Thanks For Being The Life Of My Party!

The 3rd Annual Writers For Hope Online Auction has come and gone.

You know that feeling that sometimes bubbles up an hour before you're supposed to throw a party?

What if no one shows up? Seriously, what if I'm the only person here? Why did I make so much guacamole? This stuff isn't going to keep. Dear lord, I'm going to have to eat all this guacamole. That's just so much guacamole.

*Cut to a picture of me passed out, surrounded by empty guacamole bowls and chip bags - Spice Girls blaring in the background.*

That's my general frame of mind the day before the auction.

Three years, and I still get anxious about asking people to donate critiques and books. Still get nervous that, come the day, no one's going to show up to my party.

Of course, that's never what happens. I mean, the guacamole and Spice Girls does. Every year. Without fail. But the part where I'm alone at the party? Never.

Because you're all amazing.

Eighty people donated their time and work to this year's auction. An unprecedented amount of them contacted me and requested to give of themselves. This continued throughout the day of the auction, with people sending me messages and asking if they can donate items in next year's auction. These are people who not only are willing to do good, but who actively seek out such opportunities.

So, the next time you're looking for some new reading material or the perfect gift for your book-loving loved ones - start with the books written, edited, and represented by this group of folks. They're not only insanely talented, but also genuinely lovely human beings.

During the auction, your conversations made it trend for over five hours on Twitter. Almost 400 individual bids were submitted throughout the day. Very shortly after the winners were announced, I started receiving emails from people who had already donated their winning bids to the RAINNmaker page. And while each person was extremely excited about the items they had won, everyone focused primarily on how happy they were to have the chance to support this cause.

When all bids have been donated, we will have raised over $5000 for the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network - ensuring that over 500 survivors have access to the help they need through RAINN's hotlines.

So, if you ever have one of those days where either news broadcasts or the conversations of the people around you make you feel a little skeptical about the fate of humanity, take a moment to think about all the people who made this event possible. The donors and the bidders from various places on the globe, who joyously gave of themselves in an effort to make the world a little safer and a bit brighter.

That's what I do.

I just remember this annual party I'm so happy to throw. And how grateful I am that you all showed up.

THANK YOU!

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It's Coming...

This past Monday was the reveal of the 2016 Writers For Hope auction items and I'm still reeling.

There are NINETY-SIX. And if you're reading that as me yelling, you are correct. Because...NINETY-SIX!

Fifty work critiques, forty book prizes (some including more than one books), and six items for those of you in the market for more bookish accessories (and, seriously, who isn't in that market?).

On the day of the auction - Monday, April 4 - bidding will begin at 12:00 AM and will run only 24 hours, until 11:59:59 PM. Go into the comments section of each individual item to make your bid - with every item starting at $10, the cost for RAINN to keep the Sexual Assault Hotlines going for one person.

Want more information on how the auction works? Click here!

Want to know where your money is going? Head over this way!!

Want me to be using less exclamation points? I suggest you check back in May. Because I am far too excited about this year's auction to exercise even a little bit of self control when it comes to my punctuation.

I highly recommend you start strategizing your bidding plan. And, while you're doing that, I'll just be over here dancing.

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Let the Countdown Begin!

We are officially a week out from this year's Writers For Hope donor reveal!

I'm extremely excited to bring you the names of the many absolutely wonderful people who are taking part in this year's auction. That so many are donating is a stunning reminder of the good in this world. And, on top of that, the items that they're donating are completely made of magic. (Just you wait!)

Be sure to check in at the Writers for Hope website on Monday, March 7.

Until then, I leave you with this in the hopes that it offers you the same inspiration it does me...

#WritersForHope Take Three!

Hello, friends!

I am over-the-moon excited to announce that the 3rd Annual Writers For Hope Online Auction is officially in the works - and shall be held on Monday, April 4, 2016 from 12:00am - 11:59pm!

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The donor list is growing (by the hour!) because book people are the best people. We have lots of Writers For Hope returners, as well as some exciting new faces. 

I, very honestly, don't know that I will ever get over the extreme generosity of people - not just a willingness to give, but an excitement over it. One response I received to a donation request began simply with "YESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYES!!!"

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This year's auction is going to work the same as previous events. Readers, writers and book lovers get twenty four hours to bid on this year's fantastic items. The only difference is that this year, the auction will take place at the brand-spanking-new Writers for Hope website! Meander on over and check it out. 

I'll be listing updates there and here, plus don't forget to follow #WritersForHope on Twitter. And, for all those of you who are interested in donating to a fantastic cause, but can't wait for the auction - you can donate here at any time!

Finally, THANK YOU, to everyone who has made this event so successful in the past and to everyone who's planning on participating this year.

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Putting Realities in the Back Seat

I'm working on a new story. I'm two chapters in and it's in that tender chrysalis stage, where it could blossom into something beautiful, or it could erupt into a cloud of fairy glitter. That's what chrysalises do, right? Something like that.

I've found that the best way to sidestep glitter eruptions is to write from a place of possibilities - which generally means having to get Little Kid Kelly involved in the process. This isn't to say that I don't still believe in all sorts of possibilities, but the whole being an adult process can sometimes get me a bit distracted by realities.

This doesn't work for me when I'm writing. Keeping track of word counts and making goals for the same is helpful, but if I'm writing to that goal rather than to the story, I never get as much done. Basically, I need to get my grown up mind to take the back seat - letting the little kid mind run rampant through this new world discovering whatever she can.

Sometimes, this requires a push. And for this, I generally turn to childhood favorites - books, TV, or movies. Those fictional worlds that first made my developing brain explode in wonder. It doesn't matter if these things are no longer my favorite in their category, what's important is the reminder of feeling like absolutely anything is possible.

Here are some of my go-tos when I need reentry into the world of Possibilities:

This series was a staple of my childhood - the books that I was most likely to smuggle under my coat so I could sneak off and get some reading in at roller skating parties. And the books that left me with a never-to-be-fully-extinguished (but-thankfully-so-far-resisted) urge to wander through deserted construction sites in the hopes of meeting a kindly alien looking to gift me with powers.

Nothing gets my brain working like a dance party, and no song gets me back in my younger mind set like this one. This may or may not be because my sister, friends and I learned the dance to this...I can neither confirm nor deny. One thing I can say without reservation - I wish I could rock a turtle neck like these ladies.

There are very few rough scenes that can't be figured out over a pile of Legos. Something about working with your hands while your mind wanders...it gets the job done. Particularly, if what your hands are working on is building a Lego Hogwarts.

Chewandswallow remains one of my ideal vacation spots.

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My childhood was a revolving door of the original movies and extended universe books. I don't know that there will ever be another fictional world that so opens my mind to the beauty of never-ending possibilities.


So, what inspires you when you need to get creative?

My Year in Book Titles

Happy New Year's Eve, folks!

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2016 is knocking on the door and waiting not-so-patiently for us to welcome it in. But we'd just be rude hosts if we didn't take at least a moment to remember all the good times we've had with 2015.

*cues up "Through the Years" and tries to make it not-so-plural*

And, for someone like myself, who spends most of her reflective time staring at the calming, peaceful sight of an overcrowded bookshelf, what better way to think about these last twelve months than through the tomes I so adore?

So, based solely on their lovely titles, here's what 2015 looked like for me....

JANUARY

FEBRUARY

MARCH

APRIL

MAY

JUNE

JULY

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

Okay, you're up. How was your year?

#NoExceptions

Since yesterday’s historic decision regarding women in combat, I’ve heard a number of different responses, but I feel compelled to respond to one of them. There are some who are citing the occurrences of rape of women in the military by fellow officers as a reason why they should not be allowed into combat situations.

I so appreciate that these people are coming at this from a place of concern, but the way to stop rape from happening is not to deny women the same opportunities as men because some men are predators. In terms of allowing women into those conditions, every 107 seconds another American is sexually assaulted. 

These dangerous conditions for women are not exclusive to the military, they are an every day reality in the world in which we live. And if we’re arguing that women should not be allowed into situations where this is a constant threat, we’re arguing that women should not be allowed to live in this world. But this is the only world we’ve been given, making the only viable option to work to change it.

Removing possible victims from the situation does not stop rape, it merely postpones it. It is also impossible to remove all possible victims, as men are victims of rape as well – a fact which this argument of protecting women from combat situations ignores and devalues.

The way to stop rape is to show that we, as a society, have a zero tolerance policy toward it. That we, as a society, do not marginalize the victims rather than dealing with the perpetrators. And that we, as a society, fully believe in and support equality between men and women.

Rape must stop happening in the military and it must stop happening in all other areas of the country and world. And the only way to stop it is to make a conscious and constant effort to change the way society views women and sexual assault.

I’ve heard some people saying that they are all for equality, except for combat situations. This is a mutually exclusive sentence. One can not be all for something except for when they’re not. And if we want to live in a world where rape is not a constant threat we must be truly all for destroying these double standards and this culture in which women continue to be placed on a different level than men.

As a woman, I don’t want to be looked down on as less than. And I don’t want to be placed on a pedestal to be adored and protected.

Equal footing. Nothing more, nothing less. Anything else perpetuates the toxic aspects of our culture that feed into the frequency of rape.

Women having equality in combat situations is one step closer to that changed world. And I am excited and proud to see it on the horizon.

Sometimes When The Curtain Falls, The Show Goes On

Hey folks! In the mood for some ghosts and ghouls this Halloween week?

I'm over at the Opera House Arts blog every day this week blogging about different folks who have made the after-life decision to spend all their time in theatres. I don't know about you, but I can see the appeal...

Letters From My 5th Grade Journal

Hello my long neglected friends!

I'm so excited to be back on the blog. Way back when I last posted I mentioned the craziness of the upcoming summer season here, but I had every intention of at least posting occasionally during that time. Silly, silly Past Kelly and her outlandish goals.

But it's fall now, and as I've mentioned in the past, winter is my favorite time for writing and revising, which makes it very convenient that fall is when I feel my most creative. All my best researching and outlining gets done as the weather gets gloomier. My guess is that its all the season's ghosts clamoring to have their stories told...or something like that. Regardless, the old brain's a-percolating, which is always exciting.

Recently, during one of my customary where-did-I-put-that-thing-I-suddenly-can't-live-without searches, I came across my old fifth grade journal. I gave it a quick once over and decided that in this chilly weather/warm brain season, what better way to start my writing sessions than with a quick trip back to the early days....

Things learned: As the story goes on characters shouldn't always love the same things they loved in the beginning. Life happens. Things lose their shine. However, characters shouldn't turn their back on all their original interests. Some loves are forever.

Case in point: I no longer have an affection, or even patience, for soccer. The Best Friend Formerly Known As Roomie can attest to this. Hocus Pocus, on the other hand, still rocks.

Auction Wrap Up & Gushing

Hello all!

To start off with THANK YOU again, so much to everyone who participated in the 2nd Annual Writers For Hope Auction. It will definitely be back again next April.

As I mentioned in last week's results post, all outstanding bids are due in by TODAY. Tomorrow, any items whose bids still haven't been donated will be offered to the second highest bidder. If you still have a bid to donate, you can go HERE to do so. You can also go there even if you didn't participate in the auction, but are interested in donating to RAINN in honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

Anything I write about this event would be remiss if I didn't mention how consistently people overwhelm me - in the best way. Reading or watching the news - or the comment section on any such news items - it's easy to see the bad in the world. And it's easy to feel like the heaviness of that bad is crushing all the good.

Now, I can certainly admit that the bad is out there. If it wasn't, organizations like RAINN wouldn't need to exist. So, I don't begrudge new outlets for informing us of it - I do, however, wish they would broaden their focus, stop showing the world solely through the lens of everything wrong with it. The bad is real and serious, yes - but it is not eclipsing the good.

Whenever I do these sorts of events, whether it's the live or virtual auctions, there is nothing quite as anxiety provoking as the time I spend asking for donations. Asking people to give of their time or money or goods is awkward. Explaining to them why I would like them to give these things is intimidating. People get asked to do things a lot. Donor fatigue and burn out is something I expect. Even though someone may have donated last year, who knows what could have gone on in the last 12 months of their lives. Maybe something really big, maybe a whole lot of little things, maybe just enough to wish that people would stop emailing them and asking for more.

Every time I hit send on a request, there is that tiny second of doubt.

Well, the next time I feel that, I'm just going to reread all the responses I received for this year's donation requests. Here I was, asking a bunch of people to make their already busy lives busier, and the response - across the board - was excitement over the event and gratitude to be included. Those who couldn't make it fit in their schedule this year immediately found someone they knew who could. People who heard about the event elsewhere contacted me asking if they could give something to help.

The support on social media the day of the auction was amazing. People boosting the signal both about the event and the important reason it was occurring. I received message after message from people who just wanted me to know how excited they were to let other folks know about what was happening here. And then in almost every email from the winning bidders, people expressed not only excitement over their awesome prizes, but how happy they were to feel like they had been a part of something that was doing good.

All that bad stuff is big and it's flashy and it's what's going to make headlines. And it's important that we are aware of that darker side of the world, that we don't pretend it doesn't exist. But it's equally important that we don't let ourselves get so mired in that darkness that we forget the tremendous amount of light. Because if we lose sight of that, we also lose the strength we need to combat all the bad. We lose the reason we're fighting back in the first place.

So, again, thank you all from the very bottom of my heart. Thank you for being an army of every day, ordinary, beautiful goodness. Thank you for reminding me why I love this world and why it will forever be worth fighting for.

You make me feel like this...

...like, all the time

ITEM #62: Custom Digital Book Cover

Exciting news everyone! We just got a surprise donation from a new donor!

Donation: Custom book cover for digital release. Covers are all original, custom art -- no stock photos!

Here's an example!

STARTING BID: $10
(Help a survivor get the help she/he needs!)

Donated by S.P. McConnell

Learn more about S.P. on his website and follow him on Twitter!

Donor Intros: Day Thirteen!

We are ending strong, folks. With SIX truly spectacular people. So, it is now my complete pleasure to announce the final 2015 Writers For Hope donors!

Sonia Hartl

Sonia Hartle is a YA writer represented by Rebecca Podos of Rees Literary Agency. She's a member of SCBWI, and her work has appeared in The Writers Post Journal, Boston Literary Magazine, and the anthology Bearing North.

Learn more about Sonia on her website and follow her on Twitter!

Donation: Query, Synopsis and Full Manuscript Critique Package



Fiona McLaren

Fiona McLaren is a full time freelance writer and editor. She has published over 300 separate items - from articles, early learner books, short stories, ghost written novels, scripts, and web content (and much more!). She's interned with two literary agencies, reading everything from middle grade through YA, all the way to every adult genre going. She's previously written a script for a children's DVD, and is working as the script writer for a full length animation currently in production. She's a proud Pitch Wars Mentor, and Pitch Madness reader.

She lives in the sunny island of Cyprus with her parter Xristos, her sleepy German Shepherd Hugo, and her comical horse Roger. She will wrestle you for the last can of Coca Cola in the room!

Learn more about Fiona on her website and follow her on Twitter!

Donation #1: Query AND First Three Chapter Critique

Donation #2: Synopsis Critique



Gail Nall

Gail Nall lives in Louisville, Kentucky with her family and more cats than necessary. She once drove a Zamboni, has camped in the snow in June, and almost got trampled in Paris. Gail is the author of the middle grade novel BREAKING THE ICE (Aladdin/S&S). She is also the co-author of the upcoming middle grade novel YOU'RE INVITED, with Jen Malone (Aladdin/S&S, May 19, 2015). Her young adult debut is EXIT STAGE LEFT (HarperTeen Impulse) which will be out in Summer 2015. She is represented by Julia A. Weber of J.A. Weber Literaturagentur, and is a contributing blogger for Kidliterati and the Fearless Fifteeners.

Learn more about Gail on her website and follow her on Twitter!

Donation: Signed Hardcover of BREAKING THE ICE, along with a bag of book swag!



Stacey Trombley 

Stacey Trombley lives in Ohio with her husband and the sweetest Rottweiler you'll ever meet. She thinks people are fascinating and any chance she has, she's off doing or learning something new. She went on her first mission trip to Haiti at age twelve and is still dying to go back. Her "places to travel" list is almost as long as her "books to read" list.

She wants to bring something new to the world through her writing, but just giving a little piece of herself is more than enough.

Keep a look out for her debut novel NAKED, coming from Entangled Teen in July 2015.

Learn more about Stacey on her website and follow her on Twitter!

Donation #1: Full Manuscript Critique

Donation #2: Signed ARC of NAKED

Laura Zats

Laura Zats graduated from Grinnell College with degrees in English and anthropology. While completing her studies, she took advantage of her love of Young Adult (YA) literature and wrote a thesis on identity formation in YA. She’s been working as an editor since 2011 and has held positions at companies in both the US and the UK. In 2013, Laura joined Team Red Sofa as an intern but quickly became more of an apprentice, leveling up to Associate Agent in the same year.

Even though she loved YA books first, titles that are Middle Grade, romance, and Sci-Fi/Fantasy have been slowly taking hold. Picking a favorite genre now would be like choosing between puppies and kittens. In her free time, Laura likes to craft, swing dance, bake, and binge on Netflix marathons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Doctor Who.

Learn more about Laura on the Red Sofa Literary website and follow her on Twitter!

Donation: Query Critique

The Great Courses

The Great Courses are uniquely crafted for lifelong learners like you, with engaging, immersive learning experiences you can’t get in a lecture hall.

The secret ingredient is YOU. Our customers are involved at every step of the process, helping to choose course subjects and select professors from the thousands we screen each year.

The course creation process that follows involves so much more than just placing a camera in the back of a classroom. We surround the world’s greatest teachers with a team of experts who collaborate on crafting a customized and entertaining educational journey that’s both comprehensive and fascinating.

Learn more about The Great Courses on their website and follow them on Twitter!

Donation #1: The Art of Storytelling: From Parents to Professionals

Donation #2: Writing Great Fiction: Storytelling Tips and Techniques

Donation #3: Analysis and Critique: How to Engage and Write About Anything

Donation #4: Writing Creative Nonfiction

Thirteen days of donor introductions - my lucky number! And I do feel quite lucky to have gotten the chance to work with all the lovely, generous folks. 

So, there they are. All FORTY FIVE of our truly outstanding donors. Use the weekend to make sure you’ve gotten to know them all and come back on Monday for the auction rules!

And only one day left to get your Writers for Hope t-shirts! Check out the links below!

Want more information on the fundraiser? Visit my RAINNmaker page!

T-shirts for both writers and book lovers supporting this campaign are now available on Tfund!

Donor Intros: Day Twelve!

Welcome back, folks. We are nearing the end of this year's donor list and the awesome just keeps on coming!

Rachel Lynn Solomon

Rachel Lynn Solomon is a contemporary YA writer, tap dancer, and educator living in Seattle. Her background is in journalism, and she has experience as a producer at NPR and as a copy editor. She is represented by Molly Jaffa of Folio Literary Management.

Learn more about Rachel on her website and follow her on Twitter!

Donation: Full Manuscript Critique

Lauren Spieller

Lauren Spieller is a California girl living in Brooklyn. When she isn’t longingly gazing at interior design blogs, searching for Brooklyn’s best latte, unintentionally collecting owls, or complaining about the weather, she spends her time writing young adult and middle grade novels, as well as short stories for adults. She also works as a freelance editor, specializing in query and manuscript critiques.

Lauren is represented by Jim McCarthy of Dystel & Goderich LiteraryManagement.

Learn more about Lauren on her website and follow her on Twitter!

Donation #1: Query Critique

Donation #2: Query Critique

N.K. Traver

As a freshman at the University of Colorado, N.K. Traver decided to pursue Information Technology because classmates said "no one could make a living" with an English degree. It wasn’t too many years later she realized it didn’t matter what the job paid—nothing would ever be as fulfilling as writing. Programmer by day, writer by night, it was only a matter of time before the two overlapped. Her debut, DUPLICITY, a cyberthriller pitched as BREAKING BAD meets THE MATRIX for teens, released from Thomas Dunne Books on 3/17/15.

N.K. is a Pitch Wars mentor and has done over 140 critiques for fellow writers. She is represented by Brianne Johnson of Writers House.

Learn more about N.K. on her website and follow her on Twitter!

Donation: Query AND First Five Pages

Only two donors left! Come back tomorrow to find out who they are.

Want more information on the fundraiser? Visit my RAINNmaker page!

T-shirts for both writers and book lovers supporting this campaign are now available on Tfund!

Donor Intros: Day Eleven!

We are officially one week from this year's Writers For Hope auction and I am about one second from spontaneous backflip levels of anticipation.

So, let the fun continue!

Shannon Parker

Shannon M. Parker lives on the coast of Maine with her husband and sons. As a young adult, she was lucky enough to travel the world, though her stories tend to explore themes closer to home. She works as a literacy advocate and holds degrees from three New England universities. Shannon spent two years working behind the scenes as a reader for two literary agencies, one boutique and one industry giant. She has evaluated and edited manuscripts for debut authors and bestsellers. On any given day, she can usually be found rescuing dogs, chickens, old houses and wooden boats. Shannon has a weakness for chocolate chip cookies and ridiculous laughter, ideally, at the same time. The Girl Who Fell is her first novel, a YA Contemporary releasing from Simon & Schuster/Simon Pulse on 3.1.2016.

Learn more about Shannon on her website and follow her on Twitter!

Donation: First 30 pages Critique

Laura Salters

Laura Salters is a YA/NA suspense author (represented by Suzie Townsend of New Leaf Literary &Media Inc) from the northernmost town in England. Her debut novel, RUN AWAY, will be published by HarperCollins (Witness Impulse) on 19^th May 2015.

Learn more about Laura on her website and follow her on Twitter!

Donation #1: Query Critique

Donation #2: Get a Character Named After You in Laura’s Next Book!

Mandy Schoen

Mandy Schoen is a freelance editor specializing in young adult and new adult fiction, the managing editor of Swoon Romance (YA, NA, and adult romance) and a senior editor of Month9Books, LLC (MG, YA, and NA speculative fiction). She lives in St. Louis, Missouri, with her husband and dog in a house full of books.

Learn more about Mandy on her website and follow her on Twitter!

Donation: First Three Chapters Critique

Caitlin Sinead

Caitlin Sinead’s writing has earned accolades from Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, Glimmer Train, and Writers & Artists. Her work has appeared in The Binnacle, Jersey Devil Press, and USA Today, among other publications. Carina Press is publishing two of her new adult books, Heartsick and Red Blooded, in 2015. She has a master’s degree in writing from Johns Hopkins University.

Learn more about Caitlin on her website and follow her on Twitter!

Donation: Query AND First Five Pages Critique

More donors to introduce tomorrow! Also t-shirts for the event will only be available to buy through this weekend. Check out the links below!

Want more information on the fundraiser? Visit my RAINNmaker page!

T-shirts for both writers and book lovers supporting this campaign are now available on Tfund!