Write Hope

It's 2012! Which means Write Hope is officially last year! Wow. Speaking for myself, I just wanted to pop back here and say 2011 was really quite special for me and you - all the people involved in Write Hope one way or another - were a huge part of that. So thank you! I hope 2012 will bring you more wonder and awesomeness! <3

To start of this Apocalypse year, I hope you can spare a moment and have a look at our newest blog. If it looks familiar, that's because it probably is ;) But it's so very worth it and we hope to see you there!

M x

Hey guys!

Well, the final tally is in! It took me a little while to add up all the numbers, doublecheck payments (because we had some awesome people whose awesome companies matched their donation so they donated the traditional way), add up more numbers, but we have it.

The result of the Write Hope auction is...

$10,351

And that's the net result you guys! All monies have either already been donated or will go to Save the Children as soon as possible!
It's humbling, awe-inspiring and absolutely AMAZING. There's really only one thing we can say to that.Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. To all who donated, bid, supported, promoted, cheered us on. You are truly amazing people. Thank you.

Now before I set the spotlight on Nozomi (cause that's where she likes to be!), one last announcement from my part: HELENE, winning bidder of Suzanne Kamata's bilingual picture book, and FLUR, second highest bidder of the signed copy of Across the Universe and a query critique by Beth Revis, one last call :-) Can you contact us within the next three days? If you don't we'll the next bidder will be able to claim the prize.

Now... t-shirt details!!

Nozomi's back!!!

I wanted to tell you a bit more about the Write Hope pack. Because it's pretty and I want one!

Luna is happy to make them up but we need a minimum order of 20, otherwise the manufacturing costs are too high. There will two version of the Write Hope pack, depending on the final quantities.

Version 1 (for orders between 20-49) = $35
1 Write Hope t-shirt
2 Write Hope Bookmarks (one sided design)

Version 2 (order 50 and above) = $35
1 Write Hope t-shirt
2 write Hope Bookmarks (one sided design)
1 Write Hope key-ring

I've attached the full list of sizes and colors for you to choose from, please note that the t-shirt colors aren't an exact match, but the closest I could find.

If you'd like one please let us know here by filling in this form.

Hey guys!

I'm reporting to you live from beneath a huge stack of paperwork with a few points of order.



We're busy wrapping everything up and fair is fair, you've all been amazing. All but a few bids have been confirmed and paid. Most details have been forwarded to the donors. We only have to coordinate :-)

Still, a few auctions are left open. Where possible I've emailed the winning bidders directly. Some of you I haven't been able to contact.

BOOK MAWSTER, winning bidder of the critique by A Writer Gone Mad,
HELENE, winning bidder of Suzanne Kamata's bilingual picture book, and
FLUR, second highest bidder of the signed copy of Across the Universe and a query critique by Beth Revis, can you contact us as soon as possible? (That is, before Friday! :-) )

Everyone who bid on our Write Hope prize pack, have a look at the comments. Joan offered to make all of you a wonderful handmade bookmark.

What is it you say? Do you want to know our amazing total? Have a look at our final project first. Cause the auction may have ended, we're not completely done yet.

Luna is offering to make Write Hope Packs, with a unique professionally embroidered WRITE HOPE t-shirt, bookmarks and a keychain. Come let us know if you want one! :-)

And then to answer that question... Well... We're still adding up numbers and will announce it shortly... But we're well past $10,000 *SQUEE*

Nozomi reporting here, I’m coming to you from the frontlines of Luna’s creativeness. If you’ve ever wondered what creativeness looks like, in Luna’s case it's like she picked up all her art supplies and threw them in the air… it’s an obstacle course of paper, scrap sketches, fabrics, ribbon and glitter. I love the glitter!

About a month ago Marieke asked her if she’d make a t-shirt for Write Hope, a few designs later and we have:

It’s pretty right? *loves*

Instead of printed t-shirts these are embroidered. Long lasting, eye-popping and gorgeous! Not just that, but you yourself can decide how you want yours to look…

See I love pink (much to Luna’s irritation) so I’d pick a pink t-shirt with hot pink embroidery… or maybe sparkling silver? We have a long list of different t-shirt colors and embroidery thread to choose from.

Luna is willing to design and manufacture a Write Hope Pack, which would consist of a t-shirt, 2 bookmarks (one-sided design) and a keyring. The cost of these packs would be around $30 (unfortunately postage & packing eats up almost a third of that).

In order for us to proceed, we would need sufficient interest. So, would you want one?

As our way of saying thanks to you all, we're donating the following items to form a package for one lucky bidder (though the second and third highest bidders will also receive a prize should bidding go high enough!):

From Luna:

1. Write Hope t-shirt, black with “space” embroidery butterfly and logo (W:40" L:28" = size S)

2. Write Hope bookmarks (two-sided designs)

3. and for one time only, Write Hope coaster (two-sided design) with stars :)

Luna says: If bidding exceeds $100 I will include the original pencil sketch of (adult) Nozomi, personalised to you: http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc256/lunalee_photo/nozomigrownup.jpg

From Marieke:

4. 50-page critique of a MG/YA manuscript (plus follow-up discussion on revisions with Marieke)

5. Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

From Amanda:

6. Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

7. Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins

8. $50 Amazon gift card

From Rach:

9. query critique (plus one resubmit after you've revised so we can discuss your revisions)

10. synopsis critique (plus one resubmit after you've revised so we can discuss your revisions)

11. your choice of a paperback copy of: The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff, Paranormalcy by Kiersten White, or Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Rach says: And, if bidding goes over $200, I'll be donating a free query critique to the second and third highest bidders!

International

Bidding is open until April 6th, 3PM EDT

From YA author Margie Gelbwasser: a critique of your query and first 20 pages (MG/YA).

In Margie's own words: "I always wanted to be a writer, and when I was seven I got my shot. My second grade teacher held a writing contest. I wrote this ten page story about a girl who was kidnapped, taken to an island, and tied to a coconut tree. She found a way to use the coconuts as weapons and escaped, against all odds! I didn’t win. The girl who won wrote about a talking strawberry, and her story was only 3 pages long. Talk about being robbed!

I recovered, continued to write, edited my high school and college literary magazines, wrote an adult multi-generational novel about a Russian-Jewish family, scrapped the novel but realized the part about the teens really came alive. So I started writing a YA book about a Russian-Jewish girl with an alcoholic mom that is now called INCONVENIENT. I then found an agent, and in a little less than two years landed a two-book deal with Flux. During all this, I got married and had an amazing son who I consider my good luck charm.

These days, I’m home with my son and between our music, library, Mommy and Me classes, and truck and lawn mower spottings, I’m working on my second novel. Like with the first book, there’s some Russian stuff and some Jersey stuff (Jersey makes for great settings—take that all of you who think Jersey is a smelly state and nothing more) but it’s really dark, edgy, and the culture is more background/setting than center stage."

International

Bidding is open until April 6th, 8PM EDT

From YA author Jennifer L. Armentrout: a signed ARC of Half-Blood.

The Hematoi descend from the unions of gods and mortals, and the children of two Hematoi pure-bloods have godlike powers. Children of Hematoi and mortals well, not so much. Half-bloods only have two options: become trained Sentinels who hunt and kill daimons or become servants in the homes of the pures.

Seventeen-year-old Alexandria would rather risk her life fighting than waste it scrubbing toilets, but she may end up slumming it anyway. There are several rules that students at the Covenant must follow. Alex has problems with them all, but especially rule #1:

Relationships between pures and halfs are forbidden.

Unfortunately, she's crushing hard on the totally hot pure-blood Aiden. But falling for Aiden isn't her biggest problem--staying alive long enough to graduate the Covenant and become a Sentinel is. If she fails in her duty, she faces a future worse than death or slavery: being turned into a daimon, and being hunted by Aiden. And that would kind of suck.

International (to be shipped late April/early May)

Bidding is open until April 6th, 7PM EDT

From author Suzanne Kamata: a signed copy of Playing for Papa.

International

Bidding is open until April 6th, 6PM EDT

From author Christine Lee: a hand-stamped silver key chain, with text of your choice to the two highest bidders

From Christine's website: "I make personalized, hand-stamped, sterling silver and gold-filled tags, in various shapes and sizes.

You select the tag style, and then customize it, by choosing the chain length, the stone color, the inscription, and whether or not you want the tag hammered (to create an antiqued/edgy look)."


For inspiration, have a look on Christine's website and the two examples she made (and then imagine the title of your debut novel or favorite WIP stamped on it!)

US

Bidding is open until April 6th, 5PM EDT

From author Tahereh Mafi: an ARC of Shatter Me.

Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days. The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old-girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

US

Bidding is open until April 6th, 4PM EDT