Cinco de Mayo means different things to different people. My bud Lisa Johnson owns three Mexican cantinas and so the 5th of May means lots of extra work. For Ty and his surf crowd in Hawaii Cinco de Mayo means beer. For Brenda Novak, an amazing Harlequin and Mira writer, it means managing her labor of love, her very own online auction to benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation.
Brenda works tirelessly all year long to organize the auction. She begins to organize a year in advance, seeking procurement, working on publicity, drumming up support. The mother of a gorgeous little boy with diabetes, Brenda is a woman on a mission and I admire her tremendously.
The auction kicked off May 1st and ends at the month’s end. You can be find the auction at her website, www.brendanovak.com and it has something for everyone, but extra special treats for the reading and writing community. Lunches with editors, tea with a famous author (Debbie Macomber!), a stay in another famous author’s getaway home (Susan Wiggs!), baseball game in Phoenix with another, plus author donated baskets, including my ‘Taste of Tropics’ Hawaii tote bag crammed full of books, an ARC of Flirting with Forty, yummy treats and lots of aloha, including a private surf lesson in Waikiki with my favorite surf guy, Ty Gurney.
On May 22nd I’ll be donating one more item to the auction, and that’s a special Book Club Party that will be a fire sale item. It’ll be a one or two day auction event and yet I’m hoping in that one or two days we’ll get some intense bidding and raise some serious money for diabetes research.
Several of my sons’ friends have Type I, or juvenile, diabetes. My mom has Type II. And I know from working as a Regional Director of the American Diabetes Assocation that diabetes can ravage the body. It’s great that people with diabetes are living longer than ever, and with fewer complications, but it’d be even better to find a cure.
And what exactly is this event I’m donating? It’s a Book Club Party in your own home town.
That’s right.
I’m donating a book club party and I’m jumping on a plane to bring the party to you! I’ll treat your group to tea, lunch, or dinner, and then join your book discussion before answering any questions you might have about the publishing industry and what really goes on in the book biz.
The Book Club Party will include a caterered meal for 15, 15 copies of my July ’06 release, Flirting with Forty (which you’ll get at least a month prior to the party), a Reader’s Discussion guide, goodie bags for each guest attending, followed by a feature article with photos on my website.
If you’re in a book club and it’s your turn to host, or you’re on the hot seat for a reading group selection, or just feel like throwing a unique birthday party, bid on the Book Club Party later this month and bring me to your hometown.
And in case you think you won’t remember the details or fire sale date (May 22nd), don’t worry. I’ll remind you.
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