HAPPY 238th BIRTHDAY US MARINE CORPS, book giveaway
Happy 238th Birthday to all Marines past, present, and future!
In honor of our shared birthday of November 10, 1775, I’m doing a giveaway of a print copy of the Dogs of War anthology featuring my military sci-fi short story “The Marine Breed” and a digital download of my first novel, War of the Seasons: The Human.
I’m going to give away one copy of each on both Nov 10th, the Marine Corps’ birthday AND an additional copy of each on Nov 11th in honor of Veterans’ Day.
All you need to do to enter is re-blog, re-tweet, re-post, share, etc this post via twitter, instagram, Facebook, or tumblr. You can post this once on each day on each form of social media to increase your chances of winning. Just make sure I’m tagged so I see it!
Winners will be chosen at random and notified on Tuesday, Nov 12th.
Good luck and SEMPER FI!
Signal boost, pretty please?
Soooooo as I think y’all know at this point, I’ve got a kickstarter going for my 3rd “War of the Seasons” novel, “The Hunter” (the final book in the trilogy).
It’s already fully funded (THANK YOU GUYS!) which means it’s a sure thing (and the book is written/with the editor, so it’s DEFINITELY a sure thing). On top of that, it’s met a bunch of stretch goals, so there are a TON of cool freebies at this point if you back with at least $5 (you get 2 novels & 5 short stories with the potential for so much more).
The kickstarter will be done in a couple days (it ends on the 6th of November), so if you wouldn’t mind boosting the signal to help me reach some of our last stretch goals, I’d be forever grateful!
Plus if you get the print or the patch the funds go to Make-A-Wish. So, WOOT! Helping a good cause. š
If you’d like some social media language suggestions here you go:
My blogpost about it is here: https://ailionora.com/2013/10/08/kickstarterpre-order-war-seasons-fantasy-trilogy-strong-female-protagonist-minimal-sparkling/
If you want to reblog my tumblr post you can find it here: http://janinekspendlove.tumblr.com/post/63460463359/kickstarter-pre-order-for-war-of-the-seasons-a
Suggested FacebookGoogle+ Language (though you can obviously say whatever you’d like)
Check out the new Kickstarter for Janine K. Spendloveās War of the Seasons Trilogy. A trio of great fantasy novels, and stretch goal short stories by authors like Michael A. Stackpole, Aaron Allston, Bryan Young, Maggie Allen, Albin Johnson, and Cleolinda Jones. With a lot of really cool extras and add-ons, thereās sure to be something for everyone. http://tinyurl.com/pquscr4
Twitter:
Kickstarter for Janine Spendloveās War of the Seasons fantasy trilogy. Check it out! Please support/RT http://tinyurl.com/pquscr4
Guest post: Misbehaving Women by Gail Z. Martin
I first met Gail a couple years back at ShevaCon. We were on a “How to kill your characters” panel together (among several others) and I was immediately struck by the fact that this was a woman absolutely NOT afraid to do whatever she needed to do to her characters: kill, maim, hurt, etc, if that was what the story needed. I was also struck by how AWESOME she was! Since that panel we’ve worked together at several cons and it’s been my pleasure to get to know her & her fantastic work! I’m now delighted to be working on a project with her, but more on that later. FIRST, her post!
Misbehaving Women
By Gail Z. Martin
I love the quote, “Well-behaved women rarely make history.” That’s true in the real world, but it’s always true in fantasy.
In my Chronicles of the Necromancer series, all of my female characters “aim to misbehave.” Kiara Sharsequin may be the heir to the Isencroft throne, but when she needs to find a way to heal her father the king, and avoid an arranged marriage to a tyrannical monarch, she takes off on her own and breaks all the rules to find a solution.
Carina Jesthrata is a healer whose been making her own way since she and her twin brother, Cam, were cast out of their home because their neighbors feared that twins were bad magic. Between Carina’s healer’s talent and Cam’s brawny size, they find work with a mercenary troop, and later with a traveling caravan. It’s not the genteel life of a healer to a noble house, but it puts Carina in position to affect the future of the Winter Kingdoms.
Aidane is a serroquette, a ‘ghost whore,’ a medium who can permit a ghost to inhabit her body for an intimate reunion with a living lover. She makes her way despite the Nargi priests who hunt down and kill the serroquettes. When she is caught, beaten and left for dead, her unlikely rescuers sweep Aidane up into intrigue in a war-torn kingdom, setting a chain of events into motion that put the fate of the new queen in Aidane’s hands.
In my Ascendant Kingdoms Saga, Kestel Falke is a spy, a courtesan and an assassin. (It was the assassin part that earned her a one-way ticket to the Velant prison colony.) Her fighting skills keep her alive and protect her within the brutal Velant prison, and her adaptability helps her survive was a colonist in the harsh Edgeland climate. When magic fails, Kestel finds herself being the bodyguard and lover of the one man who might be able to put things right.
And in my Deadly Curiosities series, Cassidy Kincaide is the owner of Trifles & Folly, an antiques and collectibles store in Charleston, SC that is much more than in appears to be. Cassidy is a psychometric, able to read the history of objects with a touch. That comes in handy, because Trifles & Folly is the front for an organization dedicated to removing dangerous magical objects from circulation. Cassidy’s work involves a fair amount of breaking and entering, and a certain level of subterfuge to keep the store’s real purpose under wraps. (You’ll see more of Cassidy in my story, ‘Retribution,’ in the Athena’s Daughters anthology, and in the new Deadly Curiosities series from Solaris books in 2014.)
If any of my heroines had been “well-behaved,” they would never have gotten into the situations that let them save the monarch, save the kingdom, or chart their own destiny. By defying the norms of their culture, social class and circumstances, they break the constraints that would have kept them from coming into their full abilities and making a huge difference in the world. Let’s hear it for women who misbehave!
Come check out all the free excerpts, book giveaways and other goodies that are part of my Days of the Dead blog tour! Trick-or-Treat you way through more than 30 partner sites where you’ll find brand new interviews, freebies and more–details at www.AscendantKingdoms.com.
Ice Forged will be a Kindle Daily Deal with a special one-day price of just $1.99 only on October 31! Get it here: http://amzn.com/B008AS86QY
Reign of Ash, book two in the Ascendant Kingdoms Saga launches in April, 2014 from Orbit Books. My new urban fantasy, Deadly Curiosities, comes out in July, 2014 from Solaris Books. I bring out two series of ebook short stories with a new story every month for just .99 on Kindle, Kobo and Nookācheck out the Jonmarc Vahanian Adventures or the Deadly Curiosities Adventures.
About the author: Gail Z. Martin is the author of Ice Forged in The Ascendant Kingdoms Saga and the upcoming Reign of Ash (Orbit Books, 2014), plus The Chronicles of The Necromancer series (The Summoner, The Blood King, Dark Haven & Dark Ladyās Chosen ) from Solaris Books and The Fallen Kings Cycle (The Sworn and The Dread) from Orbit Books. In 2014, Gail launches a new urban fantasy novel, Deadly Curiosities, from Solaris Books. She is also the author of two series of ebook short stories: The Jonmarc Vahanian Adventures and the Deadly Curiosities Adventures. Find her at www.ChroniclesOfTheNecromancer.com, on Twitter @GailZMartin, on Facebook.com/WinterKingdoms, at DisquietingVisions.com blog and GhostInTheMachinePodcast.com.
Now onto the AWESOME project I’m delighted to announce that Gail is a part of – an all female anthology Maggie Allen and I are putting together called Athena’s Daughters.
Athenaās Daughters is a collection of short fiction from some of the best female science fiction and fantasy authors in the business (Jean Rabe is editing, Sherwood Smith, Mary Robinette Kowal, Cleolinda Jones, & others have stories in it). This anthology features stories written by women about women. We wanted, in this project, to provide a platform by which our female authors, artists, graphic designers, and editors could showcase their incredible talents.
To that end, Athenaās Daughters is a project conceived, developed, and driven by women. All of the authors in this anthology are women, as are the artists, the graphic designer, and the editor.
The Kickstarter for this project will launch in December and we hope you will join us!
Speaking of Kickstarters, don’t forget I’ve got two going right now! The first is for the 3rd novel in the War of the Seasons trilogy, The Hunter. It’s already funded, so if you back the project you KNOW you’re going to get some cool stuff. Right now $5 gets you 2 novels & 4 (possibly up to 8) short stories! $15 gets you 4 novels and 4 (possibly up to 8) short stories! The kickstarter ends on November 5th, so don’t delay! http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/103879051/war-of-the-seasons-a-fantasy-trilogy-by-janine-k-s
The second Kickstarter I’m a part of is called War Stories and it’s an anthology of Military Sci-Fi stories. My story, “Coming Home,” is about a space Marine pilot named Pia, and the struggles she and her aircrew face in the battle for New Austin. But more than that is the struggle Pia faces when she returns home and has to deal with the difficulties of adjusting back to a “normal life.” In other words, it’s about her struggle with PTSD.
There are a LOT of great authors in the anthology, so please consider backing the project! http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/andrewliptak/war-stories-modern-military-science-fiction?ref=live
Kickstarter/Pre-order for War of the Seasons, a fantasy trilogy with a strong female protagonist and minimal sparkling!
For me, it all started with a boy named Will.
I first met William Snell in the spring of 2003, and Katie Johnson the following year.
In 2005, seven year old Katie passed away after her battle with cancer. In 2008, eighteen year old Will died in a single car accident. Will and Katie had a very special relationship, and both of them left a lasting imprint on the lives of everyone they touched.
Katieās father Albin Johnson said this about Will a few hours after his passing: āWilliam was an incredible young soul – at the age of 15 he volunteered to visit Katie while she was bed-ridden and they quickly hit it off as friends. Will earned a place in Katie’s heart when she dared him to take some of her yucky medicine – and he did. He stayed by her side and read to her, watched t.v. with her, and was there only days before she passed to present her with her Honorary Membership in the Legion. I cannot over emphasize the depth of this young man’s soul, who we will miss terribly in the Carolina Garrison. He was our best and youngest and tragically cut down before he even got his TK number. ā Donāt worry ā Al made sure Will got his TK number posthumously. āŗ
So, as I think youāve probably picked up on Will and Katie were very important to me, and their loss (along with others, like my dear uncle Milton) motivated me to write War of the Seasons, Book 1: The Human. It was the only way I could find to express everything that I was feeling and have a place where my loved ones could live forever. In June 2011, after several heavy revisions and workshop treatments, The Human was published by Silence in the Library Publishing.
If youāre here, youāve probably read the first two War of the Seasons novels, but just in case: The protagonist of āThe Human,ā Story, starts out as an angry teenager battered by the loss of loved ones. As is usually the case with this type of loss, in her anger she strikes out unreasonably against those who love her and want to help her. Through the course of an epic adventure in which Story finds herself thrust into a magical world she does not understand and wants to escape, and called upon to be the savior of that world, the reader gets to see her development from an angry, confused, lonely teenager to a human being who learns and grows from the loss she has experienced.
Book two, The Half-blood, is much darker, and Story has to deal with the consequences of her choices/actions in The Human.
And now what this whole post has been leading up to, the last book in the War of the Seasons trilogy, The Hunter and its Kickstarter.
In āThe Hunter,ā Story faces an evil greater than any she’s encountered before. As darkness looms over Ailionora, Story, her companions, and all of the races of Ailionora band together to fight for their very survival.
The initial print run for War of the Seasons, book 3: The Hunter is going to be funded through a Kickstarter, which means this is essentially how you can pre-order the book.
That said Silence in the Library Publishing has some pretty exciting offers over at the Kickstarter page, one of which Iām going to mention now. Ron and Al worked together to create an exclusive Will and Katie patch that you will only be able to get at select reward levels as part of this Kickstarter. The patch features Will posing in Stormtrooper armor and Katie in Rebel uniform. Iād like to personally thank talented artist Juan Jose Matamoros for creating and donating the patch design. Of note, Iām not allowed to say on the Kickstarter website, but I can say it here, all proceeds from any sales of Will & Katie patches or Willās prints (you can find out about that at the Kickstarter website) will go to the Make a Wish Foundation and the Craven Arts Council as both these organizations were significant in Katie & Willās lives. As you can see below, the patch is pretty awesome, and captures the spirit of both Will and Katie:
Another thing I want to bring up here are some of the stretch goals this Kickstarter has: Ron managed to convince (and I donāt know how, but Iām not questioning it) some pretty amazing authors to write short stories in the War of the Seasons universe. Authors 
you know and love, like Michael A. Stackpole and Aaron Allston, and authors you know from other venues, like Cleolinda Jones, Albin Johnson, Maggie Allen, and Bryan Young.
Additionally, my amazing cover artist Betsy Waddell is standing by to create illustrations for each of those stories. If we hit those stretch goals, everyone at the $5 and above level will receive electronic copies of all of the short stories at no additional cost. 
After the Kickstarter is over, Silence in the Library Publishing will bundle the stories together with some of my other War of the Seasons short stories and publish them as a print anthology (everyone always asks why there are only 3 books if there are 4 seasonsā¦ there were always going to be 4 books āŗ).
And you guys, thereās SO MUCH MORE. So be sure to check out the Kickstarter for War of the Seasons: The Hunter and please consider contributing and help fund the initial print run for The Hunter, the pivotal final book in the War of the Seasons trilogy.
If you canāt contribute monetarily, please, if you wouldnāt mind, spread the word to all your friends and family, and keep spreading the word. By doing so you’ll not only help see War of the Seasons through to its thrilling conclusion, but help keep Will and Katie’s memories alive.
Thank you.
If you want to spread the word and would like something easy to cut and paste, here you go:
Suggested FacebookGoogle+ Language
Check out the new Kickstarter for Janine K. Spendlove’s War of the Seasons Trilogy. A trio of great fantasy novels, and stretch goal short stories by authors like Michael A. Stackpole, Aaron Allston, Bryan Young, Maggie Allen, Albin Johnson, and Cleolinda Jones. With a lot of really cool extras and add-ons, there’s sure to be something for everyone. http://tinyurl.com/pquscr4
Twitter:
Kickstarter Launch for Janine Spendlove’s War of the Seasons fantasy trilogy. Check it out! Please support/RT http://tinyurl.com/pquscr4
Tumblr: You can reblog my post here: http://janinekspendlove.tumblr.com/post/63460463359/kickstarter-pre-order-for-war-of-the-seasons-a
In case you missed my last blog post about “How I do it all? (answer: I DON’T),” you can find it here.
Balancing 3 lives (aka: How do I do it all? Answer: I don’t!)
I am a wife, mother, Marine, pilot, writer, marathoner, costumer, all around geek, and more. One of the questions I often get asked is “How do you do it all?”
The truth is, I donāt.
There simply aren’t enough hours in the day. Seriously, if I could find a way to survive without sleeping and gain another 8 hours a day I would be a very happy camper. Actually, I hate camping, so I’d be a very happy wife/mother/Marine/pilot/author/marathoner/costumer/all around geek. That is not to say I’m not happy now, just that I finish out each day thinking: “man, I didn’t get half as much done today as I wanted to!”
I suspect that even with an additional 8 hours a day I’d just find more hobbies/things to get involved with and would lament that our earth days weren’t actually 30 hours long instead of 24.
So, how do I accomplish half of what Iād like to do? Well, let’s not discuss the condition of my home (hurricane central!), nor my inability to cook or bake anything outside of tacos or banana bread. But one thing I do well is prioritize my time.
Would I love a spotless house? Yes, but I love to spend quality time with my family more.
Would I love to write two novels a year? Yes, but I need to maintain my mental and physical health, hence my running/training.
Would I love to attend every single book signing and Sci-Fi and Fantasy convention I get invited to? Obviously!
But the Marine Corps comes first, and I go where I’m needed, so I can’t always make it to events Iād like to.
The important thing is to find balance in your life. For me, I have to balance 3 lives, and I do look at them as 3 distinct lives.
1-First and foremost I’ve got Family Me. I’m a wife and mother, and my duty to my family is more important than any others, and I will always put them first. That said I don’t fill up my life with all things family – I try to maintain balance. I know that I won’t make it to every family event, but I try to make it to many of them and I if I have to miss one, I make sure my family understands why I won’t be there (ie, I am deploying or had already committed to a convention). Are they disappointed I won’t be there? Yes, but they also understand because we keep those lines of communication open and transparent. We talk to each other!
Also, we have a set night every week (Monday night) where we have “family night.” Here we go over everyone’s schedule to make sure everyone has rides and that we are all aware of where we all need to be (and whose turn it is to cook or do dishes), and it really eliminates a lot of the confusion. In addition to a lesson that we all take turns giving, we also have some fun together time where we play games or go out for ice cream. The important thing is we are together. Sometimes this is the only time during the week that we are all in one place!
2-Next, I’ve got Marine Me.
I’m a Major in the United States Marine Corps and my duty to my Corps and Country is something I take quite seriously and will take precedence over my writing career at least until I retire from the Corps. But that isn’t to say the two are mutually exclusive. 
As a KC-130 pilot, I’ve logged a lot of flight hours and in my current job working as a Marine Liaison Officer at the House of Representatives I travel a lot. This gives me plenty of time to work out plot snarls, sort through my different plot bunnies, and, if I’m a passenger instead of the pilot, do some actual writing.
As for my running, aside from it providing me much needed mental rest and alone time, I also get loads of physical benefits, not the least of which is as a Marine I need to be great shape (running is definitely part of my job). Plus races are addictive, lots of fun, and finisher medals are cool!
3-Lastly, I’ve got Writer Me. Since I have to prioritize my time, this is the lowest priority “me,” because it is, I feel, the most selfish one. I started writing for ME. Because I liked it. Because I needed it. Because I wanted to.
Lots of “I’s” and āmeāsā in there.
Because of this when I do write, I try to do it on “my own time.” ie, when my family has gone to bed, or as mentioned above on down time on work trips, at night at conventions, etc.
That said, my daughter is a big supporter of my writing. In fact she’s one of my biggest fans and is constantly hounding me to finish my next book so she can read it. My husband is a great support too, so more and more I’m able to encroach into “family time” and write with their full encouragement (when I do this I try to write in the same room they are in so that I’m still around them even while I’m “working”).
In addition to that, I used to attend conventions and signings on my own. Now, not only am I generally too busy to be a one man show at these events any more (a good problem to have, I’m not complaining!) but my family accompanies me, so we still get some family time as we all geek out together.
As for everything else (costumes, knitting, various fandoms, etc)? I fit it in when I can.
So if you email me and don’t hear back from me for 2 months? Now you know why – it’s not that I don’t like you, or I’m ignoring you, I just haven’t found the time to properly answer you yet.
As I said at the beginning, I don’t do it all – but doubt I’ll ever stop trying!
Slightly off topic, but look what arrived in the mail!
Need a copy of one of my books? As it happens you can buy themĀ here.
My DragonCon schedule & where to find me
As most of you know DragonCon is looming & I once again have a packed schedule. I’d really love to see those of you that are going, so if you can make it to one of my panels, that’d be great! If not, please stop by to say hello. I’ll most often be in the Kaleidoscope Track room during the day.
For those of you looking to purchase one of my books I will have some on hand for sale, and of course, if you bring your own copies I’d be happy to sign them.
Oh, before I forget, most of our panels will feature a giveaway of some sort (especially my reading with Bryan Young – LOADS of giveaways there… some lucky attendee is going to walk away with all of Silence in the Library Publishing’s currently published books, to include Bryan Young’s Operation Montauk and my War of the Seasons novels!).
Hope to see you there!
MY SCHEDULE:
Title: Princess, Fairies, and Pirates
Time: Fri 10:00 am Location: A708 – Marriott (Length: 1)
Description: A discussion of favorite Disney characters: Snow White to Merida, Prince Charming to Captain Jack Sparrow.
Title: An Hour with Charlie Schlatter
Time: Fri 11:30 am Location: A601 – A602 – Marriott (Length: 1)
Moderator / MC for panel
Description: A discussion of Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil, the Emmy nominated animated TV show on Disney XD.
Title: Secondary Characters in The Hunger Games
Time: Fri 02:30 pm Location: Hanover C – E – Hyatt (Length: 1)
Description: From other tributes to Capitol dwellers, even the minor characters are well-drawn enough to inspire strong feelings.
Title: Fan Works and Beyond: Taking it to the Next Level
Time: Fri 07:00 pm Location: A707 – Marriott (Length: 1)
Description: A discussion of YA fan inspiration that has evolved beyond fanfic and fanart to Wizard Rock, fan musicals, Wattpad, and Kindle Worlds.
Title: Reading – Janine K. Spendlove & Bryan Young
Time: Sat 02:30 pm Location: Roswell – Hyatt (Length: 1) Loads of giveaways!Tell your friends – let’s pack the room!
Title: Come Meet Geek Girls Run
Time: Sat 04:00 pm Location: A708 – Marriott (Length: 1)
Description: The group fosters self-improvement, healthy living, and a community where strong women inspire and encourage each other. *There is also an associated fun run, Friday morning at 0830 in front of the Marriott. See you there!*
Title: Whatcha Doing, Danville Chicks?
Time: Sat 05:30 pm Location: A601 – A602 – Marriott (Length: 1)
Moderator / MC for panel
Description: Get the Phineas & Ferb inside scoop from two of its greatest chicks.
Title: Geek Parents Unite!
Time: Sun 11:30 am Location: A708 – Marriott (Length: 1)
Description: Exchange ideas & stories with other parents and nerds just like you.
Title: Read-a-Likes
Time: Sun 02:30 pm Location: A708 – Marriott (Length: 1)
Description: Turn your child’s love for TV into a love of reading.
Title: Phineas & Ferb, Come to Danville
Time: Sun 04:00 pm Location: A601 – A602 – Marriott (Length: 1)
Description: Danville has everything from Fireside Girls to secret agents to evil scientists. Discuss your favorites.
Need a copy of one of my books? As it happens you can buy themĀ here.
Don’t tell me what to write
I recently came across a Tumblr post with tens of thousands of notes that said the following “petition to make young adult authors stop writing about girls whose lives change when they meet a boy.”
My initial reaction was (as I’m sure what it would be for many authors): Don’t tell me what to write. If you don’t like what a book, that’s the beauty of books – there are always MORE. Simply set it aside & try another. Hopefully that one is more to your taste.
Once I got over my initial “YOU’RE NOT THE BOSS OF ME” reaction, I realized that the above post probably had more to do with certain tropes that are often found in YA Lit – specifically the whole “I can’t believe a guy like you would notice me!” trope. There’s also the “All women are lustful,” “All girls want bad boys,” “Distressed Damsel,” and the “Dulcinea Effect.” I’m going to stop here, because if I keep going someone will need to go into to TV Tropes in a few days and pull me out!
Now, if the original post had said all that that, I probably would have just kept scrolling on Tumblr a bit irritated (because I still don’t like the idea of someone telling me what to write), but not perturbed enough to say anything.
But it didn’t say that. It said, specifically “make young adult authors stop writing about girls whose lives change when they meet a boy.”
So, what I’d like to know is what is so wrong about writing about a person whose life changes when they meet another person who turns out to be significant in their life?
Whether itās a boy meeting a girl, or a girl meeting a girl, etc, thatās what stories essentially are about: RELATIONSHIPS.
My most recently published story is all about a girl whose life changed when she met a boy.
Her brother.
It completely, utterly changed her life because of the love & acceptance he showed her, something sheād never had in her life before that moment.
BTW, itās a superhero story. BTW, sheās the one with the super powers.
Ultimately itās a story about unconditional love, and in my opinion, love is what gives any story its heart.
Iām not saying stories need focus on love, but I am saying I think love – whether platonic or romantic – gives a story depth and an emotional anchor.
So, no, Iām not going to stop writing stories about girls whose lives change when they meet a boy, or stories where a girlās life changes when she meets a girl, or any combination you can think of.
Iām not going to write the stories anyone ātellsā me or tries to āmakeā me write. Iām going to write the stories I feel need to be told. Iām going to write the stories that speak to my heart.
Need a copy of one of my books? As it happens you can buy themĀ here.
GeekGirlsRun, a new running club for everyone
Hey all! So, because I’m not a busy enough person, I totally got involved in ANOTHER thing.
And now I’m going to tell you about it.
I’ve no idea if you guys have seen anything about a new running group called GeekGirlsRun, but it’s a new running club we’ve (Betsy (JustBetsyCostumes), Caitlin (BrightCopperPenny), & yours truly) put together because Betsy (who is awesome) thought the world needed one, and we agreed.
So for the last couple months we’ve been brainstorming the heck out of what it takes to start a running club, and we have, for the most part, I think put a good one together. But of course we are still learning. š
We have a logo, we have a website, we have all sorts of social media (go like our FB! https://www.facebook.com/GeekGirlsRun), and a motto: A community for geek girls who just want to run. Whether you have thousands of miles under your utility belt, or none, we’re here to share, have fun, and encourage each other.
Also, it’s for everyone, not just runners, and not just girls. EVERYONE. š
We are all inclusive! Here’s a pic of our very first convention “fun run” held last month at Origins:
Also, GeekGirlsRun is teaming up with Nerd Herd and promoting their virtual race series. You guys, check it out, you run 3 races (5K, or 10K, or 1/2 marathon, YOU PICK!), you get 4 medals (that come together to form a picture), and the best part is the money goes toward fighting cancer! The series is $65 for all 3 races, BUT if you use the coupon code geekgirlsrun by JULY 27th (that’s in 3 days!) you get $5 off!.
I know “May the 4th” has already passed by, but you can still run the 5k (to still get the medal). I ran mine yesterday. WOOHOO! I thought my shirt was appropriate. š
At anyrate, I know I’ve got a bajillion things going on, but here’s one more… because I believe in GeekGirlsRun. I believe very strongly in the culture of running – the inclusiveness of everyone, runner, walker, cheerer, everyone. We’re all one big happy family. š We would love to have everyone who wants to be in the club to join! š
Handmade LotR costumes for sale *signal boost*
Need a new costume for D*C? Want something to wear to the midnight premiere for the next Hobbit film? Did you know Halloween is only like 100 days away?
Well guess what? One of my very talented friends is a poor< starving college student (don't we all remember those days?) and would really like to be able to go to Dragon*Con (and eat!), so I'm reposting her costume "for sale" post.
I can personally vouch for each and every one of these costumes as I have seen them in person and they are absolutely stunning. She is truly talented and I've commissioned her to make me a few costumes when I simply didn't have time to do it myself.
For example, she made my historically accurate Snow White:
So please check out her post here, or at the very least pass the link on/boost the signal.
Thanks!
Okay guys, I hate to do this, but I *need* to sell some of my costumes. I am exceedingly poor and I like to eat so, I am selling LOTR costumes that I will more than likely never wear and I would love to see them worn and loved. these are all costumes from the beginning of my sewing career so they do have flaws. the costumes are as is. I am 5’5, all dresses are made to have a train and have a 3″(or more) “pool” at feet. all dresses have never been worn unless noted. I am willing to negotiate on most dresses.
First up: Arwens cranberry dress. Silk velvet. hand embroidery and hand beading. worn only for pics. not lined, zipper back. ignore my goofy expression. fits size 4-8. it is not a fitted dress therefore it can easily fit the range. I have biceps of 13″ and my shoulders are 16″ wide. I would like to get $300
