Meanwhile, I’m in the middle of writing a book that I can tell will make me cry before it’s over. And in this biz, that’s a good thing.

The five winners of a Starbucks gift card are:

Kristin H
Catie S 
Valorie 
kjovus
Becky (comment #12 – I had a couple of Beckys)

And the three winners of my books are:

Robin K
Cathy M
Nikki B

Please drop me a note [avery (at) averybeck (dot) com] with your mailing address so I can get your prizes in the mail! Check out C.J.’s blog for her list of grand prize winners.

Many, many thanks to all of you who donated! Johanna is well on her way to coming home. Can’t wait to see pics of that.

Yes, I said China. C.J. and her husband have been waiting *five years* to bring their daughter home, a process delayed by international circumstances beyond their control. In the time since they started the process, adoption costs have shot sky-high. Today, at last, they are just weeks from meeting Johanna Faith (what a beautiful name!) face-to-face.

I am happy to help out C.J. on her “Skip a Starbucks Day”—in other words, please sacrifice a $5.00 indulgence (or several, if you’re so inclined ) to get this little girl out of the orphanage overseas and into her home with the parents who, for years, have had a room ready for her arrival. Click the button below to head over to C.J.’s blog, where you can read her story, make a donation, and take part in the many giveaways being offered by so many friends and bloggers who are taking part in this fundraiser.

Speaking of giveaways, if you “skip a Starbucks” for C.J.’s adoption fund, I’ll send you a Starbucks card, so you can help this family and get your fix at the same time. Email me at avery AT averybeck DOT com and let me know you donated (C.J. has a list and is checking it twice, so no cheating!), and I’ll pick five names for a free cup of joe. Or a triple mocha mocha venti latte no whip extra cheese…or whatever form of caffeine you desire.

I’ll also send signed copies of both of my paperback releases to three wonderful people who contribute to any of the causes I have talked about here (see posts on LiveStrong and 46Mommas). Again, pop me an email with some form of confirmation that you donated. C.J.’s donations need to be in by this Wednesday night, Aug. 25. The others, by September 1.

I wish there were a better word for all of this—”fundraising” sounds like a magazine sale or a car wash in an attempt to fund the local high school team’s trip to the championship game. Which is a fine cause in itself, but when people’s lives are on the line…well, it’s very humbling. We’re not trying to sell candy bars here. I’m feeling pretty damn lucky to have what I have. I’m knocking on a lot of wood to keep what I have. And I hope that every one of these fundraisers, despite the lighthearted name, finds life-changing success.

Good luck to all who need help, and to my readers—if you can swing it, please donate today!

1. My first baby turns 7 (SEVEN! OMG) tomorrow. Seems like yesterday when I sat in the recliner with a bowl of peanuts to watch World Poker Tour (um…maybe I thought I was a man in that ninth month?), clueless that in a few hours he’d come out in movie-style fashion, complete with tossing things into suitcases in the middle of the night and driving 100 mph to the hospital. (Reason for panic: He was breech, my water broke and if the cord fell out it would have been a life-threatening situation. Now THAT’S how you have a baby.)

2. Discovered author copies of For His Eyes Only on my front porch yesterday.

3. After 4 months, my new house continues to rock.

4. After just a few days of work, I’m 15,000 words into a 60k manuscript. It’s a more traditional, not-so-hot kind of story, and I love my characters. It’s a shame I can’t pull them right out of the book. (But then I’d have to fight the heroine for him, and that wouldn’t be cool.)

5. School starts Monday!! 

6.  Official half-marathon training begins soon! Doing two this winter. To the right is the finisher medal, a mental image that gets me through the last couple of miles when I really want to stop running, sit on the curb and chug water for a few hours. Is it wrong that I’m giddy about this?

7. Speaking of Monday, I’m going to have a final, special fundraiser posted that day. As well as a giveaway for those who donate to any of the causes that I’ve mentioned. Please stop by and take a look. 

Have a great weekend!

(Warning: not for kids or those who are offended by love scenes.)

The story is currently available in e-book as well…but you knew that, didn’t you? Enjoy!

I was not disappointed.

As a person the universe often seems to enjoy messing with, I’m shocked and pleased that everything about this vacation went according to plan. The drive was reasonably short. The hotel room, which I sweat blood researching because I’m weirdly picky about where I spend the night (plus my boys love nice hotels), was beautiful, modern, and clean—a tough thing to find on SPI if you believe the online reviews. We walked a mere couple of minutes to the beach, and the beach itself was gorgeous (see photo ).

But Avery, you might object, this is nothing special. All beaches are gorgeous, right? Um, not exactly. Texas beaches are not usually known for their beauty. Except this one. SPI is as beautiful as any Florida coast I’ve seen. Blue-green water; soft, fair sand; and a noticeable lack of the gunk/seaweed that can be present on other parts of the Texas coast. Not that I’m dissing the Texas coast. I love Texas. I’m just sayin’, I was looking for a tropical-ish option without getting on an airplane, and this worked for me!

What is it about the ocean that makes everything else in the world seem so trivial? That is, if you even think about anything else while you’re there, which I don’t believe I did. And for me, occasional insomniac and Type A extraordinaire, that’s saying a lot.

The kids loved our vacation. They built sandcastles for hours and begged me to take them “far out” into the water. I’ve never seen them so entertained and well-behaved.

Guess I should start saving for next year.

In a couple of months, I’ll be one of a few thousand people riding to raise money for the fight against cancer. I’m going 45 miles. That’s a very good thing, but what’s better is the huge crowd that assembles with a powerful common goal. The most amazing finishers are those with “survivor” badges pinned on their jerseys. Others wear cards displaying names of loved ones they want to honor. Participation in the event requires a certain amount of fundraising; 100% of it is contributed to the cause.

Please contact me if you would like to donate to the fundraising account for my ride. Or, bypass me and go directly to the LIVESTRONG website to make a donation. And if an event like this takes place near you, consider participating. It’s an experience you won’t forget.

Clearly I have no beef with e-book or trade paperback, and I don’t want to speculate about what this means for Dorchester’s current print authors. Just want to pass on the information. The changes, they’re a-comin’!

In the spring, I was contacted regarding 46 Mommas Shave for the Brave, an event where 46 exceptional moms will shave their heads on national television to raise awareness and funds for childhood cancer research. I have donated a book to their fundraising auction and encourage all of you to check out the team’s website (see link above) and give whatever you can to this worthy cause.

I believe the event takes place on September 10 at 8pm EST in Los Angeles and will be covered by every major television network. You can find more details on their website or Facebook page (46Mommas). Good luck and best wishes, ladies!

I had to pop in and share this photo from devoted reader Deb, who picked up a copy of Sexy by Design and apparently found great pleasure in Chapter 8…

Thanks for sharing.

I also found out that my second book, For His Eyes Only, is available for pre-order at Amazon. It releases in paperback on September 7.  Very much looking forward to that day—especially since the kids will be back in school and I’ll get here a little more often!

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