Tag Archives: Kevin Hearne

Published: November 20, 2015

The Kindness of Authors

Worldbuilders only exists today because of the kindness and generosity of my fellow sci-fi and fantasy authors.

You see, back in 2008 when I first stumbled awkwardly onto my blog and asked folks people if they’d like to donate money to Heifer International, other authors contacted me and offered to help. They donated books and spread the word in ways I never could have managed on my own.

Now, years later, the same is still true. Authors help spread the word, they help with projects and stretch goals. And they donate books.

Every single book in this blog is signed (or has a signed bookplate). There are rarities. There is fabulousness. Here you will have the chance to get your grubby little mits on books that haven’t even been released yet. To say nothing of and an assortment of cool trinkets like pens, special tea, t-shirts…

Ah, why don’t I just show you?

The first thing we have today is something we’ve never offered before:

  • Auction: Two Tickets to the Red Carpet Premiere of The Shannara Chronicles on Friday, December 4th, 2015.

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Shawn Speakman and his wife had tickets to this premier originally, but they just found they wouldn’t be able to go.

Rather than return non-transferable tickets, Shawn talked to the folks at MTV and Terry Brooks, and asked them if they might be able to use the tickets to make the world a better place instead.

Much to our delight, the studio agreed to donate the tickets to Worldbuilders.

So we’re auctioning them off to the highest bidder. This includes the red carpet experience, the two-episode screening, and an after party with those who have worked to bring Shannara to the screen. You’re responsible for your own travel and accommodations, but these tickets will get you past the velvet rope and rubbing elbows with all sorts of fancy folk.

There are more details in the auction description, so head over there, read up, and bid.

  • Welcome to Night Vale. Signed by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor. 4 copies in the lottery and one for auction.

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I’ve loved Welcome to Night Vale for ages now. I’ve gushed at length about the book already on goodreads, and even took a trip down to Milwaukee where I interviewed them as part of their book tour. While I was down there, they signed some copies for the fundraiser.

We’re putting 4 in the lottery, where anyone who donates at least $10 can win them.

And here’s one up for auction, for someone who *really* wants a signed copy.

  • Limited edition copy of Unfettered. Signed by all participating authors. 

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This incredibly rare book is going into the lottery. It’s another publisher’s copy, and it’s signed by all 22 authors (myself included). It had actually slipped through the printing and binding process without my signature, so Shawn sent it back here and just told us to keep it once I signed it, which continues to show what a lovely person he is.

It’s in the lottery, where we hope it delights the person who wins it.

But there’s also one up for auction from the Grim Oak Press donations, too…

  • Copies of The Great Way Trilogy Omnibus. With bookplate signed by Harry Connolly. 3 copies in the lottery and one for auction.

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“This twisty, subversive novel will win Connolly a whole new set of fans.” — Publishers Weekly

I read Connolly’s Twenty Palaces series and really dug it, which means I’m coveting this new omnibus, which is gorgeous. What’s more, this version is the Kickstarter-exclusive edition. There were only 200 printed, so we’re really lucky to have have three of them for the lottery.

There’s also one up for auction right here.

  • Set of Imperial Radch novels Signed by Ann Leckie.
  • Another set (with tea) up for auction.

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“Unexpected, compelling and very cool. Ann Leckie nails it…I’ve never met a heroine like Breq before. I consider this a very good thing indeed.” — John Scalzi

I’m guessing you already know about these books, as they’ve won all manner of awards. And justifiably so. I read the first one earlier this year, and the fact that I haven’t managed to get around to the other two is ample evidence of my failure as a human being.

Ann was nice enough to send us a full set of signed books for the lottery.

We’ve got another signed set up for an auction, with the added bonus of specialty tea based on the Imperial Radch series. (I would like you all to appreciate that I did *not* make a joke about this being special-tea, even though Amanda encouraged me to.)

Consider rewarding my non-punning by bidding on this auction over here.

  • A set of The Demon Cycle: The Warded Man, The Desert Spear, The Daylight War, The Skull Throne, and companion novella Messenger’s Legacy. All signed by Peter V. Brett.

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“There is much to admire in Peter Brett’s writing, and his concept is brilliant. There’s action and suspense all the way” — Terry Brooks.

Peter V. Brett is a great guy, and he always stomps out with good donations. This year is no exception, and this set is going to make someone’s day when they win it in the lottery.

  • Sets of Fool’s Assassin and Fool’s Quest. Signed by Robin Hobb.
  • Same, (plus cool dragon pens) up for auction.

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Be glad all of these nifty dragon pens made it into the sets. Rachel desperately wants one of them.

All of the books are signed, and we put one of the sets into the lottery, and one into an auction over here for those of you who don’t like taking risks like this.

  • Sets of The Rig and Crystal Force. Signed by Joe Ducie. One in the lottery and one up for auction.

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Captain Joe is a beloved member of the blog comments community here. He’s participated in photo contests in the past, and now he’s an acclaimed YA author.

“All the elements of a great thriller are here—sinister villains, a stoic hero with a heart of gold, even mutated sharks…A solid genre outing.” — Kirkus

He gave us a couple of sets of his books, so one set is in the lottery, and the other is up for auction right here.

  • 20 copies of Agent Darcy and Ninja Steve in: Tiger Trouble! With bookplates by Grant Goodman.

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Grant Goodman is a high school teacher by day, which endears him to Amanda, who taught high school until I stole her away into the glamorous life of personal assistanting and charity.

By night, Grant dons a mask and fights crime on the streets of Gotham.

No. Wait, I got that wrong, it says here that he’s donating all proceeds from sales of his book to Worldbuilders through the end of the fundraiser. AND he’s kicked in 20 copies for us to put into the lottery.

Wow. That’s actually cooler than being Batman. Thanks so much, Grant.

  • 3 copies of The Executioness. Signed by Tobias Buckell.
  • 1 copy up for auction.

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“Even non-sci-fi readers will be bowled over…. Violent, poetic, and compulsively readable” — Maclean’s

This is one of the lovely Subterranean Press versions, so you know it’s beautiful. And Tobias has been awesome to us, so we’ve got 3 of his book in the lottery, and there’s one signed copy up for auction here.

  • 4 ARCs of Promise of Blood. Signed by Brian McClellan.
  • 1 signed ARC up for auction.

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“This book is just plain awesome. I found myself enjoying every moment of it. Innovative magic, quick-paced plot, interesting world. I had a blast.” –Brandon Sanderson

Brian was kind enough to send some of his ARCs over, so we’ve put 4 copies of it into the lottery. For the collectors out there we put one up in an auction, too.

  • A set of Shadow Ops: with signed bookplates from Myke Cole.

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“A military fantasy that combines intense personal anguish with elements of actual horror.”—Tor.com

Oh Myke Cole. You’re the bee’s knees. I liked his first book enough to blurb it, and they just get better from there.

Here’s a complete set of his series, all signed. He’s also a part of the Cards Against Humanity pack we released yesterday. He’s a huge supporter of Worldbuilders, and we love the fuck out of him. (Amanda wrote that. But I’m leaving it in here because… well… it’s true.)

  • Kushiel’s Dart. Signed by Jacqueline Carey. Auction also comes with Kushiel’s Chosen (signed) and a Litographs t-shirt.

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“A very sophisticated fantasy, intricately plotted and a fascinating [book].” —Robert Jordan

Jacqueline made it pretty far in her reading of Fox in Socks, which has impressed everyone here in the office. Plus, she donated signed copies of her books, and then a Litographs t-shirt based on her series.

We’re auctioning off the set with the shirt, so you can bid on that over here.

  • Twelve Kings in Sharakhai in various formats. Signed by Brad Beaulieu. One hardcover up in an auction.

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Brad has been published for a while now, but this newest book was picked up and published by DAW, so he’s a part of my extended family.

He sent us a bunch of different copies of his book, including US and UK editions, plus US and UK ARCs, and audiobooks. All of that’s going into the lottery, but we pulled aside one of the US Hardcovers to auction off, as well. To bid on it, go right here. It’ll make the world a better place, and you’ll get a beautiful new signed book.

  • Copy of Star Wars: Heir to the Jedi. Signed by Kevin Hearne.

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“Utterly compelling . . . [The novel] plants readers in Luke Skywalker’s boots in the early days of his heroism, during the weeks after he blew up the Death Star.”—New York Daily News

Kevin Hearne: Thriller dancer, mead drinker, and published part of the Star Wars cannon. We’ve put this into the lottery, and it could brighten your day if you make a donation or $10 or more to the team page.

  • 2 full sets of Iron Druid Chronicles, including ARCs of Staked, which comes out January 26th. All signed by Kevin Hearne. One auction of the ARC Staked.

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This is a hilarious amalgamation of US and UK editions, combined to make 2 complete sets of the series. Will it be “color” or “colour” in the next  volume? Who knows!

The big deal here, though, is that all of these come with signed ARCs of Staked, the newest novel in the series, which won’t be out until January 26th. The people who win them in the lottery might not get them in time, but the person who wins it in an auction definitely will. If you want to be the person guaranteed to get a sneak peek at the latest Iron Druid book, be sure to go bid right here.

  • Auction:  The Everything Box. Includes hand-written notes. Signed by Richard Kadrey.

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Have you read anything by Richard Kadrey before? if not, you need to fix that. And conveniently enough, we have a great deal here for you.

This is an ARC of Kadrey’s newest book. It comes with a bunch of his hand-written notes about the novel that he used while he was writing. And this book doesn’t come out until April 19, 2016. You’ll have it so early you could read it multiple times before it actually hits shelves.

Something like this being up for auction is not just cool, it’s amazingly unprecedented. I know you want it because I know *I* want it.

So you should head over and bid on it here.

* * *

There you go folks. Many lovely books. And for every 10 dollars you donate on the Worldbuilders team page, you get a chance to win.

In other news: this afternoon, I’ll be livestreaming a reading of my Night Vale/Lake Wobegon mashup fanfic, since we blew past that $200,000 stretch goal yesterday.

We blew past a lot of stretch goals yesterday, so we’ll be scrambling to post those up in the next few days. If you want to make sure you don’t miss them, you might consider subscribing to the Worldbuilders YouTube channel, where pretty much all of our video stuff lives.

A lot of auctions are ending this weekend, including the professional read & critiques of unpublished manuscripts. You can see a listing of everything that’s currently being auctioned off over here.

Lastly, I’ll be doing a writing Q&A on Twitch on Saturday at 2pm CST for those of you who are interested, and then those auctions end on Sunday night at various times after 7pm CST.

Let’s keep making the world a better place. You know what to do.

Posted in Worldbuilders 2015 | By Pat12 Responses
Published: November 17, 2015

Cool Books from Del Rey & Grim Oak Press

The Worldbuilders staff always get weirdly excited when the delivery driver pulls up and says with a horrified look, “You have 15 boxes today…” The team has been known to cheer at the backbreaking work of hauling thousands of books up or down sets of stairs. They’re not entirely right in the head, but it’s okay, because they’re my kind of crazy.

Recently, Del Rey and Grim Oak Press are two of the deliveries that made the team cheer. Both have been donating for a while, and we’re glad to have them, because they both are offering some really quality stuff this year.

So today we’ve got more than 100 new items going into the lottery where anyone can win them. For every $10 bucks you donate on our page, you get another chance to win.

We’ve also got 8 new rare, signed books going up for auction, too.

Let’s get rolling.

Coolness from Del Rey

  • First Books in Cool Series: 10 copies of 10 different books

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Del Rey did not hold back this year. Here we have a collection of beginnings. Excellent books that kick off their own series. (Which is really nice if you’re a read-from-the-start-no-matter-what person like I am.)

There’s more than a few of my personal favorites in there. And I know for a fact that my blurbs are on the backs of at least two of these.

The full list includes: The Abyss Beyond Dreams by Peter F Hamilton, Hounded by Kevin Hearne, The Warded Man by Peter V Brett, The Shadow Revolution by Clay Griffith and Susan Griffith, Fool’s Assassin by Robin Hobb,  Emergence by John Birmingham, Red Rising by Pierce Brown, The Galaxy Game by Karen Lord, and The Hammer & the Blade and (plus its sequel, A Discourse in Steel) by Paul S Kemp. Half a King by Joe Abercrombie.

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We’ve talked about the Iron Druid Chronicles a lot, but it bears repeating that these are great books. Del Rey sent Kevin two complete sets to sign, and he sent them on to us, so one is going into the lottery while the other one is going up for auction right here.

Lottery Items from Grim Oak Press

Shawn Speakman started Grim Oak Press a while back, and since then he’s collected a LOT of signed books from other authors. He runs preorders for them on his website, has the authors come sign books, and then ships them out. It’s a really great deal.

Its an even better deal for Worldbuidlers, because he’s held on to a bunch of them to donate this year, and we’re putting a lot of books into the lottery.

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These are some serious anthologies, with a lot of heavy hitters in them. People like Brandon Sanderson, Neil Gaiman, Django Wexler, Cat Rambo, and Kat Richardson, just to name a few. Unfettered in particular is pretty rare, because only 5,000 copies were printed. Unbound hasn’t even been released yet.

All three of these anthologies are in the lottery, in all of their signed glory.

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This is a good example of the wide variety of authors Shawn works with. He donated seven completely different books that do a pretty good job of spanning the Sci-Fi/Fantasy genre, so if you win one of these from the lottery, you’re bound to find something to like.

  •  First edition copies of The Slow Regard of Silent Things. Double signed by me and Nate Taylor. One in the lottery and one up for auction.

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I’m sure most of you have heard about Slow Regard, but if you haven’t, it’s my newest novella, and includes really beautiful illustrations from my friend Nate Taylor.

Nate is much harder than me to get to sign things (I’ve been known to sign a lot of books that weren’t mine), so the fact that we have two copies bearing his lovely signature is pretty cool. One is going into the lottery, and the other is up for auction right over here.

Auctions from Grim Oak Press

We put a fair amount of Shawn’s stuff into the lottery, but he’s got a bunch of stuff that’s very rare, limited, or otherwise specialty, so we’ve put the rest of it up for action.

  • Auctions: First edition copy of Firefight. Numbered edition of Legion: Skin Deep. Both signed by Brandon Sanderson.

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These two auctions contain some of the books Brandon Sanderson has signed for Grim Oak. And look at this familiar blurb for the Reconers series (of which Firefight is #2):

“Another win for Sanderson . . . he’s simply a brilliant writer. Period.”—Patrick Rothfuss, author of the New York Times and USA Today bestseller The Name of the Wind

Both of these are really good books, but both of them are second in a series,  so rather than give them to someone who won’t appreciate them properly, we’re auctioning them off to people who will love them. You can bid on the signed copy of Firefight right here, and the fancy, signed and numbered edition of Legion: Skin Deep right here.

  • Auction: First edition copy of The Skull Throne. Signed by Peter V Brett.

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Peter V. Brett is one of our beloved, long-time supporters. In the early years of Worldbuilders (the second year, actually), Amanda actually won a signed copy of his first book, The Warded Man, in the lottery. This was years before she worked here, and she told me it’s one of her prized possessions.

I like to think it’s because I read that exact copy and signed it too, but she neither confirms nor denies that guess.

This is the fourth book in the series, and you can grab it all for your own right over here.

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These are some beautiful comic books.

The comics are scripted by Daniel Abraham, and George R.R. Martin advises the adaptation. These are all signed by both of them. Again, they’re not the beginning of the series, so we couldn’t put them into the lottery, but they’re definitely cool, and so we’ve put them up in an auction here.

Unbound special

We have a rare ARC copy of Unbound, which isn’t hasn’t even hit the shelf yet.

This features another 22 stories by great authors, and it’s no ordinary, flimsy ARC – this ARC is a hardcover, one of only 250 printed, and has the in-progress cover artwork Todd Lockwood finishes up the final.

Plus, Todd Lockwood himself has doodled a dragon inside it. Which is pretty damn epic.

You can bid on it over here.

  • Auction: Limited edition Unfettered. Signed by all authors.

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(Click to embiggen, and see how everyone else has a cooler signature than me.)

Limited to 500 copies. Signed by 22 of the biggest names in modern speculative fiction. Special edition cover…. honestly, I don’t know what else you could ask for here.

Unless it’s a cool slipcase to keep the book safe. But wait, it’s got that too.

This is a truly marvelous donation, a real rarity. And if it doesn’t goes for less than 500 bucks, someone’s getting a hell of a bargain. But as I type this, it’s going for a lot less than that: bid on it here.

* * *

We’re creeping up on $125,000, which is when John Scalzi, Ann Leckie, Sabaa Tahir, and I read our own 1-Star Reviews, which is sure to be hilariously painful. And at $150,000 you get to have a Worldbuilders edition of Fox in Socks. Knowing my team, there’s probably going to be a lot of bleeped-out cussing in that video.

As a matter of fact, you should really take a glance at all of the upcoming stretch goals, because some really cool people are doing some amazing stuff this year….

Cool stuff on the horizon, guys. Big news. Exciting events. And don’t forget I’ll still be streaming on twitch every day at 4:00 CST.

Thanks for being awesome, everyone…

Posted in Worldbuilders 2015 | By Pat5 Responses
Published: November 9, 2015

Beautiful Jewelry from Badali

These past couple years, Badali has really extended their licensing with fantasy authors. As a result, they have a really great mix of nerdy jewelry from a multitude of fandoms.

This year they’re sharing a selection of those goodies with us, including a couple pieces they haven’t even made available to the public yet…

Let’s dive in.

  • Auctions: Oberon’s Iron Amulet and Atticus’s Necklace from the Iron Druid Chronicles by Kevin Hearne.

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The Iron Druid Chronicles have become an office favorite here at Worldbuilders. Almost everyone here has read them, and Oberon is particularly beloved among the Worldbuilders Crew.

There are two different pieces here. One is Oberon’s Iron Amulet, which is on a keychain, and there’s Atticus’s full charm necklace. Both amulets are made of real iron, and crafted with all of the incredible care that Badali puts into all of their jewelry.

You can bid on Oberon’s amulet here, or Atticus’s necklace right here. Auctions end on Sunday night, but you should definitely bid early and often.

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This medallion shows the sixteen Allomantic metals from Sanderson’s irritatingly well-written Mistborn universe. It’s made of pewter, which isn’t currently available from Badali, so you’re getting a cool rarity if you pick this one up.

You can bid to have your own Steel Alphabet Medallion right here.

  • Auctions: Bridge Four Sterling Silver, Blue Enamel Medallion and Bridge Four Bronze Medallion from Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson.

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This symbol was designed to be a symbol of honor for the Bridge Four crew in the Stormlight Archive. Badali did a beautiful job replicating the glyphs from the series, and we have two different options for you to bid on.

One is a blue enameled badge, set in sterling silver, while the other is an antiqued bronze badge, and slightly larger than the sterling silver one.

You can bid on the blue enamel medallion right here, or the bronze one over here.

  • Auctions: Oathbringer Shardblade Necklace and Nan Glyph Necklace from Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson.

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There’s a lot of cool jewelry to be had from the Stormlight Archive, and Badali didn’t hold back. The first auction here is for a pendant of the Oathbringer Shardblade, the legendary sword of the Knights Radiant. It’s got a round synthetic heliodor set into the hilt, showing of Badali’s incredible attention to detail.

The second one is the Nan Glyph Necklace, in all of its beautiful, smokestone-enameled glory. The glyph is associated with the Herald Nalan’Ein, with the ideal of justice, and would be a really nice holiday gift for the Stormlight Archive nerd in your life…

You can bid on the Nan Glyph Necklace here, or the Oathbringer Shardblade pendant here.

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The Asha’man Dragon pin is a symbol of rank in the Wheel of Time series, and in the books they were originally created and distributed by Rand al’Thor. Luckily enough, you’re able to get your hands on one here, and all the proceeds will to go charity to boot.

The Wheel of Time image is really iconic, and Badali did a great job putting it into a pin, with all of its minute details. If you don’t feel good about pretending you’ve attained the status of Asha’man, but still want to show of your Wheel of Time cred, this is the way to go.

You can grab your own Asha’man Dragon Pin here, or the Wheel of Time pin here.

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In Brian McClellan’s books, Powder Mages are people who can manipulate and draw strength from gunpowder. The most powerful of Powder Mages are awarded this pin as a part of their induction into the Powder Cabal, giving them carte blanche within the Adran army.

You too could be this cool. Bid on the pin right here.

  • Auctions: Underworld United Medallion and Underworld United Signet Ring from Court of the Dead.

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The Underworld United symbol is from the original series Court of the Dead. It was forged as a symbol of allegiance to the Court of the Dead and worn as a sigil to the tenants the court holds dear…Balance, Loyalty, and Individuality.

The symbol is available both on a bronze medallion, as well as a sterling silver signet ring (in a size 8). If either of them tickle your fancy, you can bid on the medallion here, or the signet ring right here.

  • Auction: Elessar Elf Stone Pin from Lord of the Rings.

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This is a particularly beautiful piece of jewelry. It’s Elessar, the gift Galadriel gave to Aragorn on behalf of Arwen as a token of hope and Arwen’s love.

You know, some of the deeper stuff that managed to get left out of the movies.

Get in on the bidding by clicking through over here.

  • Auctions: Ice Opal Earrings, for both pierced and un-pierced ears, from The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher.

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Harry Dresden goes through some shit. Not the least of which are splitting migraines that need to be magically controlled. Luckily enough, he gets some help with that through the Ice Opal Earring.

Badali worked really hard on these earrings, and has managed to make them in two forms: one for people with pierced ears, and one with magnetic backs for those of us who maybe don’t want to pierce our ears, but still want to look badass.

You can bid on the pierced version right here, and the magnetic version over here.

  • Auction: Dresden’s Force Ring from The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher.

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This is something that hasn’t been released yet, and we’re super grateful to Badali for letting us get the first crack at it.

This is Harry Dresden’s Force Ring. That nifty piece of wizardy that stores back a little bit of kinetic energy every time Harry moves his arm, so when he wants to pack a big punch he can release all of that energy he’s been storing through days or weeks of walking, waving, and working out.

It’s sterling silver, size 12 for display or a chain, and available right here for you to bid on.

  • Auction: Pentacle Necklace with Margaret LeFay’s Ruby from The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher.

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The Pentacle Necklace is something Badali’s had around for a while, but as you can see, this is a little different.

This is their first available necklace with Margaret LeFay’s ruby inlaid to the middle. This ruby gives Harry all of his mother’s knowledge of the Ways through the Nevernever, and it’s a cool addition to an already-cool piece.

You can be one of the first to own one if you bid on it over here.

* * *

Badali’s always been good to us, so be sure to check out the auctions if they interest you, and thank Badali for being so awesome.

If you want to see all of the auctions, make a donation to be entered into the lottery, or otherwise peruse the fundraiser so far, you can find everything you might want in these fancy clickable pictures below.

[Edit: Hey guys, Amanda here! Badali just let us know that they’ve added another layer to the awesome they’re doing for us. In addition to these auctions, they’ve got a coupon code in their online store for anyone who doesn’t want to risk not getting an item.

This years code will be WBLD15 and it will give you $10.00 Off Shipping, and Badali Jewelry will match 10% of the value of Items Purchased to us here at Worldbuilders! It runs until December 31st, so do all of your nerdy holiday shopping there, and help out the cause.]

See some of you in Milwaukee tonight,

pat

Posted in Worldbuilders 2015 | By Pat1 Response
Published: November 25, 2014

Art Galore

As I type this, our donation total sits at $275,000. Considering that this is only the beginning of our third week, we are absolutely blowing the doors off this year.

So far we’ve talked a lot about the good work Heifer does by supplying animals to families. But we haven’t talked about the fact that Heifer does a lot to improve the lives of women all over the world too.

Promotion of Food Sovereignty Honduras (Project # 23-1502-02) an

Pictured here is Maria Elsa Castellanos Rios, who started the Southern Cashew Enterprise Association in Honduras with the other women who wanted to contribute to the local economy through help from Heifer International.

Heifer knows they need to invest in the entire community, and that means investing in women. According to Economist.com “In emerging markets, women reinvest 90% of their earnings in their families and communities—which means that investing in women is an investment in our collective future.”

Guys, I hate to break it to you. But our numbers aren’t nearly that good. All the research shows that in a similar situation, men typically reinvest only 30-40% of their earnings in the household.

Because Heifer is playing the long game, looking to make families and communities self-sufficient, independent, and sustainable, Heifer typically works with women. In many communities, they form women’s self-help groups. Later, those groups go on to help other women in other communities. And so on. And so on.

And that’s an awesome thing.

* * *

We’re always happy to feature some of the cool art that comes into the fundraiser. This year we’ve got crafts, original art, and jewelry, along with some more traditional signed prints. They’re all going up for auction for those who will love them, so jump in if you see something you need.

  • Auction: Limited edition 2014 Beyond Words calendar. Signed by all 14 featured authors.

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This calendar features the authors Holly Black, Gail Carriger, Cassandra Clare, Tessa Gratton, Lauren Kate, Gregory Maguire, Brandon Mull, Lauren Oliver, Christopher Paolini, Patrick Rothfuss, Brandon Sanderson, Maggie Stiefvater, Tad Williams, and Brenna Yovanoff. There were only 100 of these signed callendars produced, so they’re are extremely limited and rare.

If you want one of these collectors items, head over here and bid.

  • Auction: A full set of 8×10 prints from the 2014 Beyond Words calendar. Each signed by the author.

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We also have a full set of the photo prints from the calendar. Each photo is signed by its author (or authors, in the case of Maggie Stiefvater, Brenna Yovanoff, and Tessa Gratton).

These are printed on high quality photo paper, and the full bundle of 12 photos can be yours if you bid over here.

If you’d rather only have one or two of these pictures, you can buy them individually over in The Tinker’s Packs.

  • Auction: A Kingkiller Chronicle sterling silver charm bracelet. Featuring over 40 charms.

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(Click to embiggen. Seriously.)

A fan named Noël spent some serious time and money (and time, did we mention that?) assembling so much Kingkiller symbolism your head will spin. There are over 40 charms on this sterling silver bracelet, most of them are sterling as well, a few are silver plate, and some of them are pewter.

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(This is only about a *third* of the charms. Seriously.)

The list of all of the charms is viewable on the auction, and honestly? It’s a little staggering. Even if you’re not looking to bid, you should head over o the auction and check out some of the other pictures we have of this truly one-of-a-kind piece of art.

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This was donated by Neil for our IndieGoGo fundraiser this summer, and the person who purchased it immediately emailed us and said to keep it and use it for another fundraiser. I don’t know what it is with Neil Gaiman’s stuff, but it has a tendency to come back to us over and over again…

There were only 750 of this poster produced, and this one is number 210. If you want it, head over here and bid on it.

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Priscilla Spencer is very talented at drawing maps, and she lovingly donated this one to us. If you’re at all a fan of the Iron Druid Chronicles, then you’ll know how nice it’d be to have this map nearby while reading Trapped. Plus, it’s really beautiful.

If you want this all for your own, bid here.

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Priscilla donated three maps total, and the second is the map from Myke Cole’s Shadow Ops series. It has beautiful detail, including detailed sketches of monsters and other creatures.

If you’re a big geeky fan for Myke Cole and/or Priscilla, you should probably bid on this over here.

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Our third map from Priscilla is a beautifully detailed depiction of Alera from Jim Butcher’s Codex Alera.

If you want this one, be sure to bid on it.

  • Auction: A copy of The Fairy-Tale Princess by Wendy Jones. Signed by illustrator Su Blackwell.

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This is a beautiful, hardcover book that collects seven classic fairy tales. Beyond the stories, though, is the detailed papercut sculptures that are the illustrations.

This book deserves a loving home. If you want that home to be yours, bid here.

  • Auction: Set of Copper Goat Paperweights from Esoteric Garage.

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Tait from Esoteric Garage has sent over a lot of copper goodies over the years, and this year’s donation is a set of hefty copper goats based on the Worldbuilders logo. There’s a large goat as well as two smaller ones, and they come with a signed card of authenticity from Tait.

If you want your own little piece of Worldbuilders ephemera, bid over here.

  • Auction: Original Iron Woman mixed-media artwork. Signed by Karen Hallion.

Karen Hallion donation

Karen Hallion gave us the art behind our beautiful calendar this year, and she’s incredibly well known for her princess/police box mashups. But she does a lot more than that, including this Iron Woman series, where she pens and paints a steampunk character over the pages of a book.

The series is amazing, and Brett in particular is hoping our next calendar can feature this art. This is the original, hand drawn-and-painted art, on a wood panel. If you want your hands on this beautiful piece, bid on it here.

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Last year, actor Bill Heck donated two premium seat tickets to see Cabaret, and he’s happily done so again. The show stars Bill Heck, Alan Cumming, and Emma Stone in the leading roles, and you’ll get an exclusive backstage tour after the fact, maybe even a drink or two with Bill afterwards.

If you want this incredible experience, bid on it over here.

* * *

There’s some seriously cool stuff up for auction now, and if you look at the Worldbuilders eBay page you’ll even get a sneak peek of some items we haven’t even announced on the blog yet.

If you’re not into auctions, remember that if you donate directly to Heifer International on the Worldbuilders team page, you’re automatically entered into our prize drawing where you can win over $100,000 worth of cool swag, books, and games.

We’ve got more awesome stuff going up in the store tomorrow, so be sure to come back and check it out.

Posted in Arts and Crafts, Worldbuilders 2014 | By Pat29 Responses
Published: November 24, 2014

Billions of Books from Del Rey

Well, okay. I was engaging in a little hyperbole there. They didn’t donate a billion books. Which is actually probably a good thing. We wouldn’t have room for a billion books here at Worldbuilders HQ. But all exaggeration aside, Del Rey has sent along a marvelous lot of books.

And while there are a few auctions in here, the vast majority of these are going into our lottery where anyone can win them so long as they donate at least 10 dollars on the Worldbuilders team page. (Though if you donate more, you have a better chance of winning, of course.)

Have I shown you all the books and games on our donation wall yet? I don’t think I have:

DonationWall24Nov

These are just *some* of the books we’re giving away right now. We’re barely halfway through the fundraiser, and we already have more than $70,000 dollars worth of books,  games, and, qua-magical items that we’re giving away.

That means when you donate to Heifer International on the Worldbuilders team page, you’re not just making the world a better place. You’re

On to the show:

  • 12 copies of Red Rising by Pierce Brown. 2 of them are first edition, hardcover copies.

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This has become a bit of a favorite in the office after Nicole evangelized about it for months. Del Rey donated 10 trade paperback copies, as well as a couple of posh, first edition hardcover copies. They’re all in the lottery where anyone can win them.

  • Auction: First edition copy of Red Rising. Signed by Pierce Brown.

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Del Rey also sent over a signed first edition hardcover of the book, so we thought it was only appropriate to throw it up in an auction so that someone who really wants it can bid on it over here.

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I’m completely baffled by Kevin’s upcoming stretch goal to dance to Thriller with a real dance troupe. Nothing would make me happier than to reach it, and if a few folks helped us get there and put their names in to win one of his books, that’d be even better.

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“This book has just about everything: magic, machines, mystery, mayhem, and all the danger one expects when people’s loves and fears collide. I can’t wait to return to the world of Evelina Cooper!” – Kevin Hearne

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Peter’s been a supporter of Worldbuilders for a long time, kicking in books of his own since the second year of the fundraiser, and participating in one of our more horrifying stretch goals last year. On top of all of that, his books are good, so we’re happy to have copies from the publisher to give away.

“An absolute masterpiece . . . The novel [is] literally ‘unputdownable,’ and certainly deserves to be the next Big Thing in dark fantasy.” – HorrorScope

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“Hamilton’s exhilarating new opus proves that ‘intelligent space opera’ isn’t an oxymoron… Anyone who begins this one, however, probably won’t be able to put it down.” – Publishers Weekly

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“Turtledove is always good, but this return to World War II . . . is genuinely brilliant. . . . The characterizations in particular bring the book to extraordinary life.” – Booklist

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“Well-crafted storytelling . . . hard to put down.” – SF Site

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“This intricately layered adventure breathes realism and overshadowing menace into ancient mythic archetypes, exposing the pain and wonder inherent in magic and the mingled hope and cynicism of modern fantasy” – Publishers Weekly

BladesOfWinter_multiple

“The story leaps into immediate action like Alix going after an adversary and maintains its breakneck pace to the very end, with blood dripping from every page.” – Publishers Weekly

  • 10 copies of The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch.

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Scott Lynch also had a stretch goal last year where he got amazingly drunk and talked about The Hobbit movies with Elizabeth Bear.

I don’t try to hide how much I enjoy his work, and have discussed at length the reasons you should read them over on Goodreads.

DarwinElevator_multiple

“The story unfolds with just the right balance of high adventure, espionage, humor, and emotional truth. . . . As soon as you finish, you’ll want more.” – Analog

  • 2 first edition copies of Fools Assassin. Signed by Robin Hobb.

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Del Rey had a few more first editions around, and managed to get them signed for us as well. We’ve thrown a couple of copies into the lottery so that amore of you can be exposed to the joy that is Robin Hobb’s writing.

“Electrifying and mesmerizing . . . The fully realized characters and vivid prose show that [Robin] Hobb remains a supremely talented author of epic fantasy.” – Publishers Weekly, starred review

  • Auction: A first edition copy of Fools Assassin. Signed by Robin Hobb.

FoolsAssassin

And since we had a few copies, we’re auctioning one off for a big Robin Hobb fan out there who wants to round out their collection.

If that describes you, head over here and bid.

* * *

It’s been a crazy whirlwind, folks. If you missed the blog over the weekend showcasing all of the stretch goals we’ve hit, you should check it out.

Lastly, for you aspiring writers out there, tonight we’ve got author and agent Seth Fishman doing a livestream workshop where he talks about how to write a query letter and get an agent.

So, just to be a little more formal: that’s Monday, November 24th at 7:30pm CST. If you have any questions for Seth, you should be sure to be there, live, when it happens. Follow Worldbuilders on Facebook,  Twitter, and YouTube and we’ll post up a link for you to follow.

Posted in Worldbuilders 2014 | By Pat3 Responses
Published: November 13, 2014

Beautiful Jewelry from Badali

Well folks, we’ve just finished our third full day of Worldbuilders, and we’ve already raised over $75,000. I feel pretty good about that.

That means we’ve already unlocked our first two stretch goals.

You should really check them out, then share them around with the rest of the world. Your friends on social media will thank you for it.

My first stretch goal unlocks at $100K (it involves Tom Bombadil) and there are many more. There’s a full list in the Hub Blog. Or you can do what I do, and obsessively click the refresh button on the Worldbuilders Page, watching the donation totals slowly rise. Trying to use the power of your mind to *make* the totals rise. WILLING them to grow.

Or, y’know, you could go and donate on our team page. Scientific studies have shown that that makes our donation totals go up too.

And now, today’s donations….

* * *

Badali Jewelry has been with Worldbuilders for a long time. And they’ve been with me, personally for even longer. They were my very first company to ever approach me for a licencing agreement based on my books. Since then they’ve produced truly marvelous work set in my world, including the Eolian talent pipes, Denna’s ring, and the Iron Wheel.

They have a lot of great stuff, including a bunch of officially licensed jewelry from some of the biggest fantasy series around, like the Dresden Files, Iron Druid, Wheel of Time, Lord of the Rings, and much more.

This year they’re helping Worldbuilders in two ways. The first is….

For the duration of the Fundraiser, if you buy anything at all on their website with that code:

~ You get $10 off your shipping costs.
~ 10% of the money goes directly to Worldbuilders. 

Secondarily, they’ve given us a lovely array of jewelry we’re auctioning off.

Arkenstone

Just like the real Arkenstone, the colors change based on the light, and it comes in a swank little wooden chest with a black velvet pillow.

They really go the extra mile to make their items collectible and true to the story. If you want to get your hands on the Arkenstone with all the money coming to Worldbuilders, grab it right here.

  • Elessar the Elfstone Brooch from The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkein.

Elessar

This piece is so new, Badali hasn’t even added it to their online store yet.

It was given to Aragorn by Galadriel, and was intended to be a sign of acceptance of Aragorn’s future as the rightful heir of Gondor.

Like we said, Badali doesn’t mess around. Grab it here.

  • Khuzdul Dwarven Battle Axe Necklace from The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkein.

Khuzdul

This intricate battle axe features the Khuzdul battle cry: “Baruk Khazâd!  Khazâd ai-mênu!” The translation is: “Axes of the Dwarves!  The Dwarves are upon you!”

It’s beautifully detailed work, and it can be yours if you bid here.

  • Asha’man Dragon Pin from The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan. Sterling Silver.

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Hardcore Wheel of Time geeks will appreciate this pin. The design was approved by Robert Jordan. It was awarded when men were promoted to the level of full Asha’man, and worn on the right collar of their black coats.

If you want this pin to show off your geek cred, head over here and bid on it.

  • The Wheel of Time Necklace from The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan. Sterling Silver.

Wheel of Time

Inspired from the pages of The Wheel of Time ® series by Robert Jordan comes The Wheel of Time Necklace, skillfully crafted in sterling silver.

The Wheel of Time, also call the Snake-Wheel™, is the iconic image of the best seller novels by Robert Jordan.  The Wheel symbolizes the ever turning and reoccurring nature of time.  All things that happen have happened before and will happen again.  The necklace features the Great Serpent™ entwined through the wheel forming an infinity symbol, reiterating the eternal nature of the past, present and future.  The Great Serpent is also a symbol for time and eternity. Bid on it here.

New Moon

ElfQuest has been running for ages (since 1978), and is the reason a lot of the authors you read these days got into fantasy.

Here you can have a pin made to replicate a famous blade from the series, carried by Cutter Kinseeker as the eleventh leader of the Wolfriders. If you’re a geek for that sort of thing, you should bid on it over here.

  • Atticus’s Necklace from the Iron Druid Chronicles by Kevin Hearne.

Atticus

The Iron Druid Chronicles are a big favorite with the Worldbuilders Team. Nicole, Brett, and Amanda have all devoured them. What’s more, Kevin Hearne has been a great supporter of Worldbuilders for years. So it’s nice to see the jewelry from his books getting the Badali Treatment.

This is Atticus’s iron amulet with all of its charms that he uses for protection and magic. We can’t guarantee it will grant you the same powers, but if you happen to be a druid you could probably make use of it. Bid on it over here.

  • Granuaile’s Iron Amulet Pendant from the Iron Druid Chronicles by Kevin Hearne.

Grannuaile

Granuaile’s iron amulet is less intricate than Atticus’s, but just as cool in its own right. For those of you who want to play more of the stealth-geek card, this is a great option.

If you want to bid on it, head over here.

  • Bob the Skull Pendant from The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. Sterling Silver.

Bob the Skull

I love the Dresden Files with a fierce love. And Bob is definitely a factor in that love.

Far-reaching knowledge of the arcane and sardonic wit not guaranteed with purchase. Bid over here for the chance anyway.

  • Harry Dresden Shield Bracelet from The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. Sterling Silver.

Shield Bracelet

The chance to have Dresden’s shield bracelet almost broke Amanda when it first came out. And honestly, I thought that was a pretty reasonable reaction. Who doesn’t want to look as badass as Harry Dresden, shaking this bracelet out and holding up their left hand with all the confidence that someone isn’t going to shoot a flamethrower at your and pretty much melt your entire hand off?

Using this bracelet to ward off magical attacks requires knowledge that Badali and Worldbuilders can’t provide. That said, owning it will probably raise your geeky herd rank. Bid here.

Aon Omi

This is one of the pendants used in Elantris to perform magic. This one in particular is the symbol for Love, and was exchanged at a wedding in the novel.

We can’t promise any particular results on that front, but you can get your hands on it right here.

Jeseh Glyph

The syntax-free glyphs from Stormlight Archive were begging to be made into jewelry, and Badali was all too happy to comply. There are many glyphs available, but this one in particular is for Jeseh.

If you want this kind of protection, you can bid on it over here.

Oathbringer Shardblade

The idea behind the Shardblades is seriously cool. They’re incredibly treasured and rare, and can cut easily through any inanimate object, but when passing through living flesh it cuts through the soul rather than the body.

Seriously. This pendant of awesome can be yours if you bid on it over here.

  • Mistborn Vial Necklace with both an Atium Vial and a Mistborn Mixture Vial from Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson.

Atium & Mistborn Vial

This necklace comes with two different vials of Mistborn Metals, so you’re getting some sweet variety.

It includes one vial of the Mistborn Mixture (a mix of the 8 basic Allomantic metals) and a vial containing Atium, one of the fourteen known Allomantic metals from the Mistborn universe.  The vials can be swapped out at your whim. If you want it, bid early and often over here.

 * * *

Don’t forget that anything you buy on Badali’s Website between now and the end of the fundraiser with code WBLD14 gets you $10 off shipping and gives Worldbuilders 10% of the sale.

And this link will take you a page where you can check out all the auctions we’re currently running. We’ve got more than just jewelery up for grabs, and you don’t want to miss out.

Posted in Worldbuilders 2014 | By Pat9 Responses
Published: November 10, 2014

Worldbuilders 2014

It’s that time of year again, folks. Time to make the world a better place while winning fabulous prizes.

Worldbuilders-Logo_Web_Smaller

Heifer International is my favorite charity. It helps people raise themselves out of poverty and starvation. For more than 60 years, Heifer has promoted education, sustainable agriculture, and local industry all over the world.

They don’t just keep kids from starving, they make it so people can take care of themselves. They give families goats, chickens, and sheep so children have milk to drink, eggs to eat, and warm clothes to wear. They provide communities with clean water to drink, building materials to improve homes, and business training to help families become self-sufficient.

goat 4

(Are you ready? I’m so ready. Let’s do it.)

We’re always looking for ways to improve the fundraiser. So while much of Worldbuilders is the same as last year, we have some things that are entirely new, and some things that have changed a little.

So even if you’re a Worldbuilders Vetran, you might want to look at this blog closely so you don’t miss the new coolness we have waiting there.

As always, you’ve got three different options for donating:

  • Option 1: The Lottery.

This is the option most of you will want. It’s quick, easy, and tax deductible.

You just hop directly over to the page we’ve set up on Team Heifer, and donate.

When you donate on that page, two things happen.

1. You’ll move us closer to our stretch goals (shown below).

2. You’ll be entered into the lottery.

For every $10 you donate on our Team Heifer page, your name will be entered into our random drawing for all the swag that’s been donated. Thousands of books, comics, and games. So if you donate $30, your name goes in three times. Donate enough for a goat ($120) and your name goes in 12 times.

What’s in the lottery? A lot. So much that if I showed it to you all at once, its combined awesome would cook your brain like a toad thrown into the sun.

So, for everyone’s safety, we’ll be posting up a new blog every weekday until the end of the fundraiser on December 8th.

You can see *all* the books currently in the mix on our snazzy Lottery Library page.

Or you can check out the individual blogs here:

Note: We’re doing something new this year. Thanks to our sponsors like Cheapass Games and Mayfair, we have a more games in this year’s fundraiser. A lot more. We know some of you aren’t big gamers, so you’ll be able to select whether you want to win books, games, or books AND games.

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That way everyone gets what they like best.

Stretch goals.

To encourage donations, we’ve brought members of the geek community together to do whimsical things as our donation total grows. There will be music, poetry, cosplay, puppets, and so, so much more…

Upcoming stretch goals include:

We’re recruiting folks for new stretch goals every day, so keep an eye on this list, and the Worldbuilders website under news for updates.

One of the new things we’re doing is letting y’all decide which direction these stretch goals will go. For example, donors get to vote on which animal I’ll kiss when we beat last year’s donation total.

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Personally? I’m hoping for the goat.

People donating will also get to decide what Neil Gaiman will read when we hit $600,000:

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Here I’m torn. Part of me wants to hear Neil say, “Goodnight Nobody,” while the rest of me dearly wants to hear him say, “Let the wild rumpus start!”

Either way, I’m going to have a new ringtone.

Note: Worldbuilders ends December 15, 2014 at 11:59 pm UTC-11. To be eligible for the lottery, you must have made your donation on the Team Heifer Page before then.

  • Option 2: The Sure Thing

For those of you not interested in the lottery, or if you’re just interested in doing some Christmas shopping early, we have a well-stocked store, lovingly named The Tinker’s Packs. We’ve got t-shirts, posters, and other coolness available for purchase.

We also have foreign editions of many titles, donated and signed by the authors. These are hard to find in the US.

All proceeds from everything sold in our store go to Worldbuilders, of course.

Additionally, this year we’ve published another calendar featuring the art of the wonderful Karen Hallion.

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(Click to embiggen)

You can see many more pictures of the calendar in The Tinker’s Packs.

We’ll be adding new items to the store throughout the fundraiser, so keep an eye on the blog. If you’re worried you might miss some of the coolness, you can follow the Tinker’s Packs on Twitter and Facebook. We’ll post updates there whenever something new happens.

  • Option 3: Auctions.

Sometimes we get donations that are really cool…. but only for a select group of people. Some people would squee with delight at winning a portal gun, but other people, (sad, unhappy people) have never played Portal, and just don’t care.

The same thing is true with action figures, musical instruments, manuscripts, or other collectables.

So we put those things up for auction.

We have professionals willing to read and critique your manuscripts. We have signed art and rare books. We have the chance to win cameo appearances in comics and get your name into upcoming books.

We auction these things off as well.

All our current auctions are over on the Worldbuilders eBay page. Keep an eye on it. We’ll be adding stuff all the time.

  • NEW THIS YEAR – Option 4: A Partnership with Powells.

We show off a lot of books during the fundraiser, and over the years I’ve heard many people mention they do a their holiday shopping based off the books they see here. Or, if you’re like me, you use Worldbuilders to add to your ever-expanding must-read shelf.

So this year we’re doing something new.

If you see a book in this year’s fundraiser, and think to yourself, “I’ve got to have a copy of that….” you can follow this link, buy it from Powells, and they will donate 7.5% of the sale directly to Worldbuilders.

This applies to *anything* you buy from Powells. Not just books we’re featuring in the fundraiser. If you follow that link and buy stuff, not only are you supporting one of the coolest independent bookstores around, but a hefty piece of that money will go to making the world a better place.

You can also find the link in the navigation widget at the end of each of the blogs:

Look at that, all fancy and clickable.

Important Links and Contact Information

We’ve tweaked our website, since last year. And Worldbuilders also has a Facebook page and a Twitter account for those of you who like to have the internet injected directly into their veins.

If you have a question that isn’t answered here, you could check out our handy FAQ.

Need to contact The Tinker’s Packs? You can e-mail them here: orders [at] thetinkerspacks.com

Want to donate something to Worldbuilders? Help us spread the word? Do a stretch goal? Drop us a line here: donations [at] worldbuilders.org.

All right folks. Are you ready? I’m so ready.

Let’s do this thing.

pat

P.S. Just in case you missed it, here’s one more link to our Team Heifer donation page.

Posted in Worldbuilders 2014 | By Pat27 Responses

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