First let me say that I shouldn't and won't take credit for this idea; Mandy Hubbard deserves all the kudos. When I saw her post announcing that she would be auctioning off a manuscript critique to help raise funds for a friend who is walking in support of breast cancer research, I knew I wanted to do it, too.

And I can only hope I'm as successful. Mandy just announced that she's raised $950!

You see, breast cancer has touched my life in couple of important ways.

My favorite aunt died of breast cancer when she was in her 30s - actually, the age that I am right now. I used to love it when she and her husband would visit my house because they would sit up with my parents and talk and laugh late into the evening. I only ever heard my mother laugh like that with her sister. The idea that someone so loved and vibrant could be taken away so soon has always terrified me, especially now that I'm a mother. Jo left behind two young sons.

Now, my sister in law, Jennifer Wealer, is fighting breast cancer. We hope she's in the final stages of beating this thing - she's finishing up reconstructive surgery after her *second* round of surgeries. Through all of it, she has maintained a great attitude.  She has three beautiful children, ages 2 to 7, and she's never once hesitated to fight for her own health, for better health care, and for others who are fighting breast cancer, too.

For the past couple of years, Jenny has participated in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure 60-mile walk. This year, she's walking in San Diego, and her goal is to raise $3,000. You can see her fundraising page here:

http://www.the3day.org/site/TR?px=1581539&fr_id=1469&pg=personal

In the past, I've given $50 or so and felt guilty that I wasn't doing more. Then I saw Mandy's auction and realized that I can use my skills and passion to make a bigger impact than I probably ever could alone. So here's what I'm going to do.

On March 1, I will open up bidding for a full, in-depth manuscript critique. This is your chance to get feedback from a (soon-to-be) published author. Your book doesn't have to be Young Adult, although that is my area of expertise, and we can negotiate the kind of feedback you'd like. If you want a big-picture commentary on your plot, characters, etc., that's cool. If you're looking for a line-edit, we can do that, too.  If you're only halfway through your book but want some feedback and a bit of brainstorming on where it's going, then I'm game. Basically, I will treat your manuscript like I would the work of one of my critique partners. I will tell you what I think your book needs to get to a publishable level and do my best to give you resources that can help you polish it. 

But wait... it gets better.

My agent, Holly Root, has agreed to get involved, too. She's offered to do a critique of your query and the first 10 pages of your manuscript after you and I have worked on it. Holly is a rock star, and people pay hundreds of dollars to attend conventions for this kind of agent attention. You definitely don't want to miss out on that.

I will take bids until March 15. Once Jenny's notified me that the highest bidder's contribution has come through at her fundraising page, then I'll accept your manuscript. I will do my best to return my feedback within 2 weeks--I'd just ask that you give me a couple of days' leeway to allow for any work/family issues that might arise. At that point we can also work out with Holly the timing for her piece.

So there you have it! I'm excited, and I hope you are, too. Spread the word to all your friends who are working toward getting published, and check back here for updates. Bidding starts March 1!

(Oh, and if you want to just toss a few bucks at Jenny without making a bid, feel free to do that, too!  Every little bit helps!)