“I thought the event was a gigantic success,” Mull says. “I think everyone’s thrilled. I think the auction probably exceeded expectations, and I hope this helps Faith deal with her issues because that was the whole point.”
As one of the coordinators for the event, Lewis couldn’t believe the turnout.
“[The event was] beyond incredible,” Lewis says. “The fans that came out, that bid incredible amounts of money, paid astronomical amounts for the tickets in these depressed economic times which are getting better, I can’t say enough and be more grateful right now.”
For Hochhalter, the fundraiser was one of the greatest gifts she could have ever received from her friends.
“There’s no other way to describe the event than to say ‘Wow!’” Hochhalter says. “I love my friends and will never be able to thank them enough for all they are doing for me. I feel like the luckiest person to ever get cancer. The number of people who have rallied around me is still shocking. The fact that so many of my friends, author and non-author, are taking time out of their schedules to do this for me is still a bit unbelievable and if I think about it too much, I start to cry. I think this speaks volumes about friendship; I think it screams friendship from the mountaintops.”
Now after taking the time to rally behind Hochhalter, many of the authors want to continue on their path of goodness by hosting other fundraisers.
“We’re going to do something every year now,” Lewis says. “[We will] move it around the West coast. Here, Salt Lake City, Seattle, Portland and just grab the community of authors there and help organize it, form a little charity and give it out to other worthwhile charities. There has been talk about domestic abuse, Darfur, cancer, child abuse you name it, we want to help. People have been so amazing to buy our books and help us make a living writing stories, it’s ridiculous that we actually get to do that. We need to give back, and everybody wants to do it, and everyone’s excited.”
So now as many students hope to graduate and become writers in the real world, Blasingame leaves some advice for a successful future.
“If you’re a writer, write. Every day if you can. It isn’t always great stuff that comes out on the page, and it doesn’t matter. Just keep writing and eventually you’ll be successful,” Blasingame says. “But you also have a responsibility to young people who are reading your work to make the world a better place. These [authors] are the folks that shape the reality and help to shape the morals of our young readers. This is a wonderful example of what you do if a friend needs help.”
The Books of the Authors
Forget this semester’s textbooks and soon-to-be bestseller adult fiction books. This summer let the imagination take flight and explore many of the books written by the talented authors who participated in the Project Book Babe Fundraiser.
Yes, these books are considered children’s and young adult but forget about being a stuffy adult and read something that will back childhood memories and the enjoyment that is reading.
“The Looking Glass Wars” by Frank Beddor -
Almost following the footsteps of Gregory Maguire, Beddor’s “The Looking Glass Wars” series is the true story about Alice in Wonderland. According to Barnes and Noble’s synopsis of “The Looking Glass Wars,” “Princess Alyss Heart is brutally cast out of Wonderland by her vicious Aunt Redd, who beheads Alyss’ mother (Off with her head, she cries!) and begins to rule over Wonderland with an iron fist. Alyss escapes from Wonderland and is exiled to another world entirely–Victorian London–where she is adopted into a new family, renamed Alice, and befriended by Lewis Carroll. At age 20 she returns to Wonderland to battle Redd, reclaim the throne, and lead Wonderland into its next golden age of imagination.”
“There’s Nothing to Do on Mars” by Chris Gall –
Gall takes a science fiction approach with his book “There’s Nothing to Do on Mars.” After moving to Mars, Davey Martin finds there’s nothing to do. Finally he and his robot dog Polaris decide to seize the day and explore the red planet. It’s a beautiful picture also illustrated by Gall and offers the lesson, “If you’re creative and look carefully, you’ll be amazed at what you find!”
The “Softwire” series by PJ Haarsma –
Another science fiction tale, Haarsma’s “Softwire” series tells the story of 13-year-old Johnny Turnbull’s amazing ability to communicate with computers through his mind. Not only has Haarsma had success with his series, but his videogame to go along with the series has been a major hit among readers.
“The Princess Academy” by Shannon Hale –
Hale’s story features a 14-year-old girl named Miri who attends a princess academy in hopes of winning prince charming’s hand. The academy is much tougher than expected but Miri learns to confidence and knowledge in this unforgettable girly tale.
The “Grey Griffins” series by J.S. Lewis –
Lewis’s “Grey Griffins” series may be the perfect read for the student who still relishes their younger days running around with the fellow neighborhood kids. In series, Max Sumner and his three best friends, Harley, Ernie, and Natalia form the secret club The Grey Griffins when strange things have start to happen. Creatures like goblins and fairies and unicorns, all characters from a card game the Grey Griffins play, begin to make appearances in Max’s backyard. Max and his friends know something is terribly wrong and it’s up to them to stop the wicked creatures of the cards from destroying their town and the world.
“Nightmare Academy: Monster Hunters” by Dean Lorey –
Dreams and nightmares have always been an interesting route for authors to take. In Dean Lorey’s “Nightmare Academy” series, Charlie Benjamin’s nightmares bring monsters to Earth and Charlie gets an once-in-a-lifetime chance to learn to control his powers at the incredible Nightmare Academy. It is a coming-of-age story mixing reality and mystery.
The “Twilight” series by Stephenie Meyer –
In case you’ve been living under a rock these past 6 years, the “Twilight” series tells the story of Bella Swan and Edward Cullen. Bella is an average, clumsy girl and Edward is a vampire who pines for her blood yet loves her. Their relationship takes twists and turns as Edward fights his urge to devour Bella and unforeseen obstacles fight to destroy their relationship.
The “Fablehaven” series by Brandon Mull –
The “Fablehaven” series is perfect for anyone who ever dreamed of having a bunch of fantasy creatures living right in their backyard. Fablehaven is one of many preserves on Earth that harbor and protect fantasy creatures, both light and dark. Throughout the series, Kendra and Seth Sorenson, help to locate ancient artifacts in hopes of saving the world from the Society of the Evening Star.
The “Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica” series by James A. Owen –
Owen’s series take bits of history entangled in fantasy. The series starts with an unusual murder that brings together three strangers, John, Jack, and Charles, on a rainy night in London during the first World War. Then an eccentric little man called Bert tells them that they are now the caretakers of the Imaginarium Geographica — an atlas of all the lands that have ever existed in myth and legend, fable and fairy tale. These lands, Bert claims, can be traveled to in his ship the Indigo Dragon, one of only seven vessels that is able to cross the Frontier between worlds into the Archipelago of Dreams. The series is full of adventure and takes the imagination on flight.
“Fame, Glory and Other Things on My To-Do List” by Janette Rallison –
According to Barnes and Noble’s synopsis, “16-year-old Jessica dreams of Hollywood fame, and when Jordan moves into her small town, she dreams of him too. He’s a movie star’s son, and hey, he’s gorgeous to boot. Jordan has always wanted to get out from the shadow cast by his superstar father, but now that he and his mother have moved so far away from LA, how can he get his divorced parents back together? Jessica convinces Jordan the way to get his father to come for a long visit is to be a part of the school play. And if she’s “discovered” in the process, all the better. Things go wrong when she lets Jordan’s secret identity slip, and grow even more disastrous when the principal tries to change West Side Story into a gangfree, violence-free, politically correct production.” A fun, twisted romance that many girls might relate to from their high school days.
The “Dreamdark” series by Laini Tayor –
Taylor’s “Dreamdark” series isn’t for the pixie loving, Tinkerbell fans. An ancient evil of the Blackbringer rises to unmake the world and only one determined faerie stands in its way. However, Magpie Windwitch is not like other faeries. She has devoted her life to tracking down and recapturing devils escaped from their ancient bottles, just as her hero, the legendary Bellatrix, did 25,000 years ago. With her faithful gang of crows, she travels the world fighting where others would choose to flee. But when a devil escapes from a bottle sealed by the ancient Djinn King, she may be in over her head. A darker take on fairies but a page turner none the less.
Reach the reporter at theresa.dillon@asu.edu
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