One Perfect Summer...

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Did you ever have a perfect summer? These are the things we must remember. The memories we must keep alive, right? But oh--what if your summer brought a new family member?

First, a summer story.

Long long ago, in a lifetime far away, (and not just like, a month ago but I’m talking… 2008?) one summer I went to a writers convention, though I can’t remember which one .I do remember it was overwhelming and terrifying--I had no book, no friends, and, basically not a clue.

There was this gorgeous woman, surrounded by people, radiating joy and radiating friendship and radiating generosity, laughing and engaged. “Who is that?” I asked someone. They looked at me as if I had lost my mind. “Well that’s… Brenda Novak,” she whispered. 

Little did I know how pivotal Brenda would be in my life. She took me under her gorgeous wing, sweetly and generously, blurbed one of my books, and has been a pal and cheerleader ever since. And I have watched her, with joy, rise to amazing glory, to becoming an international, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author.

But really? It’s not about me. It’s about Brenda. She’s written well, I don’t even know how many books, because her book list is SEVEN PAGES LONG. She’s written romantic suspense and gorgeous romance and psychological suspense and several series--groundbreaking and page-turning and relentlessly readable. She knows her audience brilliantly, and also knows her heart.

She has an amazing book club, have you seen it on Facebook? She has the Brenda Novak book boxes that come out every month, oh my gosh, I can’t begin to tell you everything she has organized to benefit her readers, and bring us together as a community. Click here, and be wowed.

She’s also a relentless and devoted fundraiser in the battle against diabetes, and her skill has raised an incredible amount of money, both in person and in her memorable auction events.

Besides being a brilliant writer, this woman is an absolute mixture of saint, rockstar, and BFF.

And now she has a new book. And even though you might think that for her, this would be la-dee-dah just another day in the life, she, like so many other authors, has had the publishing rug pulled out from under her. She’s handling this with her authentic grace and her own personal style and faith, but I wanted to make sure you knew about her. And if you don’t already, and that you look for her brand new ONE PERFECT SUMMER.

How about this for irresistible:  “When Serenity Alston swabbed her cheek for 23And Me she joked about uncovering some dark ancestral scandal. The last thing she expected was to discover to have sisters she didn’t know existed. Suddenly....”

Suddenly what? Well, you just have to read the rest.

And how can you resist? You don’t have to!  Today, right here, Brenda will make it easier. She is offering a $30 gift certificate to the Brenda Novak store… She has a store--where they sell Brenda Novak book boxes, autographed copies of one perfect summer and other reader packages. How awesome is that! And one lucky lucky commenter will win! 

The amazing Brenda will draw a winner herself in the next few days. Tell us your one perfect summer! One of them, at least. And one thing that made it so fabulous.

OR! Do you have a 23andMe type experience? What happened?

You could win this fabulous prize--just tell us all about it!

A DNA test upended everything they knew about their lives. Three sisters. One secret.

Kindle: https://amzn.to/2uu1uLJ

iBook: https://apple.co/2MZqcMX

Nook: http://bit.ly/2RhawEU

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2L1EAlc

Google Play: http://bit.ly/2IpqYhP

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2NUiUZ4

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/31HM6Iq 

Target: http://bit.ly/2vneR0G

Once in a LIfetime Deals!

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN:  How would you like tickets to Ceelo Green in Vegas? Just click here.  http://brendanovak.auctionanything.com/Bidding.taf?_function=detail&Auction_uid1=2542464

Or here's an offer you don't get every day:  Meet Celine Dion Click here!  http://brendanovak.auctionanything.com/Bidding.taf?_function=detail&Auction_uid1=2545700

 

Brenda Novak's annual auction is in its final hours--and auction aficionados know--now is the time to snag those once-in-a-lifetime items. NO more lollygagging around, no more holding back on your bids. The auction is closing in a matter of hours.

If you haven't explored the amazing items available in Brenda's auction--well, we don't want lead you into temptation, but there are things you'd never possibly be able to buy anywhere else!

How'd you like to have lunch with Janet Evanovich, Diana Gabaldon or Steve Berry! http://brendanovak.auctionanything.com/Bidding.taf?_function=detail&Auction_uid1=2478215

Brenda Novak herself is here today--yes, she'd love you to come take part in her annual on-line auction for diabetes research. And Jungle Red is happy to help!  She's telling us the top ten things she loves about her auction--and we just can't resist telling you about some of the items we thought were amazing.:

 Brenda Novak--who I can't believe has time to do this!--says:

1. It reminds me that people are GOOD. More than good—AMAZING! Every year, I approach over 1000 donors and ask them to once again contribute a good or service to be auctioned off for the benefit of those suffering with diabetes. And the response is almost always an overwhelming yes, with other writers and industry professionals leading the pack in generosity. Touches my heart every year.

AUCTION ITEM:   http://brendanovak.auctionanything.com/Bidding.taf?_function=detail&Auction_uid1=2531725
 Come join the Jungle Red Writers for a day! You'll receive autographed books from all the JR authors: PLUS! A special day all about YOU on Jungle Red.

2. I love, love, love getting the positive feedback when an aspiring writer gets and agent, sells a book or finds great value in published author mentorship or critique. Or when someone else really enjoys one of the trips—or another item they’ve won. It makes me feel good to know the auction is often a win/win, meaning the good karma of our bidders often comes back to them.

3. Watching and charting the numbers. My family wants to kill me every year because I’m absolutely ADDICTED. I check and check and check—and pray and pray and pray that our totals will go up.

AUCTION ITEM:  Evaluation of a FULL manuscript by Agent Victoria Sanders (Karin Slaughter's agent!) http://brendanovak.auctionanything.com/Bidding.taf?_function=detail&Auction_uid1=2529606

4. I love the symbolic bracelet and the T-shirts that remind me of the small army who digs in to fight with me each year.

5. I love so many of the cool items—like the Celine Dion meet-and-greet, the Ceelo Green tickets, the promotion packages for authors, the cool paintings, handmade chocolates, elegant jewelry and research opportunities.

 AUCTION ITEM: Your own personal shopping spree! http://brendanovak.auctionanything.com/Bidding.taf?_function=detail&Auction_uid1=2432852

6. I love my auction team—my assistant, Anna, the two auction volunteers who have been so loyal and devoted this year—Danita and Stephani, and my best friend, Pierce Mattie, who does all of the auction PR for FREE. These four people have been instrumental in the auction’s success. I enjoy our planning sessions and getting to spend time with these wonderful people.

7. I love talking to the press and trying to get the word out. It’s certainly given me a lot of experience with handling interviews!

8. I love that the auction runs every May because it’s a celebration of Mother’s Day and my birthday, which are usually only a few days apart. After eight years, May would not be the same to me without the auction.

AUCTION ITEM:  Get a living trust! http://brendanovak.auctionanything.com/Bidding.taf?_function=detail&Auction_uid1=2539566

9. I love that my kids and other members of my family (like my sister, Tonya) do what they can to support me by making things they can donate for the auction. My husband and kids pick up part of the household load so I can keep focusing on the auction.

10. I love that my dream has come true. When I first started the auction, I imagined what it would be like to raise $1 million. But I thought it was pie in the sky, never really expected it to come to pass. Yet, so far, we’ve raised nearly $1.5 million and should wind up somewhere near $1.7 million by the time the auction closes.

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: And *Only for Jungle Red readers* one lucky commenter today will win a $25 gift certificate to the auction! And another will win a copy of Brenda's newest book WHEN LIGHTNING STRIKES! (Everyone else will have to wait until the end of the summer.)

***So tell us what you love about auctions--ever get a real bargain? Or a real dud?  Or tell us what you've won at one of Brenda's. Or what you're bidding on this year! Good luck--and Go, Brenda!****

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Brenda Novak has a brand new small-town contemporary series starting this year. Come meet the long-time friends who have made Whiskey Creek the “Heart of Gold Country,” with WHEN LIGHTNING STRIKES, to be released August 28th. WHEN SUMMER COMES will be follow in November and WHEN NIGHT FALLS will hit bookstores in February 2013. Also, don’t miss her latest romantic suspense trilogy available now--INSIDE, IN SECONDS, IN CLOSE. Brenda is a three-time Rita nominee. Her books have won many awards, including the National Reader’s Choice, the Bookseller’s Best, the Book Buyer’s Best, the Holt Medallion, the Daphne and many others. Brenda considers herself lucky to be a mother of five and married to the love of her life.

SHOW TIME….

HANK: Jungle Red is proud to welcome international best-selling author and good pal Brenda Novak--but she's not here to promote herself. Brenda is a treless fundrasier for Diabetes Research..and for the past several years, the writing community has banded together to join in the fun! And to outdo each other wiht donations. She's got an amazing array of prizes for this year--there's a...well, let her tell you! (But I've donated, among other things, signed books by every Jungle Red author! So stop by the auction and bid!) But first:

BRENDA: I’m SO excited! My 6th Annual Online Auction for Diabetes Research began May 1st (at brendanovak.com). With over 2,000 fabulous items, many of which you can’t get anywhere else, it's going to be a blast.

I started this fundraiser in 2005 and have made it an annual event in an attempt to help my thirteen-year-old son (diagnosed at 5) and the many, many others who struggle with diabetes. The need is there. Anyone who lives with a diabetic will tell you about the constant fingertip pricks, the shots, the pump insertions, the danger that comes with blood sugars that are too high or too low or swinging wildly from one side to the other. It’s almost impossible to avoid the fluctuations, no matter how hard you try. But you rarely hear about that, or about the tragic side affects. Diabetes affects every part of the body—the heart, the liver, the kidneys, the skin, the nerves, the eyes, everything. But thanks to my many, many generous donors--and shoppers--we’re doing what we can to help!


Last year we managed to raise over $280,000, which brings us to over three-quarters of a million so far. In 2010, we should break the $1 million mark! Judging by the increase in donations and web traffic, I think we’ll get there. Not only do I offer fabulous items like original paintings, handmade quilts, trips and stays and autographed books and baskets from Big Name authors, I offer fabulous opportunities for readers and writers.

How would you like to have lunch with one of your favorite authors—authors like Barry Eisler, Diana Gabaldon, Linda Howard, Beverly Barton or Catherine Coulter?

John Lescroart and Christine Feehan are offering you an opportunity to name a character in one of their novels.

Jane Porter is offering a fabulous trip to Hawaii. Heather Graham has donated a trip to New Orleans, which includes her Writers For New Orleans Conference.

Nora Roberts is offering a stay at her inn. Hank has donated a whole category of wonderful items, including a visit to your book club and a manuscript critique. And Anna DeStefano has put up a whole category of Coach purses. For aspiring writers, we have more agent and editor evaluations and author critiques than ever before. There are too many items to list here, so hop over and check it out.

For those of you who have never participated in an online auction, don’t worry--it’s easy. This auction runs just like E-Bay. You shop the entire month of May (there are also one-day auctions so be sure to check the schedule), bid on whatever you like and pay for what you win via credit card or Paypal when it’s all over, at which point it will be shipped to you (in most cases, the shipping is free). The person who places the highest number of bids each week will be awarded a fabulous prize (the first week it's an iPad as well as an Advanced Reading Copy of my new book, WHITE HEAT, due out July 27th). There will also be lots of other prizes given away via random drawings.

And we have something new this year for aspiring writers. It's a writing contest that will be judged by New York Times Bestselling Authors. The winner will receive a 6-month mentoring package from me and guaranteed reads from my agent and editor. One other thing I should mention. To help promote the auction, I’m currently holding a drawing for a fabulous Trip for 2 to Curacao. This trip includes airfare and hotel stay at the Hyatt Regency. To enter, visit brendanovak.com and click on the Contest link.

Here’s hoping I see you at the auction!
Brenda Novak
New York Times Bestselling Author of WHITE HEAT, On Sale July 27th! http://www.brendanovak.com/

HANK: Thanks, Brenda! And for every comment we get today, Jungle Red will donate to the auction! So say hi--it's for a great cause!