April 1st, 10AM EDT.
Day 7 - Item 1
From author Tommy Greenwald: a signed ARC of Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide To Not Reading, plus swag, and a 15-page critique.
Charlie Joe Jackson is proud to say that he's never read an entire book from cover to cover. Sure, he's glanced at the first chapter and last chapters and maybe even read the flap copy, but when it comes to actually reading what's in the middle, Charlie counts on his friend Timmy McGibney to do the reading for him in exchange for an ice cream sandwich. But when Timmy decides that his price has gone up to three ice cream sandwiches, Charlie Joe Jackson is faced with two very unappealing options: let himself be blackmailed or read an entire book. What's an enterprising non-reader to do?
International
Bidding is open until April 1st, 9AM EDT.
Day 6 - Item 8
From freelance editor Cassandra Marshall: a submission package (query and first ten pages critique).
Cassandra is a freelance editor, lit agent intern, YA writer, and loves to play with her dog Mollie. She dreams of one day owning a small house near the water, preferably in England, with a shelf full of books she has written and has helped others to write. She can be found in Emmett, MI and at camarshall.com
International
Bidding is open until March 31st, 4PM EDT.
Day 6 - Item 7
From YA author Kiki Hamilton: a pre-order of The Faerie Ring (released October 1, 2011) plus bookmarks and postcards
A stolen ring, a broken truce, a kingdom in peril...
Orphaned and picking pockets in London’s Charing Cross station to support not only herself, but her ‘family’ of orphans, sixteen year-old Tiki steals the Queen’s ring and thinks she’s solved their problems. That is, until Rieker, a pickpocket from the North End, suspects her in the theft and tells her that the ring is really a reservoir that holds a truce between the British and Faerie courts.
When he warns her that the fey will do anything, including murder, to recover the ring, Tiki is unsure whether to believe him or not. To complicate matters, Rieker seems to know something about the unusual birthmark on Tiki’s wrist. But when Tiki and her family are threatened the game changes.
International
Bidding is open until March 31st, 3PM EDT.
Day 6 - Item 6
In Molly's own words: Having a strong query and strong early pages are so important. I have a teaching and editing background along with the writing, so I can give a solid critique.
International (will post the book by shipping, so may take a few weeks to arrive)
Bidding is open until March 31st, 2PM EDT.
Day 6 - Item 5
From author Savannah Chase: 10 children's books.
The books are: Disney's Aladdin, Disney's The Jungle Book, Disney's My Friend Tigger and Pooh On the Color Case, Care Bears Catch The Christmas Spirit, Dream Works Over The Hedge Animal Antics (plus stickers), Disney's Enchanted, Disney's G Force, Care Bears Oopsy Does It (plus stickers), Dream Works Over The Hedge The Cookie Heist (includes removable tattoos), Madagascar Escape 2 Africa.
International
Bidding is open until March 31st, 1PM EDT.
Day 6 - Item 4
From MG author Dee Garretson: a query critique for an MG or YA novel.
Dee is the author of MG novels WILDFIRE RUN and the soon-to-be-released WOLF STORM, and is represented by Caryn Wiseman of Andrea Brown Literary Agency. Her successful query for Wildfire Run (previously called 'Escape from Camp David' and 'Danger's Edge: Wildfire at Camp David') was featured on The Guide to Literary Agents.
International
Bidding is open until March 31st, 12PM EDT.
Day 6 - Item 3
From author Alison Goodman: a signed first edition hardback copy with a dust-jacket of EON: Dragoneye Reborn.
In a world of lies, the truth can be deadly …
Under the harsh regime of an ambitious master, Eon is training to become a Dragoneye – a powerful Lord able to command wind and water to protect the land. But Eon also harbours a desperate secret – he is in fact a young woman living a dangerous masquerade that, if discovered, will mean certain death.
Brought to the attention of the Emperor himself and summoned to the opulent court, Eon is thrust into the heart of a lethal struggle for the Imperial throne. In this new, treacherous world of hidden identities and uneasy alliances, Eon comes face-to-face with a vicious enemy who covets the young Dragoneye’s astounding power, and will stop at nothing to make it his own.
Eon is based on the ancient lores of Chinese astrology and Feng Shui. It is a thrilling, timeless novel of deadly politics, sexual intrigue and dazzling swordplay set in a brilliantly envisioned world …
International
Bidding is open until March 31st, 11AM EDT.
Day 6 - Item 2
From author Mara Purnhagen: a signed copy of One Hundred Candles, plus bookmarks and magnet.
It’s taken a long time for Charlotte Silver to feel like a normal teenager. But now that she’s settled in a new school, where she’s made friends who know about her parent’s infamous paranormal investigations, it feels like everything is falling into place. And what better way to be normal than to go on a date with the popular Harris Abbott? After all, it’s not as if Noah is anything more than a friend.
But Charlotte’s new life takes a disturbing detour when Harris takes her to a party where they play a game called One Hundred Candles. It all seems like harmless, ghostly fun. Until the spirits supposedly unleashed by the game start showing up at school. Now, Charlotte, her friends and her family are in very real danger, and the door that she’s opened into another realm may yield deadly consequences.
International
Bidding is open until March 31st, 10AM EDT.
Day 6 - Item 1
From literary agent Kathleen Ortiz: a critique of your first 50 pages as well as a 20 minute phone call to answer any questions about the critique.
Kathleen is Associate Agent and Foreign Rights Manager at Lowenstein Associates. With the continued demand for online marketing in publishing, a strong online platform is essential for today's authors. Kathleen uses her background in interactive media design to assist Lowenstein Associates’ clients with branding themselves.
She is currently looking for young adult, middle grade, chapter books, adult romance and contemporary women's fiction. In those age groups, she is open to both fiction and non-fiction.
Kathleen does not represent the following: screenplays, adult thrillers, adult fantasy, adult sci-fi, memoirs or picture books. Have a look on Kathleen's website for more details.
For this auction please make sure to only bid if your manuscript fits with what Kathleen is looking for.
International
Bidding is open until March 31st, 9AM EDT.
Special Auction Item - Mystery Box
This is most definitely an auction item! The contents of the Mystery Box will remain a mystery until they are revealed to the winner. They comprise various MG/YA books, which are the favorite reads of the people donating them. There will be at least 5 books, possibly many more, and the winning bidder will receive them by mail in the days/weeks following the auction - what a lovely surprise!
We'll give one little hint. In honor of Diana Wynne Jones, the internationally-recognized fantasy author who inspired so many children's fiction writers, Marieke will be donating a copy of HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE.
As for the rest of this prize, well, the winner will soon find out :)
International
Bidding is open until April 1st, 3PM EDT.
Also, to make sure they're not affected by the weekend lull, we've made the executive decision to keep the day 5 items open for another day. So more chances to bid!
How to draw Nozomi
At our halfway point also a look at our fabulous mascot - Nozomi.
Ever wondered how long it takes for Nozomi to come to life?
Hours, many hours. Our little mascot might be small and cute, but creating a decent colour picture is quite long-winded. Couple of reasons for this, mainly I haven't drawn in a while and I've never been great at colour pictures. Pencils are my friends. :)
I do have the correct art supplies buried somewhere, but once scanned, those images lose the 'wow' factor (you can see all the lines and mistakes). So the alternative is colour them in with an art program. I used a free one called Artweaver, it has layers - layers are very useful.
To begin with I did a sketch of Nozomi, traced it with black biro and then cleaned it. This is scanned and imported into the program. The image duplicated into various layers (16 this time) and then each part of the picture is coloured in separately.
First the skin, kimono, hair, etc... all on separate layers (that way you don't have to start again if you mess up). From there shadows and texture are added and I'm forever going back to tidy bits up.
Once the Nozomi is finished, in comes the background. I used to draw these as well but because we are on such a tight schedule I've imported a picture, faded it and added faint butterfly wings (Nozomi ♥ wings) and then traced Nozomi back in. All of this with a click of my mouse. >.<
Finally you merge the layers, save and add text. And we're done... total time – about 4-5 hours.
You can see all the steps here (minus all the tidying): 
見ぬが花。
There is a Japanese saying that reads 見ぬが花 (みぬがはな). Minu ga hana. Not seeing is a flower. It means something along the lines of reality being unable to compete with imagination.
These last few weeks I've lived and breathed Write Hope. I was so nervous when the first auction went up, and I saw it grow beyond our imaginations. We've raised a couple of thousand dollars already and we are fast on our way to raise more. As I said in the wrap-up post, there's a lot of fun to be had with the bidding, but at the same time I'm sure no one forgets who we're doing it for.
At this halfway point, I can't help but feel a little reflective. Watching this grow from the wings has taught me a lot. About hope. About how imagination can beat reality and how sometimes reality rises up to meet the challenge. About humility. About life. And invariably, about writing.
Some things - like raising a book - take a village, but when we come together as a community we can move mountains. This community is amazing, with extra glitter, in doing so and I'm honored to be part of that. Speaking for myself, organizing isn't the hard part, it's only the logical thing to do. But almost all of you have replied immediately wanting to help out, and you are all so generous with time, donations, bids, promotion. Reading all the mails coming in is a rollercoaster of emotions, as I keep bouncing between grinning like mad and tears in my eyes.
One day, when I'm no longer in the dreaded query trenches, but further down the road to my dream goal, I hope to be able to pay that feeling forward from the other side. Although it would be even better if it was never necessary again, but it's a comfort to know there'll always be hope.
Not seeing is a flower. As a writer, most of the time I agree. This week, however, I think our bubble of reality turned out to be a garden.
Here's to next week being even more magnificent!
<3
Wrapping up week one
Then again, wrapping things up sounds like we can, and we're actually in the middle of SO MANY fantastic auctions.
Bidding on the items from day 3 closes today. That means you have to hurry if you want the chance to win: a signed copy of Haven and a Haven prize pack; a critique of your first three chapters by Kendare Blake; a signed copy of Soar, Elinor!; a signed copy of The Trouble With Half A Moon; a collection of books by Kate Messner; a prize pack with a signed copy of The Pull Of Gravity, loads of swag and a query + partial critique.
And last but not least a query critique by Meredith Barnes of Fineprint Literary as well as the 30-minute Skype chat still open from day 1.
So far you all came through in an amazing way. We've had bidding wars, twitter taunting, upped offers and we're raising a lot of money for Save The Children. Because in the end that's the most important thing. On the Save The Children Blog stories about how the Japan disaster is affecting the children in Japan are heart wrenching. Just have a look at Seina's story. This nine-year-old boy has been living with his mother in an evacuation center. He's lost his sister to the tsunami.
This auction is an amazing experience so far - more on that later today - but it's children like Seina that are the heart of it. If you can help in any way, please do.
And to that end we have a whole lot of amazing lots up on the site. What do you think of a query critique from literary agent Tina Wexler? A critique from the mysterious Authoress? A marketing consulting session from Shelli Johannes? Signed and personalized copies of Maria V. Snyder's Insider series? A collection of picture books? And my personal favorite: Tessa Gratton offering a first chapter critique for every $50 and signed copies of Blood Magic.
We have so much more to come too. Signed copies or ARCs of One Hundred Candles, Eon, Riva, Moonglass, Across The Universe, Mistwood, Imaginary Girls, and many more. A partial critique and phone call with literary agent Kathleen Ortiz. A full critique by Debra Driza, followed by a full read from her agent Taylor Martindale. A story in the Kat, Incorrigible universe written especially for you. And another last but not least: a critique by the one and only Maggie Stiefvater.
So bid high, bid often, and thank you, thank you, thank you. :-)
Day 5 - Item 8
From MG/YA author and marketing consultant Shelli Johannes: a two-hour marketing consulting session (valued at $200) to discuss marketing your published book or creating an online presence.
International
Bidding is open until March 29th, 4PM EDT.
Day 5 - Item 7
From author Alissa Grosso: a signed copy of Popular
Meet the clique that rules Fidelity High: Olivia, Zelda, Nordica, and Shelly, each one handpicked by uber-popular Hamilton Best. You know you’re “in” when you make the guest list for one of Hamilton’s parties. And in the thralls of senior year, everyone wants to get noticed by Hamilton.
But Hamilton’s elite entourage is coming apart at the seams. Olivia fantasizes about finally having a boyfriend, Zelda dreams of ditching high school, Nordica wants to be alone with her photography, and Shelly’s plotting to dethrone Hamilton. Lies and secrets are ripping away the careful ties that have kept them together for years. But Hamilton has the biggest secret of all, one that only her boyfriend Alex knows. If the truth got out, it would shock everyone and destroy Hamilton’s fragile world—and she’ll do anything to protect her secret and keep her clique together.
International
Bidding is open until March 29th, 3PM EDT.
Day 5 - Item 6
From critique group Will Write for Cake: a joint critique session of your first 20 pages of a MG/YA manuscript or a picture book.
In their words: "We're published in multiple genres (picture book, middle grade, young adult, non-fiction). We'll read the first 20 pages of a middle grade or young adult novel OR one picture book. We would all offer written comments for feedback."
Will Write for Cake is a critique group based in the Houston area made up of seven children's writers who happen to love baked goods. The members are: Laura Edge, Doris Fisher, Lynne Kelly, M. G. King, Christina Mandelski, Monica Vavra, and Tammy Waldrop
Bidding is open until March 29th, 2PM EDT.
Day 5 - Item 5
From Megan Bickel: "Caldecott winners" picture book prize pack - softcover editions of THE LITTLE HOUSE by Virginia Lee Burton and THE SNOWY DAY by Ezra Jack Keats, and a hardback copy of A SICK DAY FOR AMOS MCGEE by Philip C. Stead,
plus (if the winner has a manuscript), a picture book critique.
International
Bidding is open until March 29th, 1PM EDT.
Day 5 - Item 4
From children's author Susanna Leonard Hill: one signed hardcover copy* each of Punxsutawney Phyllis, No Sword Fighting In The House, Not Yet Rose, Can't Sleep Without Sheep, and April Fool, Phyllis, plus three signed copies each of Airplane Flight and Freight Train Trip (Lift-the-Flap Adventures in board books).
*Inscribed to the winner's specifications
International
Bidding is open until March 29th, 12PM EDT.