Support firefighters, win books!
(Plus a sneaky title/cover reveal from me 😉 )
As most of you will know, the last month+ has seen bushfires raging right around Australia in an unprecedented fire-season event. I am extremely fortunate that I have not been personally impacted, except for the cancellation of some events. My mum was put on evacuation alert, but the fires ended up sweeping past. She has some incredible photos of the smoke plumes from the front visible from her front door, though.
This was her house at about 15:30pm practically on summer solstice, when I was there:
Relevance?
A couple of wonderful Victorian writers got together to plan a fundraising event for the Victorian Country Fire Association. They chose this because a) they are Victorian, b) the NSW Royal Fire Service had a massive public-led fundraiser just a few weeks ago and c) they wanted the permission of the fire service to proceed, and of all the state associations, Vic were the only ones to respond.
I’m telling you this because I’ve donated several items to the fundraiser. It’s a Twitter auction, so you do need a Twitter account to participate (or the ability to steal a friend’s account!) (BUT! See my Item #3 below – I’m happy for you to contact me outside of Twitter for that one!).
The rules are simple: follow the hashtag #AuthorsForFireys (and recently the variant spelling #AuthorsForFiries too, check them both). Look for items you like. Bid in AUD by replying to the tweet. If you win an item, donate the amount you committed to the Vic CFA. Provide proof of donation to the ‘owner’ of the item you won, and they will get you your item.
Guys. There are some SERIOUS things up for grabs. Lots and lots of signed books, both by Aus authors and internationals who’ve gotten on board. Lots of mentoring and manuscript feedback opportunities. Lots of author-hang-outs, where you can share a drink or a meal with a favourite author. Even ex-Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has some things on offer!!
Full details about the auction are here: https://authorsforfireys.wixsite.com/website
AUCTION CLOSES 11pm JAN 11 SYDNEY/MELBOURNE TIME. <3
As for me, here are my items, linked to the tweet where you can bid:
Item #1: Signed copies of my middle grade portal fantasy series set in small-town Australia. The 3rd one just won Best Children’s Book 2019 in my state 😉 Aus post included; if you’re international, your bid needs to be more than $60 for me to post to you. <3
Item #2: Books 1 – 4 of the Inkprint Writers series: How To Write Dogs, How To Theme, How To Create Cultures & How To Create Life. SIGNED! Int. postage A-OK.
Item #3: For the on-a-budget people who still want to help (I hear ya), send me proof of donation of $5AU+ and I’ll send you your choice of one of my books in ebook. THAT’S *EVERYONE* who donates $5+ & provides proof + email, NO NEED TO BID!
And Item #4, the biggie… #WRITERS: Your choice of 1 Classic Workshop from WMG publishing! 😮 😮 😮 WMG is home to ultra-best sellers @DeanWesleySmith & @KristineRusch. Workshop offerings: https://wmgpublishingworkshops.com
Item #5: a) Signed proof copy of my April novel, (title announcement!!) A Fox Of Storms And Starlight. (YA contemporary fantasy with romantic subplot) b) PLUS I’ll name one of the minor characters after you. c) PLUS a fox enamel pin.
So there we go. Hopefully something there will pique your interest, or something else on the #AuthorsForFireys auction 🙂 Best of luck with your bidding, and stay safe. <3