Be A Character In A Novel By Yvonne Navarro

Why are you seeing a picture of a blue-eyed, pink-nosed Great Dane? That’s my Ghost. She’s a big goof. She’s also deaf, and although she can see pretty well, her vision isn’t 100%. She was abused as a puppy (doused with lighter fluid and set on fire), but she’s a prime example of the good things that dog rescues can do. She loves everyone and everything. She’s happy, cuddly, and very well-trained. The reason her picture is here is because 100% of the winning auction proceeds* will be given to Deaf Dane Rescue, Inc. of Oakridge, Oregon, and this is exactly the kind of thing they do. I chose DDRI because I got my first rescued deaf Great Dane, Lily, from them in 2004, and I know what a wonderful, deserving organization it is.

THE AUCTION

YOUR NAME as a character in my next urban fantasy novel, CONCRETE SAVIOR. CONCRETE SAVIOR is the second novel in the DARK REDEMPTION SERIES, and you can expect the first one, HIGHBORN (ISBN 9781439191736, no cover yet), on the bookshelves in September 2010, when it will be published by Pocket/Juno Books. CONCRETE SAVIOR will be completed and submitted to the publisher at about the same time as HIGHBORN is available.

The Fine Print/Details/Legal Stuff
Read it ALL. If you bid, you are legally bound by it!

1. The winning name can be male or female, but because of Paragraph 2 below, if you bid, it must be for YOUR NAME, and you must be able to PROVE it’s your name to me upon request. It cannot be anyone else’s name. The only exceptions to this will be bids on behalf of people I know PERSONALLY and with whom I can PERSONALLY verify will allow their name to be used. Sorry, but "personally" does not mean someone with whom I’ve only corresponded via email, LiveJournal, Facebook, Linked-In, Blogger, etc.

2. The character will be COMPLETELY MY CHOICE. As the author, I will do with this character what I want. The character might be good, evil, or in-between. The character might even be a victim. By bidding and/or winning this auction, you agree that you will have NO INPUT and NO RIGHT TO GIVE INPUT into what kind of character your name is used for, or what that character does in the course of the novel, and you will have NO RECOURSE OR RIGHT to have it changed. In all fairness, I will tell everyone right now that I’m planning for this to be an evil character. If you don’t want that to be you, don’t bid.

3. Although the character with your name will make a recognizable appearance in the novel, the character will probably not be a main character (i.e., a character who appears regularly throughout the novel from start to finish). Still, that remains MY choice. The character may or may not survive the novel (but likely not). However, I reserve the right to CONTINUE TO USE your name/character in any way in and for any additional novel or novels now or hereafter written or reissued, any audio version, any ebook version, any electronic version, or any type of media- or entertainment-related version that relates in any manner to HIGHBORN, CONCRETE SAVIOR and/or THE DARK REDEMPTION SERIES. In plain English, this means that if I somehow get un-freaking-believably lucky and someone republishes the books in any form or makes a movie out of a book or books that has a character with your name in it, you agree that this is okay, you acknowledge that you won’t get paid for the use of your name, and also acknowledge that you won’t be able to make them not use your name.

4. The character may or may not be involved in a sex scene (face it, it’s part of life), but there will not be nasty pornography. I don’t write that stuff.

5. You acknowledge that the character I will create using your name is FICTIONAL and is NOT BASED ON YOU. No action that the character does or doesn’t do, no thought that the character thinks, etc., is any reflection on you, in any way, shape or form, real or perceived, now or at any time hereafter.

6. You agree to hold me, Yvonne Navarro (the author) and Pocket/Juno Books (the publisher), and any reissuing publisher or entity, harmless now and at any time hereafter for any and all damages, real or perceived, that you believe are incurred by the use of your name in CONCRETE SAVIOR or any following book or project as stated in Paragraph 3.

7. You must be 18 years old to bid on this auction, or your parents must provide a fully signed parental consent. No exceptions.

8. You agree that by bidding you are entering into a legally binding contract to adhere to the foregoing seven (7) paragraphs and to pay the amount of the winning bid as per eBay regulations. The proceeds of this auction will go to a very worthy and needy cause. This is not a "pretend" auction, so if you cannot pay the amount you bid, please don’t bid at all.

9. If for any reason I do not complete and submit the novel CONCRETE SAVIOR to Pocket/Juno Books at the agreed-upon time or another time agreed to between me and Pocket/Juno Books, I will refund your money in full. This is the ONLY reason for which a refund will be issued.

*eBay will auto-deduct their fees from the winning bid amount. I will pay the initial listing/"seller" fee.

I think that covers it. If you have any questions, concerns, or doubts, please use the "Ask A Question" link. I will answer everything. In HIGHBORN, my friend Michael Klesowitch wanted to be a character and offered me his name. I took it… and made him a serial killer. That’s how this kind of thing goes. It’s fun. And how cool would it be to show your friends a book with a character named after you in it?

To check out the novels I’ve previously had published, please go to my website and visit the Books link. I’ve written books about vampires, zombies, kidnappers, science fiction, asteroids, serial killers, ghosts, the end of the world, and rebuilding after it. I’ve done movie novelizations for superheroes, comics, space aliens and vampire slayers. My books include AfterAge, deadrush, Final Impact, Red Shadows, That’s Not My Name, seven Buffy the Vampire Slayer novels, Hellboy, Elektra, Ultraviolet, and an Aliens novel.