How cool is this?

Last spring after my visit to Valpo, an alum contacted me and asked me to take part in a charity event next November (meaning now). I said yes because it sounded like a neat event for a good cause (writing scholarships, internships for journalism students, etc.)

So, now it's that time and I've been getting more and more information about the event. It sounds like it's going to be great! The really cool part is that I'm one of only like 30 Chicago authors participating (we're being called 30 of Chicago's top authors--hee!) and I recognize a lot of the other names. Other Chicagoans probably will too. Ilyce Glink--financial reporter for WGN, Rick Bayless--celebrity chef, Terry Savage--nationally syndicated columnist for The Chicago Sun-Times, and more. I'm especially excited to meet chick-lit author, Stacey Ballis. : ) We are the only two "Stacey"s in Chicago on the gigantic Chick lit Yahoo group list serv.

The Chicago Headline Club Holiday Bash will be held on November 17 at Kendall College. There will be an appetizer and dessert buffet. You can get your food, watching a cooking demonstration, and buy a whole bunch of great books and get them signed. There will also be a raffle for ten boxes of books, each worth $150.

I'm going to try to paste the flyer itself in this entry, so you'll be able to get more information. But you can also visit their website at www.holidaybookbash.org. Tickets are $65 a piece, but the money is going for a good cause. And if you can get a group of ten to go, you'll save $15 per ticket. Email me if you want to go and I'll start putting together a list. If we get ten names, everyone saves $15!

I'm also guessing, given the number of famous journalists attending, that we'll probably get some good media coverage--awesome! And I'll be one of the few fiction authors in attendence and the only sci-fi author, as far as I can tell. Yea! I think. Unless it would be better to have a lot of sci-fi authors so you can be sure to draw a crowd of sci-fi fans....hmm. Not sure about that. But either way, I'm excited.

It sounds like it's going to be a cool event. So, if you're looking for a fun night out in the city, consider this, won't you please?!?

*****
The Chicago Headline Club presents its first
Benefiting the Chicago Headline Club Foundation

Great food, better drinks, terrific entertainment, and the chance to meet and mingle with some of Chicago's top authors and journalists.

November 17, 2005 • 6:00-9:00pmKendall College, 900 N. North Branch Street, Chicago, IL
60622

Cost: $55 Chicago Headline Club Members/$65 non-members (in advance)$75 after Nov. 10.

Admission includes appetizer and dessert buffet, plus cooking demonstrations from the School of Culinary Arts at Kendall College and Celebrity Chef Rick Bayless. Cash bar (one free drink included with admission).

Register online now at www.holidaybookbash.org.

Holiday Book Bash RafflePrizes include 10 boxes of “Mystery Books,” each valued at more than $150.Raffles are $2/ticket or $10 for 10 (best deal)Drawing to be held the evening of the Holiday Book Bash.

Proceeds benefit the Chicago Headline Club Foundation, which supports journalism literacy efforts at area high schools, provides college scholarships for journalism students, and awards stipends for unpaid internships at top media outlets in the metropolitan area.

Get a jump on your holiday shopping by buying books written (and personally autographed!) by these Holiday Book Bash authors...

Jon Anderson, City Watch: Discovering the Uncommon Chicago
Stacey Ballis, Sleeping Over
Rick Bayless, Mexican Everyday
Melda Beaty, My Soul to His Spirit: Soulful Expressions from Black Daughters to Their Fathers
Steve Bogira, The Reader Courtroom 302: A Year Behind The Scenes in an American Criminal Courthouse
Rich Cahan, Real Chicago Sports
Kevin Coval, Slingshots: Hip Hop Poetics
Carolyn Crimi, Henry and the Buccaneer Bunnies
Doug Cummings, Deader By The Lake
Jonathan Eig, The Luckiest Man: The Life and Death of Lou Gehrig
Elizabeth Flock, Me and Emma
Hillary Frank, I Can’t Tell You and Better Than Running At Night
Al Gini, The Importance of Being Lazy
Ilyce Glink, 100 Questions Every First- Time Home Buyer Should Ask (3rd Ed.)
Barbara Joosse, Mama, Do You Love Me?
Stacey Klemstein, The Silver Spoon
Rick Kogan, America's Mom: The Life, Lessons and Legacy of Ann Landers
Rich Lindberg, Return to the Scene of the Crime: A Guide to Infamous Places in Chicago
Ted McClelland, Horseplay: Life at the Track
John Mullin, The Rise and Self- Destruction of the Greatest Football Team in History: The Chicago Bears and Superbowl XX
Ron Rapoport, The Immortal Bobby: Bobby Jones and the Golden Age of Golf
Terry Savage, The Savage Number
Troy Taylor, Weird Illinois, Ghosts of the Prairie
Michael Warr, Powerlines: A Decade of Poetry from Chicago’s Guild Complex
Sam Weller, The Bradbury Chronicles: The Life of Ray Bradbury and Secret Chicago
Sandra Yamate, Ashok by Any Other Name

Holiday Book Bash sales handled by The Book Stall, Winnetka.

Holiday Book Bash Committee Members
Ilyce R. Glink, ThinkGlink.com
Rob Hess, HurricaneNOW.com
Sylvia Ewing, WBEZ
Molly McDonough, ABA Journal
Howard Dubin, Manufacturers’ News
Steve Rynkiewicz, Chicago Tribune
Ben Bradley, WLS-TV
Tim Jackson, WGN-TV
Ellen Fiedelholtz, WGN-TV

Holiday Book Bash Advisory Committee
Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune
Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times
Alex Kotlowitz

Sponsors
The Book Stall, Winnetka
HSBC - North America
Kobrand Corporation
PR Newswire Chicago