ROBIN HOBB

In March to celebrate my birthday and again in April for Fool's Day, I offered to send a hardback to people willing to donate at least $20 to Doctors Without Borders.  The deadline was April 15, and many people responded. So many, and so generously that we raised over $5000 for Doctors Without Borders  Some donors were very generous indeed.  So I have a LOT of books to ship out.

I have a couple of people lined up to give me a hand, and I've prepped the local post office so my ducks are in a row, but this will still take time as I need to dedicate each book personally.  So if you have not received your book yet, please be patient.  I am shipping them as I do them, via Book Rate, as noted before.  To those who included a shipping label, my weary typing fingers thank you!

I did not feel well enough to attend Norwescon, so I missed seeing friends and readers.  I simply don't have the energy levels I used to have for the fun stuff.  Somehow it all gets used up on the 'gotta get it done' stuff!

I am still very much anticipating Worldcon in Seattle.

Things on my tiny farm still keep me very busy.  We have a bee hive now, and I am learning how to take care of it, one mistake at a time.  I seem to have won the battle with the ants.  And I'm keeping a list of all the things I should have done before the bees arrived.

I carefully seeded about 40 pots of vegetables yesterday to get some starts for my garden.  Pumpkins, beans, sunflowers, squash.  This morning, I discovered that mice had raided every pot and dug up all my seeds except one bean.  So they are re-seeded now and covered against mice and I shall hope for the best.  Potatoes are in the ground and growing.  I've put in a bigger garden this year as I believe prices can only go up.  Luckily we have chickens both for eggs and meat, so that end of things is covered.  

And yes, I am writing.  Just slowly with painful 'space bar' thumbs.  

Patience.  That's my watch word these days.

A couple of things coming up!  

On May 21, I will be interviewing Joe Abercrombie about his new book The Devils.  It's extraordinary and I very much look forward to seeing Joe again.  We will be at Third Place Books at their Lake Forest Park location. It's at 7 PM.  Better get your tickets now!

And on May28th, I'll join Terry Brooks to celebrate the opening of a new B&N books in Lakewood, Washington.  We'll be starting at 9 AM!  The new location is 10330 59th Avenue SW, Lakewood, Washington.  We expect to have a very good time!  I'll post more about that as we get a bit closer!

On April 11, I attended the WLA Book Bash at the Tacoma Convention Center.  I have high hopes that this will be an annual event.

The WLA is the Washington Library Association.  This event gathered librarians from all over Washington state for various seminars, but I will speak to the part that included writers.

The WLA invited a number of writers to attend.  We were given the opportunity to give very short readings (3-5 minutes) and be available to speak to librarians and sign books.  A selection ofour books was made available by Grit City Book Store of Tacoma.  Perhaps the most enjoyable part for the writers is that we were all making new friends and renewing old friendships as we chatted and browsed each others books. I made several new writer friends, and renewed some acquaintances. 

Upcoming events that I will attend include Norwescon over Easter weekend.  I hope to be there for the Friday and Saturday, just wandering about and attending panels as a reader.  I am not scheduled to be on any panels.  I'm looking forward, again, to connecting with writer friends.  Kat and I are looking forward to connecting with Shanna Germain and Cat Valente and many other attending writers.

And finally, Steamy in Seattle is coming up in May.  This is a fund raising event for Clarion West, the well known writers' workshop. You can still get tickets for this lovely tea party.  This year its in the Nordic Museum!  It happens on May 10, and if you buy in at the VIP level, you get to keep your teacup!  With Ann Aguirre and Elizabeth Stephens, and Jasmina Silvera moderating.  Tea and Romance in a wonderful setting for a Fantastic event.  Visit their website for all the details.

Happy Fool's Day!  April Fool's Day!  But this is not a trick.

A couple of blogs ago, I made an offer.  US only, I am sad to say.

In a teacup, this is the summary.  Donate $20 or more to Doctors Without Borders.  Send me a copy (by SNAIL MAIL ONLY) of the receipt, with your financial info blacked out except for the amount.

I will mail you a free, autographed hardback.

Why?  Because last month was my birthday month, and I like hobbit birthdays, where I send out gifts.  And I think Doctors Without Borders is doing good stuff, and it's highly rated on Charity Navigator.  And it's Fool's Day, and we should celebrate.

This order will expire on April 15, so all envelopes have to be postmarked by April 15.  Then Kat and I will  meet at our Authors Retreat and have a big day of signing, packing and then mailing out books.  

The Very Important Stuff

1. NO.  NOT BY EMAIL!  Only Snail Mail.

2. Make sure your address is PRINTED very clearlly!  So many people have handwriting that is even worse than mine.  If I can't read your address, I can't send you a book.

3. If you want to be really kind, print your name and address on a 3X5 card or something similiar and enclose it.  I will use that as the mailing label.

4. All the books will be mailed out after April 15.  Probablly by book rate at the US post office.  They may not come in a flash but they will get there.

5. Send your envelope with the receipt and clear return address to:

             Robin Hobb

             7102 Harts Lake Road South

             Roy, WA   98580

And that's it!  Do that, and I will send you a signed hardback!

A final thing.  If you want me to save your address for a yet to be created newsletter that would come to your home by snail mail, you have to specificallly say: Save My Address.  If not, it goes in the shredder as I don't like spamming people.

That's it!  Now go play a classic April Fool joke on someone!