Jeri Smith-Ready

Tidbit Tuesday #6 - Guest blog, giveaways & new releases

I'm back! Okay, I didn't actually go anywhere, but I'm trying like crazy to finish a rough draft of Shift ASAP so my critique partners have time to read it and give me feedback in the next month so that I can rewrite it and give my editor a second draft instead of a crappy first draft ("crappy first draft" is a redundant phrase).

To demonstrate the importance of that process, I'm writing a series of guest blog posts at TeenReads.com, where you can get a behind-the-scenes peek at the creation of Shade. The first installment went up last week, called "Putting the Shade in Shade."

If that's whetted your appetite for the book, there are a few places around the internet this week where you can win an ARC or the book itself:

1. Facebook fan page - I'll draw a name at 5pm Friday from the members of the page to win a signed final copy of the hardcover book. All you have to do is become a fan! Beyond giving you a chance to win a free book, the fan page is your best bet for hearing the latest on my contests, news, and events.

2. Class of 2k10 April giveaway - Comment to win a signed ARC of Shade, a signed hardcover of Rhonda Hayter's super cute middle-grade debut, The Witchy Worries of Abbie Adams, and much more!

3. Rosemary Clement-Moore's Nothing But Nets giveaway - To celebrate the paperback release of her YA novel Highway to Hell, the always awesome Rosemary is giving away a ton of prizes, including a $100 gift Barnes & Noble certificate, an ARC of her next book, and many other author-donated prizes, including a hardcover copy of Shade. All you have to do to enter is donate to the United Nations Nothing But Nets campaign, to provide low-cost mosquito netting to malaria-vulnerable areas.

I wanted to bring a special book and review to your attention this week. For What It's Worth reviewed Swati Avasthi's Split, which I am currently having the intense pleasure of reading. Swati Avasthi is one of my class of 2k10 classmates, and she coordinated a domestic violence clinic for three years, which was where she got the idea for Split. (You can read more about that on her TeenReads guest blog.)

Anyway, at the end of the review are some startling statistics (even for me, who worked on a domestic violence/sexual assault hotline for a few years). I especially agree with this assessment:

I hate to say this is an “important” book because it brings to mind words like – boring – lecture – preachy, and this book is none of those things, but I do think it is an important story to read. Not much is written about boys who suffer from abuse and the effect that has on their relationships.

If I weren't so tired, I would be able to string together a coherent sentence about Split (which I'm about 3/4 finished). But I'm running on empty, so I'll just throw out words like, "heartbreaking," "brilliant," and "irresistible." I expect it to win a bajillion awards. (EDITED TO ADD: Finished it this morning and wanted to add, "marvelous" and "perfect" to the list.)

Off to sleep now. Tomorrow I'll have a very exciting announcement about the WVMP Radio vampire series!

Labels: blog tour, Contests, current contests, good, reading

• posted by Jeri @ 8:20 PM
• 4 comments

Help fight MS and get a free book!

The last two years I have had the pleasure of participating in the Multiple Sclerosis Society's Walk MS, a 5K walk to raise money to fight this debilitating disease.

In the past, I've offered a chance to win an Advance Review Copy (ARC) of my upcoming book to everyone who donated to my team. Then about six months ago, I read an article that cautioned against requiring contest entrants to make a purchase for the chance to win a prize. It makes it sort of like a raffle, which is sort of like gambling, which is not-so-sort-of prohibited in some states.

So this year, if you donate to my team, you won't get a chance at a free book. You'll get a free book. Period. Just like when I offered free copies of the trade paperback version of Bad to the Bone for people who donated to Doctors Without Borders' Haiti relief efforts. The rules are the same as before:

Rules:

1. Donate at least $15 to my team, then send your mailing address to me at jeri AT jerismithready DOT com (MS Walk's website will send me an e-mail notifying me of your donation). For every $15 you donate, I'll give you one signed book. So if you donate $30, you get two books, and above that, you can do the math.

2. Giveaway will continue while supplies last, or until 8am Eastern time, Saturday, April 10, whichever comes first. Please state your first and second choices from the following list. Requiem for the Devil and Shade are not eligible, since I have no copies.

Wicked Game
Bad to the Bone
Eyes of Crow
Voice of Crow
The Reawakened

3, International readers welcome. However, it costs a bundle to ship a book overseas (at least $10 more than domestic), so if you are outside the US, please be a pal and only do this if you really really intend to read the book or give it to someone who will.

4. Retail value of books: $7.99 (Wicked Game and Bad to the Bone) and $15 (Eyes of Crow, Voice of Crow, and The Reawakened).

5. Please allow 6-8 weeks for delivery.

6. I'll personalize the book to you, unless you request otherwise (if you'd like me to sign it to a friend for a gift or simply put "eBay auction winner" ;-).

Thank you very much in advance for helping this great cause!

Labels: Contests, good

• posted by Jeri @ 8:43 AM
• 3 comments

Tidbit Tuesday #5 - SHADE ARCs for you & UK news

Oi! Have I got good news today. I've been sitting on this bit for a couple of months, but then today I saw this tweet from SimonKids_UK, so I knew it was public record:

we'll be publishing UK in OCTOBER 2010 - can't wait! RT @jsmithready Giving away signed ARC of SHADE @YABookQueen today. http://is.gd/aUe2L

Translated into non-Twitter speak, that means that Shade will be my very first book to be officially published in the United Kingdom! Here's the catalog page to prove it. (Note: the catalog says September--I will know which month it is for sure before then.)

If you're reading this in the UK, you might be thinking, but Jeri, I've seen your other books in stores here. True, they can be imported there, but the prices are often high, and the distribution is less widespread. This will be the first time an actual UK house will be publishing a book by me.

And before you ask, I don't know if there'll be a UK tour. Chances are slim, since it's my first book, but hey, on ne sait jamais. (I think I mentioned before that I randomly jump into French for no apparent reason. Certainly not to show off, since I often get it wrong.)

Anyway, as you can tell by the above tweet, YA Book Queen is having a drawing for a signed ARC of Shade. The contest runs through Thursday, and international entries are welcome!

Also, the amazing author Lisa Schroeder (I Heart You, You Haunt Me; Chasing Brooklyn) is holding a Shade ARC giveaway for a really good cause: libraries. For every unique commenter on her post between now and Wednesday, she will donate 50 cents to the Salem, Oregon, Public Library, as part of this week's Library Lovin' Blog Challenge. One commenter will get her ARC of Shade, which my editor very thoughtfully sent her.

If you're not familiar with Lisa's books, GO CHECK THEM OUT NOW! They are beautiful and lyrical and heartbreaking. If you love ghosts or verse novels--or heck, even if you think you don't love either, prepare to be wowed. If I ever get around to making my "If you liked Shade" page on this website, her books will be at the top of the list.

Review Roundup

Shade ARCs seem to be making their way out into the big bad blogging wilderness. Here are a few reviews that were sent to me, either by the reviewer or another person (I'm too much of a weenie to hunt them down myself):

Yzhabella's Bookshelf
The Neverending Shelf
Book Reviews by Jess

Also, RT Bookreviews just released their review today. The online review is only viewable by subscribers, so I'm just transcribing it here:

Smith-Ready writes movingly and well about music, first love and the drama of having too much responsibility thrust upon your teenage shoulders. Her world is first-rate and every one of her characters rings true. You'll want to read the next book in this exciting series immediately, but alas, you'll have to wait.

Summary: Sixteen-year-old Aura can see ghosts, but she's not the only one -- everyone born after the Shift can. Like the rest of her generation, she considers this a liability instead of an asset. But then her boyfriend, the sexy musician Logan, dies. Aura used to want to reverse the Shift, but with ghost-Logan around, she's not so sure. Enter dazzling Scottish exchange student Zachary, and Aura is torn between a living and a dead boy -- a dead boy who could turn Shade and be locked up for eternity. (SIMON PULSE, May, 320 pp., $17.99, ISBN: 9781416994060, HC, 14 and Up

I love the summary, especially that last line. And the review paragraph is pretty sweet, too. My stomach is always in knots waiting for the RT review, so I can breathe again until the end of June, when they'll be reviewing Bring on the Night.

I am exactly halfway through the first draft of Shade's sequel, Shift. No kidding--I have 39,999 words in a planned 80K manuscript. This is when I usually sit down and say, OK, have I told half the story yet, or am I filling too much space with meandering scenes that will have to be cut? I think it's great to meander for a while, look around, explore, but at a certain point I have to remember where I'm going. Map check!

Okay, that's enough. Two more words and I'm over the hump!

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Now playing: The Cure - Burn
via FoxyTunes

Labels: Contests, good, reviews, YA series

• posted by Jeri @ 3:38 PM
• 6 comments

Help Haiti and get a free book

FINAL UPDATE: All 20 books have been spoken for, and a total of $480 plus 10 British pounds have been raised for Haiti relief. I am stunned and amazed by your generosity. Thank you from all the squishy little corners of my heart!

I hope others consider donating to this worthy cause today and in the weeks to come. The work there, I fear, will not be over for many years, if ever.

Words like "devastate" can easily weaken from overuse. "He is devastatingly handsome." Or "I'm devastated they canceled Dollhouse."

But when a 7.0 earthquake destroys the capital city of the hemisphere's poorest nation, a nation whose infrastructure was shoddy and piecemeal to begin with, a nation whose people live off the equivalent of $2 per day? That's devastation.

Many charitable organizations are pitching in to help those affected by the earthquake in Haiti, including the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Doctors Without Borders.

Doctors Without Borders (MSF, which stands for their original French name Medecins Sans Frontieres) is in my opinion one of the bravest and noblest charities in the world. They go into war-torn areas that others won't dare to enter. They operate independent of political, religious, and military affiliations. They speak out against the atrocities and violence they witness in the course of their work. And they don't care who they piss off in their battle for compassion, mercy, and better medical care for those in need. That's why they got the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999, and why I think they deserved it.

Let's help MSF help Haiti.

I still have a box of 20 trade paperback copies of Bad to the Bone. It's been sitting in my rec room since last May, its contents waiting for a chance to enter the world and maybe make a few people laugh or go, ooh. On February 22, another two boxes of the book will arrive when the mass market version comes out.

Basically, my Bad to the Bone cup runneth over, and it's time to share the wealth.

If you donate $15 to Doctors Without Borders, I'll send you an autographed, personalized copy of Bad to the Bone while supplies last.

Rules:

1. Donate at least $15 at the Doctors Without Borders website and forward the donation receipt to me at jeri AT jerismithready DOT com. Then leave a comment to this post--it can be anonymous if you prefer, but this will help other readers gauge how many people have already given.

2. Giveaway will continue while supplies last (20 books). I'll modify this post the moment the target is reached. UPDATE 8:24pm EST: I still have six books left. SECOND UPDATE 8:32am: I have one book left. So far you generous readers have donated $400 (plus 10 pounds)!

3, International readers welcome. However, it costs a bundle to ship a book overseas, so if you are outside the US or Canada, please be a pal and only do this if you really really intend to read the book or give it to someone who will.

4. Retail value of book: $15. Helping doctors help injured, homeless Haitians: priceless.

5. Please allow 6-8 weeks for delivery.

6. I'll personalize the book to you, unless you request otherwise (if you'd like me to sign it to a friend for a gift or simply put "eBay auction winner" ;-).

Thanks, and spread the word!

Labels: good, vampire series

• posted by Jeri @ 11:46 AM
• 29 comments

Blog challenge to help Heifer International

UPDATE DECEMBER 30: Thanks to everyone for their comments and for spreading the word! We reached 60 comments, so I donated an Earth Basket, which consists of bees/beekeeping equipment and a whole mess of tree seedlings. (For the same price I could've bought a trio of rabbits, but being the vegetarian, non-fur-wearing sort, I opted for this instead.)

You might remember last year (and if you do, you're way ahead of me) when I donated an ARC of The Reawakened to a charity auction held by author Patrick Rothfuss (which he's doing again this year) and encouraged you to donate to this fantastic cause that really makes a difference in people's lives.

This year all you have to do is leave some comments! One of my agent's fellow Curtis Brown agents, Nathan Bransford, is holding a challenge. For each comment left on that post, he'll donate $1 to Heifer International.

And I'm doing the same, donating $1 per comment here on this post for the first 120 unique commenters (i.e., one comment per person, not 120 from the same person).

Nathan's challenge lasts until 5PM Pacific today (8PM Eastern), and mine will go through 5PM eastern Wednesday, December 30.

This costs you nothing but a click and a few words. Here's what you can do:

--Leave a comment here (if you're drawing a blank on what to say, tell us your favorite farm animal).
--Follow the link above to Nathan's blog and comment there.
--Visit the other blogs listed at his post and leave comments there.
--Spread the word via Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and any other virtual or literal rooftop you have at your disposal.

Have a wonderful holiday!

Labels: good

• posted by Jeri @ 4:02 PM
• 54 comments

Winner of BoS & and an auction for "marked up" WICKED GAME

The lucky winner of a signed copy of Stephanie Kuehnert's BALLADS OF SUBURBIA is...tetewa! tetewa, please send your mailing address to me at jeri AT jerismithready DOT com in the next week. As always, only I and the author sending the prize will see the address.

Thanks to everyone who commented--now go read this fabulous book! :-)

Remaining open Blogtoberfest contests:

Carrie Jones and an ARC of Captivate
Jennifer Echols and The Ex-Games
PC Cast and Tempted
Jeri Smith-Ready and an ARC of Shade
Rachel Vincent and My Soul to Take or My Soul to Save (winner's choice)


There's a very exciting series of online charity auctions going on now through the end of December at Leave a Mark, and this week's offering is the first in my WVMP series, Wicked Game.

"Leave a Mark" is a unique opportunity to see behind the scenes of a book. Authors mark up their books with little tidbits about the scenes, what was on their mind when they wrote it, maybe how it changed from the original version. Think of it as a written "director's commentary."

All the proceeds of Leave a Mark go to First Book, an organization that provides new books to needy children. Kudos to Lauren and Chelsea, the book bloggers who set this up!

In the Wicked Game markup, you can find out things like:

• which scene I wrote while obsessively listening to the Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me soundtrack
  
• which real-life bully the character of Jolene was based on
• which scene, as originally written, set off my editor's "cheese-o-meter"

Bids will run until Sunday night.

Wicked Game was drastically reworked between submission and publication, so I might tuck a deleted scene or two into the book. Maybe even the one with Shane and Ciara in a supply closet. *whistles innocently*

Because my handwriting is so bad, the marks will probably be typed on labels stuck to Post-It notes on each page, with page numbers on each note in case they fall out. I'll also throw in an extra, non-marked up copy if you want to read the "theatrical version" first.

Bottom line: you can't get this anywhere else. If you're the least bit interested in how an author writes a book, you should check out these auctions. If you remember what it was like as a kid to have your very own books you could read again and again and again, you should definitely check out these auctions and help a worthy cause.

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Now playing: Cake - Open Book
via FoxyTunes

Labels: Blogtoberfest, Contests, craft, good, vampire series

• posted by Jeri @ 9:17 AM
• 5 comments

Tails of Hope dogs needing adoption

Just got this message from the foster coordinator for Tails of Hope, the animal rescue organization we volunteer with:

We have a number of dogs in rescue right now and will NOT be taking in any more until some of these are moved. Please talk to people that are considering adopting, friends, neighbors and relatives. Please help these kids, because until they are in homes, we cannot save any others:

Ryan...nothing wrong with him except he needs to play... a family dog with kids is perfect – he’s good family dog and needs training.

Katy – the little prima donna but cute and cuddly if she’s an only dog

Pumpkin – needs to be only dog...but loving, friendly, and walks nicely on lead, housebroken

Tiffany – had thousands wanting her before now, needs to be only dog.

Josef, Derek and Sparkles...we need to get these kids out of the kennel...they are shepherds and super dogs...



Pearl - this lovely sweet girl needs that special home... and she’s beautiful too!! [Jeri's note: Pearl is being fostered by a friend of mine, who says she's awesome]

Karma – her ONLY bad thing is she’s a black dog...otherwise, she’s perfect!!! And another great family dog. [Jeri's note: Black dogs have nothing wrong with them--it's just that for some reason people are less likely to adopt them (and black cats) than any other color. Seriously. I don't get it either.)

So if you live in Maryland, DC, south central PA, Delaware, northern VA, or West Virginia, and are looking to adopt or foster a dog, please consider one of these pups. For more information on the application process, visit Tails of Hope's adoption page.

Tails of Hope currently has 26 cats and 53 dogs for adoption. They are also always looking for new foster homes, other types of volunteers, animal sponsors (like Ciara in Wicked Game), and donations of all kinds.

And if you apply, tell 'em Jeri sent you!

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Now playing: Led Zeppelin - Black Dog
via FoxyTunes

Labels: good, pets

• posted by Jeri @ 4:14 PM
• 0 comments

Two ways to help Tails of Hope

Need some nummies? Tails of Hope, the animal rescue organization I volunteer with, is having a giant Bake Sale tomorrow at the Guilford Mansion in Frederick, MD, from 11am to 3pm. One of the people making goodies for the sale is a professional chef, so this ain't your average Bake Sale with Duncan Hines cupcakes (although those will probably be available, too).

If you're in the area, please stop by. I won't be there due to this annoying cold (what with the swine flu worries, I might scare people by sneezing and coughing), but Tails of Hope could really use your help. They had $9,000 in vet bills last month for the shelter animals in their care. Yeesh!

Here's a map to help you find it, as well as more information on this and other Tails of Hope events.

If you're not in the area, you can still help my favorite animal folks by helping them win a grant. It's super easy to do. I'll let Linda Junkins, our president, explain it:

The Animal Rescue Site is having another Shelter Challenge, and Tails of Hope has the potential to win up to a $20,000 grant! You can help by voting for Tails of Hope--today and every day--and by forwarding this to everyone you know.

To vote for us, simply click on the above icon, and then search for "Tails of Hope" in Maryland. You can vote every day until July 26, 2009. So program your PDA, set your alarm clock, tie a string around your finger--whatever it takes--but please don't forget to cast your daily vote!

Thanks for all you do to help our animals in need.

Since I don't have much time to volunteer these days due to book deadlines, this is one of the few ways I can help, by spreading the word. So please in turn help me by reposting the link and the voting instructions on your blog, MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, or whatever.

Thanks and have a great weekend! If you go to the bake sale, tell them Jeri sent you. :-)

Labels: food, foster dogs, good

• posted by Jeri @ 8:56 AM
• 0 comments

MS Walk report

This year's Multiple Sclerosis Walk in Frederick, MD, was even better than last year's, in every way. First, thanks a million to everyone who donated. Fourteen people gave a total of $450 on my behalf, bringing our team total to $715, which my friend said was near the top of the fundraising list at today's walk!

The weather was gorgeous despite the high winds. The route took us through the park in Frederick and part of the prettiest sections in town. Plus, they fed us very well--bagels, coffee, italian ice, ice cream, pizza, pasta, and salad. Last year the crowds at the Towson walk were so huge we never got to eat. Sadness.

After the Walk, we meandered through downtown Frederick and did some shopping. Yes, I shopped. I even bought something for myself that wasn't food or an office supply (a cool little bag/purse just big enough for Fang, my new netbook--technically useful/tax-deductible but also very stylish).

Last but not least, I drew a name from all my donors to win a Bad to the Bone ARC, and the winner is...PiaVeleno!

Thanks again to everyone for your support. Tonight I shall sleep the sleep of happy exhaustion.

Labels: Contests, good, vampire series

• posted by Jeri @ 12:02 AM
• 0 comments

Guest blog and penultimate BAD TO THE BONE ARC giveaway

Dropping in real quick to let you know I'm guest blogging at The Book Girl today and throughout the weekend. We're talking about "quirky" characters in books, movies, and TV.

One lucky commenter will win his or her choice of a signed copy of Wicked Game or a signed Advance Review Copy of Bad to the Bone.

Gotta go get a good night's sleep now for tomorrow's MS Walk. Thanks to your amazing generosity, I'm now up to $375, a 50% increase over last year's donations! You rock! If you'd like to donate and be entered into a drawing for a Bad to the Bone ARC, you have through tomorrow to do so, and then I'll draw a name. The bigger the donation, the more chances you get.

I'll try to give a report on the walk tomorrow night, assuming I can still breathe.

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Now playing: Anders Parker - Oh Monkeywrench
via FoxyTunes

Labels: blog tour, Contests, good, vampire series

• posted by Jeri @ 9:33 PM
• 1 comments

More widgets and ARC for Charity update

First, the important stuff. Remember a couple weeks ago when I mentioned I was participating in the Multiple Sclerosis Walk this Saturday, April 4? And I offered to do a drawing from the folks who donated?

This year, I've raised $50, and so far my only donors are 1) my mom, and 2) one of my original Street Team members, both of whom already have an ARC.

Which is great news for you! If you go to my team page and give a small donation, say five dollars, you have a pretty good shot at winning. Plus you'll be helping to fight a devastating disease. My friend who captains the team lost his mom to MS, so it would mean a lot to him if we could get some extra help. Last year I raised $250 from the ARC contest for Wicked Game, and he was blown away by the generosity of strangers (well, strangers to him, and to me as well, in many cases).

Second I have a few more Wicked Game widgets for the Spread-the-Word contest, in which you can win a bookstore gift card and a Bad to the Bone ARC. These are nice and skinny, so they'll fit into a Blogger sidebar. Again, just click on the "Share" button and follow the easy-peasy instructions.



AND



More widgets to come, including for Bad to the Bone!

And don't forget the big iPod Shuffle/Visa Gift Card giveaway over at Bitten by Books. Go comment and be a winnah!

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Now playing: The Strokes - Hard to Explain
via FoxyTunes

Labels: blog tour, Contests, good, vampire series

• posted by Jeri @ 11:42 AM
• 4 comments

Last week's charity & Twitter ARC winners

Congrats to the winners of last week's giveaways. Sarah Kuhn from Twitter gave me the best name for my laptop. So introducing...


Grr, Fang says. Grr.

Fang is a Hewlett Packard Mini notebook, I guess what some people would call a "netbook." I love him. He's a tiny computer, but unlike most netbooks, the keyboard is 92% full-size, so I don't feel like Goliath typing on the thing. I still plan to use Tardy (my old laptop) for most writing, at least while at home.

The winner of the suggest-a-charity contest (in which I choose a charity to receive 10% of author royalties from Bad to the Bone) is Cory, who came up with what had to be the perfect animal rescue organization for this book: Rescue Ink, a group of tough guys in New York City who stop animal abuse by any means necessary. No, just kidding, their methods are totally legal.

Here's a New York Times article about them, and here are a few of their programs, including puppy mill awareness programs, outreach to elderly and children, animal housing construction, and dog-fighting prevention. You can see a ton of pictures on their MySpace page.

I mean, who would dare mess with these guys? Most people who abuse animals and children are freaking cowards, or they'd be picking on people who could fight back.

I had many wonderful suggestions for charities, which I'll list below, but Rescue Ink seemed particularly perfect for Bad to the Bone, for several reasons:

• Dexter the Vampire Dog might once have been a victim of abuse, possibly being used as bait for a pit-bull ring.
• Some of these guys remind me of Ciara's landlord Dean.
• Tattoos are a recurring motif in the book. One of them even provides a clue as to the bad guy's motive.
• The Rescue Ink guys combine compassion with major badassedness, kinda like most of my vampires.

It broke my heart not to pick some of the other suggestions, but I'll list them here to give them a wee bit of exposure:

• RSPCA Victoria, who is helping the thousands of homeless animals displaced and injured by the Australian bush fires.
• Canine Companions for Independence, an organization that raises animals to assist people with disabilities.
• Petfinder.com, a fantastic online resource helping adopters find new furry friends to share their lives. They also have a foundation that right now is helping animals affected by the floods in the Midwest.
• Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary in my favorite state to visit, New Mexico. They provide a home for wolves and wolf-dogs and also provide much-need public outreach and eduction.
• Rhode Island Veterinary Medical Association Companion Animal Foundation - They provide assistance to low-income families so they can keep their pets healthy, and keep them with them, period. Very important in these times of economic hardship.
• Hill County Paw Pals is trying to build a shelter in a rural part of Texas.
• Support Our Shelters (S.O.S.) - helps support ferret shelters in need around the world.
• United Animal Nations Emergency Animal Rescue Service (EARS) - UAN shelters and cares for animals displaced by natural disasters and other crises, such as criminal seizures and hoarding cases, in the United States and Canada.
• Canine Partners for Life - "Dedicated to training service dogs, home companion dogs, and residential companion dogs to assist individuals who have a wide range of physical and cognitive disabilities."

OK, I'm getting sniffly just looking at this list. If you have a few extra dollars, please consider giving one of them a hand.

Thanks again to everyone who suggested laptop names and charities, especially Cory and Sarah! Stay tuned for biggest giveaway yet. Next time, it won't be just an ARC. Muahahaha!

(In the meantime, you can still enter the ARC giveaway contest at Jaci Burton's blog.)

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Now playing: The Who - Pictures of Lily
via FoxyTunes

Labels: animals, Contests, good, twitter, vampire series

• posted by Jeri @ 8:15 AM
• 5 comments

ARCs for charity & Twitter folks

Congrats to Fantasy Dreamer, who won last week's drawing for an ARC of Bad to the Bone!

For this week's Bad to the Bone ARC giveaway, I'm copying from my 2008 self and giving away two (2) in an effort to make the world a little less sucky.

1. MS Walk Donations
I’m participating in the National Multiple Sclerosis Society 5K Walk on April 4. If you donate to my team, I’ll put you in a drawing to win an ARC. It’ll be like a raffle: donate $5 and get 5 chances; donate $25 and get 25 chances (not to mention a warm feeling). Please send whatever you can to help overcome this devastating disease.

Deadline for entry: April 4

2. Royalty Donation
I donate ten percent of author royalties to a designated charity related to each of my books. For EYES OF CROW it’s Conservation International, for VOICE OF CROW it’s the Wounded Warrior Project, and for THE REAWAKENED it will be split between those two charities.

Last year I asked my blog readers to suggest a music-related charity to receive my WICKED GAME "tithe." I ended up choosing VH1's Save the Music Foundation, and the three people who suggested it each won an ARC of Wicked Game.

This year, on behalf of Dexter the Vampire Dog (pictured on the Bad to the Bone cover), I'd like to send my 10% to an animal rescue organization. Preferably one that helps dogs, though it doesn't have to be exclusively dog-related.

Reply to this blog post or send an e-mail to jeri@jerismithready.com and suggest an animal-related charity that should receive 10% of author royalties from Bad to the Bone. If I choose your suggestion, you’ll win an ARC!

Note: It's possible that I might end up deciding to donate to the charity I volunteer for, Tails of Hope. In that event, I'll just draw a name at random from the people who sent me suggestions, and award the ARC that way.

Another note: Let's start by taking Best Friends Animal Sanctuary off the table They're a great group, but they already get a lot of exposure through the Dogtown show. Plus the awesome Judi McCoy is giving all her royalties to them. I'm looking for a smaller charity where my modest money will really make a difference.

Deadline for entry: March 25.

***Special giveaway for Twitter folks only!***

Those who follow me on Twitter are well aware of my frustration with my sloooooooow laptop (nicknamed "Tardy" after the turtle from Greg the Bunny). I recently bought a new laptop and am looking for help in picking out a name.

So if you follow me on Twitter, just send me an @reply before the end of the day tomorrow with your suggestion for a new laptop name. I'll choose my favorite answer and give that person a signed ARC of Bad to the Bone.

Sure, you may sign up for Twitter just to follow me and enter the contest. I promise you won't regret it. It's a fun and relatively non-time-consuming way to keep up with friends, news reporters, and celebrities. I mean, aren't you wondering what Ashton Kucher and P. Diddy are thinking right now?? Me neither.

Labels: animals, Contests, good, twitter, vampire series

• posted by Jeri @ 4:04 PM
• 4 comments

Realms of Fantasy not closing after all

Don't faint at having two blog posts from me in one day, but I thought I should post this bit since it wasn't that long ago that I was passing on the news of Realms of Fantasy magazine's closing. (Insert obvious Mark Twain quote about reports of their demise blah blah blah.)

It's not.

Nice to hear good news these days.

Remind me to tell you about their review of Wicked Game someday. It was part of a really interesting essay by Paul Witcover on third-wave feminism.

Labels: good, magazines

• posted by Jeri @ 3:35 PM
• 2 comments

Sing a new song

No words can describe the way this day makes me feel, so as usual, I turn to music, reposting the playlist from another day:



Happy America, folks.

Labels: good, music

• posted by Jeri @ 10:37 AM
• 1 comments

Saturday's booksigning, and a great cause

A couple of quick notes before I dive into my main project for the day, catching up on all my e-mail, MySpace, Facebook, etc. correspondences before they saturate my alveoli. (That's not as dirty as it sounds.)

This Saturday I'll be signing all my books (including the new one, The Reawakened) at the Waldenbooks in Cumberland, MD, along with several other local fantasy/science fiction/horror authors. If you're in the area, please come out and say hi. Do your part to keep the economy from imploding.

Fellow fantasy author Patrick Rothfuss is raising money for a wonderful charity, Heifer International, an organization that really makes a difference in the lives of ordinary people by providing them with livestock with which they can continue to earn a living. (Obviously, it's animals like goats and chickens and sheep, which can produce without being slaughtered.) He's matching every donated dollar, and the thermometer thingy on his donation page is getting redder and redder.

Patrick has a similar philosophy toward charitable giving as I do:

There are a lot of worthwhile charities out there. Important causes. Things I feel strongly about. But Heifer is my favorite. Here's why.

Let's say by some miracle I raised ten thousand dollars to help fight cancer, or Parkinson's, or Alzheimer's. While it would help the cause, it would just be a tiny drop in the bucket. Enough to help fund some lab's research for a couple weeks.

But we don't need to research a cure for hunger or poverty. We know how that works. Heifer doesn't just hand out bags of rice, Heifer gives a family a goat and teaches them how to take care of it. Then that family has a continual source of milk for their children. They can sell the extra milk to make money. When the goat has babies, they give those babies to other members of their community, sharing the gift.

Heifer helps people become self-reliant.

As part of his fundraiser, he's giving away fabulous prizes, which will eventually include an autographed Advance Reading Copy of The Reawakened. (I've been saving a couple just for this purpose.) Stay tuned to find out more. The giveaways run through December 11, I believe.

Questions? Click here to read all of Patrick's Heifer International-related posts. Then go forth and give goats.

Labels: appearances, Contests, good

• posted by Jeri @ 9:52 AM
• 0 comments

Songs to vote by

I took a half hour out of my busy revision schedule to make a cross-generational, cross-genre playlist to psych you up to vote. I figured it was the least I could do, seeing as I kinda fell off the voter registration nagging routine.

Below the playlist are some more words that are important.







Go to Vote411.org to find out all the information you need about where and when to vote and what you need to bring to the polls.

And please, even if you think your presidential candidate of choice is sure to win or lose, VOTE ANYWAY. Be part of the process. Do your sacred duty as an American.

Besides, the people running for Senator, Governor, House of Representatives, School Board, Sheriff, and Dogcatcher all need your vote. Not to mention the bajillion ballot questions up for consideration.

And if you think you might have to stand in a long line, consider bringing a brand-new, very thick, truly awesome book, perhaps a book that prompted one reviewer to say, "Never have I read a trilogy that exemplifies the spirit of freedom in so meaningful and poignant a way!"

If you don't believe me, listen to these people, like you did last time.






Happy Election Day.

Labels: good, music, videos

• posted by Jeri @ 12:21 AM
• 2 comments

Don't vote

I pledge to do my civic duty this election season, not by proselytizing on who you should vote for (Seriously, is anyone still undecided at this point? What are you waiting for, a neon sign from God?).

No, I'll do my duty by being a big fat noodge every day until the last state passes its voter registration deadline. I'll list the states every day (except today, because it's still open everywhere) whose registration is still open and highlighting those whose deadline comes the following day.

This will require meticulous record-keeping on my part, not to mention creativity to come up with new ways to bug the pants off you about registering to vote. I hope you appreciate my sacrifice, and show that appreciation by purchasing my upcoming novel The Reawakened, which is chock full of hot political issues like torture, military occupations, and pyrokinetics (setting stuff on fire with one's mind is the big sleeper wedge issue of '08--just wait and see).

Don't worry--it won't be painful. It'll be video-riffic, starting with today's entry, "Five Friends (Uncensored)." Enjoy!

Labels: good, movies, television, videos, voter registration

• posted by Jeri @ 6:08 PM
• 0 comments

The fierce urgency of now

As you probably know, this historic day, when Barack Obama will accept the nomination of the Democratic Party for the President of the United States, also marks the 45th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech. I highly recommend taking the time to watch it today, whether you've seen it before (like me, not since high school) or not.



And whatever your party affiliation, take a moment tonight to realize how far we've come as a nation. Be proud.

Then get up tomorrow and make the dream a reality. Because though our nation stands on the "warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice," there are still those who would slam the door.

Let freedom ring.

Labels: good, videos

• posted by Jeri @ 10:54 AM
• 1 comments

Give a little, get a lotta books

In case you weren't aware, Ann Aguirre is awesome (wow, that's 4 'A' words in one sentence--let's go for 'B's in the next sentence. No let's not.).

Not only is she a fabulous writer, she does what she can to help others. Right now she's holding a drawing for $150 worth of free books.

How do you enter? Simple:

1) Donate money to an organization helping the Cyclone Nargis victims in Burma/Myanmar.
2) Tell Ann about your donation.

More details on her blog. If you have your own blog, please spread the word.

----------------
Now playing: Little Milton - I Wouldn't Take Nothing For Your Love (live)
via FoxyTunes read the word.

Labels: Contests, good

• posted by Jeri @ 8:34 AM
• 2 comments

ARCs for Charity results and me this week

Thanks a pazillion to all the folks who donated to yesterday's Walk MS for the Multiple Sclerosis Society. We had perfect weather--cool but not cold, partly cloudy, not a raindrop in sight. People came with strollers, walkers, wheelchairs and dogs. Big teams with their own logos and T-shirts, and little teams like ours. The top team at Towson yesterday raised over $11,000, but we were equally proud of our $725.


(UPDATE:
Latest totals: Towson walk, $212,576
Maryland walks so far: over $1 Million!)

I wish I could've given an ARC of Wicked Game to everyone who donated, but alas, the little buggers are gone or otherwise spoken for (see below for one reason why). So congrats to Donna R. who won the ARC, and also to runners up Cathy M., Stephanie S., and Susan B., to whom I'm sending a signed copy of Voice of Crow as a token of my extreme appreciation.

Three people suggested VH1's Save the Music Foundation to receive 10% of author royalties from Wicked Game, so congrats to Livi J., Jackie M. and Nina D., who all won an ARC! Save the Music supports music programs in public schools, programs which have faced enormous cutbacks, particularly in the last several years (don't get me started on "No Child Left Behind").

I'll be traveling this week to RT and NY Comic Con (see Item #4 in the last post for details). I usually promise to blog about the conventions I attend, and then I either don't or I do so inadequately, so this time I promise not to blog about them. Edited to Add: Which means I'll undoubtedly blog about them all week.

I hope to see you there!

Labels: appearances, Contests, good, vampire series

• posted by Jeri @ 12:11 PM
• 2 comments

The post with something for everyone

And you are...?

That's probably what you're thinking, since I haven't blogged (first I typed "blooged," which shows you how out of practice I am) in ten days. This morning I turned in the rewrite for The Reawakened (yes, you will cry buckets, but not until November) and found out I'll be getting the line edits back in ten days, before I've had time to forget what it's all about.

Line edits, basically, are when the editor gets a little more nitpicky than the first go-around (where he or she discusses major issues, such as character and plot and I dunno, maybe the fact that the manuscript is twenty-five thousand words too long, just as a fr'instance). The author makes changes as quickly as possible and sends back the manuscript so it can go to the copyeditor.

For both of my publishers, the line edits are done on paper, which means I write each change on the manuscript, and then the editor (or her lovely assistant) types in my changes. Some publishers are moving toward electronic edits, which I imagine involve Microsoft Word's comment and track changes functions (anyone with electronic edits, feel free to enlighten).

---

So, the latest updates:

1. There's one more day to enter the ARCs for charity contest. Please consider donating to the MS Walk. Even a fiver would help me make my fundraising goal and more important, help treat and one day cure this devastating disease.

2. The May issue of Romantic Times (on newsstands now!) has a feature on me and Wicked Game. My name is on the front cover 'n' everything. You can read an excerpt of RT's and other reviews on the Wicked Game home page. I won't post each review on my blog, because if I'm going to be self-aggrandizing (and oh yes, I plan to be), it should be in a less boring way than linking to reviews. Like linking to interviews, of which there shall be so many, I'll probably have to start lying just to keep everyone entertained.

3. WVMP Lifeblood of Rock 'n' Roll swag will be available very soon. As in, days.

4. I'll be at the Romantic Times Booklovers Convention next week Tuesday through Saturday around 2. I'm on the Urban Fantasy 101 panel on Friday at 11am, with fellow authors Kelley Armstrong, Keri Arthur, Richelle Mead, and Jeanne C. Stein, as well as Paula Guran, editor of Juno Books. I'll also be signing copies of Eyes of Crow and Voice of Crow and sneak previews of Wicked Game at the Book Fair on Saturday from 11-2. If you see me at the convention (hint: try the bar), stop and ask for a "Lifeblood of Rock 'n' Roll" or "Feed the Need" button.

5. Then I'll be at the New York Comic Con on Sunday, April 20, signing pre-publication copies of Wicked Game at the Simon & Schuster booth from 12 to 1.

***This is the first time this novel will be available to the public, and it will be FREE!***

So if you want a free signed book, stop by the S&S booth as close to noon as possible, before we run out. I'll stick around until 1:00 and sign cover flats, your arm, or your forehead--or just to chat.

Speaking of the real book...here it is! They came in the mail yesterday.


That's Misha (Mikhail Kristanovich), galvanized by the greatness that is Wicked Game (or possibly by the guy honking his horn in the next door neighbors' driveway--geez, what is his deal? Just go to the door, for cryin' out loud!)

I think that's it for now. As you can tell, I'm a bit fried. Tomorrow I'm thrilled to be doing an interview with Fast Forward TV. Wish me luck, and a complete lack of stuttering stupidity!

Labels: appearances, Contests, craft, Eyes of Crow, good, vampire series, Voice of Crow

• posted by Jeri @ 5:12 PM
• 8 comments

ARCs for Charity, future guests, and other news

Congrats to Ruth Schaller, who just won a signed copy of Rachel Vincent's Rogue! Everyone else, stop crying and go buy the book.

Coming up later this month we have Cynthia Eden, author of Hotter After Midnight, then in May there'll be Jenna Black (Hungers of the Heart); in early June, Nancy Haddock (La Vida Vampire, which just came out today) and in late June, Stephanie Kuehnert (I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone).


ARCs FOR CHARITY

I still have a few Advance Reading Copies (ARCs) of Wicked Game, and it’s time I started using them for good instead of evil:

1. MS Walk Donations
I’m participating in the National Multiple Sclerosis Society 5K Walk on Sunday, April 13. If you donate to my team, I’ll put you in a drawing to win an ARC. It’ll be like a raffle: donate $5 and get 5 chances; donate $25 and get 25 chances (not to mention a warm feeling). Please send whatever you can to help overcome this devastating disease.

Deadline for entry: April 12

2. Royalty Donation
I donate ten percent of author royalties to a designated charity related to each of my books. For EYES OF CROW it’s Conservation International, and for VOICE OF CROW it’s the Wounded Warrior Project.

Send an e-mail to jeri@jerismithready.com and suggest a music-related charity that should receive 10% of author royalties from Wicked Game. If I choose your suggestion, you’ll win an ARC! And again: warm feeling.

Deadline for entry: April 12

Note: I’m looking for a charity related to rock ‘n’ roll that does some good in the world. Habitat for Humanity’s Musicians Village in New Orleans is a great example, but that project is almost complete (yay!).

Here's an update on my Lucky Thirteen Giveaway:

February 12: Wicked Game cover flat -- Winner: Bonnie W.
February 19: Wicked Game Advance Readers Copy --Winner: Regina R.
February 26: Wicked Game cover flat -- Winner: Betsy L.
March 4: Amazon.com gift card ($10) -- Winner: Tracy P.
March 11: Wicked Game cover flat -- Winner: Melissa F.
March 18: iTunes gift card ($15) -- Winner: Amy B.
March 25: Wicked Game cover flat -- Winner: Tami B.
April 1: Booksense gift card ($20) -- Winner: Jill M.
April 8: WVMP Lifeblood of Rock 'n' Roll T-shirt
April 15: Barnes & Noble gift card ($25)
April 22: WVMP Lifeblood of Rock 'n' Roll coffee mug
April 29: signed copy of Wicked Game
May 6: signed copy of Wicked Game


I'm going into Deep Cave Mode between now and Friday, when The Reawakened is due. But on Saturday, April 5, I'll be hosting the specialest guest of all.

Just one hint: the post won't go up until after dark. He's a daysleeper.

Labels: Contests, good, guests, music, reading

• posted by Jeri @ 9:02 AM
• 4 comments