Pens for Paws Starts Today!

Just a reminder that this year's Pens for Paws Auction starts today! New items will go up through Fri the 6th, with bidding on the final items closing on the 8th. If that sounds confusing, please check out the How It Works page for a fuller explanation. I've included a flyer with all the items listed below (click on it for a larger image) or you can go to the Items Featuring page to see another list.

Also, I posted an album of more recent pictures of the Fat Kitty City residents on the P4P Facebook page. Enjoy, and please help spread the word so we can raise some much-needed funds for the kitties!

P.S. In  other news, I've taken on the position of Illustrator Coordinator for the SCBWI CA North/Central region--so expect some more art-oriented posts!

Pens for Paws Auction is happening in 2016!

It's official! Items in the Pens for Paws Auction 2016 will go up May 2nd through 6th! Look for critiques from agents, editors, and your favorite authors, plus signed books, jewelry, and handicrafts.

All proceeds go directly to support Fat Kitty City, a no-kill, cage-free, cat (and dog!) sanctuary in El Dorado Hills, California.

Feel free to explore past auctions to see the kind of items we've offered in the past. I'll be keeping a running list, too, as I get confirmation of donated items for this year's auction. If you'd like to donate but are not sure what we're looking for, go to the Donate page

Pens for Paws Auction!

The Pens for Paws Auction, benefiting a no-kill, cage-free sanctuary called Fat Kitty City, starts July 14th! If you're a writer looking to bid on a critique with agents, authors, or an editor, you should check it out. We also have signed books and ARCs up for bid, and lots of other cool stuff! Entangled Publishing and Spencer Hill Press even have packages of goodies you won't want to miss. This year, we've even added door prizes--everyone who bids each day will be entered into a drawing for a door prize book (not one of the items up for bid--this is a separate offering) that day.

The auction items will post July 14-19, and instructions on how to bid is in the comments area of each item, or go to How It Works for more help. Hope to see you all there!

Pens for Paws Auction Will Run July 14-19, 2014

This year, I won't be able to hold the Pens for Paws Auction in the spring, but I found a gap in my schedule for July. So it's on for July 14-19, yay! But I'm worried that people will already be committed for their charity activities if I wait until summer to send out requests, so I'll be sending them out over the next month or so during breaks in my WIP revisions.

If you'd like to donate, here is the info:

After raising over $2,200 dollars for Fat Kitty City in 2013, let's make 2014 even bigger for the Pens for Paws Auction! Items will be posted on the Pens for Paws blog from July 14 through the 18th, with bidding open for TWO days on each item.

Donations will be accepted through July 10, but the earlier you can let me know what you'd like to donate the better, so that I can get everything scheduled ahead of time. Please keep the following in mind as you consider what you would like to donate:

• The donor is responsible for postage/mailing their item to the winner. Please take that into consideration for the value of your item.
• Minimum bids will not be set on any items. This may mean that your item goes for less than you expected, but it also allows people (including kids) who may not have as much funds available to participate

So what kinds of items are we looking for?

• Books: signed editions, ARCs, swag (bookmarks, postcards, tie-ins), etc. In addition to individual writers stepping up, we've also had group bloggers, or writers from the same publisher, offer a collection of books and that's a lot of fun.
• Critiques or editorial services: these generate a lot of interest on their own, or you may want to donate a critique along with your book. Or, maybe you know your agent loves animals too and think they're more likely to say yes to offering a critique if one of their clients is asking, you can go in on a critique with them.
• Artwork: prints, jewelry, crochet, knitwork, custom art or web design. Remember you will likely be mailing it, so large items or fragile items may not be the best choice.
• Your item does not need to be cat- or pet-oriented--it's all good!

 If you'd like to donate something for the auction, please copy and paste the questions below, along with your answers, into an email to pensforpawsauction (at) yahoo (dot) com . You may also attach a photo of the item to use for the listing.

What is the item you'd like to donate? (short description for listing title)

Your name (as you wish it to appear in the listing)

Your contact info (email address is fine; if you need a tax letter, we will need a mailing address. No addresses are added to a list--they will be used strictly for correspondence regarding your item)

 Item description (for the actual listing--may include whether it's signed, a special edition, back copy of book, etc)

Ship to U.S. addresses only, or open internationally? (obviously not an issue with items that will be fulfilled electronically, but international postage can add up so some donors choose to limit the shipping domestically)

Attaching a photo? You may also include a link to the photo you'd like to use if it's already on the web.


Thank you!

Pens for Paws Auction Starts Tomorrow!

The madness starts tomorrow! Well, madness for me and goodness for you, with the start of the Pens for Paws Auction to raise money for Fat Kitty City, a no-kill animal shelter in El Dorado Hills, Ca.

I volunteer there, and we have over 100 cats at the sanctuary, plus more in foster homes. We rescue dogs too, as foster homes allow, and currently have listings for 7 dogs. So if you're looking to adopt, check out the adoption page.

But if the timing's wrong for adoption, you can still help the sanctuary while helping your writing self at the same time! Going up for bid are critiques by agents and authors, signed books, swag, etc. Including an amazing critique, book, and swag package from Operation Awesome!

So tune in to the Pens for Paws Auction site starting Tuesday the 12th, with new items going up every day through the 16th. For a list of what's to come, see the teaser page.

Steampunks Ahoy!

On Saturday, February 16, the local Sacramento Steampunk Society held an Emporium and Swap Meet--plus, we talked author Gail Carriger into coming for a signing!

Alas, Gail's drive from the Bay Area to Sacramento did not go well but she was able to sign books for everyone in line (including the signed copy of Etiquette and Espionage going up on Pens for Paws, along with some steampunk swag).

As for me, this was my very first steampunk event and it was a little overwhelming with all the shiny. I went hoping to find an inexpensive corset or waist cinch to round out my costume but left empty-handed (never fear, I've spent loads of time since then finding out the inside info on where and how to buy corsets).

And even though I've posted pics of my outfit on Facebook, I wanted to put them here because I'm moderately proud of how it came together:

Bought the fedora at Target and added embellishments--peacock feathers, a brass brooch, a lacey scarf--and everything is held on there without glue or pins so I can change it up. The silk skirt and tuxedo shirt were a find at a consignment shop near me and didn't cost me a dime since I had credit from other clothes I sold there.

And the vest was originally in a bag of stuff to see if I could trade, but I added it to the ensemble at the last minute in case the riding-habit-style jacket was too uncomfortable to wear the entire time. Good thing, because it was terribly hot at the Emporeum--steamy, in fact! Sorry, couldn't resist.

But I am disappointed that you couldn't see my steampunk crow pendant from Desert Rubble in the pictures--it was flipped around and I didn't notice until I'd already changed out of my outfit.

One last picture--Pippin kept trying to photobomb my pictures, so I made him pose with me.

Pens for Paws Auction 2013

Pre-script: I mentioned I'd have a big announcement this week, and as big as this is, it's not it. That will come tomorrow, so check back! Now on to today's post:

Last year, I decided I needed to do something extra to help out the cat sanctuary where I volunteer, Fat Kitty City. I started up the Pens for Paws Auction and contacted agents, authors, and artists to see if they'd like to donate items to help out. And the response was overwhelming! So many great items to bid on, and we raised over $2,600 in much-needed funds. So I'm running the auction again this year and am now accepting donations:

 
Let's make 2013 even bigger for the Pens for Paws Auction! Items will be posted on this blog from March 12th through the 16th, with bidding open for TWO days on each item.

Donations will be accepted through March 10, but the earlier you can let me know what you'd like to donate the better, so that I can get everything scheduled ahead of time. Please keep the following in mind as you consider what you would like to donate:

• The donor is responsible for postage/mailing their item to the winner. Please take that into consideration for the value of your item.
• Minimum bids will not be set on any items. This may mean that your item goes for less than you expected, but it also allows people (including kids) who may not have as much funds available to participate

So what kinds of items are we looking for?

• Books: signed editions, ARCs, swag (bookmarks, postcards, tie-ins), etc
• Critiques or editorial services: these generate a lot of interest on their own, or you may want to donate a critique along with your book
• Artwork: prints, jewelry, crochet, knitwork, custom art or web design
• Your item does not need to be cat- or pet-oriented--it's all good!

If you'd like to donate something for the auction, please copy and paste the questions below, along with your answers, into an email to pensforpawsauction (at) yahoo (dot) com . You may also attach a photo of the item to use for the listing.

What is the item you'd like to donate? (short description for listing title)

Your name (as you wish it to appear in the listing)

Your contact info (email address is fine; if you need a tax letter, we will need a mailing address. No addresses are added to a list--they will be used strictly for correspondence regarding your item)

 Item description (for the actual listing--may include whether it's signed, a special edition, back copy of book, etc)

Ship to U.S. addresses only, or open internationally? (obviously not an issue with items that will be fulfilled electronically, but international postage can add up so some donors choose to limit the shipping domestically)

Attaching a photo? You may also include a link to the photo you'd like to use if it's already on the web.


Thank you!
 

Happy Blogiversary to Angelic Muse!

 My very first post was on May 4, 2010, and last year I celebrated the anniversary with a giveaway. That's great and all (especially for the 3 people who won), but this year I've decided to do something different: this year the cats at Fat Kitty City will be winners.

You see, because so often the cats that end up at the sanctuary aren't winners. They lose out when their owners lose their homes to foreclosure. They lose out when a new baby comes along, and their owners give them up--either out of fear and concern from old wives' tales, or because the parents feel like they no longer have time for the cat. Or when they lose their caretaker to death or disease, and the family members aren't prepared to take them on (an excellent reason to include your beloved pet in your estate planning).

For whatever reason they end up with us, I wanted them to feel like winners just once. So if you can, go over to the Pens for Paws Auction today and every day through Sunday (Mother's Day) and see if there's something you want to bid on. Items will start posting at 3 AM PST every day, and be open for bidding over 3 days.

Need a gift for a teen, child, or Mom who loves books? Or some unique jewelry or artwork? And if you know any writers, we have critiques from literary agents and published authors too (these are a great gift for writing moms). You can find them all at the auction. Thank you!

ETA: I had no idea they were running one at the same time, but Hunger Mountain also has a fundraising auction on ebay through Sunday. Go here to see the items they're offering.

Northern California Storybook & Literature Festival

Roseville's Litfest from 2010 came back again this year on April 14, re-branded as the Northern California Storybook & Literature Festival. This was a free event with a few workshops and panels, but was mainly put on to offer local authors a chance to celebrate their books and connect with readers.

My crit partner Rachel Allen Dillon had a lovely booth setup



And gave a wonderful presentation on writing and illustrating her picture book, Through Endangered Eyes



And fellow Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators member Lori Mortensen braved the chilly weather to showcase her picture books



while I went to go watch the Young Adult Fiction panel (left to right: Linda Joy Singleton, Kim Culbertson, and Pamela Johnson [Jennifer Walker was on the panel too but all the pictures of her came out blurry because she was fiddling with her hair--sorry, Jennifer!])



All in all, this was a great local event and I hope they continue to do more of them!

P.S. Rachel Allen Dillon, Lori Mortensen, and Linda Joy Singleton will all have items in the Pens for Paws Auction! Make sure to follow over on the Pens for Paws Auction site if you'd like to bid.

Teaser Tuesday of a Different Sort

Instead of a teaser from my WIP, I did a teaser of the items that will be up for auction on the Pens for Paws site starting May 7th. Some great swag so far, go check it out!

Pens for Paws Auction

Some of you may know that I volunteer for a great cat sanctuary, Fat Kitty City, in El Dorado Hills, California. This year for my blogiversary, instead of a giveaway I've decided to do a fundraiser for these deserving animals!

The Pens for Paws Auction will start May 7, but I'm starting the call for donations now. What kinds of things am I looking for?

*Books and swag: signed editions, advanced reader's copies, collections of print or ebooks, and swag like bookmarks, tote bags, etc.

*Artwork: prints or custom artwork, or a custom avatar or portrait for use on a website or blog, jewelry, crochet or knitwork

*Critiques for artists or writers, or editorial services

*Your item doesn't need to be cat- or pet-oriented; it's all good!

I'm personally raiding my own book collection and putting up some ARCs and first editions! If you'd like to check out the auction site, it's still under construction, but the form for donating items is up and running. Please consider helping out the kitties!

Thank you!