Read for Relief & The Book of the Month

So, yeah, my attempt to lure you back to my blog for big news annoyed at least one person. That would be my sister. To her I say, in the words of my six-year-old nephew, “Wah, wah, wah, you big baby.” I’m sorry, but that’s the most elegant way for me to tell you that you can stop your whining, that I’m revealing the news today while still quoting someone who’s spent half his life in diapers.

But first, I want to reveal the book we’ll be reading for the Fall Book Club. You all voted, and your pick was…

…oh the suspense!

…is it killing you?

…okay, fine:

That’s right: Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. You can start reading whenever you’re ready, and I’ll give you more detailed instructions—including the date we’ll all post our thoughts on the book—this Friday. (I’ll be trying to get a head count then, too. I would like to count your head. And not just because your hair looks so nice today, which it does.)

And on to the news: As many of you know, Hurricane Irene ripped through the East Coast recently, leaving destruction and flooding in its wake. To raise funds for relief efforts along the East Coast, I’ve joined forces with a few writer friends, Erin Bowman, Caroline Richmond, and Sarah Enni, to launch the Readfor Relief auction. We’re excited to reveal the auction’s website and Twitter handle.

Here’s what we’re doing: We’re auctioning off a bunch of industry-related items to raise funds for the Red Cross. (For more information about why we’re running an auction or how it works exactly, head to our website.) The auction items include:

• Query critiques
• Manuscript critiques
• Books (ARCs or published books, both signed and unsigned)
• Book-related swag

Here’s where you come in: Your participation will help us raise money for those in need. And if you happen to win a manuscript critique by an agent or editor, well, that’s a nice bonus, right?

For starters, we’re still looking for donations! And we’d love for you to spread the word. The more you all talk about Read for Relief, the more money we can raise. So grab a badge (they’re on the Read for Relief homepage) and tell others about it.

And don’t forget to follow us on Twitter (@read4relief). It’s the best way to know when auctions open and close, what items are up for bidding, and much more.

We’re hoping that with this auction we can, as a writing community, help heal areas hardest hit by the hurricane.