Letting You In On My Secret

Am I crazy? Probably! Weigh in on that in the comments. What would you like to see? More to come on this project soon! 

Also, I somehow forgot to mention a very important part of all of this (to me, anyway). Some of you may recall the greeting card/bookmark combos I did over the winter to raise money for local charities. That's something that's important to me in this venture; I may not have a ton of money, but I've always felt like, you give back in the ways you can, and this is one way I can. So I want to partner my shop with charities (a new one each launch? each quarter? TBD!), and am very open to suggestions of charitable organizations you think are worthy and doing the work. Especially smaller and/or local organizations that may often get overlooked. So please send suggestions my way!

 

Austen in August 2021 Invitation!!

Alright. I know this post is LONG overdue. As in, more than a year overdue. Because yes, I DID see all of the comments last year asking me where the eff was AIA. I'm sorry. I know after 10 years, you've gotten used to having an avalanche of Austen in your summer months, and last year's lack left a Jane-shaped hole in your hearts. (Mine, too.) Just... chalk another one up to C*vid, yeah?

ANYWAY, I'm going to try to resurrect Austen in August this year, try being a key word. My schedule is full, friends. My plate is heavy with stuff. It is going to be a juggle, a heavy-plate-balancing-act, and I can't guarantee that it won't come crashing down in a glorious spectacle. But I miss it, and you miss it, maybe, and so together, we're going to try.

So:

What the Eff is AIA?
The Deets:

1. Started in the summer of 2010 in a different month and with a different name (but still alliterative, because I'm me), Austen in August is a celebration of all things Jane Austen, featuring reviews, discussions, vlogs, giveaways, interviews and more!  [See years one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine and ten!] You can stop by any time during the month of August and get lost in Austen. It's all very austentatious. . . alright, I'll stop now.
2. I'm going to try to match the pacing of our last 2 events, posting roughly 1-2 times per weekday. 
3. As always, but especially this year, I want to see what YOU have to say! I welcome guest posts and outside participation. To be involved, please fill our the form below, OR EMAIL ME with the subject line Austen in August.
4. Are you an Austenite author who wants to be involved? EMAIL ME! I'd love to have you involved! And because they were such a hit last time, I'd like to do our Mega Prize Pack(s) again this year, so if you'd like to be featured in that ---> email me!

Below you'll find a form you can fill out if you're interested in participating this year. As well, I'm keeping with last round's shakeup, and opening AIA up to other blogs. In the past, I've kept AIA strictly to my blog, so that everything is in one central location for people to consume. And while I know that works for some readers, it also limits other readers from stumbling across posts — they really have to know it's going on, or be sent through a direct link. And I want to spread the love of Austen to as many people as I can! So if you'd like to post something to your own blog or social media channel & have it included on the official schedule, please -- you guessed it -- email me.

So in the form below, you will find two options: one to be a guest poster here, and one to post on your own channel as an official participant. Please consider which works best for you — there is no pressure for either option! If you're more comfortable guest posting on my blog, or Austen content doesn't really sync up with your channel/blog's brand, no worries! I will keep plenty of slots available for guests!

If interested and able to commit to completing a post, please fill out the form below!
If you are an author, or have questions, please email me directly.

Every year, you guys blow me away with your insight and passion. I look forward to seeing what everyone comes up with!

EDITED TO ADD: Blogger appears to be having some issues right now, and no links are currently working. Which is just fantastic. =/ So here is a direct address to the form https://forms.gle/ah8ch8LVuCNGiHZ77  or you can email me, or DM me on Twitter at @TheBookRat.

Thanks for your patience!

#30DayBookBinge, Round 13 + FREE Printables!

Um, surprise? [Make sure you stop back tomorrow for another "surprise"...]

I normally try to give you guys a bit of a heads up when the next round of the 30 Day Book Binge is coming 'round, so you can get your TBRs in order and whatnot, but uh... I did not do that this time. To be fair, it is a quarterly challenge, so to anyone keeping track, this might be obvious: it is time! 

So we're launching into the 13th 30 Day Book Binge! Lucky number 13! Most of you are probably familiar with what this is by now (it is the thirteenth round, after all...), but for those of you who need a refresher: 

30 DAY BOOK BINGE is a quarterly (supposedly) reading challenge in which the goal is just to read something every single day for 30 straight days. What you read (books, poetry, the newspaper), the format you read it in (physical, digital, audio), and how long you read for are entirely up to you! The goal is just to make daily reading a habit, and to maybe knock out some other reading goals in the process (other challenges you're taking part in, school reading, whatever).

You can share your progress, your reading picks, ask for encouragement or give some of your own on social media with the hashtag #30DayBookBinge. 

Please, please, please share insight into what you're reading! Whether it's quotes on Twitter, book stacks on insta, react-alongs on tiktok -- I LOVE seeing what you guys are reading, and what you have to say! 

Now, as always, I like to sweeten the pot by giving you some special, limited edition printables to go along with each round of the Book Binge. These are created by me, specifically for each round of our "challenge," and they are 100% free for you to download and use.

This time, you're also getting a bit of a sneak-peek into a side project I'm working on (more about that soon) with a soft mixed-floral theme. You'll find a July calendar and 2 bookmarks (which I recommend printing and gluing down to thin cardboard, like a cereal box, for added durability); all 3 items are available as a single-sheet printable or as a png file, for use with planning apps.

You can download the printables for free >>>HERE<<<

THESE PRINTABLES ARE FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY. 

You do not have permission to share, distribute, sell or use them in any way other than intended. This set was created by me, specifically for the 30 Day Book Binge; the images are hand-painted, and the entire set took a lot of time to create. Please respect that.

I look forward to seeing you all active on the #30DayBookBinge hashtag, across all social media platforms, and I can't wait to see what you read, and how you put your printables to use!