“Therefore, your writing is a weapon of warfare against the anthem of pain and evil of the world. We are here to create anthems of hope. We are here in this moment to speak life into the darkness.” Mary spoke these words (or a close approximation of them – I was taking fast notes) in one of her keynote addresses at the 2018 @RealmMakers.
For so many people, Mary as a person and as an author has embodied this anthem of hope. Mary and her books are a beautiful combination of kindness and truth, adventure and poignant thought.
The past few years have been hitting Mary and her family hard, this last year in particular. After a long season of scary, severe health issues, toxic mold was discovered in Mary and her family’s house. Now their home will not only have to be torn down (while they’re still paying on it), but they’re also fighting for their health and facing a mountain of medical bills.
Here is the unfortunately perfect opportunity for everyone who’s received Mary’s anthem of hope to sing it back to her.
Her friends, family, and the beautiful bookish community have come together to raise tangible support for the Webers. At the top of my LinkTree in my bio, you can find the GoFundMe page which has extensive details about the Weber family’s situation and provides an easy means to support them. This effort has been going since last year, and we’ll keep it going strong until the Webers are fully cared for.
If you’re a praying person, please keep singing that anthem of hope with your prayers, too.
Also! If you’re writer, check out this NEW project to benefit Mary. Warriors Against the Storm: an anthology. This is an anthology fundraiser. All profits from the sale of the book go to support the Webers. See my bio for a link to that information as well.
Challenges:
#StoriesWithStephFeb20 – makes you think of girl power - @maryweberauthor is one of my heroes.
#WildAdventuresFeb20 – Cardan + Jude: unpredictable – Health, unfortunately. But also Mary’s cliffhanger climaxes. Do yourself a favor and read her books back-to-back!
#BookishConLifeFeb20 – Warren G. Harding: cover love – All of her books are gorgeous. …
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#MaryWeber
#WebersWarriors
“Oh, isn’t this amazing? It’s my favorite part because…you’ll see.” I’ve been eying these gorgeous prints from @meganwithey_fineart for over a year now. Look at them, friends. They’re so perfect!
I won a giveaway from @bethanyhousefiction last year that included an Etsy gift card, and I held onto it until I finished the alpha reader draft of my novel and then grabbed these prints in celebration! I’m still looking for just the right frames to fit the smaller prints, and I’m hoping to find two to match the gorgeous 4x4 one I found.
Challenges:
#StoriesWithStephFeb20 – has a booktube channel (Academy Awards) – A recent favorite of mine on booktube is our own @fictionaladventures! Grace is funny and well-read with a great family [and pugs], lots of games/tags, and also loves theatre and writing!
#WildAdventuresFeb20 – Audrey Rose + Thomas: the perfect pair – Belle and a Book. 😁
#Feb2020InEmojis – 📖
#BringOnTheMonstersChallenge – LTM Tour: set in a foreign country – France!
#BookishConLifeFeb20 – Ben Harrison: bookish family – I love Belle and Maurice. In my own BatB retelling (which it is no longer, strictly) it was really important to me that that father-daughter relationship be prominent.
#ReadGushFeb20 – #shelfie
How did you discover your favorite author?
When I was at college, a mutual friend of @amygreenbooks and @ruthanneburrell wouldn’t stop raving about Brandon Sanderson. (This same friend went on to write a book endorsed by Brent Weeks!) When I finally gave into the raving and picked up Mistborn, my mind was blown. I had never before read a book that I simultaneously felt myself learning the craft of writing from AND was a complete fangirl over. (I’m not prone to being a fangirl in the first place, so for me to be in non-denial about this was a big deal.) A decade later and Brandon remains more than ever my favorite author.
Do you have a favorite author who’s stood the test of time? How did you discover them?
Challenges:
#StoriesWithStephFeb20 – has added to your tbr (Cindy’s Birthday) – When I think of people who’ve added to my TBR, I’m either using them for another prompt or they don’t have a bookstagram… oops. I’m going to take this opportunity to shoutout the fabulous @galaxy.adventurer who was a great encouragement to me in reading Mary Weber books. If you like Disney, Superheroes, or Musicals, check out Dominque’s bookstagram!
#WildAdventuresFeb20 – Nina + Matthias: fierce + protective – Let’s put all the Sanderson characters into a hat and pluck out a random draw: Oh! Yep. That one’s fierce and protective.
#BookishConLifeFeb20 – Thomas Jefferson: fictional world you’d want to live in – I would love love love to go worldhopping in the Cosmere.
#ReadGushFeb20 – Bookstagram Besties – The aforementioned Amy and Ruthie are real life besties! And we must needs include @kelljasmer and @shirl_who. 💜💜💜💜
“I can shake off everything as I write; my sorrows disappear, my courage is reborn.”
~Anne Frank
How beautiful is this @lucyintheskycreations print! Today’s Stories With Steph is honoring generous bookstagrammers. Lucy herself is super generous: hosting giveaways, donating to charity, sneaking extra prints into orders. 🤗
This particular print was a gift from the generous @anovelescape. Kelsea is one of the most generous bookstagrammers I know. She hosts delightful giveaways, donates her time to reviews and community encouragement, and sends beautiful, thoughtful gifts to her friends. If you love fantasy [Brandon Sanderson!], thrillers, diverse reads, and straight-up gorgeous presentation, you should definitely be following Kelsea.
Challenges:
#StoriesWithStephFeb20 – is super generous (Nat’l Wear Red) - @anovelescape 🖤💜🖤 #Feb2020InEmojis – 🌹
#BringOnTheMonstersChallenge – The (Wittlest) Minotaur: scary stories – The Diary of Anne Frank, scarier for being nonfiction.
#ReadingAdventuresFeb20 – XOXO: best kiss – A certain fulfilled wager in Court Duel!
#ReadGushFeb20 – This or That game time:
Art Prints: script or picture
Bookmarks: magnetic or traditional
Genre: fantasy or contemporary
It’s a dangerous business [going out your door] … The road goes ever on and on!
…I love how well these LotR quotes go together. Good thing for my wallet that @crabapplebooks hadn’t made the inspirational “I’m Going On An Adventure” mug until /after/ this Black Friday purchase.
@vanessarasenanauthor has been working so hard this past year on her Crabapple Books store. She’s got three kinds of mug (ceramic, glass, and camp) as well as shirts, hoodies, and zip pouches full of snarky sayings and fandoms. If you haven’t yet, you should definitely go say hi – the store and bookstagrammer/author. 🤗
What fandom has the most hold on your wallet?
Challenges:
#StoriesWithStephFeb20 – owns or reps a bookish shop - @vanessarasenanauthor/ @crabapplebooks
#Feb2020InEmojis – 🎶- “The Road Goes Ever On & On”
#ReadingAdventuresFeb20 – Valentine Exchange: book gifted to you – My grandma bought me the 3-in-1 LotR when I was in junior high, and it is well loved.
#BookishConLifeFeb20 – James Garfield: character with morals – I give you… the Fellowship.
#ReadGushFeb20 – A book that made you laugh – Pippin and Legolas are always making me laugh.
