Japanese Earthquake

This is a complete break from the normal focus of the blog. This morning, on Twitter, this comment made my day:

"from DirectRelief: @VHFolland @CloviasLawn - thanks for all your help raising awareness and funds for the need in Japan."

Then just now the BBC reported another earthquake, 7.1 on the Richter scale.

This request won't be particularly well written, but sometimes even writers run out of words.

Please help if you can. The Pennies For Japan campaign is ongoing, selling a collector's set of elongated pennies, or individual ones as necklaces. There is also the Write for Japan anthology, a set of short stories available as an e-book or print book. Both of these raise funds directly for the Red Cross.

If you can't donate, please visit one of the lenses below and click on a link or an ad. It all raises funds for rescue.org who are supplying relief efforts on the ground:

• http://www.squidoo.com/pennies-for-Japan

• http://www.squidoo.com/write-for-Japan-anthology

Pennies for Japan

Before getting on to the main body of this post, I'd like to say thanks to Kristie Cook for organising the Indie Authors Relief Fund, and to the winner of the Fire Season auction. Your book is on its way. There are still lots available for auction and all proceeds go to the Red Cross. For more details and ongoing auctions, please see the:

• Indie Authors Relief Fund

That said, I would like to move on to mention a rather unique fundraiser by an author of my acquaintance.

Pennies for Japan

Pennies for Japan is a set of elongated pennies, ideal for collectors or as unique gifts. The entire purchase price is donated to disaster relief in Japan through Direct Relief.

There are three pennies in the set, with designs depicting Hamsa, Lady Usume and the Tree of Life, and a storycard about the designs. Since any new ones would be made from a new set of dies, the artwork would vary, making the originals for sale here extremely collectible.

The set is available from etsy, but if you don't have an account the seller will also accept Paypal directly. For details on drect sales please contact them or, if you prefer, leave a comment here and I will ask them to get in touch with details.

• Pennies for Japan

Meet an Author Monday

First a quick update. There are now 66 items up for auction at the Indie Author Relief Fund, all raising funds for the Red Cross. The auction closes tomorrow, so please get your bids in.

More importantly if you can't donate, you can still fundraise. If you use this link,

• Lens about the Indie Authors Relief Fund

and then click on an ad or through to the Relief Funds page, you are fundraising for rescue.org's Japanese appeal, supplying goods and funds to Japanese charities on the front line.

If anyone would be interested I will set up a chain of the other lenses donating 100% to Japan - simply by clicking thorough, visiting an ad, buying something from the lens or donating directly, each of these lenses raises funds for Japan.


The other thing to report is my first attempt at taking part in a blog hop.

Cali Cheer Mom is currently hosting a blog hop, where visitors move from lense to lens, signing up to participate. I've never tried this before, but here's the link, and the authors already taking part.

This has given me yet more reading material, at a time when I really should be writing. I can't say I mind though.

Indie Authors Relief Fund Pt II.

The Indie Authors auctions are now underway, with 43 lots currently offered. To bid, just visit their blog and comment under the item you want to buy.

All this is for the Red Cross, raising funds for Japan disaster relief.

And to deal with people who said this was off-topic for the blog:

• Lot #24 - Fire Season Signed Copy Auction

Even if you can't donate, you can still help. If you can promote the campaign, tweeting it or mentioning it on messageboards/forums please do. There are a full range of banners on the blog, and an RSS feed is available for syndication.

And finally there's this Lens. If you can't afford to donate, visit that page and click an ad, or even just through to the Indie Authors Relief Fund main site and you will be raising funds for the International Rescue Commitee.

Indie authors relief fund

I just saw this online, and as they are asking for promotion and spreading the word, blogging it is the least I can do. Please have a look and donate an item or bid, for a very good cause.

If you are an author or small publisher some of the things up for offer include a manuscript critique and membership in the small publishers association.

For readers and booklovers, there are signed copies, collectibles and more.

As well as the Indie Authors Relief Fund, there are other campaigns underway. Please take a look.

• Authors for Japan - Donating all funds raised to the Red Cross, this campaign is no longer accepting donated items after they were flooded with offers.
• Write Hope for Japan - A Collection of authors all with a connection to Japan offering childrens and kidlit items to raise funds for Japan