This is a Worldbuilders blog.




That's right. I said plethora. You want to make something of it?

Today we have even more delicious books as prizes for the fundraiser. All of these have been donated by the authors themselves. This means two things:

1. All these books are signed.
2. These authors are cool as hell.

Oh sure, I know. You're thinking that ALL fantasy and Sci-Fi authors are cool as hell. And yeah, that's pretty much true. But these folks have taken it to the next level. They're doubleplus good. They're hoopy. They're, like, Fonzie cool.

Alright, on to the books:

• Two copies of The Rhinoceros Who Quoted Nietzsche and Other Odd Acquaintances by Peter S. Beagle. Signed by the author.

Anyone who knows me, knows I'm a huge fan of Peter S. Beagle. This is a collection of some of his short fiction, including one of my favorite short stories of all time, "The Rhinoceros who Quoted Nietzsche." Man, just thinking of that story makes me want to go and read it right now....

Locus describes this book as, "a definite must for Beagle fans and lovers of fine fantasy."

• Two copies of The Line Between by Peter S. Beagle. Signed by the author.

This collection includes the Hugo Award-Winning story "Two Hearts," which is a sequel to The Last Unicorn. If you haven't read it, you don't know what you're missing.

I'm not the only one that's gushy over Beagle. Ursula K LeGuin herself says that he's "...An expert on those heart's reasons that reason does not know."

• Two copies of We Never Talk About My Brother by Peter S. Beagle. Signed by the author.

Want a few more Beagle Quotes? Fine. Here you go...

"Peter S. Beagle has both opulence of imagination and mastery of style." - New York Times Book Review

"At his best, Peter S. Beagle outshines the moon, the sun, the stars, the entire galaxy." - Seattle Times

If all that doesn't convince you to give him a read, I don't know what will...

• Hardcover copies of Acacia and The Other Lands by David Anthony Durham. Signed by the author.

I've known David for a while, and talked about him and his first book at some length in a blog called, How David Anthony Durham Saved my Life.

But if you don't care what I think, (and why should you, really?) then you can trust Kirkus when they say that The Other Lands "boggles the mind and transcends genre."

• A copy of A Taste of Magic by Andre Norton and Jean Rabe. First edition hardcover signed by Jean Rabe.

I've gotten to know Jean Rabe pretty well over the last couple years. In addition to being a truly prolific writer, she runs the writer-track programming at Gen-Con in Indianapolis. There's some great programming there with some authors that I've really come to love over the years.

This book is something special, as it's Andre Norton's last book. Jean and Andre were frequent collaborators, and Jean says "This was an honor--to finish Andre Norton's last manuscript."

• A copy of When the Husband is the Suspect by F. Lee Bailey with Jean Rabe. First edition hardcover signed by Jean Rabe.

Something a little outside our normal Fantasy and Sci-fi bounds here. Jean notes that "This was my first true-crime endeavor with F. Lee Bailey!"

• A copy of Dragon Mage by Andre Norton and Jean Rabe. First edition hardcover signed by Jean Rabe.

Jean Rabe says, "I had great fun plotting this with Andre. I picked the Wisconsin place-she picked the historical setting."

• A set of Martha Wells' series, The Fall of Ile-Rien: The Wizard Hunters, The Ships of Air, and The Gate of Gods. First edition hardcovers, signed by the author.

Locus says that Martha Well's books are, "Fascinating…A vastly entertaining and refreshingly different fantasy adventure with a surprisingly satisfying conclusion."

• A copy of The Words of Their Roaring by Matthew Smith. Signed by the author.

From the back of the book: "London is now a city overrun by the zombie hordes. Most of the human survivors live from day to day, scraping together an existence among the ruins, avoiding the shambling, flesh-hungry undead that still stalk the streets. But for others this gruesome situation is an opportunity, a chance to establish a power base within the capital, now that authority has collapsed. For gang lord Harry Flowers, the plague is his chance to finally rule the city unopposed."

• A set of Wanderlust and Doubleblind by Ann Aguirre. Signed by the author.

National bestselling author Sharon Shinn says that these books are, "An irresistible blend of action and attitude..."

• Two copies of the Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon. First and second edition copies, both are signed by the author.

I met Cindy out at Comic Con this year. And she was very helpful during this year's fundraiser, helping me to spread the word to other authors who then donated books. Silver Phoenix is her first book, and I've heard nothing but good things about it.

Booklist gave her a starred review, and said: "If the cover image of a fearless Chinese heroine reminds readers of such films as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, that's intentional; the story inside will too. Pon's writing, both fluid and exhilarating, shines whether she's describing a dinner delicacy or what it feels like to stab an evil spirit in the gut."

• A set of The Onyx Court series: Midnight Never Come and Ashes Lie by Marie Brennan. Signed by the author.

I haven't read these, but after checking out these two blurbs, I think I might wander over to Amazon...

"Stunningly conceived and exquisitely achieved... Brennan's myriad fantastical creations ring as true as her ear for Elizabethan and faerie dialogue" - Publishers Weekly

"...firmly rooted in real history, set in a convincingly-constructed Elizabethan England, but with a secret faerie court existing beneath London ... a political thriller, with conspiracies, spies and shady machinations..." - SFX Magazine, four-star review

• A set of the series Doppelganger: Witch and Warrior by Marie Brennan. Signed by the author.

Dave Duncan says, "Doppelganger is a great read. The characters are admirable people, the magic is unconventional and unobtrusive, the pace never flags, and the plot will keep you turning pages right to the wholly satisfying finale."

• A copy of The Clockwork King of Orl by Mike Wild. Signed by the author.

From the back of the book: "There's a whole world out there, and it isn't ours! The words of her mentor inspire Kali Hooper to explore the lost places of Twilight, unearth the secrets of the past, and discover the fate of the vanished Old Races. Including the mysterious construct known as the Clockwork King of Orl."

• A copy of Child of Fire by Harry Connolly. Signed by the author.

Child of Fire was on Publishers Weekly "Best 100 Books of 2009" list. And Sherwood Smith says that, "Harry Connolly's story jets from 0 to 60 in five pages and never lets you brake for safety. He's a fantastic new voice."

• A copy of Terribly Twisted Tales edited by Jean Rabe and Martin H. Greenberg. Signed by author Kelly Swails.

Kelly is one of the authors I know from the Gen-Con writer's track. Notw only is she a complete sweetheart, but Tor.com has called her writing "ingenious" and "thoroughly inventive."

• A set of the Blue Kingdoms anthologies: Shades & Specters, Buxom Buccaneers and Pirates of the Blue Kingdoms. Signed by Kelly Swails.

How can you not want a book with the word Buxom in the title? It's just a fun word. Say it. "Buxom."

These Blue Kingdom anthologies are full of award-winning fantasy authors like Lorelei Shannon, Robert E. Vardeman, Kathleen Watness, Marc Tassin, Paul Genesse, Jean Rabe, Stephen D. Sullivan.... and, of course, Kelly Swails herself.

• A copy of Black and White by Jackie Kessler and Caitlin Kittredge. Signed by the authors.

Publishers Weekly weekly says that Kessler and Kittredge, "create a dark world where the narrow line between hero and vigilante is defined by corporate interests [...] Jet and Iridium's multifaceted relationship will appeal to all who have come to want more from their superheroes than good vs. evil and mindless battles."

• A set of Doctrine of Labyrinths: Melusine, The Virtu, The Mirador and Corambis by Sarah Monette. Hardcover first editions signed by the author.

Jacqueline Carey says that Malusine is, "A lush novel, rife with decadent magic, dehibilitating madness, and dubious deeds."

And in a starred review, Publishers Weekly speaks highly of Monette, calling her, "...a highly original writer with her own unique voice."

• A copy of The Bone Key by Sarah Monette. Signed by the author.

From Publishers Weekly: "Monette reconstructs the traditional English ghost story—insinuated horror, no gratuitous sex or violence—with a decidedly modern-day approach in this laudable collection of 10 necromantic mystery stories featuring introverted museum archivist Kyle Murchison Booth. [...] Cerebral, ethereal and stylishly understated, this entrancing collection will appeal to fans of literary horror, dark fantasy and supernatural mystery."

And remember, if you like Monette's stories, she's donated a signed manuscript of four uncollected Booth stories to the fundraiser. The auction is over later today, so if you don't bid soon you're out of luck...

• A set of Kristen Britain's series: Green Rider, Rider's First Call and The High King's Tomb. Signed by the author.

In addition to donating a handwritten page of her fourth book's manuscript to the auctions, Kristen has given us a signed set of the first three Green Rider books. (The auction ends later today [Dec 16th] so if you're interested you'd better hurry...)

Anne McCaffrey called GREEN RIDER "a stunning first novel," and this trade edition of Green Rider features a 10th Anniversary introduction by the author.


Remember folks, for every 10 dollars you donate to Heifer International, you get a chance to win these books and hundreds of others like them. Plus there's the whole helping make the world a better place thing. That's nice too.

And don't forget, I'm matching 50% of all donations made. So why not head over to my page at Team Heifer and chip in. Trust me. You'll feel great afterward.

Or, if you want to go back to the main page for the Worldbuilders fundraiser and read all the details, you can click HERE.


With thanks to our sponsor, Subterranean Press.

Labels: Heifer International, Worldbuilders 2009

This is a Worldbuilders blog.




Imagine my delight when, for the second year, we received several hefty boxes of donations from Bad Moon Books.

Want to see them? Of course you do...

You'll forgive me if I'm not my normal verbose self today. Little Oot is sick, and I've got a lot of Christmas-is-coming things going on right now. Next year, I'm definitely starting the fundraiser earlier....

• Three signed limited editions, one in traycase cover, of The Adventures of Mr. Maximillian Bacchus and His Travelling Circus by Clive Barker.

DAVID NIALL WILSON on Barker's new book: "From the first story, in which Indigo Murphy, the best bird handler in the world leaves the show to join in matrimony with the Duke Lorenzo de Medici, to the fabled court of Kubla Khan, the magic never stops. You will meet a young apple thief named Angelo with magic eyes, an orang-outang named Bathsheba, and a host of other amazing characters with names and personas cut like a patchwork quilt from the mythologies and dreams of the world. Though written forty years ago, these pages are littered with the same magical side steps that have always been woven into Clive Barker’s fiction."

• An uncorrected proof of The Adventures of Mr. Maximillian Bacchus and His Travelling Circus by Clive Barker. Signed by the author.

As above, but in sexy ARC form.

• A signed, numbered, limited edition of Shadow of the Dark Angel by Gene O'Neill.

"When is a serial killer novel about much more than just the murders? When the psychopath is in the skilled hands of a master storyteller. In Shadow Of The Dark Angel Gene O'Neill has crafted yet another multi-genre, mind blowing adventure into the dark heart of humanity. Part horror, part psychological thriller, and part police procedural, Shadow is sure to thrill his growing legion of fans. Highly recommended." - Gord Rollo, author of The Jigsaw Man

• A signed numbered limited edition of Doc Good's Traveling Show by Gene O'Neill.

"Listen up. I've been a Gene O'Neill fan since reading his daring and disturbing 'The Burden of Indigo' several years back. Gene is not just a good writer, he's a student of good writing, and has the kind of talent that just gets better with age and exposure to the elements." -Harry Shannon, author of Dead and Gone.

• A signed, PC limited edition of Plague Monkey Spam by Steve Vernon.

How can you not want to read a book called Plauge Monkey Spam? The title alone says it all...

"Steve Vernon has tapped the strange fiction vein like never before." - Hellnotes

• A signed, illustrated, limited edition of The Not Quite Right Reverend Cletus J. Diggs and the Currently Accepted Habits of Nature by David Niall Wilson.

Description from Bad Moon Books: "From the moment Cletus and Sheriff Bob drag the corpse from the fishing hole to the final moments of terror, the action is non-stop, tense, and filled with surprises. Between the Reverend Dozier and his church, the swamp witch, the albino twins, and the local lodge's well-hidden secrets, the strange events in Old Mill, NC are pretty much out of control." Featuring illustrations by Zach McCain.

• Two signed, limited editions of Wings of the Butterfly by John Urbancik.

"With Wings of the Butterfly, John Urbancik infuses his tale of shapeshifters, romance and pack rivalry with some unexpected and welcome surprises. Fluid prose, gore galore and all-too human characters make this unusual, fast-paced novella a must for fans who like their horror served blood-rare." - Bram Stoker Award winner Kealan Patrick Burke.

• Two signed, limited editions of Necropolis by John Urbancik.

Promo copy: "In the great city of the dead, a dollar coin might buy your dearest wish. A photographer might capture her own heart. A breeze might reveal a raven. Listen to the sounds of the flute, listen to the soundless fireflies, listen to the ravensong. It's not only ghosts that wander the Necropolis."

• Two signed, limited edition copes of House of Shadow & Ash by John Urbancik.

When his shadow cuts itself free, Philip discovers he absolutely needs his shadow to survive.

One reviewer says the book has "…subtle allusions to Shaherazade, some Ray Harrhausen skeltonic scenarios, and a tinge of Edgar Rice Burroughs…"

• Two copies of The Day Before by John Skipp & Cody Goodfellow

"The end of civilization has never been so much fun." - Sarah Langan

• A signed, numbered, limited edition of Vampire Outlaw of the Milky Way by Weston Ochse.

Brian Keene says: "Vampire Outlaw of the Milky Way is what would happen if Ray Bradbury and Lin Carter got together to write a space opera. Only Weston Ochse could write something like this. In lesser hands, it would fall apart. Weston is one of the best authors of our generation."

• Two signed, limited editions of The Lucid Dreaming by Lisa Morton.

"A cold, calculating nightmare. Sharp as a finely honed blade. 'The Lucid Dreaming' cuts, separating the flesh before you even know you've been injured. It makes you bleed as a reader." - Del Howison, Bram Stoker Award-winning editor.

• Two signed, limited editions of The Better Year by Bridget Morrow.

Horror Mall says this book is "A haunting tale of troubled youth, love gone bad, and demons both real and perceived."

• Two signed, limited editions of The Watching by Paul Melniczek.

Gene O'Neil says this book has, "slow but efficient creation of mood and unsettling spooky plot developments just out of clear sight, in many ways reminiscent of the 20th century classical stories... Do yourself a favor and read The Watching."

• A signed, limited edition of The Gray Zone by John R. Little.

From the Bram Stoker award winning author of Miranda comes this new novella of love and terror and the mysteries of time.

• A signed, limited edition of Johnny Gruesome by Gregory Lamberson.

Bram Stoker Award winner Kealan Patrick Burke says "Sex, drugs, and rock n' roll are back, in the Death Mobile drivin', leather jacket-clad corpse of Johnny Gruesome, a man who lives up to his name in every sense of the word. The reader is advised to put some Alice Cooper on high volume, crack open a can of beer and dive right in."

• A signed, numbered, limited edition of The Scrubs by Simon Janus.

"The Scrubs is one merciless piece of work, and in both the setting of the Wormwood Scrubs Prison and its colorful, even tragic, inmates, Simon Janus has created a terse, tense, and powerful novella [...] An excellent achievement, and a real milestone in Janus' career." -Bram Stoker Award-winner Gary A. Braunbeck.

• Two signed, limited editions of Restore from Backup by J.F. Gonzalez & Michael Oliveri.

Restore From Backup is a cautionary tale of the careful balances that exist between nature, magic, and technology... and the forces that bring them together.

• A signed, numbered limited edition of The Bitchfight by Michael A. Arnzen.

"The Bitchfight is like a nesting doll of depravity--every time you think Arnzen has maxed-out the possible weirdness level, he pops open another doll and there's something even more fucked up inside. [...] Another twisted classic from one of my all-time favorite authors." -Jeff Strand, author of PRESSURE

• A signed, numbered, limited edition of The Hunger of Empty Vessels by Scott Edelman.

"Like some creature out of Star Trek, Scott Edelman projects a zone of distortion that elevates all existence within its influence to the realm of the surreal." - Adam-Troy Castro

• Five signed, limited editions of This Ghosting Tide by Simon Clark.

Richard Laymon calls Simon Clark, "a master of eerie thrills."

• A signed, limited edition of You In? by Kealan Patrick Burke.

"...one of the most clever and original talents in contemporary horror." - Booklist

• A signed, limited edition of Little Graveyard on the Prairie by Steven E. Wedel.

"Little Graveyard on the Prairie begins with a kind of homespun and cuddly feel--a father playing with his young daughter on a farm. But something isn't quite right out there in the Oklahoma boondocks at night. A nerve begins to twitch near the reader's left eye. The creepy feeling spreads, becomes more unsettling as one suspects something bad is going on. The slowly revealed reality of what is actually happening is truly chilling, but at the same time heart rending." - Gene O'Neill

• Two signed, hardcover, limited editions of As Fate Would Have It by Michael Louis Calvillo.

Adam Groves says the book is, "...dark, and extremely so, but also oddly revelatory, literate and provocative."

That's all for today, folks. We'll be bringing you more donated books tomorrow.

If you want to head back to the main Worldbuilders page, click HERE.



With thanks to our sponsor, Subterranean Press.

Labels: book prizes, cool things, Heifer International, Worldbuilders 2009

Here's the first batch of books donated by my brethren and sistren fantasy authors. Lovely books donated by lovely people.

If you don't know about the Worldbuilders fundraiser yet and want to know how you can win these delicious prizes, you can head over here for the details.

• Four hardcover copies of The Magicians by Lev Grossman. Signed by the author.

I've talked about Lev's lovely book before on the blog. So rather than repeat myself, I think I'll just put up a link to that blog if you're curious about what I had to say.

But really, do you need to listen to me when George RR Martin is slinging around praise like this? "The Magicians is to Harry Potter as a shot of Irish Whiskey is to a glass of weak tea."

• A hardcover copy of Snare by Katharine Kerr. Signed by the author.

Katharine Kerr donated some lovely things to the fundraiser this year. You'll be seeing one of her manuscripts in the first round of auctions this weekend.

Kirkus Reviews says, "In this hefty tome, Kerr turns from Celtic-tinged fantasy to sweepingly far-future adventure on an alien world. The plot is built around Jezro Khan, the exiled brother of the corrupt ruler of Kazrajistan, an Islamic society... "

• A hardcover of copy of Freeze Frames by Katharine Kerr.

Booklist says that Snares is, "..set on the borderline between sf and fantasy. It deals with Maggie Cory and the ups and downs of her and her descendants through five generations in an alternative San Francisco in which the 1960s were the prelude to a revolution... The novel has more northern California literary flavor than Kerr's previous work, but it also features most of her superior skills at characterization, world building, and graceful language."

• The Black Raven, by Katharine Kerr. Signed by the author.

From Booklist, "Kerr has written it up to her usual standard, which is among the highest for Celtic-derived fantasy sagas currently in progress. Faithful fans will be gratified, and any newcomers intrigued by this tale can retreat to its predecessors without fear of being disappointed."

• A hardcover set of The Iron Dragon Series: The Golden Cord and The Dragon Hunters by Paul Genesse. Signed by the author.

New York Times Bestseller Michael Stackpole says, "Taut suspense and fantastic imagery make The Dragon Hunters a tale no fantasy fan will want to miss."

• One advanced reading copy of Silver by Steven Savile.

Here we have a bit of a treat. Not only is this a signed ARC of a book (Advanced Reading Copy.) But this book isn't even out on the shelves yet. That's right, you can use it to taunt your friends and make your enemies jealous. You can read it before it even hits the shelves, and with a blurb like the one below, you know you want to....

"SILVER is a wild combination of Indiana Jones, The Da Vinci Code, and The Omen. Read this book...before the world ends." -- Kevin J Anderson

• A hardcover set of The Crossroads Trilogy: Spirit Gate, Shadow Gate, and Traitors' Gate by Kate Elliott. Signed by the author.

One of my fellow DAW authors, Kate has donated a full hardcover set of her Crossroads trilogy. Fantasy Book Critic calls it "...Elliott’s best work and is highly recommended to both fans of the author and any readers who appreciate fantasy in the vein of Robin Hobb, Jacqueline Carey, and J.V. Jones..."

• A hardcover copy of Metatropolis with original stories from Jay Lake, Tobias Buckell, Elizabeth Bear, John Scalzi and Karl Schroeder. Signed by Tobias Buckell.
  

Publisher's Weekly gave this one a starred review, saying, "Editor Scalzi and four well-known writers thoughtfully postulate the evolution of cities, transcending post-apocalyptic cliches to envision genuinely new communities and relationships. [...] Each story shines on its own; as a group they reinforce one another, building a multifaceted view of a realistic and hopeful urban future."

• A copy of How Not to Make a Wish by Mindy Klasky.

Romantic times says How Not to Make a Wish is, "Fresh and often hysterically funny, this story also has a solid emotional core. Heroine Kira's first-person perspective keeps it all real for the reader."

• A copy of the uncorrected proof for Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire. Signed by the author.

Another one of those sexy ARC's. I've heard good things about this one, and it's in my own personal to-read pile. I've heard it referred to as fairy tale noir. I wish I could come up with a sexy description like that for my book.

Publisher's weekly says, "Singer-songwriter McGuire adeptly infuses her debut with hardboiled sensibilities and a wide array of mythological influences, set against a moody San Francisco backdrop. October Toby Daye is half-human, half-faerie, a changeling PI with a foot in both worlds."

• A copy of Deathwish by Rob Thurman.

Romantic Times says nightlife is: "Tightly plotted and fast-paced, this book is full of twists and turns that take the reader for one heck of a ride."

• A copy of My Invented Life by Lauren Bjorkman. Signed by the author.

I've heard this book described as, "A comedy of errors with mistaken identities ambiguous sexuality, skate god stage geeks, ... and true love." What more really needs to be said?

Well, maybe this blurb from Publisher's weekly: "Evocative of Boy Meets Boy and Dramarama, this makes for fun, thought-provoking reading."

• A copy of The Cleaner by Brett Battles. Signed by the author.

"Displaying an enviable gift for pacing and action, Battles's debut novel is a page-turner that may remind some readers of the cult TV spy series Alias... Admirers of quality espionage fiction can look forward to a new series worth following." - Publishers Weekly

• A hardcover copy of The Deceived by Brett Battles. Signed by the author.

BookList says, this is is a "tightly written page-turner, filled with tradecraft and offering as much action as a James Bond film... a wild ride."

• Three ARCs of the The Adamantine Palace by Stephen Deas. US release date: February 2010.

Stephen Deas is a hell of a nice guy. We had dinner when I was in London a while back, and the fact that I haven't gotten around to reading his book fills me with constant shame.

Stephen also send along some of the new ARC's for the US version of the book, as it's not out here in the states yet. He's also sent along a couple copies of the UK version. For people who like their color spelled colour.

• One trade and one hardcover of The Adamantine Palace by Stephen Deas. Signed by the author.

Wait, what? He's got a Joe Abercrombie blurb on his book? Man.... I don't have an Abercrombie quote. Now I only feel half as guilty...

If an Abercrombie quote isn't enough for you, Brent Weeks says it's, "A stirring debut. Stephen Deas's dragons are inscrutable, beautiful, magical, unstoppable... and really, really pissed off."


Remember, every 10 dollars you donate to Heifer International gives you a chance to win these books and hundreds of others, so head over to my page at Team Heifer and chip in.

Or, if you want to go back to main page for the Worldbuilders fundraiser, you can click HERE.


With special thanks to our sponsor, Subterranean Press.

Labels: Heifer International, recommendations, Worldbuilders 2009

This blog lists generous donations made to the Worldbuilders fundraiser by:


If you want details about the fundraiser itself, you should read the blog HERE.



I've known the folks at Subterranean Press for a long while. Bill Schafer contacted me barely two weeks after The Name of the Wind hit the shelves and asked if I'd like to contribute a story to an anthology. It was one of the first clues I had that I might have done something right with my first book.

Subterranean Press publishes gorgeous books. Beautiful paper. Beautiful bindings. Stuff by great authors. Stuff that's out of print. Stuff by Neil Gaiman, Tim Powers, Robert Heinlein, Ray Bradbury....

The last time I bought stuff off their website, I looked at my shopping cart and found myself thinking, "Next time I sell them a story, I should just negotiate my contract in store credit and save them the trouble of sending me a check."

Last year Bill stunned me with his generosity, donating over $8,000 in books to the fundraiser. This year, he stunned me again, donating almost three times as many books. Beautiful hardcovers. Many of them limited editions. Many of them signed.

What's more, he's helping Worldbuilders match donations this year. That's right, Subterranean Press will be providing funds to match 50% of the first 10,000 dollars donated this year.

This has earned him an eternal place in my heart, because it makes it much less likely that I'll have to sell my house to match the donations this year.

Alright. Enough ebullience. Let's look at some books.

• Twenty-five sets of The Fisher King Trilogy: Last Call, Expiration Date, and Earthquake Weather by Tim Powers.

(Are these cool covers or what?)

I'm a huge Tim Powers fan. Last Call was the book that really convinced me how brilliant he was, and the sequels are just as good.

I have it on good authority that owning these books will give you the strength of ten men, cure any illness afflicting you, and grant you eternal youth.

If you don't believe me, then how about trusting the Los Angeles Daily News when they say Last Call is "Riveting...lyrical and brutal...a thrilling tale of gambling, fate and fantastic adventure."

• Twenty-five copies of The Terror by Dan Simmons. Signed, limited edition.

Subterranean Press describes The Terror as "a rigorously researched historical novel and a compelling homage to one of the seminal SF/Horror films of the 1950s. It is popular fiction of the highest order, the kind of intense, wholly absorbing epic only Dan Simmons could have written."

• Twenty-five copies of the trade hardcover of Locke & Key: Welcome to Lovecraft by Joe Hill.

Joe Hill's a new writer who already has more than a few accolades to his name, including beating me out for Best Debut Novel in the Locus Awards last year.

I really enjoyed his book Heart Shaped Box, and while I haven't read Locke and Key, Publisher's Weekly says that it "...delivers on all counts, boasting a solid story bolstered by exceptional work from Chilean artist Rodriguez."

• Twenty-five copies of The Onion Girl by Charles de Lint. Signed, limited edition.

Library Journal says the Onion Girl is "set in a modern world that borders on a dimension of myth and legend, de Lint highlights the life of one of his most popular characters. A master storyteller, he blends Celtic, Native American, and other cultures into a seamless mythology that resonates with magic and truth."

• Twenty-five copies of Stephen King Goes to the Movies by Stephen King. Limited edition.
  
  

This is a collection of five stories written by King and adapted to film: Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption (film version: The Shawshank Redemption), 1408, Children of the Corn, The Mangler and Low Men in Yellow Coats (film version: Hearts in Atlantis). Each story includes an introduction and commentary by King himself.

• Twenty-five copies of The God Engines by John Scalzi. Signed, limited edition.

I'm sure many of you already know about John Scalzi through his blog Whatever. If not, I'd suggest you read this book to get to know him, but you might not have enough light to make out the text where you live, under what is undoubtedly a heavy, heavy rock.

Publisher's Weekly says: "If J. G. Ballard and H. P. Lovecraft had ever collaborated on a space opera, the results might have been like this: ferociously inventive, painfully vivid, dispassionately bleak and dreadfully memorable."

• Twenty-five copies of The Dark Volume by Gordon Dahlquist. Signed, limited edition.

Bookslist reports that, "Dahlquist’s sequel to The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters (2007) is dark indeed... fans of Tobsha Learner’s Soul (2008) and Jonathan Barnes' Somnambulist (2008) will enjoy this surreal Victorian journey into the nightmarish possibilities of mind swapping"

• Twenty-five copies of the trade hardcover edition of Where Everything Ends by Ray Bradbury.

Where Everything Ends is a collection of three of Ray Bradbury's classical detective stories: Death is a Lonely Business, A Graveyard for Lunatics, and Let's All Kill Constance.

On a personal note, I have to tell you that when I read Death is a Lonely Business ten years ago, it rocked my world. I grew up reading Bradbury, and I expect a lot from his work. Even so, it still knocked me over.

I didn't even know about the third book in this series right now. Is it legal for me to donate money to my own fundraiser with the hopes that I'll win something? Probably not. I'm kinda dodgy, and I'd probably rig things so I'd win.

Anyway, you don't have to take my word that this is an awesome book. Green Man Review says that it's "a trio of fine detective novels (together with the short story that provided the starting point) from Bradbury in his inimitable style. He plays with the conventions, but since he so obviously loves the genre, this is easily forgiven — embraced, even — because the end results are, simply put, fine additions to the canon."


Remember, every 10 dollars you donate gives you a chance to win these and hundreds of other cool prizes, so head over to my page at Team Heifer and chip in.

Want more details about how it all works? Check out the Worldbuilder's blog HERE.

Labels: Heifer International, recommendations, Worldbuilders 2009

What's that you say? You'd like to make the world a better place while simultaneously winning fabulous prizes?


Well today is your lucky day.

Heifer International is my favorite charity. It helps people raise themselves up out of poverty and starvation. All over the world Heifer promotes education, sustainable agriculture, and local industry.

They don't just keep kids from starving, they make it so families can take care of themselves. They give goats, sheep, and chickens to families so their children have milk to drink, warm clothes to wear, and eggs to eat.





This year we've got a couple different options for donating.



This is the option most people will want. It's simple. You hop directly over to the page I've set up at Team Heifer, and donate.

When you donate using my page at team Heifer, two things happen.

1. Worldbuilders will match 50% of your donation. That means your ten-dollar donation becomes fifteen dollars. If you donate two goats, it becomes three goats. And so on.

2. You'll be entered in the lottery.

After the fundraiser is over on January 15th, we'll have random drawing for all the swag that's been donated by authors and publishers over the last couple months. More than a thousand books, DVD's and CD's.

For every 10 bucks you donate, your name will get entered into the drawing once. If you donate thirty bucks, your name goes in three times. Think of it as buying tickets, if you like.

We've had *way* too many books donated for me to post them all up at once. It's a prize-rich environment, with over a thousand books.

So I'll be putting up a new blog full of donated books pretty much every day or so, just to keep people from being overwhelmed with all the awesome. Make sure to check back often.

• Pat's books, and the Golden Ticket

• 300 Books from Subterranean Press

• A Plenitude of Signed Books [Added Dec 3rd]

• Books from Joe Abercrombie, plus an interview [Added Dec 7th]
  

• 5 ARCs of The Adventures of the Princess and Mr. Whiffle [Added Dec 8th]
  

• Many lovely books from Gollancz Publishing [Added Dec 10th]
  

• Books from Bad Moon Press [Added Dec 15th]

• A Plethora of Signed Books [Added Dec 16th]

• Signed books from DAW [Added Dec 28th]

• More books from DAW [Added Dec 29th]

• Yet still more books from DAW [Added Dec 29th]
  

• Books from Nnedi Okororfor, plus an interview [Added Dec 31st]

• Books from Neil Gaiman and Brandon Sanderson [Added Jan 1st]

• A Veritable Cornucopia of Signed Books [Added Jan 6th]

• Books from Brent Weeks, plus an Interview [Added Jan 8th]

• The Glory That is Joss Whedon [Added Jan 11th]
  

• Music miscellany, and signed copies of The Guild [Added Jan 13th]

• Books from Peter V. Brett, plus an interview [Added Jan 14th]

Last year we raised 114,000 dollars for Heifer International. I'm hoping this year we can do even better.

Dec 1st - Fundraiser begins.
Dec 3rd - 10,000 dollars raised.
Dec 10th - 25,000 dollars raised.
Dec 25th - 50,000 dollars raised.
Jan 1st - 76,000 dollars raised. [Last year's total beaten! Woo!]
Jan 6th - 90,000 dollars raised.
Jan 10th - 100,000 dollars raised.


Well folks, we've got about five days left to the fundraiser, and I've re-set the thermometer for what I'm guessing is going to be the last time.

$106836.28 may seem like kind of a strange target, but I assure you it's significant. It's exactly twice the amount that people donated last year. If we can raise it, I think we'll have pretty conclusive proof for the stunning awesomeness of us.

Personally, I think we can make it. But remember, the fundraiser is over at the end of January 15th. So if you're been waiting to chip in, now's the time.




Or, as I like to think of it, the Christmas Present option.

For those of you who aren't interested in the lottery, I have some stuff you can just buy. All the proceeds will go directly to Heifer International.

• Personalized books from Patrick Rothfuss.

• Name of the Wind posters. [Added Dec 4th]

• Worldbuilders T-shirts. [Sorry, not this year.]

This year we've decided to auction off some of the rarer items and specialized services people have donated.

We've got industry professionals willing to read your fledgling manuscript and give you feedback. We've got a limited edition Stardust ARC signed by Neil Gaiman and a copy of The Gathering Storm signed by Brandon Sanderson and the production team at Tor. We've got original manuscripts, software, and a rockstar's guitar. Stay tuned for details.

• Rare Manuscripts. [Added Dec 11th.]

• Professional Editorial Advice and Critiques. [Added Dec 14th.]

• Golden Ticket & an ARC of the Princess book. [Added January 4th]

• Mark Tremonti Signature Guitar, signed by Creed. [Added January 9th.]

Lastly, I'd like to ask everyone to please read the instructions/directions carefully before they donate.

I know you're excited. I'm excited too. We're going to raise some money, make the world a better place, and end up with big warm fuzzy feelings.

But here's the problem. If you're *too* excited, you'll end up clicking buttons all higgledy-piggledy, forgetting vital steps and leaving things out. (Especially when buying things with Paypal) Then you'll send me an e-mail that says something like: "I'm sorry, but I forgot to include my shipping address/t-shirt size/signing instructions. Could you please fix it for me?"

I know I'm bound to get one or two e-mails like this. No biggie. But each one is like a cold drop of water eroding my warm fuzzy feeling. If I get, say, a hundred, I'll have no warm fuzzy left at all. I'll be left with nothing but a cold prickly feeling.

You don't want to give me a cold prickly, do you?

I'm sure you don't. And I'm sure that you'll read the instructions carefully.



Have questions about the fundraiser? Most of them are probably answered over in the FAQ. Even if your question isn't answered, I talk about Batman a bit, so it won't be a complete waste of your time.

• Suplementary FAQ [Added Dec 18th]
  

And, just in case you missed it, here's the link to the Team Heifer donation page.


Rock on,

pat


Special thanks to our sponsor: Subterranean Press.

Labels: Heifer International, Worldbuilders 2009

Those of you who have been following the blog for a while probably remember last year's fundraiser.

For those of you that are new to the blog, here's the short version: Last year I thought I'd try to raise a couple thousand dollars for my favorite charity. However I underestimated the awesomeness of my fans and the geek community at large. Things quickly spiraled out of control, and in the end we raised over $110,000 for Heifer International.

(If you want the long version of the story, you can read the blogs from last year.)

While last year's fundraiser was a success, it wasn't very well organized. I was just too overwhelmed. I told myself the next time I did something like this, I'd make it better, more streamlined. I might even have a name for the fundraiser other than "The Heifer Fundraiser."

Last year, in less than a month, a bunch of fantasy and sci-fi geeks raised over 100,000 dollars to help people all over the world improve their lives.

This year, things will be even better.

How is this year going to be different? Well I'm glad you asked....

Way more prizes.

Last year we had hundreds of books to give away as prizes. This year we have way more. Way way more. Over a thousand. Maybe close to two thousand.

Auctions.

Last year, all the prizes were given out in a big raffle. This year, you'll have the chance to bid on certain special items and services.

Want a professional agent to read your fledgling manuscript and give you feedback? No problem. Want a rare signed book or a manuscript? We've got those too.

We're going to be auctioning off signed, limited edition stuff from Neil Gaiman, a piece of iron that fell from the sky, and a rockstar's guitar. I'm not even kidding.

An official sponsor.

One of our best donors from last year, Subterranean Press, has stepped up to the plate with gusto for the launch of Worldbuilders. Not only are they donating over 10,000 dollars of gorgeous signed and limited edition books as prizes, but they're also going to be helping me match donations.

This is really nice, as it means I won't have to sell my house.

More stuff available for sale.

For those of you looking for Christmas presents, I'll be offering some stuff directly for sale. You can get copies of the Name of the Wind, or rare copies of the out-of-print College Survival Guide or Tales of Dark Fantasy. All of them signed however you like.

Maps. Gorgeous posters. Worldbuilders t-shirts. All manner of things I'm just dying to show you...

The official launch of the fundraiser will be on Monday. I'll be giving all the details then. I just couldn't let thanksgiving go by without giving y'all a little peek at what's to come.

The truth is, last year's fundraiser was the best thing I've ever done in my life, and I'm thankful that I get to do it again this year. With your help, I'm hoping it can be even bigger and better than before.


Have a good Turkey Day, and remember: We are the music-makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams.

pat


P.S. More news about the raffle winners soon. I'm still getting in touch with people and working out the details.

P.P.S. If you just can't wait until Monday, you can donate a little early on my Heifer page over here.

Labels: cool things, Heifer International, Worldbuilders 2009

Labels: fan coolness, Heifer International, naming

In some ways, I'm an optimist. This shouldn't come as much of a surprise, a person doesn't work on the same book for over a decade without a little glimmer of hope to keep them going.

But it's more than that, really. I believe that the vast majority of people are good. Not just deep-down good, but good right up on the surface. That's why I run these fundraisers. I think most people enjoy making the world a better place. All they need is an opportunity, and, occasionally, a little nudge.

But in other ways, I'm a pessimist. For example, I believe that most large corporate entities by their very nature tend to be malignant.

When I say malignant, I'm not saying that Global Corp is going to break into your house and kill you while you sleep. But they will make your pillow out of a fire-retardant chemical that makes you breathe toluene all night. Because they can be sued by a smoker who lights their own pillow on fire, but not by someone who gets cancer when they're sixty.

What's my point? Well, my point is that when my account got flagged by Paypal a couple of days ago, I really didn't have much hope of being able to straighten things out with them.

In fact, I was ready to be all indignant about it. I've had a Paypal account since 2001, and I felt a little betrayed. I had all sorts of scathing things I was going to say. Names I was going to call them. Mud I was going to fling. How dare they take a crap on my fundraiser? Especially when it was going so well...

Despite this pessimism, I e-mailed them to straighten things out. I tried to work within the system. I talked to them on the phone.

So imagine my surprise when they were really nice. And today, all the limitations were lifted from my Paypal account. I really wasn't expecting things to work out so quickly and easily.

The purpose of this blog is twofold.

First, I just wanted to say thanks to Paypal. You guys impressed me.

The second is to update everyone on the status of the name raffle fundraiser thing.

Things are going amazingly well. So far we've got about 150 people donating, and we've raised over 8000 dollars. Way better than I ever expected.

Because I'm drawing two winners, that means if you buy a ticket, you've got about a 1 in 400 chance of winning.

If you donate 50 bucks, which gets you 6 tickets, you've got about a 1 in 70 chance.

That beats the hell out of most lotteries, you have to admit. Besides, and all the money is going to a great cause.




I'm hoping we can finish strong on this. We lost a few days because of the Paypal thing, but if people help spread the word I think we can make up for it.

And one more time, here's the link to the blog with all the raffle details and the now-functional online donation buttons.

And lastly, if you're thinking of donating online. You might want to strike now while the iron is hot. A lot of Paypal's system is automated, and there's an outside chance it might flag my account again in a week or so. It would be shame if you missed your chance to donate because of that...


Frabjously yours,

pat

Labels: Heifer International, musings

A while back, I said I'd be giving people a chance to get their names into my second book: The Wise Man's Fear.

I've finally managed to work out all the details. So we're going to do our best to kill two birds with one stone.

You want to get your name into book two....




...and I want to raise money for Heifer International.




So, as a prologue to this year's fundraiser, we're going to have a raffle.

There are three ways you can get your name into the book. Pay attention.


Option One: The Regular Raffle.

You buy chances to win, like raffle tickets. Tickets will be 10 dollars each.

That means if you donate 30 dollars, your name gets thrown into the drawing three times. Simple.

However, if you want to be a big spender and donate fifty dollars, you get a free ticket. So fifty bucks gets you six tickets total.

At the end of the lottery, I'll be drawing a winner from these tickets. If you don't win, your ticket will enter a second drawing combined with the free entries. (See below.) What this means is that every ticket you buy gets two chances to win.


You have two ways to buy tickets:

• To Buy Your Tickets by Mail:
  

You only need two things.

A check, made out to Pat Rothfuss. Signed by you.

A 3x5 index card that looks like this:





Remember folks, I have to read these. That means you should probably print instead of using cursive. It doesn't need to be pretty, just legible.

And you see what I did up there? Where I wrote an "a" then wrote over it and made it a "u?" That's not very clear, is it? I should have used some white out, or done something else rather than leave it ambiguous. That would have been the smart thing to do...

Lastly, mail the check and the card to:

Pat Rothfuss
PO Box 186
Stevens Point, WI 54481

• To Buy Your Tickets Online:
  

[EDIT: Woo Hoo! After a relatively painless review process, the online option is back! Thanks for being cool about this, Paypal!]

Because international post is slow and expensive, I decided to make a paypal option available. (You can use the three custom buttons below to donate.)

Note – Tickets through paypal will actually be $11 each. This is because paypal takes a percentage of all the money it helps transfer. And, to be completely honest, because it's going to be a bit of a pain for me to sift all these digital entries onto paper tickets.

However, if you donate an even 50 bucks through paypal, I'll cover the extra fees myself, and you can still have six tickets.

If you're feeling extraordinarily extravagant, you can donate as much as you like with this button. (Keeping in mind that it should probably be some multiple of 11 or 50.)

Remember: when you submit your paypal order, you need to include all the information you would have written on the note card.

DO THIS BEFORE YOU COMPLETE YOUR DONATION! After you donate, there's no way to go back and add this information.

Your phone number.
Your name.
Your e-mail.
The name you're hoping to get into the book.


Option Two: The Poor-Boy Raffle.

I spent nine years as an undergrad, so I know what it's like to not have a lot of folding money. This is the option that will give everyone a chance to throw their hat into the ring, even if they can't afford ten dollars for a ticket.

To get into the free option, you just mail a 3x5 note card, filled out just like the one above.

To this address:

Pat Rothfuss
PO BOX 186
Stevens Point, WI 54481

And that's it.

After I draw the winner from the paying option, I'm going to take all the non-winning tickets from that raffle, combine them with the free entries, and draw a second winner.

Important: If you buy a ticket, I will automatically enter you in the poor-man's raffle.

That means if you buy a ticket, DON'T don't send in an entry for the poor man's raffle too. This will only waste your time and anger me.


Option Three: The Cool Name Option

If I look through the entries and see a suggested name that looks cool to me, I might tweak it a bit and use it in the book.

Simple as that. I'm always on the lookout for cool names.


FAQ:

When is the raffle over?

One month from now: November 15th.


What are the odds of my winning the raffle?

Just like all raffles, that depends on how many tickets you buy, and how many people enter. But it should be obvious that you're (roughly) twice as likely to win than if you use the free option.

Edit: As of October 27th, we had raised a little more than 8000 dollars.

That means if you buy a ticket, your odds of winning are roughly 1 in 400. (Because I'm drawing two winners.)

Or, if you donate fifty bucks and get six tickets, your odds are about 1 in 70.

Those are pretty good odds.

Also, if we get a bunch more people participating. I'll draw an extra winner from the group that paid for their tickets.

That means it won't hurt your odds to spread the word to your friends. More participants will actually lead to more chances to win.


Can I use my own name as the one I want in the book?

Of course. I'm guessing this is what most people want. I'm just leaving the door open for people to suggest other options.

If I buy more than one ticket, should I send in more than one card?

No. There's never any reason to send in/fill out more than one card.

Does this mean book two isn't finished yet?

*sigh* Yes. That should be pretty obvious. I couldn't add things if it was finished. The revision process for a book this big takes a long time, and I'm still fixing things. Adding more awesome. Taking out things that aren't quite awesome enough. Making sure everyone's eyes are the right colour. That sort of stuff.

So if I win, I get to put whatever name I want in your upcoming book?

No. What will happen is the two of us will have a talk about how your name, or a variation of it, will fit into my book. Something that will make us both happy.

Read this blog for details and reasons why.

Will I get any control over who I am in the book? Will the character with my name look like me?

This will be part of our negotiation. If you really want to be a student at the University, and your name will work for that, we can make that happen. I might be able to tweak their appearance a little so it's closer to yours, too.

The short answer is that I'll do what I can to make you happy. But the book comes first, and I'm the final arbiter of what goes in and what doesn't.

Will you be doing this again for book three?

I don't know. A lot of that depends on how well this raffle works. If people are excited and we raise a lot of money, then I'll probably do it for book three.

On the other hand, if the response is small, and the whole thing ends up being a pain in my ass, there's a real possibility I won't do it again.

So all of the money you raise from this is going to charity?

Yes. All this money will be going to Heifer International. This raffle is actually just a warm-up to the bigger fundraiser that I'll be running on the blog next month.

If you're curious, you can look at last year's fundraiser HERE.


What's to keep people from swamping the free option with multiple entries?

There are several things that I think will keep this from being a severe problem.

1) Human Decency.

My readers are generous, kind human beings. Only a rapacious fuckwit would try to game the system on a charity raffle.

2) Human Laziness.

There's no online option for the free drawing. I doubt very much people will be filling out dozens of note cards by hand and sending them all in.

3) The name and phone number required with each entry.

I'm using phone numbers to catalog and organize the entries. That means I'm just going to throw away multiple free entries that have the same phone number, or those with no phone number at all. It's the classic "one entry per household." Except in this case it's not a house, it's a phone.

And yes, I know it's not a perfect system. But it's the best we can have without going to ridiculous lengths.

Are these prices in American dollars?

Yes. Foreign payments are one of the mail reasons I'm including a paypal option. Paypal will convert from your currency to US dollars.

If, for some strange reason, you want to send me a foreign check you need to do the following.

1. Figure out how much you want to donate.
(Let's say you live in London and want to donate 50 dollars.)

2. Add three dollars. Because that's how much my bank charges me to cash a foreign check.
(That makes your total 53 dollars.)

3. Convert this into your local currency.
(53 dollars = 32.96 British Pounds.)

4. Write your check out for this amount in your native currency. My bank can't cash it otherwise.
(So you write me a check for 33 pounds. Rounding up because you're a generous human being.)

Keep in mind that the raffle will be happening pretty soon after November 15th, and international post is slow. So if you're going to mail me a check, do it sooner rather than later.

I was really looking forward to this being an auction. I'm all full of money and was willing to pay whatever it takes to get my daughter's/husband's/dwarven monk's name in the book.

I'm willing to entertain the thought. If you really want an auction, let me know in the comments below and I'll think about setting one up, maybe in conjunction with the other auctions we're going to be running for the main fundraiser in a couple weeks.

More FAQ over here.


I'm excited, folks. Let's do this.

pat

Labels: book two, cool things, Heifer International

So. A while back I mentioned I was going to be giving people the opportunity to get their name into book two.

Since then I've been putting a lot of thought into how I was going to accomplish this.

I considered an auction. I've seen that done a couple different ways by a couple different authors. It would be fairly simple, and it would be a good way to raise money for the upcoming Heifer fundraiser…. (Which is going to be even more awesome this year, by the way.)

However, something about the thought of an auction rubbed me the wrong way. It would be relatively easy to handle, and I'm all about raising money for Heifer. But still, it seemed odd for me to set up a system where the person with the most money automatically wins. That irks my egalitarian nature.

Plus, I had WAY too many imagined conversations along these lines:

Me: [on the phone] Congratulations! You won the auction!

Winner: Yay! I want to put my D&D character's name into the book!

Me: What's his name?

Winner: Studd Beefcake.

Me:

Winner: He's awesome. He's a dual class fighter/ranger. That means so long as he's only wearing leather armor…

Me: I don't think the name Studd Beefcake will fit smoothly into the world I've created.

Winner: How about my other character? Grignir Theqjirn'ateth.

Me: I beg your pardon? I think there was some static on the line…

Winner: Grignir Theqjirn'ateth. He's a dwarven monk.

Me: Do you…

Winner: Stunning Fist!

Me: Yes. Stunning Fist. Do you have any ideas for names that aren't your D&D characters?

Winner: Well… We could use my little boy's name…

Me: That sounds great. What is it?

Winner: Drizzt.

Me: I think there are copyright issues involved…

Winner: Drizzt Do'Urden RULES! Wooo!

Me: I don't think we can use Drizzt, either.

Winner: [Angrily] Why do you keep shooting down my awesome ideas? I paid, like, 4,000 dollars for this!

That's how all these conversations end in my mind. With the auction winner feeling that because they've shelled out a bunch of money, they have the right to stick whatever they want in my book.

But that's just not going to be the case. What will happen is you'll win a chance to propose a name for book two. If the name you're proposing sounds great to me, then huzzah. If not, the two of us will talk it over.

For example, maybe you want to get your girlfriend's name into the book because you're hoping it will get you that threeway you've always wanted. But her name is "Veronica" and that doesn't quite feel right for my world.

So we start talking it over. Maybe we can use her middle name instead. Maybe we use her nickname and I tweak the character's description a little bit so that it more closely resembles her. (Though I'll probably do this a little bit anyway.)

Maybe I put a little twist on the name. "Veronia" would be fine for the book.

Or maybe you decide you'd rather use your own name after all. And it turns out I'm fine with that because your name is Ferrel and that's exactly the sort of name that would fit on a Vintish Courtier, and I happen to be tweaking that section right now…

What I'm getting at here is that we'll negotiate until we're both happy with the addition to the book.

Anyway, the point is that I'll be running this like a lottery. That way we can raise money for Heifer, AND everyone has a chance to win.

In fact, everyone will have *several* chances to win.

In fact, even people that can't afford to buy their way in will have a chance to win.

Interested? Of course you are.

Tune in on Monday for the details.


Tantalizingly Yours,

pat

Labels: Heifer International, teasers

Those of you who have been reading the blog for a while know we did a fundraiser for Heifer International last year.

For those of you who are new to the game, you can see some of the details HERE.

In a nutshell, I started what I thought would be a little fundraiser, offering prizes and various other incentives to get people to donate. Things quickly spiraled out of control, other people in the Fantasy and Sci-fi publishing world pitched in, and by the end of it we had raised over 100,000 dollars.

Have I mentioned yet that Heifer is my favorite charity? It's my favorite charity.

So imagine my delight when Heifer's publication, World Ark, showed up this week and I found this inside:





They're using us as an example of good fundraising. Go team us!

Seeing this has made me think of several things...

1. My hair looks pretty good in this picture.

2. We still need a good name for the fundraiser.

So far the best we've come up with is "Geeks for Goats" or "Worldbuilders Ink." I kinda like the second one, but it's punny. (Ink = Inc. Get it? Yeah. Not that funny.) What's more, the pun makes me wonder if the possessive apostrophe is really appropriate. Should it be "Worldbuilder's Ink" or maybe even "Worldbuilders' Ink?"

And as for "Geeks for Goats" well... it's kind of a silly name. While I'm not opposed to silliness, a fundraiser with a goofy name does not inspire confidence in donors. And we want donors. Many, many donors.

That means we need something clever, catchy, and subject-appropriate. Penny Arcade's "Child's Play" is a good example of a this.

3. In a couple months we'll be starting fundraiser version 2.0. That means....

• If you're interested in participating, start saving your pennies.

• If you're going to *raise* money to donate, start gathering your troupes.

• If you'd like to donate something, like signed books, collectibles, or a cool service, drop me a line at paperback.contest (squiggly at thinger) gmail.com.

Last year most of the prizes were Sci-fi and Fantasy books, given out lottery-style. This year, with more time to plan, I think we'll be auctioning off some specialty stuff as well.

Some of the auction items will be things like signed books and one-of-a-kind manuscripts. Or services like having a pro author read your book and give you feedback.

Don't get me wrong, we'll still have the lottery prizes for people that want to donate. But in addition to that we'll be running auctions for the specialty items: things like, say, getting your name into The Wise Man's Fear.


So if you have stuff you'd like to donate to the cause, drop me a line. (Not money. That will come later. Right now I'm looking for stuff like signed books, memorabilia, stuff like that we can use as prizes.)

So stay tuned folks. It's going to be a good time.

pat

P.S. If you have any clever ideas for what we could call the fundraiser, comment below. We're creative people, right? We should be able to come up with something....

Labels: baby ducks, Heifer International

First, I'd like everyone to take a moment and appreciate the clever title of this post. I'm unreasonably proud of it.

We good? Okay.

After a long week, Sarah and I have finally managed to tie up about 99% of the loose ends on the fundraiser. We've drawn numbers, sorted prizes, sent e-mails, and packaged nearly everything up.

And when I saw "we," I mean "Sarah." I did a lot of the sifting, number juggling, and e-mailing, but Sarah was the package queen.




Awww.... She loves those packages. Those hundreds and hundreds of packages.

Also, as you can see in the lower lefthand corner, the holy light these prizes exude can shine through cardboard, tape, and two layers of bubble wrap. It's powerful stuff.

I'd also like to note that these packages do not include the Subterranean Press books. Because not only was Subterranean Press cool enough to donate a great pile of stuff, they were nice enough to handle all the shipping for those books too. Which is why I am filled with love for them.

And speaking of love....




Here Sarah is modeling the catgirl hat many of you have seen before. I wanted to prove that I actually did buy it for her, and wasn't secretly keeping it for myself.

Simply said, the fundraiser would have been impossible without Sarah. She spent dozens of hours bundling up books, running errands, and generally getting everything done. Hell, the trip to the post office alone took two full hours, and that was with a friend with a van helping.

Everyone say, "Thank you Sarah."

And now, answers to some final questions.

• Things went really crazy right at the end of the fundraiser. What happened?
  

Things did go a little crazy. On December 9th, I mentioned on the blog that I thought we had a decent chance of breaking $40,000. Then, we raised over $16,000 in the next two days, tearing past $50,000 and leaving me worried that I was going to have to take out a loan so I could cover my half.

A big piece of this was brought about by folks spreading the word on their blogs. Most notably, Neil Gaiman.

I'd heard through the grapevine that Gaiman was a bit of a Heifer supporter, so I sent him a little e-mail, asking if he'd be interested in mentioning it on his blog.

I should have realized that asking for something like this would be like sticking my tongue into.... well... into anything, really. In my experience, whenever you stick your tongue into something, the outcome is going to be either very exciting, very dangerous, or both.

This was one of those "both" situations. After his blog, Gaiman's readers flooded over to participate in the festivities. Felicia Day mentioned it on her blog too. Plus, I know a lot of folks were finishing their own personal fundraisers and/or waiting until the very end to make their donations. Hence the crazy.

Rest assured, everyone who got their donations in by the 11th was entered into the lottery.

And yes, I'm all twitterpated that Gaiman referred to me as a "good author." Though I hope at least some of that was referring to my storytelling as opposed to my ethics.

• The donations hit nearly $55,000. How much are you matching?

The other day I asked Sarah, "What do you want for Christmas?"

"Nothing you can afford to get me," she said huffily.

And we laugh. This has become the running joke in our house.

I've decided to match all the donations. I could have stopped at forty thousand, but I said I'd keep matching until the 11th, and I like to keep my promises.


If you've read the blog that started it all, you know I offered two options to people who wanted to donate. There was the Sure Thing option, and the Lottery option.

A surprising number of people chose the Sure Thing, which meant they mailed me a check and I mailed them something back, usually a book or a map signed however they wanted it.




A *lot* of people chose this option. So many that I ran out of first edition books. The total amount raised from the Sure Thing option was over six thousand dollars.

That, plus my matching donation from the lottery, minus the cost of postage and packaging materials, brings us to $58,493.14




I'm showing you the check not as proof that I'm mailing it, but because it took me ten friggin minutes to write this thing out. I screwed up five checks before I managed to get it right. I misspelled "ninty," wrote the wrong amount, wrote the wrong year, and failed more than once to get the total to fit on the line.

I keep pretending that I'm a grown-up, but I'm not.

Anyway, this money, plus the donations that were made directly to the Heifer page, makes a grand total of $113,466.28.

I don't have words enough to express how happy this makes me. I firmly believe that deep down, people are fundamentally good. But it's nice to have some data that backs that sentiment up every once in a while.

I'd like to thank all the authors who donated books, all the people who mentioned the fundraiser on their blogs, and all the people who donated money to the cause. Yay us.

• Are you planning on doing this again next year?

Yes. But I'm planning on doing some things differently.

More stuff. A lot of people wanted to contribute books or other goodies to this year's auction, but they didn't hear about the fundraiser until it was nearly finished. I've already got stuff piling up for next year's fundraiser.

Streamlined lottery. Next year, when you make your donation you'll be able to mark what prizes you're interested in. That way if you win something, it will be something you're sure to like.

Auctions. Some prizes are really cool, but only to a very select group of people. So next year we're going to auction those items off separately. These might be things like manuscripts. Or they might be services, like an author agreeing to insert your name into an upcoming book, a lawyer offering legal consultation, or feedback on a manuscript from a literary agent.

• I want to be a part of next year's fundraiser. How can I help?

Donate. Want to chip in a signed book or two? Lovely. Have a cool collectible or unique skill you think would be a worthwhile addition? Wonderful. I'm already collecting prizes for next year. Send them along.

Or maybe you'd like to be an even bigger part of the fundraiser? I'm going to be looking for official sponsors to help me match donations for next year. I'd like to be able to do all of it on my own again, but I just can't afford it.

If you'd like to help out, drop me a line on my contact form or send an e-mail to Paperback.contest (squiggly at thinger) gmail.com.

Spread the word. Not everyone has signed books to donate or money to throw around. But you can help a lot by letting people know about the fundraiser. A lot of the prizes I received came from authors who contacted me, saying, "A fan sent me an e-mail about your fundraiser and I'd love to be a part of it." So if you know someone that might be interested in helping, donating a prize, or potentially being a sponsor, talk to them about it. It's a big help.

Help me come up with a name. We *really* need a name, folks. We can't keep calling it "The Heifer Fundraiser." It lacks panache. Names are important things, you know. And they can tell you a lot about a fundraiser.

Right now, the best I've been able to come up with is "Worldbuilders." But we need something catchier than that. I know that a lot of you are word-clever, as shown by your constant, witty definitions of the word verification giberish. Funnel the churning magma of your creativity toward this problem and I'm sure we can come up with something good.

In fact, let's try to get the ball rolling in the comments below. Serious suggestions only please. Believe me, I've come up with enough sarcastic-sounding ones on my own.... (Geeks for Goats being the least lame of these.)


Thanks again everyone,

pat

Labels: baby ducks, Catgirl, cool things, Heifer International, Neil Gaiman, Sarah

Anton Strout is, among other things, my mortal enemy. However, I'm willing to set aside any personal rancor I feel toward the man in order to accept his generous gift on behalf of Heifer International.

Bestselling author Charlaine Harris gives this review: "Following Simon's adventures is like being the pinball in an especially antic game, but it's well worth the wear and tear."

• An ARC of Fenzig's Fortune by Jean Rabe. Signed by the Author.
  

• A manuscript of Steven Savile's new Stargate novel, Shadows, book one of The Iblis Trilogy. Signed by the author.
  

I can't say enough good about Steven. When he heard about the fundraiser, he immediately went out and started beating the bushes for donations. He brought in the folks from Bad Moon Books. He tipped off Kevin Anderson and many others. Finally, he's donated this lovely manuscript.

Here's what Steven says:

"Shadows is the first book in the Iblis Trilogy, an SG-1 novel featuring the original team. What makes this manuscript unique is it includes all of the mistakes and material that MGM won't approve - so there are a good 10,000 words different between it as a first draft and the finished book which is coming out at the end of January. The story itself pits the team against the Goa'uld, Iblis, and features the Mujina, an archetypal monster who can be all things to everyone, the hero and villain their heart most desperately desires."

• A DVD of season one of The Guild. Donated by Felicia Day. Signed by all cast members.

When I heard from Felicia a couple days ago, I hurried downstairs to tell Sarah.

Me: Felicia Day just sent me an e-mail! She says she'd like to donate a signed copy of The Guild DVD and a Dr. Horrible poster signed by the cast.

Sarah: Well that must make you excited enough to pee.

Which, in fact, sums up my reaction quite nicely.

I made a blog post about The Guild a while back, singing its praises. Later, Felicia and I interviewed each other, each in our respective blogs.

What I'm getting at is that I thought she was cool even *before* Dr. Horrible came out and she worked a deal with X-box to sponsor season two of The Guild.

The Los Angeles Times praised The Guild as "perhaps the smartest (and definitely the funniest) webisodic series of the year." This year, they're putting out a new season that's way more budgety.

• A Dr. Horrible poster signed by Felicia Day, Neil Patrick Harris, and Nathan Fillion.

If you haven't heard about Dr. Horrible, then you obviously haven't been reading my blog for very long. Maybe you have been living under a heavy, heavy rock. Or perhaps you hate everything that is lovely and good in the world.

How much do I love Dr. Horrible? I'll let this picture from my Halloween party tell the story:




Yeah. The ladies were totally into my Dr. Horrible costume.

So... yeah. Dr. Horrible was bigger than Lennon, and the poster is pretty cool too. Signed by Felicia Day, Neil Patrick Harris, and Nathan Fillion. This prize is guaranteed to make you excited enough to pee.

That's all she wrote, folks. Remember you have until the end of December 11th to get in on the action. Tell your friends....



Want to know how to win these and other fabulous prizes while making the world a better place? Check OVER HERE for the blog that describes it all.





Rock on, team geek.

pat

Labels: a billion links, Felicia Day, Heifer International, recommendations

• Ten copies of Subterranean: Tales of Dark Fantasy, edited by William Schafer. Signed by all authors. Limited edition.

Labels: cool things, Heifer International, recommendations

Labels: Heifer International, meeting famous people, Peter S. Beagle

Publisher's Weekly tells us, "Wilson's prose is smooth and powerful, carrying its allegorical weight with grace."

Labels: Heifer International

Well everyone, through liberal application of garlic, Campbell's chicken noodle soup, and season 3 of Angel, I am miraculously healed.

Even better, I have more prizes for the Heifer Fundraiser. A whole stack of them. Let's get to it....



A set of all three anthologies in the Blue Kingdom series: Pirates of the Blue Kingdom, Shades and Specters, and Buxom Buccaneers. Tales of swashbucklers and spooks in a world of waters.

• A copy of The Golden Cord, book one of the Iron Dragon Series by Paul Genesse. Signed by the author.

Labels: cool things, Heifer International

Oh merciful Buddha. I am so sick....

Which is a real shame because we have several pieces of cool news today. I wish I wasn't all muzzy so I could gush appropriately about them.

The first is that Kevin J. Anderson has donated something huge to the Heifer Fundraiser.




Kevin has graciously donated a signed manuscript copy of his upcoming book Batman/Superman: Enemies and Allies. This is really big folks. Not only do you get a sneak peek of the book that won't be hitting the shelves until May 2009, but this story details the official first meeting between Superman and Batman. How cool is that?

Looking at this makes me wish there was some ethical way for me to enter my own contest with the hope of winning.

But that wouldn't be fair. As it is, I'll have to settle for caressing it in a loving manner. It is my firm belief that prolonged contact with the manuscript will heal me of whatever terrible illness has struck me down....

If you want the specifics about how you can win this manuscript, what the other prizes are, or what the whole fundraiser is about, CLICK HERE.


Today also marks the halfway point of the fundraiser. We've only been going for two weeks, and our team has already raised over 20,000 dollars with books and donations still rolling in.

Which brings us to the third piece of news. I'm raising the bar on the donation thermometer again. We'll take it all the way up to $30,000 so everyone visiting MY PAGE is clear on the fact that I'm still matching donations.

That said, I might have to stop after 30,000 dollars. I'm not saying I will, but I might. I need to take a hard look at my finances and make sure I'm not being stupid about this. One of the common misconceptions about being a writer is that once your book comes out, you're rich. But as Tobias Bucknell showed in the survey he took that's just not true.

The truth is, I've been fortunate this last year. I've sold the foreign rights to the book in a lot of countries, and those advances have allowed me to quit my day job. But I don't live in a house made of solid money. I've been loving this fundraiser, it's the most fun I've had in a year. But the only reason I'm able to do this fundraiser is because I still pretty much live like a student. I just wanted to give y'all fair warning that I might need to put on the breaks before too long.

Gech. I hate posting up a blog when I have a fever. I never know when I'm making sense. I need to bring Sarah over and read this to make sure I'm not just frothing like a wild dog.

Say hello to everyone, Sarah.

Hello, everyone.

I made you purple. Is that okay?

Yes. It's very cute and girly.

And you are cute and girly.

Aside from being my clever, beautiful girlfriend, Sarah is doing a lot of the behind-the-scenes work for the fundraiser, helping me package things and post up blogs. That, in turn lets me continue to get work done on The Wise Man's Fear.

Am I making sense on the blog so far, Sarah?

Yep. You're doing great. Just a bit more and you can go to bed.

Can you say something cool about Kevin's manuscript? I haven't done a good enough job of being gushy about it.

This book makes me tingle a little. It's got a big-mojo aura surrounding it. I can't wait to dig into the story when it comes out. There's bound to be some great, unexplored tension between these two iconic superheros and a bunch of juicy, rock 'em sock 'em, gladiator-style action. Whoever wins this is so freakin' lucky.

By unexplored tension, are you implying that Superman and Batman might be a little, you know, hot for each other?

No.

Are you sure? Two hot young guys? Maybe in college? Curious about...things? Willing to experiment?

Well, they are both quite well-proportioned. You've just given me a lot to think about later while you're sleeping.

Who do you like better, Superman or Batman?

Superman. I'd rather be him. Plus, he's an alien.

I bet Batman is a better kisser than Superman. At least, I think I'd rather kiss Batman. Kissing Superman would be... too weird.

You might get crushed by his super lips.

Wow. Yeah. I didn't even think of that.

What *is* your fever at right now, Honey?

102 last time I checked. When it hits 104 I'm gonna sell.

Can you make me some soup and tuck me into bed?

Yeah, Sweetie. I'll take care of everything.



Later all,

pat

Labels: Heifer International, Sarah

Hello everybody. No clever preamble today. I'm too busy keeping up with my own writing while dealing with the donations that have been coming in.

If you don't know what we're talking about, you can get the details HERE.

And now, more donations to the lottery:

• The entire Mistborn Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson, in hardcover. Signed and personalized to you by the author.

• Plague Year and Plague War, the first two books of Jeff Carlson's Plague trilogy. Signed by the author.

• A copy of Writers of the Future Volume 23, including Jeff Carlson's story The Frozen Sky. Donated and signed by Jeff Carlson.

Vicki Lewis Thompson, says these books are, "more fun than pillow fighting naked." And Phil and Kaja Foglio say, "Once you get into The Brass Bed, you won't ever want to get out." And if you can't trust Phil & Kaja Foglio to know sexy, then who can you trust?


If you want to know how to win this cool stuff, you can get all the details over HERE.

Or, if you want, here's the short version:

1) You donate to Heifer international on THIS PAGE.
2) I match your donation, dollar-for-dollar.
3) For every ten bucks you kick in, your name is entered into a drawing for these and many more fabulous prizes.

So far, we've raised over 17,000 dollars in under two weeks. Because apparently fantasy authors and fans are the best people around. That's my working theory, anyway.



Click Here to Donate


Stay tuned, more on the way...

pat

Labels: baby ducks, cool things, Heifer International

Fantasy authors have to be some of the coolest people around. I have suspected it for a long time, but now I know it to be the truth. I have proof.

It's only been about a week since I announced the fundraiser. When I started it, I sent out a very mild-mannered request to a few of the authors I know, telling them what I was planning, and mentioning that if they wanted to, they could donate a book or two. Y'know. If they wanted to. No pressure.

Since then, people have been donating in spades. Today the first of the packages arrived.

And just in the nick of time, too. I was starting to wander around my house, desperately looking for things I could add to the lottery. Thinking to myself, "A.... fork? Fork used by Pat Rothfuss? Pocket lint? Pair of my girlfriend's ladybug underwear?"

Oh man. I really want to put a picture of them up on here. But she would freak out.

But it would be REALLY funny....

...

You guys really don't know what dangerous waters I swim to entertain you. Just as I typed that, I heard the door close as my girlfriend left the house, so I scampered across the hall and started to root through her underwear drawer, giggling maniacally. It took me almost three minutes to find the pair I was looking for...

And then what happens? She comes back for some reason. Just in time to catch me standing outside her closet, clutching her ladybug panties, and laughing like some pervert who's been huffing paint. Luckily, I've spent years convincing her that I am absolutely insane. Otherwise things could have gotten a little awkward.

Okay, on to the new prizes.

• A galley copy of The Adamantine Palace by Stephan Deas. Signed by the author.
  

Just so we're clear, this is an ARC. One of those Advance Reading Copies that the publisher prints before the book comes out. That's right, here's your chance to be an insider and get hold of a book before it actually hits the shelves.

SFF world gives it a glowing review, saying, "The book is an entertaining mix of Pern and Westeros, with the knowing characterisation of Abercrombie and the endearment of Novik."

Labels: baby ducks, cool things, Heifer International

Well folks, as I sit down to write this, we've raised over 12,000 dollars, and it hasn't even been a full week yet. That's not counting my matching donation,or any of the people who are choosing option #2 as described OVER HERE.



Click Here to Donate



Again, I wish I could make that thing say "we've raised."


I've raised the donation "goal" to 20,000 on the Heifer page because I don't want anyone to pass on donating because they think we've reached our limit.

To accommodate our growing numbers, I've increased the number of DAW samplers, maps, and signed books being given away. Also, two days ago I found an old copy of the UK galley proof. Though I have a sentimental attachment to it, I can throw it into the mix as well. I've only seen about 10 of these in my life, so a signed one is probably worth something as a collector's item.




Also, the donations have started to come in. Most of them are signed books from other fantasy and science-fiction authors. I've been amazed at how willing everyone has been to contribute.

I'll be posting those other donations up as they show up at my house. I might start as soon as tonight....

And now, a little more Q & A.

• "If your name goes into the lottery hat multiple times, can you win multiple prizes? The first prize your name is drawn for? The Coolest prize your name is drawn for? How will that work?"

Here's how it will work.

Say you donate 120 dollars, enough for a goat.




Your name would go into the final drawing 12 times. Then, if we draw your name out of the hat and you win a signed book, your name is still in there 11 times for the rest of the drawing.

Then I'll drop you an e-mail telling you what you've won, and asking for your address. At that point, you can choose to pass on any of the prizes you've won. (For example, if you won two copies of the map, and you only want one.) I'll keep those re-donated prizes in storage until we do this again next year.

• Is the donation that I make on YOUR HEIFER PAGE tax deductible?

You bet. Personally, I can't think of a better way of keeping The Man away from your money.

• I have something I'd like to donate to your lottery option. Where can I send it?

Well... before you drop that macrame owl into the mail, why don't you drop me an e-mail at Paperback.contest (squiggly at thinger) gmail.com and tell me what you're thinking of sending.

It's not that I don't appreciate your generosity, and it's not that I have anything against macrame. Or owls. It's just that right now we kind of have a tight focus of things we're giving away as prizes. It's mostly books and SFF related stuff. For now, I think it might be best if we keep that focus.

That said, if you've got a book or something you think would fit in into the mix, I'd love to include it. So e-mail me or send it to:

Pat Rothfuss
P.O BOX 186
Stevens Point, WI 54481

• "I have an idea for an awesome prize. You could offer to pass the winner's manuscript along to your editor or your agent. I'd love to win that..."

Several people sent e-mails similar to this one. Believe me folks, I know where you're coming from. I struggled to get someone to read my book for years. Back then, I would have loved to win a prize like this too.

But though I feel your pain, I don't think this is a good idea. Here's why:

1) Most of the people participating in this contest don't have manuscripts I can read. I don't want to give out a prize that would be useless to 90% of the people eligible to win it.

2) It really isn't polite of me of me to inflict some random manuscript on my editor or agent. They're busy people.

3) The implication here is that you'd get published off the deal. And that just isn't a fair thing to imply. Hope is a wonderful thing, but false hope is actually more destructive than constructive.

But I think I might actually be able to offer a constructive option....

For you writers out there, I'm going to add something under the "Sure Thing" option. If you're willing to make a sizable donation to Heifer, I will read your manuscript and give you feedback on it. Revision advice.

Now, let's be clear so we don't have any misunderstandings. What I'm offering is this:

I'll read your manuscript just like I read my own, with a red pen in my hand, making notes on my thoughts: What I like. How I feel about the different sections. What is working well and could be expanded. And what, in my opinion, needs fixing.

Then I'd call you and we'll talk about the book. It's not as good as getting together over coffee and looking at the same manuscript, but it's better than me just dropping it in the mail and you trying to decipher my demented scribbling.

Also, and this is key, I'm not going to blow a lot of smoke up your ass. I'll tell you what I really think about it, both good and bad.

That said, I should mention that I was a writing tutor for almost a decade. I know how to give constructive criticism without it being excruciating to the writer. It's a talent I'm proud of. Too many tutors (and teachers, and writing groups) aren't good at this.

Here's what I'm not offering, just so we're clear.

I'm not offering to do this right now. I have some deadlines myself. We'll have to schedule it for some time after December.

I'm not offering to pass your manuscript along to my publisher or agent. Not. This is just you and me. Two writers having a discussion about your story and what you could do to make it better.

I'm not offering to work on your book with you as part of an ongoing editorial process. It's a one-shot deal. I'll read your manuscript once, a solid, careful read. Then I'll chat with you on the phone about it. Then I'll mail it back to you with my notes.

Just so we're clear.... Are we clear?

How much is a "sizable" donation? Well.... It needs to be fairly high in order to protect my time. If it was $10, I'd get 200 manuscripts and spend the next year reading Harry Potter fanfiction. Then I would kill myself.

So I think I'm going to have to set it at 1000 dollars or more. If you're willing to donate at least a thousand dollars to Heifer, drop me an e-mail and we'll negotiate.

Negotiate what? Well... YA fantasy is easier for me to read than quantum entanglement based science fiction, so I'd probably negotiate you to kick in more out of consideration for the extra time I'd be putting in. Same thing if your manuscript is 200,000 words long. If it's full of hot lesbian vampires making out... I'm okay with that. No extra charge.

Lastly, I feel obliged to say that the only reason I feel comfortable doing this is because it's for Heifer. You see, I'm trying to do what good I can, given my situation.

It's like this, if I were a movie star I could help Heifer by showing up and taking some pictures with a goat. Then they would use my name and my picture to help spread the word about the organization.

But I can't do that. Being photogenic is not part of my skillset. If someone took a picture of me with a goat, the journalists would get confused and the caption would end up reading something like, "Heifer also gives goats to shabby hobo-looking authors like Patrick Rothfuss. Before Heifer gave him a goat, Pat was too poor to afford a haircut or a second pair of pants. Now the nutritious milk will supplement his diet of ramen noodles, keeping his bones from becoming brittle as chalk."

And that's a best-case scenario. More likely the caption would read, "Goats provide milk to needy families, while sheep can be sheared for their wool, providing warm clothes and a source of income."

No. I'm not pretty, and I'm not famous in any conventional sense of the word. But I know stories, and I eat and breathe revision. So that's what I'm offering up on Heifer's behalf.


Lastly, can any of you out there think of a cool name for this fundraiser? Obviously (given the title of the blog) I haven't been able to come up with anything cool so far. Suggestions are welcome in the comments below.

Best,

pat

Labels: baby ducks, Heifer International

You guys are awesome. I think I can safely say that.

It's been less than four days, and we're raised over 5000 dollars. That's not counting my matching donation or any of the donations being made by people who are mailing checks or choosing option two.

If you've joined us late in the game and don't know what's going on, you should probably check out the blog OVER HERE. It gives the details of what we're doing.

News.

• I've added more prizes to the Lottery option, because we're having a bigger response than I initially anticipated. I've added more maps, signed books, and a second Advance Reading Copy of book two.

• I've been contacted by a bunch of authors who are donating signed books and other cool things to the cause. I'll be posting up details as soon as those books come in. We're going to have a LOT of new stuff in the mix.

• My delightful PR person over at Penguin has managed to find us more copies of the DAW sampler. So we have 60 of those in the mix, each with a teaser chapter from The Wise Man's Fear.

Everyone say, "Thank you Erica."



You know she's cool, because I don't let just anyone wear my gnome hat.


Now, answers to more questions.

• "Can you add an early reading copy of book two to the Sure Thing option? I'd pay ANYTHING for an advance reading copy of book two. ANYTHING!"

Really? Okay. I've added it to the list of things for sale under option two. You can buy one for 1000 bucks.

Here's the deal. I'm not saying you can have it right now. You'll get it when it's ready, and right now it isn't ready. I can't promise you a galley copy either, because I don't know how many of those I'll have at my disposal. But if I can't get you a galley, I'll print a copy off for you on my own personal printer, bind it together, sign it, and mail it to you. Maybe I'll draw a little goat on it too.

New - If you're interested in this option, keep in mind that your 1000 dollars doesn't get added to the lottery. You're effectively going for Option Two, as described over HERE. If you don't know what Option Two is, go over there and read about it.

Now just so you know, I'd never sell advance copies of the book like this just to make money. That would be crass. But this is for charity. So if you have money to burn, and you *really* want it that badly. Drop that check in the mail. I'll even add 200 bucks of my own. 1200 dollars is ten goats for ten families.

• "I love that you're doing this. Can I post about this on my blog?

Absolutely. I'd like nothing better than for people to help spread the word. Tell your friends on Myspace. Twitter it. If you're on Facebook, you can join the event someone created for the fundraiser. Feel free to sign up and invite your friends. The more the merrier.

However, I would prefer if you would link to my blog, rather than trying to copy-and-paste my post. That page gets updated whenever we get new prizes or something changes.

• "I plan on donating to Heifer Int'l this year as a gift to my parents. In the past, donating directly, I received a card verifying the donation. If I donate through your page will I still receive the same type of gift card/verification?"

For those of you who are new to Heifer, this is the card he's talking about:



These cards are actually really cool. They talk about the work Heifer does, and how the different animals improve people's lives.

I called Heifer and they reassured me that donating off MY PAGE is just the same as donating through their gift catalogue or anywhere else on their site. You still have the option of requesting the gift cards.

• "Can I donate to Heifer International using paypal?"

Nope. Sorry. But if you have Paypal, I'm guessing you have a credit card. You can use that.

• "I don't have a credit card. If I mail you a check will you enter me in the lottery and match my donation?"

Absolutely.

• "Can I send you cash?"

Muahahahahah....

Um.... Wait. No. You really shouldn't. It's just risky all around.

However, if you don't have a checking account or a credit card, you could get a money order and send that to me. I'll enter you in the lottery, and double your donation.


That's all for now folks, keep spreading the word.

pat

Labels: baby ducks, fan coolness, Heifer International

Today has been a great day.

Today I woke up feeling refreshed. The tight knot in my back that's been bothering me for almost a year was almost non-existent. I found myself singing in the shower, something that I used to do a lot, but haven't lately.

It's no great mystery what's making me feel this way. It's the fact that in less than 24 hours, we've raised more than 2000 dollars for a great charity. More that 4,000 after I match everyone's donations. Success beyond my wildest expectations.

This is so much fun.



Click Here to Donate


Hmmmm.... I wish that little thermometer said, "We've raised."

Anyway, because we've had such a strong start, I waned to answer a few questions people have been asking.

• "Will you stop matching donations when you hit 5,000 dollars?"

No. I'll match all the donations that are made.

Earlier today, when I told Sarah how well things were going, she looked at me a little nervously and asked, "Are you going to be okay with it if people donate 10,000 and you have to match it?"

"I expect I will whistle a jaunty tune," I said happily.

"What if they raise 20,000?" She pressed.

"Then I will probably perform a tiny, happy dance while I whistle," I explained.

Don't misunderstand me here. I'm not all Scrooge McDuck rich over here. But I can't think of any better way to go broke than this.

Truth is, when I was setting up the page on Heifer, I set the goal at 5000 because I had no idea if y'all would be interested. I didn't want to set it really high, because then if I only got a few donations, I'd feel like a sad loser.

But because this actually seems to be going somewhere, here's what I'm going to do.

I'm going to raise the goal on the donations page to 10,000. If we hit that, I'll be all tingly.

I'm also going to add more prizes to the pool, so that everyone still has a good chance of getting something cool. That way, you can tell help me recruit more people without feeling like you're ruining your chances to win stuff.

I'll post up more details about the new prizes in a couple days.

• Can I do some fundraising of my own, then donate it and have you match it?

By all means. Have a bakesale. Search under the couch cushions at your friends' houses. Show people at work the website then pass the hat. I'm matching donations from any and all who want to chip in.

But make sure you get it in by Dec 11th. And make sure you donate through THE PAGE I SET UP. That's the only way I can track donations.

• "I can buy chicks on your page, but not baby ducks!"

Yeah. They don't offer all the different options on the donor pages. The cost of a flock of ducks is the same as for the chicks: $20.

• "How much of my donation to Heifer goes to actually helping people?"
  

This is a fair question. A lot of so-called charities are actually just scams that collect money, then use a very small amount of it for the intended purpose.

But trust me that I've done my research. Heifer is an award-winning charity for a reason. They've been doing good works for over 60 years.

Heifer keeps all its financial records available to the public, and 75% of everything it collects go directly toward helping people.

Here's a nice visual breakdown from Heifer's site.




You can see here that less than seven percent of their money goes toward administration. That's exceptional.

• "I live in [foreign country]. Can I still send you a check and buy a book?"

Yes. I stopped by the post office and bank today and peppered them with questions. So here's how it will work.

It costs me $20 dollars to ship a book internationally. Every additional book in the same package adds $10 to the cost of shipping.

So here's what you do:

1) Add the extra shipping to the prices I've already given.

2) Add three bucks to cover the fee that the bank is going to charge me.

3) Convert it into your local currency. (euros, pounds, rupees, whatever)

4) Write me a check using your local currency. (This is important. Don't write me a check in dollars if that isn't what they use where you live.)

5) Mail it off to me with the other information I've asked for written on a notecard.

Easy as pie.

• "I love that you're willing to donate to charity. Would you match my donation to [insert name of charity here] instead?"
  

Everyone has their favorite charity. As I said in my first post on the subject, I know there are a lot of good causes out there, and people have very personal attachments to them. Emotions run high in these areas.

Someone contacted me asking about animal shelters, another about diabetes. A third person posted a comment on the blog, arguing that people living in the US shouldn't give money to charities that support causes outside the US. I erased the post because it was harshing my groove, then I felt guilty about it because the person was very polite in making their point.

But here's what I'm getting at. I think it's important not to go all Bruce Wayne in these situations.

Follow along with me on this. Bruce Wayne's folks were killed by criminals, so he grows up and becomes Batman in order to fight crime. Because he hates crime. Because his parents were killed by crime.

Now I like Batman as much as the next guy. Good stories. Batarangs. Men in tights. He's probably my favorite superhero, or close to it. But the fact is, his whole Batman deal is pretty self-indulgent.

Think about it. Dude is a multi-billionaire. If he wanted to make the world a better place, he could create a foundation 100 times bigger than Heifer International. He could build shelters for battered women, schools in low-income neighborhoods. Sustainable agriculture. Renewable energy.

What does he do with his money? He builds super-gadgets so he can fight crime. Drives a rocket car.

Yes I know that Bruce Wayne is also a philanthropist. Don't quibble. He does a tiny bit of charity, and a whole big shitload of being Batman.

Why? Well... because it wouldn't be much of a comic if he didn't. But the other answer is, he fights crime because it makes him feel good. Not because it does good. There's a difference.

Cancer got my mom not too long ago, and it took a good hard swing at my dad, too. That means that I should be raising money for cancer research because I hate cancer, right?

Well.... no. Do I hate cancer? Of course. But if I just focused on fighting cancer for the rest of my life, I'd kind of be doing it for selfish reasons. Instead, I'd rather focus on making people's lives better. I'd like to focus on doing good, then let the feeling good be the side effect.

That's why I'm focusing on Heifer. They help people all over the world, not just here in the US. Why? Because people all over the world have it really shitty and they need help. To say that some people deserve my help more just because they're from the same country.... Nah. That's not my game. I'm playing for team human, not team USA.

Does that make sense? Wait.... What was the question again?

Oh. Yeah. Will I match donations somewhere else instead of Heifer? Respectfully, I'll pass. I'm not saying you should stop loving your charity. But I've put some thought into this, and I'm going to stick with Heifer for now.





Lastly, for anyone who's interested. I'm going to be doing a workshop (4:00) and a reading/signing (7:00) at a library in Lanesboro, MN tomorrow (Wednesday the 12th). I'm excited because I hear this place is about fifteen miles away from Lake Wobegone.

Want more details? Check out the my tour schedule page.

Later all,

pat

Labels: fan coolness, Heifer International

What's that you say? You'd like to make the world a better place while simultaneously winning fabulous prizes?

Well today is your lucky day.

Heifer International is my favorite charity. It helps people raise themselves up out of poverty and starvation. All over the world Heifer promotes education, sustainable agriculture, local industry, and clean water.

They don't just keep kids from starving, they make it so families can take care of themselves. They give goats, sheep, and chickens to families so their children have milk to drink, warm clothes to wear, and eggs to eat.


I think this is something we can all get behind.

If you're wondering *why* I'm doing this, that information is OVER HERE. This blog gives details on *how* the donation drive will work.

You've got two options for donating. Please read things all the way through before making your choice.



I've created a webpage OVER HERE on Heifer's website. For every dollar you donate there, I'll donate a dollar too.

It works like this:




Elegant in its simplicity, no?

After a month's time, on December 11th, we'll have a drawing for prizes. I'll use the information from the Heifer site to get the donation totals. For every 10 bucks you've kicked in, your name will get entered into the drawing once.

So if you've donated thirty bucks, your name would go in three times. Think of it as buying tickets, if you like.

When I started this fundraiser, I thought it was mostly going to be for my readers and people on my blog. So most of the prizes centered around my book (as you can see below.) But the fundraiser has grown since then, and we're getting new stuff from generous donors all over the world. Stay tuned for new stuff.

Added Nov 18th - We have a bunch of signed books and ARCs OVER HERE.

Added Nov 20th - More signed books and ARCs OVER HERE.

Added Nov 24th - Signed manuscript of Enemies and Allies OVER HERE.

Added Nov 26th - More signed books and collectibles OVER HERE.

Added Dec 1st - Signed books from Bad Moon Press OVER HERE.

Added Dec 2nd - Signed books and prints from Peter S. Beagle OVER HERE.

Added Dec 3rd - $8000 of signed, limited-edition books from Subterranean Press OVER HERE.

Added Dec 9th - More signed books, ARC's, DVD's, and other cool swag OVER HERE.

• 40 color maps of the Four Corners. Signed by me.

Drawn by my friend, Nathan Taylor. Nate is also the illustrator who drew the black and white map that ended up in the book. This is the color version, so you can see some of the detail that's not available in the book, including some of the political borders.

• 40 Copies of The Name of the Wind Movie Poster. Signed by me.

Also drawn by Nathan Taylor. He was fantasising about them making a movie out of the book, and drew this as a mock-up of what the movie poster might look like. I love Kvothe's expression. It really captures a key piece of his personality.

Nate and I are also working on a not-for-children children's book together. So here's your chance to get hold of some of his art before he gets super famous....

• 90 Copies of the DAW sampler. Signed by me.

DAW put this out earlier this year as a promotional item. It's got teaser pieces from all sorts of upcoming DAW books, from authors like Tad Williams and Mercedes Lackey.

It also has a chapter from The Wise Man's Fear.

• 25 signed hardcover copies of the Name of the Wind.

The 5th printing with the sexy new cover.

• 5 copies of the College Survival Guide. Signed by me and the illustrator.
  

My first publication. The first four years of the humor column I wrote for the local paper, along with illustrations and annotations. Only 500 copies of this were printed, so they're hard to come by these days. Perfect for reading on the toilet.

• 5 First edition copies of the Name of the Wind. Signed by me.

With the old out-of-print cover. You wouldn't believe what some people are charging for these things out there.

• 6 Copies of Tales of Dark Fantasy. Signed by me.

This is the Subterranean Press anthology that printed my short story, "The Road to Levinshir," which is an excerpt from The Wise Man's Fear.

It also has some great stories by folks like Tim Powers and Kage Baker. It's a beautiful hardcover book, and the cover price was $40, and that was back before it sold out.

• A signed copy of the first printing UK hardcover.
  

There aren't many of these in existence the simple reason that I don't live in England. Plus, you know how everything sounds way cooler when it's pronounced in an English accent? Well this book is WRITTEN in an English accent. How cool is that?

• 2 Copies of the original galley proofs of The Name of the Wind. Signed by me.

A galley is an early version of a book that publishers occasionally print in order to promote a book. There weren't that many of these printed, and the last one of them I saw on e-bay was going for over a hundred dollars. The few signed ones out there are going for more than that...

• A copy of the UK galley proof. Signed by me.

I've only seen about ten of these, so a signed one is probably a bit of a collectible item.

• Two advance reading copies of The Wise Man's Fear.

I need to stress that this book is not ready to read yet. Not. Ready. To Read. Yet. That means you can't have it right now. (This picture is a cruel lie.) But here's the deal, if you win this, I'll make sure you get a copy as soon as it's ready to show around, before it officially hits the shelves.

• An early editorial manuscript of book one.

A proto-version of The Name of the Wind, printed out on my trusty HP printer, and marked up as part of my ongoing editorial process. Includes the now absent first chapter of the book, as well as a hundred other small differences. A similar item sold for 1000 bucks over in England a while back, and the one they have now is going for more than that. So odds are, if you don't want it, you can sell it to someone else who does....

Two things:

• Make sure you donate on MY PAGE. Otherwise I won't know you donated, won't have access to your e-mail, and won't be able to include you in the fun.

Or, as I like to think of it, the Christmas Present Option.

Over the last couple months, people have been contacting me, asking if I'm still signing books like I mentioned in my blog from long ago.

The simple answer is, "yes." You mail me the book, something cool, and a check to cover return shipping, and I'll sign your book.

But right now, in honor of the Heifer fundraiser, I'm willing to streamline the process. Rather than you buying a book, finding something cool, packaging it up, and paying for shipping both ways, you can just mail me a check and I'll send you a book signed however you like. Then I'll ship it right back to you, carefully packaged and in time for Christmas.

Here's a list of the books I've got stockpiled here in my house. (For more detailed descriptions, look above.)

• New - Signed color version of the Four Corners map. $40

• Signed hardcover (5th edition with the new bluish cover) - $45

• Signed copy of Your College Survival Guide - $65

• Signed copy of Tales of Dark Fantasy - $75

• SOLD OUT First Edition Hardcover - $85

• Signed galley proof - $250

• New - An ARC of book two - $1000 (Not now. When it's finished. Details HERE)
  

• New - I will give you feedback on your manuscript - (Details HERE.)
  

For the most part, these prices are double what these things cost me, plus a little to cover shipping. I can get a 5th edition hardcover for 20 bucks, so they're up there for 45. The anthology I can get for 35, so they're going for 75....

The reason for this is that it's in keeping with me matching donations. If someone buys a book from me for 20 dollars and then I donate the money. They really haven't donated. They just bought a book. Follow me?


If you're going with option two, please follow these directions.

1. Write the following information on a 3 x 5 note card:

A) Which item you want.

B) EXACTLY what you'd like me to write in the book.

I have no problem personalizing books, but please be specific about what you'd like. Asking for a quote from Bast is fine. Asking me to wish someone luck in their own writing is fine. "Happy Birthday Schmendrick." "To the best lover I've ever had." It's all good.

But if your card says, "write whatever you want." I will write, "Whatever you want" in the book. Seriously.

C) Your return address.

D) Contact information. Either a phone number or an e-mail address where you can be reached.

2. Include a check. Make it out to me because I'll be using a couple bucks from each one to cover postage.

3. Mail the note card and the check to:

Pat Rothfuss
P.O. Box 186
Stevens Point, WI 54481

If you live outside the US and want to buy a book, follow the instructions I've laid out in THIS BLOG. International shipping is expensive, and you need to fill out your check a certain way or my bank won't cash it.

• If you'd want to buy something AND do the lottery, that's fine. So if you send in a check for 85 dollars, and specify that you'd like a copy of the College Survival Guide, I'd mail you that book, then match the extra twenty dollars and throw your name in the hat twice when we did the drawing.

• If you're an author or some other interested party who would like to donate something other than money to the cause, feel free to drop me an e-mail at Paperback.contest (squiggly at sign) gmail.com

Additional questions? I might have answered them HERE or HERE or HERE. Please read through those FAQ's before you e-mail me.

That's all for now. If you have any other ideas for things that might make good prizes, feel free to leave them in a comment below.

And one more time, here's the link to MY TEAM PAGE.


Hopefully yours,

pat

Labels: baby ducks, being awesome, Heifer International

Earlier this year, I held what I thought was going to be a little photo contest. The response surprised me; hundreds of people sent in almost a thousand photos. People dressed up, stripped naked, and climbed onto rooftops. It was an eye opener for me. I realized that there were a lot of folks out there who *really* liked the book.

Ever since, I've been thinking about what sort of contest I'd like to run next. Fanart contest? Video contest? Something for the writers out there? What sort of prizes would people be interested in? Posters? Signed books? Sneak peeks of books to come?

But then I had a better idea.

Eventually, I will run the contests I mentioned above. There will be good times. We will revel in our shared geekery. Blogs will be writ. Prizes will be had.

But first, I'm hoping to direct some of this energy in a slightly different direction. If I'm going to hand out prizes, I'd like it to be for a good cause. Something I believe we all have in common....

I believe that deep down, people are good. I believe that most of us would go out of our way to take care of baby ducks.


My favorite charity is called Heifer International. They are a great force for good in the world, and I'd like to help them raise some money.

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 someone who has just recently become self-reliant, I know what a nice feeling that is.

My Mom loved Heifer. Every Christmas I would donate enough money for a goat, then give it to her as a present. I remember the first year I did it. She opened the envelope where I had drawn a crude picture of a goat and a happy stick-figure child.

She knew what it meant right off the bat. "Oh! I love it!" she said. And she got a little weepy, because she loved nothing better than helping people who needed it. She had a heart as big as the sky.




This is why I love Heifer. If we raise a couple thousand dollars for them, it will make peoples' lives better. A couple thousand dollars means little kids get milk to drink. It means families get sheep, which means wool for warm blankets and clothes. It means better wells, so moms with babies can have clean water to drink.

I think this is something we can all get behind, can't we?


So here's my plan, the bare bones version.

1. You will help by spreading the word, and making donations.

2. I will match all of the donations, dollar for dollar.


3. We both have a big warm fuzzy feeling in our chests that lets us know we've helped make the world a better place.

4. Finally, as a gesture of my appreciation, I will supply gifts for the people who participated: Signed books, maps, sneak peaks of book two, stuff like that.

This blog is to explain *why* I'm doing this. The details about *how* are over here on THIS BLOG. There are links to my Heifer Team page and details about the prizes. So hop on over there and check it out.

Excitedly yours,

pat

Labels: baby ducks, Heifer International, mom, Warm Fuzzy